Beau

    “i–” her mouth hung open, thinking of his offer. she wasn’t sure she liked the idea of him working all but for free, so she’d easily find a way to pay him in some way. “–fine you make a very hard deal to say no too.” finally responding with a sigh of her own slipping out. she stuck out her hand as if to seal the deal with him, “we could give you a reading if you’d like, if you have the time of course. then go from there, you would be surprised at the things people find out about themselves in these things. but i do happen to self a good amount of self help books, journals, every day magic things. perhaps you’re looking for a little more love in your life? some rose quartz or connection to others and higher powers? amethyst is your best friend.” 

“Trust me, you are doing me a favor.  I enjoy doing woodwork and I get to help out a friend, which is always nice.”  Beau extended his hand towards her and gave it a nice light shake before letting it drop to his side.  “I do have time,” he said with a light smile.  “Not sure how much of a reading you will get, but I am always up for some fun.”  The Southern man nodded, he was not sure how much stock he put into the place, not to be offensive but just because of his raising.  “Alright, I shall let you be my guide.  What shall I do first.  When you do a reading, is it with my hand?  I’ve seen that in movies, but as I said I don’t know enough about the stuff.”

   alara stared long and hard as beau spoke, he was too sweet for his own good. like a golden retriever or what people think the zodiac sign cancer is like. “if you’re good with that then i’ll be happy to hire you but i can’t accept free help, you’re sweet to offer thank you really.” lips twisted into a small smile, “and that’s only if you’re free i’m not here to scoop of your time – actually i should be asking what you need help with. you don’t usually come around.” she moved around the counter, hoping the subject change would be a better one. she didn’t like asking for help nor simply accepting it. “well what would you like to know? we cover a number of things here, guidance does happen to be a specialty.” 

A sigh left when she mentioned she needed to pay him.  The man had money, in fact he came from one of the wealthiest families on the island.  “How about I work for you and help in this endeavor and whatever you believe to be a fair wage, you donate to the shelter?”  He suggested.  Beau didn’t need the money, plus he enjoyed doing good deeds for people and he absolutely loved doing woodwork projects.  So this really would be tons of fun for him.  “Actually Miss Alara, I do not know what I need help with.  First time I stepped into the store and looked around, what do you suggest?  Please if you have a moment give me a small tour.  But only if it isn’t going to inconvenience you.  I certainly do not want to impose.”

“It’s a lot to navigate,” Ophelia mused though she wasn’t entirely sure what she should say or think about everything going on. She had closed the door in her mind where Chandler was concerned after he left. She had never considered he may return one day, never thought about how that would affect herself or Oriana. She probably should have but she definitely hadn’t thought she would see him back on the island again. “There’s just a lot to consider and this changes things no matter what. Whether I tell him or not he’s back on the island and I have to face that, I have to deal with it; if I do tell him then there’s the matter of what to tell Oriana. How to explain things to her.” Pausing O took a sip of her drink, not looking forward to navigating through all of the stuff ahead of her. It was something she really wished she hadn’t needed to deal with. “But I will absolutely call you if I need anything. And you know no matter what she’s going to want to spend time with Uncle Beau.”

“It is, but knowing you Miss Ophelia I can say with certainty you will do an incredible job and maintain your grace as you work through this situation.”  Beau had all the faith in the world to know the woman would look at every aspect of the circumstances and do what was right for all parties involved.  She was a wonderful woman and nothing could cause him to think otherwise.  “It is a lot, but you will get through it and I know you will come out on the other end in a better place.”  Beau brightly smiled, “And I look forward to spending time with her.  She always brightens my days and the dogs just love running around with her.  Truly, she livens up the place when you two visit.”

One of the advantages of growing up on the island was that Santana knew all of the locals and their families. And a good amount of them she had a decent relationship with. The Blackwoods tended to be liked on the island for how they took in the kids that had no one else there for them. So, her parents had a decent reputation and then beyond that Santana was the local veterinarian so a lot of the people there knew her through that. Beau happened to be one of those people who she knew for years because of life on the island, yes, but also because she happened to be the one who took care of his dogs. And while she wouldn’t go so far as to say they were close friends she genuinely enjoyed his company and the two would meet up from time to time- when she wasn’t working or with her ex. This time she was meeting up with him at one of the local bars. She heard the door open and turned towards it, spotting Beau making his way in. Raising her hand she motioned him over and then turned to the bartender to order another drink before turning to watch him coming over. “How are you doing, sweetie?” @beau-mccallum​

