Connie searched the Big Doughnut with a suspicious eye.

"You can do this!" Lars called.

"Thanks, Lars. It's just, I could get a donut, Steven told me those are pretty tasty here. However shouldn't I be living life to the fullest? So tonight, maybe I'm thinking... Spicy Pretzels? I mean, it's my first time getting a snack from

here in… years." Connie said, thinking it through.

"Why don't you ask your little friend?" Lars laughed. Connie turned to see Lion walk over to a fridge full of Lion Lickers and put his nose to it. Connie frowned and walked over. "Steven says those are pretty gross, you should try

something else."

"You kids better hurry it up. Sadie and I are closing up-" He then saw Sadie come in from the break room. She hummed a song with her eye closed and exited. "I'm closing up for the day." Lars corrected.

"Lars? What are these?" Connie asked, looking at a fridge that was full of sack lunches.

"Oh, my mom packs them." Lars blushed.

"Aw, cute." Connie grinned.

"Ehh, actually, it's pretty embarrassing. She's been doing it for years. I mean, I know how to feed myself! They just make me feel like a kid, you know?" Lars asked.

"Can I try one?"

"Sure. But, choose wisely. Some of those have been in there for a few months."

Connie blushed.

Connie didn't know why she had asked for a lunch. Perhaps it was because she didn't really have her real mom to that for her. She slowly opened it and pulled out the contents. "A classic PBJ sandwich cut into triangles…. it's the only shape

a sandwich should be. Lars' mom, this lunch was made with love." She then felt her hand brush against something else. She took out a plastic bag with a star shaped cookie in it. "Lion, look at this! Lion, Lion, look! It's a cookie shaped

like a star. I guess you could say this cookie is... out of this world, eh?" Connie grinned.

The lion huffed out the paper bag onto her.

"I wonder what kind of lunch my mom would've made me…" Connie sighed, looking at the picture of her mother hanging above the door. She looked so peaceful, but also seemed to have a fire for a heart, at least, that's what Connie hoped.

"I just wish... I knew a little more about her…"

Lion suddenly walked up and she frowned. "Um… whatcha doing?"

He kept staring.

"Hm, blink if this means you love me." After waiting a few seconds, Connie blew in his face, making him blink. "He loves me!"

That night, Connie set up Lion's bed, a big pillow. "All done! I made sure to make it extra comfy, just the way you like it!" She smiled. Lion suddenly leapt up and onto Connie's bed.

"Hey, get out of there! Lion, this is the my bed not yours!" Connie cried, trying to push him off. "Come on! Whoa!" Lion leapt of with the blanket on his head. Connie pulled it off. Connie leapt into bed and cuddled under her

blanket. "Good night, Lion! I love you…" She fell asleep almost immediately.

Connie awoke in a beautiful place, filled with yellow plants. She blinked. Where am I? She thought. "What is th-Connie suddenly grabbed her burning throat, she couldn't breathe!

"CONNIE! OH MY DIAMOND, ARE YOU OKAY?!" Peridot screeched, attempting to pull the human out from under Lion. "Stop struggling! I'll save you!" The little gem yelled. "Get off my human/gem hybrid, beast!"

Connie gasped for air when Lion let her go. "W-what happened?!" She gasped, brushing a bunch of hair from her wide eyes.

"Are you alright? Why was your pet lion sleeping on your face?" Peridot asked.

"I don't know. He's being a little clingy today. I don't know why-" Lion suddenly shoved her face into his mane. "See? Wait…" Connie got out of the mane and glanced at Peridot. "Why are you here, Peri?"

"Me? Nothing. I was just uh... well, you know how I always say... um, I just uh…" Peridot was sweating and blushing at the same time. "I like to stare at you while sleep sometimes. And by sometimes I mean every night."

Connie frowned and got up. "Okay then, it's time for everyone to leave me alone. I'm a growing girl and I needs my rest, eight hours to be precise." The girl flopped on her bed and felt someone watching. "Lion, that means you too."

She closed her eyes and still felt that same feeling. She opened her eyes and saw Peridot and Lion looking at her. "Go!" Connie yelled. They both scampered off.

Connie had soon fallen asleep and in her dream was playing a battle of checkers against Catcopter. The cat suddenly put a chess piece on top of the checkers.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Connie gasped.

Life is cheating, Connie. The cat said in a deep female voice without moving her lips. You have to understand this… or you shall perish in your own innocence…

"Whoa…" Connie whispered in awe.

Also, take a deep breath.

"Excuse me?" The world suddenly went black and Connie took a deep breath. She opened her eyes to see that same yellow place… Here again? Why does this place feel so… familiar? Connie thought. Why can't I breathe? Wait a minute... Lion!

Connie gave a muffled cry under Lion and fell out. "Lion, stop sleeping on my face! What's going on with you?"

Lion gave a groan and rolled over on his back, exposing his belly.

"You just wanted a belly rub?" Connie asked. Lion grunted. "You never let me touch your belly!" Connie cried. She crawled on Lion but he hugged her into his mane. "It's a trap!" Connie cried. "An adorable trap!"

