Sonata: That is not what you were saying last night.
Prelude: Uh-oh. I sense some tension–
Sonata: He was just saying the doctors had to be wrong and we should definitely try for some more kids. How many more did you say you wanted? Fourteen?
Buck: [cough] Sixteen.
Sonata: Sixteen more kids. That’s what he’d change. More kids. I told him if he wants more babies to take care of, we can go back to fostering or he can talk to our boys about giving us more grandkids to babysit.
And his family had plenty to celebrate, as Buck and Sonata renewed their vows in a backyard ceremony.
Fugue’s family was overjoyed to see him at the event, and he spent the afternoon surrounded by aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents full of hugs and kisses and prying questions -- what happened to his eye? Who was the girl? Was he home for good? What would happen to Korolyov Industries?
This is probably an odd question, but have you ever thought of how things would have turned out in the story if certain events hadn't happened? Just any in general - big or small?
Hey! I don’t think it’s an odd question at all -- this is actually something I think about a lot! Just the other day I was having a conversation along these lines with @pixiegarden. :)
I’m getting to explore a few of those small changes you’re talking about in the rewrite I’m working on -- the basic structure and the Big Events(TM) are there, but some little details are changing along the way, and it’s interesting to see how dynamics are shifting just with a few minor tweaks.
There are so many things that could have changed and could have made big differences in the story, but a few of the “key points” for each generation and how I think they might have made things turn out a little differently are below the cut!
What if Taz hadn’t cheated on Gretta, or at least been honest about his affair with Adia and they’d been able to work things out?For one -- they would have raised Cadence together, and had Nocturne and Prelude a lot sooner. Taz and Gretta probably would have bought a house together, and Nick would have never been Taz’s next door neighbor -- potentially meaning Cadence would never have kissed him (she probably wouldn’t have been bold enough to do it during a lesson in her own house, especially with a younger brother and sister likely in the next room). And on the note of Cadence and Nick...
What if Cadence hadn’t kissed Nick in his apartment?It’s likely that Nick would never have known about Cadence’s crush. His reaction following the kiss suggests that he had feelings for Cadence before she kissed him -- but that he had never planned on acting on them. It’s possible that without the kiss, neither of them would have voiced their feelings, and their their mutual attraction would have eventually fizzled out, leading them to go their separate ways and both meet other people.
What if Sonata and Jacob hadn’t cheated on each other?Sonata sleeping with Buck, while a bad decision, was not necessarily a catalyst for anything other than the end of her relationship with Jacob (which, since he also cheated on her, still would likely have ended). Jacob and Adi’s relationship, however, was arguably the start of the events that led to Adi’s death -- Jacob’s involvement with the Vice-Korolyov case and investigation of Avarice led to his murder, which in turn led to Adi’s attempt to bring down her grandmother’s company and her death.Prior to Adi’s involvement with Jacob, she had a close (albeit manipulative) relationship with her grandmother. It’s likely that without her relationship with Jacob, Adi would have continued to be a leading figure in Korolyov Industries.
What if Ellie hadn’t gone to that party with Flan?Well, probably the most obvious change -- she would never have gotten pregnant with Toccata. She would have finished high school with her brothers and likely would have started dating Nat much sooner, as he had been working up the courage to ask her out at the party -- they would have settled down and started a family sooner; but since Ellie’s death wasn’t the result of anyone’s direct actions, she still would have left Nat a widower and single dad.The other side of Ellie going to the party is her involvement with Aidan. Since Toccata didn’t exist, he wouldn’t have attempted to pursue a relationship with his daughter. He may still have gotten a job with Korolyovs, and may still have had a relationship with Mina -- and that relationship is likely to have still been unhealthy -- but his aggressive insistence that Mina knew where Nat was hiding Toccata is what led to her killing him (and then fleeing to Jefferson’s).
What if Fugue had handed everything over to the Vices to begin with?Faspen wouldn’t exist. That’s it, that’s the most important thing that would have changed.
If there were any particular events (or anything else at all) you were wondering about, feel free to hit me up with more questions! :)
The afternoon wore on and the guests trickled out, and Fugue and Aspen were among the last to leave, sitting with their grandparents well into the night until nearly all the other guests had left.
Sona: You can perform marriages at sea, right? We can put a boat in the pool and stand on it and that counts, right?
Dax: Mama, I’m a senator, not a ship captain--
Sona: I’m kidding. You don’t even have to be ordained, it’s not an official ceremony. You just have to stand up and say a few words, and... to be honest, you’re the most articulate child we have, so--
