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Warm an Old Man's Heart - a Sims 3 short story
MOVED TO THIS LINK ----------> http://homosexualsimsstories.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/warm-an-old-mans-heart/
B)
Disclaimer!
*PICTURE HEAVY!
*This story is intended for mature audiences
*Contains Homosexual tendencies
*Violence
*Drama
*No poses used because I'm a lazy bum and I had no internet for 2 months while I was playing this sim.
Work in Progress. Will update 2-3 chapters every day.
***I'm done saving posts so if you have any comments or questions (mainly questions about some part you don't understand due to my horrible grammar and dreaded punctuation use lol)*** Also this is the first Sims story I've ever written so I accept all types of criticism as it would help me by a lot. So please feel free to comment.
This one is for my friends, Paeonious, GARDENMAN, and michaelbuddy
B)
Disclaimer!
*PICTURE HEAVY!
*This story is intended for mature audiences
*Contains Homosexual tendencies
*Violence
*Drama
*No poses used because I'm a lazy bum and I had no internet for 2 months while I was playing this sim.
Work in Progress. Will update 2-3 chapters every day.
***I'm done saving posts so if you have any comments or questions (mainly questions about some part you don't understand due to my horrible grammar and dreaded punctuation use lol)*** Also this is the first Sims story I've ever written so I accept all types of criticism as it would help me by a lot. So please feel free to comment.
This one is for my friends, Paeonious, GARDENMAN, and michaelbuddy
Post edited by Jimil on
3
Comments
Warm an Old Man's Heart is a story about a sim living in Twinbrook named, Lenny Smith-Jones. It's a story about his new life as he struggles from a mid-life crisis and his recent divorce.
Chapter 1
The story starts in the middle of a family dispute in the Jones-Brown household.
Renee William-Brown is the soon-to-be ex-wife of Lenny Smith-Jones.
"...and whose fault do you think that is? How could you be so darn foolish?" Renee shouted in a frustation note.
"It wouldn't have happened if you just did what I asked!" Lenny replied back.
Filled with rage, Renee slapped Lenny's face.
"Don't you dare tell me what to do. You're the one who needs to fix yourself," she remarked.
Renee have always believe it's her husband fault and continues to regret marrying him.
Fighting the urge to hit back, Lenny made a brutal announcement.
"That is it! I'm so done with this family. I'm out of here," Lenny said as he walked out of the house.
After several days later, Lenny found a house he could afford.
It's located away from the town and near the marshes which never bother Lenny.
"Hmm. This house is not so bad," Lenny thought to himself, "I just gotta clean some stuff out of the way."
It has recently rained and therefore, the whole place is muddy.
But the good thing is, the house has some elevation from the land.
Even if the town is hit by a rainstorm, the flood will never reach his house.
Lenny's stomach grumbles.
"Got to find something to eat then," said Lenny as he spotted a pond next to his house.
He then tried to fish for a few minutes and eventually caught something.
"This is one is no use," he sighed. "I should try fishing for more."
Lenny, however, had some food kept in his car. "It never hurts to stock up for more food, does it?" remarked Lenny.
After an hour, Lenny finally caught a something worth his time. He caught a 16 cm fish enough to fill his stomach.
Lenny proceeded to fry the fish in the pan when he noticed something wrong.
The pipe had a cut and was leaking gas from the stove.
Quickly, Lenny looked for a fire extinguisher as the stove lit up in flames.
"Ah darn. How could they leave something broken? Ahh whatever. This stove was probably been around for ages," said Lenny.
"I'm sure there are others that broken as well. Better get to it then before I get comfy."
Lenny Smith-Jones is just a simple man who is living in a quiet but dark damp town called Twinbrook.
He is somehere in his mid-40s. He is doing terrible at his job as a Coffee Courier which doesn't provide much for his family. Lately, Lenny is having as what some might call, a midlife crisis. Never satistfied with how his life goes, he became an alcoholic.
He also has a daughter, whom he loved very much, named Jenni Smith-Brown.
Never proud of him, his wife, Renee William-Brown, constantly nagged him for everything he did wrong. She continues to treat Lenny as trash as if he is just another lost cause.
The two eventually filed for a divorce but Jenni was forced to stay with her mother.
Tired of his wife's constant bickering, he moved out to a house near the marshes.
An unexpected number suddenly called Lenny's phone.
"Hey Lenny, this is the High Products Business Building calling to inform you that we are terminating your employment.
