Callie Boseman

Wondering how she’d gotten into her line of work, it was a curiosity to Peter, he knew his own upbringing was vastly different from most people’s and the privileges he’d been afforded, especially as an only child, wasn’t at all the type of experience that others had. He listened as Callie explained how she’d naturally fallen into caregiving the way she did, and nodded along. “Oh wow, then you really do come by it honestly then with all that experience. It sounds like a really good choice to pick it back up, and in the meantime give yourself a chance to figure out what else you might like to do?”

With the question turned back around on him, Peter gave a quick smile. “I’m a lawyer, as a matter of fact. You could say it’s the family business.” More specifically, it was a business chosen for him by the family. “So I guess in a way you could say there’s a little bit of babysitting involved there too. Though I’m sure your charges probably stand a better chance of listening to you.”

♡♡

In the last four years, Callie has been building a catering business slowly. It was becoming what she hoped to be a plan for the future when she was no longer a nanny. If there is anything that she enjoys more than caring for others, it's cooking. Callie felt her cheeks flush, "Yes, and I've actually found cooking and catering is a real passion of mine." She smiled at Peter, feeling like he understood. In the past, people had mocked the idea of working as a nanny while figuring out the future. Why not go to college for a chance at a real career? Why waste time on something so temporary? She could hear the comments running through her mind. Optimism was Callie's superpower, and she learned to refrain from explaining to people who'd refused to understand.

Callie let out a chuckle, "On a good day, I suppose you are correct." It was only a joke, the three kids were well mannered, and Callie had few issues. The youngest was still learning, but with two older and respectful siblings to look up to, she knew it was only a matter of time. Unless the stereotype rang true and the youngest became the trouble maker, though, she doubted this. "Law, huh? That must keep you quite busy then. Do you enjoy it?"

𝔩𝔬𝔰𝔱 𝔟𝔬𝔶~

Jeremiah offers the blonde a sunny smile as she regards him, looking down at her open bag. “It’s a good thing you didn’t drop more than this, huh?” He says, free hand slipping into his pocket as he holds the burrito he just purchased in the other. “It’s happened to me before – one time, I lost a couple hundred bucks in the parking lot of a mall. But it wasn’t my fault, really. There was a hole on the inside of my pocket that I didn’t know was there. I was pretty sore about it, though.”

Jer shakes his head at the question, “No, don’t worry about it. I’m just glad that I was able to get it back to its rightful owner.” He’s always been a good boy, after all – at least where it counts. “Buy yourself something nice in celebration, maybe?”

♡♡

With her bag zipped now, Callie made a mental note to be more careful in the future. She listened to the gentleman as he spoke of a time that he was less fortunate and lost a sum of money. "You are right about that. Had I dropped more, I wouldn't have much left to buy the dress I am looking for," she agreed. Feeling a bit sympathetic, she said, "That may have been hard for me to get over, and I don't typically hold onto negativity. Although, I would surely try to find a bright side. Deciding to believe that I may have helped someone out without knowing or meaning to." Callie was, no doubt, an optimist.

Her offer was genuine, and she'd have done almost anything had the man asked. But his refusal showed good intentions were behind the action. Callie flashed a sizable smile at the man then. "Well, when I find what I have been looking for, I suppose I will have you to thank," she admitted, a warm intent in her words. "I am Callie, by the way." She introduced herself but pondered the consequences of trying to shake hands. They both had food in one hand, and Callie had her bag in the other. Maneuvering her bag onto her shoulder, she switched her food to the opposite hand and extended an arm anyways.

Despite this awkward meeting, it was obvious that Callie hadn’t been bothered by the interruption. “Oh then that’s good, you sound like you’ve been busy.” Especially when she mentioned kids; Peter was surprised to think someone as obviously young as her was a mother, but just a few moments later she took the time to clarify what she meant by her statement.

“Oh, I see then. That actually sounds even more exhausting, to be honest. So you’re responsible for three kids, that aren’t even yours?” A selfless job like that impressed Peter. “How did you get into a line of work like that?”

