#cuwtd

[honeyjars-sims]

Episode 24: Shared Interest

Time didn’t ease the tension between Morgana and Jamie; in fact, it only grew until Jamie’s friendship with Thornton began to suffer as well. Paul was initially relieved; maybe some time away from Thornton would make it easier for his relationship with Jamie to develop.

Unfortunately, it was hard for him to ignore how affected she was by the rift. Paul would have felt guilty for celebrating the demise of their friendship given the pain it caused Jamie, but deep down he knew this wasn’t about friendship.

One evening he saw Thornton and Jamie having a heated argument followed by them retreating to Thornton’s dorm room.

Paul watched the door expectantly, waiting for them to emerge. After several minutes, the door finally flew open and they retreated in opposite directions without saying a word.

Jamie made a beeline for Paul. “Let’s go to your room,” she suggested and he followed suit.

Once in Paul’s room, Jamie sat on his bed expectantly. As he moved in closer, Paul immediately knew that something physical had happened between Jamie and Thornton moments earlier.

The smell of Thornton’s cologne, some designer fragrance that Paul didn’t know the name of but had become all too familiar, was all over her. He knew he should have felt jealous by this revelation and he did, a bit. But that feeling was soon overpowered by another emotion.

He let his mind wander to the place he usually kept buried. He couldn't stop thinking about what might've happened in that room, who touched who and where.

“He’s all over you.” He hadn’t mean to say it, but his words were now hanging in the air, unable to be ignored.

Jamie pulled away. “I’m sorry,” she began. “But we’re not exclusive, so I didn’t think–” Paul cut her off. “I like it,” he said...

The rest of this post is too spicy for Tumblr! You can read the rest on my pillowfort.

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[honeyjars-sims]

Episode 29: Bright Ideas

Lucy followed Damien to his office, unsure of what to expect. “So, we finally meet!” He was cheerful and upbeat, not quite what Lucy was anticipating when she envisioned their first meeting. She sort of thought he’d be cloaked in the shadows, speaking in riddles with a hushed voice. But standing before her now, he was warm and friendly, which eased her worries about their impromptu meeting.

“Yes, I’m glad we’re finally having a conversation!” she told him.

“I would like to apologize for that,” he stated sympathetically. “I know I haven’t been leading things here the way I should, and I owe you an explanation.” He paused and cleared his throat.

“A few months ago, I basically cleared out upper management. They knew the ins and outs of the business side of things, and that helped me grow Rainy Day to where it is today. But they didn’t understand the people. I’ve been wanting to tap into the creativity of our team and explore new ideas for a while now, but after losing my mom earlier this year I had to step back.” Lucy could see the pain in Damien’s eyes as he spoke about his loss.

“I’m sorry to hear that. I can understand why you’d need to take some time away,” she told him.

Damien thanked her. “It has helped, but I wish I had been around more to facilitate all of the changes. Then again, it seems everyone is doing a great job without my interference.”

Lucy was relieved to finally get some feedback about how things were going. “So you’re happy with everything?” she asked expectantly.

“Indeed I am. Everything went exactly as I’d hoped. I guess I found the right person for the job.” He smiled at Lucy with a little wink. 

“Oh, well I can’t take credit for our success,” she admitted. “We’ve got a great group of people here. They’re the ones who’ve really put in the work.”

“They are a talented group, that’s for sure,” he agreed. “But in order to really tap into that talent, I needed someone who could look at this group and see all the nuances: their strengths and their weaknesses, their chemistry with other people, how they work the best. That someone was you.”

Lucy was flattered but unsure if she was deserving of all of Damien’s praise. “Anyone could have done that,” she countered.

“Anyone could have. But no one did. That is, until you came along. That’s why you’re different.” Lucy thanked him for his faith in her, but she was still hesitant to take too much credit.

Damien promised her he would be more hands on going forward. “I’ve been hiding for too long. I think it’s time for me to become a part of the team,” he told her, his face lighting up.

“Welcome to the Sunny Side!” Lucy smiled, glad to finally have Damien's support.

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[honeyjars-sims]

Epilogue: Where Are They Now?

After leaving the twins' birthday party, Matt and Kaylynn rushed to the hospital. While her labor lasted longer than she would have liked, Kaylynn gave birth to a healthy baby girl without any complications.

Needless to say, Matt and Kaylynn were thrilled to finally meet their daughter. Welcome to the family, Lila Mae DiMarco!

The End...for now! I had a lot of fun telling this story and I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, the DiMarcos will be appearing in the next chapter of main story Safe Harbor. Here's what they've been up to:

The twins are walking now and keep Lucy and Christopher on their toes. The couple is still able to spend a lot of time at home with the boys and with each other. Lucy began her new position at Sunny Side Productions and has been working alongside Damien to create more content. They're beginning the process of adding more members to the team soon.

