“ this yours ? ” said without pause , paying no mind to anything the bartender had just said . calloused hands hold up a small bag , brow raised . “ it was sitting outside … i'll go — just figured it might belong to someone here … ” that and he definitely didn't see any closed sign , though he attempts to show no inclination of embarrassment beyond a slight tint of rosy hue on the bridge of his nose of which he cannot change . slow steps back , bag lowered onto a free table . “ sorry . ‘m sorry . really . didn’t intend to intrude . please don't call the cops or anything . ”
nadia looked at the bag that was held up and she instantly recognized it as one of her regulars bags. thankful that someone brought it in instead of stealing it was an understatement. “it’s not mine but i know who it belongs to. she must have set it down without realizing it,” she said as she moved toward him with a smile gracing her features. a laugh escaped past her lips as she shook her head. “oh fuck calling the cops unless you threaten me which you haven’t so no worries, dude.” she pauses, looking back at the bar then to him again. “i mean we are technically closed but i think you deserve a drink. you a beer or liquor type of guy?”
open starter: the hideaway, closing time sunday night
closing the bar was honestly nadia’s favorite shift. she could play her favorite song on repeat for hours without someone trying to change it or tell her their wrong opinions about it. the song was blasting and she sat on the bar top counting her tips for the night. just enough to make rent but not pay for utilizes or food which she knows means that she was going to have to do more posting when she got home. she was in her own mind set that she almost didn’t hear the bell above the door indicating someone was coming in. she swore she locked it an hour ago but maybe not. she turned to look at the person walking in. “i am so sorry. we are closed and i must have been the idiot that forgot to lock the door. we should be back open tomorrow morning and if you tell the morning bartender what happened, we’ll get you a free drink on the house. does that sound reasonable?”
she can feel her excitement buzzing beneath the surface of her skin as she meets the parents of a brand-new student; that same feeling she used to get bright and early, waiting on exam results before the start of a well-deserved summer break ⸻ only this time, she gets to be the one to grade pages of scribbles with stars and smiley faces. " thank you so much for coming on such short notice ... with summer coming up, it's been a time with all of the planning for last-minute field trip sign-ups, classroom birthday parties ... " she could go on about the number of events she has to keep her class busy, gust of wind from flipping open planner puts her back on track. " that, and i've got a little one of my own over at foxgrove. "
hands smooth over colorful onboarding paper, one she'd spent the previous day decorating on diy-scattered kitchen counter. " we're so excited to have kiara join our class. i think she'll love it here. " gaze lifts to look at parents with an enthusiastic grin, scooting forward toward her desk. " noemi, by the way. not ... miss costanza, " a dismissive wave of her hand, quick to cover up quiet laugh with her fingers. " i feel like it's so formal, so, feel free to be comfortable. "
&. @mar7ini + @delicatefm, willow glen academy @ 1:30pm.
mackenzie really doesn’t understand why she is so nervous to meet kiara’s teacher but she was. with her hand intertwined with dallas’s, she glanced over at him with a small nod. if you would have told her this was how her life was going to turn out five years ago, mackenzie would have called you a liar. she always envisioned when her and dallas had kids they would do all of this stuff together: school visits, parent teacher conferences, award ceremonies, all of it. and now it was a reality as they greeted the teacher. mackenzie smiled softly, her gaze on the woman in front of her. she seemed kind like someone who was meant to do this for a career. “oh no thank you for inviting us here. i know the end of the school year is always the most hectic so no apologies.” at the mention of her own little one, she couldn’t help but smile. “how old is your little one?”
