Innocence & sadness

Oliver 'Ollie' Kelly, 29, Architect Some memories I grip too tight, and some crush my shoulders.

[crescentharbor-deactivated20260]

"Oh, please," Maggie shook her head, waving a hand dismissively as if physically batting away Ollie's excuse. "Don't even worry about it. I can't imagine what your mornings must look like—I can hardly get myself dressed half the time. A small human being added to the fold is just..." She exhaled in admiration. This, quite depressingly, was true—or it had been, at one point. Since she'd resigned herself to the ideology that little meant anything, it wasn't as hard for Maggie to convince herself to go through the motions of each day, to wake with an alarm and brush her teeth, to continue existing in whatever form. She knew this was something Ollie could understand, intimately, and so she didn't feel the need to belabor the point or, worse, to retract it, embarrassed. This was the sort of comfort afforded by the recognition of grief.

She smiled at his query. "Well, I got dressed," she began plainly, voice filled with brevity. "No, really, I'm—it's been okay, so far. Weird to have a weekday off, but kinda nice, if I'm being honest. I think I might go wander around Boyd's or something later and look at handbags I can't afford and don't need." She rolled her eyes at herself. "How about you? How..." She began, and then idled — it seemed an innocuous enough question, but they both knew well enough to recognize it could be a bomb depending on the day, on the moment. She smiled, small and sweet, finally finshing with: "How's things?"

[oliverxkelly]

Relief finds him that his apology has been accepted but he chafes slightly under the slight admiration. "I don't know how I do it most days either and to be honest sometimes it's only just. There's been more than one occasion where we've both been in tears before we're actually ready to go." He flashed a grin her way to show that he was being self deprecating but there was no denying the way that at times it felt like a constant uphill struggle. There was part of him that could acknowledge that for all it felt as though he lived in a state of constant worry, he at least had something to get up for in the morning. He figures it's nothing that he really needs to explain to Maggie when she'd just described the situation they were both all too familiar with. Instead he keeps it simple, trusting her to be able to read between the lines if she wanted to. "But he keeps me on my toes."

He nods slightly as he listens, her quip earning a wry smile from him. "An achievement." There was a smile on his lips but it was an encouraging one rather than a teasing one to match the sincerity of his words. "Yeah? I'm glad. So if you show up next time with a new bag I'll know why." There was a pause as he considered his own answer, knowing that he could be honest but unsure if he was ready to even admit some of it to himself. But he'd always tried to foster trust and truthfulness in any dynamic that he had and there was no better way to do that than by being honest. "Coping, I think. Even if it's more like just going through the motions. But everything's so busy I barely have time to think about it. It's almost been a year but I'm not feeling much of anything yet."

[oliverxkelly]

Middle Child || @marleycallahan

Going to Middle Child hadn't been his idea, it had all come from Noah. He'd almost given in the first twice that Noah had mentioned something to do with it and by the third he felt he had no choice but to take his nephew back. It had once been a new kind of Kelly family tradition, the three and then the four of them meeting for lunch. Oliver had been hesitant to continue it without Jonah and Kirsten, reluctant to revisit a place that had so many memories tied to them. As difficult as the trip might have been for him he'd so far never hesitated to give him a sense of normality. Now it was the fourth week in a row they'd had lunch there and while it was taking some getting used to, he was starting to enjoy the present more than he was reminded of the past. He smiled in greeting as a familiar face approached them. "We'll just take our regular, thanks." As he spoke Noah made his concern known that they were definitely getting milkshakes. "Yeah, buddy, two chocolate milkshakes." He hesitated slightly, never quite knowing where the boundary was with Marley given their brief past. Grief was difficult for everyone and her refusal of his support wasn't all that surprising but it had left him feeling somewhat awkward when they now consistently came into contact with one another. But he figured he could still enquire about work - that was normal enough. "Busy shift?"

[prcelium]

It was these quiet moments where the boundaries always felt blurred, where Corinne found it much easier to toe over the line without realizing it. It's because it all felt so domestic. Noah upstairs in bed, their voices hushed to keep it that way, leaning on the counter, glass of wine in hand. If someone were to look at them from the outside, she could only imagine that they may have looked like a mum and dad, taking in the quiet after a rowdy day out with the kid. And sometimes that's what it felt like. Whereas, while they had been out and about at family day, despite the name, it didn't feel all that serious. She was constantly introducing them to her co-workers as her friend and his nephew, after getting questioning looks or even outright questions of 'Cory, I didn't know you had kids!'. So it was all a reminder that they weren't hers. Ollie wasn't hers. Noah wasn't hers. But in the darkened house that didn't feel as blatantly obvious.

"Oh, just Noah, huh? Don't lie, Kelly, I know you needed the penguin parade just as much as Noah." She teased to lighten the feeling of domesticity she felt creeping up around her, not wanting to leave just yet but knowing she should before that feeling became overwhelming. "But I'm glad Noah" she stressed his name, teasing still "Enjoyed himself. It's my job as self-proclaimed Kelly family social coordinator to get you guys out of the house every once in awhile."

