Sloane Ross

Patrick stood frozen in front of the cereal aisle at the grocery store, staring intently at two boxes of cereal in his hands. “Okay, hear me out,” he said, turning to the nearest person. “Do I go with the one that has marshmallows but probably tastes like regret? Or this one, which is healthy but makes me feel like I’m chewing on sadness?”

Sloane arched a brow as she crossed her arms, barely holding back a laugh. "Patrick, I love you, but this is not a life-or-death decision. It's cereal, not a marriage proposal." She tapped her chin dramatically before pointing at the marshmallow-filled box. "Go with the one that tastes like regret. At least you'll enjoy the ride before the sugar crash." Then, with a smirk, she added, "Besides, if you go with the healthy one, you’re just gonna end up staring at it in disappointment every morning like it's personally betrayed you. And let’s be real—you’re gonna steal my snacks anyway."

"Well it's officially that time of year where I have to tell people not to get their partner's name tattooed on them because it's usually a curse for relationships." @rededgerpstarterblog

Sloane snorted and shot back, "Ah yes, the annual 'Please Don't Jinx Your Love Life with Ink' PSA. A noble cause, Damon." She smirked, then added, "Honestly, at this point, tattoo shops should offer a special package—‘Couples’ Names & Breakup Cover-Ups: Buy One, Get One Free.’ Or at least throw in a complimentary pint of ice cream for when the regret kicks in." she teased, "But hey, if someone insists on doing it, they should at least pick a font that screams ‘bad decisions’—like Comic Sans."

Mila laughed " Ha! Cookiepocalypse? I might use that name for when I do a box of variety cookies. That's a good one," she nodded her head. " Then I'll put underneath 'Who need teeth anyway?' and it'll be a hit for like a Halloween special or something," she laughed.

Sloane grinned, rolling up her sleeves like she was about to embark on some grand mission. "Well, Mila, I’m attempting the whole housewife thing. You know—baking, domestic goddess vibes, making my husband weak with the power of homemade cookies. Very vintage, very 1950s with a modern twist—minus the oppression, obviously." She winked, grabbing a handful of mix-ins and dramatically sprinkling them into the dough. "But honestly, Jayce has been dealing with my wedding Pinterest obsession like a champ, so I figured I’d bribe him with sugar before I bombard him with more flower arrangements and venue options. Keep the man happy so he doesn’t run away before we even make it to the altar." She smirked, then eyed the dough. "And if this ends up a disaster… well, I guess we’ll be having a real Cookiepocalypse."

Jayce chuckled when he heard and felt Sloane on him. "Hmm, I think I'm down for everything except for the quiz on floral arrangements, I don't think I'd be able to pass that." He joked and looked over his shoulder at his wife but gave her a warm smile. "Kiss first and then Pinterest, yeah?"

Sloane smirked against his skin, her lips brushing the curve of his neck as her arms tightened around him. "Mmm, I don’t know, Jayce. I think you’d look pretty damn good surrounded by flowers," she teased, pressing a slow, lingering kiss just below his ear. "But fine, I’ll allow a little distraction before our deep dive into Pinterest wedding chaos." She shifted, turning him slightly so she could capture his lips properly, her fingers slipping into his hair as she deepened the kiss. It was slow, teasing, a promise of everything she felt for him. When she finally pulled back, her eyes glowed with something soft yet mischievous. "Cherry blossoms," she murmured, tracing a fingertip down his jaw. "Imagine it, Jayce. Us, standing beneath them, petals falling like a blessing. You in a suit, me in white… And absolutely no quizzes on floral arrangements—just us."

"Like yelling at a computer has any effect on the functionality of the internal cooling fan. "Please tell me he doesn't actually believe that." Emersyn laughed.

Sloane snorted, shaking her head. “I wish I could tell you he doesn’t believe that, but let’s be real—some people truly think technology responds to aggressive yelling. Maybe he thinks intimidation will scare the fan into working properly.” She smirked, then waved a hand. Sloane paused for a second, then shrugged. “Personally, I’m all about something simple but elegant. Like, a beautiful setup, great food, and just the people who actually matter—not a huge, over-the-top production that feels more like a performance than a celebration. I have thought though of doing the celebration back in China. My family has an Inn there we could let everyone stay, I just... I don't know, it's hard to decide because my image of my perfect wedding day is now very different from when I dreamed of it at the age of 7." Sloane admits with a laugh. "Is it bad though....that I also want to please my mom but her ideas are too extreme for me...like how do I..." Sloane pauses before chuckling. "Why is wedding planning so hard." she laughs at herself.

"I'm not going to tell you who" Bonnie said with a smirk" but I can tell you that I regret not marrying them" Bonnie said and shrugged"I keep wondering what my life would be if i wasnt so scared and standoffish when it comes to comittment" She sighted, bonnie rarely opened up, when she did, she was blunt on honest.

