"I don't know, Anlah... is it really my place to tell her?"
A young adult Dennis pays a visit to the Soapberry residence soon after Melarkey's birthday.
Unfortunately for him, Tide told Melarkey about how he tried to woo Taleah Haslaskla. More than anything, Melarkey is the most upset that it happened at her party.
In this photo you can see garbage, Melarkey, and a metal waste bin.
Dennis tries to defend himself, but to no avail.
I hate it when you leave, but I love watching you go.
Great, now she's sad.
She decides to vent to her mom.
"I just can't believe he would do that! And at my party!"
Cadydid ignores the part about Melarkey throwing a party behind her back. "I don't know what you were expecting from a boy with a name like Dennis," is all she says.
"I just can't believe he would do that! And at my party!"
Cadydid ignores the part about Melarkey throwing a party behind her back. "I don't know what you were expecting from a boy with a name like Dennis," is all she says.
Melarkey won't stop talking, and gradually becomes more and more hysterical, so Cadydid takes her to the spa to get her mind off things.
While there, Melarkey embraces the zen atmosphere and self-focus philosophy, and returns home a changed woman. She's now determined to "put herself first", and starts by going completely indie in her eating - home-cooked meals only, using only local (front yard) ingredients! She finds some old vegetables in the fridge and starts a garden.
Next up on the agenda is Quality Family Time. Melarkey purchases some pumpkins and sits the whole family down in the lawn to make jack-o-lanterns.
It starts snowing that night.
Cadydid practicing her facial expressions again.
Putting herself first lasts exactly one day before Melarkey is calling Dennis to "discuss things". The conversation is short and ultimately unhelpful, and Melarkey isn't sure how to feel.
Then she graduates.
Thanks to the arrival of winter, Melarkey's plants went dormant before they even had a chance to sprout, so she pulls a few more vegetables from the back of the refrigerator and makes a salad anyway. Hopefully the leftovers can last her until spring, because she does not want to go back on her self-care promises already.
Malcolm Landgraab, hearing through the grapevine that Melarkey and Dennis were going through a rough patch, calls to ask her on a date. Melarkey shoots him down instantly - she isn't going to stoop to Dennis' level, she tells herself.
The third part of the self-care agenda - starting her career. Melarkey's an adult now, and while both of her parents are still active in their "jobs", she wants to feel productive. Ergo, hoping to become an author as renowned as her father, she starts her first novel, How To Deal: My Journey Through Heartbreak.
Tide continues painting paintings. He isn't the heir, but he'll get his due attention anyway.
The next day, there's finally enough snow on the ground to have some fun!
Graceful as a swan.
Put some gloves on, you walnut.
Tide solicits Melarkey to help him build a snowsim.
.......
...fwoomph.
The kids start on their snowsim in the backyard.
Meanwhile, on the the other side of the house, the parents get all gross and lovey-dovey.
"It's lookin' pretty good... Melarkey, get your ugly mug out of the way!"
"Shut up."
"Shut up."
"Not bad for a couple of first-timers," Tide comments proudly.
"Eh."
"Eh."
"Hey." Tide turns to his sister. "I know you're upset about Dennis, but don't stress over him, okay? He's not worth it."
"You're right," Melarkey sighs. "Thanks, li'l bro."
"And if you ever need me to, I'll go and beat him up for you," he adds.
"Whatever you say, shrimp."
"You're right," Melarkey sighs. "Thanks, li'l bro."
"And if you ever need me to, I'll go and beat him up for you," he adds.
"Whatever you say, shrimp."
"I liiiiive!"
Eeewww
Melarkey takes Tide's advice and stops stressing - and invites Dennis over to hash everything out.
Dennis explains that he had been a stupid teenager back then, young and foolish, etc., etc.
Melarkey tells him in great detail how hurt she was, how he needs to rebuild trust, etc., etc.
"So what you're saying is... I get a second chance?"
"I don't know why they have to discuss it during dinner," Cadydid grumbles under her breath.
In the end, Melarkey decides she needs a bit more time to think before she makes any final decisions. But she isn't angry anymore.
Tide paints.
Tiberius puts up some high-quality, state-of-the-art, beautifully-designed holiday lights.
Then he takes Cadydid ice skating at the park.
But he has some trouble getting on the ice.
"There's no physically possible way for me to get on this ice!" he exclaims, clearly distressed, motioning to the ice directly in front of him.
"There's no physically possible way for me to get on this ice!" he exclaims, clearly distressed, motioning to the ice directly in front of him.
He figures it out eventually, and then stands completely still in the center of the pond while Cadydid silently skates circles around him.
Melarkey decides to get back together with Dennis.
Yeah, I don't know how he managed that one, either.
Yeah, I don't know how he managed that one, either.
They decide to build a celebratory snowsim in the direct path of the front door.
"Maybe we could have planned this better."
Ugh.
Nothing like stargazing while sitting in a foot of snow.
Alright, that's enough of that.
"Tide, where's your sister?"
"Making out with that Dennis guy in the front yard."
"Making out with that Dennis guy in the front yard."
Tiberius is mad his precious daughter got back together with a (kind of) cheater, and decides to take it out on the snowsim in the backyard.
Sigh.
All is as it should be.