my wandering days are over

November 2035 - Abhijeet Turner is 26, Whitney Riley is 25, Keiran Riley is 1.

Abhijeet never thought he'd be a father. His own parents weren't really family people. They traveled all over the world with him in tow. Other people think it sounds romantic and fun, but he was thrilled when he started college and finally got to stay in the same place for a while. He was ready to set down roots in New Athens, put away his suitcase for a while, although he never gave much thought to settling down. But he's a father now, and that means he has new responsibilities.

"I'm going into business," he tells Whitney. "I'm opening a gallery."

She's always been skeptical about his plan to make a living through his art, but she's very supportive of this new venture. "That's a great idea," she replies. "Your pottery is wonderful, I'm sure there'll be lots of interest."

It's a little awkward for both of them to talk about this. They've argued so many times about this stuff - money versus art, responsibility and freedom. They didn't break up on very good terms, but since they have a kid together, they've both been trying to get along. They still love each other, but they both know they aren't a good couple.

"So where's the gallery?"

"Just a few blocks from the Warehouse. It's part of the new commercial area."

"Cool. I can't wait to see it." She's quiet for a while, then she adds, "I'm really proud of you Abhijeet."

"Thanks," he replies, "I'm pretty proud of me too."

*****

He opens the gallery in the middle of November, just in time to catch the Christmas shopping season.

He never saw himself as a businessman, but he likes running the gallery more than he would have expected. He likes seeing people buy his work, and he has a knack for sales.

Of course money isn't the only perk to running an art gallery. He may be a father now, but he has no intention of completely settling down.

*****

Whitney lives in Backdoor Apartments. It's only a block away from the Warehouse, but instead of being overpriced and trendy, Backdoor Apartments is a little rundown and shabby. He knows better than to offer any extra financial help, though. Whitney's always been independent, determined to do things herself.

He hardly ever sees his son, and he's still pretty uncomfortable around him.

"He's bigger," he notes.

"Yeah, babies grow," she replies, rolling her eyes.

He crouches down and waves. "Hey little guy, it's your dad."

"Do you want to hold him?" Whitney asks.

"Um, I don't know..."

"You won't hurt him," she assures him. "Here."

She goes into the living room, leaving Abhijeet alone with his son. He jiggles the baby a little nervously. He's a lot bigger than the last time he saw him, and his face isn't as round and soft. He can pick out his own features in his son's face. It makes him think of his own father, who he hasn't seen in more than 8 years. He can't even call his father; the last time he got a postcard was 2 years ago right before his father headed to an ashram in India.

"I know I'm not around very much," he tells his son, "but I'll try to do better. I don't want you to grow up not knowing me. I promise I'll stick around."

*****

I recently bought Open for Business, and Abhijeet's gallery is the first business I've made. I'm glad the other characters in the game will be able to buy some of his pottery; it looks really good, and his apartment was getting ridiculously crowded with pots.