“i feel like one of those helicopter parents that is so nervous for her to start a new school. like i wish i could be here with her the entire time but i know she’ll do fine but I just worry. i want nothing for the best for her, you know? i mean we both do,” she said, her eyes meeting her husbands. “i absolutely love your name. i feel like mine is so boring sometimes like mackenzie is a very common name,” she laughed. when she got nervous, she always rambled. “how long have you been teaching?” ( @mar7ini )
" excuse me , " there's a softness in her voice that makes it obvious she's usually not one to ask this , but tips of her toes had gotten tired of holding her weight , letting out a disgruntled huff as the can of paint on the top shelf taunts her from above . " i'm so sorry to ask this but do you think you could grab that for me ? there's usually a step - ladder somewhere nearby but someone else must be using it . . . maybe i should just start bringing my own , " she teases , reaching up again like taking a few steps away would've made it at all easier to grab .
archer was looking through the different paint options when he heard someone next to him. he wasn’t really paying much attention to his surroundings but when she spoke, he nodded his head. “is this the one?” he asked, pointing to the can at the top of the shelf. he reached for it, handing it over with a smile. “oh no you’re all good. i’ve always been the tall person in most places so i don’t mind helping grab things off the top shelves every now and again.” he went back to looking at the different paint options. “what color gives off a homey vibe? looking to redecorate and am having such a hard time figuring out what color feels like home and not just like cold, you know? does that make sense?”
" oh god . . . why are you looking at your drink like that , " amara's been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off all evening , events like these always somehow felt worse than the others ⸺ everyone so dressed up , sound of big pockets and too much champagne lingering in the air around her . " they keep sending this new bartender to my events to train him and i swear to god i think that kid has the heaviest pour i've ever seen in my life , " couldn't blame him for hustling for his tips , especially when the cost of the liquor wasn't coming out of his paycheck . alcohol usually played a major supporting role in getting these people to open their wallets a little wider but it was no use if the drinks were too strong to get down in the first place . " what'd you have ? i can go get you a fresh one from the kitchen , just might take a second , i think they're trying to get dessert out before the auction to make sure the donors are in a good mood ," she teases , but wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't too far off base .
archer was never one to miss any type of charity event even if he didn’t necessarily want to go. his father and brother were in attendance and it would “look bad on the family” if he didn’t show his face. so there he was, standing against a far back wall, drink in hand as he watched the people around him. he had always been the more observant one in comparison to his brother and in times like these, that worked in his favor. “i hadn’t even realized that i was looking at my drink any sort of way,” he countered. the mention of a strong pour, he lifted the glass to his lips to take a drink. “i have had worse and honestly maybe he thinks if he can get them drunk fast enough they’ll spend more money,” he says with a shrug before shaking his head. “this is fine, promise. when do you get to actually enjoy this event and not just running around?”
𝞋𝞎 ˖ ⊹ bonnie was halfway hanging out of the driver’s side window at the drive thru , one hand tight on the steering wheel while the other waved around dramatically as she ordered. “ can i get , ughhhhh … onion rings and a double whopper , ” she said , pausing like she was making a difficult life decision. “ oh ! and mozzarella sticks. wait — no — definitely mozzarella sticks. ”
the poor employee’s muffled voice crackled through the speaker again and bonnie nodded seriously like they could see her. “ yes , babe , i know it’s a lot. i’m healing. ” then she turned suddenly toward the passenger seat , one brow lifting. “ do you want anything ? ” bonnie asked before narrowing her eyes suspiciously. “ and don’t do that annoying thing where you say no. ”
nadia was thankful for bonnie giving her a ride home since her car was in the shop for the second time this week. she didn’t have the money to pay for the repairs so it’s sitting in the car yard until she can save up enough money for it. instead, she finds herself walking or bumming rides off if anyone that would be so willing. and tonight, she found herself in the passenger seat going through the burger king drive thru. her feet were on the dash as she watched the excitement on bonnie’s face at the mention of mozzarella sticks which in turn got her excited. “girl, no. i haven’t eaten since breakfast so you do not have to worry about me saying I don’t want anything.” she paused thinking about what she wanted, before she leaned over bonnie to get close to the speaker. “yeah, can i get that exact same thing? extra pickles please.” she pushed herself back into her seat. “this was a genius idea. who doesn’t love burger king? and great choice in the mozzarella sticks. I wouldn’t have even thought about ordering those.” as they waited for their food, nadia smiled over at bonnie. “seriously, though. you are a lifesaver. next time you come to the hideaway, free drinks on me. how has your night been otherwise?”
