The older you get the more capable you get at managing life.

with @rayxbecker​

Jasmine held up a little onesie that was all-white except for the rather large and bold print in the front that says “If you think I’m cute, you should see my grandma.” She gave Ray a large grin and asked, ‘So, what do you think?” She chuckled and added, “I was hoping to include this as a future gift for the baby, and a surprise to Aslihan, of course. But then again, I don’t think she’d be completely surprised by this.” She then held up another onesie that was of a pale blue color with soft yellow stars on it. “Or there’s always the safer choice, like this one... Or do you have any preferences? Just plain colors? Or with prints and patterns?” she asked him. Jasmine was getting to know Ray, and found him to be a sweet young man. And as Aslihan’s current partner and father of her second child, it was of course imperative that Ray get used to the idea of Jasmine and Richard’s constantly in his life.

Status: Open ( @providencepeakstarters )

Jasmine had important papers to grade and to work on, but was also feeling a tad bit hungry. With a rather large and comfortable deskspace back at the university, she found herself instead holing up in a booth at The Burger Joint. She didn’t really care much for burgers, but she did like their milkshakes. So it was how she ended up there, with her laptop up and running on the table in front of her, along with a large glass of milkshake nearby for her sustenance. She had a lone notebook open, for some notetaking. She had plugged in earphones to her laptop, which she was currently using. Jasmine was listening to a Beatles playlist, her feet tapping along with the music, as she hummed under her breath. She was rather engrossed on a paragraph about sea fireflies, her fingers flying across the laptop keyboard, that she didn’t notice that she was singing along to the song -- her voice loud enough for people on nearby booths to hear her, but soft enough to not be labeled as a nuisance. “I'll buy you a diamond ring, my friend...if it makes you feel all right...” she sang along, smiling a bit as she typed along to the beat.

with @antmercier​

The place was eerily quiet, with only the stream of classical music being softly blared by nearby speakers. The area was well lit, considering that the room held different paintings and several sculptures. Jasmine smiled to herself. While she was no artist herself, Jasmine could appreciate good quality art. It was something she had learned when she was considerably younger, and something that was a rather important skill to have when she mingled with the higher rings of society from time to time. It was never really her intention to visit this particular gallery today. She was actually on her way to the university when something pulled her towards the gallery she had only taken a glimpse of a few weeks before. Now, here she was, her eyes on the paintings before her. She didn’t know how long she stood there before a soft shuffling of feet broke her out of her reverie. She blinked before stealing a glance at the stranger now standing a few feet away from her. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Was I in your way?” she asked, before taking a step back.

with @atlaswilliams

with @lieslanne-easton​

Jasmine wandered among the many blooms that seemed to fill up the space. She had always loved flowers, ever since she was a little girl. She loved the elegance they brought out in a room, and their colors bringing life to an empty space. And right now, that space was her study. Well, hers and RIchard’s that is. In the few months they have lived in Providence Peak, they have already transformed their study room into something akin of the Ancient Egypt wing at the British Museum. Jasmine grinned as she saw some bright red roses at one corner. “Oh, these are gorgeous,” she sighed. She remembered the rose bushes her mother had back at England. She also remembered the bouquet of roses Richard gave to her on their first official date. And how romantic would that be if there would be roses too at their shared study? Jasmine then saw a younger woman across the other side of the store. She vaguely recognized her face, but haven’t really properly met her yet. Jasmine gave her a wide smile. “Excuse me, miss... How much for these lovely roses?” she asked, before taking a quick whiff at them.

“One time, she and Aslihan came over for dinner and I had made something spicy without really thinking about it.” After all, being a father had been new to him. “Alex ended up liking. She was telling me about all the food she’s tried and I realized that a five year old kid had tried more stuff than I had.” It seemed fitting though, seeing as she’d been raised with people who loved to experience the world.

A hint of sadness lingered in his chest as he thought about all the time he’d missed. He’d at least gotten to know Sage’s cravings and that she’d loved green tea when it was the only thing she could keep down. “She still likes it,” he assured quietly, “she did, at least. Not sure if it’s something she likes now.” They hadn’t talked in a few weeks and he wondered if Jasmine knew that they were on the outs.

