champagne problems;

"she would have made such a lovely bride, what a shame she's fucked in the head." Josephine "Joey" Cassidy. 32. Travel blogger.

[josephinecassidy]

kayla-beckett​:

The smell of berries was certainly much preferred to that of a cigarette, but Kayla didn’t smoke enough to warrant buying a vape.  Especially since it’d be harder to hide than a butt off the balcony every once in awhile. 

“Did her bullshit ever really stop, or..” It felt like her place to cast judgement on their mother, as a mother herself. She couldn’t fathom Jolie’s actions. For her daughter, she’d die. Without hesitation, there was nothing Kayla wouldn’t do for Kaylee. “..boys and their mothers..” 

What could she say that hadn’t been said before? Kayla sipped her wine then took a drag of her cigarette, as she thought a silent beat. “I’ll grab her feet if you have her head…” She joked. “..like the boys would let us.. even Ryan..” Her head shook. “I haven’t spoken to my dad in months, and I honestly never care that I do so again. I don’t get it.” The alcohol was talking now, and it didn’t stop. “If they don’t give a fuck — fuck them.” 

.

Joey gave a somewhat unladylike snort. “Well, I at least had three good years of not being exposed to it. So I guess, to me, she’s back on it,” she responded. 

She couldn’t fathom treating her children the way they had been treated. In a way, it made her never want them. Jolie’s poisoned blood ran through Joey’s veins and every time she looked in the mirror and saw the similar features, it made her sick. 

“Hell, I’m worried what this is going to do to Ryan. She’s said she’s a changed woman for I don’t know how many years. She’s changed, alright, but it’s always somehow worse than before,” she admitted, her tone a little bitter. 

Okay, maybe a lot bitter. 

Joey took a hit off her pen and shut it off to slip into her purse. Like hell she’d ever leave it unattended. “And the really sick part is, I want to believe she did. I’m stupid for it, and I know it, but I want to believe,” she admitted. The little girl in her longed to believe her mother woke up and had a change of heart. It wasn’t going to happen, but she couldn’t help it. 

[josephinecassidy]

gabrieldwilliams​:

There was so much either of them could say that it was hard to know what to say.  They were limited by location, too.  The decibel level was riding peaks and valleys as the hockey game worked to its conclusion without a definite winner.  If he had the energy to be paying attention to it, he could admit this was the kind of game he generally enjoyed.  Tonight, though, he didn’t have the energy.  And as of a few minutes ago, he was utterly focused on the woman sitting at his bar all alone.

“They’re okay.  The mustard isn’t as good as the other place,” he admitted.  “But I’ve heard the cheese dip makes up for it.”

The one thing he’d clung to during his return home were his gym habits.  That lead to the conclusion that he hadn’t tried much of the food at the bar, sparing any appetite he ever had for protein-based meals.  Not to mention, his stomach had been bothering him for at least six months at this point, so he tended to stay away from anything too crazy to eat.  He still had to sound like he knew their menu, though.

After he put in her order and check on a guy at the other end of the bar, who was also separate from the hockey crowd, he returned.  He was well aware asking questions and starting conversation was potentially not welcome, but he trusted she could tell him to fuck off if that’s how she felt.  

“How long have you been in town?  My mom said you were gone so I didn’t really expect to see you.”

(Understatement of the year.)

.

Had it been any other time, the energy would have been infectious and Joey would be cheering from a stool or swearing at the ref. The Blackhawks were one of her least favorite teams and it was clear she wasn’t alone in that, if the noise of screaming people beside her were anything to go by. Not for the first time (and she doubted it would be the last), her attention was fully on Gabe. He had a way of keeping it, even if she didn’t want him to have it. 

“I guess the soft pretzels with cheese dip it is, then,” she decided, setting the menu down in front of her once more. 

One good thing about traveling as much as she had was the activities: horseback riding, surfing, kickboxing, yoga (proper yoga in India versus a white lady from Poughkeepsie with a ridiculous name like Meadow), and hiking. Indulging in what was nearly molecularly plastic cheese and salty pretzels wouldn’t put her over the edge. She had eaten as organically as possible and it was entirely likely she would feel sick later on from the food, but it was worth it. 

