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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Chapter 2.27: Dear J, The Award

1
Dear J, the next few weeks were busy getting the nursery ready. I’ll admit, as I have in the past, that I had no clue what I was doing. I mean, why does one lamp go with the room while another that looks really similar to it doesn’t?
Leela realized this deficiency in me fairly quickly and so I was relegated to assembly duty. Knowing my past with fixing things (such as sinks), you may think this was not a wise decision. Oh, how right you were!
The crib wasn’t so difficult, but the directions that came with the changing table had me scratching my head. Once I had it put together, I had parts left over and that is never a good sign. To make matters more embarrassing, Leela kept asking me if I knew what I was doing.
“Of course,” I told her with a fake but easy smile. “Piece of cake.”
“Okay,” she said with a doubtful look in her eye, “because I heard you swearing.”
I’ve got to watch that, I guess. Especially since I’ll have little ears around me again, studying everything I do and say. These days, I kept finding myself hoping I’d be a good dad to this one. At times, I even thought I’d been one with Blue, but her recent moody behavior had me kind of doubting my capabilities.
Leela, on the other hand, seemed to not be concerned at all. I really hope this kid will be like her; strong, independent, confident. I probably seem confident, too, and I guess I am to an extent. But I still remember a time when I needed sixty thousand people a night cheering me on and stroking my ego. Remember when I thought that was all I was worth? Compared to then, I can definitely see improvements. But what I really want is for my baby to have Leela-confidence.
“Great!” Leela enthused as she looked the changing table over and then turned back to me. If she thought this was great, I sure wasn’t going to tell her there were parts left over! Hopefully, the whole business wouldn’t fall apart. “Now you can assemble the other dresser.”
My first reaction to her instruction was an inward groan, however, I stopped myself as she looked around the room with anticipation in her beautiful amber eyes. Watching her fired up the anticipation in me until I was all smiles, too.
2
“I’ll help you, Dad,” Ruby offered.
In situations like these, Ruby was my lifeline. That girl could fix anything and put anything together. She was a spacial thinker that could just look at something difficult and automatically see how it all fit together. Every time I passed the bookstore, I’d pick up a puzzle for her to put together. She delighted in them and had them together so quickly, she was often longing for the next one before I’d been out again.
“Thank goodness!” I exclaimed with a grin.
“Hmmm… this rug is all wrong,” Leela said as she frowned at it.
“I’m more worried about the french doors leading to the balcony,” I said.
3
“That’s easy to take care of,” Ruby said. “What I can’t figure out, is why do we need so many baby monitors?”
“Don’t look at me,” Leela said. “That’s your dad right there. He’s afraid the baby won’t be heard.”
Smiling sheepishly, my face warm with redness, I had to admit that we had a lot of monitors. The entire dresser top was covered in them because I’d been testing each one to make certain they all worked.
4
“Oh, he or she won’t have to cry very much,” Ruby said, and I could tell in her voice that she was smiling. “Right, Blue?”
“Yeah, whatever.” And I could tell Blue wasn’t even close to smiling.
5
“I have a paper to write,” she said sullenly.
6
Sighing, I said, “What’s gotten in to her?”
Nothing could bring Leela down. “She’ll be fine. This is going to take a lot of adjustment for all of us. We just have to show Blue that we still love her just as much as we always have.”
7
“Mom, Dad…” Ruby’s voice trailed off and she looked really uncertain as to whether she should continue.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Well, I have kind of this weird feeling.”
“What do you mean? It’s okay, just tell us, honey,” Leela said.
8
“I have a feeling Blue isn’t going to tell you about the award. She hasn’t, has she?”
Like a dummy, I shook my head. Blue was getting an award? And I didn’t even know about it? Where had I been?
“What award?” Leela asked. It made me feel only slightly better that she didn’t know either.
“It’s nearing the end of the year and Blue got an award for Awesome Attitude. The assembly to receive the awards is only a few days away and she still hasn’t told you anything about it.”
