Name Up In Lights

Special Notes: This was something I played around with and wrote on Tumblr years ago, after watching the Human Nature scene over and over for the hundredth time. The line where sam says about seeing her name up in lights had me crying and feeling inspired. THANK YOU SARAHRAIN FOR MAKING THE BANNERS/GIFS...I LOVE THEM SO MUCH(I will post them after I find them on the external hard drive they're on) !

Two little children with light caramel-colored skin and sandy blonde hair, walked a few steps ahead of their parents as they chatted to each other. "Mikey, where are we going?" The youngest child, a girl, asked the older child, a boy. "We are going to work with mama and daddy, Sophie," Mikey said before Sophie stopped in her tracks as she glanced up. "Mikey! I can read that!" She said with a smile. "It says, Mercedes Jones. That's mama's name before she married daddy. Right?" Sophie asked, glancing at her older brother. Mikey nodded while he stopped near her. "Why is mama's name up there? And why is it lighting up?" She asked in a curious tone. Mikey looked up and scratched at the front of his sandy blonde curls.

"It's because people need to know how to find mama," Mikey answered. Sophie made a face and showed her confusion upon her little face as she looked from her mama's name to her mama and daddy walking up. "But she's right there." She told him as she pointed to their mama. Mikey rolled his eyes as he shook his head. "Stop being such a baby," He told his sister.

Sophie grew mad as she narrowed her green eyes and shook her curly pigtails. "I am not a baby! I am five years old." She told him. Mikey shook his head again while watching his little sister becoming upset. "And having a tantrum makes you a baby." He said to her. Sophie stomped past him as she pouted. "I'm going to tell daddy." She said before she walked up to their parents. They were taking their time walking as they held hands. "Daddy! Mama! Mikey said I was acting like a baby because I wanted to know why mama's old name was lighting up?" Sophie said before moving her lips in a pouting pose. 

Sophie watched her daddy glance at her mama with a smile. "You want to take this one or should I?" Sam asked his wife. She gave it some thought and was about to say something when someone called her name. "Miss Jones! Miss Jones! You're needed real quick for a last-minute stage check." A stagehand called as he ran up to them. "Okay, I'll be there in a minute," Mercedes said with a smile.

Mercedes glanced at her husband as she spoke. "I guess you'll take this one." She said before she leaned down to kiss her son and daughter. "Sophie, daddy will answer your questions. And Mikey, be nice to your sister. I love you both." She told her children before she stood back up straight to give her husband a kiss. "And I love you, too. See you before the show starts, Sam." She said to her husband before leaving to catch up to the stagehand.

Sam glanced at his two kids before he held their hands and walked them to the entrance of the building. "Well, Soph, you know how we told you that mama's job is to sing to people?" Sam asked and looked down at her. Sophie nodded as they walked inside. "Well, when mama sings she goes to places like this one and they have people come to pay to hear mama sing. But they need to be able to find her. So, they make her name big and put up the brightest lights so her name can shine and light up the building. That makes it easy to find her." He explained to his daughter.

Mikey grew curious now as he looked up at his daddy. "But daddy, does mama like them putting up her old name?" Sophie glanced at Mikey as she started to smile. "Isn't that a baby question, Mikey?" She asked her big brother. Mikey narrowed his eyes as he spoke. "Since I am seven years old it is not a baby question," Mikey told her before sticking his tongue out at her. Sam smirked some as he found them seats close to the stage to sit in as they watched Mercedes walking about with the crew.

Sam thought about his son's question, remembering the first time her name was up in lights. A smile spread across his face as he shook his head. "No, Mikey. Mama is an Evans forever. Just like us. She uses her old name because that's what she was using before we were married. Mama started to sing back in high school when people knew her old name." He told his kids, remembering back when he and his wife were younger.

Sophie glanced at Mikey before they both glanced back at their daddy. He was staring at their mama with a happy expression. "Daddy, you don't mind her name up in lights like that?" Sophie asked. Sam glanced over at his daughter, seeing her eyes like his before glancing at his son, who had his wife's eyes. He saw so much of them both in their children. The children they created out of their love for each other.

Sam's thoughts went back to the first time he surprised Mercedes with her name in lights. He also remembered what he told her about them getting used to seeing it then since they'll be seeing it forever. "I'm not mad, Soph. A long time ago, I surprised your mama by letting her see her name in lights. It let her see that we were going to make her dreams come true. Her dreams of being a famous, gifted singer and getting the chance to make so many people happy with her gift." Sam said, looking at his kids who looked at him intently before Sophie spoke again. "Oh. Okay, daddy." She said with a smile. "Yeah, daddy," Mikey said, agreeing.

Mercedes walked off the stage and back to her family as she smiled brightly at them. "Well, Sophie, my baby girl," Mercedes said as she lifted the five-year-old up into her arms. "Did daddy answer your question?" Sophie nodded then spoke. "Yes, mama. Daddy told us how he loved you so much, that a long time ago he put your name up in lights because he wanted you to know your dreams were going to come true." The young girl turned her head towards her daddy while wrapping her arms around her mama's neck. "Did I get it right, daddy?" She asked Sam.

Sam picked up Mikey then placed him on his knee before reaching to pull Mercedes down in the seat Mikey just left. He just stared at his beautifully talented wife and nodded at what Sophie said. "That's right, Soph. I put up your mama's name in lights to let her see what she dreamed, was what I was dreaming. And sitting here with her and you kids, I can say our dreams came true." He said before leaning in to meet his wife half with a kiss.

The End