you gotta be ☕

Daria Grace Rutherford thirty-three. owner of java jams cafe & dessert bakery. coffee & wine enthusiast. self-labeled "cool auntie friend". I live by the motto "treat yourself"

[nick-duval]

Nick twisted at the familiar voice, his surprise melting into a smile at the sight of Daria. He'd been so preoccupied lately that he'd probably been a terrible friend and customer, but old habits died hard, and he grinned at her lazily. "Yeah, that one wasn't on my bingo card for 2026, but I'm not complaining," he laughed. He glanced down and ghosted one hand over Beth's blond curls gently. "Thanks -- I wish I could say I had anything to do with it, but she's the exact image of her mom, that's all Quinn," he chuckled. He hunkered down next to the stroller, getting on Beth's level to introduce her properly. "So -- Beth, this is Ms. Daria. Ms. Daria is almost single-handedly responsible for keeping me in the good coffee, so we like her, 'kay? Bad things happen when Dad doesn't have caffeine, it's not pretty." Nick grinned up at Daria and winked as Beth beamed a toothy smile of her own. "Daria, this is Miss Beth Elise Fabray, future heartbreaker and little love of my life."

[dariarutherford]

Daria laughed, shaking her head. "Well, I guess I can live with being responsible for keeping you caffeinated. Somebody's gotta make sure you're functioning." Looking down at Beth with a warm smile before turning her attention back to Nick, she chuckled. "And hey, I don't think anybody has 'surprise parenthood' on their bingo card, so I'd say you're handling it pretty well all things considered. Besides," she added with a grin, "if she's got Quinn's looks and takes after your personality, I think she's going to do just fine." She straightened up, looking back at Nick. "So, how's it been? I mean, I know it's still pretty new, but are you settling into everything okay?"

[mercedesjonesx]

Mercedes narrowed her eyes at Daria with exaggerated suspicion, though the smile tugging at her lips ruined any attempt at looking serious. "You know, admitting you're a threat to my funnel cake before I've even handed it over isn't exactly inspiring confidence. Though, worst case, I get an excuse to buy another one." She lifted her lemonade in a tiny toast before starting toward the game booths. "Honestly, that sounds like a win either way." The bright colors and carnival noise only seemed to add to her excitement as they stopped in front of the ring toss. Mercedes looked over the rows of oversized stuffed animals hanging overhead, her eyes immediately landing on one of the giant teddy bears. "There." She pointed dramatically. "That's the one I want. And yes, I'm fully aware these games are more than likely rigged, but I've decided confidence is more important than skill." Fishing a few bills from her pocket, she paid for a bucket of rings and set them between herself and Daria. "If neither of us wins, we agree to blame the bottles instead of our aim."

[dariarutherford]

Daria laughed as she set the funnel cake and lemonade down on a nearby ledge, safely out of the way before reaching for one of the rings. "Oh, absolutely. If we're walking away empty-handed, it's because these bottles saw us as their mortal enemies and held their ground, tipping just slightly in a way to make any ring bounce off instead of land perfectly around the neck," she declared with a nod. Glancing up at the giant teddy bear dangling overhead, she tilted her head and reached to give the foot of it a gentle squeeze. "I will say, you've got good taste, and it's good quality, not one of those weirdly stiff, foam-filled things they usually have. If we're going to waste our money on a carnival game, it might as well be for something that's actually worth winning." Rolling the ring between her fingers for a second, she squared herself up before letting it fly toward the bottles. She glanced over at Mercedes with a crooked smile. "If this lands, we're calling it talent. If it misses… well, we've already established the bottles are cheating."

[nick-duval]

The amount of respect Nick had for Quinn just kept skyrocketing, every time he got a little glimpse of what she'd been doing by herself for more than a year now. Today, it was getting Beth ready to go out for the carnival -- a production in and of itself, and something that he wasn't quite prepared for even after several weekends taking care of his daughter -- daughter!! -- on his own.

He'd promised to take Beth for part of the day on his own, so Quinn could explore a bit without a toddler in tow, and Nick was absolutely a man of his word -- even if the amount of gear they had was already a bit daunting. Stroller? Check. Diaper bag? Check. Snacks and juice? Check. Stuffed animals and toys in case Beth needed a distraction? Check. Sunscreen and a sun hat and a sling in case she wanted to be carried? Check. And Beth herself, of course -- looking up at him with very trusting blue eyes, which was still a sucker punch in the solar plexus every single time.