After spending a couple of months at home with baby Lila, Kaylynn began her journey as an event planner. She started off with a few small birthday parties that went successfully. Through networking, she has been able to gain more clientele while still spending lots of time at home with Lila. Matt has continued his schooling and still works as a Vet Tech. He’s intent on being the Best Dad Ever and can’t wait to have more kids. Well, he’ll probably wait until he’s at least finished with undergrad. 

Paul is still at Foxbury but moved out of the dorms and into an apartment that he shares with his BFF Danica. Their friends Wesley and Nasir live nearby. Now that he's out to his family, they're closer than ever. He and Lucy are especially close and spend a lot of time together when Paul has breaks from school. He's still single and loving it. He's keeping things casual right now, but being open about himself has made him more hopeful that there's a special someone out there for him when he's ready.

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[honeyjars-sims]

Episode 30: Coming Clean

If Paul was planning to test the waters about coming out, it seemed that talking to Jamie was the best start. After their awkward encounter which revealed their shared attraction to Thornton, they still hadn’t properly talked about it.

Paul began by asking her what happened between her and Thornton that night–aside from the dirty version she’d already told him about. He made it clear that he was asking without judgment and that there were no hard feelings. After all, she was right that they never defined their relationship.

She said she was upset with Thornton that night and confronted him. She didn’t think it was right for him to cut her off like that because of Morgana’s insecurities. After some back and forth about it, Thornton and Jamie both admitted to having feelings for each other. Things started to get physical, but Thornton stopped and said he couldn’t continue. That was when Jamie stormed off and found Paul.

She apologized for using Paul to deal with her feelings about Thornton, but Paul supposed he was doing the same thing that night. “If you didn’t already figure it out, I’m bisexual,” he confessed, feeling a bit lighter now that he’d shared the truth with someone else.

Jamie sensed the weight he’d been carrying and warmly embraced him. She assured him that she didn’t feel any differently about him and supported him 100%. Paul was appreciative, but pointed out that the bigger issue at hand was her feelings for another man. Jamie sighed. “I wish I didn’t want him, but I do,” she said, her eyes brimming with tears.

“I guess I could say the same,” Paul quipped, and they both laughed at the awkwardness of the situation. It felt good to share a laugh with someone over something that had caused him such turmoil.

Ultimately, Paul and Jamie agreed that there were too many outside factors at play for them to continue their romantic relationship and decided to just be friends.

After Jamie left, Danica and Wesley came to check in with Paul. They'd picked up on the tension between him and Jamie and were wondering if everything was okay with them.

Without getting into all of the details, Paul told his friends that he and Jamie decided they were better as friends. He also took the opportunity to come out to them. They both apologized for the hurtful comments they'd made in the past and promised to be more supportive.

Paul ended the day feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He was finally experiencing the acceptance he'd craved for so long. He just hoped coming out to his family would be this easy.

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[honeyjars-sims]

Episode 21: Elemental Forces

As Paul began to spend more time with Jamie, Thornton, and Morgana he began to notice some uncomfortable dynamics between the three of them.

It was already blatantly apparent that Thornton and Morgana were not on the same page about commitment, and as more time passed tension began to develop between Morgana and Jamie as well.

Anytime Thornton and Jamie started to interact, Morgana would interject and try to steer her boyfriend’s attention back to her.

Sometimes she would even make backhanded remarks about Jamie which didn’t go unnoticed. Jamie would jump to defend herself and Thornton would be caught in the middle, with Paul awkwardly watching the situation unfold.

It was clear Morgana was insecure about her relationship and was taking it out on Jamie, but Paul couldn’t help but wonder if there was a grain of truth to her concerns.

Thornton and Jamie were awfully close and seemed to connect in a way that made his incompatibilities with Morgana even more apparent.

Paul wondered if Thornton was the reason why Jamie didn’t seem interested in making things official. Despite the tension of the situation, he did find it all a bit amusing. These two beautiful women were at odds over Thornton Wolff of all people.

As Paul studied Thornton, he wondered why he was worth all of the fuss. He was arrogant, self-centered, and boastful; not exactly the traits a woman should want in a mate. Sure, he had some positive characteristics as well.

He oozed confidence; Paul doubted Thornton had ever felt insecure or self-conscious in his life. How could he, with his chiseled jaw and broad shoulders? Even dressed in a thick sweater, it was obvious Thorton worked out.

As Paul started to envision Thorton in a sleeveless shirt with his muscular arms on full display, his body suddenly felt flushed. He quickly began reciting the Periodic Table of Elements in his head, hoping it would distract him enough to calm his body before anyone else noticed the redness creeping up to his face.

Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium…as he made his way down the list, his body cooled and he let out a sigh of relief.

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[honeyjars-sims]

Episode 33: New Ventures

Seth and Reese were finally turning one and the DiMarcos were ready to celebrate! Lucy and Christopher couldn't believe their boys were growing so fast. It seemed like just yesterday that they were preparing to bring them home. Now they were beginning to walk and talk.

Lucy was thrilled with the wonderful job Kaylynn had done putting the party together. As she’d requested, it wasn’t too over the top but everything looked great and ran smoothly.

