𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙣

it's weird to be here , she can fully admit that. it's not like she'd ever imagined what her woodshop teacher's house would look like , but it's still... not what she expects. it's so... normal. she thinks about her own apartment , barely big enough to fit three , and feels small. clutching at the strap of her bag , she follows mr. houston into the house and begins to set up at the table. she knows that make yourself comfortable is just something people say. like how she says have a nice day to a costumer she hopes will trip and fall and break all their teeth. but as she looks up at her old teacher now , she sees how earnestly he's trying to actually make her comfortable. it's not something she's used to.

she's grateful when he asks about coffee instead.

He studies her carefully as she moves around his house like a ghost. He gets it -- it's weird. You're not supposed to see teachers outside of school, nonetheless go into their homes. But, Tom's not a teacher anymore. He's just a guy, trying to help someone out. And he's happy to do it, rest assured. So, with a smile, he waves off her concerns. "Nonsense -- I need my second cup of the day, anyways. Think I'd fall apart without it." Chuckling, he gets to work, pressing buttons and letting the machine whir to life. As she sets up, he mills around the kitchen, getting two mugs from the top cabinet.

There's a pause as he lets her settle, and Tom moves towards the fridge, grabbing some half and half with slight hesitance. "You do creamer?" He asks, splashing just enough into his own mug. "Never used to do anythin' real fancy, but ever since Emma got that job at Beanie's, I kinda like the over the top bullshit they wanna serve. Y'know -- the foam, the caramel. All'a that." He pauses, then, lips twisting. "Sugar'll kill me, but eh." With a shrug, he turns, empties a mug's worth of coffee into his cup. He does the same for hers, leaving it untouched for now. Head motions to the table, and Tom asks around the rim, "what's the topic today, kiddo?"

There was a quite laugh at Tom's scolding of his son opening the door, the preteen boy insisting that it was just Donna and that he looked out the window first. This was good. Mild, casual bickering was good. Normal. Everyone was moving and going, and that was to be expected over a year later, but grief was a finicky beast. Some days were easier than others, and she could only imagine how it was for Jane's husband and son, of all people.

She carried the sacks over the counter and hoisted them on top of it before she started removing items. "Just a kebab dinner from Mr. Kebab's. They've got a great feast meal, so I figured why not," she chuckled. "It's been a while since I've been here. I know I've been slacking, but with work and marathon prepping and Lewis -- "

The scent that wafted from the containers grow as Donna plucks them from the bag. Stacking them on the counter, Tom is quick to go through them, grabbing pieces to bring over to the kitchen table one at a time. Tim is quickly to follow, too, helping eagerly in hopes that he can chomp down without waiting. Tom only gives him a look before his son settles, but he knows he sneaks a bite. Chip off the ol' block.

"Well, whatever it was, I appreciate it." He gives her an earnest look, squeezing her shoulder once more. The mention of Lewis has him grimacing, and Tom knows he's not subtle about it. Never has been. Grabbing another container and popping it open, Tom begins to fork at the food. "And how is Lewis doin'?" He asks, attempting to keep his tone polite in front of his kid, but pointed enough that Donna will know what he's asking.

who: donna & tom ( @houstontm ) where: the houston residence

the year before, hatchetfield had felt the earthshattering loss of jane houston. she had been someone that donna had become fast friends with upon moving to hatchetfield. she had done a segment with jane involving a program jane was the head of, and they had hit it off instantly. upon reflection, jane had been one of the first friends that donna had made here. she was a light to this community and a kind soul, and to lose that in such a vicious and unexpected way? the loss had rattled donna.

she knew that tom and tim needed her. it's what jane would have wanted. so, donna had organized a community meal train to help keep tom and tim fed. she collected donations at the station to help get them with medical bills. she did what she could to even begin to fill a void that was left behind by one of the most wonderful and formidable women she had ever known.

lately, she knew she had been waning. she was dealing with her own thoughts and personal feelings. her engagement? it was hanging on by a thread. it was something she wanted to end, but she knew lewis would fight, passive as it may be, to keep things routine and normal. but they were trapped. both of them. and donna was the only one willing to admit that.

today though, she was trying to make a change. after work and a run around her neighborhood of pinebrook, she cleaned herself up and picked up a family-style dinner from mr. kebab's. who didn't like chicken and steak with veggies and rice, with all of the sauces and pita bread on the side?

she carried the large paper bag up to tom's door and gave a knock, a grin tugging her lips when tim answered. " hey kiddo! " she chuckled, giving him a one-armed squeeze before she stepped into the home. " tom? it's me! cancel your plans - i brought dinner! "

Life without Jane was hard. Hard doesn't even seem like a big enough word, something that holds the weight of losing the person you're meant to spend the rest of your life with. He was lost, swimming in a sea of sudden debt, mountains of unfinished things, and every single family responsibility falling into his lap. Sure, his parents helped where they could, but it wasn't their job. It was his job to put his family back together, as impossible as it sounded.

