The McEntire Legacy: 1.1

This is Charlie McEntire. After goofing off through his first two years of college and then deciding that college was not for him, he was setting out on his own to pursue a career as a famous comedian. He always had the smarts for college, but preferred to enjoy himself, and knew that college would not help him in his desire to make people laugh.

His parents had not been pleased after paying for two years of college when he decided that college was simply “not his thing,” so they told him it was time for him to leave and find his own way. Charlie left for Willow Creek and found a large, beautiful piece of land for him to start his new life on. He found himself with only $660 in his pocket, no job, and no house.

He knew that he would make something of himself one day, and he was ready to start an adventure.

The moving truck dumped all of Charlie’s worldly possessions right on his new front lawn. He looked at his furniture in distaste. He only had the bare necessities: a child’s bed, a refrigerator, a shower, and a toilet. Oh, and a ridiculously fancy golden suit of armor that his parents had insisted he take when he left home. They said it was some kind of heirloom, so he was stuck with it.

Gaudy thing, Charlie thought to himself as he looked at it guarding everything he owned. He sighed. It was strange though, as it seemed it was listening intently to his thoughts and watching his every moved. “It had magical qualities,” his father had said to him seriously. “It will immortalize your legacy for future generations.” Charlie had stifled a laugh when his father said this, passing it off as the delusional fantasies of a superstitious man, but as he looked at it, he did have an eerie feeling that sent shivers down his spine.

He stared at all he had to show for his new life. He had no floors or walls and no roof. He was broke, but he chuckled in spite of himself. Welcome to your new life, he thought to himself sardonically. At least he had his sense of humor.

Charlie decided that the first thing he needed to do was get a job. Maybe he could eventually buy a house to put his furniture in. He looked for jobs on his phone and miraculously found a job as an amateur entertainer. Well, everyone starts somewhere, he thought imagining the low-class joints with sticky, beer-covered floors he would be performing in. He decided he had better start learning some skills for his job, so he went out to explore the town.

Charlie went to the library to research comedy and start writing material, but he found himself distracted by a girl in funky clothing sitting at a chess table. He thought she was cute and found her individuality intriguing, so he sat down on the other end of the chess table and struck up a conversation.

“Hi, I’m Charlie!” he said, flashing the girl a grin. The girl smiled back at him and introduced herself.

“My name’s Liberty,” she said blushing slightly.

“Liberty, huh? What an unusual name - but I like it!” he said catching himself. Liberty giggled at his near blunder.

“Thanks! Charlie’s a nice name too!” she replied playfully, almost as if teasing him. “What do you do for work?”

“I’m a stand-up comedian,” Charlie blurted out. “Well, not yet, he confessed. I just moved here, so I’m starting a job as an Amateur Entertainer.”

“And I’m an astronaut - well not yet!” she giggled. “I’m working as a Module Cleaner. But my real dream is to develop logic and handiness skills.”

“Ooh, an astronaut! Have you met any aliens yet?” Charlie asked with a smirk.

“Not yet!” She replied with a giggle.  

“I heard they love pizza!” Charlie said, trying to make Liberty laugh more. Charlie twisted up his face and put two fingers on his head as little antennas. “OOOHHH PIZZAAA!” he gurgled in his best alien voice.

Charlie continued to make a joke about aliens, and Liberty scrunched up her nose into a cute little giggle. Charlie really liked her. She was cute, geeky, and appreciative of his jokes; she was perfect.

Soon Liberty had to leave, and Charlie began to research comedy. He read a comedy book and later started writing some jokes on the computer. The whole time, he couldn’t stop hearing that adorable giggle playing through his head.

Charlie woke up the next morning ready to go to the first day of his new job. He had a glass of orange juice for breakfast since it was one of the few things he could make or afford. His first day of work was exciting, and he did well. His boss and co-workers seemed to find him amusing.

That evening he came home and went straight to the library. He was hoping to see Liberty there again, but he was in no such luck. Instead, he played some video games and wrote some more jokes.

Charlie continued to work hard at his job, and it wasn’t long before he was promoted to an Open Mic Seeker.

When Charlie had a couple of days off, he decided to call Liberty and ask her out. He was surprisingly nervous for someone so outgoing, but Liberty happily agreed, and they met at the park.

