#sweetshadcw

SHE  SHOULD  HAVE  BEEN   more  prepared  for  this .  coming  back  to  ashcroft  and  reopening  that  door  was  something  she  had  decided  after  years  of  not  being  here .  her  one  goal  was  to  get  closer  to  her  kids .  that  was  it .  she  wanted  to  be  in  their  lives  and  she  wanted  to  be  able  to  spend  the  time  with  them  she’d  lost .  coming  back ,  however ,  meant  seeing  him  again .  it  meant  opening  the  oliver  sinclair  door  again  &  mentally  she  knew  she  wasn’t  ready  for  that .  she  hadn’t  exactly  had  plans  to  rip  the  bandaid  off  so  when  she  literally  bumped  into  him  on  the  way  out  of  the  grocery  store  ––  well  it  was  just  her  luck .          ‘  oh  i’m  so  ––   ’     god ,  he  looked  different ,  yet  she  still  found  herself  barely  able  to  catch  her  breath .         ‘  hi ?    ’    hi ,  ariana ?  really ?

katrina: did luna pick your meds up for you the other day?

alma rested her chin in her palm, giving nora an over-exaggerated pout, “ya know what sucks?” she didn't give the other any time to answer the question, “that we aren’t neighbors anymore. i mean, don’t get me wrong- i’m really, really glad to not be living in that house anymore.” she let out an exhausted breath at the thought, “but now i can’t just take ten steps and ring your doorbell a million times.” of course, there were some hidden benefits to no longer living so close to nora- namely, it was easier to ignore certain feelings about one of your best friends when you didn't live so close to her. 

“long time no see.” nira shot him a small smile, settling beside him at the bar. she hoped it wouldn’t be too awkward. nira liked oliver a lot and she completely understood why they didn't see much of one another anymore, but she still considered him a friend. she tried to hail down a bartender, “can i buy you a drink? and interrogate you about your life?” and about how sam is, she wanted to say, but didn’t, “how are you? how are things?” 

“nora!” audrey grinned, spotting her daughter in the kitchen, “just the person i was looking for.” it was no secret that audrey had always put nora under an abundance of pressure, but, in many ways, she had put her on a pedestal, always pushing her to continue the political lineage that their family had set forth, “i have a favor to ask- and if you don’t want to do it then that’s ok, but i think it would be a great opportunity for you. well, for us.” 

that was, until eyes settle on a particular piece of furniture that had once been in his own bedroom   ---   moving out was weird like that, even if it’d only been temporary. a   home   became just a   house,   and a safe space became another room. random bits of his personality had been removed from the inside   :   posters torn down, sheets and covers replaced, as well as the absence of a particular desk.   “   who said you could take this   ?   did mom   ?   ”   annoyance laces his tone but shea tries desperately to hide it as he makes his way over to the surface. words had been carved into the wood years ago, incorrect spelling and all. but despite how ugly it was, the desk was still   HIS.   “   jack any other shit of mine that i should know about   ?   ”

IT  WAS  A  TUESDAY       and  he’d  been  on  his  bed  on  his  second  solo  cup  of  pure  tequila  for  about  thirty  minutes  now .  conversation  had  slowed  down  to  an  almost  silence .  they  were  both  drinking  for  separate  reasons  ––  he  knew  that .  but  he  didn’t  necessarily  think  he  would  be  the  one  to  break  the  silence .          ‘  i  just  feel  dumb ,  ya  know .    ’     it  was  soft ,  and  he  wasn’t  sure  if  marian  was  asleep  or  not .          ‘  like  seriously  ––  fuck  me  and  being  dumb  in  relationships .    ’