Although many small towns could boast about the closeness of the townspeople, there still was no place like Gaia Cove.  Even though he worked off the island, he wanted to return to such an incredible place and live on the island and be part of the community.  And one of the many perks was being friends with everyone and just active in the community.  Santana was someone he adored, true the two were not exactly close but there still was a friendship there between them.  So when he saw her at the bar, he certainly made his way to her and settled down.  “I am doing well Miss Santana, how are you on this lovely evening?  May I ask what you are drinking tonight?”  He inquired.  Of course, Beau was always the predictable one, anything with bourbon.  Usually, he just preferred a glass of bourbon to help relax his nerves.  Occasionally, he would go out of his norm, but it was rare.  “How is everything?  How is the family?  I don’t think I have conversed with any of the Blackwoods recently, which of course is unfortunate.”

“ They do just appear without any warning with me. I just woke up with it this morning, I was fine yesterday.” He chuckled pointing to his sniffling nose and sore eyes. “ Oh a cup of tea would be lovely thank you. But only if you are getting yourself one I don’t want to be of any trouble.” He smiled as the other spoke. “ Morning walks are always good to clear the head I think  so I can relate to the morning stroll.”

“It seems to be the case with a lot of people, including myself.”  Beau responded with a pleasant smile.  “Absolutely, I could use a nice cup of hot tea and just relax.  And better yet, I get your company.”  There was no doubt that there was something refreshing about strolling the island early in the day, it had a different life to it and a beautiful scene.  “Shall we leave now or is there anything you need to do beforehand?  I certainly do not want to rush you if you were in the middle of something.”

“Oh, sweetheart, did you think that you would get out of being involved? Oriana would be crushed if her ‘Uncle Beau’ wasn’t involved in things.” Yes, they both knew that he wasn’t Oriana’s actual uncle- but she didn’t have any blood aunts or uncles. And sometimes the aunts and uncles that were picked could be better than the ones that were genetic. Oriana had long ago decided that Beau was her uncle and she wouldn’t hear anything to the contrary. When Ophelia had once told her, quite kindly, that Beau wasn’t her actual uncle the little girl had simply shrugged and said that Beau was still her uncle. And it had been so adorable and so sweet that Ophelia had simply dropped the subject. And she honestly doubted Beau minded being called uncle by her little girl. After all, he clearly enjoyed when she was around- and Ophelia trusted Beau with her child without a doubt. “I’m not worried about Chandler being terrible or anything. Despite leaving I don’t think he’s a terrible person. I may be upset about the whole situation but I knew him exceedingly well beforehand. And I know he’s a decent person. But finding out you have a child? That’s a lot. Especially a child you never knew about, a child who isn’t a baby. If I decide to tell him, of course.” She sort of thought she would tell him, of course. Or at least that she should do that. She just wasn’t sure how to go about doing that.

“I certainly hope not Miss Ophelia, you know I absolutely adore that little one.”  It was always a compliment in his eyes when Oriana called him uncle. For whatever reason, it always made his day.  Perhaps it had to do with the innocence of a child and how much that little one looked up to him to call him that.  “Of course, it would take anyone a moment to process they have a child they were not aware of and I am sure things will work out for you and Chandler when it comes to Oriana if you make that decision to inform him.”  Right now, Beau did not envy his friend.  The woman had a lot on her plate and had a difficult choice to make when in regards to her child.  “Just let me know if there is anything I can do, you know you can call me for anything.”

”Don’t call me ma’am, I know I’m a mother but I ain’t your mama.” Riley grimaced, following him over to the table he’d been sitting at with her new drink in her hand, taking a swig of it as soon as she sat down. At the mention of placing Riley’s drinks on his tab she throw Beau a genuinely grateful smile, because she didn’t really have the funds to be paying for them herself as is, so every little helped. “Thanks, you didn’t have to do that.” The brunette murmured, giving him small smile before pausing at the next question. Was she glad be back in Gaia? Not really, not really on the whole because she felt judged and watched by everyone she came into contact with, but in terms of getting back into Lily’s life it was the only logical decision. “Yes and no, I’m getting a lot of people asking me what the hell I’m doing here which I guess is valid, but it’s not always easy when it’s accompanied by judgmental glares.

