She sucks in a delighted breath. “I’m a favorite person? Well I am honored and in that case I made sure my autograph was extra cursive and swoopy for your viewing pleasure.” Handing the pad back to him she turned to glance at the garden. “Right now I’ve got Basil, Parsley, Oregano, and Sage for my herbs. I have a little pot of mint too but apparently I should keep that separate. Mint gets greedy and takes over the garden.” She pointed towards the portion she’d deemed her herb garden, those starters already planted. “I’m working on the veggies now. I’ve got cherry tomatoes, lettuce, peas and green beans.”

“Of course! You’re always so chipper and smiley when I see you.” Chester grinned. “I love people who have positive energies. It makes me feel better about always feeling positive.”

He hooked his pad back onto his belt and looked over at the garden. “Oh yeah, I’ve heard mint takes over everything. I’m not really a fan of mint either... but the veggies sound great! You should start a stall at the farmers market, you know.”

1. Stay in my apartment.

2. Retire.

“That’s good. He really didn’t say much,” she lied with the best poker-face she could muster, figuring it was for the better to avoid the topic all together. “Just that you had an issue, and he was going to try to avoid you tonight.” That part was true, but she didn’t need to tell him that she knew the reasoning behind the decision. Cassidy wasn’t the type to normally keep secrets from her dad, but it wouldn’t have been the first time. She was sure he had his reasons for doing what he did, and she was completely comfortable not hearing about them.

“Oh I see.” Good. That was good. The less Cassidy knew about it all, the better. Truthfully, Chester was struggling without Frank, and making the decision to sleep with Callan was an amazing example of that. He didn’t want anybody to know how much he was struggling, though, especially his children.

“I explained to him that what I did was a mistake and I regretted it and I thought we had sorted the issue but... if he’s trying to avoid me tonight..” Chester rubbed his forehead. “Maybe I should speak to him.” He didn’t know if it was a good idea. 

“Are you having a good time tonight, though?” He asked. “Had some drinks?”

It had been nearly 6 months in this desert hellhole, and it still didn’t register as “home”. Frankly, nowhere did, but at least mail orders consistently found their way to Sam’s front door in New York, whereas no matter how many online subscriptions she updated, things were still being forwarded from Manhattan to Silver Lake at a glacial pace.

Upon hearing the doorbell, she reached to her bedside to take a quick hit from the bong, before swathing herself in a robe and trotting to the front door. Light would blind, but as far as she knew, it wouldn’t kill her this time.

“We’ve had worse. What do you do or drink at the start of your day that allows you to do this without completely imploding? Or collapsing? Discombobulating? It’s too early. How?”

“Um... Coffee. Water.” Chester replied with a small smile. “I’ve got a six year old so he mostly wakes me up as well. Parental duties, making sure all my kids go to school. You know.” Chester shrugged a shoulder and held out the pad for Sam to sign. 

Truthfully, Chester was struggling with his hangover. He hadn’t drunk properly in such a long time, but the party had been a one-off. Now he remembered why he didn’t drink. Ouch.

“It’s 11 in the morning. I didn’t think that counted as early. My daughters would disagree, though.”

“Morning,” Hannah answered brightly, brushing potting soil off her knees as she stood up. She was not a gardening expert, but whoever had owned the property before she’d begun renting had built a really sweet raised garden bed that was woefully empty. And so she’d spent the morning at the local nursery getting advice on some easier to tend to starter herbs and vegetables.

“Yeah, hold on, let me make sure I’m not getting soil all over your pad,” she mused, gingerly taking off her gardening gloves and then reaching for the pad. “Now don’t go selling this autograph on ebay, it will not go for much I’m afraid.”

“Oh it’s actually for my own personal collection of autographs from my favourite people I deliver to,’ Chester replied with a smile, watching as Hannah wrote her name on the pad. “What are you planting? I’ve been thinking of getting an allotment. I can’t have one in my apartment because I don’t have my own yard but I’ve always wanted to grow carrots. For carrot cake, you know?”

“Morning!” Chester smiled, seeing the next person due for a delivery outside. “Lovely day, isn’t it?” He loved Silverlake and how sunny it was all the time. To him, it was hard to be sad or angry when the weather was nice. 

“Can I get your autograph?” He asked, holding out the signature pad for them. “Just right there please.”

Aspen chuckled, of course Chester would find something like Sex in the City naughty. “Well.. We all need a little guilty pleasure don’t we.. Mine is RuPaul’s Drag Race.. I just love me some drag queens..” she teased and nudged his arm. 

“Well he does but he’s not working tonight.. He’s just walking around somewhere probably looking for me because I went to the bathroom like twenty minutes ago.. Or he’s playing beer pong.. I dunno.. But the young, hottie dressed as Zach Morris.. That’s my boyfriend..”  gushing as she watched Chester for a moment.

“Want me to get you a glass of water Chessie?”

“I love that show too! I love the Drag Queens.” There was nothing better to Chester than someone living their true life. He was pleased to be outside, although the amount of alcohol he consumed that night seemed to be hitting him. He sank to the floor, legs outstretched in front of him. This was going to become a downward spiral, he felt. 

“No. No I’m okay, thank you.” He didn’t want Aspen to leave him. He didn’t want to sit out here on his own. “Will you sit with me, please?”