hold me closer

Marcus absolutely detested going to city hall. Not because of a secretly loathing for politics — he is fairly sure Erika would kill him if that were the case — but rather because it was the only place to get a license renewed within a 50 mile radius. And ten thousand people in town may not seem like a lot, but it was enough to always ensure the beloathed dmv portion of city hall was packed full of procrastinators like him. “You know, this line may be long,” He began, unknowingly being that guy everyone tried to avoid when standing in line. “But at least we can finally smile in our license photos again.” He smiled his dimwitted little smile. “I'm always smiling, so my last photo wasn't all that photogenic when I wasn't allowed to.” Marcus gave a chuckle like the two of them were in on an inside joke. “Whatta bout you? You better at smiling or glaring?” 

Her head perked up at the sound of another voice nearby, pulling her directly out of her own brain. She put on a gentle, easy smile, a perfect cover for how she'd been basically spiraling for the last twenty minutes.

"I mean, you use less muscles to smile than to frown, right? If that's not a motivation I don't know what is."

"i mean, my mom was borderline a hippie, and she was all about using art as a form of expression, no matter where it was, so i did get in trouble for the mural i tried to start outside of my high school, but that was hardly rebellion." she paused, tapping her chin to think. "i don't know man, i really didn't act out much as a teenager. i don't think i really rebelled until i got here and was away from my family, but that rebellion ended up with my two hellions, so take that how you will."

"i don't know what i want," he confessed, head turning to finally look at maggie. he searched her face, gaze steady and assessing, before unraveling further, "and it feels shitty to say that, 'cause i should know. i should've figured it out already. this really isn't --" caleb inhaled sharply again, realizing that his shoulders had wound themselves tight, muscles clenching in frustration. how could he express that he felt like he'd been let off the hook for too many things in his life already, without equating a baby to an overdue punishment? he shook his head, trying again, "i'm scared to be here, and i'm scared to not be here, too, i guess... if that makes sense." he wasn't sure if maggie would understand, but he hoped that she would.

"i'm fucking terrified, dude. i mean, i don't know how to be a parent, my mom was the only good example i ever really had, and i saw how stressful it was to raise me and my brothers. and i just got this job at the school, and i'm trying to process things in real time," she let out a scoff of a laugh this time, shaking her head at just how truly insane this whole situation was. how they got here, how she'd only been friends with him a short while before that halloween party, how they were tethered together for life now.

"i want you to make your own decision, okay? i would love to have you be a part of this too, but ultimately i want you to make that choice for yourself," she paused, giving him a small nod as she reached out to squeeze his arm. "but i think i want to keep it- well, them." she paused, the realization that this second truth bomb may be just as jarring as when she told him she was pregnant in the first place, the information that was sitting in the folder she'd been given. she pulled out the ultrasound picture, her eyes locked on it rather than him. "it's twins, caleb."

HIS  ARM  REMAINED  ON  HER  SHOULDERS  AS  DANTE  GUIDED  GEORGIA  THROUGH  THE  MARKET.  The  young  professor  knew  exactly  what  he  was  doing  and  he  was  more  than  glad  to  have  people’s  attention  so  that  his  little  plan  could  work.  Nothing  said  ‘scandal’  in  a  town  like  this  as  walking  aimlessly  with  your  arms  around  someone  that  was  cherished  in  Deer  Valley.  Paisley’s  grades  were  something  he’d  been  keeping  an  eye  out  for  because  researches  showered  that  children  whose  parents  had  been  going  through  a  divorce  or  had  recently  gone  through  one,  tended  to  present  a  sudden  drop  in  their  grades  and  performance  in  school. ❝  How  about  we  make  some  broccoli  muffins?  ❞  He  suggested  —  and  man  if  his  stomach   growled  at  the  thought.  ❝  Apparently,  tricking  your  brain  into  thinking  you’re  not  eating  vegetables  is  the  best  way  to  actually  have  them  or  something.  ❞  He  hadn’t  been  the  most  healthy  person  around.  That  only  changed  after  his  relationship  with  Amara  had  crashed  and  burned.  Granted,  Dante  wasn’t  going  to  blame  her  for  yet  this  another  thing,  he  indeed  only  started  paying  attention  to  what  he  ate  when  he  found  himself  all  alone  in  the  house  they  used  to  share.  Dante  stopped  in  front  of  the  greens  stand  and  smiled  at  the  vendor.  ❝  Hey  Bruce,  we’ll  take  some  of  your  broccoli  and  tomatoes,  alright?  ❞  He  said  to  the  other  man,  then  turned  his  head  to  kiss  the  side  of  Georgia’s  head.  Finally,  the  professor  moved  his  arm  away  from  her  shoulders  so  he  could  grab  some  fresh  produce  and  place  it  on  the  vendor’s  scale.  ❝  You  want  some  help  with  yours,  baby?  ❞

