Evan Alcott

Stephanie couldn’t keep her eyes on her father for too long, constantly shifting her gaze every time her eyes found his. As she settled and he smiled at her she wondered what was on his mind, was he just as nervous as she? The initial feeling of missing him and being able to sit in front of him once again brought her relief came in waves but it was short lived. There was still the grief that they both suffered, a loss that only they felt, but when she needed him most he wasn’t there. Was that something for her to forgive? In that moment she wasn’t sure the memories of calling him and only him for a complete day before she was told he had disappeared. Why weren’t you there for me? That was the real question she wanted to ask as her eyes threatened to brim with tears. No, she thought to herself, swallowing the lump that had formed. Moving her eyes down to where her hand were folded on the table, she blinked a few times to push back against crying. 

At his words she couldn’t help but think what Polly thought of her, if she hated her for straining the relationship between herself and Evan. “Yea… I’d like to see her soon too,” she smiled finally able to reach his gaze. She’d heard that question more times than she could count that it made a chuckle escape her lips. She guessed if there was anyone to be honest with when answering it would have to be him. “Now, I’m doing good. I have a job working as a personal assistant. Event planning. I really like it,” she started a genuine smile encompassing her features. “Before though, I wasn’t good. I…. was broken….” she sighed the corners of her mouth faltering to stay upwards, “for what felt like forever…but it’s good now.” she wasn’t sure if she wanted to burden him with just how broken, but she wanted to be honest. “How about you? How are you…how were you?” she ventured his question back hoping he would be open.

Perhaps the hardest part for Evan was seeing the resemblance between his daughter and Evangeline. The guilt seeped back every time he tried to lock eyes, yet her gaze was elsewhere. He could understand. Evan was far from being dad of the year, but this was his attempt at redeeming whatever was left of their relationship. He wanted to try and be there for her, even if it was three years too late. The words that left her lips made a small smile settle on his face, though he wondered what exactly she thought of Polly. Had she expect her to reach out as well? Did she hate her? All he wanted was a happy family, and while the family he’d created with Polly was something he was more than grateful for — his family wasn’t truly complete without Stephanie in his life.  And that’s when the conversation really started. “That’s good to hear. Event planning sounds right up your street,” at least based on the Steph he knew three years ago. Who knew what she liked now, what her hobbies were — it’s all things he’d thought about a million times. I was broken. That was his cue to avert his gaze, slightly lowering his head as he fiddled with his fingers. He slowly shifted his gaze back to her. But it’s good now. Those words felt double to him. A big part of him was relieved to hear she was doing better. But part of him also wished he’d been there for her, to take away the pain, lessen it somehow. “I’m... okay,” Evan started with a curt nod. “Things are okay. They’ve been kinda... shit, for a while,” an empty chuckle followed, though his lips remained in a straight line as his mind went back to the dark place right after Evangeline’s death. “I think I, ah —” quickly clearing his throat and sitting up straight, he spoke up again, “I think I got past the grieving stage. But the guilt...” With a shake of his head, that’s where he stopped. It was all the guilt. The guilt of Evangeine’s death, but also for disappearing when Stephanie needed him the most. “I should’ve been there, for you.”

–open starter to all held at The Ace of Clubs.

Laying his palms flat against the bar counter, Payton leaned forward, glancing down at the just shattered beer glass. “Shit,” He muttered, the whispered curse barely heard as he sighed. Where the hell was his head at? He should be in a good mood, on cloud nine and yet here he was dropping pints. The weekend events were still fresh in his mind, yet he couldn’t shake the sinking feeling, that the backlash would come in waves. So much so, that he hadn’t slept the past two nights. “Can you toss me that rag?” Glancing over towards the other, he held out his hand, though his gaze stayed on the mess. “Be careful, dropped some glass over here.”

The sounds of glass breaking into tiny shards shook Evan out of his thoughts. Along with the conversation he’d had with his oldest daughter and the events of a few nights ago, he was in deep before the shrilling sound pierced through. Looking up, his eyes landed on Payton. As he requested the rag, Evan leaned over the bar slightly and grabbed it, before tossing it over to him, careful to avoid the broken glass. “You good, man? Need help cleaning that up?”