♡♡

Staying busy was Callie's way of keeping her mind clear of the past or even those occasional thoughts of returning home. "You could say that," she sighed and then smiled. For her, it wasn't so bad to stay busy all the time. Lately, she'd been feeling like something was missing, and the plan was to fill that void. She only needed to figure out what would suffice.

Peter wasn't incorrect. Helping raise one child can be a hassle, let alone three. "Honestly, I am a bit of a natural caregiver. I can probably thank my three younger brothers for the start of it all," Callie admitted. "Back home, I also had plenty of experience with babysitting other people's kids. Made good money too. Well, good money for a teenager back then." She laughed. "Anyways, I came to New York without a solid plan, and fortunately, my skills landed me my live-in nanny position. It has been a great pleasure, and it gives me enough freedom to build a life here." Callie always knew that eventually, the family wouldn't need her, but in a good way. In the meantime, she's setting herself up for a successful future. Did she know, exactly, what she'd be doing? No, but there was plenty of time to figure that out.

Callie could go on and on about her work, but she didn't want to come off as egotistical. "How about you, Peter? What do you do for a living?"

location: food truck/cart time: sunday, lunchtime

His morning study group had lasted longer than he’d expected – going until almost noon, and he was left regretting his decision to forego breakfast. His stomach led him to the nearest, quickest foot establishment for a fast, hot bite, and he’d only just paid for his order when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A 100$ bill, folded and just barely stuck under the wheel of the cart. His gaze lifted and he watched the person who had been in front of him walk away, none the wiser. It must be theirs, he rationalized, and stooped to pick up the bill before rushing after them.

“Hey! Wait! You dropped something!”

♡♡

Sunday's were typically a free day for Callie. With the boss taking his children out, she tended to use the time to handle personal matters. Today was one of those days, and she decided to do a little shopping first thing. After wandering around looking through various shops, she stumbled upon a food cart with tasteful smells wafting in her direction. The blonde ordered the first item that caught her eye, paid, offered a quick thank you, and began walking away.

A voice stopped her, and she turned her attention to a man holding out his hand with a hundred dollar bill in it. "Oh my," she expressed. Then, looking down, noticed that her bag was hanging open from when she paid for her food. Cheeks flushing in embarrassment, she reached out to retrieve the money and returned it to her bag. "Thank you so much. I would have been looking everywhere for that later on." Callie chuckled, feeling grateful this person didn't simply take the money. "Is there anything I can do to repay you for getting this back to me?"

-

“No worries, just be careful next time. Don’t want you falling into strangers after every yoga session,” Billy jokes, chuckling a little to make clear that he’s joking. Making sure she has regained her balance once she’s up, Billy takes a step back, giving her some space. “First class, must’ve been intense,” he comments, unsure of what exactly yoga is. He has a vague idea, but he’s not entirely sure. Safe to say he’s never done yoga before. “I haven’t, but it must be a good workout if you’ve come out of there practically falling,” he teases, hoping she doesn’t take it the wrong way.

“I’m Billy, by the way,” he decides to introduce himself, extending his hand to her.

♡♡

Callie giggled at the man's joke. There are quite a few rude people in the city, and she was thankful this person had a sense of humor. "Indeed it was," she responded with pure honesty. "The heat might have been the worst part, and the poses were surprisingly difficult too. I'm sure I burned a few calories, though." Seeing as she barely had anything to eat before the class, she suspected her blood sugar levels were low.

"Nice to meet you, Billy." Callie smiled, taking his hand and giving it a soft squeeze. "I'm Callie." After her introduction, she looked Billy over. He was handsome, and nothing about him threw up a red flag so far. "Do you live 'round here?" Callie questioned. "I stay not far from here and haven't seen you around. It's a big city, though," she laughed.

                “Right?! Local shops do it best anyway.” Fresh roasted beans, a wide variety of drinks, and this one imports their matcha straight from Japan. Which Samual appreciates. He loves a good matcha.                    Samual extended an arm if she wanted to take it, but didn’t say anything in case she didn’t want to. No pressure. That’s what his plan is. No pressure. He already made the poor girl fall flat on her ass. “I’m Sam, by the way.” Because that means they’re not strangers anymore and it’s a little bit less weird, right? Off the two of them set towards the coffee shop.                    He almost passed right by the door again because the signage was so small he forgot it was there. Samual had to double back and gesture at the door rather enthusiastically. “Let me buy you a pastry to apologize, please?” They have good ones anyway and he’d finished his croissant and would like another one, actually. 