“I just got back a couple weeks ago. I wanted to settle in before I started reaching out. If you squint, I’m pretty sure you can guess why,” she commented. Despite everything, Josephine Cassidy wasn’t a monster. Even if things ended poorly between them, she wished him well. She didn’t relish his downfall, if it had even happened. “What about you?”

[karihighman]

I just think that Jessica Lowndes 👸🏻

[josephinecassidy]

kayla-beckett​:

who — Kayla & @josephinecassidy where  — Ryan’s Apartment  when  — Jo’s mom’s funeral JK it’s thanksgiving

This was wine number.. Kayla didn’t know. She’d started drinking after a work call soured her evening and hadn’t stopped since. A little belligerent, the brunette stumbled out onto the patio to smoke a cigarette she’d bummed from another party goer. Kaylee was well distracted by the company inside, so she wasn’t worried about getting caught. Or ratted out by her … sister-in-law? Kayla didn’t know what to call her relationship with Josephine. They’d known each other a long time now, and she certainly counted the woman as family.

“Your mom is more wrinkly than a dollar bill shoved in a stripper’s ass. I see being a heinous bitch has not helped her age well.” 

-

.

Joey had initially tried to stay away from alcohol, but seeing Jolie again had her reaching for at least a cider. She had to hold strong and not let her mother get to her, but it was difficult. What made matters worse was that Jack was so happy to see her. Jolie had slithered her way back in and there was nothing Joey could do. 

She took a long drag from her pen (a really disgusting habit she’d picked up in Seattle, but the oral fixation helped at least a little) and turned her head to see Kayla making her way out. Leave it to Kayla to break any form of self-deprecation Joey could potentially fall into.

A small chuckle escaped in an exhale and a berry-scented cloud followed. “She’s back on her bullshit and making it my problem,” she admitted. “I’m worried about Jack.”

[josephinecassidy]

ryancassidy​:

“Please, I would love that.” Especially if playing her private chef means they get to spend more time together. Ry didn’t often admit it out loud, but he missed having Jo around like crazy. Growing up, they were always each other’s rock. No one else understood what it was like to be them more than they did. Joey’s seen Ryan at his worst, seen Jolie at her worst, helped him keep food on the table for Jack when their mother ditched them for some guy she met in Reno. There would never come a time where Ryan would view Joey as anything but his safe haven, his softest place to land.

“I’m glad she has you though. I mean, there’s only so much I know how to do. She’s growing up so fast and I’m not ready for any of it.” The idea of her developing interest in boys scared Ryan half to death. And she was only five years shy of eventually getting her driver’s permit. Before he knows it, she’ll be going off to college, starting a family of her own, moving away and leaving him behind. It was a terrifying thought. Especially when Ryan was already robbed of so much time with her during the years Kayla’s dad kept him away from them both. “Anyway. What about you? We both know Jack’s love life is a shit show. Are you out there juggling a dating pool of your own?”

.

Her brothers, her niece, and basically everyone but her mother were the reasons why Joey moved home. Traveling had been soothing, but being home put the missing piece back together. There were few people in the world who knew her so completely and it was her brothers. 

Growing up, she and Ryan held down the fort. They did what was necessary for survival and they were who the other could lean on when it counted the most. Giving him money for the truck had been her very first thing when she had gotten her first sum. Joey took care of him for a change. 

“I mean, I won’t say no now that it’s an official offer,” she teased lightly, nudging him a little playfully. Three years had been too damn long, in hindsight. Deep down, Joey needed time to figure out who she was outside of Boston. On one hand, it got her away from Jolie, but on the other, it took her away from those she loved most. She had already missed so much of Kaylee’s life and she was determined to not miss anymore.

“All you can do is be thankful Kaylee has so many incredible role models like her parents and her aunt and you have to trust that she’s going to be this fantastic person. She’s so mature for her age, but she’s still only eleven,” Joey pointed out gently. The idea that it was only a few short years that her niece would be entering high school and was already beginning to learn who she was held a jarring reality of her own. “But you’re a great father and it’s clear she’s secure and she loves you.” 

Dating post-Gabe had been uneasy footing. Casual sex and short-lived relationships had sustained her so far. “Dating? Yes. Relationships? No way. I never really stayed in one place long enough to actually have anything. I sort of miss it, though. You know, that intimacy with a partner that just has you. What about you? Any girlfriends?”

