it's that time of year

It was almost homecoming. But Valentina wanted to make her own dress.

"But why?" asked Robby in Spanish. To Valentina's surprise, she had someone to speak with her in her native tongue. It was fun when not everyone at school knew what they were talking about. "It'll stress you out."

Oh, he thought he knew her, did he?

"I have to do it myself," she told him she couldn't find a dress that she liked anywhere. She'd scoped online places, gone to the thrifting places she knew. Perhaps she could put too dresses together.

"Just like in Pretty in Pink." He remembered it was her favorite movie. However, she didn't really like the prom dress. "It was just too retro." Valentina knew she could make a better one. And she would.

"But time is ticking," Robby said there were flowers to order and what about his tux. Guys were taking measurements for those rentals.

She told him she could take care of that too.

Robby shook his head. Then he laughed. "Yes, you are amazing, but seriously..its prom." He asked if she was wanting him to get a limo.

"Of course, not." She looked at him blankly. "No, I'm fine, just going to the diner." She wanted to go there before the prom and afterward for ice cream.  "But you..you need to find Rosie a date."

"What?" Robby winced.

"Her boyfriend is in Chicago and he wants her to go to homecoming. And I don't want her to feel she's the third wheel either." Of course, Valentina couldn't think of anyone.

the beauty of it

Amira thought it was a bad idea. Why was it so important for her to meet Macy.

"Because, you'll be his Aunt before you know it," Ste cracked a smile as if he would continue to ask her to marry him at every turn.

Amira hadn't exactly turned him down yet, but she wasn't sure if it would be anytime soon. She was one to savor the small things in life. Linger over the new moments she spent with Ste, usually in the kitchen.

Yet, to meet someone so stunning as Macy. She was a natural beauty.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Macy told her when they were alone in her kitchen while Ste played with his nephew. "I'm so glad you found Ste." She sounded as if he needed someone like Amira to show him he could truly be happy. "He talks about you all the time," Macy told her. "You're so good to him."

Amira slightly winced wondering if that was enough. Of course, he took her breath away. He was the most beautiful species she'd ever met. Yes, she'd even thought what it would be like to have a child with. Although, she knew she was far from that ever happening. Maybe it was romantic chemistry at work.

She was more comfortable around him now. Even so, she found it hard to believe he would be smitten with the likes of her. Amira did want to know why he liked her so much, and yet she didn't really need to know the answer. She just needed to embrace her future. She knew she would love every minute of it.

love is a battlefield

Will didn't mean to confuse Bree, but he wasn't with Gabby. It was a history he preferred not to talk about, but that's all she wanted to know. How was she? Was he treating her right?

And then Lux showed up, with a baby bump no less.

"What have you done to Gabby?" Bree asked from her hospital bed.

Will sank into misery. It was one more stumbling block for his cousin. She'd thought Torry was Will in the beginning. She didn't know Torry used to be her boyfriend and now this Gabby look alike (according to Bree) was going to be a mother.

"I-I already have one kid," Lux told her.

"Gabby has a child?" It was as if it was giving Bree a brain freeze.

Will shook his head, no.

"She's not Gabby. Her name is Lux." Will thought he might as well be writing song lyrics. Nothing was sinking into Bree's thick head. She didn't get that she'd overdosed on some pills she'd bought on the street. Bree was as dazed and confused as she ever was.

"I'll just have to see Gabby..until I believe it." Bree hugged herself and swelled a small frown. Where was Connor? The question still persisted and Will didn't know the answer too. They'd lost touch. Connor evidently changed his phone number.

"Last I heard he went to California." This much Will knew. "He's in the military now."

"What's he doing in the military?" Bree winced as if she didn't believe that, either.

"Why can't he?" Will shot back. Maybe that's where he needed to be, but he liked being a medic now. He didn't know if he'd ever move on to being a nurse, but he might if sticked with his education long enough.

"I miss your comic book stories you used to write," Bree reminded him of his dream. Had he forgotten?

She only made him feel a little sad, but he'd moved on with Lux and life was moving forward. Bree needed to remember this, too.

we are young

Sunny was doing his best to stay in touch with Rosie, but he was always having to do research with the classes he was taking, about what it took to make a building stable. It was a lot more than lectures these days.

He missed her. She didn't seem like the same person he knew and had grown to know every aspect of. Sure, he always thought she was a bit complicated yet she was much stronger than she would ever know. She'd asked him to see to her would-be sibling Jai.

Finally, he went out to eat with this so-called brother. But Sunny felt he was broken too. Naturally, he had plans about his future, yet as Sunny listened to him he did wonder if it would come true. Normally, he didn't have thoughts about other people's dreams.

He wanted to tell Rosie that Jai was faking it, but he couldn't. He needed to sound hopeful since Rosie was so sad these days, alone at school.

"There is always Valentina," Sunny smiled. Wasn't she friends with her.

"But, she has a boyfriend," Rosie acted as if he took up all of Valentina's time. So, he'd ask about her part-time job at the diner. She only worked there about one night a week which was Saturday.

She shrugged as if it wasn't much of nothing. But she put in a good eight-hour shift there.

"Maybe you need a break from that." He didn't know what to tell her. All he could do was tell her he missed her and loved her and he wanted her to have a great Senior year, but homecoming was on its way and she said she wasn't going.

He hated to see her this way. Sunny knew he'd let her down because it wasn't supposed to be this way. He was supposed to be there with her making lots of high school memories. Yet, he had to think of his future. He wanted to be able to have a good job to be able to give her a family she always wanted.