We'll send you your salary through the mail. Thank you," the automated message announced.
"Ah darn. I didn't realize it was going to be that bad. What should I do? I need to get a job real soon or I won't be able to pay for this house," Lenny groaned.
The doorbell rang. Lenny found Ronnie standing at his doorstep holding a case. Ronnie is a good friend of Lenny, along with Marshall Curious -- Lenny's only two friends, and just found out he is living next door
"I brought some beer. I've come to welcome you although I didn't really expected for you to move out all the way here," Ronnie expressed in delight. "How have you been? What made you move here far from the town?"
"It's a pretty long story," stated Lenny. "I had a fight with my wife and ended up divorcing her. So I moved out."
"Ouch, man. I'm sorry you had to go through all that," Ronnie apologized as he opened a bottle of beer. "How did you manage?"
Lenny tried to answer Ronnie's question but was interrupted by a phone call from his daughter.
"Hey dad. I have some news to tell you. Can I come and visit?" Jenni spoke with a sweet voice.
"Of course. You're welcome here anytime," Lenny responded.
"Great! I'll be there in ten minutes," she replied eagerly as she hung up the phone.
Lenny started to explain how his life goes to Ronnie while waiting for his daughter to come.
Jenni came at his doorstep and rang the doorbell. As soon as Lenny opened the door, she hugged him sincerely as if she hasn't seen him in years. Jenni Jones-Brown is 21 years old in this game and is currently unemployed. She is the daughter of Lenny, as I have stated before. She shared her mother's face and hair but there is not doubt she got her father's eyes.
"I got fired, Jenni." claimed Lenny as he was already talking about it with Ronnie.
"Oh dad, I'm really sorry," gasped Jenny. "But don't you worry! I'm sure we could get something figured out."
"I think where my boyfriend works at is hiring people right now," she promised. "How do you feel about working as fireman, dad?"
"That wouldn't be so bad," convinced Lenny as he is beginning to feel hopeful.
"I'm sure he'll put in a good word for you," she nodded. "But anyways, dad.. I'm pregnant with his baby."
"Congratulations! That is good news for both you and me!" cheered Lenny. "I'm gonna become a granddad!"
"Ohh what a relief. I was worried you'd react badly," Jenni muttered.
"Why would I do that? No no. He is good man. I trust him," promised Lenny.
Lenny eventually got the job.
He is very content of having this job actually. His job involves dealing with house fires mostly, dealing with earthquake damages, and saving people caught in an accident.
It keeps him fit and living in a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally. Eventually, he got over the conflict about his family. This job even pays more than serving coffee to dull and unappreciative white-collar workers. His last job never excite him.
During lunch, Lenny became in good terms with Goodwin Goode.
"Thanks again for vouching for me," recalled Lenny.
"It was no big deal, honestly! We need all the extra muscle we could get," Goodwin smiled.
Goodwin decided to let him in a secret. He held out, as what Lenny predicted it would be, an engagement ring box.
"I'm saving up enough money for this," Goodwin pointed out. "It's not much but I'm sure this will be enough to make her happy."
Feeling proud of Goodwin, he approved, "I'm confident that she will be. You're a lucky man and I give you my blessings."
"Thank you, sir," Goodwin said as he held out his hand to shake Lenny's.
The following day comes with an unexpected visitor. A gray truck just stopped and parked in front of Lenny's house. A skinny man, wearing all grey clothes and a blue cap, exited the vehicle and open the back of the truck. He grabbed some sort of a vaccuum gun and prepared to march into Lenny's house.
"Wait what is going on? What is that truck doing there? Is that? Is that what I think it is?" Lenny said panickingly
"No no NO! It's too darn early."
"Please. Give me more time!" Lenny demanded. "What are you doing? Stop that!"
"Just doing my job, sir," said the Repo-man.
He then proceeds to load his gun and it started to absorb several things around the house.
"I'll pay it tomorrow. I promise. Just please, don't take them," begged Lenny.
"I'm sorry but orders are orders" the Repo-man answered back.
Just get out of my house! You've got what you wanted. Leave. NOW!" growled Lenny.
The Repo-man finished up and started walking out of the house. He stopped and turned his head back only to see Lenny slamming the door behind him. Lenny, feeling defeated many times over, decided to go somewhere else. To his surprise, the Repo-man had already left. He hopped on to his car and drove to a bar in town.