"We got this, right?" Nick asked her very seriously. "No sweat. If you get it into your head that we need to ride the carousel more than four times in a row, though? We're gonna have to talk." He'd gotten into the habit of talking to her like she was just a very small adult, and even if she didn't understand most of what he was saying, she still babbled back. It was devastatingly cute, and once she could say more than a handful of words he was going to be a complete goner. As if he wasn't already.

With complex conversations currently off the table though, and the more kid-friendly rides stretching out in front of them -- carnival. Quality time. Yeah. He could do this.

[dariarutherford]

Between the smell of fried dough drifting through the air, music floating across the grounds, and the familiar faces passing her by, Daria couldn't help but smile as she wandered through the carnival. It was exactly the kind of summer event she'd been looking forward to. It was one of those things that she closed the cafe early for, both to allow herself to have some fun, as well as her employees. Not too far ahead, she spotted Nick and figured she'd go say hi. As she was getting closer, she noticed the stroller and small child with him and it took a second before she remembered learning he had a kid now. Waving as she got closer, she smiled as she approached. "So, I guess congratulations are in order. I heard you recently found out you're a dad." She glanced down at the child in the stroller, giving her a small wave. "She's adorable, by the way."

[mercedesjonesx]

Mercedes was leaning against one of the railings near the front gates, a fresh funnel cake in one hand and a lemonade in the other. The carnival was fairly packed, and she was mostly just people-watching while she waited for the sugar rush to kick in. Spotting a familiar face in the crowd, she offered a bright, easy smile. "Honey, I know you're not about to ignore me," she called out playfully, offering as much of a wave as she could with her hands already occupied. "Because I'm gonna need someone to hold this food while I go waste all my money on the ring toss. Come win a giant stuffed bear with me."

[dariarutherford]

Daria had been making her way through the carnival not really paying much attention to anything in particular, so when she heard famiilar voice calling out to her, it snapped her into focus, looking for where it came from. At the sight of Mercedes doing her best to wave at her, she couldn't help but laugh, changing course until she was standing beside her. "Well, when you put it like that, how am I supposed to say no?" she asked, reaching over to take the funnel cake from her without much hesitation. "Though I feel like I should point out that asking the owner of a cafe to hold onto fried dough is a dangerous game. I can't promise there'll be quite this much left by the time you get back." She grinned before nodding toward the game booths. "Come on then. Let's see if either of us has the skills to earn you that giant stuffed bear, or if we're just about to make the carnival workers very happy."

[lucyquinnfabs]

We were a thing in high school for a bit, but broke it off. Beth is the result of a very drunk one-night stand when I was passing through town two years ago. Don't know what possessed me to think it was a good idea, especially considering I'm gay, but I got my daughter out of it which is all that matters. Oh I'd love that! Hey the more the merrier right? Well actually isn't there a phrase about too many cooks in the kitchen? So maybe more isn't always merrier.

[dariarutherford]

Well if you were drunk that's probably all you need to explain it, people can do crazy things when they're impaired by a substance. Oh, I never listened to that phrase, something about spoils the broth which essentially means too many people adding to whatever is being cooked but most of the time each cook is doing their own thing in a kitchen. And being a baker and a foodie, I made sure the house I got had a big kitchen, so plenty of room for a few of us working in there.

[lucyquinnfabs]

Oh absolutely. Yea that Nick! Well you're not alone in that. He didn't know he had a kid either until a few weeks ago. Thats so cool. I try to involve my daughter in the kitchen whenever possible, it's limited though because she's still little. I would love that, the tips and the hanging out on a day off. We would have the most honest taste tester too.

[dariarutherford]

Okay, well that makes a lot more sense, then. So, you two were a thing, are a thing, random hook-up? Not that it's any of my business, so feel free to not answer if you don't want to. Yeah, definitely don't need little hands getting burnt or cut, that's for sure. Don't really need the big hands to have that happen to either, but hey accidents happen. They make for memorable scars. I usually do like foodie days with my friend, River, maybe you two could join us on one of those days, keep it simple so I'm not spreading myself too thin.

[djdomberry]

See, this is exactly why I love you, D. Especially these days, I actually have a hell of a hard time finding people that can match my energy for loving summertime, so it's damn refreshing knowing I've got you around to back me up at least a little bit. I know the 4th has passed now, but you better spare some time for me at the carnival, lady. Even if it's just to kick my ass at a carnival game.

[dariarutherford]

Oh come on, doesn't your sister love summer, too? Or is there some kind of uncoolness factor about her hanging with her older brother? Honestly, wouldn't blame her if that was the case, no offense to you I just mean who wants to hang out with your siblings if you might be getting your flirt on and having a summer fling. And oh, you can bet I'm very game to beat your ass at a carnival game. Any rides Kurt doesn't like that you'd need a partner for, too?

