Reiterations [Closed] - Printable Version
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RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 11-11-2016
Owen closed Keiavan in a one armed hug. He set the canister of peanuts on the ground long enough to help free the child from his tie and help him out of his coat. Owen tossed the clothing over the arm of the couch and worked to roll up Keiavan’s sleeves to his elbows. “That’s better isn’t it.” He muttered as he released the top button of Kei’s shirt. “Now you can breathe.” He smiled at the boy and rose again. “Do you want something to eat?”
Owen put his hand on the back of Kei’s shoulder and led him into the kitchen. Julianna had stocked the fridge with snacks for the child when he visited. Owen loaded Keiavan up with two Capri sun drinks and a package of Goldfish. “Go share with Rose.” He instructed the boy before returning to the living room.
When he returned, Owen had the peanuts, a fresh beer for himself, and a glass of white wine. He placed the wine in front of Julianna and lowered himself into the chair next to the couch. Lounging with his head propped on his hand, Owen fed himself nuts one-by-one and watched Aphrodite’s hands in Julianna’s hair. He seemed mesmerized by the action.
_____
Holland nudged Aphrodite’s arm and gestured at Owen and Keiavan with a look that said ‘I told ya so.’ His brows rose and he pursed his lips at the wink that passed for a greeting from Julianna. “Hello Julianna. Nice to see you.” He said toasting her with his mostly empty beer bottle. A gracious smile crossed his face when she complimented his daughter. “She’s three.”
Rose looked over at the group, her eyes passing over each adult’s face as she knew they were talking about her. Deciding it didn’t bother her, she plopped back down with her coloring book and went back to scribbling since her new friend had now been commandeered by the tall blonde man.
Holland frowned at the too tranquil Owen. He leaned down and surveyed Julianna pointedly. “I noticed you don’t wear much jewelry.” His eyes flashed to Owen who looked somewhat mortified before the expression was policed. “No rings or anything really.” Holland leaned back and mirrored Owen’s posture, resting his arm on the back of the couch behind Aphrodite’s shoulder. Resting his head in his hand, he gazed victoriously at Owen who was left to hope no one picked up on the pointed questioning.
A strange observation from Holland. Perhaps it would pass for Holland being weird. Because he was weird. He was really doing it to embarrass Owen who had yet to gift a certain engagement ring to a certain woman. Call it payback for behaving poorly.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 11-16-2016
Keiavan seemed about as relieved as a child could be when he was released from the constricting clothing. Nodding his head and beaming at Owen. His only complaints about learning the cello were often about having to wear a tie. Otherwise he seemed to enjoy it. Obediently, he followed Owen into the kitchen at the mention of food; eager for the junk food that he never go to eat when Kama was around. “Okay,” he chimed brightly as his new instructions. Arms full (for a seven-year-old), he trotted back into the living room. Settling down opposite Rose at the table she was coloring at, Keiavan wordlessly pushed a juice pouch in her direction. He appeared to have lost some of his confidence in the walk between the kitchen and the table. He opened the package of crackers, gazing around the room at the adults all settled around the room. Eventually he leveled his gaze on Rose’s handiwork and sipped at his juice.
Dite nudged back to indicate that she was witnessing the interaction as well and Jules was vaguely aware of something happening behind her head.
Unflappable in the face of Holland’s reaction to her wink she smiled again, before her head was forced forwards. Now, she was grinning, watching Owen on the other side of the room. Clearly entertained by Aphrodite's annoyance in which she had personally caused.
“Three,” Julianna sighed, pretending not to wince as Aphrodite twisted her copious amounts of black hair into a complicated French plait tighter than was really necessary. Jules seemed content to take the brunt of Dite’s mood in the this manner as to not suffer through a flurry of scolding text messages later. “How exciting. I remember when Keiavan was three.” The child immediately turned his head to frown at her, as if it would ward her off from saying something embarrassing about him. “It can be a challenging age,” was her conclusion, and she she smiled as the frown smoothed from her oldest son’s features. Julianna tried to turn her head to the sound of Holland addressing her, but true to form it was pushed back into place. This time she muttered a small ‘ow’, but luckily for her the braid seemed to be finished and she was finally released from the death grip. She stood to give Aphrodite her space again, now sporting a very charming braid. The blonde immediately adjusted her knees and smoothed her skirt over them. Unnecessarily, since not a wrinkle of fabric was out of place.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she said in response to Holland’s strange observation; oblivious to his hidden meaning. Aphrodite, however, was not and she cocked a brow, glancing between the two men. Jules gazed down to wear the two seemed pretty cozy together on the couch. “I’ll wear it for fancy occasions, but if I was going to wear something everyday I guess it would have to be special.”
