Without Damaris in the house, Santos now mostly keeps to himself.
Kaira comes down for breakfast, but stops when she sees her grandpa. He always looks so sad lately. And when she sees him looking sad, she thinks about grandma... and then she gets sad.
Kaira tries to put this uncomfortable feeling out of her mind, and her grandpa's, by chattering away about school and her friends. She eventually stops, however, when she notices Santos isn't listening.
"Graaaandpaaaa, you're spacing out again," Kaira pouts. Grandma listened to my stories... tears prick her eyes, but she rubs them away quickly. She doesn't want to cry in front of her grandpa and make him sad, too.
"Sorry, Kaira... what was it you were saying?"
"Well yesterday at show-and-tell, Michelle showed off her doll house. But when I told her mine was better, she got mad and threw a doll at me!"
Though Santos tries his hardest to follow Kaira's story, he finds his mind wandering. Everything in the house reminds him so much of Damaris. The wallpaper she chose, her family that looks just like her, her small collection of butterflies near the backdoor...
"Ugh, I'll tell someone who want to listen!" Kaira leaves her grandfather to his thoughts.
***
"Wow, what's the special occasion?" Jenelle asks her boyfriend. He's not usually so affectionate.
"Just wanted to. I'll miss you."
Jenell disentangles herself with a barely contained grimace.
"I told you all that mushy stuff makes you sound weird," she grumbles. Why does he always say he'll miss her and can't wait to see her and uses all of those pet names?
He looks a little hurt. "But it's true."
"Ugh. Stop being gross. I'll see you tomorrow."
He sighs.
Meanwhile, at the park, Tatum is in a very different kind of mood.
Staying cooped up in the house and listening to her grandma's CDs has dominated her time lately. Love Day seemed to be the perfect occasion to head out for a change of pace. Going out to the park is a literal breath of fresh air.
A smile spreads across her face when she sees all the flowers in bloom. Spring has definitely sprung!
Elias is already waiting for her when she arrives.
"Hey, I'm glad you're getting out of the house more," Elias says gently. They've been texting a lot lately but haven't hung out one on one before.
"Yeah it's been pretty depressing at home," Tatum admits. "My grandpa is so sad..."
Elias nods sympathetically, but isn't sure what else to say. His grandparents passed away when he was little.
Tatum decides to change the topic for him. "So, your hair..."
"Thought it'd look better this way... Do you...like it?" he asks shyly.
Tatum blushes. "It looks...nice..."
She must hate it. I look hideous. Why did I even leave the house without a beanie? Jenelle was right, I look ugly...
Tatum, oblivious to Elias's inner turmoil, changes the topic once again.
"Did you do the analysis for simlish class? I don't really get why we have to read so many poems..."
Elias smirks. "You think that's a lot? I finished them already. It's not so hard to get the real meaning, if you just read between the lines."
"Oh! Then how about Wood's poem, 'Liver of Light'? Do you know what the alliteration is supposed to mean?" Tatum is desperate for any reprieve from her Simlish homework.
Elias shifts uncomfortably. In truth, he's skimmed through the poems. He usually uses the internet for his literature analysis, not that Tatum needs to know...
"I, er, did it so long ago. I don't remember it anymore, sorry..."
Tatum shrugs. Maybe grandma could help?
Then she remembers that grandma isn't around anymore.
Elias glances around the park to see if anyone is watching when Tatum cries on his shoulder. On one hand, if people see him holding someone who isn't Jenelle, there could be nasty rumors. On the other hand, isn't it so nice of him to comfort a friend?
He glances down at Tatum's tear stained face. Sure, her hair is funny....and her fashion sense is a bit off... but she is quite pretty.
Any brownie points I can score with her....
He doesn't get to finish his thought. Tatum pulls away suddenly, her cheeks red.
"I'm sorry, I got your clothes wet..."
"Nah, don't sweat it. Anything for a friend, right?" He looks her up and down. Maybe more than a friend, if things with Jenelle go south. She's been snippy with him lately. Who knows how long she'll stick around?
Both to cheer Tatum up, and to show off his enticing moves, Elias drags Tatum to the dance floor.
"Haha, you're funny," Tatum laughs at his mechanical movements.
He forces a smile onto his face. "Take a look at yourself. You move so woodenly."
Why does she feel like she can crticise me with moves like that? Like she's so hot...
Tatum giggles in reply, not picking up on any ill intent.
"But I move woodenly... with confidence!"
Elias runs off in a huff after this, saying he has a date with Jenelle he forgot about.
In considerably higher spirits than before, Tatum decides to stick around the festival grounds.
Before she leaves, she tosses some horseshoes. She misses most of her shots, but she still has a good time.
"Lucky, I'm boooored," Kaira whines. She's given into her "friend's" persistent desire to play tag. She doesn't like it- she's tired, sweaty, and dirty.
"Then how about a pillow fight?"
"I don't know..." she doesn't feel like getting any more tired.
"But I dare you!"
Not one to back down from a challenge, Kaira marches to her grandpa's bed and gets two pillows.
"You're going down!"
Tatum rolls her eyes, "Not right now, Kaira. I'm doing homework."
"Not you, him!" Kaira doesn't notice when Tatum rolls her eyes again, now completely focused on winning.
Tatum turns around to admonish her sister for her insistence that she has an imaginary friend- one that she hasn't even helped "get rid of" like she promised- but stops in her tracks.
Kaira is being hit by something, the realisation leaves Tatum speechless. Feathers fly from nowhere, Kaira blocks a blow that does not exist. But by what? By whom?
"Kaira! Stop that!" Tatum wrestles the pillow away from her younger sister. "Wh-where's the other pillow?"
Kaira sulks, unhappy that her game has been cut short. "Lucky has it."
"Make him give it back." Tatum's voice is shaking. "P-please."
"Am I in trouble?" Kaira is used to this lecture. Kaira, that wasn't very nice. Kaira, winning isn't everything. What do they know?
Tatum breathes deeply, "No, just...give me the pillow."
The pillow appears from nowhere, no longer being in Lucky's hands.
Tatum has questions, lots of them, but the arrival of their grandfather cuts them short.
"Why didn't you tell me someone's...following you?" she hisses, too quiet for Santos to hear.
"I DID tell you! No one listens to me!" Kaira bursts with frustration.
Santos glances over. "Girls, why can't you get along?"
"I did say so!" Kaira quietly protests.
"I know, Kaira..." Tatum admits. "Apologise to grandpa so we can talk more about your...friend."
Kaira clenches her fists. Why is she the one always apologising? It isn't fair. But looking between her sister and grandfather, she knows she's beat.
"I'm sorry for getting angry." The apology is barely audible and dead-pan, but it's enough for Santos who grunts and gets on with his dinner.
"I'm also sorry, for not believing you before. How about we look at that list of ingredients, huh? For the, uh, science fair." Santos isn't listening anymore, but Tatum has to be sure he won't be suspicious.
Kaira nods. "Yeah I want a great science project."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: Elias is one of the descendants of the Bayless and Drudge families. He has one younger sister.
In hindsight, I wish I took care of the imaginary friend situation more quickly, but turning Lucky real took FOREVER. I'm not sure if I'll let future kids have IFs.