[dariarutherford]

Happy birthday, girlfriend! Make sure that you remember to treat yourself! And here's a little birthday platter to get you started. @oliviaxwestons

[lucyquinnfabs]

Well the fireworks were pretty far away for the most part, which was fine by me. No she really didn't, Nick got her headphones but I think all the lights still startled her. Oh wow that's really cool that you had something like that with your mom. Well if you ever host any baking class let me know, I'm a pretty good cook, but I am not a good baker. The most I can do is boxed cake mixes and chocolate chip cookies.

[dariarutherford]

Yeah, I can bet the flashing can be pretty intense for someone that little. Nick? Like Nick Duval? Is he her dad? Hm, didn't know he had a kid, that's news to me. And yeah, it all started with my helping her with Christmas cookies and then it just, really stuck with me and I loved doing it and making more and more things. Oh, I don't really host classes or anything, running the cafe can keep me pretty busy as it is. I can offer some tips, though or plan to hang out on a day I'm off to do a baking day or something.

[lucyquinnfabs]

I did. I went over to the complex her dad lives in and we watched the fireworks together. She really liked them at first when they were far away, but when they got closer she started crying which was a bit funny honestly. Oh wow, did our high school have a cooking club or class? If so this is the first I'm hearing about it. I've always wanted to learn how to bake, but I never had the time to sit and learn. Would you be willing to give some sourdough making lessons? I just want to make sure my little girl gets the stable, supportive home I would've liked to have.

[dariarutherford]

Oh cool, I didn't know you could see them from that complex, unless there's one closer to the high school that's slipping my mind right now. Aw, I'm betting she really didn't like the finale then, either. Did you go ahead with some protective ear covers for her? And yeah, I mean there was home economics class, which I did take, but I moreso meant that I was practicing at home, usually with my mom's help. Oh, sorry, no I didn't get the hang of the sourdough starters, so I don't do the breads. I'd be useless for trying to give lessons on that. Unless it's like dessert breads like banana nut and zucchini bread, but even those I don't do as much at the cafe.

[lucyquinnfabs]

Well up until they start walking and talking, they are a bit potato like, just lying and rolling around aimlessly. She's more of a tater tot now, still potato like but with a bit more attitude. Her actual nickname that I call her all the time is Bear. Yea I went to Ashford High School. I was captain of the cheerios and in glee club too. No, I'm back permanently. I spent the last 12 years traveling the country while I worked, but after I gave birth I started to realize that Beth needed solid roots somewhere, so I came back home.

[dariarutherford]

That's so sweet, I hope you ended up enjoying the fireworks with her! And okay, yeah I only ever did cross country, otherwise I was already starting with perfecting recipes and deciding what kind of shop I was going to open up once I was done with high school and college. If I could have gotten a handle on the sourdough breads, I might have gone the direction of just breads and baked goods, but I could never get the starters right. Plus, I love caffeine so going the cafe and dessert route seemed the better option in the end anyway. And that's great, about settling down and giving her some stability, I think that's really important, especially in the earlier years.

[andersonjones]

Royal icing? Yum! See, now you're speaking my love language. There's something so satisfying about those beautifully decorated sugar cookies that almost makes you feel bad eating them. Almost. I'd admire them for approximately thirty seconds before deciding they had fulfilled their artistic purpose.

Also, I absolutely understand having someone else manage the café's Instagram. I ended up being the designated Instagram person over at Dragon's Lair. Way to delegate, Boss Lady!

Now I'm excited to come by for the 4th of July treats. Sugar is actually my vice of choice. There's something really nice about people grabbing a decorated cookie or cupcake on their way to a parade or fireworks. It becomes part of the tradition. One of those little rituals that makes the day feel that much more special.

... I'm actually in the mood for some cake pops right now...

[dariarutherford]

Oh trust me, I don't think I've seen a customer yet that hasn't at least taken a photo of their cookie first before taking a bite. But I totally get that, not to toot my own horn or anything, but there's a few treats I've made that I sometimes sit back and look at them like... this is too pretty to let someone eat it. And hey, hope you enjoyed what you grabbed when you stopped by during the festivities. Not sure if you're a coffee person, but I've been considering attempting to get those new dot cake lattes on the menu since that's a new trend. Gotta keep up with the times, you know?

[brodywestonx]

I mean, it's cute and all, but you haven't lived until you've seen the Macy's fireworks over the East River. That is a show. This whole small-town 'everyone gathering in a lawn chair with a cooler' thing is... a choice. I guess it has a certain kind of charm to it. If I were going watch the town display tomorrow, though, where would the best spot around here even be? Because if I'm surviving a small-town 4th of July, I at least want the best seat in the house.