She laid her head on Lion's mane and grinned. "Okay, you got me! Will you let me go?" She struggled. "Come on now! Ugh!" Loin suddenly sunk his claws into her. She gave a cry.

The girl pulled the lion outside. " That's it! Lion, you're on a time out! You're gonna stay out here and think about what you did!" She stomped inside the house then heard a sad yowl. She tried to walk up quicker but heard a even sadder

yowl. She turned to see Lion blink at her. "You love me…" She whispered. The girl ran outside and to Lion.

"I just can't stay mad at you!" Connie grinned, hugging it. "You're a wonderful yellow lion." She then opened her eyes and saw she was in that place again. She stumbled out in horror and gasped for air. She looked at Lion and

slowly touched his mane. Lion nodded and Connie saw her hand had a glowing diamond shape around it. She inhaled deeply and leapt into his mane.

I'm inside Lion's mane?! She thought. Am I... supposed to do something here? She felt her head being pulled to a beautifultree with yellow leaves ona island of land. She started to walk towards it but her cheeks went pink without
/air. She plunged

/outside Lion's mane and inhaled deeply. She went back in and ran to the tree. She felt her heart stop seeing many memories there that all were and weren't hers at the same time. There was a pretty ingraved yellow chest, a yellow battle flag with

/her

/mother's symbol on the center, a bubbled gem, a picture of her and Doug, and lastly, a tape. Connie frowned and ran to it. She picked it up and saw in swirly cursive writing, For Connie.

For me? The girl thought, holding the tape. Who would put this here? And how does this huge place fit inside of Lion's mane anywa- She then felt her air run out and frantically felt for grass but felt none. She bolted to the exit, clutching
/the tape to her chest. The girl then tripped and somersaulted out of the place.

Connie gasped for air, then heard the temple door opening. She glanced over to see Peridot talking to Lapis and Jasper. "...and he keeps sleeping on Connie's face! But Connie doesn't want me watching her sleep anymore. So one of you two has

to do it."

Connie slowly looked at the tape.

"Lars! Lars!" Connie yelled, running to the bookstore after putting on her regular clothes.

"Connie, we're just about to open-" Connie whispered something in his ear and he looked at her in disbelief. "Seriously? Come on!" Lars gasped. He pulled her into the store and ran to the back room. They put in the tape and

pressed play.

There was static at first, but then the two saw sea waves. It cut again and they saw the temple, but there wasn't a house attached to it. They then saw a younger Doug Universe dance across the screen. A chuckle was suddenly heard, then a voice.

"Sometimes, I just don't understand you, Doug! Maybe that's why I love you."

Connie could only stare while Lars whispered, "Connie, that voice!" They saw a new clip where Doug was sleeping. He had a seagull on his tummy. "Doug made a new friend." They heard Yellow Diamond whisper.

It cut to another clip and Yellow Diamond laughed, "Come on! Don't keep me waiting!"

"I'm getting stage fright here." Doug said from somewhere off screen.

"Ok… Well then, just tell us about yourself!"

Doug walked on screen. "Well, let's see here... My name is Doug. No, no, no! This is all wrong!" Doug cried.

It cut again and Doug had a guitar. He strummed it. "Okay, go! They call me... Mr. Universe! Get ready baby, you're gonna have the coolest dad this side of the cosmos! Press the button, Yellow!"

"Oh, right!" They heard Yellow Diamond say. There was a click and a colorful wave went across the screen. "Was that the right one?"

"Uh... maybe?"

"Oh, what does this one do?" A diamond zoomed into Doug's guitar.

The tape then caught Doug playing a song to the seagulls. "Isn't it remarkable, Connie? This world is full of so many possibilities. Each living thing has an entirely unique experience. The sights they see, the sounds they hear…"

Connie watched it, smiling with tears in her eyes. "The lives they live are so complicated... a-and so simple. I can't wait for you to join them."

Suddenly, the camera turned and Connie saw her mother. "Connie, we can't both exist. I'm going to become half of you. And I need you to know that every moment you love being yourself, that's me, loving you and loving being you. Because you're

going to be something extraordinary. You're going to be a human being…."

"Hey, Yellow!" They heard Doug call. She glanced at him then back at the camera and smiled softly. "Protect them, Connie…"

The video cut again and they saw Yellow Diamond had shape shifted into a little taller then Doug. Connie saw her pregnancy showing and smiled, seeing her mother and father gently rub her stomach, as if loving the baby itself. They then leaned in

for a kiss… and the camera died.

Sadie opened the door. "Lars, we gotta open up.." They turned with tears in their eyes. Sadie slowly backed away. Lars went to the phone and dialed a number. "Mom? Yeah, you know how I said I didn't need you to make those lunches

anymore?"

Connie walked out with a happy smile, and hugged Lion in thanks. It felt good to be herself… She loved being herself, and knew her mom loved her. She wondered if her mother could hear her think, I love you too... mom.