maybe it's because he was already a friend, someone she'd trusted a long time ago, and even moreso with the way she heard her daughter speak so highly of him (which was a feat of it's own, paisley had a bit of a judgmental streak). maybe it was just the fact that he saw her struggling and was a helping hand. maybe it's because she knew that he knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of the talk around town. either way, she was more than happy for the company, and willing to play along.

she gave a nod and a small hum at his offer, lifting the bag of items she'd already picked out and let him take them from her.

"*thank you*," she said softly, opting to stay close to him even when his arm was off her shoulder, her eyes flicking to him. "but i can take care of my stuff, it's fine. you've already done so much this week."

ERIKA  WAVED  HER  HAND  IN  THE  AIR.  There  was  always  room  for  some  random  spoiling  actions  from  her,  after  all,  she  loved  when  people  did  the  same  for  her,  too.  Her  ex-partner  used  to  be  great  at  it,  back  when  they  were  happily  married  and  would  do  just  about  anything  for  one  another.  She  couldn’t  recall  when  things  had  changed  between  them,  but  now  that  they  had,  it  was  hard  not  to  look  back  to  what  she  once  had  without  feeling  a  bit  lost.  “  Oh,  please.  As  if  this  was  a  lot  to  begin  with.  ”  The  deputy  mayor  smiled.  It  was  a  relief  to  see  Georgina  out  of  the  house,  that’s  for  sure.  Even  if  the  older  woman  had  to  practically  beg  for  the  other  to  join  her  that  early  evening. “  Can’t  say  I’m  the  biggest  wine  connoisseur  in  town,  but  I  try  my  best.  ”  An  amusing  chuckle  escaped  her  lips  and  thankfully,  it  was  around  the  same  time  that  the  wine  she  had  ordered,  alongside  the  carpaccio,  arrived  at  their  table,  which  made  Erika  smile  at  the  waiter  and  thank  him.  Once  she  had  tried  and  accepted  the  wine,  the  waiter  poured  some  in  her  glass  then  in  Georgia’s  before  stepping  away.  “  Should  we  make  a  toast  to  you  being  out  and  child-free?  ”  Hopefully,  evenings  like  that  would  be  more  frequent  in  both  women’s  lives.  God  only  knew  how  much  Kiki  could  use  the  distraction,  too.

when she was married and she could constantly split the responsibilities, she loved to sit at the end of the night with her book, wine, and just enjoy the quiet with her husband after their daughter went to sleep. peaceful, easy, calm. but the turn on her life had made things a lot more complicated, and she'd lost a lot of the time to do the hobbies she liked. she really needed to get back on that.

"i'm hanging in there," she admitted, letting her nails tap against the glass, the soft twinkling sound a nice accompaniment to the evening. she let her shoulders lift in a small shrug before she continued. "paisley's honestly been doing okay all things considered. i think she's looking forward to the summer. i've been working a lot more, trying to make sure the summer programs are all set. it's keeping me busy, keeping me out of the house as much as i can, especially during the work day, you know? but i mean, i've definitely been worse, so that's something, right?"

“i just feel like i keep messing up all the time. like i want to do what’s best for her but i feel like i don’t even know what that is anymore. I just don’t want her to have the same childhood that i had where I felt like a burden, you know?” she let out a soft sigh. “trying to break the cycle and all of that.” she nudged the other with her shoulder as a smile graced her face. “im really glad i met you. i feel like you get me when it comes to this whole parenting thing.”

she gave mackenzie a soft smile and a nod, leaning over to bump the blonde's shoulder with her own. "parenting is tough, and being a single mom at the same time is hard, but the least we can do in this town is support and lean on each other as much as possible, right? i know i don't know you or your situation well, but you've got a friend in me, pumpkin."

