#alvinsprong

[persimmonsimmer]

"Good morning, sleepyhead."

"I think we have some, like, unfinished business from last night."

"--Oh Al. Al, yes. Yes! Allllll!"

[persimmonsimmer]

"--Leonor!--"

"--Al! Oh yes! Just like that--"

You don't hear anything. You're just reading, just getting absorbed in a good book . . .

Block it out. Just block it out.

Sigh.

[persimmonsimmer]

Though her pregnancy was taking a greater toll on her now that she was showing, Leonor couldn't wait any longer to check out the storefront her father had had built for her.

The new building wasn't big, but it was impossible to miss.

"It's perfect!" Leonor breathed. "Oh, isn't it just so cute, Al? So much potential! And it's all ours!"

"Your dad knows you well," Al agreed, looking around. "I bet all the traders and messengers who pass through will be flocking here for some coffee and one of your baked goods in no time."

"We'll have to decorate, though," Leonor said. "And think of a name. Ooh! What do you think about Lovebirds Coffee Co? That's cute, right?"

"Cute and perfect, just like the little lovebird standing right in front of me."

"Aww. Al."

---------------------------------------------

This is where I did a very intelligent thing and sent Leonor, who'd only just popped into her second trimester, to a community lot without having installed the mod that fixes the community lot pregnancy bump bug.* So from this point on Leonor looks like she could give birth any second even though she still has two-thirds of her pregnancy to go.

* That mod is now installed.

[persimmonsimmer]

It wasn't long before Yesenia's fears were proved right.

"It's really happening!" Al beamed.

"I've been wanting to think so, but I had, like, no morning sickness at all! Just some muscle aches."

"That's because our perfect child knows better than to make their mother sick. But here, let me do something for those aches . . ."

Yesenia had to excuse herself from the touching scene.

Ironic. Leonor's not nauseated at all, and I'm the one who feels like puking.

[persimmonsimmer]

At the rate they're going, Leonor's going to be pregnant with the first of her four perfect children before I know it. Maybe she already is.

Where does that leave me?

This house already feels too small for the three of us.

Ugh.

"Are you warm enough, Al? Snuggle up closer if you start to feel cold."

"Now that you mention it, I'm freezing."

"Hehehe! Al!"

[persimmonsimmer]

"Aww. Oh, Al."

"Sweet dreams. Husband."

[persimmonsimmer]

Al pushed his way through the throng to the arch that had been set up for the occasion.

And Leonor emerged from the bedroom-slash-makeshift dressing room, floating down the hallway like an angelic vision.

The guests were still shuffling around, vying for position, but Leonor and Al had eyes only for each other.

The sparse decor didn't matter. Neither did the extra guests, or the cold winter day.

An exchange of rings, an exchange of vows, a kiss--and they were married.

[persimmonsimmer]

Sensing Leonor was in need of cheering up, later that day Al did his best to distract her with nursery planning.

"So I figure the crib can go against the back wall, and the changing table against this one--"

"And what are we gonna do about your pottery wheel?" Leonor asked.

"Oh, that?" Al smiled sheepishly. "I mean, we don't really have another good place for it . . ."

"I've never seen you use it."

"I absolutely have! Once or twice."

"OK, OK," Leonor laughed. "But can we please find another place for it? Spring's almost here. Maybe it can go outside?"

"I guess that'd work. It probably wouldn't be safe around a toddler, now that you mention it, with all those moving pieces . . . OK, so what about wall color?"

"You're so cute when you're planning for the baby," Leonor interrupted. "Come here."

"I take it you're not in a talking-about-wall-color mood."

"Later. I'm in the mood for something else right now."