“My apologies Miss Riley, it is just something I was raised to do.”  For Beau, it had always been difficult to get out of that habit even when people told him he didn’t need to be formal with them.  “I do not mind,” he simply responded.  After all, the man was raised with a silver spoon in his mouth and had a sizable allowance from his inheritance so it was not as if he was hurting for cash.  “Oh, I am sorry to hear people have been acting in such a manner.  I am sure it is just that they are surprised to see you.”  Beau always tried to find silver linings and see the best in people.  “Have you been able to see little Lily?  I occasionally see her at the park, she loves my dogs but I don’t think Mr. Cassidy is a huge fan.”

“Then it’s a date, so to speak,” Ophelia responded with a teasing smile, lifting up her glass in a mock solute and taking a sip before letting the rest of their conversation mull over in her mind. A huge part of her was shaken to her core by Chandler suddenly being back on the island. When he had left the island it had been a bitter pill to swallow and it had honestly taken her a while to become accustomed to the fact that he was gone. And that, of course, hadn’t been made any easier by the fact that she had found out she was pregnant after he had left. Dealing with either would have been stressful enough but having to deal with both at the same time? It had been extremely difficult. And now Chandler was back, the man who may have fathered her child but hadn’t been around to be her father; the one who didn’t even know that he was a father. And then it lead to questions about what to say to him- or if she should even tell him about Oriana. And, of course, what to tell Oriana about Chandler if and when the time came. There was a lot to think about and there seemed to be very little time to muddle through her thoughts. “I won’t lie and say him being back hasn’t thrown me for a loop,” the blonde admitted easily. “I never thought I’d see him again let alone figure out how to navigate the decision on what to do when it came to my daughter. Raising her alone was difficult but the idea of changing her whole world is difficult, too. And even though I have every right not to be concerned about him? The truth is that if I do tell him about Oriana then I am changing his whole life, too. Nothing about this is easy.”

“Yes ma’am.”  Beau lifted his glass up with hers and then took a drink before setting it back down on the flat surface.  It was always nice to have company even though it didn’t happen often.  People in the town fell into their routines and if you weren’t in the midst of their routine you often got overlooked even though it was unintentional.  Plus, Beau knew the blonde had a lot on her plate currently with her ex being back in town, dealing with her English students and of course providing for her daughter.  “Well of course it would throw anyone through a loop.  I just hope you are taking care of yourself, Miss Ophelia.”  The man knew it had to be difficult seeing her ex, let alone the man that fathered her beautiful baby girl Oriana.  The situation appeared to be a tricky one, but he knew Ophelia would do what was best for all parties involved.  She was brilliant in that way.  “It is complicated to say the least and I am sure with some thought and care, you will come up with the right solution.  And know I am here for you if you need anything.”

Daniel most of the time had to convince clients to eat one of his new dishes, it was his way to feel good and be creative. The good part was that most of the people ended up enjoying it, but of course,  eating was not the real reason that people ended up at Derry’s so he had to find a way to make it interesting for his customers.  "I know you love bourbon and I have two barbecue chicken sliders with sweet potatoes chips, marinated with bourbon, to go with some beer and you can finish it with your classic glass. What do you say?“

It took less than a few seconds for Beau to nod his head at Daniel.  “Yes sir, I think that sounds lovely Mr. Bolton.”  There was no doubt Daniel Bolton was a genius in the kitchen and Beau respected the man’s opinion.  “I trust you, please place the order for me.”  He said in his usual soft tone as he reached for the beer placed in front of him.  It was not his typical drink, but he did enjoy a good brew and he would certainly finish with a glass of bourbon.  “And how are you today Mr. Daniel?”

  "that’s good - oh well, as well as one can be right?” she casually cleaned her hands off on the back of her pants as she listened to beau. as much as alara could have reached out when she returned a year or so ago, she didn’t. to anyone. the woman had no clue where others lives were and she was in the middle of figuring hers out. despite the kindness radiating off of some she simply couldn’t bug anyone then, and even no. “psh - you are being kind in your words but i’m never too busy for guests… no! please i wouldn’t be asking that of you…thank you though, on all ends – a little of that and a little of redecorating. which is my biggest fault as i paid no attention in woodshop.” 