♡♡

Callie could not agree more. There was something about local shops that the big companies couldn't replicate. "That is true," she voiced her agreement and smiled. Feeling less uncomfortable by the second, Callie took the man's extended arm. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sam. I'm Callie." Her smile grew a bit more, and they began walking. It wasn't an ideal way to meet new people, but if running into strangers led to a good bakery every time, she wouldn't be upset.

When they arrived at the shop, Callie understood why she hadn't noticed it before now. There wasn't much to draw one's attention, but those were good tells that the place would be everything she expected. Callie chewed her lip, pondering Sam's offer for a moment. "Alright, that sounds fair," she joked before stepping into the shop. The smell of coffee and fresh pastries reached her nose bringing back the sensation of hunger that she'd felt before. "So, what do you recommend?"

-

Esmeray smiled when the women informed her that she had actually just come from a yoga class herself “Oh yeah?” She asked with a chuckle “That truly is some coincidence.” She says shaking her head “How did you like it?” She questioned, figuring that she could get a feel for the class before actually throwing herself into it. If the women told her that it had been absolutely terrible maybe she would skip over it for the day. “I’m Esmeray.” She smiled before taking her hand in her own in order to shake it. She was pleasantly surprised when Callie not only offered to point the direction of the building out to her but instead take her to it, not wanting her to wind up lost. “You know what I would actually really appreciate that, as long as you aren’t in a rush to get on your way anywhere of course.” She smiled “You would think growing up in the city would be enough to navigate it but it seems the longer I’m around the easier I get lost.’ She laughs with another shake of her head.

♡♡

"I wasn't sure about it at the beginning or even halfway through the class," Callie admitted allowing the honesty to show on her face. "However, once I caught onto the breathing technique that the instructor kept repeating to the class, I found it was beneficial." The breathing had no doubt saved Callie from fainting from the heat alone. It is truly something that she can see herself coming back to or even making it a routine activity when she has the extra time.

Once Esmeray agreed to allow Callie to walk her, Callie gestured in the same direction where she had pointed and began to walk. Callie laughed, recalling a recent event where she had this exact issue. "I can assure you that you aren't the only one who gets lost from time to time. I must have passed by this lovely flower shop a dozen times, and the other day I needed a florist. Of course, I still had to look up where it was to find it again," she explained. The city felt like a maze sometimes, but Callie knew where her regular spots were. That was the reason she hadn't branched out much since living here. She was attempting to change that and felt to be doing a good job so far. "It's nice to meet you, by the way. Have you always lived here in the city?"

-

“You should be proud of yourself,” Arthur assures her sincerely. If it’s hot in there like it is in the South, and she’s exercising on top of that? That’s quite a feat, he thinks. “For being prepared and for… persevering through that. It sounds intense. I’m sold on it, though,” he tells her. “M’gonna try it, I think. I like the heat.” Growing up in Arizona will do that to you.

As soon as she points it out, Arthur can just tell she’s from the South. “It’s so nice to meet you, Callie. I’m Arthur,” he replies, twisting a little as they walk to extend his hand out to her to shake. “Where are you from down South?” he asks next. “And what brings you up here? People are so much… warmer down there.” 

♡♡

"You'll have to let me know how you like it," Callie proposed. Even though they currently had no plans to see each other in the future. "If you do decide to try it, that is." She thought that trying new things, at least once, was a fair way to go about life. It keeps things interesting for her anyways. Maybe it had to do with everything being the same back home. She had a special love for her hometown but found herself longing for more than it could offer.

Callie reaches her hand out to meet with Arthur's and gives a little shake, "Likewise, Arthur," she says, smiling up at him. They arrived in front of the café, and Callie halted short of standing in the way of the door. "I am from Beaufort in South Carolina. Some call it the best small southern town," Callie quoted with a big smile. It brought her joy to talk about home. "It is a warm and inviting place, no doubt." She couldn't agree more that people from the south had something different than people up north. Not a bad thing, just unalike. "Honestly, I felt a need for a fresh start, and New York has so many opportunities," she gushed. "Four years later, and I still find new things to do that keep me excited to be here. What about you, have you always been in the city?"