“Really? Now I remember why I liked staying with you guys so much,” he joked before he popped more pasta into his mouth and swallowed down the guilt along with it. “It’s really cool that you and Richard are here. I know it probably wasn’t an easy move, but Alex seems happier now.”

;

“Oh, you can definitely blame us for Alex’s complicated love for food,” Jasmine said, grinning at him. “Between Aslihan, me and Richard, the girl has been introduced to all different sorts of food. You could say that aside from our love of travelling and the world, food is always a Bailey family staple.” Jasmine’s quite proud of that - having not only instilled onto her children, and now her grandchildren, her and Richard’s passions and interests.

Jasmine’s brows furrowed. What with Atlas’s sudden sullen demeanor at the topic of Aslihan, and her daughter’s propensity to suddenly change the topic whenever the topic came to Atlas, there was something clearly afoot between the two of them. Did they have a falling out? Were they not friends anymore? Jasmine’s curiosity was piqued, but she has learned how to bide her time. She was a patient woman, and also someone who can be discreet when it comes to uncovering things about certain people. “She’s into Taco Bell now,” she simply said to him, before shoving another forkful of pasta into her mouth. “It’s a different kind of takeaway food. Very different from the Chinese food she loved back then.” 

“Oh, we love having you around, truly,” she beamed at him after taking a swallow. “You are already family to us, if you must know,” she added, giving him a smile. Truth be told, she had already accepted Atlas into their family fold as soon as they met him. True, he wasn’t a perfect man, no one ever is. (Although she’d sometimes argue that Richard was the only man perhaps that was nearest to perfection.) However, she sensed a gentle soul beneath Atlas’ rough and gruff exterior, and she liked that about him. And even if her daughter didn’t end up with him, she’d always consider him a part of their family. “It was a very easy decision really,” she admitted to him. “We decided that it’s better to stay near family rather than finding only the two of us back at the manor. It can get quite lonely there... And with technology nowadays, we can always conduct our affairs from England with ease while spending quality time with Alex and Asli here. And with you, as well.” 

Laughing, she shook her head. Wiping away her tears as much as possible before smiling at her mother. “I’m trying so hard not to, but the baby has other plans,” she said. Her hand resting on the small bump gently. “God, I… This still doesn’t feel real to me. Like any moment, I’m going to wake up and realize this was all a dream.” A mostly good dream. But if it was a dream, then that would mean that Atlas wouldn’t be mad at her and they would be talking still. That caused her brows to furrow and her lips pursing in a frown. “Have… Have you seen Las lately?” Her voice came out in a tentative whisper, cautious for a moment then glancing at the marine biologist. Dark eyes scanning her lighter ones. Finally, she shook her head and sighed a little. “N-Never mind, forget it.” She does not need to start crying again.

A small smile grew. “It’s fruitless to fight you, isn’t it?” If there was something Jasmine Bailey loved more than anything in the world, it was her family. When Asli thought of the ideal woman, it has always been her mother. She felt incredibly lucky to have been adopted by her, to have been brought into the woman’s life. Sighing in mock-defeat, she nodded and allowed her to lead the way. Her smile grew as she looked at all the essentials and accessories that a baby could want and need. The promise of food caused her stomach to rumble and she nodded quickly. “God, yes please! I want Taco Bell so bad, it’s almost embarrassing.” The brunette did not understand how she grew such a large craving for that. Which reminds her of something. “Mum, the baby has not allowed me to eat any Asian food, especially Chinese or Japanese food, once since finding out about them.” She had started to pout. She has loved Asian food, especially Chinese, for so long now. For a while during her pregnancy with Alex, all she could really eat was potstickers, Nepalese momos, and ramen. Yet now, she just couldn’t stomach any of it. “I tried having some potstickers the other day and ended up letting Alex and Ray share them. I am still distraught over this.”

;

Jasmine grinned at the sight of Aslihan smiling and laughing. Her grin slowly disappeared when noticed the sudden frown on her daughter’s face. Then she heard Atlas being mentioned. Has something happened? she wondered. As far as she could tell, there didn’t seem to be any sort of conflict between Aslihan and Atlas. Or had she been blind to it? “Well... I-ah, yes... He frequently drops by our house,” she said slowly. “Is there something...” Jasmine wasn’t able to finish her question as Aslihan seemingly dismissed her earlier statement. Jasmine didn’t bother pursuing her question. She trusts her daughter will tell her about it soon enough. She was very curious, yes, but for all the years she had reared her children, she had learned when to be patient or not with them.

