December 7, 2086. Marlie Alonso is 30, Harry is 13. Daniel Levin is 32.
Marlie Alonso is on her very first date since that time some dude knocked her up with Harry at some high school party in 2072. She didn't remember that dude's name. Sometimes she thinks Harry loathes her for that mistake, but how could she fix that now? All she remembers is that it was a Halloween party, he was dressed up as a pirate and she was a sugar plum fairy, she was sixteen, drunk, naive, lonely, and he was a redhead.
She is still lonely, but she is no longer sixteen, drunk, or naive. She won't make that mistake twice. This one's name is Daniel.
Marlie and Daniel have been chatting for a couple months now, but they finally decided to go out on an official date. There was a lot to be wary of. She has a thirteen-year-old at home. He has a demanding military career that will take him away from home at times. They both want to be honest with each other.
He wanted to pick her up at home and meet her son, but she said, “No, let’s just meet at the club. You can meet Harry some other time.”
Because meeting her sullen teenager is sure to ruin the whole night, and she was really looking forward to this night.
They share some pleasant flirtations in the moonlight.
They take some sweet pictures nearby a bubbling fountain.
Daniel talks a lot. He is a rather boring man, she notices. He likes sports, but only badminton. "Is that a sport?" she asks.
"Basketball," (her favorite) "is so mundane," he says.
She's a little rusty at this dating thing. She never had time for it while she raised Harry alone and put herself through nursing school. So she's trying her hardest not to be uncouth, and she has her potty-mouth in check, because he doesn't seem like the type who would find that amusing.
Who is your type anyway, Marlie? she wonders.
Anyone who will give me the time of day, she answers for herself.
She can’t believe he really likes her. She knows that as soon as he meets Harry, he won’t anymore, so she wants to enjoy this for as long as possible. She cleans up nicely for a single mom, and she still has a pretty hot body. For a few more years, at least. He’s a little more boring than most, a little dorky, to be honest, but she’s not picky considering the circumstances if he’s willing to not be picky. And he’s not too picky, either. He just wants someone to settle down with before the chance passes him by.
"I get that," she says. "I totally get that."
They are each other's type, after all—slightly desperate, but not depressingly so. They each have a little something going for them.
Fantasies flash through her mind. Might she get married? Have a real family? Maybe even buy a real house with her real husband and real children? Might she have more children? She is only thirty, after all. She still has time to start all over again. Not that Harry isn’t her real child—she birthed him alright, and she has the stretch marks to prove it!—but she imagines it would feel different to raise a child “properly” with someone.
Daniel seems like the type who knows how to raise a child properly.
While Daniel uses the bathroom, Marlie texts Harry. "There’s some leftover pizza in the fridge. Do your homework. Call the landlord if anything happens. Don’t wait up."
He’s old enough to take care of himself now. Probably.
And if he's not, then he can spare her this one night. It's been a very lonely thirteen years.
She doesn't make it home until the early morning hours before dawn. There are no obvious signs of trauma. The apartment isn’t burnt down, and dirty dishes fill the sink to indicate that Harry has fed himself. His report card, laid out on the counter for her to sign and return, isn’t even bad this quarter. Solid B’s. She should probably hang that on the fridge because who knows when she’ll ever see it again!
Thinking ahead, at Harry's age and after everything, no matter how much she might like Daniel and no matter how it works out, Harry will never consider anyone his "dad." Maybe she should have tried to give him a dad sooner.
—
notes: She did not invite Daniel home that night, but I popped him into the family for a second so they could make it official. To the internet and Facebook and everybody but Harry, lol!
(click for bigger)
Perhaps you can see why she hesitates to tell him? With no help from me, Harry has turned himself into such an unruly thing. I've hardly even played him since Parenthood came out, so I don't know how this happened! He must have been out on the town causing trouble without me!
Outtakes: a very very little apartment tour
lol at Harry! He does seem like a very unruly kid, and I don't blame Marlie for being hesitant to introduce him to anyone. Besides, it's probably best for Marlie to decide how much she really wants any guy she's dating as part of her life before introducing him to her son.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Marlie had a good night out, even if the guy was a little boring, lol. Maybe that time back at his apartment made up for that? ;)
Right, it's probably wise to tread lightly with her very first relationship, well, ever, I guess. Since Harry's sperm donor wasn't even a relationship! Poor girl has had a very stunted romantic experience in her 30 years of life. But this is a start, if nothing else! We'll see where it goes!
DeleteAw, Daniel is actually kind of cute, in a nerdy sort of way! Maybe he'd be a bit less boring once you knew him better? He seems nice, at least and wants the same things as Marlie does.
ReplyDeleteWow, poor Harry! Or maybe poor Marlie! I guess even in TS2, there's no official story progression but sims can still get enemies and start affairs and get caught cheating when you're not playing them. Maybe something similar has been going on with Harry, only with the Parenthood stuff.
I agree, he is nerdy cute. I don't know if he's Marlie's type, or even what Marlie's type is, but I'm happy to let them give it a shot.
DeleteI can honestly say out of 230 sims I do not have another child in my whole game with behavioral stats like Harry, lol! I was not witness to how or when he did it, but it's quite amusing! And it's fitting for where I see his story going (if you remember, he was one of my sims who lived in the future for a little while).