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking of you,” Charlie said, taking Liberty by the hand.

Liberty blushed slightly and giggled nervously. “Me neither,” she replied.

Charlie and Liberty enjoyed a stroll around the park. They talked and laughed and had a great time. They found that they both liked the same tv shows and video games and both had a passion for science fiction. They even found themselves in a friendly debate about the best captains in Simtrek and Sim Wars. Liberty talked about her favorite books, and even though Charlie wasn’t much of a reader, he listened and discussed with her.

At one point, as they were walking, Liberty tripped over a shrub. Charlie caught her by the arm, and his hand lingered.

“Walk much?” he asked elbowing her cheekily.

“I’m a bit clumsy,” she confessed.

“A clumsy astronaut? Wow, that could be a problem! ‘Houston, we have a problem! Our captain has fallen into outer space!’ Aaaah!” he shouted flailing his arms wildly, pretending to fall through space. Liberty laughed at Charlie’s antics, and their date continued.

Charlie and Liberty eventually sat down to talk some more. They talked about work and hobbies and laughed together, and soon, Charlie decided to make a move. He stretched melodramatically and put his arm around Liberty’s shoulders. Liberty giggled at his silly way of flirting and moved closer to him.

Liberty scratched her side, and Charlie took it as the perfect reason to tickle her.

“You have an itch?” he asked, tickling her playfully. “Where, here?” Liberty laughed and squirmed, but was clearly enjoying herself.

“No - I - don’t have - an itch!” Liberty gasped as Charlie tickled her. Finally Charlie stopped and let Liberty catch her breath. Charlie took her hand and the two stood up together.

Charlie looked into Liberty’s eyes and decided it was now or never. Charlie moved in for a kiss, and they both had butterflies in their stomachs. Liberty initially looked surprised but then kissed him back.

“Will I see you again?” Liberty asked after their kiss ended.

“Catch my act sometime,” Charlie joked. Liberty looked disappointed as if she hadn’t gotten the joke. “I don’t even have an act yet,” Charlie said, holding her hand. “I was just joking with you. How’s next week?” he asked with a grin.

Over the next week, Charlie continued to go to work. In the evenings, he performed at the nightclub and went to library to work on routines and jokes. He wasn’t drawing much of a crowd when I performed, but he knew that more people would come once he got more experienced.

When it was finally time for their second date, Liberty came to visit.

“This is quite the bachelor pad,” she said with a smirk. Charlie appreciated her good humor and told her he someday hoped to get some walls and maybe even a roof. Liberty laughed.

Charlie and Liberty sat on the edge of the bed and talked. Charlie was slightly embarrassed by the child’s bed, but he still flirted with her. They talked and giggled together for hours.

“It’s almost time for me to go to work,” Charlie said reluctantly. When Liberty stood up, he grabbed her and kissed her passionately. He playfully dipped her as he kissed her, and she struggled to maintain her balance.

“Don’t drop me!” Liberty said with a playful urgency.

“I’ll never drop you,” Charlie said, looking into her eyes as he held her above the ground. He gently helped Liberty up, and she stood still, trying to regain her balance. “Liberty,” he said seriously. “I have to leave for work, but before I go, I wanted to ask you...Will you be my girlfriend?” Liberty looked surprised but then smiled and ran back into Charlie’s arms. She squeezed him so tightly that he pretended to be suffocating. “Can’t...breathe…” he said, gasping for air. Liberty released him in a panic.

“Sorry!” she squealed. The she saw him laughing and knew he was joking. “You jerk!” she said slapping him on the arm playfully. “Go to work before I change my mind!” She winked and Charlie grinned at her. He gave her one more quick kiss and left for work.

Charlie’s work and love-life continued to be busy, but he somehow found time to write jokes and comedy routines and perform them at the local nightclub. He even took up guitar, experimenting with some comedy music. Admittedly, his playing wasn’t very good. He almost wondered if the knight was cringing at each sour note he made. He found himself cringing a bit too, but he knew he would improve with practice - at least he hoped so before neighbors started complaining to the police that he was disturbing the peace!

It wasn’t long until Charlie got promoted to a C-Lister, and Liberty got promoted to a Technician. Charlie’s career was slowly but surely starting to take off. His job was going well, and he had everything he wanted in life - except for a secure future with Liberty.

