Almost There

Tiana Chase RP Muse for Sallow Hills 21+

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

mighty-herc​:

He could tell he was being sized up, and for once it didn’t bother him. She wasn’t doing it to be mean. Still, it took effort not to fidget under her gaze. Somehow, he sensed that she saw a lot more than what was there on the surface. It was a relief that he wasn’t found wanting. First time for everything, apparently.

It was hard not to smile at her smile. There was obviously some well-earned pride in her space. The look he gave her was brief and assessing. He didn’t want to just drop her things and leave, but he didn’t want to overstay his welcome if she was just being polite either. He couldn’t tell either way, but she’d been genuine so far, so he’d go with that until he had a reason not to. "Sure. Any of those are fine.”

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She didn't mind the assessing look, knew it was rather deserved at the moment. She wasn't one for living any way other than honestly, though, and that wasn't always an easy thing for people to understand. Offering him something to drink really was the least she could do after he'd been kind enough to help her. The fact that she actually wanted him to stay was a secondary thought she couldn't let herself look at too closely. It simply had to wait. 

Opening the fridge, she pulled out a pair of the beers there and popped off the tops. "Good, you can help me drink these since I never have company," she chuckled as she held one out to him. She took a sip of hers before setting it down and gesturing him to one of the barstools. "You can sit down and relax, I'll just put this stuff away really quick," her hands were already opening bags and gone to work. "You said a job had opened up? What do you do?" It clearly wasn't any of the restaurants, or she'd have likely been familiar with him before now.

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

mighty-herc​:

Hercules couldn’t claim to be any good at reading people. But he knew what happiness layered over sadness and loneliness looked like. He saw it in himself all the time. He knew she was teasing, liked the playful smile on her face, but he couldn’t help the way his own smile went soft and almost serious in response. “I’d never let anything hurt you, Tia.” Least of all himself. Herc would defend total strangers. For people he actually liked, and maybe wanted to consider friends, he’d do anything.

He trailed her inside, his breath catching softly at the space. It was warm and cheery, and so much more like a home than the apartment he shared with Beast. He didn’t think it had anything to do with the space itself, just with the person living there. “Your home is real pretty,” he said softly, gazing around at the spacious kitchen as he set her bags on the counter. It was obviously the place where she spent most of her time, and it wasn’t hard to picture her at work there.

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The way his face shifted, the smile there, made something catch slightly in her chest. She tipped her head to study him for a moment, amazed that she could believe him so easily. There was an earnestness and an honesty to the man that was slightly shocking but so very welcome. She softened and nodded slightly, "I know." 

The sound of his voice made her beam as she looked around the space with a little bit of pride. It was the same feeling she wanted in her restaurant one day. "Thank you," she murmured. There was no other living creature she shared the space with, so it made keeping up with it easy. "Can I get you anything to drink? I have sun tea, lemonade, beer.”

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

mighty-herc​:

Not to put too fine a point on it, but pretty girls didn’t usually spend this much time just having a conversation with him. He knew what being picked up felt like, and this wasn’t that. He wasn’t sure what to do with Tiana just being flat out nice to him, no condescension or agenda. It made him want to keep talking to her, and he was pretty sure that wasn’t going to happen.

He tipped his head, brow furrowing, and didn’t say anything. The alternative was to be sad, and he wasn’t totally sure she wasn’t, whatever she said about being content. There was something sad in her smile. “You sure?” He hesitated on the doorstep. He didn’t mind taking her things all the way, not at all, but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable and wouldn’t be offended if she was. He was a big guy, and practically a stranger at that.

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She caught the doubtful look out of the corner of her eye and felt even more painfully seen in that moment. She had figured she'd gotten pretty good at hiding the sad and burying it under work and business. He made it easy to be kind, to talk, no matter that he really was a stranger to her. Tia couldn't help but think that she wanted to keep talking to him.