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 11-28-2016
Rose’s crayons were abandoned when Keiavan returned. Cautiously like a kitten testing a new toy she pawed the drink towards her and pushed the straw through the foiled opening. “Thank you,” she chimed at him sweetly between sips of the drink. A phrase her mother had enforced she say to others when gifted something. Wordlessly she held out her hand for him to distribute some of the cheesy fish crackers to her. "Give me some please?" Good manners on full display.Holland watched the children interact with a subtle smile playing out on the corners of his mouth. “I wouldn’t know,” Holland admitted regarding the challenges of the age of three. “The whole having a kid period is challenging right now.” He lowered his voice and leaned in for a more confidential confession. "She wet the bed last night." Though it seemed taboo to him, Holland did not know enough about childhood milestones to know that night-time accidents were fairly expected in a three year old. Then again the entire group also wasn't privy to Holland's resultant meltdown after the bed wetting.
“You’ll survive.” Was Owen’s oh-so-useful contribution to the conversation as he recalled the string of anxious text messages he'd gotten early that morning. He tilted his head back and dropped three peanuts inside before snapping his mouth shut and munching on them.
Owen's smug state was quickly interrupted when Holland dared to bring up the subject of jewelry and Owen gulped at his beer to hide his discomfort. Julianna’s braid was finished and she stood to find a more comfortable place to sit than on the floor in front of an Aphrodite looking for revenge. Owen closed up the peanuts and switched the beer into his nondominant hand. He patted his thigh and held his hand out for Julianna to come to him indicating that she should sit in his lap.
“I find it strange that no one has given you something special enough to wear." Holland pushed the matter a bit further, sighing as he did so over the lost opportunity for Julianna to adorn herself with meaningful jewlry. "Well maybe you’ll have something special to wear someday soon.”
Rose had picked up on the conversation about accessories and held her rose necklace up proudly for the group. “My dad gave me this necklace. And your braid is very pretty.” She complimented Julianna gracefully with a bright approving smile.
Rose, a three year old, was turning out to be a better contributor to the conversation than Owen.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 01-07-2017
“You’re welcome,” Keiavan mumbled shyly, busying himself with sucking down his own juice. The usually vocal child seemed to be frozen in the company of the young girl. His eyes flickered between Rose and and Aphrodite and Holland on the couch. He would have looked to his mother for comfort, but she was situated behind him, but even as a child he didn’t want to seem desperate. His own blue eyes locked on hazel ones when she addressed him again. Keiavan moved quickly to spill tiny crackers into her open palms. He quickly retreated to his side of the coffee table. The women were willing to show more sympathy for Holland’s situation than his friend. Their expressions softened, but not before the blonde shot a sharp look in Owen’s direction. Dite reached to pat his arm reassuringly again. “This transition is tough for her, too,” Dite explained in a soft murmured. “She will adjust and it’s likely the accidents will stop.” She smiled.
Julianna tilted her head as Holland continued carrying on about jewelry. The motion sent the long tail of her braid over her shoulder to fall down her back. Her ears twitched. “Yeah...maybe,” she replied, a question in her voice as she plucked her wine from the table. She took the few steps backwards to close the distance between herself and Owen. She slid her free hand into the one he held out for her and settled into his lap. Easily, she made herself comfortable against him, as she’d done so many times before. She turned her face to him and the lift of her brows expressed what she was thinking: that Holland was being weird. Somehow, that wasn’t unusual for him.
