Who: @gus-reynolds @thexcarrollxtimes ft;Dominic @estereynolds @softlysaffron @aspenreynolds @bartholomew-reynolds
Where: The Reynolds House Pre-Hawkins Reception
What: Grace and Gus call a family meeting to break the news to the family of Holden's being in rehab.
Despite being overloaded with work, Augustus called it an early day on the ranch took a shower then headed to the kitchen to prepare a meal for the family. While the food cooked, he brought out the good china and set the table. As everyone started to come into the house, he placed a large salad with homemade dressing, saffron risotto with osso buco.
Dominic sat in his truck, debating on just turning tail and leaving. This was a Reynolds family meeting after all and despite having the last name, he hadn't felt like a true member of the family in years. A lot longer than the nine he'd been away. And grown or not, the thought of gathering around the dinner table to discuss family matters terrified him. But this had to do with his nephew, who he loved and knew would do anything for the family no matter what the circumstances, so he finished off his smoke and gathered himself enough to head inside and face the music. "I'll be damned. Never though' I'd be tha first ta arrive." He made his way through the kitchen and to the dining room table, purposefully taking a seat as far away from everyone as possible. "Smells good." He was trying. For Hold.
Saffron drove in with her car parking in the driveway making room for others. Sighing. Then she turned her car off and entered the house. ”something smells good.”
Was busy pouring the water into the water glasses as people started to arrive, a bright and practiced smile on her face. Hopefully enough to hide her nerves. "Well, someone is punctual." She greeted Dom, eyes flicking to Saffron who came in right behind him. "Your Dad has been cooking his butt off, I think we're all in for a treat."
Not far behind Saffron on the road was Aspen in her little white convertable beetle, not quite close enough behind her to catch her before she went in the door, but just close enough to catch it before it closed behind her. "I'm here, too! Oooh what's he making, I'm starved."
The patriarch walked through the doors and looked over towards his two granddaughters. "Lovely seeing you two here." He commented as he walked over towards his daughter-in-law to give the beautiful woman a hug. "Grace, as always you look remarkable." With that, he took the seat at the head of the table causing a grimace from Augustus. "Your mother's recipe?" He inquired as he looked down at the meal.
her car was the last to line the drive, a grouping of different personality types along the gravel. even if she hadn't been invited by the patriarch, she was confident in a spot at the dining table. enough of the reynolds knew she was in town, if word didn't travel through the ranch, then that meant something else was wrong. "heard we were having a proper gathering." she greeted, everyone filtering in through the kitchen and into the dining room. she turned to give her aunt a hug, the person closest to her as she looked around. "need a hand?"
Offering each new arrival a hug and/or kiss on the cheek, she waved everyone around to their respective seats but froze the moment Este walked through the door. Just for a moment, a beat long enough to shoot a look of shock at her husband, and then it was replaced with her warm smile and even warmer hug. "Este, Darling look at you, you look amazing! Things have been so crazy around here, I didn't know you'd gotten in. Come on have a seat." If their secret wasn't going to get out before, it would have now, and it seemed the timing was spectacular.
"Oh! I invited her when I saw her outside the Fairweather!" Unaware of any sort of wrench throwing that may have happened on her part, Aspen was already reaching across the table to pick at the bowl of fruit that sat in the center, plucking a few grapes off to pop into her mouth. Leaning over to give her grandfather a big hug as she came around to seat, she plopped down with a little 'boop' noise. "What's all this about anyway?"
"Este? I didn't know you were in town. Please, take a seat and join us for dinner." Augustus still annoyed his father sat in his seat, took a seat and waited for everyone else to join him at the table. "Let's eat first and we can discuss family business." He responded back to Aspen. "And yes sir, it is mom's recipe."