Alexa smiled, blushing slightly at the compliment. “Thank you. It was my entire life for so many years. I still take very, very, light ballet classes just as a way to stay in shape. The low impact helps keep me flexible and keep my joints in working order but anything past a beginners class and I would really hurt myself. It sucks though cause I miss it more than anything. I am happy in my life right now, however. Floral art is honestly my second passion and it is very fulfilling.” When the woman spoke of her aspirations to become a full time caterer, she nodded. 

“I look forward to the day we get to do events together. I think that would be lovely. I want that for you.” She smiled, biting her lip. “Do your jobs keep you terribly busy or… do you ever have time to go out for drinks? Maybe we could sometime, if you’re down?” she asked, biting her lip softly, her stomach nervous. Alexa wasn’t even sure if this girl was gay but she figured she’d shoot her shot.

♡♡

It was a nice thought that the woman could still participate in some small way with her first passion. "I am sure there are days that the ballet you can do might not feel like enough. I think it is good that you still take part in some way, though." Callie smiled. "I have heard that ballet can be a great relaxation method for some, though I have never tried it myself."

Catering, at first, was an outlet for Callie. Something to do when she is not tied up with the children. It was another source of income but not as big as it could be, one day. "Thank you, it is a dream that I know can come true if I work hard enough." Callie noticed a slight change in the woman's body language when she asked about drinks. It almost seemed like she was flirting. Usually, Callie was decent at noticing social cues but understanding them was a different story. However, Callie felt the urge to get to know this woman further and was intrigued by the idea of grabbing drinks sometime. "I do keep a busy schedule, but I can make time for fun," she admitted. "After all, life can't always revolve around work, right?"

☆✮☆

She takes a glance at Callie’s clothes then at the building she’d just walked out of. “Did you just come out of a yoga session?” Callie looks like she needs a refreshment and Stella feels like she needs to make up for knocking her over… “I was heading to this shop just down the block,” she points towards the direction she was heading to, “They’ve got killer smoothies. Wanna join me?”

♡♡

Callie nods her head, confirming that the other woman's observation is correct. The thought of grabbing a refreshingly cool smoothie was a pleasurable one. "I would love to," Callie responded with glee. "Lead the way." There was no doubt that Callie needed something to re-hydrate her body and could probably use some protein that typically can be added into smoothies. "It feels great out here. Compared to the studio that was hot and stuffy. Have you ever done yoga?"

Feeling bad for the quick collision between them, Peter was surprised to find that she was equally quick to just apologize and shake it off as though it was nothing. The grin on his face genuine, Peter gave a little nod now as they shook hands. “Good thinking then, I might have to try that out sometime too.” Despite the crash to the ground it didn’t seem to faze Callie at all, and for that Peter was happy. The last thing he wanted to do was be the cause of injury for anybody.

“You know, I actually hadn’t heard that but I believe it. And aside from learning how to escape injury while meeting people, what else has you out here tonight? I hope I haven’t made you late for anything now?”

♡♡

There was a slight breeze causing chill bumps to spread across Callie's arms. "Not at all," she assured him. Her only plans had been to head home after the yoga class. "Today is one of my few free days. That's, partly, what led me to come to try yoga." Her boss had taken some time with his kids, leaving Callie the whole day to herself. There hadn't been any catering orders either, coincidentally. It was a break that she needed and deserved. "I'm not used to having this much free time," she admitted. "I was probably going to head home and raid the kid's leftover candy."

Callie wasn't thinking about how that sounded until after she said it. This man doesn't know her or what she does for a living. "Not my kids," she felt the need to clarify. "My day job is being a nanny to three."

☼

It’s nice to feel as if he’s done a good deed. If he had it his way, Josh would do it more often but, as ashamed as he’d be to admit it, there are still some days where that anxious little voice prods at the back of his brain. On days like that, even getting barged into by the likes of Callie, followed by witnessing her fall, wouldn’t be enough to pull a conversation from him. A rushed out ‘Sorry!’ and a pacey escape would see the end of it. He’s glad today is not such a day.

