Sims Story: Brat Pack

Maya's hand rested lightly on top of his.

Neither of them moved.

The documentary continued playing somewhere in the background, but neither of them was paying attention anymore.

For a moment, it felt like the rest of the world had disappeared.

Then—

A voice echoed from the entryway.

"Boys! I'm home!"

Maya and Liam immediately pulled their hands apart.

Both of them turned toward the sound, confusion written across their faces.

Liam frowned.

LIAM: "What?"

Maya blinked.

MAYA: "I thought she wasn't coming home until tomorrow."

Before Liam could answer, Maya was already pushing herself off the couch and heading toward the foyer.

Leslie Carter stood in the entryway, suitcase at her feet and a large smile on her face.

The second she spotted Maya, her face lit up.

LESLIE: "Well, look at you!"

Maya laughed as Leslie wrapped her in a hug.

MAYA: "Leslie!"

Leslie pulled back just enough to cup Maya's face in her hands.

LESLIE: "You are absolutely beautiful. Seriously, every time I see you, you get prettier."

Maya groaned dramatically.

MAYA: "Okay, now you're just being nice."

LESLIE: "No, sweetheart. I'm being honest."

Maya smiled despite herself and hugged her again.

A moment later, Leslie turned her attention toward her son.

LESLIE: "And there's my baby."

Liam rolled his eyes immediately.

LIAM: "Please don't start."

Leslie ignored him completely and pulled him into a hug anyway.

LESLIE: "Missed you too."

Liam laughed, hugging her back.

LIAM: "I thought you weren't coming home until tomorrow."

Leslie stepped back, shaking her head.

LESLIE: "Trust me, I thought the same thing."

She glanced toward her suitcase.

LESLIE: "Meeting got canceled, flight got moved up, and suddenly I was home twenty-four hours early."

Maya grinned.

MAYA: "Best surprise ever."

Leslie smiled warmly.

LESLIE: "I was hoping you'd say that."

Behind them, the documentary still played quietly in the living room.

But whatever moment had existed on the couch was gone now.

The documentary had long since become background noise.

Every few minutes, Maya would point at the television and come up with another ridiculous observation, sending Liam into another fit of laughter.

"I swear," she said, shaking her head, "every cult leader somehow has the exact same haircut."

Liam laughed. "That's because terrible decisions come with terrible hair."

She nudged his shoulder. "You'd survive about five minutes."

"I'd survive longer than you."

"Oh please."

"I would."

"No, you wouldn't."

"So what would happen to you?"

Maya shrugged dramatically.

"I'd probably get lost looking for snacks."

Liam smiled, the kind of smile that came so easily whenever she was around.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "And then I'd have to come find you."

She laughed.

"You'd come looking for me?"

He shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Of course. I guess everyone has one person they'd follow anywhere."

The joke disappeared from the room.

For the first time that afternoon, neither of them had anything to say.

Maya looked over at him.

Liam happened to look over at the exact same moment.

For a few seconds, they simply held each other's gaze, the documentary still playing but completely forgotten.

Neither of them smiled.

Neither of them looked away.

Slowly, without really thinking about it, Maya lowered her hand onto the couch between them and rested it gently on top of his.

Liam glanced down at their hands before looking back at her.

He didn't move.

Neither did she.