Several hours have passed. Lenny is still busy drinking at this local bar. What else does he have to do? He is beginning to lose everything one by one. The bar is packed with people but Lenny luckily found a spot in the corner to drown his sorrows.
The entrance door opened and surprisingly, the Repo-man entered the bar in his casual clothes. He must have just got off work.
Lenny caught a glimpse of the man and came marching towards him.
"Hey you! I recognize you. You're the guy who came and took my stuff. Are you actually proud of that?
Didn't you cause enough damage already? So what are you here for, huh? To mock me?" ranted Lenny.
The man tried to so hard to ignore him but his shouting is just making it worse. Everybody stopped for a second and looked over. This made the man feeling slightly guilty and uneasy.
The man replied back, "No. Actually I feel bad--"
Lenny interrupts, "Feel bad huh? Stop making my life even more miserable!"
"Calm down. Look. I'm sorry, ok? Can I make it up to you?" pleaded the man.
The crowd carried on with their own matters thus making the man finally feeling relieved.
"And how are you gonna do that?" asked Lenny.
"I'm gonna treat you to a dinner. How's that?" said the man.
Lenny responded, ".. well. I suppose we could do that."
They walked to a restaurant as it was only located across the street. The man ordered a table for two outside as it was already filled with people inside. Fortunately, it never bothered Lenny at all. He was actually beginning to feel grateful but the thought of what the man did never escaped his mind.
There is an awful silence between them still so the man decided to break the ice.
"Look, I'm gonna say this again but I'm sorry for what I did to you," the man pleaded again.
"I accept your apologies. To be honest, it's actually the government I should be yelling at," remarked Lenny.
"I'm sorry too for lashing at you back there. That was really unnecessary. I understand that you're just doing your job."
The man smiled, "so what do you do for a living?
"Well I'm a fireman now," Lenny answered. "Before I used to bring coffee to some hotheaded office workers--"
The man chuckled at the thought. He can't stop imagining Lenny shouting at those office workers.
"So what is your name?" asked Lenny.
The man responded, "My name is Ree. Ree Treave. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Lenny. Lenny Smith-Jones. I wouldn't call that a very nice first meeting," chuckled Lenny. "How about we start from the beginning?"
They both laughed and seem to be getting along well.
Lenny continued to talk about his story throughout the night:
how Lenny ended up in that house, what he did that got him in that position, and how he is working all of that out.
Days passed and soon they became good friends.
One day, Ree came to visit Lenny.
"Hey Lenny, can you spare some time?"
"Sure come in. Make yourself at home."
Ree questioned, "I can't help but notice. What is that tiny house over there? Is that some sort of a room?"
"That used to be a storeroom but now it's empty. I've already put all my stuff away. It's pretty spacious," Lenny responded.
"I see. Do you think, you know, we could share the house?" Ree offered. "I could stay in that room, no problem. I've just been having a hard time keep myself financially secure.
I couldn't pay the rent anymore."
"Don't tell me you're fired!"
Ree's face began to turn red.
"No. It's not that. It just gets so expensive you know? My job doesn't pay enough," Ree reasoned truthfully.
"Hm. I guess you could come and live here with me for as long as you need to," Lenny said as he accepted the offer.
"Thanks a lot Lenny!" his face beaming with joy. "Oh if I could repay you as big as this favor I'm asking of you when we first met!"
"Not to worry. Forget about that," said Lenny feeling a little embarassed. "And besides, you're helping me too."
"I promise I won't be a bother."
*Lenny chuckles*
A couple of days later, Ree came with a fairly small truck. Surprisingly, Ree only has a few stuff with him. People like him typically live in apartments for having so few things. He probably used to but now he is living with Lenny.
Lenny helped Ree move all his furniture to his new room.
"Well here you are," said Lenny after placing Ree's bed on the floor. "Anything else you got back there?"
"This should do it," Ree gasped for breath. "Thanks Lenny. I think we should take a break for now."
Still feeling energetic, Lee replied, "Call me if you need anything. I'll be in the living room."
Lenny exited through the door and turned on the TV.
Ree thought to himself how this new life would bring him. He hoped it would turn out well for him as this is his only chance.
Ree sighed, "I better make this worthwhile. Hmm, where should I put my desk?"
After completely organizing all his stuff, Ree drove off to bring the moving truck back.
Excited for this opportunity Lenny gave him, he started writing.