The girls were quick to compliment Rose’s necklace. A feminine chorus of ‘oh how pretty’s’ and ‘it looks lovely on you’s’. Julianna smiled as she received a compliment of her own. “Thank you, Rose. That’s very sweet of you.”
Aphrodite noticed Kei’s shoulders slump as he was overlooked in the back and forth exchange of attention. His expression seemed almost broody as he continued to nurse his fruit juice. She leaned forward on her knees and tilted her head to catch his gaze. He looked up at her from beneath his furrowed brow. “How was your recital Keiavan?” she asked, and he seemed to perk with her words.
Julianna’s ears pinned to her head, but she didn’t interrupt. She didn’t know that her son had had a performance that evening.
Kei shrugged. “It was fine. Kama and Aunt Victoria came. They brought Isabella, but she got fussy.” He poked at the table with one finger. The boy mostly lived with his uncle, and with a new baby in the house it was possible that he was beginning to feel out of favor. “I had a solo.”
“That’s wonderful, Kei,” Dite cooed. “You will have to remember to invite is to the next one,” she playfully scolded, mostly to spare Julianna who seemed to be upset about having not known.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 03-13-2017
Rose dumped all of the goldfish into one hand so she could use the other to pick up the little crackers and feed them to herself. Once she received compliments for her necklace she beamed at the adults with pride and turned away again to settle herself next to Kei. She stared at Kei as he described his cello performance, though she didn’t really know what she was listening to. She didn’t know the people he identified. She was content to stare and eat the fish-shaped cheesy crackers until they were gone.
Wordlessly she cupped her hands together and pushed them into his personal space asking for more crackers.
Owen waited for Julianna to settle into his lap before he made slight adjustments to her which were more comfortable to him. He locked his hands together at her hip, holding her against him. Catching her questioning look he shrugged in response as if he didn’t know what Holland was talking about. He most certainly did. Owen covered his wordless lie with a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Yes you do, Kei. Call us next time. Because your uncle doesn’t tell us these things.” Owen added on the tail end of Dite’s encouragement to the boy. He was purposefully trying to foster a sort of animosity between Kei and Kama. He wanted Julianna's son to favor himself over his strict uncle.
Rose having pensively eaten some goldfish crackers suddenly blurted out, “My mom died. That’s why I have to live with my dad. I never met him before.” Who she was saying this information to was unclear as she was blankly staring into space seeming on the verge of emotional upset. Her lip quivered but she nonetheless put another cracker into her mouth. “My mom said my dad is sick in his brain. And that's why I shouldn't meet him.” Her index finger traced a few circles near her temple. She was very obviously mimicking an action she’d seen her mother make in talking of her father with little understanding for what she was doing.
“Rose.” There was a plea in Holland’s voice. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and glanced around the room for assistance. How was he to respond to the child? “Maybe we should get going?” He suggested to the group. “Rose needs a nap.”His suggestion drew an exaggerated whine from Rose, “No!” She defiantly continued feeding herself goldfish even as tears sprung to her eyes and started leaking down her face. “I don’t want to.”
Holland set his empty beer bottle on the coffee table and pushed himself to a standing position signaling that with Rose’s eminent fit that they were indeed bringing the little social gathering to a close. He rubbed his hands anxiously on the front of his thighs before he rounded the table to stand next to his daughter. He held his hand out for her to take, it visibly trembled. Rose refused him shoveling crackers into her mouth. Hot tears stained ruddy cheeks.
Her father was left drawing a quick breath. He blew it out of his mouth, cheeks puffing as he did so. His shaking hand closed into a tight fist and he moved to gather Rose’s coloring book and crayons from the table instead.
With no more crackers to eat in defiance, Rose was left with her tears. She heaved heavy sobs and whined between them saying “no” and “I don’t want tos” knowing she was really powerless to refuse him.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 03-14-2017
Keiavan didn't notice that Rose had moved closer to him until her wanting hands breached his line of vision. He frowned at them, briefly. He felt that he had shared more than enough of his snack with her already and seemed to be put off that she would ask for more. His head turned slightly, to gauge her new position at his side. He didn’t immediately move to supply her with more Goldfish, instead choosing to turn his head towards Aphrodite. The smiling blonde was currently the only adult in the vicinity that he could see and trusted to make decisions for him. She nodded, somewhat eagerly, encouraging him to continue interacting with Rose. Begrudgingly, he dumped another handful of crackers out for the girl.
