just jake⢠things.
Degrassi : Season 11, Episode 3

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@cptnplaidsman
just jake⢠things.
Degrassi : Season 11, Episode 3
High School Musical (2006) dir. Kenny Ortega
starletwritesâ:
the melodic strumming starts and she sits still as a statue, not wanting to give their daughter any ideas. only the corners of her mouth move. in fact, sheâd be smiling if it werenât caught between her teeth. tori bites her lip when she reads, sometimes when she listens too, always when she focuses. and right now, sheâs particularly preoccupied with the way veronica pauses, if only for a moment, from all her pulling up and plopping down and using her fine tuned pincher grasp to marvel at him while plays. she knows the feeling. could sit here and listen to him all night, changing positons in between beatles songs and contemplating how different things were this time last year, occasionally gripping fistfuls of carpet to remind herself that all this exists. his silvery inflection, his lightly furrowed brow demands a kiss. apparently the baby agrees, because after being sedentary a song and a half she crawls her way over and reaches for himâor the guitar. from her vantage point, (flat on her back, atop the alphabet playmat, with curls sprawled out on every side of her), itâs hard to tell. âveronicaaaââ tori half groans, half pleads as it becomes evident that sheâs not going down so easy. parenting could really put your creative problem solving to the test. âokay, plan bâ she announces, hopping up with a sudden resolve. it also didnât leave a lot of time to wallow in your failures. she rummages her drawers, overflowing with onesies, tights, and dresses she might not ever get around to wearing and emerges with the winter white puffer jacket that makes her look like a marshmallow, or a cloud, or something equally as fluffly and adorable, hands it off to her unsuspecting father to manuever her into. âweâre going for a drive, the backseat never failsââ tori mentions on her way out of the room, a guaranteed knockout in thirty minutes or less. she returns with a sweatshirt pulled over her nightly ensemble and a pair of keys dangling from her grasp. âif we go now we might be able to hit a drive thruâunless youâre good with peach puffs for your midnight snackââ
at first, it sounds like itâs a hit! or at least doing what itâs supposed to anyway. sure, jake can play for hours about nothing, trying to fine tune famous songs from old bands just to fill the atmosphere with nothing but relaxation and well, âgroovy-nessâ in his words. heâs so sure heâll have her asleep in no time, that heâll text jenna how awesome she is for introducing him to the world of guitar and music again. the friend-union is cut short however, when she tries her best to crawl over to him, either to grab his face or guitar, whatever looks better to her heâs sure. âwoah security, we got a runner..sorta!â he exclaims with a tired smile, realizing that this little girl has more energy than he thought. as he wraps her up in his arms, he ponders just where she got all this energy from. even during his late night hangouts, he always packed it in around 2, but this kid was up all hours all the night. but watching her mother stir to her feet with that same energy and resolve, it all comes together pretty quickly. âok, first off, we gotta get rid of some of that stuff in that drawer, thereâs no way sheâll get to wear it all before she outgrows it. and second..man this is fluffy, this come in adult sizes?â he says as he grabs the jacket and carefully puts it on veronica, left leg first, buttons fastened, and fishing a small white hat that his mother knitted for her. it doesnât take too much time for him to get her ready, but thatâs partly because his stomach is growling for that sandwich he never got to eat, and with a quick grab of his blue plaid jacket, heâs ready for sleep and food, in whichever order they get to do it. âsounds like a plan. gimme some burritos and guac and iâll sleep like a baby, but too bad for you, i donât share.â he sing songs playfully as he buckles veronica in her car seat. once heâs sure sheâs in along with tori, heâs off in his truck, driving down the street at a steady speed. he looks over at tori, smiling slightly, but glad sheâs along for the ride. "have i ever mentioned how much i love your ideas by the way? cause i would have just been up with her the whole night. did you do stuff like this in italy, like, night drives to get her to go to sleep?â itâs an honest question, but heâs always been curious how she picked these things up on her own.
