trips to the brooklyn waterfront sans her son , aidan , came few & far between. but , with her son currently spending a few weeks with her stepfather upstate , lauren found herself granted the means to exert some flexibility. her schedule was often set in stone , void of spontaneity ; however , with the mental state the absence of her son had brought about , change seemed a necessity to keep her from falling over the metaphorical mental deep end. she sits upon a bench , legs crossed , eyes all aglow as they feast upon the brooklyn bridge. art supplies from the class she’d finished teaching only an hour prior serves as makeshift company beside her. she’s set on returning to her humble abode upon the clearing of her mind , but anxieties still ferment within her gut. she’ll pull her think jacket close to offset the chill of the wind , optics straying to the many businesses that lined her current location. they fall upon a bar , lingering long enough for her to deem her entrance into the establishment a necessary detour.
lauren’s lack of attendance at such locales wasn’t because she was anti-alcohol. in fact , she loved a good white wine. that much was true. however , she’d often indulge poised before a television screen or whilst idly perusing the web on her laptop. it was simply a rarity that she frequented bars or even so much as desired to step foot in one. quite frankly , it wasn’t her scene. even so , quiet moments came few & far between. perhaps it was absurd to assume a trip to the bar would remedy this dilemma , but rhyme or reason wasn’t truly a priority in these trying times. now , a drink was.
it’s then she steps foot within that upon which she’d set her sights just moments before, eyes flitting about. setting is pleasing enough , far less glitzy than those she’d been dragged to by companions within the distant memory that was collegiate life. young woman finds herself standing before the bar , idly checking her phone. steadies herself when the screen comes back empty & void of texts detailing distress. it was almost as if she expected her time alone to cut short. truthfully , she’s not sure if she’s relieved or dismayed. how strange. ❛ … hi , ❜ she chirps , a greeting directed to towards the bartender. smiles then , an action that comes real easy to full lips. the mere action momentarily absolves her of any feelings of being seemingly out of place. although , lauren supposed the latter wasn’t quite a thing , not when the most prominent criterion was the ability to pay. she settles in , art supplies within a bag before her feet. she wrings one hand about the other , unsure if she’d been heard. tone had been quite tame -- timid , even -- , so she doesn’t find the latter to be an impossibility. waves her hand meekly this time in hopes of drawing the attention of other. ❛ ah , hello , sorry -- excuse me ? ❜
4 @pendejotm <3