the water had never looked so enticing , the lake seemed to have put on it's summer skin , shades of green and blue shimmering as the sun's reflection bounced from the rifts . aria's spent most of the day sunbathing , currently laid out on a towel positioned under a tree that offered just enough shade to shield her eyes yet still allow the uvs to pass through . book she'd been reading on and off is used to shield her eyes as she turns to the towel next to her , hand gesturing towards the water as she speaks , " should we get in ? i feel like we've already blown up those tubes it'd be kind of sick if we didn't use them , right ? " would be damned if she put up that fight with the battery powered air pump for no reason . " think about it ⸺ we could take a quick dip and then head over to frank's for some barbecue . . . like , imagine eating a hot sausage right now , " sentence is punctuated with a loud ' mmm ' , the taste already on her tongue .
there weren’t many places in town that nadia had found that brought her some peace like being at lake henry. her new yellow polka dot bikini fit her just right and the sun beaming from the sky darkening her skin by the second was the serotonin boost that she needed. she had zoned out and almost didn’t hear the voice next to her. pushing her sunglasses from her face onto the top of her head, nadia leaned up on her elbows. “you know what? i am so down for that. a dip and then a treat sounds so fucking good right now.” she was the first to stand and wipe off any sand residue off her hands. “come on, barbie, let’s go party,” she said with a laugh, her hand reaching out to grab the others. “should we also add in a little seltzer action to this?” she wiggled her brows with a grin tugging at her lips.
there was nothing that sucked the life of you like a hot texas day . heat sticks to her skin in a way that makes amara feel like she's suffocating , feet trudging along as they all but crawl down the sidewalk , missing the blast of cool air they'd left inside of the movie theatre . " how is it already this hot . . . isn't it still spring ? " amara huffs , portable fan she never left home without plucked from deep in her purse and pointed towards her face set to full blast. " do you want to go grab some ice cream at that place . . . um . . . georgia's ? " hand is lifted to shield her eyes from the sun as head turns to face her , had plans to drag her there anyways , but figured at least the illusion of choice was the least she could do . " did you and dallas ever end up decided where you guys were gonna live ? i feel like i haven't seen him around the last few days on my run so . . . i take it he moved in with you ? " ( @delicatefm )
if there was one thing that she didn’t miss about texas compared to north carolina was the heat. it was the kind that made you wet and not in the sexy way but the way that made you want to take a cold shower immediately. she already felt her hair sticking to her face as they walked causing her to immediately put her hair into a messy bun. “i mean it is still spring but i think summer decided that it wanted to enter the chat before any of us were ready. if this is the start, i do not know how i am going to survive the rest of the summer,” she said with a small chuckle. “you know i am always down for a sweet treat. especially on days like this.” at the mention of dallas and their house situation, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes slightly. it was still a soreness for her when he vanished without a trace. “girl, he would probably be kicking and screaming if he had to move in with me,” she said with a dry laugh. “he disappeared for a couple of days,” she started before glancing over at amara. “lost his phone, wallet got stolen and he couldn’t find his way back home for a couple of days. probably why you hadn’t seen him but yeah he’s back.” she shook her head. “we are working through some things and well it’s been a lot. i love him with everything in me but it’s been a lot. I just have to protect myself and ki and that’s been a rough patch in itself. I don’t know it’s just been a lot.” she held out her hand for amara to take. “enough about me. tell me more about this rock you have on your hand. i need all the deets please.”