Jasmine cracked another smile for Aslihan. “Oh, yes. I always win. Ask your father. He can vouch for that,” she said, winking playfully at her. She accompanied her daughter inside the shop as they browsed through the different aisles. Jasmine already got a mental list of things she’d buy later, judging by her daughter’s reaction to each item. 

She laughed lightly when Aslihan started worrying about her cravings for her second pregnancy. She gave her daughter’s shoulder a light squeeze and an affectionate pat. “Well, every pregnancy is different. That probably also means that your food preferences will also change,” she mused, remembering from all the maternity books she had read before. “Although, I got to say that you have very distinct food preferences for your pregnancies. I never, in a million years, would have guessed that you’d be looking for Taco Bell now,” she added, her brow furrowing slightly. “But is that’s what you want right now, I’d gladly take you there.”

Ray had been enjoying his trip to the local market with Asli’s mother. In the time she had arrived into town, their lives had quickly changed with Asli becoming pregnant. Ray was over the moon about it, though. He was with the love of his life and getting to have a child with her, which was was something that he had always wanted. “Honey, yeah?” He raised a brow as Asli’s mother’s handed him the jar. He carefully placed it into the bag with a smile on his face, “She’s mentioned honey a few times, but she’s been getting ice cream lately, with dates and figs,” he didn’t entirely understand it but what did he know when it came to sweets? Ray would order it as long as it was what she wanted.

;

“Hmm... At least it’s somewhat healthier this time around,” Jasmine mused as she started walking towards the other booths. “Not the ice cream though, but her preference for dates and figs that is. You should have seen her when she was pregnant with Alex... She was a Chinese takeaway monster,” she added, giving Ray a smile and a chuckle. She spotted a stall with fruits, and made her way there, knowing that Ray would be following her. She smiled at the girl on the other side of the stall before giving her a short greeting. Turning back to Ray, she asked him, “Do you still have lots of fruits back at your place? I feel like I must buy you some more... “

Lounging back in her seat, Kat was fully at ease as she sipped her coffee, content to just be hanging around for a casual morning with Jasmine. Her brow furrowed at the question, head shaking a bit with disbelief, still not entirely believing that Asli was pregnant again. “It…might be a little early? I think?” she offered as an answer with a half shrug. There was still a long way to go with the pregnancy. “But…what did you have in mind for it? Definitely not too early to at least be thinking about it.” Kat had never actually planned one before, but she was definitely ready to help make it the best baby shower of all time. 

;

Jasmine nodded. “Yes, yes... Might still be a bit early, yes... But I am pretty excited about it,” she said, her small smile turning into a grin. “I mean, when Aslihan was pregnant with Alex, we didn’t really have an opportunity to give her a shower. And I never had one, so yes, I am excited. Better start planning early, yes?” Jasmine added, taking another sip of her coffee.

Jasmine’s brow crinkled slightly in thought. “Well, Aslihan loves history, so I was thinking about something inclined towards an archeology-themed party... Do you think she’d like it?” she asked.

Sophia had been wanting to bake some cookies she’d found online for the halloween or fall season. The bakery section wasn’t what she was familiar with and these ingredients were harder to fine than she anticipated. Ginger. She had cooked with it but she wasn’t sure if a Ginger root was the same thing that people used in a recipe. Walking towards a woman who seemed to know what she was doing since she stood in front of the flours, the brunette paused beside her and forgot everything she was going to say as she watched the white powder fall to the ground. “Oh… Oh crap.” Jumping forward, she fixed the back and flipped it upside down so the tear was at the top. Her clothes and hands were covered in white residue, sighing at the damage. “Well, this isn’t how I saw this trip to the store going.”

;

Jasmine blinked a few times, before closing her gaping mouth. “Oh, my.... I-I...” she stammered, before gasping at the sight of the young woman’s clothes. “Oh no... I am so sorry,” she said, wincing at the mess she inadvertently made. “This was all my fault,” Jasmine said, frowning. “I.. I can replace your clothes.. Or have them cleaned for you,” she offered. She then turned her head around the vicinity, trying to locate a towel or something to help with the mess. “Just...wait here for a bit... Please...”