"I'd be lyin' f'I said I didn' miss this," Dom chimed in as he started serving up his plate. "Mom's food," he added in clarification. Though he had admittedly missed his family and the Sunday dinners on the ranch. North Dakota was lonely to say the least. But saying that he was actually glad to be back around family in front of Bart was the equivalent to shooting himself in the foot and then trying to walk a marathon - impossible. "You always did know your way around a kitchen Grace. Gotta say makes me a little jealous'a Gus," he complimented his sister-in-law while gently teasing his brother.
Saffron walks to the kitchen looking over the food that dad is cooking and then leaned against the kitchen counter. Trying not to be in anyone’s way.
"Well, the more the merrier." Smile staying firmly in place, she waved Este toward a chair and then waved at everyone to start filling their plates. Taking a seat beside Gus rather than across the table from him, Aspen had found her way into her usual spot instead. Reaching beneath the table she gave her husband's let a little squeeze of encouragement as she leaned over to press a small kiss to the apple of his cheek. "We all know well and good that if I had attempted any of this I would have burned this farm house to the ground." She let laughter lead, hoping a lighter atmosphere might make things a little easier.
"There's a chair here, Saffy! Sit by me!" Patting the chair diagonal from her seat, her smile was bright, entirely unaware seemingly of the strange atmosphere underlining everything.
*Moving from the kitchen she made her way over to her sister and sat down next to her. Wondering what this dinner or discussion was about...**
Although he rarely did this, Augustus asked everyone to take hands and he blessed the food before having everyone start to eat. Gus quietly just moved the food around on his plate with his fork not in the mood to eat.
Este, my dear. Come give your grandfather a hug. I didn't know you were coming to visit." Bart said before the said grace. After Gus said grace, Bart made his plate. "Saffron, how are things? What have you been up to?"
Dominic caught the way their father assumed his seat at the head of his brother's table, a quiet scoff easily falling from him along with a shake of his head as he picked through his food just like Gus. Though his stomach was at odds with eating over the inevitable topic of discussion and the short, uninformative conversation he had tried to have earlier. And seeing as Holden was the only one missing, fear gripped at his chest that nothing good was about to come once it was all said and done. "Yea Essie. Me neither. I though' yer mom was needin' n'extra set'a hands back home?" he asked outright, though his gaze was mostly locked between his father and brother.
the family was more tense than she'd been expecting. she wasn't sure what had gone on between her uncles, she'd actually been specifically instructed not to askback when it all fell out. lori hadn't been pleased at the idea of having to choose sides, and so oklahoma had just styed out of it all. maybe that was for the best now that she saw how even her cousins buzzed less. but, the only way out was through, the only way to know, was to ask. "and here i thought that this was the place that could use a ranch hand or two." she gave her grandfather a hug, dropping a kiss on the top of his head before she sat next to her uncle, the one person who seemed to be just as caught out as she had been by the dynamics on the ranch. "some party y'all got going here."
"Glad to see you princess." Bartholomew quietly began eating, curious as to the family get together. Wondering if it had anything to do with Holden's circumstances. But, last he spoke with Gus and Grace they wanted that to remain secret and Bart agreed. No need to open their family up towards more shame.
Augustus kept his eyes on the table through most of dinner, answering only when spoken to. The food he had spent all afternoon cooking sat mostly untouched on his plate, pushed around more than eaten. Silence suited him better than conversation tonight. It was easier to focus on small things, than the weight sitting heavy in his chest. Once everyone had finished, he stood without a word and began gathering plates. The routine steadied him. One dish stacked atop another. Water running in the sink. Hands occupied so his mind wouldn’t wander too far ahead. Because once he said it out loud, there would be no taking it back. When Augustus finally returned to the dining room, he lingered near the doorway for a moment, his shoulders tensed. His gaze swept across the family before settling somewhere just past them, jaw tight enough to ache. He dragged in a rough breath through his nose.