[josephinecassidy]

Text: Joey ↔ Kayla

Kayla: No, I know. He's the best. Really. I wouldn't want it to be anyone but Ry.

Kayla: HAHAHA, good

Kayla: let's cover all the mirrors just incase

Kayla: you think the boys would stop us from pushing her down the trash chute?

Joey: Yeah, he seems nice.

Joey: We need to stock up on crucifixes; I hear her kind hates those.

Joey: Probably. "sHe'S oUr mOtHeR"

[josephinecassidy]

gabrieldwilliams​:

It was pathetic edged in desperate the way his eyes clung to her, reveling in the pain and longing wrapped up in the sight.  He’d never expected to feel gutted even this many years later.  He felt like a whole different person now, probably not in a good way, but just the visual of her was a reminder of a time he’d been so much better than he was now. 

He held tight to the social familiarity involved in the transaction, still fighting to keep it neutral on the surface even though he could probably never be neutral about her.  And even if it was maybe a little demeaning he’d regressed back to a job he’d had in college though he was well into his thirties at this point.  She’d always had him a little inside out anyway.  It was just a fact of life, like Taco Tuesdays or hard New England winters. 

“Okay,” he agreed.  He reached for a laminated menu and handed it over to her, not just because he would’ve done the same for anyone, but because he knew she was a two drink maximum before she needed real food, and that was only if the drinks were weak.  It was also, he supposed, only true if nothing had changed since he’d known her.  Either way, the drink he’d just made her was not weak, so… menu.  He passed it to her wordlessly.

.

Joey had expected a myriad of emotions upon seeing Gabe again, but this time, she just felt sad. Things were supposed to be different. Not a single day went by that she didn’t think about how different they would have been if she had just said yes the way she wanted to. Back then, marriage had been unfathomable. It wasn’t as if she had the best role model.

It still didn’t make it fair that she wanted to see him, almost as if she wasn’t really home until she did. Despite everything, Gabriel Williams wasn’t merely a chapter in her life story; he was nearly the whole damn thing. It was now time to reconcile that. 

In a way, it felt familiar in the way that she used to come to his work and pretend to pick him up. Or she used to simply wait at the bar while nibbling on some form of appetizer. 

“Thank you,” she told him sincerely as she accepted the drink and the menu. The vodka had a slight bite to it, one that was a bit welcoming and one she hadn’t quite gotten used to. Soft pretzels were always her favorite. There had been a place where he had worked with an incredible hot mustard. “Pretzels here any good? I figured bread might be my best bet.” 

[josephinecassidy]

I’ve dealt with my ghosts and I’ve faced all my demons Finally content with a past I regret I’ve found you find strength in your moments of weakness For once, I’m at peace with myself I’ve been burdened with blame Trapped in the past for too long I’m movin’ on

[josephinecassidy]

Text: Joey ↔ Kayla

Kayla: That isn't the comfort you mean it to be.

Kayla: I hope they know they've only survived this long because of us.

Kayla: If she shows, we'll take care of her.

Kayla: even if that means dragging her out by the hair.

Kayla: My sister has our backs, too.

Joey: I know, I know. He's great with her, otherwise you guys wouldn't have what you have.

Joey: Oh, I never let them forget it.

Joey: She'll only show up if someone says Bloody Mary three times.

Joey: Good. Between the three of us, she won't stand a chance.

[josephinecassidy]

joliecassidy​:

She was tempted to ask or what? But, refrained. Josephine was always the toughest cookie to crack. She was a lot like her father in that way. Hence why the two women often butted heads. She was a reminder of all Jolie suffered at the hands of her ex husband. “Fair enough,” she crosses her arms. “How’ve you been? Are you still traveling?”

.

It wasn’t about her and Joey was determined to keep others from being forced to be privy to their messy relationship. Relationship was the loosest possible term that could be used to describe the utter shitshow that resembled what she had with Jolie. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides but she forced herself to relax them. 

“I just bought a house, so I’m staying close. For Ryan, JJ, and Kaylee,” she replied stiffly. The other people she grew close to went without saying. “I work for a travel magazine now.”

