Yuna Inspired: Our Virtual Family

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Logan said to Mrs. Jewel, "I hope everyone can make it on that day, and please continue to keep this a secret from her."

"I'd love to, but she's such a sweet girl for me to do so," the elder woman said with an embarrassed smile. She looked down at the invitation she had received from Logan. "Isn't it better if you two did this together? It's for him after all."

"It's not just for the brat. It's also for her." He looked at the envelope that had a baby-blue, laced bow stamped on it. "I also feel bad for keeping this from her, but I want to show her that I'm happy with them in my life." The biggest grin slapped on his face as he walked backward and out the door to his virtual family.

*

"What were you talking about in there?" Hana asked Logan at the dinner table. She was referring to what had happened at the daycare center. She put Lucas's messy plate far from him since he was full and was playing with his sticky fingers. "Does it have something to do with Lucas?"

"Not really," Logan answered. Although he answered her question, his mind was off somewhere.

"What do you mean?

"Hmm?" He turned his head to her in a questionable manner. "What you say?"

"Never mind." She sighed. He wasn't listening at all. She gave one last good look at Logan, who didn't catch her staring at him.

*

Hana got out of the shower and wore her blue, silky pajama, a pajama of almost four years which she hadn't grown out of. When she wore it on the first few nights living with Logan and Lucas, it made her depressed because it was the pajama Mariko and her brother-in-law had bought for her as a birthday present.

For the years she had babysat her nieces and nephews, she had always told herself to never say a complaint about babysitting because they'd gift her a present on her birthday and Christmas, and if she were to say something, she'd feel guilty about it. On the other side, another voice had echoed to her that even if she were bribed with gifts, it wasn't enough for all the hard work she had to sacrifice as a virtual mother and that the longer she was a virtual mother, the real parents would never parent up.

She sat on the bedside and stared at her pajama pants. It had been a long time since she had been depressed about the families she had left behind.

The door swung opened, and in popped Logan who abruptly ended a call with someone as he entered. "Hey, I got it."

"Got what?"

"We can use Jake's parents' mini-double burner." He hopped up and down and then ended it with his victory dance. "All that's next is getting some tents. Jake and Seth don't have tents because they don't do outdoor camping, but Hailey's father does, so you ask her."

She crisscrossed her legs and frowned. "If you wanted to camp, why didn't you go on that baseball training camp?"

The baseball training camp happened after graduation, and the virtual couple decided to not go since they had other "obligations"—Lucas. Hana told Logan that he could go, and she'd be fine staying home with Lucas, but he insisted on staying with his virtual family.

"I told you I didn't want to go without you." He pouted and went to sit on the opposite end on the bed and faced her. "Besides, this will be our first family night out."

She scoffed and laughed. "Yeah, right. How is this a night out when we're not even going anywhere?"

He crawled to his side of the bed and rested his head on the pillow. "Well, the brat's still a baby, ya know."