ꗃ ˖ ⊹ giselle stood near the balcony doors with a champagne flute balanced loosely between her fingers , looking entirely untouched by the exhausting atmosphere inside. the dim lighting softened the sharpness of her features , but not the impression she gave — composed , expensive , intimidating in the effortless sort of way. at the sound of mackenzie’s voice , her gaze lifted slowly. “ stuffy is a polite way of putting it , ” she replied dryly. “ i think i lost ten years off my life listening to men in gray suits debate table linens like national security depended on it. ”
a faint exhale leaves her as she glances back toward the closed doors. muffled laughter and clinking glasses bled through them , irritatingly persistent. “ though you handled yourself well in there , ” giselle adds after a beat , attention returning to mackenzie fully now. “ most people either try too hard to impress them or wilt the second they’re challenged. ” one brow arches slightly. “ you didn’t. ”
mackenzie was never one to back down from a challenge especially in the work space. she deserved to be there as much as anyone but once people find out that she was a mother, they never looked at her the same way. just because a man couldn’t take care of a child while also perusing their dreams doesn’t mean that women couldn’t , especially mackenzie. her own father even thought that motherhood would ruin not only dallas but herself. she proved him and really, anyone that thought she couldn’t follow her dreams. “why men think they have the right to debate anything like that always baffles me,” she said with a scuff. it was like they didn’t want to change anything to make things better. she had some great ideas, but it felt like nobody really cared to change.
the compliment brought a smile to her face. “unfortunately, i have dealt with men like that my entire life. they think just because they have a penis that they know everything but my god if they let a woman actually have a say, they could build this into something even better than it already is. i want to be the person to make the change, you know?” she turned her back toward the balcony. “you weren’t so bad yourself either. have you always been that confident?”
dallas swallows, jaw clenches slightly as he listens to her speak. "i don't know, mack! i wasn't thinking!" voice cracks as he speaks, watches as she moves further away from him. there's a pit forming in his stomach and he suddenly feels like he needs some air, but he stays still on the couch. "i'm sorry." he repeats, voice quiet, barely above a whisper as he twists gold band on his ring finger. "i don't know what you want me to say."
a sigh escapes his lips as she walks away, eyes trailing behind her as she stands at the kitchen counter. before he can answer her questions, he sees a set of keys thrown in his direction, dropping on the floor before him. he lets her get her frustration out on the kitchen counter's contents before standing. "want the truth?" he questions, voice raising only slightly. "i was so fucked up i didn't even feel like myself. and now? fuck, i probably am still. i don't know." he shakes his head as he takes a step closer toward his wife. "please don't fucking hate me, mack. please, i couldn't live with myself if you hated me."
when he moved closer to her, she stayed in her spot as she just looked at him. part of her wanted to be angry still and part of her felt this sense of relief that he wasn’t in a ditch somewhere. but she also felt even more worried that his recent drug use was due to deeper reasons than just having a good time. “fuck, dallas. i could never hate you but you had me worried sick over here. i didn’t know whether you were dead or alive and that ate me up so much. i was waiting for police to show up and tell me you were gone or that i was gonna have to identify your body.” she moved closer to him, her hand finding his and in that moment she felt a sense of relief flood over her body.
“i love you so fucking much and the thought of you leaving me or even worse, dying, felt like i was going to be swallowed whole into the ground. i’ve sat on the same spot in that damn couch waiting to hear something, anything and when i didn’t it felt like someone ripped my heart out. you can’t do this to me again, dallas.” she moved closer to him, her hand finding his face as the tears she hadn’t been able to cry fall down her face. “i am all for you having fun, dallas. but please tell me our marriage is not the reason for the binges. if so, please tell me now and we’ll call this quits because i can’t go through this again. And i can’t watch ki go through that.” she let out a sigh as she let her head fall against his chest. “tell me what i can do.”
it's a busy morning as usual, but raven's all smiles as she serves the customers their orders. she loves interacting with them, seeing familiar faces has always been nice. she walked over to the blonde's table, someone that she hasn't seen before, a notepad in hand and a pen in another as she patiently waited. "oh! my favourite's the lemon blueberry pancakes, can't live without those⸺" she says with a chuckle, "i'd also recommend the shrimp and grits, but if you want something lighter i'd definitely go for the pancakes." she recommends with ease, though she feels a little tug in her chest because those were dallas's favourite too. "let me know which one you prefer!"
the warmth radiated off raven like the sun itself was shining on her through the ceiling. it didn’t feel forced as all the interactions felt like she was welcoming her family into her home. she understood what dallas saw in her immediately and she could also understand the upset that he experienced after their break up. she didn’t know much about it, still as she did not want to pry when he was already upset. when she said her favorite items, she pressed her lips together as she looked down at the menu in her hands. how many times had dallas sat where she was and stayed until raven got off work? did he come to her work often? she knew dallas and when he loved someone, he loved them with their his whole heart. it was easy to see why in this case. “i think i’ll go with your first suggestion and do the lemon blueberry pancakes, please. maybe throw in a side of bacon with it too.” she held the menu out for the woman to take. “what about desserts? anything worth those extra calories?”
