not broken, just bent

“Ahh, I gotcha. Say no more.” Naz nodded with understanding. There really wasn’t a reason to linger in discussion about it, after all, most stories of heartbreak had the same familiar undertones of distrust, resentment, misunderstanding, miscommunication, cowardice. She felt an inward eye roll particularly at the last sentiment on her list. “Sorry you’ve had a hard time. Hopefully with some time things will get better.” Even though that had far from her own truth. “I wish I had better unsolicited advice for you. I can offer up a night of free drinks and my company if that helps.”

Managing to hold it back, Rebecca almost let out a sigh of relief as the other woman seemed to get the message -- that she was in no mood to talk about her problems. “Thank you. I appreciate that but we’ll see. I believe that’s something just they say to try and help people believe that there really is a light at the end of the end of the tunnel.” She tried her best to hold her tongue, trying not to let her melancholy mood or sarcasm ruin things too much. “I could appreciate the free drinks and company, that’s for sure. Besides, unsolicited advice? Does anyone ever appreciate that?” The slightest hint of a laugh escaped her lips as Rebecca shook her head.

Noah shrugged. He knew what she meant without having to finish her thought. Was he supposed to, as far as he’s been concerned a shot doesn’t hurt. As long as it stays one and it does. “Sounds good, although I will have switch off from alcohol after this one.” A warning was best some guys a few drinks in would take offense when he wouldn’t keep up with them. “How long of a time we talking? I’m thinking maybe we celebrate that.” Get your mind off of the bad day.  

“Oh come on! Surely you can have more than just one. Two maybe?” Rebecca pouted, attempting to smile at him, although, she did wonder how many times he’d drink just one with how many different bar patrons. Surely just one turned into many by the end of the night? “Uh, well, let’s just go with a very long time. Probably not too long after I had my first child.” The words rolled off with a shrug of her shoulders. “I stopped partying like I used to and frankly? It might be time to hop on board that band wagon again since you know -- I’m single and apparently ready to mingle. Or at least, get over things.” Becca mentioned sarcastically. 

marlow had to respect that, a shrug falling from her shoulders. “fair enough.” she mused. after all, she had no idea what the other had been through, had no knowledge to judge the woman on her choices either way. “you wanna talk about it…or want a drinking buddy?” it was the least she could offer. a little girl on girl support, didn’t matter if they were strangers. strangers were just friends you hadn’t met yet. 

“Honestly?” A slow chuckle left her lips. She was trying real hard not to be cynical but after the day she’d just had, it was hard not to. “I’m really not up for much talking tonight. I think I’m all talked out.” She shrugged her shoulders although, truthfully, Rebecca appreciated the little extra support. “I’ll drink if you’re down for it. First round’s on me so long as we don’t have to talk my issues. Anything but that, please.”

Sloane sat on the stool next to the woman as she slipped in, a few french fries settling between her fingertips as she glanced towards her cup of ginger ale. She wasn’t planning on saying anything until the woman began to slip off her wedding ring and trying to give it to the bartender. “I’m not drinkin’ but… can I buy your next round?”

Embarrassment made its way across Becca’s features. She was so out of it, she hadn’t realized the other woman was paying enough attention to witness the whole ordeal unfold. “Oh gosh, no, you don’t have to.” The heat rushed to her cheeks as Rebecca shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. Pity drinks are -- let’s not go there. Don’t worry about it. I’m perfectly fine.” She tried to hide her embarrassment with a fake smile.

At her intense reaction, his brow furrow in confusion. He picked up the drink and sniffed, wondering if maybe he’d calculated wrong. It smelled fine to him, but then again, growing up in a multicultural house like he did, maybe his sense was ‘spicy’ was somewhat skewed… “How about a root beer float? I keep the ingredients on hand for every time my niece comes around.” 

“Yeah, yeah, okay -- a root beer float. Gimmie. I’ll take anything right now to take the heat off of this.” She didn’t even think twice, setting the glass back down on the counter top and pushing it towards Leo. “You know, usually before you serve up a new drink, you should probably try it for yourself first. You didn’t do that, did you?” A small laugh left her lips as Rebecca shook her head gently, still attempting to fan herself down.

     “I take your ‘no’ and replace it with yes, I win!” He declared despite her protest, a convincing argument but one that wouldn’t convince him to decide anything but. “Go on then, choose whatever it is your heart desires, because…” Matt did a little victory dance, “I won.” He was a professional at annoying people, he had been getting practice for decades thanks to his younger sister and this was no different. “As long as it’s not vodka or whiskey, I’m happy and—” He found a stool and sat down, leaning on the bar to make a promise, “I will never talk about my victory again.” He paused, “This week.”