“I certainly hope so Miss Alara.”  Always one to maintain his manners, Beau stood up straight and kept eye contact as he spoke with the woman.  It was nice seeing her, it was strange.  People left the island all the time, but sooner or later the island called you back home.  “Are you sure?  Truly, I do not mind helping if you need an extra hand.”  Beau softly nodded at her responses as he lightly smiled.  “You know Miss Alara, if you need help with woodwork I don’t want to boast, but I am fairly good at it.  Just let me know if you ever need any guidance or help and I will be sure to do my best to assist you.”  His blue eyes wandered for a moment, “please tell me more about this place.  I’ve always been curious.”

Riley, for the fifth night in a row, was slumped over an almost empty glass at the bar on her own. Willow was….fine as far as roommates went but she didn’t really fancy spending every night in the apartment with Cassidy’s sister which was how she found herself at the Gaia Cove Pool Hall once more. Draining the amber liquid out of the bottom of her glass she heard a voice over her left shoulder, frowning as she turned around to see Beau standing behind her. The two didn’t know each other super well, but they had been friendly before she’d left a couple of years back. Mainly because Beau wasn’t as judgmental as most people in this town, he would allow her to be herself without telling her she was a shitty human being, even if that was the truth.

“Uh, yeah sure, why the fuck not.” The brunette murmured as she placed the empty glass back on the bar and slid off the stool she had taken up residence on for the last couple of hours. “I’m peachy tonight thanks Beau, you know me, living the dream. What about you?”

The language caused Beau to cringe slightly, but he would never say anything on the matter to anyone.  “Thank you ma’am.”  Beau returned to his seat near the back, glad that Riley agreed to join him for a drink or two.  Most of the time sarcasm went over his head, he was not sure if Riley was just being flippant or if she was doing well this evening.  He preferred not to assume, but the woman at times was a tricky one to read.  “Glad you are doing well Miss Riley.”

When she returned the question, he softly smiled.  “I am doing well, fortunate you were kind enough to join me so I have company.”  As the bartender approached the table, Beau ordered another glass of bourbon and asked them to place Riley’s drinks on his tab.  “Are you glad to be back in Gaia?”  He asked softly.

“Next weekend should work just fine, darling. And Oriana will be thrilled,” Ophelia assured him easily without hesitation. While she may not have had much time to herself she also didn’t mind spending the time she wasn’t doing school work with the friends she had made on the island. And Oriana had come to think of Beau as something akin to an uncle. She had never called him that but just by the way she interacted with him, by the way her face lit up when they would go over? It was more than obvious to Ophelia how much her daughter adored him. And she certainly could do far worse when it came to surrogate uncles. “Well, it isn’t as though I have any say on whether or not he’s on the island,” the blonde reasoned, resting her drink back down on the table with a slight shrug of her shoulders knowing that was a simple truth. “He is free to come and go as he pleases.” It didn’t mean that she was exactly happy with the idea of having to navigate around him. Yet she would do what she had to do; she would figure it out because that was what adults had to do sometimes. They had to deal with realities they weren’t looking forward to dealing with. “He made a choice and left. I came to terms with that a long time ago.” Or perhaps she had pushed it so far down she convinced herself she had come to terms. That seemed a little closer to the truth. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. Oriana and I have been doing just fine on our own. A part of me doesn’t think he has any right to be around her at this point. But another part of me reasons that he didn’t know about her when he left and that he is still her father so he has the right to know. It isn’t quite that simple unfortunately. And mostly I need to think of what is best for Oriana in all of this.”

“Splendid, I am truly looking forward to the company and I know all the pups will be thrilled to have a companion to play with.”  For Beau, he tended to live a quiet, private life most of the time.  It was not that he didn’t care for people, truly he loved all people.  He was just always nervous people would see right through him.  “No, you do not.  However, you are entitled to your feelings on the matter.  I am sure it stirs up something.”  He responded.  Beau was not trying to pry by any means, but he did want the woman to know she had someone to lean on if she needed to discuss matters.  “I know you have,” he softly stated.  “Trust me Miss Ophelia, I only mentioned it out of concern and hoping you were doing well with his return.  I was not trying to invade your privacy.”  The next bit was a hard one, Ophelia made excellent points on both sides.  “Hard to say, but you are her mother and know what is best for her.  And you know him probably better than anyone else on the island.  I am positive you will make the best decision for everyone involved.”  Truly, he believed those words.  He had complete confidence in the woman.