* ⋆ ⭒˚｡ [ daniel ezra, cis male, he/him ] was that ARCHER GRAYSON i just saw over at MOONLIGHT DRIVE IN? you know, the THIRTY FIVE year old NFL PLAYER that’s been around willow glen for ALL HIS LIFE people around town say they can somehow both be INSECURE and ADAPTABLE, but if you were to ask them, they’d probably say they’re more like FRIDAY-NIGHT LIGHTS ROYALTY ENERGY: CHURCH APPEARANCES, CHARITY GALAS, IMMACULATE FAMILY IMAGE, LOOKS INVINCIBLE ON THE FIELD, EXHAUSTED IN PRIVATE, DRIVES TOO LONG AT NIGHT WHEN MEMORIES GET LOUD, WRITES BRUTALLY HONEST JOURNAL ENTRIES HE’D DIE BEFORE LETTING ANYONE READ. the town sure has been rumbling about them lately, apparently they ARE THINKING ABOUT RETIRING . but who knows if that’s true, i guess i’ll just have to stop by WILLOW HEIGHTS and find out !
- archer grayson was born in a town where friday nights felt more sacred than sundays. in a place where stadium lights glowed brighter than streetlamps and boys were taught early that pain was something you swallowed whole. his brother had been a legendary high school quarterback and by fourteen, archer was six feet tall, broad-shouldered, and terrifyingly disciplined. he had big footsteps to follow in and he wasn’t allowed to do anything other than football. but football was never joy for archer. it was obligation.
- so he became excellent and by twenty-three, archer was the starting center for the dallas cowboys, the face of toughness in the league. analysts called him unbreakable. he anchored the offensive line like a wall of concrete, helmet tucked under one arm, jaw clenched, eyes cold and steady beneath stadium lights.
- to the world, archer grayson was football royalty: clean-cut, disciplined, invincible. privately, he was a man held together by routine, exhaustion, and the terrifying belief that if he ever slowed down long enough to feel everything, he might never get back up again.
* ⋆ ⭒˚｡ [ mika abdalla, cis woman, she/her. ] was that NADIA BECKER i just saw over at LAKE HENRY? you know, the TWENTY SEVEN year old BARTENDER AT THE HIDEAWAY that’s been around willow glen for THREE MONTHS. people around town say they can somehow both be CAPRICIOUS and STEADFAST, but if you were to ask them, they’d probably say they’re more like PINK GLOSS AND DARK CIRCLES, LINGERIE SETS UNDER WORK UNIFORM, SMUDGED EYELINER AT 2 AM, PLAYING HER FAVORITE SONG ON THE JUKEBOX AT WORK MULTIPLE TIMES A NIGHT. the town sure has been rumbling about them lately, apparently they DESPITE BEING A VIRGIN, SHE HAS A SECRET ONLY FANS ACCOUNT TO HELP PAY HER FAMILIES BILLS . but who knows if that’s true, i guess i’ll just have to stop by WILLOW COMMONS and find out !.
trigger warning: drug addiction
- nadia becker came to willow glen with nothing but a tired smile and responsibilities too heavy for someone her age to carry. three months ago, she left georgia behind after her mother’s workplace injury spiraled into an addiction to pain pills that drained everything the family had. with medical bills piling up and her younger sister needing someone dependable, nadia packed them into her car and chased the promise of a quieter life somewhere nobody knew their names.
- now, at twenty-seven, she spends most nights bartending at the hideaway, serving whiskey with chipped black nails and pretending she isn’t exhausted down to the bone. desperate to help pay rent, cover her mother’s prescriptions, and make sure her little sister never notices how bad things really are, nadia quietly started an onlyfans account under a fake name.