The food truck arrived just in time to feed their hungry guests, and there were plenty of age-appropriate activities for the kids to enjoy while the adults mingled.

Everyone was having a great time, and Kaylynn seemed to be quite proud of what she pulled off.

“You should do this for a living,” Lucy told her. Kaylynn laughed it off. “No, I’m serious,” Lucy continued. “Maybe not just kids’ birthday parties, but anniversary parties or even weddings.”

Lucy pointed out all of the connections Kaylynn had around the community, how skilled she was at planning things, and most importantly, how much she enjoyed helping out other people.

Kaylynn’s eyes grew wide.

“You’re totally right!” she exclaimed. “I loved putting this all together, and if I become an event planner, I can have some control over when and how often I work.” She thanked Lucy and went to find Matt to tell him about Lucy's great idea.

Later the boys had their birthday cupcakes and got more on their faces than in their mouths. They had so much fun that they passed out in their high chairs when they finished.

After Lucy and Christopher got the boys all cleaned up, Lucy spotted Damien walking toward her. She’d extended an invitation to her boss but hadn’t expected him to actually show.

She introduced him to Christopher and the boys and before long, the conversation predictably turned to work.

Damien told Lucy that seeing the new projects being developed and how they’d been received had reignited his passion for the company.

“I’ve had a lot of ideas about how I want to continue with the expansion of the company,” he said. “But I’d be remiss not to get your input given the work you’ve put in so far. Are you interested in becoming the Coordinating Producer for my new production company?" He was quick to assure her that the promotion would come with a pay increase.

Lucy couldn’t turn down a challenge, especially if it meant some actual collaboration with someone as accomplished as Damien. She was happy to accept the offer, but she asked for one small favor.

"Can I hire an assistant?"

Damien was happy to oblige her request, but he had one more surprise in store for her.

"I think I found the perfect name for the production company, but I wanted to get the okay from you first. How do you feel about Sunny Side Productions?"

Lucy was thrilled with the idea. They both felt the moniker was perfect for the new venture. They had just began discussing adding new members to the team before they were interrupted by Matt and Kaylynn.

“Sorry to leave so soon, but–” Kaylynn began.

Matt interrupted her by shouting, “IT’S BABY TIME! WOO!”

Kaylynn smiled and continued, “My water just broke.”  Lucy promised she’d forgive them for dipping out early to bring a new life into the world. 

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[honeyjars-sims]

Episode 32: Big Moments

The last few months of Paul's freshman year at Foxbury were a time of self-discovery and authenticity.

After he’d broken things off with Jamie, Paul felt free to start exploring his sexuality. He started thinking about how motivated he’d been at the beginning of the year to find someone to settle down with. Now he realized he needed to get to know himself better before he committed himself to one person.

As for Thornton, Paul got over that crush pretty quickly and he was glad to no longer be involved in the drama between Thornton, Morgana, and Jamie which seemed to never end. He remained casually friendly with them, but he mostly hung around with Danica, Wesley, and Nasir.

He also started getting to know Deshawn a little better, who it turned out was crushing on him in high school as well. But getting to know himself wasn't the only thing he wanted to do that year. He also wanted to come out to his family.

Paul was relieved to find out that everyone in his family was accepting of his bisexuality. Having the support of his friends and family made their bonds grow stronger. He was grateful to approach his sophomore year without the burden of being closeted holding him down.

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[honeyjars-sims]

Episode 26: The Sunny Side

Lucy and the rest of the Rainy Day team worked hard over the next few weeks setting up for all of the new changes. They were given a budget for renovations and furnishings, and before long the empty spaces of the new wing began filling up.

A new workspace was created for the video editors, and the writing area was expanded to include work areas with more privacy. Sets were created for all of their new videos. Their new tabletop RPG series became an instant hit.

The team dubbed the new wing as "The Sunny Side" in honor of the bright future of the company.

Their channel views were going up and media outlets were interested in the new direction the company was beginning to take. There were some naysayers who disliked the changes, but it was overall regarded as a step in the right direction. Lucy and the team were excited about the buzz. Not only were they personally invested in what they were doing, but seeing that others were enjoying it as well made it all the more special.

Some team members excitedly informed Lucy that their latest video had nearly double the views of the previous video. "That's how we do it on The Sunny Side!" Lucy exclaimed as her coworkers cheered.

Suddenly the room fell silent. Lucy sensed that she was being approached, and the solemn reaction of the rest of the team lead her to believe that might not be a good thing. She turned hesitantly, half-expecting to see some horrifying creature waiting to gobble her up.

Instead she saw Damien Major himself, casually standing behind her with a shy smile. She barely had time to gather her thoughts before he spoke. “The Sunny Side, huh?" Lucy mustered a small smile and nodded. "Well, Lucy." Damien continued. "You're just the person I came here to see. Can you come with me please?”

Lucy gulped and followed him, her coworkers watching in suspense. He seemed friendly, but she had no idea what Damien thought of all the changes made to his company. She supposed she was about to find out.

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