“God, and I’m sure you’ve been told this many times before but you are so annoying.” Rebecca replied, rolling her eyes with an over dramatic sigh before she gently shoved Matt in the shoulder jokingly. “And I’m sure you’re also going to hear it plenty more times in the future too. For the rest of your entire life.” She set the pool cue aside. Any other day, Becca would’ve probably forced the game to continue, let it run its full course until one of them actually defeated the other but not tonight -- she needed a drink badly. “Oh come on, not vodka and not whiskey? You’re almost ruling out all of the fun stuff here, Matty.” Rebecca pouted at him, pretending to whine for a moment before making her way up towards the bar. “So then.... tequila shots?” She tipped her head at him, challengingly, wondering if she would get a protest out of that. 

“Oh, no. If it’s a hideous ring, I’d say ‘Aw! That’s nice’ with a really big smile,” Celeste chuckled. “Don’t tell anyone that, though,” she spoke in a lower voice as she smiled. “You could do that too. I know a jeweler who would gladly take that off your hands, turn it into something else and maybe get rid of all the bad omen that comes with it,” Celeste said. It was clear to her that the divorce must have been fresh and a terrible one. “Let me get you another round. I think we both might need some winding down today. You can tell me all about what he did, I’m all ears,” she flagged the bartender, ordering them another round of drinks.

“Mmm, I appreciate the honesty there but now I know your tricks of the trade. Don’t worry-- I won’t tell a soul.” A slight smile tugged at the corners of Becca’s lips as she looked over at Celeste before pocketing her ring instead of placing it back on her finger. “Truthfully, I just... don’t even want to see it at all anymore.” The words came out quietly although she nodded, the idea of another round of drinks was music to her ears. “Oh no, it’s... it’s not that. Nothing went terribly wrong at all, I think. I don’t actually know.” She mumbled, realizing her words were probably not making any sense at all. “It’s just... what do you do when a marriage has run its course and it’s all fizzled out, right? You can’t just... stay together and force it to work out, can you? There’s no music that’s going to happen.” Rebecca breathed out, suddenly unsure if she were merely just thinking our loud or whether her questions were rhetorical. 

“Can’t say you haven’t done your good deed for the year, right?” Nic thought out loud, “if anything, it’s a guarantee ticket to the big castle upstairs.” If you know, one believed in that kind of thing, then you guess one could say something like that. Nic simply watched as her friend began to catch up, at what some would say an alarmly quick rate. Nic, however, considered it just about right. She gave her a wicked smile, before a quick shake of her head. “Don’t know if you could really claim that one, Bec. My luck, in general, is pretty shitty, so in all truth, it could be a list of things. This one simply being nothing more then a coincidence.” She meant her words as nothing more then a lighthearted joke, only, she also know the realness behind them. There was a awkward silence that fell between them, a tension at Rebecca’s response. One that would be broken with a small smile, and firm shake of her head. “Please, you’re a total MILF, and lets be real, freedom is where it’s at.” She stated, “You gave marriage a try, you’re better than I there. ‘Cause fuck that, and it didn’t work. Onto bigger and much better things.” She held up the next shot glass, and tilted it towards her friend, “Lets cheer to that.”

“Mmhm, well either that or Santa Claus better give me a real nice gift this year to make up for... well, of all this. What a shambles, huh?” Rebecca tipped her head to the side as she waved a hand in the air. Truthfully, as much as she was trying not to feel too upset about the divorce, there was a part of her that felt completely numb to it. Maybe because in a way, the whole thing seemed like it was a long time coming. “Oh god,” A snort left Rebecca’s lips, suddenly perking up a little at Nic’s joke and the slightest hint of a smile cracked through -- probably the first time she’d actually managed to smile in the whole damned day. “You know -- I ain’t going to lie. As much as some people would be offended by the whole MILF thing, I’m kind of digging that one.Is it too soon to start playing the field again?” It was meant completely as a joke but reckless casual sex was what had got her pregnant in the first place a long time ago. Not that Rebecca regretted it now even if she did feel incredibly guilty that her kids wouldn’t have the picture perfect mom and dad life. “Fuck, between you and I? A part of me is surprised that I even managed to make it six, almost seven years.” She rolled her eyes for a moment. Commitment to anything had never really been her strong suit but there was always that hopeless part of her that thought maybe this was going to work. “And I don’t know about bigger, but I’d definitely hope better.” She clinked her shot glass against Nic’s before downing the shot, the burn a welcome distraction from all the rest of her current problems swirling around. 

