southern mama

Sixty year old mama of eleven. your local city councilmember and book club host. in love with my baby, henry.

[gwen-valentine]

📞

Peter: Hey, ma. I'm good. Work has been great and I'm making connections with the other professors. How are you? Do you need anything?

Gwendolyn: I'm happy to hear that! How about your brother? Is he doing okay there? Honey, can't a mother call her son just to check up on him? *laughs* How were your basket dates?

[gwen-valentine]

Delivered by Oliver in the morning as a surprise to Gwen

[gwen-valentine]

📞

Gwendolyn: Hi, honey. It's mom. How have you been?

[gwen-valentine]

leannerhodes​:

“The fact you were almost able to say that with a straight face is horrifying.” She teased, leaning into Gwen’s embrace. How lucky was she to have a friendship that stood the test of time? “Your a real peach, Gwen. Not everyone has a girlfriend willing to help her track down her busted lawn ornament.” God it sounded worse out loud. She couldn’t not laugh at herself anymore. “Let’s pick up on this after lunch, I’m starving. How does Maggie’s diner sound to you? We can split a milk shake like old times.” She winked. She could still see herself and Gwen riding their bikes down this very street to get shakes after school. Simpler times. “I hate that so much. Why do people have to be so awful?” She frowned and touched her heart when Gwen told her about the car. “Maybe we can all pitch on building her another one? It won’t be the same of course, but.. I think she deserves something special.” She hated to see her friend and her niece hurting. “Sitting around in that house makes it real. Keeping busy helps them deal with it. They get that from me.” She wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. They didn’t really stop to grieve, just kept moving. “I’m glad he’s teaching again. We should all get together for dinner soon.” When she asked about Sammy Leanne sighed. “I’m worried about him. He’s been acting strangely lately. I think its all hitting him that he’s the man of the house now. What about you? What has the book club president been up to?“

“Are you scared I’ll give you a run for your acting chops?” Gwen laughed. “What can I say? I try.” She winked at Leanne. It had been a long time since Gwendolyn last heard Leanne laugh so freely, it made her realize how much she needed something to ease her during the holidays just as she had thought. They held their own in their friendship, they could communicate with looks alone. Sometimes they wouldn’t have to look at each other to know what the other was thinking in a situation. That was the kind of connection the women had after decades of friendship. “Maggie’s sounds great. Strawberry cheesecake chunks?” Gwen walked them across the street to where she parked her car when she joined Leanne on the scavenger hunt. “That’s not such a bad idea, Lea. We’re smart and strong women, I think Emmi could be delighted if we did something like that for her.” She would tell Leanne about the worries she had with Emmi later, when she was sure she was feeling better about her first holidays without Malcolm around. “Hmm, I wonder where your kids get that from.” She squeezed Leanne softly to let her know that she needed to stop and grief too, but she was proud of how strong she was. Gwen listened to what Leanne said about her son and felt her heart ache for him. She knew he was raised to be the baby of the family who had no reason to worry about anything, much like how they raised Emmi. It was only in her later years when things like these happened that Gwen questioned whether the smothering of affection towards their youngest was the right move. “Has he been behaving?” She asked and slipped into the car, turning it on and strapping in. “It’s amazing, but don’t think I forgave you for missing the last meeting. I’ll only do that if you bring cupcakes to the next one. But speaking of your kids, have you been able to get in touch with Liv’s ex?” 

[gwen-valentine]

jazminvalentine​:

Jazmin looked at her hands and nodded. Her extended family was incredible, it made her feel guilty for not visiting more after she grew up and stopped going on family vacations to visit them in Fallbrook. Happy birthday posts on Instagram and holiday texts weren’t enough for everything that they were willing to do for her, but that was what family did and she knew it because she would drop everything and run to them on a whim if they needed her too. “Thank you, Aunt Gwen. Emmi is the sweetest peanut, but I’m not surprised when she had you two to raise her.” Jazmin nodded again, but her smile wasn’t as happy. She was having a hard time processing the magnitude of these changes and her body and heart felt full of emotion that her brain couldn’t sort through. She could feel her eyes well with tears, but blinked to keep them in. “Astrid and I talked about it on the way here, just a little. We’re just going to tell people I wanted a change from the routine and decided to come here because of you guys, because we have family here. She said she’s heading back in a month of two but it’s been nice having her with me.” Jazmin thought for a moment and looked at her aunt. “Sometimes I feel like Astrid is my big sister. I don’t know if that’s fair to her.”

