bittersweet, beetlejuice.

“you might not be mad.” alex looks back down at veronica with a knowing expression, allowing his gaze to drop down to the hand taken affectionately into hers. he knows there’s little point of punishing himself for something he couldn’t change, but he couldn’t shake the feeling there was something he needed to remember. something important. “there’s a lot bothering me, but i can’t quite put my finger on what it is.” little does he know such a comment is worrying for veronica for an entirely different reason. all alex wants is for his wife to reassure him he wasn’t failing as a dad, as a husband. 

a brow lifts gently, taking in her words. he wonders what those days were like. being the dad from those various stories veronica preached of fatherly love and devotion. does he love his family? what does love even really mean when you can’t remember experiencing it? “i don’t expect her to be transparent with me—” then again, it would easier to deal with younger peoples drama if they just opened up for a god damn second, “—i just don’t want to be shut out.” 

         MOST OF THE TIME, AXEL BOUGHT MOST OF HIS PAINTS ONLINE, but every once in a while he was in the business of just perusing the aisles for newer brands that he could try out.  the voice, however, caught him off guard, his eyes darting between the two swatches. “ i guess it depends on what you’re using it for?  If you’re painting a room, the lighter colours usually make it feel bigger whereas the darker ones make it feel smaller. “ axel finally looked up at the person inquiring, taken aback as he immediately recognized him, “ oh, uh, ah, mr. president? “ sure, he wasn’t the president anymore, but what exactly are you supposed to call the ex-president? 

“it’s for an office, trying to repaint every room that needs a little something, ya know?” he told the young man. when he looked up at him, though, jj chuckled, shaking his head- he had become accustomed to this, even now, out of office. he grinned, “just jj is fine, trust me. eight years of that title was long enough.” of course, you technically stayed a president- or former president- your whole life, jj had never been one for formality. 

“…because it’s sort of been the way we do things for about twenty-one years now.” on some distant level, zara knew she was lashing out. like a hurt tiger with a thorn in its paw — she was prone to hurting rather than asking for help. her pride often didn’t get out of her own way: and zara’s biggest enemy ended up being herself. ( not to say there wasn’t people who didn’t want to see her end up swimming with the fishes, but. it always came back to her, in the end, didn’t it? )

with a sight, zara crossed her arms over her chest. “we can talk. but like i said — i have to leave for work in an hour. it might be cut short.” although, zara thought she had a fairly good idea of what this conversation was going to be about. 

“hmm.” alex doesn’t know quite how to respond. he’s relearning this, the whole parenting thing. or at least he thinks so, in reality he is just as new to it. he see’s a lot of the better,  and the some of worser traits he harbours in zara. “i missed it.” a softer expression falls upon alex’s face. “you tell me about these amazing experiences i had with zara, that we were so close…” a notion of thought passes the former lawyers eye’s letting his gaze fall down the hand squeezing it’s grip mindlessly at the top of his cane. “i look into her eye’s and i see nothing staring back at me.” 

“whatever strong bond we had. i thinks it’s gone.” yes, zara may hassle her father into eating well and not straining himself, but that was the extent of their relationship. anything else she didn’t seem to have any time for, at least not anymore. “maybe it’s because she’s an adult now, and has her own life. but i don’t anything to go by with her, ron. how can rebuild a relationship with someone that just that isn’t interested?” 

starter / @impcsters​ 

“what.” zara greeted flatly, arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the door jamb to her mother’s study. “am i to be berated again?” ( since their conversation at the circus some weeks before, zara had been walking on eggshells around her mother — somewhat afraid, somewhat hesitant: but mostly burning, with the realisation her mother may not have trusted her. )

it was a hard pill to swallow, more so in the middle of a con; including the current drama zara had going on in her personal life. “because if so, can we shelve it for now? i have to be at work in an hour.” 

she grins then, hardly embarrassed about her past drunken escapades. “it was a roger dubui, but it was one of my favourites.” she still missed that watch, and she’d still yet to win it back. “i’m pretty decent when i’m sober. when i’m drunk, on the other hand, i get overly cocky and think i’m the best poker player that ever lived. i’ve lost so much to drunk poker.” though she’s now a little bit intrigued as to what a round of poker with veronica would be like. 