“Did you win an award, too?” I asked.
Ruby shook her head, the small smile never leaving her face. “No, I never win those things. It’s okay, though, because I got really good grades and I’m proud of that.”
“Well, you should be proud of that. I know we both are,” I said.
9
Later that evening, while Ruby and I were working on the dresser, Leela decided she needed a break. There was a lot to do, but I was glad to see her taking it easy for once.
10
When we were finished, I was not only pleased that there weren’t any parts left over, I was happy to see Leela had fallen asleep on the couch in the family room. To my dismay, as I came closer to put a blanket over her, she woke up.
11
I put my arm around her as I sat down, and she leaned in to me. There was so much I loved about being in a relationship with her, but this was near the top of the list. She really liked to sit, cuddle and talk. It didn’t really matter what we spoke about, it was just nice to know she was there and cared about me.
12
That night, we talked about Blue and the fact that she hadn’t told us about this award thing she was supposed to get. After much consideration, we decided not to bring it up right away. The reward ceremony was still a few days away and maybe she’d just forgotten.
Somehow, I didn’t think that was likely. It made more sense to me that she just didn’t really care about it, so didn’t want to make a big deal. Ever since she was little, she was on the shy side.
13
Our conversation turned to the baby, how we would raise him or her, what he or she should be called, and things like that.
For the first time since I’d known her, Leela told me she was concerned about how much weight she was gaining.
“I’m so big now,” she complained.
“Don’t you realize by now how attractive you are when you’re pregnant? I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Leela smiled and I saw the confidence that I so loved come back into her expression.
14
You may have noticed (or not) that I skimmed over my birthday. There was so much going on that I didn’t want Leela to have to throw a party or anything. She was so tired lately, so there was no way I’d let her do something so taxing to her strength as that.
As a gift, my girls got me a package at the spa. I haven’t really been much of one to do something like that. I think the last time I went to a spa was with Aunt Keniesha all those years ago when I had my teen to young adult makeover.
The women in this family decided it was high time I went back and had another makeover. Something to fit my age, Blue said. Ouch. In all fairness to my daughter, though, not untrue.
My birthday happened to fall on the day of the reward ceremony, so when I was done at the spa, I decided to pick Blue up from school and see what was going on with her. She still hadn’t officially told us about this.
Ruby was the first to come out and I hugged her, then sent her on her way. She skipped to the parking lot and waved as she drove by.
15
“Why are you here?” Blue asked, disappointment clouding her eyes.
“I wanted to spend some time with you, that’s all. I thought I’d take you out for a bite to eat before the ceremony tonight.”
“Who told you about that?” she demanded. Then, through a clenched jaw, she said, “Ruby!”
16
“Don’t be mad at her,” I said. “Why is it she told us and not you?”
“Because it’s stupid and I’m not going.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s stupid. I’m really proud that you got an award.”
Rolling her eyes and shifting her weight impatiently to the other foot, she said, “It is the stupidest thing ever and I refuse to go and make a fool of myself in front of the whole school and their families.”
17
Her determination not to go was written all over her angry face. With lips pursed into an unhappy frown and hands clenched tightly at her sides, she stared at her feet.
Part of me wanted to see her up there, smiling and thanking the school principal as he handed the certificate to her. But the realistic part of me knew that wasn’t going to be the case. If I forced her to go, she would slouch in her chair and possibly even stomp her feet all the way up the platform. I began to worry then about why she was so adamant about not wanting this recognition. There seemed to be something really wrong here and the more I watched her, the more convinced I became that she was barely able to hold back tears.
Gently, I picked up her backpack and said, “Let’s do something different tonight, then. Just you and me.”