"Right. Now off to work," Ree stated. Although, Ree is still as a Repo-man; he isn't a fully fledged writer yet.
Ree Treave is a Repoman. He could manage on his own quite well despite living in minimum wage. He is you and at the age of 27. He repossess stuff from residents, who aren't capable of paying their bills, and send them to the government.
Due to his charm and easy-going manner, it is never difficult for Ree to make friends. Gaining Lenny's trust and good side is fairly simple for him to do.
He dreams of becoming a huge hit writer but he can't afford it. So he sought help from Lenny.
This made him able to save money to buy necessary things to get him started as a writer.
Ree starts working on his writing every day and after he got off from work. Until a month later, he is finally getting some results. He received a letter from the mail. A smile showed up on face. He has yet to reveal it to anyone. He thought Lenny should know about it first. He wouldn't, after all, make it without his help. So he called Lenny and invited him to a restaurant.
Lenny was just getting off work when Ree called.
"What is this now? He probably have good news to tell me," Lenny thought to himself.
"So why did you bring me here?" he began.
"My treat, of course!" Ree responded.
Lenny clearly knows something is going on as he can tell that Ree is looking extremely happy right now.
Still not satisfied with his answer, Lenny asked, "So what is it really? Got some news to tell me?"
"I finally found a publisher who liked my work," Ree let out a huge smile.
"That's great! I'm so happy for you," said Lenny.
"I just have to show them a couple more chapters and then they will decide," Ree assured. "I'm gonna win this Lenny. I just know it!"
"I'm sure you will. You have talent, Ree" Lenny concluded with a smile.
Lenny is also thankful for himself that he is helping this young man shape his career somehow.
After some time, Jenni finally gave birth to Antone.
Jenni and her baby stayed at the hospital for a while. Lenny made a few visits from time to time.
"What is his name?" asked Lenny. "We're naming him Antone," said Goodwin.
It seemed like Goodwin is always with Jenni ever since she went in labor.
Lenny thought, "looks like she picked the right guy."
When it was all right for Jenni and her baby to leave the hospital, Jenni called her dad about this.
Excited, Lenny drove to their house and waited until they arrived. They finally came and everybody went inside.
Jenni let her dad hold her baby which instantly brightened Lenny's face. He is suddenly full of hope and joy.
"Antone got his mother's eyes," Lenny noticed. "I will be the best grandpa in the world," Lenny promised to Antone.
Soon after everything got settled - after a few days - Goodwin proposed to Jenni.
Lenny told Ree all about his grandson. So Ree decided to go with Lenny to his work to congratulate Goodwin.
"So you must be Ree, hm? Good to finally meet you" Goodwin said as he shake Ree's hand.
"Likewise," Ree gave a smile, "Congratulations on your new baby boy!"
"Ah so you've heard? I was so happy. He looked a lot like his mother"
It was just a quick visit since Ree also wanted to congratulate Jenni and he isn't allowed to stay in the Fire Station for too long.
So Ree spent the rest of the day with Jenni and her baby. They eventually became good friends.
"Oh great, you're back!" Ree said excitedly.
"Well that is unusual, you never waited for me to come home." Lenny said. "Give me a moment to take a shower though."
After several minutes have passed, Ree is still waiting for Lenny.
Dumbfounded, Lenny asked, "so what is it? Another good news happened to your life, eh?"
"Yes! It is exactly that. You remember the publisher I was talking to you about? Well they really liked my writing. They made more copies more than I expected."
"I guess that calls for a celebration! Let's go to the bar and celebrate."
They went to the bar but it was completely empty. "Where is everyone?" Ree wondered to himself.
The two had already drunk three or four shots till people started coming in.
"You know, I never really thought you'd make it," Lenny said truthfully. "I'm still proud of you though."
"Oh really? Well I won't make it without your help anyways," said Ree. "I will never have the chance to do so if I stayed at my old place any longer."
"I'm still happy you let me do this. And for that, thank you, Lenny."
The two kept getting drinks till midnight. Lenny can withstand drinking too much but Ree, he is still too young.
He isn't not the type of guy who would get drunk at parties either. No he is too careful for that.
Even if he comes to the bar often, he just comes only to escape the boring life he used to have. But Ree decided to make this one an exception.
Eventually, Ree became too drunk than he can handle.
Ree started talking in slurred words.
"I-I gotta I gotta tell ya somethin' Lennyyyyy. 'm wha-wanna thank you again." Ree said, barely even holding his drink. "Come ooooon, dance wif' me."
