hiraeth.

closed starter for @julesfms location: hestia's closet

Julie pulled a particularly cute Coquette sweater from the rack, admiring the stitching of the tiny pink bows that decorated the front. It would look adorable on Emmy. "Okay, but have you seen these toddler clothes? My willpower is nonexistent." Her soft laughter filled the space between them as she moved into the next section. "But, fine, fine. Help me pick something that doesn't make me look like a tired mom?" Because that's exactly how Julie felt lately. Exhausted. Rundown. Frumpy. "And if we're buying something for me, then we're buying something for you too."

It was Everett's turn to get breakfast for the fire house this morning. Crust and Crumb always had a verity of things and it helps that he knows the owner who knows what Everett's team likes. There was a little bit of a wait this morning which Everett was happy about, he knew how much Crust and Crumb was a busy place throughout the holidays. It had been such a long two weeks, and while it was only Wednesday he was ready for Friday. Fridays were the days when he caught up on some sleep which is what he needed. Sleep. A tricky thing when you're a firefighter. He was exhausted and the coffee this morning at crust and crumb was perfect, very strong, just how he liked it. Standing in line sipping on his coffee waiting for the other orders, Everett's heart skipped a beat when he realized who was in front of him. His breath became heavy, and the man melted at the sound of her voice. Was this a dream? He was so tired. "Julie?" Was all he could say, question really because was she really standing in front of him? "Hi." He swallowed a big lump in his throat "What are you doing here?"

From the moment she'd arrived back in Jasper, this was the reunion she'd been most terrified to face. For so many reasons. She'd meant to call, to do it right. But, everyday she'd promise herself tomorrow, not yet ready to see the damage she'd caused. Or, maybe she was more fearful to see Everett all healed and happy without her. Julie couldn't quite untangle the strings of her feelings, but it didn't matter because fate had decided there would be no more pushing it off to another day. "I came home for Jack's wedding," she answered, stepping out of the line so that others could move past her. Jack, her brother, had gotten married almost a month ago and when the time had come for her to leave Jasper once more, she'd stalled. "I'm actually renting an apartment downtown for a bit. Wasn't quite ready to leave home, I guess." There was a pause, a lull in conversation that had never been there before, not for them, and Julie hated it more than she'd thought she would. The awkwardness, the uncertainty, the fact that the man standing before her was not a stranger, but no longer hers. And with a million things she could say, Julie settled on the most uninspiring of them all. "How've you been?"

closed starter for @julesfms location: candyland

With a small hand wrapped around her finger, Julie was being pulled across the candy store by her two-year-old daughter, Emmy's giggles filling the space. She had only meant to buy enough to restock the daycare's supply, but when her little girl's eyes lit up as she spotted the various sweets, Julie knew she'd be leaving with some extras as well. She'd just dumped a scoop of Swedish Fish into her bag when another's voice caught her attention. She offered a hesitant, but warm smile, her eyes only momentarily dropping to her daughter. Despite the manner in which she'd left, Javier had never been anything other than kind to the woman. "A few weeks now," she nodded. "Missed home, ya know? How've you been? How's the station?" It was a careful question, one she was genuinely curious to have answered.

closed starter for @julesfms location: the rainbow room

The moment Amber's voice reached her ears, Julie froze. Just for a moment. Just long enough to realize a reckoning in the form of her oldest, and best, friend had appeared. And Julie was self-aware enough to admit it was well deserved. She was the one who had uprooted her entire life and fled in the wake of a positive pregnancy test. Amber would have understood if only she'd been given the chance. Jules knew that. Just like she knew coming back would be as painful as it was promising. This was one of the painful moments, facing the fact that her actions had wounded someone she cared dearly about. "That is the funniest thing," Julie answered, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she turned to the voice. "That really old friend is probably really sorry for disappearing." A wince, then. "She does have an explanation if you're open to hearing it...And she's really missed you."

Open Starter: @jasperstarters

Admittedly, Julie probably should have had some idea of what she was going to do when she decided to move back to Jasper. But, in truth, she'd had no plans of staying until it was time to leave. And, she... just couldn't. So, in a matter of days, she'd broken her lease agreement and arranged for movers to pack and deliver all of her things to the town she'd left behind. Luckily, she'd managed to land a job interview relatively quickly and that was where she was headed today. Right after stopping at Crust & Crumble, her near daily trip a routine comfort.

CHAMPION STABLES - LATE AFTERNOON @julesfms

Julie was still settling. Trying to stitch together some sense of normalcy amid the self-inflicted upheaval that brought her return to Jasper. Some days felt manageable, and others left her so overwhelmed that the small apartment she'd rented for herself and Emmy stayed closed to the world. Still, she couldn't deny how nice it was to be back with family. Friends. People who knew her. Loved her, and her daughter too. Even if they rarely agreed with any of the decisions Julie made. She didn't blame them. The past two years had been filled with countless therapy sessions just so Julie could begin to understand herself. She was still learning.