Stephanie bided her time, not rushing in her steps as she made her way to where Evan was sat. When he saw her and stood her eyes couldn’t help but take in everything that had remained the same and all that changed in the time that had passed. Three entire years. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen pictures that Scarlett sent or words from others that he was doing good, it was different having him be in front of her. His words brought her out of her own thoughts and back in to the cafe where she was awkwardly stood. She took the last few steps to his table, the corners of her lips pushing up quickly to mirror his smile. And as he stepped towards in what looked like a hug, she hesitated for a beat, before raising her own arm for a half hug. It was brief and she pulled away to take the empty seat that awaited her. “It’s good to see you too.” she responded her eyes holding his gaze as he sat. She was trying to search for something, some sort of hint that he’d been even slightly as miserable as she had been in the last few years. “Uh.. How’s Polly?” she started, small talk seeming like a better choice than sitting in silence.

This moment had been a much-awaited one, at least by Evan. He’d painted all the possible scenarios — all of them. They had been in the same city all along, yet it seemed their paths had never crossed. Though that was a lie. He had seen her, across the street, on pictures — but that would never compare to having his daughter right in front of him. Being able to see that she was alright, instead of hearing it from others. He could feel the lump in his throat forming as she approached him, somewhat accepting his hug though it lasted no longer than a few seconds. 

He hated to admit it, but that stung. 

One of those scenarios had been a long, tight hug. One he’d longed for, the kind they would share before all went downhill. A small smile remained on his lips as they sat down and she reciprocated his words. With a simple nod, he could feel the awkward silence wash over — then she spoke up. Perhaps she was avoiding conversation about herself, or about him, or the two of them in their father-daughter relationship. Evan wasn’t sure which one exactly, though he figured all of them.

“Polly? Yeah — she’s good,” he started, a quick nod following his words. “She says hi, hopes to see you soon,” he followed up, a rather quiet chuckle slipping past his lips to cover up the nerves. With a soft sigh, he just needed to ask — “How’ve you been?”

Ben couldn’t help but smile at Evan’s reaction the ring he’d picked, the more he looked at it, the more he loved it, and couldn’t wait to see it on his girlfriend’s ring finger. He took a sip of his beer and looked at his best friend, “Yeah? You think she’ll like it?” He liked to hear reassurance, especially from Evan since he knew Otter incredibly well. When he placed everything back to where it should be, he let out a sigh at the next question. “Yeah, soon enough. I just haven’t figured out where to do it?” He wanted it to be special, he didn’t want to go back to where they first met or their first date, since that was either the hospital or a random restaurant. He wanted this place to be beautiful, and personal to them. He didn’t know what that place was just yet, though hopefully, Evan could help him figure it out. 

“I know she’ll love it,” Evan reassured the other male, a firm nod set in place. There was really no doubt. A smile settled on his face at the thought of the proposal. At the next question, Evan brought nimble fingers up to his face, scratching at the slight stubble as he thought about it. He liked to think he knew both Ben and Emmaline pretty well, though that didn’t mean he knew all the ins and outs of their relationship. Thinking back to when he popped the question to Polly, at this point he’d thought of a hundred better ways to propose, places that were more special to them. “I mean... It could really be anywhere, man. First kiss? First ‘I love you’? Where’d you ask her to be your girlfriend? Or just a special place for the both of you? Are you thinkin’ New York or somewhere else?”

Emmaline could feel the tears brimming at the surface of her eyes, wanting nothing more than to scream with frustration because the two of them had been stupid. Bringing a child into the world in the middle of a war, it made no sense and with the way Ben was behaving, the fact he was closing tabs whenever she walked into a room. It was starting to make her feel crazy. She felt him walk over and put his hands on her shoulders, somehow she instantly relaxed to his touch. Her eyes closed as she tilted her head back to as if it was going to hold back the tears as she let out a long breath. “Yeah, we got in a fight the night of the Charity Event. It’s why we got separated. He hasn’t brought it up since and when he’s on the computer, he’s closing tabs… changing subjects, Ev.” She said the words softly as she tilted her head back down to look at their friend, nodding her head. “I know. I shouldn’t be standing here and doubting the relationship I have with Ben… He has been nothing but good to me.” She let her eyes rest on Evan when he told it was a good thing, a little smile came along her lips. “You know you are going to be number one on my speed dial whenever this get kids a cough right?” She teased, knowing how ironic the statement was since she was a doctor. “These are the first ones… and no… Ben doesn’t have a clue.”