Gwen patted Jaz’s leg when she thanked her and spoke of only daughter. She could always talk about the little blonde, but the look on Jazmin’s eyes when she smiled was prominently on her mind. She could see a lot of thoughts circulating through her niece and Gwen wanted to sigh at the shame of what happened. Her years on earth taught her that life was never fair, not to those who were bad and not to the good ones. She saw her own kids struggle with that concept at time, but she always reminded them that striving to be good would always be best in the end.  “You don’t have to worry about things anymore, honey.” Gwendolyn meant that they would protect her from any harm that could head her way. “Astrid is young, but not young enough to think you wouldn’t ever need her. Enjoy your time together, sweetie, there’s no need to stress about things you can’t control right now.” Gwen smoothed Jazmin’s hair back. “I’ll leave you to get ready for bed, but Henry and I are down the hall if you need us. There’s half a lemon tar left in the refrigerator if you get to craving for something sweet in the middle of the night. Help yourself.”

[gwen-valentine]

closed for @emmivalentine​

Gwendolyn knew all of her kids and watched them grow into themselves with subtle guidance and little interference, most of the boys did well on their own but Emmi always worried her a little more than the others. Sometimes she thought that Emmi was too soft for her own good, but what kind of mother would she be if she took that innocent perspective of the world away from her sweet girl? She waited in the car for her so they could have a day date and took advantage of the time by pulling down the visor to check her makeup and apply some roll on perfume. 

[gwen-valentine]

leannerhodes​:

Leanne pursed her lips as she gave thought to what Gwen was saying. L“Whoever did this worked really hard on the treasure map. You have to admit.. the lettering is beautiful..” Leanne noted. “At least we know he hasn’t been vandalized. I think I may be over reacting a little bit.” She confessed. “It has been nice, having a purpose to get out of the house… Plus, you know how much I love playing Citizen detective.” She winked. “ maybe it’s a good thing he was taken.” She laughed, leaning on her friends shoulder. “Okay, okay.. Dylan and your boys are officially off the hook..” She could sense Gwen’s slight annoyance so it was best to drop it. “She’s always so eager to help, she’s a good egg. All your kids are. I just hope you all figure out who stole her car last month. I can’t believe no one’s tracked it down yet.” They did have a few questionable people in down. “ Their Handling everything as well as can be expected. Olivia’s performing in the nutcracker this winter, and Maggie is working on a new book. I think the distractions have been helpful for them. I just need to find something to occupy my time now. How’s Henry?”

Gwen smiled at Leanne’s compliment even though she was keeping her best friend blind to who did it. “I don’t think you are. Frosty is a staple in the community and he deserves respect.” She smiled to let Leanne know she was teasing her a little, but she thought it was good that her soul sister got carried away by things like that. She needed a distraction. Gwendolyn wrapped an arm around Leanne and gave her a squeeze to thank her for loving her children as much as her own. It was the same for Leanne’s kids and Gwen was even Liv’s godmother! “Henry said it’s most likely broken into parts already, but it really is such a heartbreak. You know Niko rebuilt it almost from scratch just for her. It was a graduation present.” Cars could be replaced, but sentiments like those were harder. That was why Gwendolyn knew Leanne needed this yearly hunt in a time when many other things changed. “I can’t believe those girls didn’t take more time off. I told you I can watch the grandbabies whenever you need me to.” She reassured Leanne and walked to the next place to see if they could track the snowman down with the clues they found so far. “Henry is missing Mal like the rest of us, but he’s good. Back to teaching. How about Sammy?”

