DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons" or "Criminal Case," I only own Karena.
WILBUR'S POV
I sat on the grass where I proposed to Karena on Sunset Mountain, and I just stared out at the city I was raised in. It was chilly outside, so I wore my brown leather jacket on top of my lightning bolt shirt. I had trouble thinking about how to tell the rest of my family that I was taking the job at TIME and that I would be moving to New York City, especially Carl. I would even leave my childhood best friend behind to pursue my life. I felt tears starting to form in my eyes again when I felt a hand touch my right shoulder.
"Your dad told me you'd be out here," I heard Karena say as she took a seat next to me. I turned to look at her, but it was only her with me. Karena, clearly still carrying weight from her pregnancy, wore one of her purple maternity dresses with grey leggings and grey flats.
"Where's Diana?" I asked, trying not to let the tears fall.
"She's with your grandma," my wife answered. "I fed her right when I woke up, so she should be set to go. So, what was on your mind that you came all the way out here?"
"I talked to my parents last night," I started to explain.
"That's why you weren't in bed last night!" Karena exclaimed.
"Karr, this is the hardest decision I have ever had to make in my life," I explained. "I bawled my eyes out when I told my dad that we may be moving to New York." I paused, letting a tear fall. "Correction: we are moving to New York."
"What?" Karena asked with shock in her eyes. "You're going to take the job?"
"Yes," I answered, now letting it all out, and Karena gave me a hug. "You were right. I didn't want to leave. I love my family too much."
"Oh, Wilbur. Are you sure you want to do this?" Karena asked, pulling away. She had concern in her green eyes as she wiped away my tears.
"I have to keep moving forward. I guess the motto applies in real life too, not just in failures. I already know that I'll have my family's support all the way. The truth is, I haven't been happy with the way things have been going lately. I think it really is time to keep moving forward in New York."
Karena pulled me in for another embrace as I started to calm down.
"Well, I should go. I called Amy and invited her to eat at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch."
"God bless you, Wilbur," Karena said as we pulled in for a kiss. She wiped the last of the tears from my face as I smiled for the first time in a while.
"Thank you for inviting me to lunch, Wilbur," Amy said as we sat down at our table. This time, Amy dressed casually, wearing a green blouse with blue bootcut jeans. She had her hair down and swept to her left side.
"Thank you for coming all the way here to interview me for the job," I replied with a smile as I ordered a mango lemonade while Amy ordered white wine.
"It's not often that someone asides from my husband takes me out to eat," Amy replied, drinking her wine. "So, what are you going to have?"
"I'm a cheeseburger kind of guy, but this spicy chicken chipotle pasta sounds good. What about you?"
"I'm probably going to have the Caesar salad. It's my favorite meal."
"Noted," I said with a smile, placing both of our orders. "So I thought about your offer and spoke to my wife and parents about it."
"Oh? And?"
"It was the hardest choice I have ever made in my life, but I'm accepting the job."
"Wonderful!" Amy exclaimed with excitement. "I know this was not an easy decision for you. You love your family with all of your heart. In fact, I'm jealous of you. I made a lot of great memories in my childhood, but my parents got divorced and my brother turned out to be a serial killer."
"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed in shock. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."
"It was beyond my control, Wilbur. Oh, and my ex-boyfriend almost killed me because I was with someone who would become my husband."
"Wow, I had no idea. So, how did you stay with the police after all of that?"
"My husband and friends continued to encourage me to be a police officer on my own standards instead of looking up to my brother. And I also had to learn how to, in your father's words, keep moving forward." Amy paused as she took a bite of her salad. "In fact, my husband didn't have much of a childhood either. He was raised in a cult who had strict rules. Russell had wanted out the whole time, and he held a grudge against his father for years for forcing him to say."
"How did Russell get out?"
"He ran away when he was 16, and he lost his mother shortly afterwards. He would always tell me that he was thankful to be the smartest kid in school, and that allowed him to graduate high school early. He got a roommate in college because he knew it was illegal to live alone at such an age, and he got his doctorate degree when he was only 24. Thankfully, four years later, not only did Russell dismantle the Utopian Cult, but he and his father came to an understanding of each other. His father is the only true relative I have besides our children."
"You mentioned you have two kids?"
"Yes," Amy answered with a smile. "Our son Jasper is a senior in high school and will graduate in May. He wants to go to college to be a counselor, so he's almost following his dad's footsteps. Our daughter Jessica is a freshman, and she wants to follow my footsteps and become a police officer. So tell me about your daughter!"
"Well, I can't say much because she's only a month old," I explained with a chuckle. "But her name is Diana. She loves to smile and she loves her tummy time. She gets excited when I get on my tummy with her. She looks like me but carries her mom's smile."
"Aww, I miss my kids being babies," Amy replied with a big smile. "Becoming a mother was the best thing that ever happened to me. It was messy, but all of those smiles and laughs were worth it. And seeing my kids grow up to become their own persons is an incredible thing to watch." She paused again to take another bite of her salad. "So, do you need help moving or finding a place?"
"That would be great," I replied. "I've never moved before, and to be honest, a city like New York scares me."
"I understand what you mean," Amy replied with a chuckle. "Russell and I were terrified to move to New York, too. Russell is one of the most conservative, but open-minded men I have ever met in my life, something New York is not, and he was worried about raising our kids in a city like that. I was scared simply because it was a new place, and I have a feeling you are scared for the same reason. But, we found a house in the countryside in Connecticut, so taking the train to New York wasn't too bad. And the drives are just beautiful. My husband and I will be more than happy to help you and your wife find a home outside the city if that's something you wish."
"That would be incredible. Thank you so much." I stood up and shook Amy's hand. "Lunch is on me."
"Oh no no! I insist on buying!" Amy exclaimed. "You accepting my job offer is enough payment. When can you start?"
"Karena still has the rest of the school year, so I probably won't be able to start until June."
"Not a problem! That will give our current historian plenty of time to transition. Actually, is there a way you can start two weeks earlier so that she can train you? You are more than welcome to stay with me and my family. That is, if that's not too much trouble for you?"
"Are you sure?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "I don't want to intrude."
"You wouldn't be intruding, I promise! Besides, knowing my husband, he would love to get to know you. He's an introvert, but he absolutely loves having company. He could create your profile within minutes of you talking to him, and he won't judge you at all. That's how great of a man he is. Just don't make him mad. You'll want to run when that happens."
"Noted," I replied, nervously looking down, but I glanced back up at my new boss, shaking her hand. "Alright, it's a deal."
"I'm so excited to have you on my team!" Amy exclaimed. "I'll be in touch."
I watched as Amy left on the monorail back to her hotel while I went in my flying car and drove home, still wondering how I was going to tell the family.