“Liberty, I love you,” he said one afternoon, looking deep into her eyes. His palms were sweating, and his heart fluttered, but he knew he had to say it.

“I love you too,” Liberty replied, beaming. Charlie was overjoyed and squeezed Liberty close to him.

“I want you to move in with me,” Charlie said holding Liberty’s hands. Liberty laughed.

“Here?” She asked incredulously?

“Well, I suppose the place could use a feminine touch...and maybe some floors and walls and roof!” Charlie said grinning. He could tell by Liberty’s face that she was ready.

Charlie and Liberty built a house to suit their needs and finances. It was small, but they were so happy to be together.

Charlie and Liberty loved living together. Between their busy work schedules, the time they spent working on skills, and their hobbies, they found it hard to find time to spend together. When they did find time, however, they made up for lost time with passion.

Their passion led to unexpected occurrences.

“I’m pregnant,” Liberty announced one morning with nervous excitement.

Liberty had taken a pregnancy test while Charlie was at work, so she had had some time to absorb the information. She had always wanted children, but had always imagined she would be married first. She worried about their lack of money and whether or not they were ready for children, but ultimately, she had decided that she was excited and happy.

Charlie had not had time to absorb the information. Charlie was fairly calm, but could feel a lump in his throat and churning in his stomach. He too, had always wanted children, but he was not sure he was ready to be a father. Similar thoughts to Liberty’s swirled through his mind, but eventually he noticed that Liberty was staring at him expectantly, waiting for a response.

“That’s great…” he said blandly. Liberty’s face fell. “No, that’s not what I meant,” Charlie said scrambling for words. “I’m just trying to get used to the idea.” Charlie took Liberty’s hand. “I want to be with you. I want to be a father. I just wasn’t expecting it now, with our current finances and instability…” A tear rolled down Liberty’s cheek.

“I hoped you’d be happy,” she said quietly. Charlie pulled Liberty into a tender hug and stroked her head.

“I am happy,” he assured her. “Just give me a little time, and I promise, I will be so excited for this baby, and I will be with you every step of the way.” Liberty cried into his chest as he stroked her head soothingly. “I promise,” he said firmly.

Charlie thought about the unexpected pregnancy for a few days. Liberty was very worried and sad because she feared that Charlie would leave. One day, after he same home from a late night gig, he surprised her.

“Liberty,” he began. “I wasn’t performing at a late night gig. I was getting this ring. I want you to be my wife.”

Liberty put her hand to her chest in surprise. She had certainly not expected a proposal, but as much as she wanted to say yes, she could not accept because of the pregnancy.

“Charlie, I love you, but I don’t know,” she said slowly. Charlie looked disappointed. “I can’t let you marry me just because we’re having a baby,” Liberty said sadly. To Liberty’s surprise, Charlie laughed.

“I’m not only marrying you because we’re having a baby!” he said with a sincere smile. “I have always wanted to be a father. I have always wanted children, and I have always wanted to be an embarrassing dad that makes “dad jokes” all the time. But I never imagined I would be so lucky as to be a father with you as my wife. Liberty, this proposal isn’t about you being pregnant with our child; it’s about you being you. I love you. Will you marry me?”

Liberty was taken aback by his earnestness. Charlie was usually joking or being silly, but he had moments of such sweetness and sincerity, that she knew he could be serious too. Liberty felt her eyes clouding up with tears.

“I will!” she said happily. Charlie slipped the ring onto her finger, and pulled her into a tight embrace. They held each other for a long time and didn’t ever want to let go. Charlie kissed her passionately and gazed into her eyes.

“How about now?” he asked with a grin.

“Now?” Liberty asked in surprise.

And so, Charlie and Liberty got married right then and there. Without the money to throw a lavish wedding, they were not able to get married traditionally, but they were happy just to be together. Besides, Charlie thought, There’s nothing traditional about this marriage!

Charlie was so happy as he slipped the ring onto Liberty’s finger. He was trying to stop himself from laughing with joy. Liberty looked beautiful, and he could not believe how lucky he was. Liberty was beside herself. She was still surprised, but she too was very happy.

Charlie and Liberty exchanged vows that they made up on the spot and kissed passionately. They were married and expecting a child. They could not have been happier, and they knew that life had much in store for them.