Her smile warmed when he double checked her invitation and she paused to turn and look at him. "I'm sure. I'll only be stupid once if I'm wrong," she teased lightly, shrugging as she pushed her door open and stepped in. The inside was done in soft yellows and greens, touches of purple tucked around and a surprising amount of light. She made her way to the back of the townhouse to her favorite part: her kitchen. It was the most spacious room in the house and she couldn't get over it.

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

mighty-herc​:

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“That don’t make it alright.” He gave her a soft smile in return, but he was willing to let the subject drop there. He didn’t have a right to push her on it. He couldn’t understand what that must have been like for her, but that didn’t stop the sympathy. Losing a parent had to be hard.

“Guess that’s a start.” That much, he could empathize with. He wasn’t totally sure on the difference between happiness and contentment, but he thought he knew just what she meant. His life wasn’t bad, and there was a lot to be thankful for, but there was something missing that he could never quite put his finger on. They were nearing the end of the road, and he nodded toward the house there. “This you?”

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She didn’t know how to handle being seen the way it felt like he saw her. They’d just met, and already he knew more about her than people she saw every day at her jobs. The thought of that made her practically hear Lottie screeching in her head and she had to shove down the now-familiar ache of missing the people she loved.

“It’s better than the alternative,” she admitted quietly. She gave him a small smile, soft and genuine for all it’s smallness, and thought it would be nice to see him again. She would, since Sallow Hills really wasn’t the biggest place in the world and she worked in two of the busiest spots in it. “Yeah, that’s me,” she turned her attention to the small, well-kept townhouse. “You can come on in,” she invited as the got to the door. She didn’t trust herself trying to juggle everything again. 

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

mighty-herc·:

“Sorry to hear that. Sounds like he’d be real proud of ya.” His voice went softer in reply, his heart unexpectedly aching for her. He’d never lost a parent like that, and it was clear they’d been close. She had more warmth in one memory than he had maybe in his whole life. He couldn’t picture his neighborhood back home coming together like that.

“Nah. Maybe nobody really has it easy,” he chuckled softly, shaking his head. It might look like it from the outside, but everyone struggled. He’d never thought much about being a parent, but he didn’t envy his for taking it on. He’d probably do a bang up job of it. He lifted his gaze, his smile warm. “Are you? Happy.”

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She gave him a small smile and shook her head gently, “It’s alright. It was a long time ago.” A part of her had died the day the telegram had come and she didn’t think she had ever managed to get any of it back. Her heart ached at everything he’d missed and that they hadn’t done together, but she hoped he would be proud of her. 

“No, they really don’t,” she admitted with a nod of agreement. She couldn’t imagine being a parent, let alone being good at it. The question and the warmth in his face made her step falter slightly. “I’m... content,” she settled on after a long, silent moment. It wasn’t happiness, and she knew that. She also had no idea what happiness would look like for her here. 

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

wickedpotions·:

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 MAKING IT A REGULAR OCCURANCE SOUNDED WONDERFUL.  ❝ is tiana chase suggesting a regular, routine break from work?  I never thought I’d see the day.  You’re absolutely right though.  Perhaps it can be a monthly thing.  It’d be nice to have it to look forward to. ❞  He’d have to round up the friends he’d made here (which was surprisingly few given how long he’d been here).  Laurie, Will.  They’d be nice to have over for a game night.

  HE NODDED IN AGREEMENT.  ❝ i agree with all of that.  There’s a lot of pride in the food here.  In London and Cardiff both - there were gems to find but there were a lot of places that were just food to put in your belly.  Which is never a bad thing, but now that I have time to care about what I’m eating …❞  He trailed off with a shrug.

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Tia laughed brightly and shook her head at him. “I am suggesting allowing you my time off instead of spending it doing budgets and adulting things.” She had never been the most exciting person, and she knew that. For years, she’d been tamping down the hurt hearing friends say ‘you know she won’t come’ or ‘I told y’all she’d say no’ when it came to plans. “But yes, that way you have something fun to look forward to.” 