Blinking at me with surprise, she said, “Really?”
“Yeah.”
18
After calling my wife and explaining that I needed to spend some time with Blue and that she shouldn’t worry, Blue and I stopped at the grocery store for some essentials. Despite her bad mood, Blue was soon smiling, even if it was just barely there, curling the edges of her lips.
Before long, we were at the park. Because everyone was probably going to the high school tonight, the place was deserted. I started a fire and opened the marshmallows.
19
“Thank you, Daddy,” she murmured as she held her marshmallows over the fire.
Looking down at her, I felt a definite opening to talk to her on a deeper level. “Don’t thank me. This is nice for me, too.”
20
After a brief pause, I continued, “Haven’t you learned by now that you can tell me anything and I’ll still be in your corner, rooting for you?”
Keeping her eyes on her food, she said, “You haven’t accepted your last two Grammy’s in person. Uncle Josh accepted them for the both of you.”
Okay, she had a point. “I guess now that I’ve been away from the business for a while, working behind the scenes in music, I’m more of a homebody. So, what’s your excuse?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
How many times had she said that to me in the last year? I thought when I got older, I’d be smarter, but to hear her tell it, I’d regressed beyond all reason.
21
I wasn’t particularly hungry, but I plopped down onto the chair next to her and shoved a marshmallow onto the stick, holding it over the fire. “Just try me, okay?”
There was an uncomfortable pause. I wasn’t at all sure she was going to open up to me. Then, I kept wondering if I should say something to relieve the tension.
22
Ignoring the marshmallow, I stared out into the distance at the lake down below. A fog was rolling in and I began to hope it wouldn’t rain since I hadn’t even managed to get her talking yet.
Please hold off, I silently told the weather.
“Did Ruby tell you what the award was for?”
“I think she called it the Awesome Attitude award.” I turned the marshmallow in the flame and saw that it was turning black. I didn’t want to pull it out because I wanted her to keep talking. She was holding her stick in front of her, tapping the marshmallows to see how hot they were. Hers were a perfect golden, gooey brown.
“Isn’t that the stupidest thing you’ve ever heard of?”
“Why do you think it’s stupid? I told you how proud I am of you.”
“But that’s just it!” she said as tears rolled down her cheeks.
I wanted to reach out and wipe them away but I refrained. “You’re going to have to elaborate.”
Rolling her eyes as if I was the most shortsighted person in the entire world, she said, “I don’t have an awesome attitude! My attitude sucks!”
I tried to stifle a laugh because I realized, almost too late, that she wasn’t joking. “Okay, so they got it wrong. Who cares?”
“It’s not just that they got it wrong. What is an Awesome Attitude award anyway? This is high school, not kindergarten! The other awards are for academics, sports, music and art!”
“So how is it you’re getting this?”
23
“Oh, Dad. Don’t you see? You donated a lot of money to that school over the years. We have a new gym floor because of you. Have you seen the new office equipment or the new football uniforms?”
“You’re saying that the only reason you’re getting this honor is because of me?”
“Not only that, but this is a bogus award! They just made it up because I wasn’t good enough on my own in everything else.”
I wanted to tell her that couldn’t be true, that she had it all wrong. Instead, the realization hit me that she was most likely right. My chest tightened and my heart felt crushed. Why would they do this to her?
“I’m so humiliated. I wish I didn’t have to go back.”
“Blue, I’m so, so sorry.” It was all I could say. So, instead of words, I pulled her into my arms, wiped her tears and kissed the top of her head.
When she finally pulled away from me, she said, “Things like this happen all the time to me. You really don’t know at all what it’s been like.”
Sadly, I brushed her hair out of her eyes. “I had no idea.”
“I know.” She wiped her own face now and took a bite of her marshmallow.
Watching her eat, I said, “I can’t change the decisions I made in the past. I thought I was doing the right thing because I knew I’d be able to take care of you. Fame is stupid, though. I really wish you hadn’t been affected by it.”
And that was the truth. So, where did we go from here?

