#meet mac!

TW: pregnancy, child abandonment.

JANUARY 3RD, 1971: mckayla gertrude holcomb is born as the youngest of five siblings, in old saybrook, connecticut. they’re born only eleven months after one of their siblings. unlike the others, mac was an afterthought.

SEPTEMBER, 1977: mac meets a boy in kindergarten. he’s got hair that seemingly goes every which way, and a mind that’s razor sharp. mac doesn’t know it yet, but jones dworkin is going to change their life forever. they’re inseparable, you never saw one without the other. 

MAY, 1979: mckayla’s gifted a yellow notebook by their godmother, old lucy.  old lucy believed in writing down everything, because people were worth remembering. they spend the summers of first & second grade writing down any and everything they can see. they even begin writing tall tales, of dragons, fairies, princesses in high towers. they never stop writing. 

MAY, 1982: mckayla’s made lab partners with olive eastman in the 7th grade. olive’s a transfer from hartford, and mac is instantly pulled into her orbit. so were a few others. a friend group is formed, but mac never forgets about their first friend.  they take olive to see annie with them, thinking that jones wouldn’t exactly enjoy a movie about a scrappy orphan. 

JULY, 1986:  mac’s begun to get letters. countless letters. all from one boy, someone they thought they would rarely ever see again. they start writing, and eventually, jones is back in her life. there are nights spent under the stars in mac’s yard, ice cream dates at the pier. that summer is the best thing to happen to them. 

FEBURARY, 1987: high school is interesting without jones by their side. olive and their friend group helps a bit, but mac misses her partner in crime. during one english period, they’re approached by their english teacher, who tells them that they should consider being a journalist, or a writer. 

APRIL, 1987: mac holds her teacher’s words close to their chest. their parents always talk about wanting the best for their children, saying that they’ll all study medicine or law. one night, mac brings up wanting to be a writer to their parents. their father laughs in their face. their mother tells them that writing isn’t a real career.  they send several angry letters to jones after this. 

NOVEMBER, 1987: mac’s gone off to nyu on a partial scholarship. they managed to convince their parents that they’d be doing the world some good by being a journalist, so they help them pay for school. they’re handling it well, classes are interesting, they’ve made a few acquaintances here and there, and surprisingly, olive is their roommate. 

AUGUST, 1988: it happens so fast. they're all hanging out at the pier they've frequented every other week for the past year and a half. olive’s drunk, she could never hold her liquor well, and ends up getting into a fight with one of their friends. it’s quick, and with an accidental shove, olive’s in the water, trying to stay afloat.  mac doesn’t notice at first, but once they hear yelling coming from the water below, their head whips around in an instant. they feel jones’s hand in theirs, pulling them away, and they go without hesitation. 

MARCH, 1991: they’re at their favorite coffee shop when he finds them again. it’s their brother’s birthday, of course they had to come home. they like to people watch, seated at a table in a corner. they’re on yellow notebook number 5 at this point, having filled them all up with observations and passages; anything and everything in their mind.  they barely recognize him at first, but after looking at him, they know: it’s their jones. they talk, and by the time the night ends, they’re in mac’s old room, and she knows that the future they wants has him in it. and when they see two lines on a pregnancy test, mac’s filled with excitement and worry, but at least he’s by their side.

DECEMBER, 1991: shelby jane holcomb dworkin is born in their hometown. mac’s transferred to uconn at this point, wanting to be close to her parents in case anything goes wrong. they’re in the middle of a class when their water breaks. they’re rushed to the hospital, and jones is right by their side for every minute of it. when their daughter arrives, mac’s the happiest they’ve ever been, or will ever be.

APRIL, 1992: mac’s overcome with anxiety and depression. shelby jane seemingly cries every time mac holds her. she’s colicky, and only jones seems to be able to calm her down. mckayla remembers her own mother, how she wasn’t the greatest parent, and worries that it’s best for shelby jane if they leave. so they pack a suitcase one night, scribble a note that isn’t all that eloquent, and leave their house keys on the kitchen table. 

JULY, 1992: they get a job at the las vegas sun. they’re an assistant, doing grunt work and getting coffee, but at least their foot’s in the door. they become a reporter later that year, having proven themselves by researching and following up on a story someone else claimed. they’re not afraid to use unorthodox methods to go after what they want, including becoming friends with their targets. they crash on the occam’s razor’s couch while they get their bearings in the city. they get a bumblebee tattoo to remind them of shelby jane.

JUNE, 1995: they’ve found out that jones is in vegas too. instantly, mac tries their hardest to ignore him. they learn his schedule so they never meet, but mac knows he’s there. jones and shelby jane haunt their mind, and mac doesn’t know how they’d fare if they came back into her life. they want to try to be a parent again, but wouldn’t know where to start. but something is pulling them back into jones’ orbit.

SPIRNG, 1997: mac’s a full time reporter with the sun. they’ve been taken under the wing of the trailblazer, but they want to make a name for themselves. they have big ambitions, editor in chief being the biggest one. they’re on the brink of figuring out what’s going on in this city, and they will uncover the secrets of vegas, even if it means spilling the secrets of its residents.

🖊️ tidbits!!

main color is bright yellow.

is a total nerd, watches star trek religiously, and loves movies. can often be found at the movies, just to catch a showing.

misses their daughter like crazy, and regrets leaving. they were just in a bad place. wears a little bumblebee pin on their lucky jacket to remind them of shelby jane. 

lover of nightlife. they still people watch, and carries a small yellow notebook where they write down everything they see. 

they're working on a fantasy novel, but don’t expect them to talk about it. they will only discuss it with people they're extremely close to. 

they WILL ask invasive questions unprovoked, especially if they find you interesting.