Thank God for Donna Daggit. She and Jane had become fast, close friends when Donna moved to town. Often, they'd go out for meals together -- Jane, Tom, Donna, and... Lewis. (Tom could really do without Lewis, if he was honest, but it was never his call to make. Plus, Donna was too kind to let suffer at the hands of her idiot partner. Jane and Tom would always be there, happy to cut the tension.)

He's in the kitchen, hands scrubbing at a mountain of dishes, when the doorbell goes off. He's about to get it when Tim scampers in front of him, eagerly ripping the door open. "Hey -- what did I say about answerin' the door without me?" Tom calls over his shoulder, though the familiar voice of Donna sets his nerves at ease. (Kid got lucky.)

Turning, he towels his hands dry, and Tom greets her with a one armed hug. His eyes drop down to the bags, stomach grumbling at the scent of the food she got. "All this for us?" He asks, giving her a small squeeze on her forearm. "You're an angel, Daggit. I mean it. C'mon -- over here," he moves aside, letting her use the clear counter space for their feast.

"What brought you over to our neck of the woods tonight?"

who: lex and tom ( @houstontm )

where: the houston household

A quiet home is a scary home for Tom Houston. They’ve never been a loud family, so to speak, but Tom often finds himself restless when he’s left to his own devices. With Tim back in school, and Tom out of work, there’s not much that passes the time. And with that comes the silence. It’s unsettling. Despite the lack of interactions outside of his personal life, however, Tom finds comfort in knowing he can still be there for someone.

Lex Foster stands in his doorway, backpack slung over her shoulder as she lets herself inside. Tom has always seen a kindred spirit in Lex, and despite his leave of absence from Hatchetfield High, he made a promise to be there for her when she needed it. So, nodding, he steps aside, lets her get as comfortable as she can get in her old teacher's house. "Hey -- no problem, Lex. Trust me." His words are earnest, and Tom slides around her, leads her into the kitchen as he motions to the table over his shoulder. "Make yourself comfortable -- Tim's at school, so you'll get to enjoy some peace and quiet," he jokes, chuckling to himself. "You drink coffee?"

who: gina & tom ( @houstontm ) where: the grocery store

the army had been gina's ticket out of hell. john had held on as long as could with their parents, but two years before gina was qualified to enlist, he had enough. the two years in between? it had been hell with her parents, but gina made it through to the other side. screaming drill sergeants just seemed like a typical weekday from the household she had grown up in, so she had excelled with flying colors.

one of the buddies that she had made in her first couple of years had been tom houston. he was a laid back guy, a hometown guy. they made fast friends until tom was deployed and gina was given her assignment to a new branch - p.e.i.p. and well, that's when everything changed. her life turned upside down and the years passed before her eyes.

it had been fifteen years since the portal incident and since she had left hatchetfield. she knew it was time to come back though. she missed john. she missed her team. those closest to her had fought tooth and nail to keep her from being discharged for her inappropriate relationship with colonel cross, so there was guilt when she ended up leaving them. she needed to make things right.

she had found that john had kept her lease all of these years. that other than cleaning up the dust that should have collected, the apartment was a picture of the girl who had been in her early twenties when she had left. the decor was a little dated as such, but it felt endearing in a sense. he hadn't let her go, after all this time.

the groceries needed restocked and that's where gina was when she saw the familiar face in one of the aisles. her eyes lit up and she released a soft laugh. she'd recognize him anywhere, even behind that scruff of a beard. " houston? " she greeted with a crawl of a grin. " holy shit, i don't know if you remember me, but . . . "

The lights are bright as Tom wanders the aisles, eyes squinting to try and read the labels. God, he never had to do this. Grocery shopping was a Jane category, if only because she could do it so quickly. She'd be in and out in fifteen minutes tops, grabbing everything they'd need for the whole week. Tom used to joke she could make money off of it -- something like a weird party trick.

But as he stands, alone, it hits him again. She's gone. And it's his weird party trick now.

He's already been here for what feels like three hours, but a look at his watch reveals it's only been about twenty minutes. (Still too long, by her standards. God, if only she could see him now.)

Shuffling, Tom looks back down at the list he'd scrawled out earlier in the day, his own hand writing barely legible. He's about three seconds away from crumpling the paper in his hand when a call of his name pulls him out, has his head spinning on a swivel.

When the voice speaks again, and Tom matches it to a face, he nearly stops in his tracks.

"Holy fuckin' shit." A loud laugh falls from his lips, a little incredulously, as he turns, approaches Gina MacNamara with a large grin and an open arm. He doesn't ask before he's tucking her into his side, giving her a warm hug after years of not seeing his only military buddy. "What the fuck are you doin' in Hatchetfield, MacNamara?"