Kymber Hawke
Kymber Hawkehttps://booomcha.com/
I am a simmer, Rennie garb wearer, author, and dog petter. Judy Garland is my queen, horror movies & classic movies are my jam. INFJ with "Unity Hayes" as a pseudonym. A little bit eccentric, owned by two cats, Cesare & Josie-Pye. 🐱🐱

32 COMMENTS

  1. I was killing myself laughing over Leo’s lack of handiness. Leftover parts definitely isn’t a good sign. LOL. Thank goodness for Ruby. By the way, I love her to bits. She is such a good and nice person,and I love how helpful she is.

    It’s not easy being A child of a famous person. There’s a lot to live up to and people,treat you differently. It would’ve been a lot better if they hadn’t made up a bogus award just because Leo contributed to a lot of money to the school. I think this award thing is only just the surface of everything that’s really been going on. There’s definitely lots and lots more that she hasn’t told Leo. Well, let’s hope they can figure this out before things go to hell even worse.

    • I’m so glad you love Ruby. She is just the sweetest; always thinking the best of people. 🙂 And, yeah, leftover parts are not a good sign! haha

      You’re so right that it’s not easy being the child of a famous person. The school’s bogus award was pretty lame. You are spot on in that this award thing is only the tip of the iceberg of things Blue hasn’t told Leo.

  2. Blue blaming her father because she’s an under-achiever? She resembles Chrissy a bit in that respect.
    Can’t help like Ruby more when her and Blue are there side by side.
    It’s also a bit unfair how everything that’s wrong with Blue’s life is somehow Leo’s fault.
    Imagine what her life would have been like if she’d grown up under Chrissy’s (non)care.

    Love Leo’s new hairstyle. I’m so looking forward to seeing him and Leela with their new child who, I’m sure, will be gorgeous!

    • Blue likes to play the blame game. I think you are so right that she sometimes resembles Chrissy. It’s uncanny how she takes after her like that at times.

      I can’t imagine the life she would have had Chrissy raised her. That is such a good point to bring forward, really.

      I forgot that Leo hadn’t aged up! LOLOL I had turned aging off because Liev kept dying as soon as he turned to elder and I still needed him. haha Then one day, I realized Leo was still a YA! :O LOL

  3. Hmmmmm…. What is going on with Blue? I feel like we have barely scratched the surface. Her generation is coming up soon. So bittersweet. I really enjoyed reading Leo’s generation. Hopefully, I’ll feel the same way about Blue.

    • I hope you will, too, although it might be a bit painful at first. She is the queen of bad decisions to begin with; just an FYI. lol
      You’re definitely right about how the surface hasn’t been scratched yet.

  4. Ok, I can understand Blue a little more now. Having to bear the weight of her father’s success must be pretty hard! Especially if she hasn’t discovered any special talents of her own yet. I really hope this conversation will help Leo and Blue bond a little more though, and I hope she realizes that she’s a whole different person than her dad and that she doesn’t need to follow his steps to be special!

  5. It’s sad that Blue was so affected by Leo’s fame but she could have gotten help if she had only spoken up sooner. To blame her dad for her unhappiness is harsh to say the least. Plus it feels like she’s jealous of the baby. Why can’t she enjoy what she has? Leo was a good dad to her. He did the best he could with the little she let him into her life. It feels like she’s following the path her mother did without even knowing her. I feel bad for her but feel like she’s making her life so much harder than it needs to be.

    • Thank you, dandylion 🙂 Everything you say is true. You’re very perceptive. I couldn’t agree more that Blue makes everything way harder than it needs to be. In Gen 3, she will learn a lot about herself and what she has taken for granted.

  6. I was going to say how ironic it was that she was getting the good attitude award but her attitude has been everything but. I hope she softens and loves the baby as much as the rest of the family does. I also hope that she could work out being a celebrity kid and not using that as a crutch for bad behavior because it starts out with bad attitude now but moves up to much worse later.

