We have a few more hours before it’s time to check out of the rental, so I head downstairs to check on Dray to make sure he’s not sleeping in. I knock on the door, surprised to hear his nondrowsy voice respond.
Drake: Come in
I see him sitting on the bed, looking deep in thought.
Wade: I was checking to see if you were up and ready. I wouldn’t want you to miss your flight.
Drake: I’m not going.
Wade: What are you talking about? You’re not going where?
Drake: Back to Brindleton Bay-I’m staying here.
Wade: You mean, staying here in this country? Are you crazy? This better not be about some girl.
Drake: She’s not just some girl!
Wade: You sound real whiny – further proof you don’t need to stay. You can’t just uproot your whole life from someone you barely know.
Drake: What do you mean, barely? We connected last night.
Wade: Don’t tell me y’all already woohooed.
Drake: What? Like you and that chick back in Batuu?
Wade: Touché. But notice I wasn’t trying to move to Batuu. Do you even know her last name?
Drake: It’s uh, Mariana…uh?
Wade: What does she do for work?
Drake: Uh-?
Wade: That’s what I thought.
I sit down next to my younger brother.
Wade: Look, I get it. I’ve been there – ready to give it all up for a piece of booty, but-
Drake: We didn’t woohoo, okay.
Wade: Still, give yourself time to get to know her.
Drake: How do I do that with me living all the way out in Brindleton Bay and her living out here? *brief pause* Hey, can I move in with y’all – then I’ll only be a couple of hours away?
Wade: Maybe after you graduate college…
Drake: You promise?
Wade: I said maybe! But for now, you can keep in touch with her on social media. If you two hit it off, then you and I can talk about you moving into the rental. Sound good?
Drake: Yeah, I guess I can wait.
Wade: Good, now get dressed so we can eat and get you to the airport on time.
When I leave Dray’s room, I see Luca sitting at the dining room table while Maia is getting started on breakfast in the kitchen.
Sophia: Anything I can do to help?
I join Luca at the table.
Luca: Good morning!
Wade: Morning! *brief pause* Okay, wise one—what do you say about this? My brother was ready to give up everything to stay here for some girl he just met.
Luca: What? Do you mean Drake?
Wade: Dude! I had to talk some sense into him. My parents would have killed me.
Luca: But he’s an adult. You couldn’t have stopped him if he really wanted to do it.
Wade: Try to convince my ma of that!
Dray joins us at the table.
Drake: Can I bet you two are talking about me?
Wade: Damn right we are!
Luca: What does this girl even look like?
Drake: *long breath out* She’s bad!
Dray jumps up and pulls out his phone.
Drake: Here, check out her Simstagram.
Dray pulls up her account to show me and Luca. Dray is right; she’s beautiful.
Wade: Bro! And she was out with you?
Drake: What’s that supposed to mean?
Wade: I’m just saying…
Luca takes one look and then another…
Luca: Wow. I see why you’re so anxious.
Drake: Right!
We all return to our spots at the table.
Wade: She’s fine! I’ll give you that.
Drake: Told you! Now you see why I wanna stay?
Wade: But it was only one date. I’m sure drinks were involved, and you were just lost in the moment.
Drake: You should have seen this girl move, though!
Luca: Look, Drake, I know how tempting this is, and I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but take it from someone whose parents rushed into a relationship. She’s fine as hell, but you don’t know if she’s worth moving halfway across the world for yet. I would slow it down and get to know her better.
Wade: Exactly! *reemphasize* It was one date, bro!
Wade: Speaking of dates – how was you and Sophia’s?
Luca: *wagging his eyebrows* Adventurous.
Wade: Y’all should stay longer. I can extend the rental.
I pull out my phone to do just that.
Luca: I can’t ask you to do that.
Wade: You didn’t ask and—bang! It’s already done! It’s the least I can do.
I hold up my phone to show Luca their extended stay.
Luca: Bro, we wanted to join y’all out here. It was no problem. You don’t have to keep trying to pay us back.
Wade: Okay, I’m done. This is the last thing.
Luca: Thanks, man.
Luca announces it’s his turn to do some paying back, so he joins Maia and Sophia in the kitchen to help with breakfast.
Luca: Move aside, ladies… Chef Luc is in the house!
Maia hands Luca the reins and moves to the sink to clean the dirty dishes. I’m surprised she let him take over. She never lets me into her kitchen when she’s cooking.
Sophia: *to Luca* Maia just let me in on a little secret – she adds a little paprika to her eggs.
Luca: Hmmm, something I’ll have to try.
Luca moves to the stove to make omelets while Sophia finishes the salad. Watching everyone interact in the kitchen makes me realize how much I love having Luca and his family around. It feels like one big happy family.
Breakfast is almost done, and the girls are still sleeping, so it’s nice to have the adults preparing and sharing a meal in the kitchen. Luca shows Maia one of his tips for creating the perfect omelet, while Sophia reveals she likes to season her salads with pepper and a pinch of salt.
We all scramble around the kitchen, grabbing food and filling mugs with tea.
Wade: Okay, Chef Boyar-Luc…this actually looks edible.
Luca: You didn’t know? I can burn in the kitchen.
Wade: Burn, as in burnt, is what I expected to see.
Maia gathers some dirty dishes and carries them to the sink.
Maia: That would be you, Dub.
Everyone laughs. I grab a plate and sit at the table, ready to defend my pride.
Wade: Oh, so y’all got jokes. I can cook! Tell them about that pizza I made that time, babe.
Maia walks back to the table with a bowl of Sophia’s salad.
Maia: Now, that was pretty good.
Wade: *chest out* See!
We sit at the table, joking and laughing until we’re all full, and it’s time for me, Maia, Tami, and Drake to head back home.
Just before it’s time to pull Tambara out of bed and carry her to the car… hopefully still asleep—we gather near the stairs to give hugs and say our goodbyes. I can tell that Maia and Sophia have become good friends in our short time together. They hug and make plans to get together soon. I do the same with Luca—who has become a 3rd brother to me.
Wade: Love y’all, man. Enjoy the rest of your trip!
Luca: Love y’all too. Be safe driving back.
Wade: Will do!
I go upstairs to gather Tami from her bed, and we leave to drop Dray off at the airport before starting the drive back to San Sequoia.
(**Note: Jes, of jes2gstories, wrote parts of Luca’s dialogue. The link takes you to her website!)
(Generation 4 Chapter Summaries)
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