Gen. 5.12-Matthew

One…two…three…four…I counted as I turned the knobs on the sink. Today was the big party Aunt Hope was so eager to put on and the closer the time got the more anxious I felt. Kia had already met most of the family so I wasn’t sure why I just felt like today would be a disaster, but I did. I had this heavy pit in my stomach and I wished it was tomorrow already. Once the sink was secure, I gave Klutz a good brushing, twelve strokes right side. Twelve strokes left, twelve down the back and twelve on his belly. All sides covered.

“Where is it?” I heard Kia yell out.

I walked into the living room to see her suitcases by the door and she was frantically searching for something in the bedroom. Why were her bags packed? Was she leaving? She couldn’t leave. That knot in my stomach got tighter.

“Matt, my bookbag, have you seen my bookbag?” she asked.

“Kia, what are you doing?”

“Getting ready to leave of course,” she answered before walking back into the room.

One…two…three…four…what was going on? Why was she leaving? I didn’t understand. We’d picked out a house and we were set to close in a few weeks. Now she was walking away?

“W...why are you leaving?”

She stopped and looked at me like I was the one crazy. “Because you said we had to get ready and go silly. Plus it’s good we’re leaving now, I have a test I need to study for but I can’t find my bookbag so will you help look for it?”

Relief was short lived. She wasn’t leaving me, but she did pick a bad time to have an episode. I took a deep breath and hoped I could talk her down quickly enough to get her ready so we could go.

“Kia…we’ve um…there is no more school.”

“What are you talking about? Of course there is and as much as I like spending time here, I have to get back. I can’t afford to fail!” she yelled. “If I fail, daddy will be so mad at me and I don’t want that. I want him to be proud of me Matt, so please help me find my bookbag so I can go.”

“Kia,” I said taking her by the shoulders. “Listen to me. There is no more school. We graduated a few weeks ago.”

“What? No…if…if I graduated I could go home. Dad wouldn’t be ashamed of me anymore,” she cried. “You’re lying!” she yelled pushing me away. Klutz started barking, she was crying. This was bad, so bad. I knew this day would be a disaster. I knew it.

One…two…three…four… I moved away, taking a seat on the couch as she continued to cry about me lying to her, that I was trying to sabotage her in some way. …ten…eleven…twelve…I needed her to stop. The phone!

 

“Kia look!” I said pulling my phone from my pocket. I quickly scrolled to my photo album and showed her the pictures of us in our cap and gown.

She took my phone as she continued to scroll through. “What’s this one?” she asked showing me the picture Levi took after we were married.

“Our wedding picture. Um…we got married because…you’re pregnant.”

She handed me back my phone before running her hand over her stomach. “You’re not lying to me?”

“No, Kia, I’m not.”

“Did my dad come to my graduation?”

I debated on how to answer her. Before she’d seemed resolved to the fact her father wasn’t a part of her life, but with this episode I saw that she was still hanging on to some home that the bastard would accept her. Do I lie to her and say yes, then hope she doesn’t remember on her own or do I just tell her the truth?

I moved closer so I could hug her. “No, sorry Kia he didn’t come.”

“It’s okay,” she said, wiping the tears from her face.

“Oh, I have something for you. I was going to wait till the party.” Digging into my pocket, I pulled out our wedding bands. I’d picked them up yesterday but wanted to wait for the reception to give it to her.

“Matt you got our rings!” she exclaimed happily. She grabbed hers out of my hand and put it on.

“And it fits perfectly!” She smiled up at me and just that quickly her flip had been switched. “Why are you so dressed up?”

“Because we have a party remember.”

She looked at her own clothes. “What! No! I…I can’t go out like this.”

“You…you have a dress. You went shopping the other day with my mom and aunt.”

I could see she was about to lose it again so I called Mom and asked if she could come help. Both she and Aunt Hope were at the house in minutes. Kia was in the room crying again as I sat on the couch, twirling my ring around my finger.

Mom took a seat beside me. “What’s going on?”

“She just got a little confused and now she’s worried she won’t be ready for the party so can you two help her?”

 

“Of course, but are you okay?”

“Yeah, Mom, I’m okay. I just don’t want us to be late.”

Mom patted me on the knee before she and Aunt Hope went in to work their magic on Kia. I knew that would be mostly Aunt Hope since Mom was never what I’d call a ‘girly’ girl. She was simple and down to earth and made life really easy for Dad. He was lucky. Klutz came over and sat with me and I stroked his fur until I started to feel a little more at ease.

“You’re a good boy,” I said getting up to give him a treat.