She hummed softly and nodded in agreement. “It’s different when you actually can care about what you eat. Fast food exists for a reason, but,” she trailed off and shuddered. You would never catch Tiana with it, even if they had it here. 

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

mighty-herc·:

“That sounds real nice. He here with ya?” It was easy to smile at the way she spoke about it, her dad and food and her restaurant, and easy to see why she felt so strongly. He couldn’t really relate to any of that. His parents hadn’t passed on a whole lot to him, except maybe his mother’s love for Greek mythology. He was still fond of the stories, and he found her expressions slipping into his speech from time to time.

“Best they could. I didn’t make it so easy on ‘em,” he chuckled softly. Herc tried to be good, but he wasn’t very lucky. Trouble seemed to follow him wherever he went, in one way or another. Sallow Hills was the closest he’d come to anything like peace, maybe ever. “Sounds familiar. Sure she just wanted the best for ya.” Her mother sounded nice, and a lot like his own. He knew they meant well, even if they sometimes missed the mark.

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Her smile immediately turned a little sad at his question and she shook her head. “Nah,” she said softly, “My daddy died when I was little. Off fightin’ in a war for other people.” She had never been mad about it, understanding that a soldier was a soldier. “But we’d talked about it for as long as I could remember. And I remember nights in our neighborhood when we all came together and the only reason we all got a full meal was because of each other.” It had happened more than once, where everyone had supplied different parts of their meal and they all managed to have a good meal because of one another.

“I don’t think any kid makes it easy,” she pointed out with a little laugh. She knew she vexed her mama with her stubbornness but she’d also never genuinely tried to change her. “She did. She just wanted me to be happy. That’s all.” Knowing that didn’t make it easier to achieve, not really.

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

mighty-herc·:

“Don’t usually have a problem with food of any kind,” he chuckled. Herc was the furthest thing from a picky eater, and he was sure he’d find something to like about it. “What got ya interested in starting your own place?” He was nowhere near that driven, or maybe it was just that he’d never had the kind of clarity on what he wanted that Tiana had. He didn’t mind working hard for something, but figuring out what he actually wanted was a challenge. Figuring out whether that was good for him or not was even more challenging. He had a history of being very wrong about that, enough that he didn’t totally trust his own judgment.

“I was just a baby. Never met my birth parents.” He nodded, not sounding any particular way about it. He’d tracked down his father when he got older, but he’d never met the man. He was some rich big shot, and it was obvious Hercules had never been wanted there, so he let it go. “That’s a nice way of puttin’ it.” He smiled, her words so much prettier than his that he couldn’t help but be impressed. She seemed to understand perfectly about that relationship too, and that was unusual. “It ain’t so bad. Could definitely use another restaurant though.” He grinned easily, already looking forward to it. It might not be home, but it was home for now, and he had an odd fondness for it.

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She always loved meeting people who were willing to try any kind of food. It made something about it fun for her, seeing how different people reacted to different foods. "My daddy," she admitted softly. "When I was little, we used to always talk about having our own place. Bringin' people together, uniting them with something happy and filling." Her voice was a little dreamy, a little bit of that softness she'd had as a little girl on a stool in the kitchen seeping out.

"That's unfortunate. Your adoptive parents seem like they did well with ya," she admitted, her eyes drifting to him with a soft, easy smile. She didn't often simply carry on conversations with people anymore, after all. She couldn't help the quiet laugh, "I think my Mama woulda gone crazy if I'd stayed home and kept on like I was. She was always pesterin' me about a life I wasn't even tryin' to build." She'd wanted her to grow past their family, Tia knew that. "No... it's not bad at all. Places always need more, different food."