Frankie could relate slightly to some of the comments but also wondered if her own divorce would feel the same way. She had been married for a long time but neither had been committed to each other. With her husband’s recent return, it brought more questions than it did answers and had made her confused. “I’m sorry to hear that,” Frankie said sympathetically as she waved the bartender over. It was never easy and it seemed that the two hadn’t really communicated a lot towards the end. “Let’s get some shots going and hopefully make you forget all of that. Onwards and upwards, right? Better things are on the horizon.”

“You know what-- let’s just... forget about the whole I’m sorry thing, alright? I’m probably going to hear it a whole lot more during the next few months that I’m sick of it already.” Rebecca replied, letting the words roll off her shoulders. It was only a few hours in and she could already sense the whole pity party thing coming her way. If she could skip that stage with Frankie then she was more than happy to. “God, yes. It’s been years since I’ve got properly drunk. We’ve got some lost time to make up for, babe.” She let out a laugh, trying not to sound too much like an eager beaver. After all, what better way to get over her problems then to drown them out with alcohol?

He was used to the go-around, people didn’t really say what was up until a few drinks in. No ones looking to spill their woes but in the past, Noah has found it helps to have someone to vent to and he was alright with that being him, so he left it alone for now. “I’ll be sure to take you up on that before you go then.” He poured himself a shot and raised it towards her. “Cheers then, to warming up.” 

“Mmhmm, sure.” A slow hum left her lips. She knew he was just being polite. It was most likely the case that he wouldn’t remember at all but honestly, right now there were bigger things on Rebecca’s mind like trying to forget the terrible day she’d just had. “Wait, are you--?” even supposed to be drinking? She didn’t bother to finish her sentence, letting the words fall away with a shrug instead. If he was going to drink with her then she certainly wasn’t going to complain. “You know what? You’re right. Cheers to warming up. And getting drunk. For the first time in a very long time.” She changed courses figuring it was fine given the children weren’t staying at her place for the night. She’d deal with the consequences of nursing a handover in the morning on her own.

     "You have hand eye coordination, you just launched that thing into outer space.” Matt laughed, using his cue to lean on as he swung back and forth gently, listening to her proposal that in his mind sounded like a forfeit. His eyes narrowed and Matt tried to remember the last time he had won a game, a memory from some years ago seemingly suggesting that it had been a long time before. “Does this mean I win?” He asked, giving her a nod. “Because if so, I’m taking it. And I’ll buy the beers—” He flashed her a grin and put is cue back on its board. “Your choice, go wild.”

“Does this mean you win?  Heck no -- of course not. I’m just...  tired of trying to finish off a game that clearly isn’t going to be ending any time soon.” A sigh had left her lips. Of course, Rebecca knew that she was terrible at the game altogether but still, the competitive streak in her didn’t want to give Matt the satisfaction of letting him win. “It’s been a week Matt. You know I love you but if you’re buying drinks and I need to forfeit this match to boost your ego then I think I’m going to need a little something stronger than just beers. Otherwise we call it even before I have to listen to you remind me about how you beat me at pool for the rest of my life.” She teased.

“Ah,” Celeste nodded slowly, looking at her drink, finally understanding that the woman must have gone through a bad break up –– maybe with her fiancé or husband. “I’m sorry,” she said, not knowing what else to say because she did not want to seem insensitive but at the same time she did not want to offend her. A laugh escaped her lips, “Oh, it’s not that; it’s just a very exquisite ring. I see a lot of diamond rings at work –– I’m a wedding planner and brides always show me their rings whenever they first walk into my office –– so yours is definitely one of the most impressive ones I’ve seen,” she complimented the woman. “If your ex is not asking for it back, I think you should keep it. Turn it into something else pretty like a necklace as a symbol of moving on or starting a new life out of your past or something like that.”

A slow laugh left Rebecca’s lips though she shook her head at Celeste. It was funny how things had happened, quickly jumping into a spur of the moment marriage and then a year later he’d bought her an actual ring to make up for the fact that they’d never really properly got engaged or anything. Now the ring weighed so heavily on her finger whenever she did wear it. “Is that a line you always feed to them to make them feel happy and excited about their engagement?”  It was hard not to be cynical as Rebecca tipped her head at the other woman but happy wasn’t exactly the current mood either. “I think I’d rather just get rid of it altogether honestly. Start fresh. Completely new instead of recycling that reminds me of bad memories.” She shrugged.

