give me only love

               『 candice patton. twenty-nine. cis woman. she/her. 』 oh heavens, is that NORA BARLOW from FAIR LANE i see roaming around mapleview ? minnie may’s always calling them -CIRCUMSPECT & -OBSTINATE. i happen to think they’re not that bad ! they’re a pretty cool PET STORE OWNER and every time i’ve seen them, they’ve always been +PROTECTIVE & +AMIABLE. i hope i see them around again ! 

“Yeah. But I have a healthy nine year old now, so it all worked out, thankfully.” Thea says, nodding her head with a smile. She really did love being a mom, even if it hadn’t been something she had been thinking about or planning at the time. “I’m sure it’ll go by quickly enough. Except for like, the last couple of weeks. Those last forever, plus all you wanna do is meet your baby. Do you want a boy or a girl? Or just a healthy baby? I cheated, I found out Freya was gonna be a girl before she was born. I couldn’t handle any more surprises!”

“somebody dropped a $50 on the floor and now i’m thinking, drinks on me. or technically on them. so whattya say? you in or are you in?”

@mapleviewstarters​

            “  well, did you see who dropped it and at least attempt to return it ? it feels... wrong, to use that money on drinks... but as you can see by my stomach, no alcohol for me. would i say no to a lemonade ? probably not.  ”

LOCATION: main street, grocer’s groceries AVAILABILITY: open, @mapleviewstarters​

          THERE WASN’T RHYME OR REASON in regards to how keon was going about this. THIS being the ingredient list they were holding, the recipe they were determined to make for their aunt’s friend’s potluck this coming weekend somehow making them more frazzled than when they had to plan an event for the BOYS & GIRLS CLUB. but alas. if they could just find the capers— ❛ oh my god, i’m so sorry, ❜ they apologized, an instinct of theirs as they began rounding a corner, going at it blind & accidentally knocking into someone else’s cart. shocked at first, but once that wore off and they got a better look at the other, keon felt relief when they recognized a familiar face, which then brought a smile to their lips before they greeted, ❛ well, hello. stocking up for the week? ❜

            it’s like she’s at the grocery store every week. surprisingly enough, it’s not anything new to nora, even being so far into her pregnancy. she’s always enjoyed cooking and trying out new recipes, something that adrien has always been enthusiastic about. boy, can her fiancé empty out the pantry, but now they’re one in the same with another on the way. she’s taking a quick glance at the shopping list on her phone when nora hears metal on metal, stopping in her tracks.  “  oh, no, it’s fine, i was hardly --  ”  but when she lifts her head her face lights up, immediately thrilled to spot a welcome company.  “  keon ! yeah... the week, that’s all anything ever lasts in our house. god, how are you ? i haven’t seen you in ages !  ”

𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡  𝗧𝗢:  𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:  𝘀𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻  𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗻  𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲  𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽.  @mapleviewstarters​

     IT’S  CROWDED  TODAY  AS  YESI  sits  in  the  coffee  shop,  bag  neatly  placed  on  the  seat  opposite  of  her,  as  if  she’s  not  aware  that  all  other  seats  are  occupied.  she’s  deep  into  reading  a  book  when  something  catches  her  attention  out  of  the  corner  of  her  eye  —  a  new  visitor,  looking  awfully  lost  as  they  try  to  scout  out  an  empty  seat.  yeseul  contemplates  for  a  second  whether  she  should  or  shouldn’t  move  her  bag,  but  kindness  gets  the  best  of  her  in  the  end  and  she  removes  it,  now  leaving  the  seat  vacant.  still,  she  says  nothing,  offers  nothing,  and  looks  away.  if  they  want  it,  they’ll  ask.

            VERY MUCH SHOWING her pregnancy now, nora is well aware of the niceties she’s been receiving. while she would prefer them under normal circumstances, she doesn’t see the point in pretending like she doesn’t like being treated with a special kindness. the smell of coffee has been a staple in her time away from caffeine, opting for an herbal tea to occupy her time. her back is killing her, as usual, but the crowded coffee shop has barely any empty seats. she sighs, leaning back against the counter while nora continues to search. finally, her eyes settle on a woman moving a bag from an empty seat and she nearly bolts. with her tea in hand, she clears her throat.  “  hi, do you mind if i sit here ?  ”

“oh no, i think my memory’s already beginning to slip,” he teases. “fame changed me so quickly, damn…. i’d need a really, really good reminder….” when her mouth crashes into his, adrien kisses back with all his fervor. “i guess that’s a pretty good reminder,” he whispers, grinning. as he looks at her, he bites his lip, thinking. he couldn’t be any happier, but he knows that he and nora had issues before the pregnancy. not that he ever stopped loving her, or faltered in his adoration, but their issues with allotting time for each other got him concerned. the thing about honeymoon phases is that they would always have to end; he wants to keep nora happy, even when life returns to its normal rhythm, following their kid’s birth and the wedding. still, it’s no use to mope about his anxieties, so he moves forward. a few of his fingers rub pleasant lines along her arm, and he lets his head stay in a relaxed tilt as he speaks to her. “are you excited for our 5-month ultrasound?” he asks. “i can’t… god, i can’t fucking wait.” he doesn’t care particularly about the baby’s gender, he’s told her before; he doesn’t know what difference it makes. it’s going to be his child, whom he’ll cherish to the ends of the earth, no matter what the gender is. but again, this is his and nora’s baby. his and nora’s baby. he cannot wait to learn as much as he can about their beautiful baby.

