Chapter 35: Wanderlust

He turns as Sage approaches, and they stare at each other, neither one speaking. Sage had wished for this, to meet her father, but now that he's standing in front of her, she doesn't know what to say. Since she was born, he's never spoken to her, never visited, and she's torn between the joy of finally seeing him in person, and anger at his long absence.

"My mother will be home soon," Sage breaks the silence. "You're my father." It comes out like an accusation.

"I must be," he says, not taking his eyes off her face, "What's your name?"

"You don't know?" Sage gasps, "Didn't my mother tell you?"

He shakes his head, "Until now, I never knew about you, let alone what Kelsey named you."

Sage's anger turns on her mother now, it's her fault her father never tried to contact her, because she kept them apart. "She has pictures of you, and she has the things you sent her, but she never speaks of you either. She never told me your name, even. My name is Sage."

Kelsey's worst fears materialize when she arrives home. She wanted to tell Chayton about Sage before he came to the house. She didn't expect he'd just show up on her doorstep days early and without calling ahead.

"You were going to call from Al Simhara," she says, "We were going to meet in Redwood Harbor."

"Al Simhara didn't seem as important as seeing you again, so I cut my trip short," he says.

"You should have called," she says, her words coming at the same time as he is saying, "You should have told me."

"Sage, could you give us minute?" Kelsey asks her daughter. What needs to be said needs to be spoken in private.

"You'll stay, won't you?" Sage asks her father before she leaves them, "I want to talk to you, to have some time with you."

"I want that, too, daughter," Chayton says.

Chayton surprises Kelsey by taking her in his arms and squeezing her tight. "After we last spoke, I couldn't get my mind off you. You've always been in my thoughts, but now I could think of nothing else but seeing you again, holding you," he says. "But are you happy to see me, or just disappointed that I've discovered your secret?"

"I didn't mean for it to be a secret," Kelsey sighs, "I wanted to meet you in Redwood Harbor so I could tell you about Sage in person, so you could decide if you wanted to be part of her life before she met you."

"You should have told me when you found you were pregnant," Chayton chides.

"You were living on the road. Settling down to raise a child wasn't in your plans. I didn't want to put any obligation on you," Kelsey explains. I wanted you to come to me of your own accord, she thinks, but does not say, knowing it was a selfish motive for her silence.

"That decision should have been mine to make, Kelsey. I lived my life thinking I had no attachments. Now I find I have a daughter I don't even know."

Kelsey nods, tears forming in her eyes, "You're right, I should have told you. And now that you know...?"

"I knew from the moment I met you that you were the one, Kelsey. I wanted you to come with me, but you could not. I didn't want to change my plans for my life, so I continued on my road, always intending to come back to you someday to find my home. I waited too long. If I had listened to my heart, I would have taken the road to your door much earlier, and I would have been here with you to raise our daughter. The fault lies as much with me. We can't change the past, but we can have a future. If you want me, that is."

"Of course I want you," Kelsey whispers, "Stay with me. Be at home."

Chayton's arrival coincided with Logan's birthday.

"I can stay, Mom, if you need me here," Logan says, wary of the newcomer. He was planning to move out on his own tonight, but now he's worried about leaving his mother and sister alone with a strange man.

"Don't be silly," Kelsey laughs, "Chayton is Sage's father. You don't have to worry about us."

So Logan moves into his new house that evening as planned. He's taken a job with the local paper, embarking on a career in journalism. His girlfriend Susanne moves in with him, bringing her parents along. The family had fallen into debt, and Logan chose to take them all in rather than see his future in-laws suffer in poverty.

While Kelsey is saying goodbye to Logan, Sage is demanding answers from her father. Chayton tells her about how he met Kelsey, and why she chose not to follow him.

"If she had told you about me, what would you have done?" Sage asks.

"I honestly don't know," Chayton answers, "When I was a young man, my freedom was very important to me, and that often clouded my judgement. I cannot say what decision I would have made, had I been given that choice. I know now that being here with you and your mother would be the right choice, I just don't know that my younger self would have seen that as clearly as I do now."

That night, Kelsey and Chayton have an intimate reunion.

During the day, she takes him to her favorite places, and they reconnect while fishing at the waterfall.

Chayton and Sage have an instant rapport. Even though she grew up apart from him, Sage takes after her father.

Father and daughter quickly form a close bond.

Sage has also been forming a bond with her classmate Jeremy Miller-Blanco. They're both in the sports club together, and often do their homework together after school. With prom coming up, Jeremy asks Sage to be his date.

So often Kelsey dreamed of this, she sometimes forgets it's real.

When her presents her with a ring and asks for her hand, she knows it's not a dream. The couple don't bother with a party or a big public wedding, they just speak their bows right there in their bedroom, in their underwear.

The day before the prom, Sage and Jeremy have a date at the public pool. Both sporty, active types, they enjoy playing catch.

And playing on the water slides.

And making out.

Before they part, Sage asks Jeremy to go steady.

The next day is their prom.

Little puppy Scout...

Becomes big dog Scout.

In the morning before her last day of school, Sage has her mind on her future. Like her father, she wants to travel, and has her heart set on visiting Shang Simla.

After school is her birthday. Jeremy, who became a young adult the day before, is the only guest for her cake.

Jeremy is looking forward to having a life with her and starting a career in science, but Sage has convinced him to take a trip with her before starting a job. Over cake, Chayon tells them about the wonderful sites in Shang Simla.

"I'd really like to go to France," Jeremy tells her when they have a moment alone, "They grow some unique species of grapes in Champs les Sims."

Sage had her heary on China, but her heart also belongs to Jeremy, so she agrees to a trip to France with him. China will still be there for her to visit after they've seen Champs les Sims.

The couple go to bed that night happily anticipating their departure for France the next morning.

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Challenge Notes:
Generation 6 begins. The roll is: Second Chance (I've never got that one before), 2 kids. Primary Career is Adventurer. The two secondary careers are None for the first partner and Artist for the second.
The goal is Party to Remember and Misc Fun is Tattoo Addict. Again.
Sage Traits are Brave, Athletic, Adventurous, Handy and Lucky. The first four are all helpful for adventuring. Lucky is just random.
Jeremy is Athletic, Over Emotional, Green Thumb..I forget the other two.