life gone from zero to 100 real quick
starletwritesâ:
the corners of her lips lift into a smile thatâs barely there, âmy momâs already been dropping hints about what we should do for her first birthdayâshe hired a girl at the nail salon to play moanaâ she mentions, rolling her eyes playfully. sort of whispers the very last part, like sheâs afraid of somehow ruining the magic for a baby that can barely understand. itâll be a day long event, and tori canât wait to decorate. and while part of her gets sparsely annoyed at her mother and fatherâs overbearing approach to grandparenting, a much larger, more prominent part is delightedâtouched, that they love veronica enough to be so hands on. âtime is flying..â she laments with a wistful sigh, for a moment her eyes flicker with absence, like she goes somewhere else in her head. because whatâs even more surreal, is the fact that their baby is getting so close to being an entire year old. itâll be an accomplishment, one that seemed nearly impossible when they were staring back at each other all wrapped up in crisp hospital bed linen with tears gathered in both their eyes, to have kept her safe and healthy for an entire year. and while sheâs aware that they still have a long way to goâit feels good to know sheâs raising a little girl whoâs energetic, and happy, fascinated by everything around her, funnier by the day, and loves her dadâŚâyou sharing with your da-da?â she grins fondly as veronica glances at her to make sure she too sees the show jake makes of devouring her peach puffs, clapping and babbling a few exuberant syllables, stringing all new ones together (no âma-maâs yet, the âmâ is harder to pronounce, or so says google) and tori tilts the container her way as she goes to feed him another. she glances at him and shakes her head, shrugging one t-shirt clad shoulder. âjust donât let me snooze my alarm more than twice, no matter how much i begâ sheâs no stranger to a sleepless night, post-baby or otherwise, and the tone she takes says that she doesnât mind, not really. because she loves when itâs just the three of them, even at two in the morning sprawled across a daisy printed area rug.  âyou know what might work? if you play her something on the guitar, a little lullaby or something she loves thatâŚâ she suggests, slides her entire torso onto the floor, using an arm for support with four fingers splayed in her messy head of curls.Â
he mouths a âwowâ and whistles slightly as she goes on about what her mom wants to do for their daughterâs birthday, and heâs already prepared to report to his mom about it in a âplease donât fight with her about thisâ sort of way. not that it doesnât all sound fun and something veronica would enjoy (heâs really into the movie now, and itâs not just the rock as a short muscled up dude with great hair), but he knows just how his mom can be about toriâs mom, and about ronnie, and it went the same way for toriâs mom. so for everyoneâs sakes he hopes they can play nice for the sake of their granddaughterâs very first birthday. and when he thinks about..first birthday sounds pretty crazy. âyeah, we made it to one year..well, you made it through most of it..but no worries. iâm gonna make sure she has the best birthday ever. ok?â he smiles, opening his mouth to veronica to show that heâs not only eaten what sheâs offered him, but heâs keen on taking any future birthday cake she wants to throw his way. and he hopes tori doesnât take his comment to mean anything, but the fact that heâs missed so much already? it just makes him more determined to make his daughterâs special day even more special. he catches another peach puff in his mouth, turning on his back to look up at both of them as he ponders his future as an alarm clock. âno worries. i usually wake up early to water my garden so i donât forget during the day. plus, i got ways to wake you up if you donât wanna wake up.â he smirks not so innocently, playing coy before she strikes an idea that sounds even better. âooh! wanna hear daddyâs song?â he rolls over on his stomach, nodding his head and getting excited enough to make her squirm and giggle enough that heâll take it as a yes. jake gets to his feet, opening the closet thatâs littered with a mix of baby things they donât need and jakeâs things he canât bare to throw away. but thereâs something in here that heâd never part with. he puts the strap around his neck, showing off a little as he strums a few chords. âweâll start with twinkle twinkle little star, but if that doesnât work? iâm playing let it be by the beatles, you know, work the classics in there.â he chuckles as he strums before taking a seat in his chair and singing softly. and while itâs not quite a college coffee shop or some party in santa clara populated by c-list celebrities and their relatives..itâs still the best venue and crowd heâs ever played.