The frown on his forehead remained as Emmaline further clarified what exactly Ben had been doing to let those suspicions arise. “If anything, it’s probably just club business,” Evan tried to reason, “He doesn’t want to drag you into any of this, Em. You and I both know Ben wouldn’t be able to hide a thing from you, especially if it would somehow jeopardize your relationship.” And he truly believed that. Not just because Ben was his best friend, but because he’d seen the way he looked at Emmaline, how highly he spoke of her. She knew that too, the words that followed proving that. He simply nodded his head in agreement, hoping it would slowly calm her down. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Otterly,” he spoke genuinely, one corner of his lips tugging up slightly. The thought of her possibly being pregnant made him feel somewhat giddy. Though he could understand her point of view. It sparked memories of Polly’s first pregnancy. Though the two of them were nowhere near as strong as Emmaline and Ben at that point in time. They’d sacrificed a lot to bring up Scarlett, but it was all worth it. He had faith in the woman in front of him, knowing she had it in her to raise a baby with the help of her other half. “Okay — well, I won’t spill a word,” with a deep sigh, he pointed towards the closed door of the bathroom, “let’s go pee on some sticks, doc.”

Patrick turned his head to look over his shoulder, shrugging it up slightly as he walked into the kitchen to grab a couple of paper plates. “Well, I’m honored. Ashamed. But honored.” Mostly ashamed of the state he probably looked like he was in and the state of his apartment. His tongue brushed along his lower lip as he leaned his hands against the counter. “I’m alright, havin’ a rough couple of days, obviously.”

“Ashamed? You know there’s no need to feel ashamed around me, man.” Perhaps the friendship that had been built between the two mostly consisted of their conversations at the Ace, but that didn’t stop Evan from checking up on the other. Especially in times of need. The club had always been more than business to him. If anything, family was probably the right word for it. The club had been part of his life for as long as he could remember. “Yeah, that’s understandable. We won’t mention it if you don’t want to.”

Xiomara found a finger twirling a loose piece of hair as she scanned through the text messages on her phone. The glass of wine in front of her sat untouched as she caught up on what she missed over the course of her day. The brunette attempted to block out the noise around her as she read through Joeys’ latest social media dilemma. It was something simple that Mara could fix, but it would have to wait until tomorrow. 

It was the sound of her full name that caused her head to raise upwards, her eyes shifting to the location of the voice. A smile formed on her lips as she noticed Evan, one of the many faces she recognized from the auto-shop. “We would be in trouble if there were two,” The brunette joked as the taller male came to sit next to her. Although it seemed out of place for them to hold a conversation, her curiosity got the best of her. A laugh came from Mara before she let the glass rest against her lips, taking a long sip. “I’ve been good, and you? It’s never a bother, I prefer to keep a busy schedule,” 

Evan bobbed his head in a nod as a hearty laugh rumbled through his chest, “Might just make life a whole lot easier, you never know.” He wasn’t extremely familiar with the brunette, having only shared a few conversations here and there. She was valuable for the club, though, he knew that much. Her name had been dropped a few times by members over the last few weeks. Evan had the tendency to mostly focus on the people he most worked with and trusted, mostly those of his ‘generation’, so to speak. But the club was growing, and with the car business going strong it couldn’t hurt to keep an eye out on any potential help. “Glad to hear that. Yeah, I’ve been alright,” Evan spoke, bringing the glass up to his lips to take a sip, the liquor leaving a burning sensation as it trickled down his throat. “That’s what we like to hear,” he said as a soft chuckle followed. “Correct me if I’m wrong here, but you still do most of the hacking work, right?”

When Benjamin entered the bar he sighed and said hello to whoever was bartending that evening. He ordered himself a beer and checked his watch, he knew that he was going to be here for a few hours. He sighed as the beer was placed in front of him before he left he made sure to leave with the same jacket that held the one little red box, that Emmaline could never find. He tapped his chest pocket and felt a little relief to feel it was there. When his friend walked in the door he smiled, “Hey, no not at all.” He greeted as he waited for his best friend to sit down, “Hey, can I get another beer please, thanks,” He ordered from the bartender, before the start of their usual small talk, he grabbed the velvet bag from his breast pocket in his jacket. The same bag that carried the most important piece of jewelry he owned, Emmaline’s engagement ring. “I wanted to show you something. Here.” He placed the bag in front of him and waited for his response. “What do you think?” 