  7. Oh, fame is definitely not affecting Blue well. I feel bad for her. At least she has her family as a support system! I love Leo’s new hair btw, makes him seem much more like an adult.

    • Thank you so much 🙂 I feel badly for Blue, too. But you make such a good point about her family and how they support her. Now, if she’ll only reach out and let them. 🙂
      Thank you about Leo’s hair. It was a bittersweet change for me. 🙂

  8. So the truth comes out, or at least a little bit more of it. I still feel like there is more that Blue is not sharing, but hopefully she can see that she can always talk to Leo.
    Not that I hated Leo’s hair before, but now he defiantly looks more “adult”. 😁

    • Thank you so much, socallucyfan 🙂 Yeah, a little bit of the truth. You’re probably right that there is more that Blue hasn’t told; I think this just might be the tip of the iceberg. LOL I agree that Leo looks like an adult now. It kind of made me happy to do the makeover and it kind of made me sad. LOL 😛

      • lol I know what you mean. It was really bittersweet for me to see him change and get older, too. I don’t think I’ll like it at all when he’s an elder. :O 🙂

  9. Ok, yeah, the school is in the wrong here. They should’ve realized that this kind of an “award” will be taken more as an insult.
    I’m glad Blue was able to open up about it.

    • Thank you, Violincat. 🙂 Yes, the school is definitely in the wrong. I agree that they should have known that award would be an insult. But it’s definitely good that Blue talked to Leo.

  10. Poor Blue. Leo really did try and do the right thing. It is such a shame people place so much emphasis on how much money one donates to things and then feels compelled to reward the child instead of the parent doing the donating. It isn’t like Blue is going around saying hey look at me my dad is the one who got us this and that, so I am important. I just hope when everything comes to light Leo doesn’t have too much of a guilt trip over it.

    • Thank you, Lil. 🙂 It’s true that Leo did try to be a good dad and do the right things. Even so, there are repercussions to being a celebrity. Honestly, though, I don’t think he could have seen around corners to have known he would even really be famous or what that would mean. He was just a kid. You’re so right about Blue, too.

  11. I’m so glad it is finally coming out. Even if it’s in pieces like teenagers like to do. I fear Leo is going to be smacked in the face when he learns it all. Sometimes you can try to be too good a parent and really screw things up for your child…sigh, unfortunately I did this so I know this situation well. I can say I hope things will get better now, but with a baby on the way, and Leo’s desire to be a “good dad to this child”………… well, I see more heart break in the future.

    • Thank you, Bee 🙂 I’m glad it’s finally coming to light, too, but as you say, it’s still in bits and pieces. I also think you’re right about Leo and that he will feel smacked in the face when he finally learns it all. I hope things get better, too, but I agree that the new baby will probably complicate things further. Let’s hope that if there’s heartbreak, lessons are learned by Blue that will help her mature. 🙂

  12. Oh, I can see why Blue has been so down recently. That’s so sad that Leo’s fame affected her that much, though I thought it could have been it. I had to smile about Leo’s lack of handiness, that was hilarious to see him trying to fix everything for the baby. Leela looks beautiful while on her pregnancy, I can see his point, though he might be blind by pregnancy’s mystery since I reckon him saying the same thing about Rachel. He just maybe fond of the whole process. Leo looks good as an adult, I’ve already seen him like that in your recaps, love that he got his hair straightened out. I hope Leo and Blue are able to working things out and bring the bond back, maybe not the way it was, but not let it collapse even more.

    • Thank you, Jowita! 🙂 Yes, Blue’s moodiness makes a little more sense now, I think. As for Leo’s lack of handiness, I think he’s very relieved to have Ruby’s assistance! haha I think you’re right that he’s fond of the whole process; he’s thrilled, really, with all of it. I was pleased with how Leo looked as an adult. I’m glad you’re making use of the recaps page and that you like his picture on there. 😀 I hope Leo and Blue are able to work things out enough to get their bond back before it totally collapses. 🙂

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