            she gives him a gentle, teasing hit on the shoulder all while shaking her head.  “  yeah, that works for you ?  ”  nora jokes, giving him an extra peck on the cheek. it’s times like these where she wishes she could read his mind, but knows his thoughts will always be shared with her. everything feels like it’s falling into place and she couldn’t more be grateful. for a while, things were tough... their schedules never aligning and then suddenly, being pregnant. now they’re happily awaiting their child, a wedding soon in tow. it had all seemed to work out for the best and now, there’s excitement on the horizon.  “  so excited !  ”  she squeals, his response only adding to her thrill. whatever their child’s gender is, she’ll be thankful either way... it’s their child, their baby, and that alone is enough to love them with her entire heart. the more the days go on, the sooner they’ll meet the little one.  “  there’s so much to do... i’m so excited for all of it.  ”

Rory smiles brightly, she’s also excited about the fact her pet family has grown. The woman had dreams of one day building her own real family but there was no room for that until she’d reach all of her dreams ( owning a bakery being the main one ). Plus, her pups did bring her an enormous amount of happiness. “ Exactly. And you know how much I hate unfinished business so I’m really glad we were able to kind of sort things out. ” Rory shrugs lightly as the two walk towards the diner, already dreaming of about a strawberry milkshake. “ But that’s enough about that. What I’m really interested in is on your vacation with the fiancé – how was it? I know you sent me pictures and all but I want the details. ”

The brunette practically jumps from excitement when Nora requests a picture of her new dog and she’s so grateful her closest friend loves animals as much as her. “ Of course, of course. She’s a mixed pit and she’s just the sweetest damn dog. You’ll love her, Nora. ” Rory searches for a picture on her phone, which wasn’t that hard to find at all, and shows it towards the other. “ She’s three and already had a name so I just decided to keep it. That’s Luna and I really think it fits her. ” She smiles brightly. Rory follows her friend whilst placing her phone back in her jeans’ pocket. “ I mean, all of them. Atticus, Sunny and, well, Bex. ” She scrunches up her nose at the mention of her most recent ex but only because of the way things had ended between them. Rory was close to both Atticus and Sunny ( and their friendship was something she cherished a lot ) but even if she had somehow reconnected with Bex at the festival, she didn’t know if she could consider them friends just yet. “ I mean, Bex and I talked for the first time since, you know… And it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, which is very nice. ” A small chuckle follows her comment.

            she clutches at her chest playfully when shown the picture, grinning from ear to ear. as much as nora wants a dog, she knows her hands are full with a cat who hates dogs and a baby on the way. maybe she can convince adrien to take home something that requires a bit less maintenance, like a reptile or a small animal... not that they’re easier, by any means.  “  she’s so cute, i can’t wait to meet her ! aw, luna, that’s perfect ! gosh, ror, that’s so exciting, i’m so happy for you !  ”  nora steps out of the pet store and locks the door behind them, motivation entirely now on food. she has a decent bump now, but someone could easily mistake it for a food baby had they not been familiar with her figure four months ago. it’s exciting and though she will hate the pain that comes with it, nora can’t wait to have a full fledged pregnancy tummy.  “  oh, wow,  ”  she clicks her tongue, listening more so than talking. nora has her own fair share of exes, but her fiancé is the only person ever on her mind.  “  yeah... well, that’s good, right ? better to be friends than enemies ?  ”

location: a park nearby the fire station, chestnut drive for: @mapleviewstarters​

clenched fists ached and he could feel the sting of the bruise on his cheek yet every fiber of his being still wanted more – he wanted to fight. jax hadn’t felt that much anger in years and hadn’t gotten into a fight since returning home. he knew his altercation with the random asshole would soon be all the town would talk about. as if the years of proving them that he was not the same person they once knew was for nothing. yet, he didn’t care. if his captain hadn’t dragged him away, jackson was sure he could’ve done something worse than just a few punches (and by a few, he means nearly knocking the man unconscious). 

the other was deserving. no man should humiliate a woman and get away with it. still he knew that’s not how the town would see it. and he also knew his anger came from something else too, a recent discovery that had left him completely shaken. rushing a hand through his hair as he tries to cool off, his blue hues spot someone looking back at him. suddenly feeling uncomfortable by the company, he furrows his brows. “what are you lookin’ at?”

            it’s not often that nora’s able to stop and smell the flowers. not literally, anyway. she used to use the excuse of walking lady in the park, or at least having her on her own lap. cats aren’t as favorable to walks as dogs are, she’s learned, but lady does love the sun and nora likes to let her outside with company. she’s never liked the idea of outside cats, not when something could happen to them and nora’s too attached to her own to let her out into the world by herself. it’s a personal preference, she supposes, but she does try to advice customers against it. perks of being someone to trust with pet stuff. 