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

wickedpotions·:

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IANTO SHOOK HIS HEAD AT HER, A SMILE LIGHTING UP HIS FACE.  ❝ i want to, tiana.  Jack and I need a break too, anyway.  Inviting our friends over for a game night will be fun.  It’s been a while since I’ve had one.  My friends in secondary used to have them all the time, but when I moved to London it was harder to find.  Even before work became my life. ❞

IANTO, TRUTHFULLY, HAD HATED COOKING JUST FOR HIMSELF.  though he suspected that came from his time when he’d just moved back to cardiff and it was a stark reminder that lisa was fighting for her life.  ❝ I’m sure that what you get at the shops isn’t as good as what you make at home, though.  You’re a genius at the stove. ❞

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That smile made it impossible to live in her little bubble of lonely in that moment and she returned it with a soft one of her own. “Well then, I’ll be happy to help give you two a break. We could probably even turn it into a regular thing, if you wanted.” It wouldn’t hurt her to have something like that in her life, after all. Eventually, she had to start an actual life and not just working, right?

She’d always had more than just herself to cook for, so it was a hard reminder for herself too. “The restaurants here have some brilliant food,” she shrugged, meaning it. It didn’t mean there wasn’t a loss to be felt at not cooking all the time, though. “I do really enjoy the Indian restaurant here.”

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

The Devil - what is your muse’s biggest vice? is it an object, a habit, or even a person they can’t seem to let go of?

Her pride. Tiana has never been able to let go of that mindset that she was responsible for her, no one else, that no one should ever have to help her. The inability to ask for help or comfort has only gotten worse in her time in Sallow Hills, without her Mama or Lottie to temper it at all and remind her that people need other people beyond the bounds of food. 

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

mighty-herc·:

“Never had it. Not a whole lotta variety in farm country.” He smiled, shaking his head. His hometown pretty much had a diner, a gas station, and a fast food restaurant. In hindsight, a part of him thought maybe he should have done some more traveling before he settled here, saw more of the world, but he supposed there was nothing stopping him if he decided he wanted to. It just never sounded like much fun on his own.

“Not sure anywhere ever felt like home,” he admitted, shrugging. He didn’t mind the questions, and he was pretty forthcoming as a general rule. Tiana was nicer than most though, and she seemed genuinely interested in the answers. He found himself wanting to know more about her too. “My adopted parents did the best they could. I wasn’t exactly an easy kid,” he chuckled softly. “I love ‘em, but they’ve got their life, and I’ve got mine. Expensive as Hades to fly over an ocean, too. What brought you here?”

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She chuckled softly, “It’s okay. A lot of people here have never had it. It’s a lot of comfort food with a kick.” It was one of her favorite things in the world, introducing people to Cajun food for the first time. The skepticism was always so clear, and she could understand it. But Southern food was built on it, and it had been perfected in Cajun. That blend of Creole and Southern and something so unique that it couldn’t be duplicated was precious to her. 

A soft smile made its home on her face, and she kept the sadness for him tucked away. “Sometimes that’s just how it goes,” she mused softly. She wanted him to keep talking, wanted to know about him. “You’re adopted?” It added context to everything else. “Nothing wrong with that. Love doesn’t always keep people together, and it shouldn’t. I think we’re always supposed to grow, even if it is beyond the people who raised us.” As much as her heart was in her roots, being away had strangely helped her. “I couldn’t even begin to tell ya. The town itself, I guess.” 

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

mighty-herc·:

“Oh yeah? That’s awesome. What kinda restaurant is it?” Food was definitely a way to Herc’s heart, but really, what wasn’t? He typically wore it on his sleeve. He admired the way she just said it so plainly and confidently, like it was a thing that would happen. He’d never felt that way about anything until he started working at the fire station, and that had mostly been an accident. He hadn’t really worked for it. He’d just wandered in and decided to stay.

He liked the sound of her laugh. It was kind, and he could tell she wasn’t laughing at him, so that was a nice change. He hesitated over the question, never sure quite how to answer that one. “Never felt much like home, I guess,” he said finally, shrugging. It was hard to explain because his adoptive parents were perfectly nice people. He knew he hadn’t exactly been an easy kid, but they loved him, and he loved them. He just didn’t miss any part of that life, except maybe his grumpy trainer. “But you stayed too, so I guess there’s somethin’ about it.”