"I've been doing alright," he responds, "working, mostly." Maybe he's been putting a little too much effort into his job, worrying that any wrong move and he might get the boot. He's sure he's being paranoid, after all if they really wanted to let him go they probably would have when the divorce papers still had fresh ink. Of course it's none of his business but he wants to ask if she's seeing anybody. It's selfish, he knows, but if she was getting out there and finding someone else it would make him feel less guilty. Not to mention, he just genuinely wants to see her happy. "I'm sure you'll have a great summer." @ablcze

her nails tap, tap, tapped against the granite countertops, a weird sort of adrenaline and nerves combo coursing through her veins as they talked. she didn't need to feel nervous, this was the man who she'd known for more than half her life, the one that she could still remember vividly as the awkward teenager with hair he didn't know how to style (and she had the photos to prove it). she hadn't been nervous around him since she'd asked him to that dance in 2008, and she definitely didn't need to start now, especially since they weren't married anymore. he didn't make her nervous but the situation did. lucky for her, she knew exactly how to cover that up.

"here's hoping," she nodded, her lips turning up into a small smile. "which reminds me we should figure out what summer camps she wants to do this year." she could hear the continuous pitter patter of paisley's feet upstairs (probably running around her room trying to pack because she hadn't yet), or completely forgetting to pack and playing with her toys instead. either way, procrastinating. she let out a deep breath, watching him another moment before she continued. "i know the school is hosting some, but i wanted you to be a part of that conversation."

THE  WAY  SOME  PEOPLE  IN  THIS  TOWN  SEEMED  TO  CIRCLE  AROUND  OTHERS  LIKE  VULTURES  HAD  ALWAYS  ANNOYED  DANTE.  It  had  been  a  while  since  he’d  last  seen  Georgina  outside  school  walls,  but  every  time  that  he  did,  for  the  last  year  or  so,  he  had  seen  gazes  following  her,  people  whispering  in  the  background  and  like,  all  because  of  her  failed  marriage.  He  had  been  on  her  end  of  the  gossip  once,  when  Amara  first  left  him,  and  now  that  she  had  returned,  some  people  had  even  had  the  audacity  of  asking  him  if  they  were  getting  back  together.  Huh…  as  if  it  was  any  of  their  business.  Again—fucking vultures,  they  were.  But  he  could  see  it  in  the  way  voices  lowered  as  he  walked  past  them,  he  could  hear  Georgina’s  name  being  said  here  and  there  and  he  wanted  to  start  throwing  punches.  People  couldn’t  even  buy  fresh  produce  in  peace? Letting  out  a  sigh,  the  professor  made  his  way  toward  her  and  smiled  as  their  gaze  finally  met.  ❝  Need  some  help  with  that?  ❞  He  offered,  extending  his  hand  to  try  and  carry  the  bags  in  her  hands.  Sure,  Dante  knew  she  could  do  it  herself,  but  it  didn’t  hurt  showing  some  chivalry  if  she  was  going  to  be  bombarded  with  people’s  stares.  ❝  I  would  ask  how  you  were  doing,  but  little  miss  Hartley  spilled  a  secret  about  you  working  too  much,  so  I’m  thinking…  that?  ❞  Dante  tilted  his  head  to  the  side.  One  old  lady  walked  past  them  and  murmured  a  pitiful  ‘poor  thing’,  which  almost  made  him  roll  his  eyes  in  annoyance.  Instead,  Dante  decided  to  put  on  an  act.  It  was  something  he’d  learned  after  Amara’s  departure.  He  moved  his  arm  around  Georgia’s  shoulders,  and  moved  closer,  ducking  his  head  to  whisper  in  her  ear  as  a  smile  laced  his  lips  and  his  words.  ❝  Next  person  that  says  something  about  you,  I’ll  probably  start  throwing  punches.  Just  follow  my  lead,  okay?  ❞  With  that,  he  pulled  away  from  her  ear,  but  kept  his  arm  over  her  shoulders.  ❝  How  many  should  we  get?  ❞  He  asked,  pointing  to  the  tomatoes.  ❝  It's  the  three  of  us  tonight,  right?  ❞

she'd gotten so deep into her own thoughts in this case that she almost didn't hear dante approach at all, only brought back to earth when she felt the arm over her shoulder. she stiffened for just a moment before relaxing into it. this was safe, this was okay. this couldn't hurt her.