[gwen-valentine]

jazminvalentine​:

“That would be great!” Jaz got off the couch and followed her upstairs to her little cousin’s room. It was still intact for the most part and she thought about why Emmi decided not to take most of her old things to her new home. She took the pajamas from Gwen with a smile. “Thank you! I’m sure they’ll fit great. I’ll try them on in a bit.” They were soft. Jaz sat on the bed and tapped the spot next to her for her aunt. “Aunt Gwen, I really don’t know where I would be without all of your help. Uncle Henry too. You guys have totally helped me. I know I’m in a rough spot and you sacrificed a lot for me to be here. To be here safe. I want you to know that I’m going to pay back every cent once I get back on my feet. I promise.” Jaz was determined to make herself useful in the meantime. She wasn’t sure how much her cousins knew about the situation, but everything considered they probably didn’t know much. It was in everyone’s best interest if they didn’t know why she moved to Fallbrook all of a sudden and Aunt Gwen was a very discrete woman despite being so kind. 

“Henry and I will show you the old cafe tomorrow, sweetie. Emmi said she would give you a little tour to freshen up your memory after, but I’ll be at city hall taking care of some business so I won’t see you again until dinner time.” She wanted Jazmin to take it easy when she first arrived, but Gwen knew it was good to keep busy when escaping a life that had been  hard for that long. “We’re happy you’re here with us, darling.” Henry and Gwen were willing to do anything as long as her sweet niece was safe. She sat down where Jazmin invited her to and tucked beautiful blonde hair behind her niece’s ear. She wished she could take all the pain away, but that would come with time. “There’s never any rush so you just hush about that. It’s a gift, you know that.” She patted Jazmin’s knee before resting her hands on her own lap. “In case you’re wondering, not a soul other than your uncle and I know what happened. You can tell anyone you’re in town for any reason you see fit.” The Valentine’s were good people, but they were best at keeping secrets in the dark. 

[gwen-valentine]

loganvalentine​:

“We all love you too, Gwen.” Logan had a feeling there were mixed emotions about the new baby on the way and she couldn’t blame a single person because even she would lay awake at night, thinking about it. She kept her hand on her small baby bump, turning her head to look over at Gwen when she tried to wave her into to the picture. “Gwen,” she chuckled lowly about to shake her head to let her mother-in-law know there was no way she was taking a photo until Theo took her hand, giving her the puppy dog eyes she always fell for. “Alright, alright.” She walked over and knelt down, smiling. The smile faded as soon as the flash happened, thinking about how Adam had been doing everything he could to be home as much as he could during this pregnancy. She stood up, putting her hand on her lower back as she pressed her lips together to hold back the groan because of the pain in her back. “Trying to tell that man to slow down,” she teased, knowing she was fully aware of how stubborn her eldest was. “Hot chocolate sounds perfect.” She took Matty and Lily’s hands, following after Gwen.

Gwendolyn understood the protective instinct that came with the baby bump Logan was growing. She had gone through it ten times to deliver eleven babies with one set of twins. She knew the risks of pregnancy, but so did Logan and that kept her a little more relaxed. If Logan was out and about town then Gwen knew it was because Logan knew she could be. She trusted her to ask for a break or head back to the car and go home when she needed to, but she was still trying to do as much with the kids to tire them out for her before they all headed home. She smiled at what Logan said and took the picture when Theo was ready. The little one ran to his grandma and she picked him up in her arms so they could head to the next thing, hot chocolate. “I hope it’s because he’s trying to get everything done so he can be home with you and the new baby later.” Or else she would have to have a talk with Adam, but she didn’t tell Logan that part. The group arrived at the hot chocolate stand and she made sure to get all of them little lids so there would be no accidents or meltdowns over spilled drinks. “Let’s get them to play on the playground there and we can get to talking like us girls do.” She smiled at Logan. She wanted to know how she was really feeling about everything, but also how her family was doing. 

[gwen-valentine]

leannerhodes​:

“Is it?” Her voice was barely a whimper as she clutched the phone. Leanne wasn’t sure anything would ever feel okay again. The love of her life was gone and one of her children lives was hanging in the balance. “Okay..” She let out another sob as she waited for Gwen to arrive. Every second felt like a lifetime. She needed her. Gwen was was the other love her life. Their friendship was a platonic love story for the ages, both fitting perfectly into each other’s lives. With Malcom gone Gwen was the only safety she had left. She wanted to believe her when she said it would all be fine, but when she didn’t give her a straight answer about the boys Leanne began to panic further. “Oh god.. their lost at sea…” Gwen didn’t have to say anything, she just knew. She could feel it in her gut and she got more hysterical. It wasn’t until she saw Gwen and flung into her arms that she felt any kind of relief. “Our babies.. our precious babies.” She cried for Malcolm, for the boys, Olivia. “I saw Jack.. he’s okay.. he was helping..” She cried into Gwen’s shoulder, clinging to her for deal life. “Olivia has to pull through, I can’t lose her too. It’s too much! She’s my baby and I can’t.. i can’t help her I… feel like my hearts being ripped out of my chest. It hurts so much I can’t think. How did you do it? How did you lose Max ?”

