I went home that night, swinging by the store to grab some ice cream for my folks—a little victory treat for the game blowing up. By the time I got home, it was already dinner time. My mom had called me twice, telling me to get my ass home before she started without me. Dad was in the living room, feet up, watching TV, and Mom was in the kitchen, probably finishing up whatever delicious food she was making for dinner.
"Hey guys, I have good news!" I called out as soon as I stepped inside, holding up the bag with the ice cream like a trophy. That got both their attention.
Mom poked her head out from the kitchen, eyes lighting up. "What is it?"
Dad muted the TV and turned around, eyebrows raised. "You finally got a girlfriend?" he teased, grinning. He always uses that phrase to embarrass me knowing that I am single. But the jokes on him as that problem was already under progress. I would capture the look on his face when he meets Alex.
I rolled my eyes. "No, Dad. The game I made? It's taking off. We're at 200,000 downloads now."
My mom's jaw dropped. "Oh my god, Lucas, that's amazing!" She rushed over and hugged me, squeezing me tight. Dad just grinned, clearly proud but probably not even realizing how big of a deal it was. They don't even understand how much money those games can make, they thought it was just equivalent to a part time job- they were just happy for me.
"That's great news," Mom said, still beaming, and Dad nodded, humming his approval.
"I got ice cream to celebrate," I announced, putting it away in the freezer for after dinner.
The whole house felt lighter, like everyone was in a good mood. After a quick shower, I helped set the table. We sat down together, and as I looked at my parents—really looked—I noticed the little age lines on their faces, the kind that only show up when you're close enough to care. They were still a good-looking couple, but I could see the years, the sacrifices. I promised myself again that I'd make sure they'd live their best lives after I earn that moolah, no matter what.
"Mom, Dad, I have to tell you something," I said, wanting to include them in my plans. I was never the kind of teenager who lashed out or kept secrets just for the drama. I was always different that way.
Dad raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You didn't get any girl pregnant, right?"
"David!" Mom snapped, using her mom voice. Instantly, Dad shut up. Power dynamics in action. Mom is the boss in this house, no questions asked.
I laughed. "No, nothing like that. I just wanted you to know I've been playing a lot of chess on my phone, and I got pretty good. There's a tournament in two weeks, and I'd like to enter. I need an adult with me since I'm not eighteen yet."
Dad's face lit up. "That's great, kid! Your grandpa used to play chess all the time."
"Really?" I asked, genuinely surprised. Grandpa died when I was little, so I never really knew him.
Mom looked concerned, her brow furrowing. "Are you sure, honey? You're already doing so much. SATs are coming up, basketball, game development and now this, I just don't want you to burn out."
I shrugged. "Don't worry, Mom. I know my limits. Chess is just something I do to relax. I'm not overdoing it, promise." It was true actually. I stopped practicing for basketball when I reached a good level then I had to put a hold on my studies because I was already beyond school level. Nowadays the only productive thing I did was playing chess and running.
Dad nodded, telling me a little about Grandpa and his chess obsession. We talked for a while, just enjoying each other's company. After dinner, we celebrated with ice cream, and I could tell Mom was proud of me. It felt good.
Later, I got a message from Alex. We chatted a bit, mostly about the project and how crazy the day had been. We didn't mention about the makeout session because we were both shy. After a while I said goodnight, and then I applied for the chess tournament before crashing for the night.
Tomorrow, I'd be going to her house again around 3 pm for the project, and I was already planning how to impress the Dunphy family.
The next morning, I woke up early, did my usual morning run, and called Leonard to come over to discuss some things. He showed up on his bike just as I was finishing up breakfast. I'd cooked eggs and bacon for everyone, and Leonard joined us at the table. Mom loved it, and Dad joked that I should open a diner.
After breakfast, Leonard and I dove into game talk- about the new project 'Subway surfers' and I knew this will take at least a few months if I don't involve other people. So I decided to create a company where I will hire people to do the work for me.We talked about forming a company to focus on games, but for now, I was waiting for my first real paycheck.
I decided to give him 10% of whatever we earned moving forward—he'd basically be acting CEO, handling the boring details I didn't want to deal with. Leonard was not the kind to think much about money but I knew from experience that money could ruin friendships if things weren't clear from the start.
We brainstormed Subway Surfers ideas all morning, sketching out mechanics and power-ups until Leonard's mom called him home for his dog Mitzy's vet appointment.
With the house quiet again, I decided to cook something special for the Dunphys. I wanted to show off my cooking skills and maybe score some extra points. I settled on a classic apple pie—something warm, comforting, and hard to mess up. I sliced the apples, tossed them with cinnamon and sugar, rolled out the crust, and assembled everything with the kind of care you only use when you're trying to impress someone. The smell filled the house, and when it came out of the oven, golden and bubbling, Mom took one bite and declared it the best she'd ever had. Dad almost refused to let me take the Dunphy portion, but I promised I'd make another one soon.
I texted Alex before I left, letting her know I was on my way. She replied with a smiley face and a "can't wait." I packed up the pie and headed out.
When I got to the Dunphy house, everyone was home. Phil and Luke were out front, shooting hoops in the driveway. I flashed back to that one episode where Phil was coaching Luke's basketball team and how bad they lost after Manny couldn't make that last shot- funny episode.
"Hey, Luke! Hey, Mr. Dunphy!" I called, walking up and greeting them.
Phil grinned, tossing me the ball. "Lucas! You play?"
I grinned and then caught the ball with one hand and spinned the ball on my finger and said "a little bit" and then made a 3 pointer with one hand while holding the pie with the other hand. The ball went directly into the net.
Phil and Luke both cheered a little and then went back to playing. At that moment I saw Alex at the door calling me over and I smiled and said in English accent "well, hello there my beautiful lady".
She laughed a little but I hoped that was not a pity laugh.
I headed inside, pie in hand, and found Claire in the kitchen. "Hi, Mrs. Dunphy. I brought something for you guys. Made it myself"
Claire looked surprised. "You baked this yourself?"
I nodded, setting the pie down. "Yep. Thought I'd share."
Alex hearing this was surprised, eyes lighting up. "Are you trying to impress me with a pie?"
I grinned and whispered so that her mother couldn't hear "Is it working?"
She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. Claire was clearly impressed, too, and I could see her softening a bit.
We got started on the biology project, but Claire insisted—more like ordered—that we stay in the living room where she could keep an eye on us. "Hormones," she muttered, not even trying to hide her suspicion.
Alex groaned but didn't argue. "Sorry, Lucas. My mom's… well, you know."
I shrugged. "It's fine. I'm not going to try anything with your mom in the next room. Besides, I'm here for the company and maybe a kiss or two"
Alex blushed, and we got to work and completed the project. I had time to kill so I asked Alex to go to park with me.
____________________________
AN: Stooooooonnnnnnnnneeeeeessssssss.
Hey! Thanks for reading and supporting the story. If you want early access to advanced chapters, check out my Patreon.
[patreon .com /amrev] (no blank space)
If you are not capable no worries-you'll get the chapters soon enough. Appreciate you being here!