- nadia doesn’t care much either way. she learned a long time ago that survival isn’t always pretty. sometimes it looks like counting tips at four in the morning, crying in gas station bathrooms, and still showing up for everyone else the next day with glossed lips and a steady hand.
mackenzie found herself in a stuffy room with people she didn’t necessarily care for. a friend of a friend made an introduction about her services that she could offer the club - more than just wedding planning but taking the leap and filling in the gap for event planning. she loved what she did but she was more of a free spirit and these were all suits that gave her a list of do’s and don’ts. once their meeting was over, she quickly said her goodbyes before heading to the back of the club. taking a deep breath when she thought she was alone, she let her head fall forward until she felt a presence near. “sorry, i didn’t know anyone else would be back here. you need an escape from all that too?” she questioned, now glancing up. “it gets a little stuffy in there don’t you think?”
dallas flew back in last night, and despite the contents of the last couple days still sitting in his system, he was sound enough to know not to go home. he doesn't know what awaits him when he walks through the door, if he'll even have anyone waiting for him there. it wasn't intentional to leave for so long, had only planned to fly to los angeles for a few hours and then pop right back, but everything seemed to go wrong in that forty eight hour span. his phone was stolen a few hours into the worst high of his life, his cards and cash were taken from his wallet, and by the time he was able to get ahold of a phone, he wasn't in the right space to dial mackenzie's number. by then, it had been almost two days since he left and he wasn't sure she'd even want to hear from him.
walking out of a hotel room with no bags causes a few curious glances from other guests, but he's not in the least worried. the only thing he's thinking about is seeing mackenzie again, hoping she's still home, hoping their daughter isn't there. the ride home makes him a little nauseous, has to ride with the windows down to keep it all at bay. when the driver pulls up to their house, his stomach drops seeing her car in the driveway. he can imagine how anxious and worried his wife's been, had been in much the same situation over five years ago.
it takes a few minutes before he unlocks the front door and walks inside, his eyes instantly turning to broken glass on the carpet beside him. "shit." he whispers, walking carefully around it to get to the living room. seeing her in his t shirt makes his stomach flip, and he swallows as he walks closer, hearing those three words leave her lips. "i deserve that." he responds, unsure if he should move closer, but deciding against it. "i didn't mean to be gone so long. i lost my phone, had no money, and was . . ." voice trails off as he runs a hand over his face. "i just made some shitty fuckin' choices the last couple days." he breaths out, walking closer to his wife and sitting beside her. "i'm so, so sorry."
it wasn’t the fact that he had gone somewhere with god knows who but it was the fact that there was no communication. and for two days, she didn’t know if he was dead or alive. part of her wondered if he thought the same thing when she vanished without a trace. if his heart ached the same way hers did this weekend. this was her karma for leaving him all those years ago. she doesn’t know if she has any right to be angry but then she thinks about their daughter and the worry that not only she experienced but ki as well. when she left dallas, he was the only one that had to worry about her leaving but this was different. their daughter didn’t deserve to have to worry and for that she was angry.
he moved closer to her and she just watched him. part of him wanted to hug him and the other part wanted to slap him. “there were no payphones? no stores you could have gone into to use their phone? come on dallas.” she shook her head, her gaze moving to the floor as she watched him move to the spot next to her. when he sat down, she moved as far away from him on the couch as she could as she grabbed the pillow, hugging it to her chest. “you’re sorry? that’s all you’re going to say? you fucked up and that’s all you’re going to say to me?”
she couldn’t stay seated anymore so she found herself walking into the kitchen. the more the seconds passed, the more the anger and sadness and frustration hit her like a ton of bricks. “how fucked up were you? how much drugs and alcohol did you have that caused this?” she yelled, her hands grabbing whatever was on the kitchen counter and throwing in the direction of the couch, missing him but thudding on the floor. one thing right after the other until she didn’t have anything left to grab. “are you fucked up right now?”
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