Gwendolyn allowed herself to break down in her bets friend’s arms for a couple of minutes until she finally pulled away and took Leanne’s cheeks in her hands. “They’re going to be okay, Lea.” They couldn’t think about mourning those who were still around yet, they couldn’t. “They need us to be strong right now. I got you, honey. I got you.” She pulled her into another tight hug and then walked her towards one of the seats in the waiting area. Gwendolyn took a moment to look for Sam in the crowd of people who flooded the room. She didn’t want him to see his mom like this but maybe it would be good for the boy to see her be a little less than the perfectly cheery woman Leanne always was. Oh god, Emmi. She knew that the second her daughter heard the news she would need her mama too. “Thank you.” Gwen whispered when Leanne brought Jack up. There was one more in the family she could worry about later. “What happened, Leanne? How did they...” She could bring herself to say it. Gwen had to blink back the tears when Leanne brought her sweet Maxwell up. “I miss him every damn day.” She shook her had, upset with herself because she didn’t have any real advice. “Don’t think about that right now, okay? Liv is still with us. She’s fighting so hard.”

[gwen-valentine]

chelseamreynolds​:

Sneaking out of the Valentine brunch, Chelsea made a face as she watched looked on at them from afar for a few moments. It was all too much. They were just the perfect Fallbrook family. Was she the only one that found being around them uncomfortable? But just as she was about to start up her beat up old van, she saw Gwen walking out towards the car. Busted. She thought, rolling down the window with a half smile when she noticed the jacket in the woman’s hand that she’d left in her haste to sneak away. “Oh yes, thank you! That’s so kind of you. Really appreciate it.” She did her best Valentine perfection rendition as Gwen approached.

@gwen-valentine​

There was only one person in the world who understood what ran through Gwendolyn’s mind and that was her husband, Henry. He nodded to her when he got up and quickly prepared a tupperware bin and picked up the yellow jacket before she found Logan’s little sister getting ready to leave without any goodbyes. “No problem, sweetie.” She handed her the piece of clothing. “It’s getting colder out so you’ll need it.” She brought the tupperware up to show her. “If you’re on your way, do you mind dropping me off just a couple blocks up? I wanted to give Leanne and her boy this for dinner tonight.” She walked around the car and let herself in, but didn’t say anything else until they were on the road. It was only then that she looked at the young woman from the corner of her eye. “You know, Chelsea. If you want to sneak out, you should use the side gate next time.” A small smile spread across her cheeks.  

[gwen-valentine]

closed for @jazminvalentine​

“Now that all the boys are gone honey, how about I show you to your room?” Gwen stood from the sofa and smiled at her niece. It had been a while since the last family vacation to California where one of Henry’s brother lived with his wife and three beautiful girls so it was nice to see Jazmin. Gwen could feel her heart break when Henry and her got a call about what happened, they quickly opened their home up for Jazmin and set things up for her to have a smooth transition into Fallbrook. “Your hair is so much longer than I remember.” She led her upstairs towards one of the many bedrooms in her home that went unused nowadays. “This is Emmi’s old room. She’ll drop by after work to say hi but left a basket in the bathroom with things you might need in the meantime.” Gwen walked to the dresser and pulled out new pajamas from the top drawer. “I know you must be tired so how about you leave your suitcases alone for tonight? Hopefully these are you size.” She handed her clothes. 

