Chapter 7: Crushed

The family throws a small party for Amelia's birthday. They held it early in the day so Emilio could attend before his afternoon game. Byron Goth, one of Amelia's first friends also shows up, even though he's been in high school for some time now.

Amelia becomes a teen.

Athletic and sporty, she takes after father, and wishes she had more time to spend with him. But his career is demanding, and he has a new wife and baby in his life. Unfortunately Emilio has to rush off after just a brief hug and conversation with his daughter.

Ho Sung came to the party so he could spend some time with his niece.

Thornton surprises Eleanor with an invitation to visit his new house, right next door to hers.

"Pink flowers?" she says, observing the wallpaper.

Thornton laughs, "I bought it as is, I haven't had the time to redecorate. Maybe you coold help me with that?"

"What is this about, Thornton?" Eleanor asks, "You gave up a penthouse with an amazing view to live here? Moving in next to me like this, it verges on creepy stalker territory."

"You've been so busy lately, helping your brother with his grief, helping him with his child. We don't get to see each other as much. This will make it easier for you...whenever you need me, I'll be here."

"You didn't have to rearrange your whole life just to be near me," Eleanor sighs.

"I'm serious about us, Eleanor. I did what I had to do to make it work."

It's true, Eleanor thinks, she's been coming home straight after work lately to be with Hawke, and to sit with Li Feng while he's working. She'd always left Amelia with a sitter in the evenings when she wanted to go out, but Hawke insists on not doing that with Li Feng. "So, you wouldn't mind me creeping in to your bed late at night when Hawke gets home from work?" she asks.

"I'll give you my key," Thornton says, smiling, "Let me show your where my bed is. So you don't get lost."

Thorton shows Eleanor where his bedroom is.

With Prom coming up, Amelia calls on her old friend Byron, intending to ask him. Since she started high school, she's developed a bit of a crush on him.

Byron is aloof and difficult to read. He's dated a few girls, but has never gotten serious or gone steady. And all the girls he has flirted with have graduated already, so Amelia feels she might have a chance. She's certainly willing to risk embarrassment and ask.

"Prom is on Wednesday," she says, "I was hoping you'd got with me?"

"Sure," Byron says, "It will be fun."

He hugs her tightly, but there's no kiss, no flirting or banter, and Amelia leaves his house not sure if her prom date will be a dat or just two friends going to the prom together.

Their agent has been on their cases about body image lately, so Hawke and Rio hit the gym together.

Neither of them has the stamina to keep at it for long, and they end up hanging out, gossiping. Rio has married Leliana and is now the father of a new baby, Damian. Hawke tries not to be jealous of his friend's happiness, but it stings, knowing he'll never be with his own wife again.

As soon as she invites Thierry inside, his arms around her and his lips are pressed against hers. She had wanted her first kiss to be with Byron, and she had never thought of Thierry as anything but a friend, so his sudden passion comes as a surprise. But she doesn't push him away; for a first kiss, it's remarkably good, she thinks, nothing awkward or shy about it.

"Thierry!" she gasps when he pulls away, "I wasn't...I didn't..."

"Is it true? You're going to the prom with Byron?"

"Yes, it's true," Amelia says, a little sadly, wishing she had considered her other options.

"Have you kissed him?"

"No," Amelia admits, "We haven't even held hands."

Thierry smiles, "I wanted to be the first to kiss you. The only one. But why didn't you wait for me? Why did you ask Byron to go to the prom?"

Amelia doesn't know what to say to that. Thierry was still a child when she asked Byron, and she hadn't thought about the fact that he'd be in high school by the time prom arrived. Nor was she even thinking about him romantically at the time. Byron, however, had been in her sights since she started high school.
"I'm sorry, Thierry," she says, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You only broke my heart, Amelia," Thierry admonishes.

Thierry leaves Amelia distraught and confused. Her crush on Byron remains undiminished, and now she has Thierry on her romantic horizon as well.

Li Feng becomes a child.

While they are having dinner at the bistro, Thornton is distracted by his ex-wife, Morgana.

"Do you miss her at all?" Eleanor asks, "Do you still have feelings for her?"

Thornton shakes his head, "What I remember most is the fighting," he says, "As soon as we were married, we discovered that we didn't want to live the same life. She's got what she wanted now, a husband and a house full of children."

"And you?" Eleanor can't help but ask, "Have you got what you wanted?"

"I did," Thornton says, his smile wry, "But my goal posts move with every achievement."

"Do you regret leaving your daughter behind?"

Thornton sighs, "Morgana and I didn't belong together. We should never have had a child. But, we did, at her insistence. When I left, she did everything she could to keep Meredith out of my life. And I let her, because I felt that having a child would just hamper me. I don't regret the divorce, but, in retrospect, I regret that I don't know my own daughter, that another man is more father to her than I will ever be."

Li Feng's odd behavior worries her father.

"Who are you talking to?" he asks, interrupting her conversation with herself.

"Zhenzhen," Li Feng answers.

"Your doll?" Hawke asks, looking around but not seeing it anywhere near.

"She's not just a doll, she's real," Li Feng insists, "She says Mama sent her to watch over me."

Hawke has no words for his grief. She'd lost her mother when she was so young, he didn't think she'd feel the loss so deeply.

In the kitchen, Thornton watches the father-daughter exchange with his own pang of grief. He never wanted children, but that was no excuse to fail so miserably with the one he had.

"I think it's time we discussed our future," Thornton announces when he and Eleanor are alone in her room.

"Marriage?" Eleanor asks bluntly.

"Yes," Thornton says, "That's the next step, isn't it?"

"The timing isn't right. I can't leave Hawke right now, and I don't want to uproot Amelia. Not even to move in next door. But after she graduates...that would be the time."

She was as business-like about his proposal as he expected. Her directness is one of the qualities he loves in her.


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Challenge Notes:
SP moved Thornton in to the house next to the Romans. I would never have moved him out of his penthouse apartment on my own, but having him next door has made things a lot more convenient for Eleanor's relationship with him.
Amelia's first kiss with Thierry was actually autonomous on his part. Amelia's generation is a single parent roll. I don't have a story in mind yet, and I've been testing the waters for potential father(s) for her children. Byron Goth was my early favorite because I like the way he looks. (He's the son of Don Lothario and Cassandra Goth). I also have a sentimental attachment as in my Sims 2 game, Cassandra had an out of wedlock son with Don that I named Byron, and he was one of my favorite Sims to play. But he's been very resistant to attempts at flirting by Amelia.
Then, right after Thierry became a teen, Amelia rolls a wish to have a first kiss with  him. So I invite him over, and right after she invites him in, she has 'be smooched' in her queue, and, bam, he's all over her. Not even a shy first kiss deal, he completely went for it.