Julianna settled, a smile curling at the corner Owen kissed as she listened to Keiavan and Dite talk about the recital. One ear flopped to the side, and she leaned into Owen, gently nudging him with her shoulder. Another lift of her brow. This one prompting him to stop. She knew full well what he was attempting to brew between Keiavan and his uncle. For the moment, Kama still had custody of the child and she didn’t want any tension. She was unaware of Owen’s desire to win Kei’s preference. She assumed his commentary was only in spite of her brother. The room drifted towards a silence following Rose’s admission. Aphrodite seemed to sigh with this impact of this new revelation. Brows lifting towards her hairline, peach-painted lips parting slightly as she watched the motion that Rose mimicked. Holland shifted next to her, and she placed a hand on his arm. The gesture was meant to be reassuring, the tightness in his tone drawing her attention, and stirring up a desire to comfort him. He stood, and her fingers trailed down his arm. Violet eyes tracked him as he crossed the room to his child’s side with an obvious air of discomfort.
Keiavan stood, somewhat put off by Rose’s tears and the feel of the room. His mother and Owen were quiet behind him, even Aphrodite looked concerned and that was unusual. Without saying anything, he took his juice and the rest of his crackers and make a quick escape of the room.
Julianna reached out a hand to ruffle Keiavan’s hair as he scurried by. She un-tucked her feet as if she would move to assist Holland, who was clearly struggling, but Owen’s hands laced at her waist kept her solidly in place. His grip seemed to tighten, in an obvious suggestion that she stay put, regardless of the situation. She sank into him again, green eyes flickering towards his face. With a small movement, she crooked her finger beneath his chin, a quick touch, before her hand returned to her lap.
As Holland gathered Rose’s book and crayons, Dite realized their hosts wouldn’t be doing anything to assist. She lifted herself from the couch, smoothing down her skirt as she did so with a practiced motion. She circled close to the table, until she could kneel near Rose, black ruffling petticoats fluffed beneath her as she dropped to the floor. She didn’t know why. Perhaps, it was bright hazel eyes muddled with tears that nagged a desire to console her. It could also have been the sobbing mewling sounds that she made, that reminded her too much of leopard cubs. The blonde smiled at Rose, hands moving to cup her red face and push at her tears with gentle strokes of her thumbs. She shushed her quietly, disrupting her feeble protests. Bending at the waist she curled one arm around Rose’s back and the girl seemed to fold against her, pushing her wet face against Dite’s crisp blouse.
Unburdened by the weight of the child, Dite rose easily from the floor. With one arm she secured Rose against her figure, and she was content to cling like a distressed koala, while Dite stroked her hair with the other hand. With Rose in tow, she moved towards the foyer, to wait while Holland finished packing her things and saying goodbye to his mostly useless friends.
She would be scolding them later.
Dite paced a short line back in forth in front of the door, murmuring soft and encouraging things to Rose as she did.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 04-13-2017
Owen was mostly silent as the social gathering unraveled. It started first with Rose’s tears which prompted the retreat of Keiavan. Julianna reached over him to fluff the boy’s hair and Owen smiled encouragingly at the child to let him know all was okay. He anticipated Julianna’s movements and easily tightened his arms to trap her against him. He let Aphrodite take charge of Rose, while Holland packed up. Though he could guess that Dite would be frustrated with the way he chose to host; she didn’t understand yet that there was nothing he or Jules or anyone could do for Holland’s anxiety at the moment. It was like fighting through a rip tide. Better to ride it out and wash up on shore than drown in the wake.
Dite carried a sobbing Rose from the room while Owen shared a knowing look with Julianna. He patted his hand on her thigh indicating he’d release her if she stood then. He rose as well and approached Holland. Owen clasped Holland’s shoulder and brought his friend close.
