Collins - Growing Bonds

He wasn't expecting her to say yes. He wasn't expecting her to even stay long enough to hear him out. But Eumelia was full of surprises. That was one of the reasons he loved her. He just knew he had to make her his. Derek invited her over one late night, taking her by surprise. He knew she had some hesitation in her eyes but ultimately, she agreed. Their wedding would be small but it would be the best day of his life. Until that day, though, Eumelia would stay with her sister and nephew.

Tyreek was happy for his father. He didn't understand why his father didn't date after his mother had passed away. It had been a long time. It was okay to move on. Tyreek had heard only good things of Eumelia and as long as she made his father happy, Tyreek would approve of their union.

Of course, this left him with something else to think about. No doubt, his father and new stepmother would have children. The house would be quite crowded when he came back from college, wouldn't it? Would he have to move out on his own instead of returning home?

But he had options. His father would give him enough money to get a bachelor pad, of course. But if he took Melitta up on her offer, he wouldn't need it. Tyreek hadn't made many friends in New Lanshire, much less ones of the female persuasion but Melitta was someone he could relate to. She was low-key and calm. The two became best friends and Melitta offered Tyreek a place to stay after college. She had dreams of owning her own resturaunt but knew she'd need help. So in exchange for helping her out, she'd give him a place to stay. It was an enticing offer.

Tyreek couldn't deny it. He had feelings for Melitta. He and her weren't offically dating just yet but the connection was clear. Living with her would be simply perfect.

The household claimed another new member when Jerald proposed to his girlfriend, Claire. Jerald loved flirting with younger girls but he wasn't as young as he was. He knew it was important to have one person to live his days out with and his first wife, unfortunately, didn't fufill that need. So Claire would be the one for him.

The new member of the Collins home was quick to get to know Tyreek and Derick. Tyreek didn't mind his new stepgrandmother. She was nice enough. But Derick was a bit more reluctant to accept her. "I know Father loves you but...I guess I just miss Mom..."
"I know it will be hard to accept me, Derick but...we can at least try, right?"
"I suppose."

Jerald was happy as could be, though. They were only engaged but it felt as though they had been married for years. Claire was perfect for him and he was glad to have met her. Claire was happy as well. She had spent many years setting up other couples. It was due time for herself to find true love.

Tyreek had used his good grades to enter the prestigious private academy in town. He had some time before college and wanted to get more scholarships. He didn't think he was working too hard. He did find time to relax, after all. Each morning before school, he played with the ants in his ant farm. That was completely relaxing, right?