[gwen-valentine]

leannerhodes​:

“I’m at the hospital..” She managed to reply, her fingers nervously dancing across her temples. How she’d gotten there was a mystery. There was so much noise and chaos. People were injured of looking for displaced family members. Thinking was hard, speaking was harder. At Gwen’s instruction she took a few breaths. She had to calm herself down even if it seemed impossible. “I’m sorry.. I didn’t know who else to call.. I’m so glad you weren’t at the race…” The sadness in dear friends tone was almost too much for her to bare. Leanne felt like her heart was being torn from her chest with each passing second. “Olivia was on the pier with him when it collapsed.. she’s in surgery now.. I don’t know how bad it is, the doctors won’t tell me anything. God. I’m so scared Gwen..” Her voice warbled as she cried harder. Thank god Gwen hadn’t been there. “The boys..” She suddenly gasped, remembering they were part of the race. “Are the Boys alright?”

“Shh, honey. It’s going to be okay.” Gwen moved the phone away when she took a sharp breath at the news on Liv. She didn’t want Leanne to know how shocking it was to hear. “I know our best surgeons are working on her. I’m almost there. Just hold on a little longer, okay? I’m going to give you a big hug while you wait to hug Liv.” Leanne and Gwen had a friendship like no other. “They’ll be okay.” She didn’t want to worry her, but Gwen didn’t know too much about the situation with them yet. When Leanne struggled in life, Gwen was there for her in the perfect way. When Gwen struggled, Leanne played her part to perfection too. The older that Gwendolyn got she realized more and more each day that Leanne was her soulmate. Henry was someone she chose everyday, but Leanne fell into her life in the most magical way. Fallbrook was thankfully small ad she made it to the hospital in a couple of minutes. With the keys still in the ignition, Gwen rushed inside. She was a city council member just like Leanne, couple that with the Valentine reputation and she was given passage through every stop point until she reached the waiting room. As promised, the moment that the woman stepped through the doors and spotted Leanne she pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, Lea.” The way her hand moved up and down Leanne’s back let her know that it was okay to cry. Gwen was there to hold her up if she needed to break down. 

[gwen-valentine]

dylanvalentine​:

That woman had the power to calm a storm with one look, and she had done just that countless times in her life with all of the fights she stopped between her rowdy boys. The server came and went, orders in place. “Right, bread rolls.” He nodded and held his wrist up to his mouth, “Siri, make a reminder to bring bread rolls for Thanksgiving.” His watched made a little noise confirming the reminder was set and he rested his arm alongside the table. “Booming, things are always great during the holidays and better during the new year with everyone’s resolutions. Have you thought about any? I’m going to try to bulk up a bit, all lean muscle though so don’t worry I don’t want to get high cholesterol like dad.” Dylan always wanted to prove to his mother that he was okay even though his dreams hadn’t come true but he usually ended up sounding like a naïve young adult instead. “How are the book club ladies?”

Gwendolyn had children and grandchildren of all ages, but technology never ceased to amaze her. She arched a delicate eyebrow at the way Dylan spoke into the gadget on his wrist and nodded when it abided by his request. “I’ll have to tell your dad to get me one of those. I bet it comes in handy.” Gwen’s smiles were always polite, but they carried a warmness to them that revealed “That’s great, honey. You’re seeing all of your hard work pay off.” Dylan had a rough patch after his injury and seeing him do so well made her proud of him. “I’m sure I’ll make one before the month is over, but I don’t have a list yet. You know your father is all about goals, but I’m just enjoying my days as they come lately.” Nothing was guaranteed and the Valentine’s knew that more than anyone else. She made no comment on Dylan’s goal, but she nodded at it. “The book club is great. We read a self help book this month as per your recommendation, but I think the ladies want to go back to romance next month.” Gwen placed the napkin on her lap when the food arrived hot. “Have you spoken with the twins or Emmi lately?”

[gwen-valentine]

leannerhodes​:

“I understand how ridiculous this looks, passing out flyers for a lawn ornament. The whole town probably thinks I’ve lost my mind.” She couldn’t blame Gwen for finding it amusing, but it was still so sweet that she was supporting her anyway. “Malcom got him the year that we had Maggie.” Harold was an important staple to the family, even if all of her kids wanted to ‘kill it with fire’ “We live in a gated community Gwen. Whoever took him had to know the passcode. I can’t believe no one has seen anything.. not even Dylan?” There was something fishy about this whole thing.  “Thank you for not letting me look like a complete idiot on my own.” She chuckled softly, squeezing your best friends hand. “Emmi’s been a real sweetheart too, she put up some flyer around the neighborhood. Hopefully he’ll turn up eventually.”