“Thank you all for coming,” he said quietly. “There’s something I need to talk about…about Holden.” Bartholomew rose slowly from his chair and stepped beside him, placing a hand on Augustus’s shoulder. “Son,” the older man said lowly, “once you ring this bell, you can’t unring it.” Augustus shut his eyes briefly and gave a single nod. “I know.” Bartholomew squeezed his shoulder once before returning to his seat, though his attention never left his son. For a long moment, Augustus said nothing. He swallowed hard, fighting against the thickness gathering in his throat. This was the part he had rehearsed a hundred times in his head, and somehow the words still refused to come out.
“Holden is not in Oklahoma helping Lori with the ranch,” he finally admitted. The confession hung heavy in the air, knowing Saffron especially may be angry with him and even perhaps his youngest Aspen. And he wasn’t sure how he could handle their anger. Augustus rubbed a hand across his mouth before forcing himself to continue. “He’s in Ohio. In a rehabilitation center.” His voice nearly faltered on the last word, but he pushed through it anyway. “For alcoholism.” His eyes dropped briefly to the floor, shame and grief flickering across his face before he buried it beneath that familiar stoicism again. “I have hated keeping this from everyone and I know there are questions.”
Saffron didn’t say anything at first. She just stared at him like if she blinked, maybe the words would rearrange themselves into something that made sense. Something that didn’t feel like it just cracked her world straight down the middle. Then it hit. “Ohio?” Her voice came out sharp, disbelieving, like the word itself offended her. “A rehabilitation center?” A bitter laugh slipped out, quick and humorless as she dragged a hand through her hair. “So that’s it then? That’s why he hasn’t called me? Not one text, not one damn—” Her voice caught, but she shoved through it, anger taking over before anything softer could surface. “You let me think he just… didn’t care?” Her eyes snapped back up to him, blazing now. “He’s my best friend dad,” she shot back, stepping forward like she couldn’t physically stay still anymore. “He’s—he’s family. And you just stood there and lied to me. Every time I asked. Every time I wondered why he disappeared, you fed me some story about Oklahoma like I wouldn’t notice something was wrong?” Her jaw tightened, hands curling into fists at her sides. “You are a liar.” The words landed hard, no hesitation behind them. “Don’t stand there and act like this was some noble secret. You don’t get to decide who gets to worry about him and who doesn’t.” And then the tears fell. Shaking her head and then hiding her face into her hands. Sniffling.
Rehabilitation center? Well, that made super duper sense now that she thought about it, after everything, that last night with Holden up in the treehouse. Maybe it was a good thing that he was getting help, but she had no idea what it was like and she couldn't help but imagine a scene out of Girl Interrupted, all stark and clinical. She hated the idea of her big Denny being in a place like that. Saffron's outburst caught her off guard, and for once, Aspen was quiet, eyes wide and brows raised as words escaped her and she decided maybe the best thing to do was be quiet. She didn't need to make anything worse. Instead she offered an apologetic smile at their cousin. How awkward for Estes...
Stood next to Gus his entire announcement, a hand on him to ground and anchor him. Feed him the strength of her resolve. "It's for the best, we just didn't want any of the stigma of it to effect any of the family, or Holden when he comes home." It felt like a weak explanation now, and she knew how it was going to look with her campaign looming over the entire family. At Saffron's wails, she finally broke off from Gus to come around the table and gather their daughter up into her arms, hands stroking down the back of her head as she pressed a little kiss to the top of her head. "It's alright, Darling, I promise. We just didn't want you guys to worry."
Her hands came up, wiping roughly at her face, more frustrated than anything else. “You didn’t want us to worry?” she repeated, disbelief lacing every word. “You don’t get to make that choice for me. He was already gone, and I was worried anyway. I thought he just left. Or didn’t care enough to call.”
Dom had a feeling this was the grand announcement. And now he knew why everyone seemed to despise his appearance more than ever. And this all felt like a family matter he shouldn't be involved in because no one considered him family really. Had he not been in the group chat, and roped into bringing dad, he doubted he would have gotten the invite. He rose quietly and took his leave to let them deal with things the way he knew they would want to, without him. North Dakota had never felt more like home than ever before.