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She liked the way he phrased it: is it, not do you want, or will it be. “Cajun,” she said proudly, a little smile and a tip of her chin accompanying the word. After losing everything from home, starting over in a new place with nothing and no one, she was more resolved than ever to get her dream. It was the one connection she had to home, to her family, and if she never left here, she knew she was going to need it. 

Hearing the hesitation, her eyes lingered on him, soft and gentle in her patience. It really wasn’t an easy question for a lot of people in this town, she figured. “Home, but not home?” She hummed softly, “Home because it’s where your family was, but the place wasn’t where you wanted to be? Or?” She couldn’t explain all the questions, what made her want to know. Maybe it was the softness in all of that, but so far, he was also easy company. His musing made her chuckle and she tried not to let it sound annoyed or sad. “There’s somethin’ alright.” 

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

wickedpotions·:

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IANTO WOULDN’T PUSH TIANA, OF COURSE.  he never wanted to push anyone, not when he’d spent his entire childhood being pushed too hard.  But he also knew what it meant to work too hard and not take time for yourself.  ❝ I’ll talk to Jack and see who we want to invite, and we’ll get it arranged.  It will be good, fun.  And if there’s anyone you’d want to invite, just let me know and we can. ❞

HE NODDED AT HER WORDS.  ❝ cooking for one is always nearly impossible.  When I was on my own, I often cooked for two portions and had the other half whenever my next meal was.  But it was also why I ended up getting take out so often.  That and it was just easier. ❞

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She smiled softly, her heart warmed by him trying to help take care of her. She knew she’d likely work herself to pieces if left entirely to her own devices. Pausing at the mention of inviting someone, she blinked slightly to herself and tamped down that flood of lonely. “Sure, I’ll think about it. But it’ll be fun regardless, even if you really don’t have to.” 

A quiet huff of laughter escaped her. “Yeah, that is exactly what I do. It’s why I end up eating at one job or another more often than not.” It made her heart ache a little, missing the constant cooking and sharing and made her give more thought to taking Ianto up on the offer to spend more time in the kitchen at work. 

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

mighty-herc·:

“No?” He couldn’t stop the curiosity that crept into the question. She was beautiful and obviously kind. It was hard to imagine she didn’t get invited to parties, so it must have been a choice. Hercules wouldn’t call himself a party person either, but it wasn’t clear if that was because he didn’t like parties or because he didn’t have any friends. That didn’t seem to be something to say out loud to a pretty girl though.

“You must like it, then,” he guessed. Her rambling made him smile. He’d never been much to brag about in the kitchen, but he could handle the basics. “Nah, but that’s exactly what a serial killer would say.” He shrugged, chuckling. She’d never be anything but safe with him. Herc was a big ‘ol softie inside, but he looked scary enough to keep away most things that would try to threaten people walking home alone. “I ask myself that all the time,” he laughed, shaking his head. “I have no idea. Just passin’ through, and then a job opened up, I guess. What about you?”

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She couldn’t stop the little laugh that escaped her, so much like the few of her friends when they’d all first met. Lottie had always been the one for a party and she threw some of the best. It never failed to cause her to be teased or mocked endlessly for her choice to work instead. “No,” she confirmed with a little shake of her head, “No parties for me.” 

“I love cooking,” she admitted, her smile brightening, “Eventually, I’m going to open my own restaurant.” A bright peal of laughter escaped her, her eyes widening in surprise at the sound of it. “I suppose it is.” She looked soft and sweet, but she swang a mean skillet when she was pushed. Blinking at the information, she let out a quiet hum of contemplation. “So you stayed? So far from home?” It was so drastically different from her experience that she didn’t quite trust it. “It’s complicated. I definitely didn’t choose it.”

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

mighty-herc·:

It was easy to return that smile, but that was almost always the case for Hercules, even if hers was too pretty by half. “Happens to all of us. Havin’ a party?” It was hard to imagine all of that food was for one person. He lived alone and could put away a lot, so he had some idea of the usual haul.