“She’ll be alright. You’ll be alright.” He leaned close and spoke under his breath. “Are you still seeing Dr. - ?”
Holland shrugged Owen’s hand away and raked his fingers through his hair. “Yes, I am.” He interrupted Owen sparing a glance towards the foyer. “And I’m fine. She just needs a nap.”
Owen spread his hands showing he meant no offence. Of the friend group he was the one Holland had chose to share the most with and that came with a sort of tense responsibility. A few robust pats on the back from Owen got Holland walking towards the foyer.
“If you need a babysitter -” Owen began to offer but Holland scoffed and the blonde dropped his offer mid-sentence. He moved towards Rose and Dite and cocked his head at the child whose tears had dried up to the occasional hiccup. “Thank you for visiting us, Rose. Will you come back again soon?” He smiled at the girl and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
She turned her face away from him but nodded against Dite’s shirt and put her thumb into her mouth to comfort herself.
Owen opened the door to usher Dite and Holland from the home. He closed it with a relieved sigh and leaned against the thick wood with a shake of his head. “What a mess.”
Outside, Holland unlocked the doors to the "dad wheels", the old Wrangler, he was driving. There was a car seat in the back for Rose and he offered to take the girl from Dite to strap her in. “I’m sorry about that.” He apologized. “That was - awkward. I mean it still is awkward.” He laughed nervously and rubbed the toe of his shoe into a crack on the paved driveway.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 04-16-2017
Julianna stood when Owen released her. She excused herself from the group when the babbling sounds of a woken Cain caused her ears to twitch. She said her goodbyes as she disappeared up the stairs. Aphrodite had managed to calm Rose down to a quiet expression when the two men joined her in front of the door. Violet eyes tracked them as they approached her, lingering on an anxious Holland. Observing the way he held himself before he noticed her doing so.
She gently pushed at the wet trails that stained Rose’s cheeks as Owen interacted with her. She offered a noncommittal shrug when the child hid her face against the curve of her neck. Her hand lifted from Rose’s back to gently coax the digit away from her mouth. Aphrodite flattened the hand against her collar and she seemed content to keep it there. She let her chin rest on top of her head.
“Tell Jules I will call her later,” Aphrodite said as means of goodbye, without offering a true farewell to Owen. It was correct to assume their relationship was still strained at best. Aphrodite was stubborn and full of opinions.
Aphrodite shook her head, as she attempted to transfer the upset child to her father, but Rose wasn’t interested in the exchange, fingers curling tighter into Aphrodite’s blouse. “Don’t worry about it,” she offered. “There was a lot going on.” She moved closer to Holland to dip into the backseat and slip Rose into the car seat. Her bottom lip quivered as she looked up at Aphrodite from the car as she pulled back. She shushed her gently and touched the back of her hand to her cheek.
“Remember what I said?”
Rose nodded an affirmation, as Dite clasped the buckles to the straps of the seat. Turning back to Holland Aphrodite smiled, and there was something almost sheepish about it. “I...may have promised to take her out for ice cream if I heard she was a good girl for her dad.” Fingers lifted to smooth the pesky lock of hair behind her ear. Aphrodite looked down at her own shoes for a moment. Lavender pumps that matched her blouse.
“Would you like my phone number?" she asked, looking up at him again. "I know Owen and Julianna weren't much help. I could help. If you wanted.”
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 04-24-2017
A shy laugh escaped Holland as he continued to worry at the crack on the ground with the toe of his shoe. “That was...nice of you. Thanks.” There was a hollowness in his voice when he spoke. He was sort of just functioning at a baseline until he could get out of the interaction. Things had calmed for the moment, in that Rose wasn’t crying anymore. But Holland still felt this sensation of impending doom. He couldn’t wait to get in the car and drive away. It sort of dawned on him though that he couldn’t just drive away from Rose or the new pressures of fatherhood. It was all there to stay. These worries began to demand his thoughts even while he tried to focus on what the woman before him was trying to say.