starletwritesâ:â
her middle of the night bathroom break evokes a quick detour when she recognizes the traces of light from down the hall sneaking underneath the door. the closer she gets she can hear the giggles, the hushed whispers of a girl dad doing his darndest, even the pacific waves from her sleepy-time sound system that was apparently a waste of 34.99. still, she stands in the doorframe, equal parts drowsy and endeared until her presence is detected.Â
âwhat are you doing awake?â she half-yawns, pads onto the plush carpet rubbing red-rimmed eyes and wearing a college t-shirt two sizes too big. her bedhead speaks for itself, and at this point it practically begs veronica to let her make her 8 a.m. blowout with ashtyn blake who does not do walk-ins, refunds, or rescheduling. still, she plucks miss wide awake from her crib, unable to resist when she always looks so happy to see her. âheard you two partying without me, and i hope you told daddy that we donât have a bad sideâ she announces with a matter of fact smile, a familiar chime in her voice like islander sing song a generation removed. her eyes turn on the âdaddyâ in question as she plunks down into a rocking chair, running all five fingers through her babyâs matching curly qâs. âhow long you been at this for? we can go in shifts if you wantâŚâ veronicaâs been an independent sleeper for a little while now, but the pediatrician did warn that the shift from her sleeping at her parentâs to jakeâs might cause a little upset in her sleeping schedule. âit canât be too long nowâŚâ as if on cue, the baby squirms out of her hands. and tori thinks for a moment that sheâs not sure just which one of them she inherits her stubbornness from. sheâs left with no choice but to set her free onto the playmat, too tired to fight her on it. instead she just sits indian style on the floor with her, watching as she crawls in the opposite direction, hoping sheâll tire herself out eventually. âsheâs getting fast yâknowâŚand strongâi give it another two months tops until sheâs trying to walkâ tori mentions grabbing the box of peach puff chews they keep handy for times like these and popping one into her own mouth. the rattle of the container catches baby vâs attention. from which parent her appetite derives is no question.
âoh yeah, for sure. mama is the second coolest parent, thatâs gotta count for something.â heâs been trying his best to no avail, but it looks like some unexpected help has to his rescue. âonly at it for like..45 minutes maybe? i was on my way to grab a snack when i heard her moving around. looking like a baby prison inmate too the way sheâs clings to the bars.â he teases, still a little surprised that what was supposed to be a five minute ordeal to the fridge and back, ended up being a bonus round of him and her racing to see who could fall asleep first. and from the small yawn and stretch he managed to belt out as tori takes their daughter in her arms, he might be the winner of that competition. heâs still taken back at times just watching the two of them, mostly at tori, going from someone who can care about hair and makeup like itâs life (heâs sure sheâd think he was blasphemous for thinking anything less), to being this soothing, calming mother figure. in a way, heâs still playing catch up, but he feels like heâs not too far behind her now at least. âsheâs gonna be one fast, strong, and super squirmy runner. i dunno where she gets the energy from.â he says as he crawls onto the floor with them, grabbing one of veronicaâs small toy balls and rolling it around the floor near him. he watches her excitedly react to her treat, a smile plastered across his face. âi was literally on my way to make a sandwich when this one popped up awake. weâre matching wave lengths.â
getting an idea, he scoots over closer to them, putting his face in front of veronicaâs and opening his mouth. âaaahh..â he watches her smile excitedly, taking the snack she was going to eat and putting it in jakeâs mouth. he chews, rubbing his stomach happily for her sake. âitâs no corned beef sandwich, but i can imagine.â he chuckles, running his hand through little vâs hair. âhope you were sleeping alright, i know you have errands and appointments tomorrow, figured youâd wanna rest up.â
âok so, two guys walk into a bar and..no, youâre young for that one. alright, two teletubbies go into their, i dunno, house in a hill with their baby sun god. so the purple one goes âwhoâs nuu nuu do you have to steal to get some tubby custard?â. see? itâs so funny that youâll laugh yourself to sleep any se-â
apparently, his jokes donât go over well with anyone these days, but who knew that 8 month olds could launch a rattle that far? and right at his head, extra harsh. jake was usually a patient person, but this had to be his toughest test to date. there was no reason for his daughter to be up at 2 am when sheâs usually such a sound sleeper. the past few months of getting to know her, really spend time and connect with her (and her mom of course), had been amazing. even the nursery, for as much back and forth with the grandmothers over the ins and outs and every detail of the crib, turned out amazing, with enough toys and books to keep her busy for a while. but he bends down and picks up her favorite toy, sighing as he gives it to her. âyouâre just asking for me to embarrass you and your date at prom, young lady.â he laughs softly, taking seat on the small couch next to her crib (his dadâs idea which was very handy). he watches her stand up, holding on the the bars on the side to watch him, smiling in his face before she starts to babble general nothings that at least sound pretty cute. âshh, youâre gonna wake your mom. sheâs got a hair appointment, and let me tell you right now, you really donât wanna be on her bad side when she ge-oh hey.â he stops himself, waving casually at the mother in question whoâs walking by the door and whoâs hoping she couldnât hear everything. â2 am warrior over here doesnât wanna go to sleep, and i was just..educating her on jokes and why mom is always right.â, he smirks, watching a clearly fighting sleep veronica still be excited at the sight of her mother.