“Good,” Evan spoke with a chuckle, now occupying the once empty barstool next to his friend. He silently thanked the bartender with a nod as a fresh beer was placed before him. With Emmaline’s visit from the day before still fresh in his mind, he knew to keep his mouth shut. He was, quite literally, stuck in the middle, now holding secrets for both of them. Though they were good secrets, with positive outcomes. He truly believed that. So when Ben popped the red velvet bag from his jacket, Evan knew exactly what he was going to show him. He couldn’t stop the smile that formed. Nimble fingers reached for the bag that had been placed on the bar, opening it up and carefully taking the ring out. “Holy shit,” Evan spoke in a breath, moving his hand to see the ring from different angles. His eyes darted between his best friend and the ring. “You did an amazing job, man. She’s gonna absolutely love it, I’m sure,” he said with a firm nod. Carefully placing the ring back in its bag, he closed it once again and handed it back to Ben so he could safely store it in its jacket again — where it belonged, for now. “Does that mean you’re gonna pop the question soon?”

@evan-alcott​

Stephanie had spent the morning unable to eat, nerves settled in her stomach as soon as she awoke. Today was the day she’d meet her dad in what felt, and actually was, years. Time had dissolved the multitude of emotions she’d held against him, ready to get to some different place with him. She had no anticipations that their relationship would be anywhere near what it used to be she at least wanted to not feel like she had to ignore his calls. She stood in front of the coffee shop, not sure what push she needed to just walk in. Her eyes had spotted the back of his head and with a final nod to herself she walked in.

Two alarms. Evan had set two of them so he was completely sure he wouldn’t be late for their lunch. The fact that Stephanie had been the one to propose the idea of meeting up had brought him so much joy — much more than he’d ever experienced since his youngest daughter was born. So there he was. 11:53 AM. Sitting at a table of two with a fidgety right knee as he turned his head every now and then towards the door, checking if his eldest daughter was anywhere near yet. The nerves were wrecking him, completely eating him up. He could feel his heart beating in his throat, letting out a shaky breath through his nose. Then he turned his head again, once again checking if Steph was there. And there she was. Immediately, Evan stood up, waiting for her to approach the table he’d occupied for the both of them. What was he going to do once they were eye to eye? Hug her? Pat her on the back? Shake her hand? How did a father greet his daughter when they hadn’t properly seen each other in three years? “Stephanie — hi, hey,” Evan stumbled as he could feel the emotions heating up, lips stretching into a toothy smile. “It’s good to see you.” Almost out of instinct, he stepped slightly closer and opened his arms, going in for the hug.

Emmaline shook her head at his words. “I’m not in trouble,” she winced slightly. “At least I don’t think I am.” She let her eyes lift up towards him when he asked what was in the bag. She glanced down towards it as she opened it, reaching into the bag and pulling out a few pregnancy tests. She exhaled as she found it harder breathe, she moved her arm out towards the nearest surface, dropping the tests on it as she put her hands on her face. “Oh God,” she breathed slowly. “I can’t keep anything down, I’m tender and I’m late… I’m so so late.” She dropped her hands from her face as she lifted her eyes up towards Evan. “And Ben is hiding something from me… He has been since the night of the Charity Event and I don’t think we’re ready for this.”

He could feel the tension somewhat slide as Emmaline mentioned she wasn’t in any trouble. Until she wasn’t sure if she was, which only further confused him.  Instead of speaking, Evan just slowly nodded his head, brows pushed together as his eyes followed her every movement. This was a side he rarely saw, though he was glad she felt comfortable enough to come to him for help. As her hand reached into the bag, his mouth slowly opened, though words could not be formed at that moment. The last time he’d seen a pregnancy test was merely four years ago when Polly was last pregnant. As she spoke up again, Evan took a few steps towards her and placed his hands on both her shoulder, trying to comfort her with a gentle squeeze. “Hey, hey, hey,” he softly spoke, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Emmaline was possibly pregnant. But just as he was about to speak up again, her words cut him off — confusion further settling into his features. “Hiding something from you?” Evan echoed her words, a deep frown forming. The only thing he could think of was... Ben thinking of popping the question. “Don’t do that, Em. Don’t doubt yourself or your relationship with Ben. This,” he spoke, putting emphasis on the word as he nodded towards the pregnancy tests, “is a good thing. The two of you can handle this, you’re as ready as you’ll ever be.” Four kids down and sometimes Evan even wondered if he was truly ready. “Did you take any tests already or are these the first ones? Ben has no idea about this? At all?”