mariana   shrugged.   ‘   when   you   have   that   many   shades   of   green,   it’s   just   a   lot   easier   to   start   naming   them.   save   everyone   from   the   confusion.    ’   she   was   by   no   means   an   artist;   all   that   she   knew   came   from   countless   hours   of   research,   or   picking   the   minds   of   her   interior  -  designer   friends.   ‘   i   personally   think   it’d   be   great   for   an   office   –––   but,   depending   on   how   much   light   the   room   gets,   it   can   sometimes   be   too   dungeon  -  y   feeling   and   no   one   wants   to   work   in   that.   ’   she   turns   to   the   wall   of   swatches   behind   them,   pausing   only   a   moment   before   manicured   nails   pluck   a   shade   of   her   choosing.   mari   holds   it   up   for   comparison   against   the   green   shades   he   held.   ‘   if   that’s   the   case?   something   like   this   might   be   a   better   option.   blue   is   known   to   be   calming,   after   all.   ’ 

he’s not in the habit of spending his time in a place like the hardware store looking at paint, but that’s apparently what today entails. it also just proved his complete inability to say no to his father these days. “you want to paint a room green?” he drawls, the judgement clear in his tone as he stares at both the colours the older jameson holds up.  “the dark one looks nice in a square, but would probably be depressing in a whole room. the lighter green is just ugly.” 

laurie couldn’t say she had much experience with any type of interior design, but she absolutely did know style & colors. she turned, glancing at the green paint swatches with a critical eye for half a moment, before looking at jj with a smile. “well, they’re both super cute, but i’d go with the lighter one. where are you thinking about putting it ? “ that might change her answer, but she thought that the light green could go just about anywhere. 

“is this what our lives have come to, old friend?” evan sighed dramtically, shaking his head just so. he worked at rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, crooking them in his elbow — wondering how exactly, he managed to end up in this situation. it was a far cry from what they used to get up to in their college days, and yet. evan couldn’t help but think the change in pace was… nice. “paint samples? home renovation?” he peered at jj. “do i need to tell your security detail to take away tivo so you stop watching home improvement shows?” 

“i mean—” alex lifts his shoulders into a shoulders into a shrug, a smirk plays upon his lips “—i’d be hoping you don’t mind.” the former lawyer offers his wife a knowing look. he may be missing part of his thigh, but alex wasn’t prepared to let a little set back like a car crash injury cramp his sex game. “yeah?” alex cannot help but laugh gently, scanning over the crowds of people. “i would of thought my presence was loud enough for you to believe.” playful sarcasm was always the easier route to dealing with his feelings, than actually dealing with them. “you’ll be sick of me soon.” if only alex knew the truth, that the woman he shared his bed with at night shared no bond through law or love.

alex nods gently, pressing his lips together. he couldn’t put his finger on it, but there seemed to be a shift in his relationship with zara lately. it felt a but… manufactured. often finding himself afraid to reach out to his own daughter. “is it normal to wonder if your child may eventually see you as a stranger?” it’s a rather morbid question, with zero context to follow. alex had no idea zara had boy problems, let alone a boyfriend to start with. nor was he really surprised she didn’t tell him. he couldn’t get much out of her besides the orders to put down the book, or eat healthier. which was lovely, for the first few weeks in their new home. but now… now it feels different. 

it wouldn’t be the first time someone encountered a surprise companion amongst the fruits & vegetables  — in this or any other store. isaac comforted himself with that very fact, in a small town like hillston it was very, very likely that one should run into their exes’ mother. was zara his ex? had they been boyfriend and girlfriend? he found himself then preoccupied with any number of questions, dissecting their fight, analysing their reunion at the circus. did he have a reason to be cautious around veronica? after all, how much would zara have told her mother? most of their activities hadn’t been safe for parent’s ears, but maybe there was something to be learned in talking to her. he wanted the reassurance that he’d meant something, that he still had a chance, even if it was slim. one didn’t get many chances with someone like zara  — who could easily draw in any number of people with her smile and contrasted ferocity, and he knew he’d blown his first. he didn’t plan on blowing a second. he wasn’t a fast learner, in that respect, but when he did  — he remembered. when veronica’s hand extended he took it and shook firmly, standing that bit straighter as her gaze swept over him. he was thankful he hadn’t worn what he’d initially planned on wearing, opting for jeans and a henley instead, for at least he looked like an adult. sweats and a singlet didn’t scream worthy of one’s daughter, did it? “zara’s talked about me?” his face lit up and he smiled, “well, i hope it was all good things.” truly. “likewise, veronica. i’m sorry we haven’t met sooner, i admit i’ve been a bit reclusive the last week or so.” his smile widened at her laugh and the corners of his eyes crinkled, for the first time in that week. it seemed the calloway had something in common, infectious brightness.