"if you're getting news from my ten year old, you might want to look into some better sources," georgia said with a small teasing smirk. "that child is a gossip, she gets it entirely from my mother, take what she says with a grain of salt." not that it was exactly a lie, she had been overworking herself just a hair, but it was all worth it! with the summer sessions coming up, and prep for holiday shows coming faster than she'd know it, she'd been taking more time to get work done in the studio rather than at home. did that shift have anything to do with the fact that her ex husband still worked for her family? maybe, but that wasn't the point.

she didn't respond to his instructions with more than a nod, not wanting to protest or tell him how this wouldn't work and people would catch on. not if she didn't want to draw anymore attention than she already had this year. so instead she cleared her throat, putting on a gentle smile as she leaned into him just slightly.

"just the three," she confirmed, as naturally as she could, her eyes turning up to him for a moment. "i don't know- i don't want to overdo it. paisley's on kind of a vegetable strike this week."

He looks forward to weeks with his daughter. No matter his relationship with Georgia, he's kept his promise to be in their daughter's life. "Alright," he says, meeting her half smile with one of his own, "sounds good." Normally he's not one to try and fill any awkward silences, preferring the quiet himself, but it feels weird not having anything to say to Georgia. "Yeah," he nods, "I'll make sure she does her reading." He hopes this is just typical tween rebellion and now the start of something else, especially if it's related to their fallen relationship. "She doing alright otherwise?" he asks, sincerely concerned, "and you?" Maybe he's not meant to be asking, as it's none of his business, but he still cares.

she considered deflecting when he asked about her. wouldn't have been anything different, she never liked to let the focus linger on herself or how she was feeling for too long, even pre-divorce. she was the fixer, the mediator, the stand-in therapist for her mother, so growing up the focus was barely on her. but beau, damn him, always checked in on her, even when they were just teenagers. she knew she wouldn't be able to deflect from him, not well at least.

"yeah, no- i'm good," she shrugged, waving her hand in front of her. "busy. we're getting everything set up for the summer session at the studio, working through enrollment and everything for the new season. but it's good work, i can't complain." not a total lie, work was busy, but she'd definitely thrown herself deeper into said work just to avoid too many run-ins while beau was at the farm for work. "you doing okay?"

OF  COURSE  ERIKA  WAS  HAPPY  TO  SEE  THAT  SOME  PEOPLE  FROM  HER  PAST  STILL  REMAINED  IN  TOWN,  however,  the  change  that  she  had  seen  in  lovely  Georgia  Hartley  after  her  divorce  was  heartbreaking.  Not  for  the  divorce  itself  or  the  reason  it  had  happened,  but  because  of  the  consequences  she  had  seen  in  town.  After  clearing  up  her  schedule  for  the  rest  of  the  day,  the  deputy  mayor  sent  texts  to  both  Barbie  to  set  aside  her  best  bottle  of  white  wine,  as  well  as  to  Georgia  to  say  that  she  was  going  to  pick  the  younger  woman  up  and  they  would  have  a  girls  late  afternoon/early  evening  together. She  had  enough  time  to  stop  by  her  house,  shower  and  change  into  something  less  mayoral  before  making  her  way  to  the  W  hotel.  Kiki  sat  down  at  one  of  the  tables  and  ordered  something  to  munch  on  while  she  waited  for  Georgia.  Lucky  for  her,  it  didn’t  take  long  for  the  younger  brunette  to  arrive.  Kiki  greeted  Georgie  with  a  tight  hug  and  smiled  as  she  pulled  away,  resting  her  hands  on  the  other’s  shoulders.

still, she sat, letting a soft smile rest on her face as she took in the words being spoken by her older friend. she did have a point; the shift in personality that georgia was displaying had to have been jarring to anyone that had known her long enough. the woman that always had a warm smile on her face and a willingness to join any conversation thrown at her was suddenly more reserved, the light in her eyes drained just enough. her mother may have only noticed it slightly, but she had friends in her life, just like erika, that knew before georgia said a word. she was good at keeping the mask up around town and with her parents' friends, but never with her friends.

she let out a reluctant sigh, leaning back in her chair. with logic like that, how could she say no?

"okay, fine," she said with a small chuckle, only pausing to sit up and point a finger towards erika. "but only because you always pick the best wine, and i'm kid free this weekend."