Keeping anything a secret around Leanne was difficult when the woman knew everything about Gwendolyn. Harold was hanging on by a thread after spending so many cold winters on the Rhodes lawn, but Gwen knew that a scavenger hunt for him would be a good distraction for Leanne. “It’s not ridiculous, what’s ridiculous is that someone is making a game out of taking him again this year. Hopefully it doesn’t become a running prank. I swear I thought we had better kids around this neighborhood.” Harold was safe, but she was the one who took him and anytime she saw Leanne enthusiastically tell someone about him she held back an amused chuckle. “No, Dylan has been in Williamsburg all week. Busy with some new programs they’re running at the gym.” She already apologized for Dylan’s behavior last year. Gwen leaned into Leanne and hook their arms together, and gave her a love squeeze. “Oh that’s so kind of her. Just like my sweet Emmaline to be useful. I almost forgot to ask, how are Liv and Maggie?” She took a couple of the flyers and handed one to a couple pushing a stroller.

[gwen-valentine]

loganvalentine​:

Logan let her eyes rest on the kids in line to see Santa. A smile came along her features as she raised her hand, placing it delicately against her small bump as she watched the kids smile widely for their grandma. It was nice to think about all of the bad things that happened to them this year and take in the fact they were all here together, celebrating one of the best Valentine holidays. She turned her head to look over at Gwen, giving her a smile. “Perfect. Thank you for coming with us to take pictures. Adam had a big case and just couldn’t pull himself away. You know how it is.”

Gwen was a rational woman, but she was a mother above all else and she could admit that she was not the happiest when she found out Logan was pregnant again. She adored Logan and she loved the way she treated her eldest but their last pregnancy was hard. More than hard and Gwen was afraid that if this one was worse that it wouldn’t only affect Logan but Adam and the kids too. “Anytime, you know I love these kiddos with my whole heart.” She smiled at Logan and waved at her to get into shot for another picture. “Say cheese!” She clicked and the flash went off. “What a beautiful family. It’s a shame Adam has been so busy lately when he should be taking it slow.” She reached for the youngest grandchild to grab his little hand. “What about some hot chocolate?”

[gwen-valentine]

leannerhodes​:

Fallbrook General Hospital @gwen-valentine

She was shaking so bad her thumbs didn’t want to punch the numbers on her phone. An earthquake had ravished castle beach, so many were injured and others were being reported dead. One moment Leanne was watching the sailing competition with her family , the next her life as she knew it was over. Malcom died in her arms, and Olivia was fighting for her life in surgery. She needed to tell her other children, but right now she couldn’t physically bare it. Nothing seemed real. When she heard Gwen’s voice on the line she let out a hysterical sob, struggling to speak. How is she supposed to tell her and Henry that Malcolm was dead? The four of of them grew up together. They were more than close friends, they were family. Gwen was her sister and all the ways that counted. She loved Malcolm the way that Leanne loved Henry. She remembered how awful It was the day Gwen’s boy died. “Mal… He’s gone…”

Gwendolyn was still at home when everything happened. She was never late to anything, but that day she had forgotten the banner she ordered to cheer on her boys on the sailing in the rush of the morning. Life stopped between going home and heading back to the pier. She was in the car after making sure her family and finding out two of her boys went missing in the after math. She couldn’t believe any of it was happening again. Their sweet townspeople could not catch a break. That was when her cellphone rang and she pressed a button on the dashboard to answer. “Leanne. Are you okay? Where are you?” Wife, mother, and friend Leanne Rhodes fronted the worst of it this time around. Leanne was a pillar in their community, but to Gwen she was her sister and she hurt for her like family would. Pain shuddered through her body as she heard Leanne’s heartbroken voice. There were only so many times someone could get kicked before refusing to stand up on their own again. “Lea...” Gwen’s eyes filled with tears on the other end of the phone. “Oh Malcolm.” Her heart shattered for Leanne, for Malcolm, and for their love. “Lea, breathe. Breathe. Where are you right now?”