“You’re probably rich,” Frankie said as she tucked the ring in her back pocket because she didn’t have to be told twice. Plus she’d be damned if she just threw it away and some other poor fucker found it and pawned it. “I’m guessing that the two of you didn’t end on the best of terms, hm?” Her nose wrinkled then as she brought her drink to her lips and peered back at her. “Don’t worry, I’ll take it out of your hands and you won’t ever have to see it again. Technically I’m already married, er, somewhat, but it’ll go to a good home — I promise.” She rose three fingers to give her scouts honour. “Just tell me, did he cheat on you?”

Rebecca let the first comment slide, opting to bite her tongue instead. There was no point arguing nor did she really feel like it. “Eh, well, it is what it is. I don’t think anyone ever walks away from a divorce settlement with a bottle of wine and a pat on the back.” She didn’t really know what to make out of it -- the whole thing still felt numb even though the now finalized divorced had been lingering in the air for a few months now. It was finally done and dusted. “Honestly? I don’t know. He’d been so distant for the last few months I wouldn’t be surprised if he had. Probably would’ve made this whole thing easier to walk away from if I knew he had been.” She pressed her lips together, trying not to think of her two kids.

Noah was about halfway through his shift, nothing out of the ordinary which can be good ana easy night is always good. But that changed shortly after a routine order. “Everything alright over there?” He asked across the bar, preparing her drink. Usually, the drink was ordered by an older guy, not someone looking to have fun. He slid her the drink and eyed the ring. She couldn’t really be serious, could she? He shrugged. “Its nice I wouldn’t having one.” Or at least the money he could get from it. “Nah you keep it, you might change your mind in a few days.” 

“Mmm -- perfectly fine. Just needing something to warm me up a little.” The lie rolled off her lips although given Rebecca’s glum mood, it probably wasn’t  at all convincing in the slightest. If anything, her entry and the attempt to give away the damn ring had said more than enough. “Oh trust me, I may not be sure of a lot of things right now but changing my mind on this? There’s no way. The offers still on the table.” She shrugged, slipping the ring into her purse instead since it no longer had a place nor a purpose to be displayed on her finger anymore.

It seemed like stopping by the neighborhood bar on the way home from work had become a bit of a habit and not a good one. It wasn’t as though she had hit rock bottom but she had become careless with her drinking and was a little more fargone than she cared to admit. Naz was making a case for taking her tired ass home in her head when she caught the tail end of the exchange between the bartender and the brunette. “Nice ring. I bet I could make a case for keeping it, for the value alone,” she said, letting an appraising gaze take in the rock. “So what’s the story? What they do that pissed you off bad enough to give up a nice ring like that?”

Admittedly, there was a brief moment where Rebecca stopped to think for a moment. The bartender obviously didn’t want it given he politely declined but neither did Rebecca. “Possibly, yeah but it’s of no value to me now.” She understood the other woman had obviously meant selling it off but it was hard not to be glum and in her head about things especially after the day she’d had today. “Oh baby girl, trust me. You don’t want to hear it.” Her attention turned towards Naz for a moment before Rebecca paused to raise the glass of whiskey to her lips. “I’m on a train riding towards the middle of no where, and guess what? We’ve just stopped off right at divorce city for a nightly pit-stop.” She knew the other woman probably wouldn’t care too much but she asked and Rebecca had answered.

marlow had been scrolling on her phone at the bar when the other woman appeared, muttering about the day she’d had, and marlow couldn’t help but watch her. a brow raised when she saw the other handing over the ring to the bartender. “quite a gesture.” the brunette mused, wondering what the motive behind that was – though it was reasonably easy to guess. a breakdown of a relationship of some kind. was giving away the ring an impulse gesture? something she’d regret? maybe… though it wasn’t exactly marlow’s place to step in and say that. still, perhaps she could offer some kind of support. “sure you’re not going to reconsider in the morning?” 

A huff left Rebecca’s lips the moment after she’d taken a sip of the amber liquid. Enough to warm her up just a little and take the heat off things yet not quiet enough to quell her emotions. “Believe me -- I am quite sure of myself. Wouldn’t be trying to get rid of this damn thing if I wasn’t.” Her lips pressed together for a moment as her words were followed by a slow nod. “I should’ve given it away sooner if you really ask me.”