Where: Derry’s pub Who: Anyone

Daniel loved meeting people, and usually working at a pub was a great way to do it, but not in Gaia, in Gaia was a little more like always gathering around with childhood friends. Cause nobody left Gaia, he tried, but he came back and there he was. So for him every person that came in his father’s pub, was just a a familiar face. “Hey, I know you are going ask me the usual, but you know I have something new for you, what do you say?”

@gaia-starters​

The only time in his life he left Gaia was to pursue higher education, he even dabbled with the idea of staying away but something about the island beckoned him.  Now, here he was taking ferry rides throughout the week to make it to the university and coming back.  Not that Beau minded it, but at times it became tiresome.

Tonight was one of those nights where he just needed to unwind and nothing better than going to Derry’s Pub owned locally by the Bolton family.  As he approached, he was going to order his usual glass of bourbon.  However, Daniel mentioned something else and he raised a brow.  “Now, Mr. Bolton what do you have in mind?  You know I tend to be a classic bourbon lover.”  He commented with a soft smile.

  she wasn’t sure to make of the backstock the last generation ignored. alara wanted to get the shop into order and anytime something seemed well she found something else. her mind was a mess in itself… the brunette carried a box from the attic in, tossing it on the counter with a huff as someone greeted her. thinking how ‘that was her job’. “hello, how’re you?” welcoming perusual, she only realized after they spoke her name. alara giving a double take at them she offered a smile. “no-no you’re fine. it’s a bit of a mess i’m sorry, i can’t seem to get the tornado under control.”

At the sight of Alara, he was about to offer to help but she placed the box on the counter before he could utter the words.  “Doing well, thank you ma’am.  And yourself?”  When she finally managed to catch sight of him, he chuckled.  “No need to apologize, I know you’re busy.  Is there anything I can do to help you?”  He asked.  His eyes looked around, “I think you’re doing a great job so far, I’ll be honest I’ve never been in but everything looks so interesting.  Are you just reorganizing?” 

“Well, then let me know when you have some free time, sweetheart. Oriana will very happy to spend time with you and your lovely dogs. It will make her day.” While Oriana was usually rather happy spending time with her friends from daycare? She absolutely adored Beau and Ophelia herself suspected that she considered him as something akin to an uncle. And she adored running around with his dogs. Not only did it get a lot of her energy out but from a very young age it was apparent that she adored animals. So, spending a lot of time around Beau’s dog? It absolutely thrilled her. “Can hardly believe she’s four years-old already. She’ll be in school before I know it and I am beyond not ready to face that. Kids just grow up far too quickly.” Sometimes thinking about that though also made her think about the fact that in the first four years of Oriana’s life she had never met her father. She didn’t even know who he was- but that reality was one she shoved back down as quickly as she could. “Well, I’m going to attempt again to get them into Shakespeare. We both know how many students have a difficult time with Shakespeare but I try to throw in some fun and easier ones. Romeo & Julie for example. It’s the most well-known one so you would think they would do a decent job at assignments around it. But you would be wrong.”

“Usually the weekend would work best, just because I’m on the mainland Monday through Friday teaching.”  It made his day hearing the little one would enjoy playing around with his dogs.  Five dogs was a lot at times, but he loved each one.  “Four years old?  Wow, that is just mind blowing.  I must say though, she is so sweet and kind.  You’re doing an incredible job with her, Miss Ophelia.  Oh, but school is a wonderful place and I’m sure she’ll love being around children her age.”  At the mention of Shakespeare, he smiled.  He always enjoyed the classics and he hoped her classes would enjoy it.  “Romeo and Juliet is always a good one.”  He shook his head, “trust me.  I understand.  You can teach and teach, but sometimes you just never know who you truly reach.  The school is lucky to have you though, I know you’re amazing at it and always bring stories to life.  Anything else going on darlin’?”

Most evenings, Beau retired to his house on the outskirts of town to spend a quiet night with his dogs and of course indulge in a glass or two of a nice bourbon.  However, on certain occasions he had been known to visit one of the local bars and sit in the back listening to the music as he sipped on his bourbon.  At times, if one was truly watching him they might notice him taking a quick glance at a man he found interesting.

As he brought the glass to his lips, he noticed Riley Madden.  The woman had a reputation amongst the Gaia Cove population, but Beau was not one to care about gossip.  Instead, he got up from his chair and walked over towards her.  “Well good evening Miss Riley, how are you tonight?  Would you care to join me for a drink?”