A short time ago, in a farm-house not so far away...

[thefinaljedi]

Who: The Skywalker Family, immediate and extended and any close friends.
What: An evening with the family
When: August 4th
Where: Skywalker Ranch...or...something
Summary: Luke and Ami bring everyone over for a Sunday thing.
Rating: H is for Heartwarming


It's a bit of a monthly tradition, and has been for some time. The first Sunday of every month is the day the entire family gets together for an afternoon and has a nice dinner. Some might call the family a bit old fashioned, but it's just something that they do and have for as long as any of them can recall. It's never a fancy thing, but then does it really need to be? It's about the warm, fuzzy feeling of being surrounded by relatives and friends, sitting out on the porch and watching fireflies, and relaxing.

Food's been left to the people who can actually cook, because let's face it: Luke takes after his mother and Grandma Padme was not known for her fried chicken. But there's plenty of it. Chairs are set up on the large back porch so the weather can be enjoyed and tea along with a cooler of glass-bottled Coca-Colas, a bit of a splurge for the end of summer.

Everything's set to be a fairly nice afternoon and evening, provided the mosquitoes aren't too bad anyway.

Comments

[geniustheveil]

It's the way Ami was raised. Involvement shows caring, especially with parents often very busy in their roles. Besides, she's sure Trisha is right, too. She likes being a strong presence as a parent.

"What sort of activities have you done with the PTA lately?" she asked. Arya was going to be there in only a few years; it was best to start thinking about these things.

[bided]

"Let's see...well, we helped set up the fundraising for the dance, and then voted on some new dress code items..." Which always seemed to raise a fuss among the children, at least.

[geniustheveil]

Lately, it seemed not many people had much to spare, even a few dollars for the school. "I hope the fundraiser was successful," Ami says. "I still remember Homecoming each year when I was in school. I looked forward to it. I want the town's children to have those memories, too."

[bided]

"I believe they got enough for what they wanted to do, so I'd call it a success! But I expect Artemis and Chouji will be able to tell us better after the dance itself." Because she fully intends to grill them about it, yes.

[geniustheveil]

"It good to hear," Ami says. "I'm proud of the high school children for working so hard to raise those funds. They've accomplished a lot."

It's a good lesson for their futures, too, she figures. It teaches them planning, and the reward of hard work when you get to enjoy its benefits - a lesson she's learned for herself, too.

[bided]

"It is! And I'm glad so many people were willing to buy from the sales, or even to donate..." Even in tough times, Luceti Valley really did know how to pull together.

To a degree, at least. For their children, in that school...

Enough of them to count.

[geniustheveil]

"Even the businesses and politicians want to support the community," Ami points out. If nothing else, the cynical side of her doesn't fail to note, it means happy voters who'll want those politicians to stay in office, and happy customers who'll keep going back to the businesses. But she'd like to think there's just genuine community spirit.

[bided]

"That's part of what I love about this place. Of course, growing up here helped, but..." Trisha smiled, shaking her head. "So - how is Arya doing in her classes?"

[geniustheveil]

"She's doing very well." Arya has a noted intellectual for a mother, after all, to help when needed, and a father who wants the best future for her, too. "I don't think academics are where her heart is, though. She seems to love the farm more than anything else."

[bided]

"This place has been in the Skywalker blood for a long time. Even Chouji and I...well, we have it, too, don't we? Though I run the grocery shop, I still feel at home here." Trisha laughed, a little nostalgic. "She's looking forward to taking over someday, then?"

[geniustheveil]

"It's the same for me," Ami admitted. "I married into the family, but I think of this as a family home." After all, the Mizuno estate was very, very far away now, with the choices she'd made in her life. This home, however, had welcomed her in when she needed that. Even she felt it, and was sensible enough to appreciate it.

[bided]

"Well, you are a Skywalker..." And really, Trisha couldn't possibly approve of Luke's choice in a wife more than she did now. She liked Ami, genuinely she did.

[geniustheveil]

To hear it was always a relief, and Ami smiled. "And you know," she offered tentatively, "you're welcome here at any time." Luke had made that more than clear, and Ami was very far from disagreeing or disapproving.

[bided]

"And you're always welcome at our place, at any time, too, Ami." There's a warm smile from Trisha in return. She'd never made any secret that she approved of her elder brother's wife: far from it, in fact.