#ft. steph

“Have you seen my wife? I’ve been punching above my weight for thirteen years. If I was hypothetically playing the game, Micah, dated her, she’d punch me if she wasn’t on this list. Jenny, she’s beautiful. Thea, she’s very pretty and lastly… Steph, she’s very pretty as well.”

Standing on the sidewalk, next to her car, Val looked across the road and tried to see into Kilwin’s ice cream shop and spot whoever it was behind the counter. Different errands had taken her downtown on her day off, and now that they were all done with she was ready to go back home and get some well-deserved rest after her 24 hour shift. Well, the ready part was questionable, as she stood there like some crazy person, squinting her eyes and trying to see past the ads and the decorations in the store window, and make out if Stephanie was working at the moment. 

They have been in one of their weaning off periods with radio silence and too many other things to focus on to remember to keep in touch with an ex. As always it didn’t mean that Val didn’t care about the girl, but she never really knew how to act or when to push for more face time. Between their breakup and the relationships they’ve both had since, it was easier to just disappear on the other one for stretches of time. Somehow, though, they always wound back in each other’s lives, like boomerangs. And Val was now trying to figure out if it was time to boomerang back into Steph’s life and see how she was doing, or if it was too soon for that. If she had spotted her at Kilwin’s, Val would have taken it as a sign, but with the traffic and the people going in and out of the store, it was impossible to tell. 

Huffing out a puff of air, she decided that today wouldn’t be the day she’d do it. A click on the car keys unlocked the vehicle, but as the Latina turned to open the door, she bumped into the very person she was trying to spot. “Steph, hey,” Val greeted, her breath stolen by the surprise, praying Steph hadn’t seen her stalking her workplace just then.

A week had gone by like a day since her return, and still Amy hadn’t made rounds with all her friends. Some had managed to wiggle their way into her schedule just about immediately, but for some she wanted to make it a more special occasion. It wasn’t to say some mattered more than others, but the milestones she had missed were much greater than others: like getting married, having a baby... 

God. Steph had a baby. Amy could barely contain the excitement at the thought. 

Her arms were full of bags packed with baby gifts (onesies, diapers, blankets─ you name it, she probably bought it), and a blue baby bottle balloon swayed in the air above her as she walked inside the restaurant (after a little struggle to open the door). She needed no help in spotting one of her favorite people in the whole world, and fought to contain the squeal as she rushed towards the table Steph had occupied. 

“Sorry I’m late, but I had to pack all of this up, and then I got so excited I hunted for my car keys for ten minutes before realizing they were in my hand the whole time,” she said in a soft voice in case Parker was asleep. “Hiii,” the greeting drawled from her lips as she put all aforementioned things down and pulled her friend into a tight embrace.

“I don’t like to single out anyone, especially when I have so many incredible people in my life and I’m grateful for them every day. But to honor those very closest to me: @aubreytaylcr, @naomi-owens, @stephlenox, @annabelweldon, @sommerstessa, @skovgards.”

⇥ LOCATION: their dorm room