Sloane raised an eyebrow, tilting her head as she studied Bonnie. "Damn, Bon. That’s a pretty big confession to just drop in the middle of a conversation." She let out a breath, swirling the drink in her glass before taking a sip. "You know, I’ve never seen you as scared. Standoffish? Sure. But scared? That’s new." She leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Do you still think about them? Like… if you had the chance, would you go back and try again?"

"Exactly, see, you get it." Emersyn laughed "I've been good. Salon opens back up on Monday the 6th so I was enjoying the last few days of no real schedule." the blonde admitted. "Speaking of Jayce though, how's married life treating you?"

Sloane grinned, tucking her legs beneath her as she leaned back. “Ah, married life? Honestly, it’s amazing—being hitched to a computer nerd is like having my own personal tech support and an endless supply of random fun facts. Did you know that computers can technically overheat faster if you yell at them? He told me that last week. Completely useless, but somehow endearing.” She let out a laugh, then added with a mock groan, “But now, for the sake of my mom and Jayce’s mom, I need to start planning the actual ceremony. You know, the one with flowers, vows, and Aunt Trudy crying in the third row.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “I swear, I’d be fine with a backyard barbecue and a playlist of the cheesiest love songs, but apparently, I’m ‘robbing people of the experience.’” Sloane leaned forward with a smirk. “So, any tips for making a wedding look Pinterest-perfect without losing my sanity? Because I’m pretty sure both moms are secretly expecting a royal-level production.”

It feels so good to sleep in my own bed. This may sound silly, but I missed my blankets and my pillows. I swear they hug me tighter at night after a long trip. @rededgerpstarterblog

Sloane laughed softly, nodding in agreement. "Not silly at all, Em! I totally get it. There’s just something about your own bed, right? Like, no matter how nice a hotel is or how fancy the sheets are, it never compares. Your blankets and pillows know you—they’ve got your back... literally!" She grinned, grabbing her mug of tea. "Honestly, I think my mattress missed me too. We’ve been having a serious love affair since I got back. Even Jayce is a little jealous." Sloane jokes with a chuckle, "What about you? Feeling like you’re back in the groove yet?"

Bonnie chuckles " You know me, everything I do is crazyness" She jokes playfully. " Allthough, I must admit, crushing on an ex is some next level crazy shit"

Sloane arched an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Next level? Bonnie, please. That’s not next level; that’s the whole damn elevator ride to rock bottom. But hey, at least you’re consistent in your brand of chaos.” Thinking about what her friend just said, Sloane paused before backtracking. "Wait...did I not hear you properly... ok... which ex and why are you putting yourself through that again?"

"Well, it already looks like a battlefield so that's half the work" Marisol chuckles as she grabs an apron at Sloan's request. She grabs the gingerbreadman missing a foot and starts icing it, she put red frosting on the end of the leg, making it look like a bloody half foot.

Sloane grins as she watches Marisol’s creativity at work. "A battlefield? More like a war zone now. That poor gingerbread guy—he’s seen things no cookie should ever see." She picks up another half-broken cookie and waggles it in the air. She admired Marisol's handiwork; Sloane was definitely impressed. "But hey, now it’s officially a casualty of dessert warfare. Ready to make some sweet reinforcements?"

Tanner raised an eyebrow, taking in the chaos. "Well, this is… something." He smirked and grabbed the nearest apron, tying it around his waist with exaggerated care. "I’m here for the rescue mission, but I can't promise I'll be much help with the icing. Last time I tried, the cookies looked like they'd survived a war." He moved over to the counter, eyeing the gingerbread man with a critical look. "You sure this one lost its leg in a 'questionable' icing incident? Or did it just get caught in the crossfire?" Tanner plucked the gingerbread man from her hand, making a show of inspecting it with a mock-serious expression. "Either way." He continued. "Looks like we’ve got a lot of work to do. You gonna show me how this is done, or should I just start making the cookies even worse?" He grinned.

Sloane couldn’t help but chuckle at Tanner's antics, her initial frustration melting away like the frost on a warm cookie. "Oh, you've got the spirit of a true pastry warrior," she said, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter. "And I’ll have you know, that gingerbread man was a victim of frosting gone terribly wrong. It’s a sad tale of betrayal, really." She walked over to the scattered supplies, grabbing a piping bag and filling it with vibrant blue icing. "I guess it’s on me to teach you the ways of the icing, but be warned—there's more to it than just squeezing a bag and hoping for the best. It's an art form, and what you see before you is… well, an abstract representation of holiday spirit, clearly." Sloane held up a cookie for him to inspect, a crooked Christmas tree adorned with lopsided ornaments. "If you think I’m up for a challenge, just wait until you see my snowflakes. They look like they’ve been through a blizzard and came out the other side half-melted." She tossed him a spatula. "Ready your battle station, Tanner. Follow my lead, and who knows? We might just turn this chaos into a masterpiece—or at least a sweet disaster." She winked, her competitive spirit ignited as she prepared for the culinary combat ahead.

Text: Mrs. King