Exactly 20 minutes after Evan had sent that text, his feet dragged him into the Ace of Clubs for the umpteenth time that week. Perhaps it had been 25 minutes, but who was counting, really? It wasn’t easy putting a three-year-old to bed, especially when all she wanted was cuddles. Spotting Ben sitting at the bar, he quickly made his way over. While he was pretty good at keeping secrets, it was still tough to keep something so important from his best friend. But he’d promised Emmaline he’d keep his mouth shut. It was for a good matter, though, that’s what he kept telling himself to not spill. It wasn’t his place to tell anyway, it really wasn’t. Placing a firm hand on the other’s shoulder, he let his presence be known. “You didn’t start without me, didn’t you?”

Walking into the Ace of Clubs, Evan did his usual quick scan of the place to see if any familiar faces struck him. He had yet to spot Patrick or Payton behind the bar, so instead, he opted for any free seats he could occupy. It wasn’t packed, but it certainly wasn’t quiet either. There were some empty seats, though as his eyes fell on a familiar brunette, he figured some small talk wouldn’t hurt. “Xiomara — hey, I thought that was you,” Evan spoke up once he approached her. As he took the seat beside her, he only had to share a glance with the bartender before his usual order was placed in front of him. After a silent thank you, he returned his attention back to Mara. “How’ve you been? Hope Josh hasn’t been bothering you with too much work to do.”

Emmaline exhaled when he had opened the door, moving right past him as she walked into his house. “is there anyone else here?” She asked, her hands gripping the handles of the plastic bag in her hand. He had been the only person she could think of to hold her hand while she took the tests that could potentially change her entire life… okay, that could change her entire life. She turned around to face him, moving her hands together, exhaling. “I need you to do me a favor. Anything that happens here, right now… It stays between us. You can’t go running off and telling Ben… Alright? Can we do that?”

Evan squinted, her entrance immediately alerting him that something was going on. “...No, it’s just me.” He answered the first question, though he barely had the time to ask what was going on as Emmaline continued to talk. The words she spoke only further confused him — “What the hell is going on, Em? Are you in trouble?” He wasn’t going to make any promises without knowing what exactly was going on, though they both knew he would help her with whatever she needed. It was only then that his eyes landed on the plastic bag she’d gripped tightly in her hands. “What’s in the bag?”

The life of a gang member wasn’t always easy, and Payton understood that more than most. He’d lost his girl over three years ago to it, and even now he was still putting back the pieces. But under the neon lights of the bar, he could remember why he got into this life in the first place, to help both his family and himself. “Yeah I did, she seems good.” Nodding his head, he gave him a small smile. “Scarlett too, still annoying as hell.” He had always considered the two younger girls to be like sisters, particularly Scar, and so he’d made a point of seeing them every so often. “How’s Polly?”

Evan simply nodded, “Good, I’m glad.” And he was. Though he couldn’t deny that the unanswered calls and ignored texts hurt. He was the only parent she had left, and while he knew the life he lived brought its complications — was that really enough to push away your own father? A chuckle slipped past his lips as Payton mentioned his second-eldest daughter. “God, tell me ‘bout it. I’d blame it on Polly, but the poor girl probably gets it from me,” he spoke, humor lacing his words as a small smile remained on his features. “Pol’s good, doing her thing.” Evan truly lucked out with his wife — how, one may ask? He still questioned that every single day. “What’s new with you, Payton? Anything exciting?”

Stephanie: I'm glad you're good.

Stephanie: We can grab a coffee or something...if you want.

Stephanie: I'm free tomorrow.

Evan: I'd love that

Evan: Only if you're feeling up for it, though. I don't want to pressure you into anything, Steph

Benjamin: Hey, Emmaline just kicked me out for a girl's night.

Benjamin: Want to go for a drink?

Evan: Don't have to ask me twice, man

Evan: Gonna put my little monster to bed, will be there in 20