“No, not at all. I’m just killing some time,” he assures her. “Can I help you get home? I-I mean, I don’t drive, but I’m not sure I’m ready to let you venture off on your own just yet,” Josh half-jokes, really trying his best not to sound like a creep. Nice try, he thinks. “I could call for a ride or, if you’re not far, maybe I could walk you?” With that, Josh anchors his hands on his knees to push himself up from the stoop, holding out a palm for Callie once he’s straightened out. “A slow walk might do you some good. Getting you to your front door will make me feel better, at least.”

♡♡

Feeling a bit more energetic now, Callie thought that a walk home sounded lovely. She'd already planned to walk home, and having someone walk with her wasn't a bad idea. The dizziness had subsided, but that didn't mean it wouldn't come back. "That's kind of you," she smiled up at him then transferred the granola bar to the hand with the water. Taking Josh’s hand, she lifted up from the stoop. "I'm not far that way," she pointed in the direction she had been heading before they came in contact. Being close to the studio had been a plus when she signed up for the yoga class. She'd thought that even if she was exhausted after, her home wouldn't be too far.

Callie began walking at a slow pace in the direction of her place. Taking another bite of the granola bar and a few more sips of water to be sure the feeling before didn't return. The crisp air was appreciated, and Callie could feel chill bumps on her exposed skin. She welcomed the coolness and relaxed a bit more. "So tell me, what do you do when you aren't helping strangers off the sidewalk?"

Dust off an old Halloween memory and share it with us.

"There are so many! I think a good one is a time I was Dorothy, from The Wizard of OZ. My three brothers went as the scarecrow, tin man, and the lion. I remember my brother, that is closest to my age, convinced our parents to get a real dog to be our toto. It was creative and we weren't lucky enough to find an exact match at the pound, but we ended up with this unattractive mix breed that no one else seemed to want. Best dog I ever knew and he stayed in our family until passing a few years later from old age. I think we all gave him the best last years though."

Cece’s smile remained gentle and assuring as she helped the woman up, noting the glow in her expression. She had definitely worked her ass off, that much was evident, but there was also an air of refresh abound. “No I get that. Like you needed something to knock you out of that fuzzy state? I get that way too when I work out hard. Although I’ve never done hot yoga, admittedly. It always seemed a little… intimidating.”

She perked up at that good news. Despite the difficulty of the workout, the fact that the woman felt relaxed after was certainly something to strive for. “It is really nice out here. Not many workouts can leave you feeling relaxed after. I’ve only tried regular yoga. Do you think this is even better?” A small laugh tumbled from the blonde. “I guess what I’m asking is, will you try it again? Like, is it worth a second visit? I enjoy my workouts, but it might not hurt to switch to something new.”

♡♡

Keeping her breathing steady, Callie could feel that her heart had slowed down since the very end of the class. It was interesting how quickly her subconscious caught onto the breathing techniques the yoga instructor had referenced many times. "If I am being honest, this was my first attempt at any kind of yoga," Callie admitted. "Although, I have to say that I'm likely to come back for another class."

Lately, it had been difficult for Callie to clear her mind. She kept busy most days, and that just pushed everything else to the back of her mind. That is until there was free time, and it all resurfaced. Standing here, she took note of how clear her head was. "I may keep my eye out for a regular class to see how different the two are. Find out what works best for me," she told the woman. "However, the hot yoga is an excellent addition to my light workout routine," she laughed at the thought of how little working out she did. Callie typically works out a couple times a week, but she could do better. "I can see a regular class being great in the summertime when I'm not able to walk out into cooler weather."

What would happen to you in a stereotypical horror movie? Would you survive? How would you die?

"I am confident that I would come up with an excellent plan for either escaping or taking down whatever the threat is. But in the end, I would die trying to make sure everyone else was safe."

"Something simple and positive, like..."

'Callie did everything in her power to keep an optimistic outlook and always came prepared. She was loved and will be deeply missed.'

"...and then if I had any secrets to spill, after I am gone, tip the cup over and let them all out."