@starletwritesâ
If it werenât for Gabriel, I would be making my move.
@starletwrites
starletwritesâ:
thereâs an adamant shake of her head, as if he can see her, and she holds the phone a little closer and whispers, âi doâ. because she does want him, to be with him, more than he or anyone has ever really been able to wrap their heads around. but she hears him sigh and it sounds like defeat, and suddenly there are tears forming in her eyes that she desperately does not want to shed. âi know thatâŚdonât you think i know that?â for all the childlike wonder she exhibits she knows what life is about. Itâs be strong or else, and cash is king, and boyfriends donât follow girlfriends to the other side of the world because they ask. itâs a byproduct of the fact that some parts of her grew up entirely too fast, while others are still naĂŻve enough to believe in things like âhappily ever afterâ and âyou truly can have it allâ. âso stop acting like youâre so much more grown up than me, and like what i want isnât real. because it is. itâs real to meââ
 her roommates call her name from the other room, ironically inviting her to add to their symphony of girlish giggles and clubby pop music dialed too high. she sniffs and dabs at her eyes, âcoming!â, tries for her usual silvery inflection but her throat feels like she swallowed something white hot. voice an octave lower, she refocuses on the task at hand, âand if youâre ready to settle into one routine for the rest of forever thatâs great for you i guess, but iâm not ready to be somebodyâs little wife againâ a more rational part of her, the part that was hinting at bold art deco engagement rings just two months ago, wouldâve told her she wasnât being fair, or that she at least couldâve worded it a little better. she was fine, more than fine, with their little life together in toronto. but this was slowly devolving into heartbreak warfare. be strong or else. and itâs like something in her had lain dormant and untouched, awakened only by this brand new adventure, this new beginning. it feels like that very part of her might die if she sends it back to sleep so soon. and for a moment she canât decide which is the worse resolveâlosing it or her other half.Â
âi never said it wasnât real! i just..ugh, geez..â he grumbles, for the first time in a long time, actually at a lost for words right now. usually jake is the type of guy with some advice or some simple words to fix a problem, like heâs got life down to a simple science that can easily be solved. but with what sheâs saying, how sheâs feeling, itâs all things he canât quite wrap his head around. he was always different from her, from his classmates, who sought out a life of exploring the globe for years on end. her words twist at him, hurting more ways than one as he recalls back to other times in his life. âsettling? you think iâm working hard just to settle?â he furrows his brows, trying not to raise his voice at her, but he canât help but get a little hot at the thought of her thinking that of him. âyou know you sound like katie right now.â and he knows itâs a petty little blow, considering the rivalry and history between the two that he somehow got mixed up in. but this felt like a sense of deja vu. another woman who has these big, lofty, worldly dreams that they think his simple âbumpkinâ brain either canât handle or canât keep up with them. and when he made the choice to end things with her, heâd swore heâd never fall for a girl who didnât want the same things out of life that he did.