“Oh - s-sure.” He slipped the phone from the front pocket of his jeans. A sort of rectangle impression was left where it had been. He unlocked it and handed it over already on the page for new contacts. “I can get all the help - I mean I’ll take all the help I can get.” He cringed as the words came out a little garbled. Holland closed the door to the car sealing Rose inside and leaned on it trying to look casual. In truth he felt lightheaded, his heart was racing, and his hands were sweating. He folded his arms across his chest to hide his hands in case they started to tremble.
“Sorry,” he laughed again, “I’m just - stressed.” He took a deep breath in and blew it out slowly, looking away from Aphrodite as she programmed her number into his phone.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 04-24-2017
Aphrodite took the phone from Holland and continued to watch him as she punched her contact details into the device. He looked exhausted, and nervous. She felt for him. She didn't react to his small slip-up. Didn't want him to feel more self-conscious than he already did. When she was finished she sent a text to herself so she would have his information as well. “I hope you don't mind,” she began, though she'd already completed the action. “I sent your number to myself.” She handed the phone back, still smiling, still trying to exude an aura of something calming because she didn't know how else to help him. “It's been a long day,” she said, lifting a hand to trail it lightly down his arm, but she stopped herself. Something in his demeanor made her feel as if he didn't want to be touched. It dropped back to her side. “I'll let you head home. Don't hesitate to call. If you need me.” She waved a goodbye to Rose in the back seat before she turned gracefully on her heel, walking down to the edge of the driveway where her own car was parked behind Julianna’s. A sleek and silver Lexus that was nice but clashed with the vintage looked that Aphrodite gravitated towards.
She waved to Holland as well, before opening the door and sliding into the vehicle. Pulling her purse from the passenger seat and into her lap she rifled around for her phone. It blinked with more notifications, a text she had sent herself from an undocumented number. A silly apology from Julianna that she rolled her eyes at, and several from… Sanders.
She was surprised to see his name there, punctuated with a heart emoji that she kept forgetting to remove. Unlocking the device she went to the thread of messages from her ex. He had asked her to come over, and then changed his mind. Possibly because she had not responded immediately. Then, once more he invited her over, citing that he could use the company of a friend. A bitter part of her found that curious. Sanders had lots of friends. The last she had heard he even had a new girlfriend, so she couldn't fathom why he'd chosen her. She messaged him back, informing him that she was leaving Owen’s and that she would be there in about half an hour.
Aphrodite drove to the ranch in silence. She didn't much care for the radio and she liked something about the sound of the road passing beneath the vehicle. Her thumbs tapped a rhythm on the steering wheel in time with her thoughts. She was curious as to what Sanders wanted since he hadn't said so in his messages. She found herself worrying about Holland and Rose. She practiced the scolding she would give Julianna for being such a terrible host when she spoke to her next.
The sun was setting when she reached Blue Columbine Ranch. The flowers of its namesake lines the long driveway in seemingly endless fields. Blue cast in a wash of pinks and oranges. It was a gorgeous scene. She had painted it once, but she had never felt like like she could ever really capture the beauty of it.
Parking next to Sanders’ truck she killed the engine and sat back in her seat instead of immediately moving to go to the house. He had never replied, but the porch light was on and she assumed he was still expecting her. She glances at herself in the rear-view mirror and her own eyes seemed to question what she was even doing here. Leaving her belongings in the car she exited the vehicle and walked to the front porch. Gravel crunched beneath her heels as she took careful steps to not lose her footing on the loose rocks.
She knocked on the door and waited for Sanders to answer instead of inviting herself inside.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 04-30-2017
Holland went through the motions of closing out the interaction. He wasn’t sure what exactly he said before he ended up behind the wheel of his car and he couldn’t have been sure it wasn’t a complete mess whatever it was. He watched Aphrodite drive away in a luxury car before he pulled out of the Hart’s driveway.
Sander’s didn’t reply to Maeve’s response that she would be coming over to his house next after leaving Owen’s. He had sent her a few texts and after not immediately hearing from her had decided to start drinking. Feeling needy and not having the outlet he sought for lent itself nicely to indulging in alcohol. So he was already buzzed by the time he received Maeve’s response.
