Romance in the Air

April 2033 - San Myshuno, New York

Lloyd household - Ian is 43, Kayla is 34, Sasha is 15

Sasha still isn't fully used to having a stepmom. It's been four and a half years since Ian suddenly surprised his kids with the fact that he was married to someone they didn't even know.

Kayla tries to get on Sasha's good side. "Are you looking forward to the festival tonight? I know it will be a lot of fun."

"It's a romance festival," Sasha says, making a face. "It's not exactly fun."

That's about all they say as they finish their breakfast. Sasha is glad when she eats the last bite and gets up to get away from this stepmother she's not interested in knowing.

Matthew is away at college right now, so the only one Sasha really likes and connects with is her cat Kimber.

It's nice to have at least one friend around here.

***

Ian and Kayla enjoy their night out at the romance festival. The city has it every year, but it's always nice to have a night together away from all their worries.

Kayla goes over to the romance guru to see what he says about her relationship with Ian.

Unfortunately he does not have a good prediction about their future together. Kayla isn't happy to hear that. She thought this festival was supposed to be all about happiness and love, not terrible predictions about your marriage crashing.

But that prediction has to be wrong. Kayla is happy with her life and she hopes that Ian is too.

She wouldn't mind a future with the guy she suddenly, unexpectedly married on their first date.

***

Ian insisted on bringing Sasha out to the festival with them and she wishes she was at home with her cat.

A guy sits down next to her on the bench and lets out his own frustrated sigh.

"These festivals are always terrible," he says. "A waste of a Saturday night."

"Yeah," Sasha says. She doesn't know this guy, but he looks around her age. Her school has a high number of students and so she doesn't know all of them, or else he could live in another part of the city and goes to one of the other high schools. But why is he sitting here with her?

"My mom and dad make me come out here," he groans. "They say I need to get out of the house sometimes and interact with people."

"Mine too," Sasha says. "I mean, my dad and stepmom. My real mom is away for a work trip right now."

She doesn't know why she talks to him and why he talks to her, but they do. Kengo Hayashi, his name is Kengo. They talk about their annoyance with their home lives and how they'd like to get away one day.

"Come on," Kengo says after they talk for a while. "Let's go see if this festival actually offers anything worth our time."

"Probably not," Sasha says, but she gets up and joins him.

"My mom tries to tell me that you never know, that you could find something worthwhile at any moment," he tells her. "Let's at least go see if this festival might have anything worth our time."

***

Kayla is still sure that romance guru was wrong. She and Ian slip into the spa nearby and trade their clothes for small towels wrapped around them. They're perfect together, she tells herself. 

This is a perfect night out to really experience that attraction and love between them.

-------------------------

Kayla really did get bad news about her relationship with Ian, lol. Hopefully they can keep that prediction from coming true!

Kengo Hayashi, like Kat's boyfriend Yori Hayashi! I didn't plan that, lol. I said in a previous post that Yori is from San Myshuno, so maybe he and Kengo are related in the storyline. ;)