and maybe tori did..someday. but maybe, like with katie, that wasnât right now. taking a deep breath, and preparing to get yelled at, he braces himself for his next words. âlook..i donât wanna hold you back. so if you wanna be in italy right now, i wonât stop you. but maybe we need to just..cool it right now if thatâs the case..cause this only gonna get harder trying to make this work..â
starletwritesâ:
the reluctance at the other end of the line makes her stomach dip. âyou couldâŚtry and expand?â she quiets at the end of that thought, like even she knows itâs a stupid idea. the more reasonable part of her can understand how crucial it is that heâs there right where they need him, how unfair it would be to pull him away from everything he worked his whole life for. but the smaller part says â run away with me â and doesnât shut up. âwell thatâs the thing j, i donât know if iâm talking about just a trip..where we leave for a week and stay in some hotel and just come back to the same old same oldâ pink lips part to sigh a sigh that feels like it comes from the burrows of her soul. for the first time in such a long time she feels the weight of their differences. âi think i want to live here for a little whileâŚâ itâs the first time sheâs admitted it aloud, to anyone, including herself. so the sentiment almost shocks her, nearly burns her throat when it comes up and out. because itâs so far off from what they originally talked about. just a semester abroad, four short months, and then sheâll be back with gifts and a fresh tuscan tan, ready to embark on the next phase of their livesâtogether.Â
and maybe itâs simply a coincidence, that she finally got a taste of purpose 3,000 miles away. maybe she could find some of it back home. but right now it felt too new, too fragile, one wrong move and itâd all be off-kilter. âmaybe you could do one week there, one week here? i mean, that wouldnât be so bad for business would it? they can manage without you every other week?â one last feeble attempt, grasping for a solution that seems futile. she has the sudden urge to get on her knees so she does, fold her legs up underneath her and stares out at the trellis that adorns the apartment across the street, âall i want is for you to come and live my dream with me for a summer and then we can live in yours for foreverâ
âtooor..â he grumbles as she finishes her plea. at this point in his morning, he usually goes for a walk, or at least some breakfast to fill his stomach before finding something to do later on with a friend. but right now, he simply feels stuck. and not just to his bed as he takes a seat near the edge, but on this entire conversation. âi just..i canât do that. in a year, maybe? but not right now. iâve worked really hard for this..â and as much as he loves her and wants to go on the adventure of a lifetime with her to who knows where else her mind decides to take them, he has real obligations. he canât be that kid who just does what he wants without thinking of the consequences anymore. if he left, he wasnât sure who would be in charge now, or even what would be left of martin construction by the time he got back. and he knew his father worked too hard to see his lifeâs work to go up in smoke just because of him.
her last little bit confuses him though. he always assumed she was up for living in toronto, maybe moving to the states someday, but at least staying on the mainland always seemed like their ideal life. but âyour dreamâ simply rings like something only he really wants, not her. âi thought you wanted to be here with me..â he replies simply, a heavy sigh as he feels this is taking a turn he doesnât want to. â..i donât wanna force you to do anything you donât wanna do..or be anywhere you donât wanna be. tori, if you have a dream..maybe you just need to chase it. but right now, i canât chase you around the world. weâre..not kids anymore..â
starletwritesâ:
she balances the phone between her ear and her shoulder and stares out at the setting sun, imagining him going through his morning ritual and her stealing a little extra time under the covers, eyes open just enough to secretly adore each gesture. âthink less arizona, more mediterranean. but i got these exotic jams for your mom, and a cookbook for clare, and these really cool imported bamboo earrings that marielle says make me look like iâm going on a safariâ she giggles, finds that the older she gets beauty is less her religion, the way it was taught to her, she sometimes favors the bold, the unique, tastes resting comfortably between bohemian and glamorous. âone more thing tooâŚbut itâs a surpriseâ his personal souvenir pile is ever growing, overtaking the old wicker chair in the corner of the room. she sees things all over and canât help but think that heâll like them, that he should see them too.Â
he vents and her lips quirk momentarily at the nickname heâs acquired. unlike her, his ambitions have been clear cut since high school (and god isnât that something? enough time has passed between the two of them that they have seen each other into a completely separate era. she gets nostalgic more often than sheâs ever said out loud), but itâs nice to have been around long enough to see things begin to come to fruition, at whatever pace. âtheyâll get used to you as their boss, maybe start small and ease them into your big ideas. today energy efficient lightbulbs, tomorrow entire stadiums with advanced recycling systems and re-purposed waterâ sheâs listened to him talk enough to pick up on some save the earth lingo. but as he anticipates her return her smile absently devolves into something less so. âyeahâabout thatâŚâ thereâs a sigh, a moment of complete stillness as she tries to find the exact words. âi was thinking at the end of the program i might justâŚstay through the summerâ she tries not to wince, explaining before he can respond. âitâs just iâve never felt like this before..so free and purposeful, and like for once iâm really living notâŚlost, floundering through. i donât want it to end.â itâs a euphoria sheâs been chasing for what feels like forever. â..but i think you should come too, babe. youâd love it here. and you wouldnât have to worry about a place to stay or anything. itâll be the experience of our lives. âŚfly out next weekend, stay for my birthday and then we can make a plan from thereâ