[oliverxkelly]

It had been him that had drawn up the new lines of their relationship in an attempt to save both their feelings from what had seemed like inevitable disaster. He'd been so focused on being what Noah needed that he'd convinced himself that there was no way he could be anything close to what Corinne deserved in a partner. There was barely time to deal with his own grief as it was, he couldn't see himself being anything but a burden to her. But his own logic and decision to play martyr had done little to extinguish his feelings for her and it was days like today that made him question his own choices. It wasn't just that Cory fit in so seamlessly with him and Noah, the both of them adoring her, it was that every time a co-worker had assumed that they were together he'd wanted to claim that they were. The notion of the three of them was something he found himself wanting, which was hardly surprising given that not that long ago he'd been certain that he'd found the person he wanted to do all that settling down with.

But he'd made his bed and he felt as though it would be wrong of him to want to change their dynamic yet again when he had no guarantee things would work out. It was easy to believe that they would when everything felt so simple with her but if there was one thing he knew about life it was that it was never simple. So instead he chose to live in the moment instead of worrying about the future, enjoying the way that the lines seemed to blur without focusing on the ramifications. "If I tell you that you were right are you going to hold it over me? Because in my defence I didn't know that I needed it but as soon as I saw those waddles I felt better." He took a sip from his wine, gaze flickering over her features as he replied while trying to hold back a smile. "I think today might have just secured you that position for life. I don't know what we'd do without you." As he playfully nudged her shoulder with his, his words were light to match the teasing tone, hiding the truth in them.

[oliverxkelly]

Main Street Music || @alemamani

Oliver liked music in the same way he supposed lots of others did - it was something to enjoy but he lacked an understanding of the fundamentals. Far from an expert he'd reached out to Alessandra to see if she wanted to go record shopping, knowing that her taste would likely be far better than his. "I don't know." Head shook slightly as he muttered the words, more to himself than to his companion. After a moment he looked up, turning the albums out towards Ale as he posed his question, tone light and almost joking. "Which one of these seems more like 'the perfect soundtrack for dinner that'll encourage a four-year-old to get sleepy'? It's this one, right?" As he moved one of them forward a grin took over his features, only for it to fade slightly as he flipped them both back so he could look at them once more. "I'm this close to just putting rain noises on but I figured I could try him with something more instrumental first. Maybe get him interested in music, I don't know." He trailed off in an attempt to ward off the rising feeling that he wasn't doing enough for Noah. What had started as a joke quickly led to him becoming overwhelmed when it came to his incessant worry that he was doing right by his nephew. Unwilling to let himself sit in discomfort too long when the last thing he wanted was to make Ale feel as though she needed to comfort him, he was quick to move the subject on. "See anything you like?"

[mclting]

— location: harp & crown — date and time: friday night — availability: closed | @oliverxkelly

The one moment her gaze wasn’t on him, it was when the bartender poured her non-alcoholic cocktail. Cemre watched as the liquor reached the glass and once the action was over, a single word to share her appreciation towards the man’s job was offered. Then, Cemre had her eyes again on him. Although the pain on her end led her to be distant from Oliver for far longer than she’d like to; it was in knowing who he was and wanting to be near him that she was — once again — attempting to reach closer. A friend that knew loss, even worse than she tasted. 

Finally, she moved herself close to where he was, hoping that he wouldn’t mind her presence. “I know it may seem like I’m following you, but I swear I’m not.” But that day it was a lie, she was following him. A bad habit of making sure that he would be alright. Another bad habit that Cemre was trying not to run away from: caring. “Can I buy you a drink? Since we’re already here, we might as well enjoy our night, right? Unless you’re waiting for a date or something. Then, I could go and leave you be.”

[oliverxkelly]

Sitting and drowning his sorrows wasn't usually a luxury that he afforded himself when it felt as though there was so little time in his life to indulge in much self pity. The only time he allotted for that was during therapy sessions and if he was being honest with himself that was hardly enough. He'd pushed his grief to one side for the majority of the months that had passed since Jonah and Kirsten's deaths. It hadn't been his intention to end up in a bar the first night he had to himself but when Noah had been so keen to stay at his friend's, it had been where he'd felt the most drawn to. Perhaps just because he could be left to his thoughts but not feel alone.

There was something of an anonymity that came with a busy bar and Oliver had been lost in his thoughts, not expecting anyone to join him. So when a voice breaks him from his reverie, and a familiar one at that, he's somewhat taken aback. After a beat he processes her words, a shake of his head given to her question. "No, no date. I don't really -" Cutting himself off, Oliver spared her the details of his dating life - or lack of it. Instead he gave a nod and made space for her next to him. "Only if get the next one." He contemplated the drink he'd just had and debating a change. "What are you having?"