He recognized the look because he’d gotten it before. He was big and didn’t even have to scowl to look intimidating, and some people stayed out of his way before he ever opened his mouth. “Take ya as far as you want,” he offered, more softly. If she wanted to keep him from her house, he wouldn’t be offended. It was basic stranger safety. He fell into step beside her with a shake of his head. “No, ma'am. Moved here from Iowa about a year ago.”

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The question made her laugh softly and remember her initial problem that had snowballed into nearly dropping bags. “No, not much of a party person,” she admitted with a little shrug and a shake of her head. “I just always cook entirely too much food. That was actually why I had stopped. My brain was asking questions I didn’t have the answer to.” Why was she rambling? Tia didn’t ramble, it wasn’t what she did. But she also didn’t usually carry on conversations with unfairly handsome, ridiculously kind and polite men. She took a deep breath and mentally chided herself again. 

She knew that she shouldn’t let him walk her all the way home, but she didn’t get the feeling that there was anything for her to worry about from him. She considered herself a good judge of character and it hadn’t let her down yet. “You’re fine, cher. Somehow, I get the feeling you’re not a serial killer,” she teased him gently, smiling up at him. “You moved here?” Her head tipped in curiosity, “What brought you from Iowa to Wales?”

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

wickedpotions·:

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IANTO DIDN’T HAVE TO KNOW MUCH ABOUT TIANA TO SUSPECT WHO LOTTIE WAS.  a friend who wasn’t here.  Like Tosh and Owen and Rhys.  Like Martha Jones.  Like so many people he missed with a keen ache.  ❝Well that doesn’t mean I won’t try and that I won’t get Jack involved as well.  In fact, you’re formally invited to a movie and game night.  Date and time to be decided, but you will be invited.❞  A night off sounded nice to Ianto even.  He could invite Will, and Jack’s friends.  It could be nice.

❝AH THAT MAKES MORE SENSE.  the future head chef in you.  Do you make too much food when you cook for yourself as well?❞  Ianto still ordered too much food often, counting for the other torchwood members on instinct.  Even if two of them had been gone for longer than Sallow Hills.

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She chuckled softly at the care and the insistence of her being included. She was slowly getting used to it, life in the Food District helping her feel more like home than anything else so far. What she had learned, when it came to Ianto, was that he’d let her have her way until he knew she needed otherwise. “Alright. You let me know when, and I will be there.” Ianto really was the sweetest man and she was glad that he had Jack. 

“Every time. I can only eat so many leftovers before things go bad,” she laughed softly and shook her head at herself. She thought of her fridge and the empty spaces around her and forced herself not to ache. “I’ve gotten to where I can do it for like two people, but still. It means there’s things leftover,” she grinned.

[chasedreamsnotwishes]

mighty-herc·:

Herc tried not to look too skeptical as one of her bags tried to escape, but his emotions tended to show on his face. Some people didn’t want help in general, and some didn’t want his help specifically, and he tried not to be offended either way, since it usually wasn’t about him. Even if it was, he couldn’t do anything about it.

He’d call that acceptance grudging at best, but at least she wasn’t telling him to mind his own fucking business. “Hercules. Nice to meetcha, Tiana. That’s a real pretty name.” With her help, he carefully shifted some of the heavier-looking bags to his own arms. “Where ya headed?”

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She gave him a small, soft smile, “Nice to meet you too, Hercules. Oh, uh, thank you.” She helped shift bags around and immediately let out a relieved sigh at the loss of weight. “Okay, maybe I tried to overdo it.” She rolled her shoulders a little with a soft huff of laughter at herself. “Nothing new there.” 

The question made her consider him very seriously before she mentally scolded herself. “Down at the end off Gwledda Drive,” she tipped her head in the direction at the opposite end from Lawson’s. She’d been drawn to this part of town so often while she had stayed at the bed and breakfast, the woman there helping her feel surprisingly comfortable. “You are definitely not from here either,” she mused as they started to walk, her Cajun accent drifting out.