he smiles as she lists off the things sheâs gotten for everyone, and heâs glad that she hasnât forgotten them during her trip overseas. sure, sometimes she could get a little ahead of herself at times, but heâd come to understand that tori absolutely did anything for the people she cared about the most. and overtime, that included his family (which at times, was closer to her than her own). âcanât wait to see it all, and i promise, the next time i do a little trip out of town to build something super big, youâll get first dibs on whatever i bring back.â he canât be sure just what kind of work heâll be doing, or even where itâll take him. he doesnât have a distance limit right now, so the entire world feels like his for the taking whenever the chance comes up. but he figures heâll always have her as a tether that keeps coming back home.
and speaking of coming back home, before he can tell her how impressed he was that she still remembered his ideas for eco-friendly stadiums, she dropped something on him that he wasnât expecting. it even made him out down the button up he planned on wearing for the day. âstay the summer? in italy?â he asks again, trying to process the idea. âthat sounds amazing..but i canât just up and leave..â if this was even a year ago, heâd jump at the chance to spend a summer or more with her in a foreign country. but he has more responsibilities now that he owes his job. and he knows that skipping off to another country when youâre trying to prove yourself..isnât gonna help you prove anything beyond that youâre still a kid who bails at the first sign of hard work or pressure. he canât afford to let anyone down, not right now. âtori..iâm happy that youâre having fun and you feel good being there. but..i just canât. i have a job, something i need to stay here for right now. look, maybe when you come back we can talk about planning our own trip, just the two of us. when the timingâs not so..off, you know?â
cptnplaidsmanâ:
usually heâs keen to spend his weekends asleep, dead to the world before 7 am. but the insistent buzzing of his ringtone is alerting him that this isnât an alarm going off, telling him to hop in the shower and get ready for a day of learning how to use his âseriousâ voice when it comes to disciplining tardy foremen on the job. jake thought the first year after graduating college would be a lot smoother, with the life of tests and assignments far behind him now, that he could simply live his relax, carefree life. but when his dad up and retired out of nowhere, his freedom year turned into a crash course of on the job construction business etiquette.
but heâs at least hasnât been totally on his own in this little journey, running his fingers through his bedhead as he hears the voice on the other line. he leans his head against the headboard, laughing slightly at his better half whoâs half way across the world right now. âobviously, i was getting a headstart on my cookbook.â he is keen to know all about italy, and since heâs up now, he hopes she can give him some fun stories. âhowâs italy? you crushing grapes for wine and eating chicken parm?â
she can almost hear the smile through the sleep in his voice and it only makes hers stretch a little further. âwell, we donât get to go out to vineyards tilâ next week, but the food is everything they said itâd be. i swear my appetite has like doubled from all the bruschetta and linguine and tiramasuâme and some of the girls are looking into spin classes so i can still fit my cut offs by the summerâŚâ she laughs through her nose, lazily twisting a piece of unraveling thread that springs up from the upholstery. she can hear her roommates pop the corkscrew on a bottle of cabernet over the music that blares from the bathroom. âbut other than thaat i got my first internship assignment today, and itâsâŚdrumroll please⌠redecorating my bossâ daughterâs bedroom.â completely unglamorous, and an attempt on her managerâs part to keep her busy and out of the way no doubt, but her tone shows no real discontentment with the hand sheâs been dealt. a chance to explore the city, make friends with the locals, brush up on her italiano, sheâll take it over manning the reception desk any day âand for a six year old sheâs a very demanding client. itâs like her daddyâs rich and she knows it. so i spent most of my day running around picking out art for her, and then of course one or two things for meâŚâ she glances at her impulse buys, scattered around, keeping her company as sunlight gives way to the moon. âwhat about you? howâre things with everyone at work?â life in toronto goes on without her, and his has all but turned on itâs head with him taking on a host of brand new responsibilities. she tries sometimes, throughout her day these past few weeks, to send him snapshots from the other side of the worldâlittle things that he can wake up and smile at. but she wonders if they make him happy or just serve as a reminder that sheâs not there.Â
he stirs a bit more as he listens to her, taking this chance to get up and at least brush his teeth as he does so. her toothbrush his still next to his, so he canât help but smile just a little bit. he finishes up, rinsing out his mouth before congratulating her. âholy crap, thatâs amazing! trust me, everybodyâs gotta start somewhere.â he feels like heâs not one to really talk at times, but it wasnât like he got handed his job or was born with a sliver spoon in his mouth. he had been working hard since he was 12 to prove himself, doing every little thing someone asked of him, even small tasks like getting water or sweeping up. never once did he want people to just see him as a spoiled daddyâs boy, he wanted to earn everyoneâs respect and trust.
