Open | @hocstarters
Location | Garfield Park Conservatory
Penny had been to the conservatory once a few years ago, and she had been completely taken back by how beautiful it was. Penny always loved plants, and her and James’s apartment was decked out in them. She seemed to bring home a new one every single week. There was something so calming to her about being around beautiful plants like this. “Isn’t it beautiful? God, I would love to have this in my backyard. A greenhouse with every plant you could want? That’s the dream.”
The conservatory was a nice place to clear your head... and if anyone needed an escape today, it was Claire. Her head was swimming with thoughts of the wedding. How she shouldn’t have gone. How she should’ve known she’d run into Thomas eventually. How sooner or later, she’d have to come face to face with everything she’d run so fast away from trying to leave behind. She took a deep breath, trying to focus on the greenery instead of the mess that she’d made of her life. “God, I wish. But then I’d have to take care of all of them, and I just know I’d end up with a compost bin for a yard instead. I’m not responsible enough for the kind of garden I’d want to have,” she laughed.
Usually Owen loved him a good party, was right there mingling with everyone else that was in attendance but there was times where he just felt off. Where nothing was truly wrong, just that in places like these communication for him wasn’t exactly the easiest. And while he had learned to adapt over the years, large groups of people was always hard to follow along with. Somewhere along the night he had lost sight of his brother and partner, shrugging it off, they deserved to go off and have a bit of fun themselves as well. So he made his way off the dance floor, heading over to the bar area, showing the bar tender his order, giving a nod of thanks as he sat down on one of the stools.
Oh that’s always a good one. Owen grinned as he wrote back his reply to her before taking another sip of his own drink. He was as social as they came, always striking up conversations and was grateful to have found someone to so such with. I feel like at that point you should just ask for a vodka instead. He laughed softly, grinning as he did so. Friend of the bride- I work at the hospital with her. Wouldn’t have missed this for the world. What about you? He turned his phone around once more, before he quickly added more underneath it. Owen by the way, nice to meet you.
She smiled, taking another sip. She needed to have more fun -- and fast. Her head was swimming, wondering where Carew and Charlie were, and why she’d ended up at the bar alone why the two of them did whatever they did when they ran off together. “Maybe I should. Do you think they serve shots at wedding open bars? Because I’ll do one if you do one with me,” she offered. She glanced down at the phone he offered her again. “My roommate invited me. I think he knows the groom... somehow? Pleasure’s all mine, Owen.
Thankfully Owen had looked over at the woman next to him in time to catch the movements of her lips, easily able to follow along with what she was saying. He flashed her a warm smile, holding a finger up to tell her to wait a second as he reached for his phone. Quickly he deleted his drink order off of it, typing to her before he turned his phone around to face her. Ah, afraid nothing fancy or exciting. Just a gin and tonic. What about you? He let her read it before he added more to it.
At first, she wasn’t sure why he was on his phone; maybe he wasn’t interested in striking up a conversation, or maybe he was trying to prove a point. But when he offered it to her, she smiled politely, looking down and becoming grateful that she did. “Vodka cran,” she replied, showing off her drink before taking a long sip. “Should’ve asked for it stronger, though. -- Are you a friend of the bride’s? Or the groom’s?”
Usually Owen loved him a good party, was right there mingling with everyone else that was in attendance but there was times where he just felt off. Where nothing was truly wrong, just that in places like these communication for him wasn’t exactly the easiest. And while he had learned to adapt over the years, large groups of people was always hard to follow along with. Somewhere along the night he had lost sight of his brother and partner, shrugging it off, they deserved to go off and have a bit of fun themselves as well. So he made his way off the dance floor, heading over to the bar area, showing the bar tender his order, giving a nod of thanks as he sat down on one of the stools.
Claire had just received her drink, and she was already planning what to order for her next one. She was on edge, having realized Thomas was there... and that inevitably, she’d have to talk to him. She couldn’t avoid him for the entire night. And even if she could, if he saw her, and she didn’t say anything... that felt like it would get her in even more trouble. “What’s your poison?” she asked to man sitting on the stool next to her.
Weddings might’ve been some people’s idea of a good time, but Claire wasn’t convinced they were worth all of the hype. It was just another excuse for people to throw around their money... and beyond that, the food was never better than what you’d get at a hotel conference and most people only ended up going to make someone else happy even though they’d rather stay home. But her roommates had dragged her along. And now she was there, wondering what combination of drinks would get her drunk the quickest. Turning to the nearest person to her, she decided to ask them. “What’re you drinking? And do you think if I downed it fast enough I’d be drunk enough to pretend I’m enjoying myself?”
( NATALIA DYER. SHE/HER. CIS WOMAN ) Did I just see (CLAIRE CONWAY )? This ( TWENTY FIVE ) year old ( WRITER) has been living in Chicago for ( TWO WEEKS ). Some say that they are ( OUTGOING and OPENMINDED ) as well as ( FLIGHTY and IMPULSIVE ). If they had a theme song, some might say that it would be ( STAY byTHE KID LAROI ). All I know is that I can’t wait to see what they bring to the Windy City. - (jay/26/cst/they/them))
hey y’all! here’s claire, my new baby! i hope you love her as much as i do! tw for pregnancy, abortion mention
chicago born and raised, claire always felt like the city was her home. it was big enough to always feel like an adventure, and as someone who thrives off of change and newness, that was perfect for her.
her family is upper-middle class, and could afford pretty much anything that they needed, and most of the things that they wanted. claire grew up without an idea of really ‘going without,’ and to this day, that’s a strange idea to her. as such, she’s not really used to the word ‘no,’ and still is learning how to deal with not getting her way.
as a kid and into her teen years, she played tennis and was part of a dance team. staying physically fit is important to her, though it isn’t her top priority these days.
she was the girl in college who wanted to have fun. she did well enough in school, and she didn’t want to spend the best years of her life in a library. she joined a sorority, where she made many of her closest friends, and enjoyed going out and letting loose. as long as she maintained a decent gpa, she could keep her parents happy, and that was what mattered to her.
shortly after graduating, she met thomas, and she fell for him pretty quickly. this wasn’t out of the norm for claire. she falls for people easily, and her emotional attachments burn brightly. they dated for a bit, and she was over the moon in her relationship with him. he was kind, he was sweet, and she really didn’t think she could ask for more in a relationship.
but then she got pregnant. almost immediately, she regretted it. but she couldn’t bring herself to terminate the pregnancy, and she knew that thomas would be a good dad. the pregnancy was hard on claire, who felt like she was changing so much of her life and changing everything to become a mother. it was simultaneously something she wanted to be good at and something that she absolutely knew she couldn’t possibly be ready for.
over the course of a week or so, she started packing up her things and bringing them home to her parents’ house in the suburbs. then, one night, she took the last of her things, left a note for thomas, and never looked back. she moved to new york, where she lived for two years, and started writing at a newspaper.
she missed chicago, though. chicago was home, and it always would be. so about a month ago, she applied for a job at the chicago tribune. once she got an offer, she jumped at the opportunity, and she’s been back in chicago for about two weeks. she’s not sure what she’s going to say if she runs into thomas... she’s not sure what she can say. she’d be lying to herself if she claimed that potentially being a part of his (and sophia’s) life again wasn’t a part of why she wanted to return...
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