"Hey HEY! Come on. I think you have had enough. Let's go home." Lenny murmered as he carries Ree on his shoulders.
Ree fell asleep as soon as they get to the car. It was a pretty long drive since they live relatively far from the town.
"Come on, up!" Lenny grunted as he carries his friend again.
Ree woke up and tried to get out of Lenny's car. He almost fell but he soon recovered thanks to Lenny.
They walked up to the front porch and Ree is beginning to feel concious that he is with Lenny and-
"Oh dam-"
"Oh hey," Ree moaned, feeling his head as he noticed Lenny is sitting upright on the side of the bed.
"You did this" Lenny said calmly.
"I'm sorry wha-?"
"You planned this, didn't you?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Did we - you know?"
Ree's response irritated Lenny.
He shouted, "You're darn right we did! How could you do this to me?"
It startled Ree as he jumped out of the bed. Lenny walked up to him, his fist clenching, and his face brimming with anger.
Ree has never seen this side of Lenny before.
"I'm sorry but I can't remember anything at all," whined Ree while backing off.
"I'm so sick of this. Stop playing me, boy!"
"I'm not. I'm- Look I'm sorry alright? Please calm down"
"Get out of my house," Lenny demanded in a low but furious tone.
Trembling in fear, Ree exited the room did as he was told. Ree didn't try to argue. He has seen the face he hoped he will never see. So he went to his room packed all of his stuff. Before leaving, he can't help but think he should have a say about this. So he manned up and walked towards him while holding his suitcase.
"They were right about you. I should have listened," he said.
Lenny didn't say anything but he kept his sturdy face look on him.
Ree walked out of the house feeling ashamed and afraid of what happened.
Lenny hasn't seen Ree ever since. They moved on trying to forget what happened.
But seems like Lenny couldn't help but wonder how Ree is doing.
Sometimes he goes to the bar waiting. Waiting for one more chance to see him but he never showed ever again.
Weeks have passed and soon Lenny gave up. He has no contact with him since it happened.
Lenny remembers Ree by how carefree and innocent he is. Meeting him is one of the good things that ever happened to his life. Now he has no one. Jenni is busy with the life of her own. Then he remembered how harsh he sounded to him.
He is beginning to think it was his fault somehow. That it was his responsibility all along.
"Maybe I'm just gonna spend the rest of my life like this," he thought. "I'm a monster."
Working as a fireman by putting out fires, rescuing citizens in peril, and overall saving the town are the only things what could keep him sane for now.
Ree has been doing fine on his own lately being the only one who actually moved on. He has already forgotten about what happened. It also seems like Ree has his own office now. He certainly made a huge jump in his career. After a busy day at work and as Ree is about to go to his car, he received a phone call from Jenni.
"Hey Ree, I heard about what happened. Why don't you come over for some coffee?"
"Alright. I actually need to talk to someone about this anyways."
Before Ree could even knock, Jenni immediately opened the door for him. He could the coffee brewing as he walks to the living room with Jenni. It sounds quiet, he thought. The baby must have been asleep. Jenni let Ree sit down first as she goes and grabbed cream and sugar from the cupboard and placed it on the table. She then grabbed two clean mugs, held it one hand as she grabs the coffee carafe on the other.
She placed them on the table as she notice that Ree is unusually quiet and anxious.
"Here" said Jenni, breaking the silence in the room.
"Thank you"
"How do you feel?"
"I'm doing fine now."
"Oh is that so?"
"Your dad kicked me out. I don't understand why reacted to me like that. He really scared me there."
"He has always been a hot-headed," said Jenni as she put her mug down on the table.
"Ever since my parents got divorced, my dad.. He... he has become too broken"
Jenni noticed the silence. Ree is unsure whether he can sympathize with her dad or not.
She then took a sip before continuing. "Did you have feelings for my dad?"
Ree replied as his heart start beating faster, "I- I don't think I'm in a position to feel anything about him right now"
"I understand. You know, I personally think that the reason why my dad turned you away is because he can't stand getting his heart broken once more."
"But that is not the case. I invaded him. It was my fault."
"My dad is just afraid, Ree, that he might lose you if you went even further."
Ree finally looked at her in the eyes.
"What makes you think that your dad would ever like a guy like me? I mean, come on! I'm nobody. I'm just a simple guy who happens to share a house with him."