but she had a leg up in the fact that his little internships never took him across the ocean to another country. it sounded like there was so much to do, so much to explore. and of course the food sounded absolutely to die for. âiâm hoping one of those things you bought was a snowglobe or something. does italy even have snowglobes? does it even snow over there or is it like arizona?â he has a million and one questions for her, but as he slips his shirt on, he tries to keep things quick. âitâs going good. a lot more paperwork than i thought goes into being a project manager..way more people to answer to that always start off the phone calls by calling me âlittle glenâ..itâs werid, but i think iâm really getting my groove, just sucks i wonât get to do all the ideas i want to do like eco friendly stuff right off the bat.â itâs the law of business, unless itâs your own company from the ground up or youâre the absolute top dog, youâre only allowed to do so much. and while he had a grander vision in mind, this wasnât a bad place to start per say.. âi do miss my wingwoman, but i know sheâs busy learning a bunch. i just know youâre gonna bring all the stuff you learned, and some souvenirs, back home.â
@cptnplaidsmanâ
flashback para ~
the tiny italian apartment right above the pastry shop buzzes with life as her two roommates race back and forth between the ten feet of space that separates their bedroom from the bathroom, evoking her opinions on makeup, and earrings, holding their ponytails at the top of their head to allow her the full visual. theyâre supposed to be going to see the fireworks to celebrate the kickoff of the carnavale season (and the fact that her birthday is just six days away), but sheâs been dressed for an hour now thanks to the pale green dress she tried on earlier at a secondhand shoppe and decided then and there was too perfect to take off. so she sneaks away, while theyâre arguing over the curling iron, to make better use of her time. because no matter if sheâs busy doing homework, or comparing paint swatches, or on the way to see fireworks that sheâll pretend are just for herâshe drops everything for one scheduled long distance call, when the sun is setting on her side of the earth but rising on his.Â
âhi babyâ she giggles, as soon as she can hear breathing on the other end of the receiver, plunks herself down on the mustard yellow daybed that decorates their windowsill and stares out at the muted traces of pink in the sky. âyou up?âÂ
usually heâs keen to spend his weekends asleep, dead to the world before 7 am. but the insistent buzzing of his ringtone is alerting him that this isnât an alarm going off, telling him to hop in the shower and get ready for a day of learning how to use his âseriousâ voice when it comes to disciplining tardy foremen on the job. jake thought the first year after graduating college would be a lot smoother, with the life of tests and assignments far behind him now, that he could simply live his relax, carefree life. but when his dad up and retired out of nowhere, his freedom year turned into a crash course of on the job construction business etiquette.
but heâs at least hasnât been totally on his own in this little journey, running his fingers through his bedhead as he hears the voice on the other line. he leans his head against the headboard, laughing slightly at his better half whoâs half way across the world right now. âobviously, i was getting a headstart on my cookbook.â he is keen to know all about italy, and since heâs up now, he hopes she can give him some fun stories. âhowâs italy? you crushing grapes for wine and eating chicken parm?â