8.15 Disappointment

It was a beautiful Saturday morning, just after 7 a.m., and Alayna and the baby were starving. She had just a few hours left to go in her second trimester, and she was still sick all the time. She was the first one up, and so she was very surprised to hear someone speak right behind her.

“Good morning, my darling,” Lance said.

“[gasp] Daddy! You scared me!”

“Ha ha! I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have sneaked up on you. Well, well, well! What have we here! Another baby? That’s so great! Let me speak to the child.

“Hello in there! This is your grandpa Lance. I’m going to come visit you when you’re born, I hope. But, you have a very nice mommy and daddy who are going to love you like crazy, and a big brother who is going to look after you. Can’t wait to meet you!”

“Daddy…I know it’s after dawn, and you have to go, but can you please stick around for a little while? You need to talk to Owen. He’s not listening to me…or anyone!”

“Oh? What’s this?”

“Have you been to the garden lately?”

“No.”

“He’s obsessed with making money! He’s still in love with Alexia, but he’s not trying to fix things with her. There is no one on his radar…and we’re like 42 years old now! I’m afraid he’ll never find anyone! What happens then?”

“Oh boy. He’s doing everything I told him NOT to do! Ok. I’ll stick around and talk to him.”

“Thank you, daddy.”

Owen was the second one down, and when he saw Lance in the kitchen with Alayna, he knew he was busted.

“Hi, dad.”

“Hello.”

Owen finished washing up the dishes while Brady came down.

“Dad?!”

“Hey, Brady! Whoa! You’ve, ummm, grown!”

“I’m a personal trainer!”

They all took plates of Aaliyah’s leftover veggie burgers from the other day and ate together at the island. Lance stood by and watched them for a while thinking it was nice to be around all three of his children again.

Alayna couldn’t wait for Lance to take the reigns, so she took control of the situation.

“So, Owen, you should show daddy your new and improved garden!”

Owen was trying to shake his head no without Lance noticing, but he already knew.

“And tell him about how you and Alexia are doing.”

“Why are you starting trouble, Alayna,” Owen said through his teeth.

“I’m disappointed, Owen. I left you with very good advice, and you haven’t taken it,” Lance said.

“But, dad, you don’t–”

“I told you not to let money control you! As a matter of fact, I told you not to worry about the money at all! I left you with way more than 100,000 simoleons, and the flowers would make 20-40,000 per week! None of you even need to have jobs! What is so urgent that you’re slaving your life away for simoleons??”

“I…I…I just want to be fabulously wealthy! I only need 120,000 more and I’m there.”

“And then what? Then you find a wife and have kids and you die before they’re 16? You are not the only one you’re affecting here, or do you not care about the legacy?”

“I care! I just…I’m not ready to deal with it just yet. I want to accomplish my goal first.”

“You are the HEIR, Owen! You need to do what’s right to preserve the legacy! Brady, I hope you plan on having children because at the rate your brother is going, YOUR son will be the next heir!”

Lance flew outside and disappeared back into his grave, and that was that. Owen, Alayna, and Brady had never seen Lance so upset. He never had to use a stern tone with them. Owen was especially upset. No one ever wants to know that his father is disappointed in him.

He was determined now more than ever to accomplish his goal as quickly as he could. Owen was going to prove all of them wrong. He was going to be fabulously wealthy, find a girl, and have a son before he turned into an elder. After breakfast, he went out to garden and did what he had been wanting to do for a long time. He took up the rest of Xavier’s lilies and planted UFOs in their place.

He figured he could reach his goal in fewer than two weeks. But, while he waited for his precious flowers to sprout, he decided he need to be a bit more persistent with Alexia.