Kia had been doing well, no major issues. She’d had one or two forgetful moments, but nothing like today. Gi-Gi had put us in touch with a neurologist, but he needed scans of Kia’s brain which he couldn’t take while she was pregnant. He said he had reached out to geneticist colleague of his, but he was currently out of the country. Dr. Hughes assured us waiting for this other guy to come back was our best bet because he was top in his field. I hoped he was right, because Kia needed to be fixed.

“All set,” Aunt Hope said as she walked out of the room. 

Mom and Kia followed behind. Just like on our wedding day, she almost seemed transformed into another person. I always thought she was cute, but when she got dressed up her beauty really came through. She seemed to feel better about herself and it showed.

“Kia, you...you look nice. You all look nice,” I added quickly.

“My nephew, such the charmer,” Aunt Hope said giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Alright, let’s go party!”

She linked her arm with Kia’s and walked out the door. It still amazed me that she and my Mom were twins. Aunt Hope was fun and lively where Mom was quiet and reserved. My family was an interesting mix of people and I hoped that Kia didn’t get too overwhelmed with everyone being there.
 

When we arrived, Kia and I were instructed to wait downstairs, a few minutes later Dad sent me a text telling me to come up.

The double doors opened and the DJ announced the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Solo which was met with a round of applause from all in attendance. Mr. and Mrs…yeah that’s what we were. Everyone was here. Everyone came to celebrate a marriage that only happened because I got wasted and Kia ended up pregnant. I’m sure they all knew since nothing was a secret in this family, but they were all here regardless to celebrate and welcome Kia without passing judgement. I looked down at her and she seemed scared but before I could ask if she was okay, Taylor came over.

She was a lot like Aunt Hope, really lively and social. She hugged both of us, before dragging Kia off talking a mile a minute. Over the course of the evening I started to relax more. Everyone talked and had a good time. All of the other moms there kept asking Kia how she was feeling, then they’d come to mess and ask if I was being nice to her and such. I don’t know what they thought I’d do to her, but it had to be some female thing. I had enough to worry about without trying to figure that stuff out.

We had a ‘first dance’ which was awkward with everyone watching. Aunt Starr was on a mission to permanently blind me with all the pictures she took. I worried throughout the evening that Kia might have a freak out, but she never did. I did see Mom consoling her at one point, when I asked she just said it was pregnancy hormones. The party was a much bigger affair than I thought it would be, but it was nice to see everyone.

“Did you have fun?” I asked Kia after we’d gotten home.

“Yeah, I guess,” she replied.

“You guess? Either you did or you didn’t.”

“You…nevermind. I’m going to bed. Goodnight Matt.”

“What? Why? Why do you do that? There is obviously something wrong yet instead of talking you want to just walk away. My mom and aunt put together that whole thing for you, yet you seem…I don’t even know, but it’s frustrating as hell!”

Why did she make the simplest things so hard?  One…two…three… I needed to calm down; last thing I wanted was for her to get upset. All night she looked like she was enjoying herself talking to everyone. They all made sure to speak to her at one time or another. Other than her one breakdown, I thought the night went pretty well and now this.

“I’m sorry. You’re right, what they did was very nice and I’m thankful, really I am…”

“But?”

 “But everyone there was for you. Nearly everyone in your family worked out their schedules in a matter of a week or two to come. I mailed my dad and his family an invitation…I wish I could forget him. I wish I could forget the good times I remember when we were a family before my mom got sick.”

I felt like an ass. Again. “Kia, I’m sorry…I didn’t even know you sent one to him.”

“I didn’t tell anyone. Your mom had asked me, but I lied and said I didn’t have his address. I didn’t want the public embarrassment of him not showing up if everyone knew he had been invited. It was hard enough fielding the where is my family questions, so I’d just say they were dead. It was easier that way.”

We weren’t always together during the party. I figured Kia was in good hands with Taylor or Chrissie, or whoever so I spent time catching up with Trevor and talking to Cal and Uncle Carter unless someone wanted us to do some couple thing like pose for pictures. It never dawned on me that she’d feel out of place since everyone had been so accepting of her.

“Kia, look…”

“It’s not a big deal,” she said cutting me off. “I’m probably overly emotional right now. It was a nice party and your family is really great. I’m tired, so goodnight.”

“Night,” I replied to her retreating back. 

**A/N**

Thanks to Piazzagirl1015 for sharing the Slayer family. Glad they were able to make the reception. 

I wanted to show more of the party, but the family wanted to give me a hard time. LOL I had given them all the command to cheer so it looked like they were happy to be there for the couple and this is what I got instead.

No one looked happy about being there. :( Plus with that many sims in the house, game lag was UNREAL!! I swear I had a harder time with this 'small' reception than I did with Grace and Jonas' wedding.