Gravel crunching under tires and the glare of headlights signaled her arrival long before that over-polite knock. His heart broke anew hearing that knock. They were no longer intimate enough for her to just walk into his house as she’d been doing not so long ago.
He sighed and shoved himself up from the couch. He clicked off the program he’d been only half watching before he shuffled over to the door. Sanders ran his fingers through his hair to set himself right before he pulled it open. He presented himself to her in his usual cowboy uniform. That is to say, a plain white t-shirt paired with work worn jeans and a large belt buckle.
He held a beer down at his side and smiled sadly at the blonde on the other side of the threshold. So close but so very far away.
Wordlessly he moved aside signaling she could enter. “How was Owen’s?” He asked in conversation, not wanting to really broach the topic of why he’d requested her.
“Can I get you a beer?”
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 04-30-2017
Aphrodite felt her breath catch as he opened the door. Tousled hair and a sad expression tugged at her heartstrings. She looked him over as the stood across from each other in the doorway. Gaze lingered on his belt buckle, trying to see if she recognized the design or if it was a new one. Fingers ached with the effort it took to not immediately put her hands on him. It didn’t seem like that long ago when she would have swept into the house and then been swept up into his embrace. God, she really fucking missed him.
Clearing her throat, her eyes darted back upwards to his face. “It was fine,” she said, moving through the space in the door, her arm brushed across his chest. The barest of contact and her heart was pounding. Realizing how short and stand-offish her answered sounded she elaborated. “I went over to see Julianna and the baby. It was fine, but they had a friend come over. Uhm, Holland? Owen and Jules were supposed to be helping him with his new daughter, but...well, you know how they are.” She paused, and rolled her eyes, moving towards the kitchen, for the beer she had been offered. Aphrodite seemed to be more comfortable moving through the house once they were inside.
“They practically abandoned him to go fool around, and I did my best to help. He seems nice. A little stressed. Anxious? I don’t know.” She opened the fridge and retrieved an amber colored bottle from within. She popped the top with a bottle opener he’d left lying on the counter. She replaced the bottle opener and leaned against the counter.
“Sorry, those two just...really frustrate me, sometimes. And of course Owen was in rare form.” Rolling her eyes again she drank deeply from the bottle. Her meaning was implied, as it was well known the two of them did not quite get along. Turning at the waist, she settled it on the counter and ran her tongue across her bottom lip. “Sorry, again. I’m ranting. What...uh..what did you want to see me about?”
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 05-05-2017
‘Fine’ she said but her words floated away when she brushed against him. In that briefest moment he felt swept away. He instantly wished everything could be as it used to. That they could take back everything that went wrong between them and fix it. What a childish notion.
God, he was so desperate. Drowning in his need for this woman.
What was she saying? Something about Julianna and the baby and Holland. Her voice came to him as if he were underwater. Or as if they were moving in slow motion. He was freed from her spell as she moved away from him and he was able to think and catch the tail end of it.
He followed her into the kitchen where she helped herself to a drink. He watched the curve of her hips as she bent into the refrigerator. So used to making herself at home. It had been her home, essentially. Not too long ago. It could have been her home for good. Their home. He tried not to think of it.
He didn’t respond to anything she said, just let her speak at him. A smile tugged at one side of his mouth when she mentioned Owen being in ‘rare form.’ That was her polite way of saying she thought he’d acted like an asshole. She knew better than to be unnecessarily polite with him. It just emphasized the distance that had come between.
The only light on in the kitchen was the little one above the stove. Soft lighting did wonders for everyone. Maeve especially had an unfair advantage, though, considering that she appeared flawless even in harsh lighting. The dim room cast attractive shadows under her jaw and along the lines of her cheekbones. Sanders watched her hand as she put down the beer.
He reached out and took her hand, turning it over in his to examine the polish that decorated her nails. He ran his thumb over the smooth paint on her index and released her again. “That color suits you.” The compliment was off topic and the contact, perhaps, inappropriate.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts, “Sorry - I uh.” He emptied his beer into his mouth, tilting his head way back to drain the last bit. When he righted himself his hand made a circular motion. “I’m not feeling myself. I guess.”