“oh, just some staples. i’ve been… neglecting this side of the store so i need to get back on top of things.” he’d always prided himself on his physical strength  — for while he hadn’t been a sporty kid, necessarily, he’d always been fit. ate his greens, drank enough water, it was only in recent months with the divorce coming to light that he’d fallen into bad habits. his boxing bag in the garage and the gym membership had both fallen to the wayside, if only for a week, but he needed to jump back into it. and soon. he looked at her and his brows rose, “oh, we must’ve just missed each other. i was there with my siblings a few nights, but i found it all a bit overwhelming if i’m honest.” he shrugged loosely, desperately wanting to avoid thinking about the brief flare of hope zara had lit in him. all doe-eyed and mournful of their previous conversation. looking so angelic beneath the circus lights. his heart twisted and he bit his bottom lip before blurting out, “how is zara? i’ve been meaning to…” apologise. tell her how i feel. i love you, i love you, i love you. “i’m afraid our conversation at the circus got cut short. i’d hoped we could finish it.” 

nice handshake, veronica noted as she continued to assess the young man. she nodded then, winking, “all good things, i swear.” or barely anything, but, again, isaac didn’t need to know that. she waved him off, “oh, don’t worry about it- i know how things are- plus, for some reason, my daughter doesn’t quite like me trying to be too involved in her life. you know how it is!” she let out an amused laugh, and that much was true. zara had obviously been reluctant to tell her about isaac and troy, much like, she assumed, a normal mother and daughter pair. not that she would know anything about that, but she could guess. 

veronica patted his shoulder, a familiar gesture- a way to endear herself, “hey, a cheat week is fine, plus, you’re young. you have awhile until your metabolism fails.” she joked, eyes moving to look at the array of produce beside them, “finding good produce is a lot of work sometimes- i mean, no necessarily in a town like this, but it’s still sometimes a chore.” hillston offered plenty of options. it wasn’t like before, when she was young, when zara was young, and they would just take what they could get. any food, it didn’t wanter what as long as there was something in their stomachs. it was almost insane, now, how different it was. how she could have some dumb conversation about produce in an affluent town in front of a trough of organic oranges- everything seemed to be organic. more expensive, fancier. though, veronica figured she deserved it after all her years of suffering and fighting tooth and nail. 

❛   𝑗𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑗𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑛 .

        ❛  HERE  YOU  GO ,  ❜  he’s  coming  back  from  the  kitchen ,  each  hand  holding  a  beer  bottle .  one  is  quickly  passed  on  to  jj  before  he  joins  the  man  on  the  ultra-comfortable  couch  ⏤  the  interior  designer  assured  him  it  was  the  best  in  the  market  and  he  could  only  believe  her  word .  ❛  you’re  getting  the  next  round ,  ❜  he  warns  with  no  bark  and  a  teasing  smirk .  usually ,  he  is  the  perfect host ,  but  this  is  jj  and  some  teasing is  always  necessary  when  dealing  with  the  man .  ❛  you  know ,  retirement  looks  good  on  you ,  jj .  but  does  retirement  looks  good  to  you ?  ❜  he   questions  with  a  quirked  eyebrow .  arthur  knows  how  hard  it  can  be  to  take  a  break  after  you’re  so  used  to  working .   ( @impcsters​ ) 

jake had been checking the site for his soccer team for the last fifteen minutes. summer training camp information was coming out soon and he wanted to learn all the details as soon as they came out. Though a voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “ oh god. i’m totally the wrong person for this job. ” he spoke shoving his phone in his pocket and looking at the swatches. “ um, i feel like the light green one. ” 

“do you think i need your praise?”she questioned, an eyebrow raised as she watched her dad. “it is wrong because it could be yourself trying to brainwash me into wanting a needing a man to praise my work.” 

he blinked- how did this get here? he shook his head, “obviously not, maddie! i’m just sayin’, i’m impressed. i’m trying to be, ya know, supportive?” he didn’t know how to do this right. jj sighed, “i’m your dad, that’s not the same!”