[josephinecassidy]

Text: Joey ↔ Kayla

Kayla: Don't tell me that!!!! He held MY baby!!!

Kayla: Girl, they have everything.

Kayla: Dumb or dumber ?

Kayla: surely she wouldn't show up.

Joey: Well, I'm sure he's more responsible NOW

Joey: I'll have to check it out.

Joey: Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dumbass both.

Joey: Oh no? A chance to play the victim and try and get pity from JJ before letting him down AGAIN? She'd never pass that up.

Joey: Maybe she's still stuck under that house in Munchkinland, we just don't know.

[josephinecassidy]

joliecassidy​:

“I see you’re still irate with me.” Hence, being called Cruella De Vil in so many words. “It would be nice if we could get through one evening where we don’t throw daggers at each other. Please, Jojo.”

.

“You have quite the grasp on the obvious.” Jolie had proven herself untrustworthy over the years and while the little girl in Joey longed to forgive her, the woman she became couldn’t let it happen. 

And it’d be nice if you went back to hell from whence you came, but ain’t life a bitch? was what she wanted to say. The woman didn’t blink, but the little girl cried. 

“You get one chance, Mother.”

[josephinecassidy]

joliecassidy​:

with @josephinecassidy​ at ryan’s place for thanksgiving

“Hi, sweetie. You look beautiful. Happy Thanksgiving.”

.

“Hello, Mother. Looking for a place to hang up your Dalmatian coat?”

[josephinecassidy]

ryancassidy​:

“If you needed help, all you had to do was ask Jo.” What were older brothers for if not free manual labor when you need it? Plus Ryan would’ve easily dropped whatever he was doing to pay his little sister a visit. Time with her was generally precious. Although, considering she’d decided to lay down roots in Boston… maybe things were changing.

“Kaylee told me you set aside a room for her. She says she can’t wait to decorate it. Way to steal my thunder. Now she’ll never wanna hang out with her dear ol’ dad.” She was already getting to that age where her friends were cooler and way more important than her parents. It’s the main reason Ryan and Kayla had dinner ( and then some ) together the other night. But, he was not about to tell Joey any of that.

.

“We’ve both got things to do, I’m not gonna make you go all private chef for me,” she admonished. Maybe someday she could actually get her grocery shopping done. Maybe she could find some decent decor that didn’t look like she jacked the idea from Kim Kardashian’s mausoleum-esque house. The idea of owning a house for the first time in four years had been a thrilling one. She could finally own her dream home, a place she could host her family. 

Kaylee went without saying, naturally. 

“I absolutely did. I’m the rich aunt, I get to spoil her rotten the way she deserves,” she responded with an easy smile. It was something she could finally do. She didn’t have to work eighty hours a week split evenly between two jobs and count coins to buy her niece ice cream from the grocery store. Money didn’t buy happiness, but it bought financial security. 

[josephinecassidy]

📱📲 Jo & JJ

Jack: hey, we don't kink shame in this family

Jack: what else would it be, jo!!!

Joey: Maybe not, but still.

Joey: DO I SEEM LIKE A KOOLAID MAN EXPERT.

[josephinecassidy]

Text: Joey ↔ Kayla

Kayla: yeah sometimes Ryan isn't a total dumbass

Kayla: Jack tho? Somebody dropped him

Kayla: Have you ever been to the container store?

Kayla: Who'd invite her?!

Joey: It was probably Ryan.

Joey: I haven't, it's been a whirlwind since I came home.

Joey: Do they have JUST containers?

Joey: You know goddamn well who'd invite her.

Joey: I don't know, she might be in Mexico sucking the blood from the goats.

[josephinecassidy]

Text: Joey ↔ Kayla

Kayla: Wow, so Kaylee is superhuman between us.

Kayla: Weird, your brother said that to me once..

Kayla: Don't be one of those people with no personality in their house!!! JJ's many personalities don't count.

Kayla: AW, Jo. 😔

Joey: Basically.

Joey: Me and him are the wise Cassidys

Joey: I know, I need to make some time and hit Target. Let my house look like a Pinterest board.

Joey: If she shows up to Thanksgiving, I might actually go postal.

Joey: Mind helping me hide a body if it comes to that?