Charlie stared down at her, startled. Glancing from her to the book in his hand, then at his surroundings, he took a moment to wonder how he’d gotten from the coffee kiosk to the library and how many people he must’ve mowed down on the way there while his eyes stayed glued firmly to the pages. He had a bag full of books to return, but he’d pretty much been moving on autopilot since he woke up.

“Uh…” he said, his mind buffering for a moment as he took in the masses of books around her with amusement. “You know they’ve got seats back there, right? Or are you just building a really ineffective fort? ‘Cause I gotta warn you, it doesn’t matter how well you hide the librarians in this place are tenacious about making sure everyone’s out by closing and they will hunt you down.”

;

“Ah, yes, I know,” Jasmine said, in a little huff. “But carrying all these books to and from the tables can be very...taxing, actually.” Jasmine gave a little shrug and a little sheepish smile, before crouching to grab a few of the fallen books. 

She cracked a smile when the man warned her about the librarians. “Oh, I personally won’t worry about them,” she said. “They actually don’t mind my mess in here, as long as I clean it up afterwards... Or else I’ll be taking back my generous donation...” she added, as she made a small path between the book piles.

The newest arrangement of picking Alex up at school or at the Bailey’s home was still something that Atlas was getting used to. This time around, it wasn’t a quick grab and go. Instead, Alex said she had some things she wanted to bring to his house and while she getting what she wanted, Atlas was left to fend for himself with Jasmine. He wondered if Asli had told her what had happened between them, but by the sound of it, she had no clue. Nodding, Atlas agreed to try whatever it was that Jasmine wanted him to. It was the least he could do for the woman and her husband not hating him for leaving London all those years ago. “Alex would love it,” he assured, the child not being all that picky when it came to her food. “I bet Aslihan would too.” He didn’t feel right speaking on that, but he wouldn’t show any disrespect for the woman who’d welcomed him into her home. “Did she have any weird cravings with Alex?” He wasn’t sure why he’d asked, but the question had fallen from his lips before he could even stop himself. Instead of overthinking it, he grabbed the fork and tried out the pasta in question. It was delicious and couldn’t bite back the smile that tugged onto his lips. “Honestly? It’s great,” he assured, grabbing another fork full and swallowing it down. “Might need a to-go bowl of this.”

;

"Oh, yes, Alex would definitely love this,” Jasmine echoed Atlas’ words, beaming at her culinary creation. “But then again, children her age are not entirely picky with food. Except maybe when it comes to vegetables...” she mused out loud. 

She put some of the pasta on her plate and grabbed a fork. “Well, I remembered Asli craving a lot of Asian cuisine back when she was carrying Alex.. I can still remember the little mound of takeaway cartons we managed to pile up in our kitchen...” Jasmine remembered, chuckling slightly, before grabbing a bite of the pasta. She couldn’t help but smile. Yes, Alex would definitely love this one. She then mentally added the dish to her list of things that her granddaughter will like. 

She then beamed at Atlas upon his complementary words for her cooking. “Why, that’s wonderful to hear. And don’t worry, I’ve already prepared a large bowl of it for you to take home with,” she added, before eating another forkful. 

Coming back to Room Service felt like coming back to the scene of a crime. Rachel wondered ridiculously if anyone would recognize her as the woman who had cried in front of their store awhile ago. She shook the thought out of her head as she was hoping to paint her office space a forest green. Her body was still aching from a few days ago when she had taken herself to yoga. She was trying to figure out the exact shade she wanted when the woman near her started asking for her opinion. Rachel blinked for a moment as she looked between the two options. “Uhhh, I mean it depends on what you’re going for? What room are you putting it in? Do you want a soft color or a color that is neutral?” Rachel was really going off her knowledge from interior design shows that she had on as background noise.

;

Jasmine gave the other woman a smile before giving her a reply. “It’s for a nursery actually. We have a new addition coming to our family, and I want to prepare the nursery as soon as possible,” she said, beaming with pride and longing. She then turned back to the woman, her brow creased slightly in confusion. “Can I choose something that’s both? I mean, soft and neutral, that is,” Jasmine mused. She had a little something of a design theme in mind, but she wasn’t exactly an expert. She figured that getting other people’s opinions would help her greatly in making a decision.