Sophia finally came inside, and Dad congratulated her. He showered us with praise, and his unwavering belief in us resonated in every word. I tried to imagine what that moment must have felt like. Soulmates and serious commitments were important to him, but he didn’t find success in that area. He never pushed me and mostly stayed out of my business unless I requested his help. But I knew all he wanted for me was success where he had failed. Sharing that special moment with us, knowing we had a solid foundation, must have been such a relief to him.
He asked about the house, and I described it as a larger version of his with four very small bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining room, an office, and a nice sized yard with a massive tree. The previous owners left a treehouse kit behind, and I asked if he would help me build it. Of course, he looked forward to it.
“I’d love for you guys to stay for dinner, but you know if you don’t get to your mom’s house soon, there will be hell to pay,” he said.
He was not wrong, so we got parting hugs and I love you’s and headed to snowy Newcrest. Mama was standing at the door watching television, so I didn’t bother knocking since she could hear us on the porch. Sophia stayed outside, trying to convince the dogs to come out of the freezing cold and into the house.
Mama’s hair caught me off guard. It was so bright. Like, really, really bright. That’s when I realized it wasn’t gray anymore.
“You dyed it white?”
“It’s not white! It’s platinum blonde.“
“Oh… I like it. Kinda badass.”
She was always so adventurous with her hair. When she turned up to her birthday party with gray hair, she honestly surprised me. I thought she wouldn’t be caught dead with gray hair, but I guess she was just trying it on. Clearly, that color didn’t speak to her.
“Thanks, buddy! To what do I owe this pleasure? You’re spoiling me with these frequent visits!”
“I proposed!”
She screamed. I never heard her make that sound before, and I’d probably never hear it again.
“THANK THE WATCHER!!”
Sophia had just come inside—without the dogs—in the middle of that commotion and stood off to the side, smiling, while Mama began to squeeze the life out of me.
“Oh, I’m so happy!!! My little buddy is getting married!!!”
Just as quickly as she embraced me, she pushed me aside to see Sophia’s ring. She grabbed her hand, oohing and ahhing, holding it up to the light to catch every glint and sparkle.
“You chose well,” she said. “It’s perfect! I can’t believe this, but I totally believe it! We have so much work to do!”
And there was the Emmy I expected earlier that week. I raised my eyebrow at Sophia, signaling her to brace for impact, just like I told her.
“So, when is the wedding? Wait, where is it? Sulani is perfect this time of year! Are you doing a honeymoon? What about kids? Are you waiting or trying immediately?”
“Whoa, timeout,” I said. “We literally just got engaged like two hours ago. We haven’t planned anything.”
“Two hours? And you’re just now coming to me?”
“Mama, chill. I proposed in San Sequoya. We went to Dad’s first.”
“Hmph. Well, you can leave Sophia with me. We’ll have everything all done and dusted by the end of the night!”
I shook my head, and Sophia’s eyes bounced between the two of us, uncertain if she should interject and afraid of what “leave Sophia with me” meant.
“Uhhh…shouldn’t Luca have a say in his own wedding?” she asked warily.
“Why?” Mama asked. “Everyone knows the wedding is all about the bride. I’m sure Mr. Cute Face will be fine with whatever you want.”
“But…,” Sophia said hesitantly.
Mama sighed, and relented.
“Fine. He can have some say. But this wedding needs to happen as soon as possible! Especially if you’re waiting to have kids. You can’t wait too long!”
Sophia smiled uncomfortably, but found a little confidence.
“How about Luca and I talk about it first, and then we’ll let you know what we’d like to do?”
Mama glanced back at me with a serious look.
“I love her. You chose very well.”
“I know,” I said, matter-of-factly.
She turned back to Sophia.
“You always stand up for my son. You don’t understand yet how happy that makes me as a mother. We raise these little sims, and pour our whole lives into them, trying to protect them from the world and everything in it. It’s very odd when they grow up because you still want to be that person in their lives, and it’s hard to let go. But at the same time, deep down, you hope one day they’ll find someone who will love them just as fiercely as you do. Thank you for loving my son like that.”
“He loves me like that,” Sophia said.
Mama grinned at me.
“I know he does.”
“Here’s an idea,” I said, attempting to end this Luca Love Fest. “We’ve been walking around San Sequoia all day. How about Sophia and I go grab dinner and celebrate? You can watch the dogs, and we’ll talk about wedding stuff. We can discuss everything when we come back to pick them up. That sound okay?”
“That’s perfect,” Mama said.