“I just, I’ve been feeling down. It’s this girl I was seeing for a bit.” He stopped himself and cringed before apologizing again.
“I’m sorry you probably don’t want to hear this. But I promise I’m really the butt of the joke here. We can have a laugh at my expense.”
Sanders went to the fridge to get himself another beer. He cracked it open with the opener on the counter and fiddled with the cap. “Anyways, I was see this girl for a bit. And she just up and left. Ghosted me, Maeve. I haven’t heard from her in a week.” He sighed. “The bad part is, I creeped on her online a little bit and I found out….she’s married.”
He groaned and scrubbed his hand through his hair. “I’m such an idiot. I keep feeling like there's something wrong with me. Losing you. And now Dawn. Not that I had her, I didn't. It was just a - stupid - fling.”
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 05-06-2017
There was a brief silence that settled between them when she’d finished speaking. When she’d prompted him to speak. She admired him where he stood half-illuminated by the oven light, and loathed the distance between them. Both the physical and emotional distances, but they had done this to themselves. His hand intercepted hers and her breath caught on an inhale. Her fingers curled lightly around his, and her nerve endings seemed all alight when he smoothed his thumb over her nail polish. She didn’t want him to let go, she wished he wouldn’t let go. Aphrodite somehow managed to resist, clinging tighter to him. Or lacing their fingers together. Or using the contact to pull him closer. “Thank you,” she replied quietly on the exhale of the breath that had been stuck in her throat. He released her, and her fingers remained poised in the air where he had left him, before it fell back to her sigh with a thump against her skirt.
Aphrodite watched Sanders and the half-hearted motions that he went through. There was something defeated in his demeanor. All of the solutions that came to mind involved forgetting all of the tension and the decision that they had made together.
Then he mentioned a girl.
And suddenly, and all at once. Those feelings turned to an icy jealousy in her veins. Violet eyes skirted away from him and she grabbed her beer from the counter and took a quick swig. “You can talk to me,” she expressed. Her tongue ran across her bottom lip, and she picked at the label of the bottle with her thumb. Aphrodite didn’t move when Sanders neared the fridge, forcing him to get closer to her to retrieve another drink.
“There’s nothing wrong with you, Sanders,” she said when he had finished speaking. “Things...happen. I’m sorry things with Dawn didn’t work out, but isn’t that for the better if she was lying? Do you really want to be the ‘other man.’ Maybe it’s better that it ended that way?” She hated the way the words sounded in her own ears, she was trying to be objective and supportive, but she worried she would only be construed as jealous and petty. Maeve reached out and smoothed her hand up and down Sanders’ arm. A few slow motions before her fingers settled around his bicep, thumb rubbing across the sleeve of his shirt, soothingly.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 05-06-2017
The way she broke his gaze. The way she reached for her drink. The way she worried at the label of the bottle. It all signaled that she wasn’t entirely pleased with the line of conversation. And then her words spoke the truth of her jealousy. Sanders would be lying to himself if the thought that he’d made Maeve jealous didn’t fill him up with a little bit of pride. She still wanted him even as she played the part of sympathetic friend.
“Of course I don’t want to be the other man.” A snort of disdain sounded in the back of his throat. A very un-Sanders like sound. “But it was probably better that it happened with a married woman anyways..”
It was true but his phrasing was strategic, he was trying to reel her back in. The hand on his arm and the slow cadence of her thumb suggested he had a chance to.
“She was just a rebound. I’m not really emotionally available for anything else. I kept comparing her to you. And that wasn’t fair to her and I don’t think it’s fair to you either.”
Her hand was still on him. The contact felt one-sided, so he evened it out. His hand moved upwards to her face as it had done so many times before. He found that spot of her jaw he liked to cup. Fingers along her jaw and thumb brushed from the apple of her cheek along the ridge of delicate bone and back again.
“No one could ever replace you.”
He took a step forward. There was only enough space between them for a paperback. “You know, when you’re here like this, I can’t even remember why we didn’t work out.” He laughed self-consciously and dipped his head almost in shame. "That sounds like some line out of a cheesy romantic comedy. But it's true, Maeve."