Unwritten: Diary of a Lean Green Plumber

Pocketful of Sunshine

12 January 2018

Smash Mansion

Dear Diary,

Before giving me a phone call—Mario sent me a letter, along with a handful of pictures and a postcard. In it, he told me that he, along with Cappy, had journeyed to the dark side of the Moon, and then continued on to the darker side! They collected more Power Moons along the way, and Tiara and Peach had sent them more Power Moons. In fact, they'd collected so many Power Moons that the Odyssey's sail turned gold! During their venture, Cappy had reflected on all of the places they've been and all of the things they've seen since they met, expressing the hope that they could continue their adventures together.

"The darker side of the moon—I guess that's the farthest we can go," said Mario. "First, I'm gonna stop by Peach's Castle, and then I'll head back to the Smash Mansion. Peach and Tiara have been communicating with us over the phone, and they're still doing well. They told us that they'd be back sometime in March."

"In my opinion, I think that the four of you needed that vacation," I said.

"You're right. I feel—soothed. This trip gave me some closure over what happened on the Moon. And I've realized—I'm in no rush to get married. Look how long Peach and I have been together. Our relationship is just fine as is."

"I'll tell MH that you're on your way back, shall I?"

"Great. I bet everyone misses me in Smash."

"That's the truth of it," I said. "I'll talk to you when you get back."

"See ya, Lil' Bro."

I hung up and passed the good news to Master Hand.

And more joyful tidings followed. Grace and Roland later announced that they were expecting their second child. After getting her results from the doctor, Grace told her hubby by hiding a message in a Super Mario Maker course. Then, she and Gavin started talking about how she admired me so much, due to my loyalty to Mario, allowing her son to connect the dots and figure out that he was gonna be a big brother. When he called me later on, he mentioned that he hoped he wound up with a little sister.

"People say that having a sister brings out your softer side," he said.

"What if you get a baby brother?" I asked.

"Then—I'll guess I'll have a little brother," said Gavin. "Do you want to know how I figured out what Mom was trying to tell me?"

"How?" I asked.

"She asked me—hypothetically—if I had a little brother or sister trapped in a haunted mansion, alone, then would I save them? And did I think a little brother or sister would do the same for me? Then, she asked if I'd be willing to put my sibling before myself. That's when I knew it wasn't hypothetical." He sighed. "Come October, I won't be an only child anymore."

"Are you happy—excited—nervous?"

"All three, I suppose," replied Gavin.