[dariarutherford]

So, I'm pretty sure the whole point of what I'm saying is that it's the small town charm that I love the most. If I wanted to see big city fireworks, I'd watch them on TV. But even then, it's just not as cozy as laying back on a blanket that's spread out on the grass, sometimes cuddled up to someone special or even just a small group of friends. Anyway though the night has already passed, for future reference, I'd say snagging a spot right on the football field, second best is the on one baseball field. Keep it in mind if you plan on going to the ones after the carnival, too.

[camille-diane]

I do appreciate that the unofficial countdown person immediately loses all credibility after the third "Any second now."

I have a love-hate relationship with the people who set off fireworks at home. I appreciate the joy, but also... please have a cutoff time. And a cutoff day.

After about the fourth or fifth night, I become the angry old woman shaking my imaginary cane at the sky.

[dariarutherford]

I totally get where you're coming from there, like don't get me wrong, there have been times where it seems like they're setting them off from Memorial Day through to Labor Day just because they can and yeah, that's definitely annoying. And yeah, even on the 4th some of those doing their own can overdo it for sure. Plus, depending on where they actually are in town, it's not always legal for them to be setting off the big ones so close to other structures. But if it's someone with a large yard, not quite as close to town, more spread out kind of like the houses out by the high school, that's not so bad. It's far enough away from me anyway that I can still tune them out if they're going on way too late.

[lucyquinnfabs]

Yea she's at a really great age. She's absorbing everything and slowly becoming a real-life person instead of being just a cute potato. I don't doubt that, people can go crazy during July 4th, not to mention that it's 250th birthday this year, so even more fireworks will happen! Yea I'm really lucky to have him as a coparent.

[dariarutherford]

That's so cute, also I love that you referred to her as a cute potato. I know some parents get so offended when you use words like that to describe babies and little kids, even though it's coming from like not a mean place at all. And yeah, that's right, I keep forgetting it's the big 2-5-0. Probably be way more people in town for the whole thing this year, people who left returning to their hometown. Which, you went to high school around here, right? I think you look like someone I saw in the hallways, just ran in different circles or different grades. Is that what you're back in town for, the celebration with your family?

[andersonjones]

Okay but that's exactly it. The first firework isn't loud because it's loud. The first firework is loud because it catches you in a moment of complete emotional vulnerability. You've spent the last hour watching kids run around with glow sticks, people unfold lawn chairs with military precision, and somebody's uncle attempt to grill enough food for an entire zip code. Your guard is down.

Then suddenly: BOOM.

And for one brief second your soul leaves your body.

Honestly, I think getting startled by the first one is just part of the experience. It's basically the opening ceremony. As for the Juneteenth parade, it was actually really nice. There were so many people out celebrating, music everywhere, vendors, food, families; it had that same kind of community feeling we were talking about with the fireworks. The event itself was great. The drive, however, reminded me why road trips and I have a very complicated relationship.

And now I need to know what kind of treats you made because you can't casually mention celebratory desserts and then move on like that. Were we talking cupcakes? Cookies? Brownies? Because if there was frosting involved, I need details.

[dariarutherford]

Yeah, I can totally understand, that drive to Philly may not be too long, but it's definitely still too much highway driving for me, I cannot deal with those big trucks being all around, but I'm glad to hear you had a good time! As for the treats I made, yeah there was some frosting, I had some sugar cookies done up with the royal icing, plus some cupcakes and cakepops. There should be some photos up on the Java Jams instagram page, I have someone that's supposed to keep that updated in case I forget to. I have mostly some pride themed ones now and I'll probably have some 4th of July ones made up specifically for that day so people around for the parade or heading up to where the vendors will be by the high school can stop in for them.

[camille-diane]

And somehow the person who claims to know exactly when the fireworks are starting is always wrong. I think you're right, though. The fireworks are mostly an excuse. The interesting part is everything before them. Who packed too much food. Who forgot the chairs. Which kid inevitably ends up sticky for reasons nobody can explain. Maybe that's why people keep coming back. The fireworks are the same every year. The stories never are. It's really about the memories you make with your people.

[dariarutherford]

Oh, totally. It's especially annoying if they're sitting there going "and.... now! nope. and.... boom!" or something like that, makes you wanna just toss popcorn at their head lol. And then when they're over and everyone is just reluctantly picking up their mess, I am not above lecturing someone on littering, though. And the lines of cars trying to get out and make it home safely, meanwhile at that point some folks are letting off their own that they bought, so you can still sometimes see some randomly going off on your way home, sometimes even when you get back home there's still someone putting on their own personal show that you can see from your backyard.