"Besides he would never want to see me again."
"He regretted what he did. I know he does. Just give him some time. I've seen him act like that before. See him again. Please, Ree? For me?"
"Okay I'll try but I can't be certain it will turn out to be fine."
"That old man cares about you. I just know it."
The following morning, Ree took a visit to Lenny's home. Luckily for Ree, he has live with him long enough to remember the time they both start working. That made Ree feel confident. However, he is still unsure what to expect. He just hopes everything would be better because he knows he has to do something. And now, it's finally time for him to apologize properly.
Ree took a deep breath and started knocking. He knocked again after, what it seemed like, a minute has passed.
Lenny finally opened the door and looked at Ree in the eye with a calm but straight-faced expression.
Ree made a quiet gasp. Anxiety filled all over him. It took him about three seconds before he could pull himself together.
He finally began, "Hey. Lenny? I've been wondering how you've been d--"
Lenny interrupts Ree with a hug. Ree was surprised that he would do that but it made him feel at ease.
Lenny let go of the hug and gave Ree another sturdy look and then looked away. He still hasn't said a word.
Ree continued, "I finally know what has happened to you and for that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for doing all those things to you.
It was not up to me to give you wanted and I know that now."
Lenny gave Ree a concerned look. He wanted to say something but he couldn't.
"I hope you could forgive me someday"
Ree tried the leave but Lenny grabbed his arm.
"How about we go to the bar tonight and talk about it?" Lenny finally said without looking at his face.
"Okay I'll meet you there"
Lenny was the first one to get to the bar and then came Ree. Ree sat on the other side of the bar still unsure how to approach Lenny.
The visit didn't help Ree much. He still doesn't know what is going on in Lenny's head. He doesn't know if he approves of his apology or not. Ree got out of his chair, walked towards Lenny, and took a sit next to his.
"Hey"
"Hey," Lenny said, still quiet.
"So.. how have you been these days?"
"Just worked my 🐸🐸🐸🐸 off today. What about you? How is your work coming up?"
"So far so good."
Another silence broke between them.
"So.. uh.. do you wanna talk about it?"
"How about we just keep that behind us?"
"I'm fine with that," Ree smiled.
Lenny smiled back. Ree has never seen him smile before.
"How about we get some drinks?" asked Ree.
"Oh but don't you drink too much, only two rounds for you!" laughed Lenny.
"Okay okay. I've already learned my lesson," Ree laughed along. "I heard they have this new drink which has a rainbow color. You wanna try it with me?"
"It's probably just a bunch of fruits mixed in but okay"
Ree leaned over to catch the bartender's attention. The bar got busy as they were talking earlier.
Finally, the bartender noticed them. He walked up to them as soon as he done serving the other customers.
"What can I get for you?" He asked.
"We'd like two glasses of Big Mistake, please," said Ree.
"No problem. I'll be right back."
The bartender made their drinks in just a few seconds. The drink turned out to be looking quite beautiful indeed.
It had layers of different colors.
"That will be $10.50, please," said the bartender.
Lenny took out his wallet but was stopped when Ree grabbed a hold of his shoulder.
Ree shook his head in a "no" gesture. He already has the money to pay for the bartender ready.
"Ooh, this drink is good," Lenny said.
"It's hella stronger than I thought," Ree replied.
The two had a couple more drinks before Ree asked, "You still got that room available?"
"Yeah. I kept it clean while you're gone."
"Do you mind if I move back?"
"Not at all," Lenny chuckled. "You are welcome any time."
"Great. I'd really like to live there again," Ree said. "To a new beginning."
Ree raised his glass and made a toast with Lenny.
Months have passed and two are getting along well. It's finally Christmas season. They didn't mind the cold at all.
They have gotten used to it and besides, they keep on getting visitors every now and then.
On Christmas day, they invited a few of their friends and family for a Gift-Giving party. They even brought food.
Jenni and Goodwin brought stuffed turkey. Good for them. Mm, delicious! Other visitors included are Blaise Kindle, Shamus Drudge, and Penny Pincher.
Sweet Christmas music was playing throughout the party and everybody is having a great time.
It's finally midnight and now it's time to exchange gifts. Ree was the first one and he got an Artsy Easel.
As soon as everybody is done opening gifts, they said goodbye to each other. Ree and Lenny started cleaning the place up.
While Ree is picking up dirty plates to put them on the sink, Lenny came up behind him holding a gift box behind.