            nora’s decided on people watching, pausing off to the left of the sidewalk. she’s always been curious, often imagining what one’s chosen to do with their day. her gaze stops on a man nearby, focusing on the bruise he has. though it’s not her place to pry, he’s asked her a question, catching her in the act. she knows it’s defensive, but she doesn’t treat his inquiry like it is.  “  the bruise on your cheek,  ”  at least she’s honest.  “  i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to stare, i got caught in the moment. are you okay ?  ”

LOCATION: main st; strings & things music shop

STATUS: open / @mapleviewstarters

          AMEILE moved through the store, eying the guitars hanging on the walls. There was something about music that always gave her some kind of longing feeling - one she had always suppressed the urge to indulge until now. She was a college drop out with no plan of going back any time soon. And working at the florist shop wasn’t exactly unfulfilling but she wanted to do more. Ameile hated the feeling of being lost, but for once, she thought - just once - she would do something for herself and not what people expected or wanted from her. Reaching up, she picked a teal ukulele off the wall and turned to her right. “Do you think this would be too hard to learn? I mean, it’s probably easier than trying to learn the guitar, right?”

            while nora loves music, she knows next to nothing about instruments. the only “  instruments  ”  she knows how to use are paint brushes. she played violin for a year in elementary school but god, she remembers nothing about it. sometimes she likes to browse around the shop at whatever’s on sale, lingering to see if she can find jasper while he has a second. she’s caught by a question, instinctively turning and giving a small shrug.  “  i don’t know, it guess it depends on if you want to learn how to play. it’s a smaller version of a guitar... so it has to be, right ? or, at least not as challenging.  ”

“Ha, yeah. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was seven months pregnant.” Thea chuckles, shaking her head. It had definitely been a shock back then, but now it was a fun story to tell. She was so lucky and so thankful that Freya had been born without any complications and that she was growing up to be a happy, healthy kid. “Yeah? That’s exciting! I remember hearing Freya’s heartbeat for the first time. There’s nothing like it, you’ll see.” 

            “  that is certainly one hell of a surprise.  ”  she agrees, shaking her head in disbelief. to find out she was pregnant was shocking in itself, but if she found out she was suddenly seven months pregnant ? nora can’t imagine. it’s exciting, to imagine mapleview filled with kids, one of which will be her own. maybe even more, down the line.  “  i’m so excited. i wish nine months would just fly by, you know ? i’m trying to cherish every second but more than anything, i just want to meet them. being over with pregnancy symptoms sounds good too.  ”

“so something i learned from my trip to iceland with nora is that i look just like one of iceland’s most famous heartthrobs,” said adrien. “his name is þórarinn hjálmarsson and, well, i racked up quite the reaction back there. get your autographs while i’m still at mapleview because i’ll be shooting for european stardom soon.” he was kidding, absolutely just kidding, though one may think otherwise if you were yet to be acquainted with adrien and his jokes. he really committed to this arrogant schtick. “i have to bank on these looks, right? i can’t just waste it on being a doctor. pfft.” + @mapleviewstarters​

            there’s a cheeky roll of her eyes, not bothering to hide a huge grin.  “  yes, it was very fun taking pictures for people who clearly aren’t fans of the real guy,  ”  after numerous google searches, nora’s come to the belief that though they share similarities, the two aren’t entirely twins.  “  european stardom, huh ? you’ll remember you’re engaged with a baby on the way, right ?  ”  entirely teasing along with his jokes, she smiles to reassure him she isn’t serious. nora isn’t the jealous type, but she has no qualms about showing off adrien as her fiancé to anyone who will listen.  “  i have another idea for those looks for yours,  ”  she instinctively pulls him close, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

LOCATION: happy trails TIME: afternoon AVAILABILITY: closed, @ofnoras

“ And I adopted my second pup! Well, she’s not really a puppy anymore but she’s incredible and I cannot wait for you to meet her. ” Rory smiles widely ( and quite proudly too ) at her best friend as the two catch up on the things Nora had missed while on her trip away from Mapleview. The brunette was leaning against the counter as she waited for Nora to finish whatever she was doing so they could leave to grab lunch together. Rory would’ve waited until they were sat down on a comfortable table but the woman was a naturally excited person and needed to get the things out instead of overwhelming Nora later – as if she hadn’t just done that but she was sure the other was used to it by now. “ I also ran into all of my exes at the festival while you were away scouting wedding locations. Isn’t that lovely? ” Rory lightheartedly jokes, a chuckle following the question.

            the thought of a new addition to rory’s pet family has nora squealing behind the register counter. she’s going as fast as she can, excited to spend some much needed time with her best friend. the promise of food isn’t so bad, either.  “  well, you have to show me a picture ! have you picked a name yet ?  ”  the same questions she asks her customers who walk in, singing praises about their own puppies. only this time, it’s a pet she’ll come to know and love entirely too well. nora makes sure to lock up the register and not leave any valuables sitting on the counter, though there’s thankfully never been an issue before. her pregnancy paranoia has spread and she can’t help but be a bit cautious. finally, she stands back up straight, leading rory toward the exit.  “  what, really ? who ? tell me everything !  ”