Ree is quite surprised. He thought gift-giving was already over. He didn't even notice where Lenny went to go and get it.
"Oh man," Ree laughed bashfully. "Thank you but I don't have anything to give you."
"It's alright," Lenny said. "That is my 'thank you for understanding me' gift."
"Oh Lenny. Don't worry about it."
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Lenny's hard work and dedication in the fire service earned him a special place in the town.
He is now recognized as the town's hero for saving many lives.
Through blazing fires, destructive earthquakes, and traumatic accidents, he is always the right one to depend on to handle these situations.
And now the whole town is hosting a ceremony for their one true hero.
"Firefighters define courage.
Rushing down to the scene of the emergency, they place themselves in harm's way to save not one but many lives.
Tragedies happen and they are always the always the first ones to be there to aid in anyone in danger. And for that, we are grateful.
We as your neighbors will support you and hope that you and those you rescued may return to their homes safely. You are our heroes."
"That being said, we are hereby honored to present the Key to the City to Lenny Smith-Jones for his dedication of 2-year service in the fire department."
As the mayor finished his speech, he gestured for Lenny to stand up to give him the reward.
Everyone cheered for Lenny while he shakes the mayor's hand.
Ree tried to join the ceremony but he was a little late. He was at work begging for his manager to let him out early.
The ceremony was almost over. He missed out on everything: the speech and presentation of the award.
But, at least, not everyone has started leaving yet. He still came and that is what matters.
Lenny raised his award and showed it to the everybody. They all cheered him on and let out a big round of applause.
He looked at everybody and noticed Ree was among the audience. He knew he was coming. He knew he wouldn't let him down.
So he called him over but Ree was being shy. The crowd chanted his name and gave him no choice but to walk towards Lenny.
Lenny knelt down on one knee and everybody went silent. He took out an engagement ring box, opened it, and said,
"Ree, you showed when I was on the brink of breaking. You've turned a man's whole life around and gave me hope.
You cared and didn't give up on me. From what it's worth, you showed me what it is like to love another person again.
I couldn't think of spending my life without you so will you marry me?"
Trying to keep all his emotions aside, Ree said while smiling, "Yes Lenny. I will." Lenny took Ree's hand and place the ring on his finger.
The crowd started cheering again but this time, it's even louder than before. Lenny stood up and gestured for a hug.
Ree immediately went to hug him, tears of joy falling down his face.
Days passed and the two finally hosted their own wedding ceremony in the nearby chapel. They've already started making preparations ahead of time. Though, Lenny was the first one to get there. He has already set the tables and chairs, brought in the food and the cake. And Ree, organized the room inside the chapel.
"Oh Lenny look at your tie. Why you gotta be in such a hurry? Good thing I noticed that. Come here. Let me fix it."
About twenty minutes later, the guests have finally arrived. Ronnie here looks so enthusiastic about the wedding.
Lenny and Ree invited only their close friends and relatives. The guests include: the Good family, Drudge family, Curious family, Ronnie Reaves, and Justin Kayes. They all greeted each before sitting down and waiting for the ceremony to start. It's a small ceremony but full of love and respect.
As soon as everyone quieted down and seated. Lenny started reciting his vows.
"Because of you, my heart is at peace at last. Because of you, my world is whole again. Because of you, my life is saved. And because of you, I never felt alone for as long as you're with me. With this ring, I give you my heart. I give you everything that I am, your best friend, your faithful partner, your companion for eternity. May we see the future together. May we experience new things together. That no matter what lies in our path, it will be ours to take together. I pledge my love, devotion, faith and honor as I join my life with yours."
Ree smiled a tearful smile. He almost forgot the position he is in. He felt like he was in a dream. He sighed happily and started reciting his vows.
"Every time I look at you, I see happiness. I see safety and kindness. I see the man I've fallen in love with. I will take care of you. I will love you truly through good and bad times. I will support and encourage you. May my heart be your home and my arms your shelter. May you find comfort within my reach. I will share my life with you. All my tomorrows. That we may live through days of joy and nurture. You will no longer feel sadness for I am with you always. Whenever you need me, I will be always be there. To this day, I commit my life to you. To continue living our dreams together. Through all the years and whatever life may bring us. This is the promise of my love to you."
"With this golden ring and one kiss of eternity, our love will be forever."
Ending songs play:
Subterranean Homesick Alien - Radiohead
The Ghost of Genova Heights - Stars