[sam-loftgren]

Grief was a strange thing. One of those things that people who dealt with lighter versions of it would always try to comfort with promises that it gets easier, or that it fades. That never really proved to be true. Sam learned how to move around it, how to shove it in its corner in order to function, and get through the day. But, it still sprang up, rolled out from under the bed or fell off the high shelf you tried to shove it up on. Sometimes it was unpredictable, but around this time of year, it got a full stage to itself. Sam had, by all accounts, learned to simply work around the noise and deal with the fallout alone when he could. He understood it from everyone else just as much, maybe even better than when it came to himself.

There were so few things that needed explanations, and life and grief were ones that never needed apologies or explanations. But, for as much as it was unnecessary, he wasn't going to keep Ollie from getting out what he needed to say. "The holidays are the hardest time to get through. Still have a struggle to get out of bed when it gets to be this time of year. I get it, man." He immediately hated the taste of his own vulnerability on his tongue, quick to swallow it down with a sip of his own drink. "I'm glad Noah's doing as okay all things considered. How are you holding up, though? A lot of big things right in a row, takes a toll. You taking care of yourself?"

[oliverxkelly]

There's a relief felt at the reminder that he wasn't alone in the way that he felt some days. He sits in that feeling for a moment before expressing concern for his friend, keeping the tone light as though that would help ease the pressure of answering. "You doing better now?" Sometimes the simplest of tasks were the most challenging and while more often than not he felt overwhelmed by his responsibility to Noah, there was some relief in knowing that he had permanent motivation to keep going. He could only hope that that would be enough. "Yeah, he's been a trooper really." He found he was more and more impressed at the four-year-old's apparent resilience. "Maybe the presents and excitement helped a bit for him too. A distraction if nothing else."

The question he poses is one he was grateful for - it was always a comfort to know someone cared - but one that he didn't quite know how to answer. Oliver had never had a real problem discussing his emotions before but this time he knew he had spent the best part of six months ignoring them. He had to, Noah had to come first. But the guilt he felt for neglecting himself makes him glance away for a moment. "Just going through the motions. Ticking the boxes. You know the deal." He wasn't exactly being dismissive or evasive, he just felt no need to explain it in anymore detail when he was confident that Sam wouldn't need anything deeper. While everyone's grief was unique, he felt some experiences were universal. "I'm still going to the group and I've got my own sessions but I don't know if it's enough. Don't know how I'd find the time for anything more though."

[oliverxkelly]

veeduarte​:

The lost and found of the rink was by far, the most depressing place Vee ever encountered. Just a sea of lost bears, assorted stuffed animals, forgotten homemade bracelets, little tiny jackets, all that shit. She once had remarked to her coworkers that if some Instagram photographer wanted to go viral with the saddest project ever, just come take pictures of those items. Plenty of times, she’d felt like she’d stopped a horrible day in progress by catching up with a parent or child and giving them back something they left on the bleachers. She let a gentle smile grace her features as she skated over to the barrier, coming to a stop with a practiced ease. “Actually it’s fine, that does sound incredibly important. Let me put slip out of these skates and then we can look around, okay?” Pushing open the little door to her right, she wobbled over to the bench where her boots sat. “If we can’t find it, I’ll call the National Guard and you call the news stations so they can put out an alert for people to look out for this very formal bear.” She joked, hoping to ease the man’s tensions.

.

He’d never been one to begin doubting the potential for good and kindness in people but as he’d rushed over he’d been worried that he might have found the rink closed or the staff unwilling to help. It makes him all the more relieved and grateful when she easily agrees to help him when he knows she’d be well within her rights to stick to opening times. The worried expression that had made itself at home on his features breaks as he gives a smile while making his gratitude known. “Thanks, I really appreciate it.” He shifted from foot to foot and glanced around the rink, hoping that the teddy might just jump out at him and he’d be able to leave her in peace quickly. “I’m just glad you were still here, I was beginning to think I was going to have to make up a convincing story about him going on a business trip or something.” Nervous chuckle left him at her words and while he knew that they were meant as a farfetched joke, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable at more people having to get involved. One was bad enough when it was down to his own carelessness. “Really hoping that won’t be necessary.” 

[crescentharbor-deactivated20260]

@oliverxkelly pilgrim roasters, manayunk

Maggie was not built to withstand grief group. She had tried--truly, tried--to do the right thing in the succession of right things, to grieve in the normal way, to appease Olivia and her parents and Jane's family and even Jane, in whatever way. But it had fallen flat: she'd spent most of the first and last few meetings she attended thinking about what she wanted to pick up for dinner after, or if she should get her hair cut, or how much laundry she had to do. After the third night of watching a bereaved widow barely hold back tears, she knew that it was simply not something she could engage with on her path to healing.

The only good thing to ever come out of it was Ollie. He was well-acquainted with the notion of grief in a way Maggie couldn't even imagine. And yet, despite what life had forced him to contend with, he remained kind--he was always considerate of her, always willing to chat before and after group, always taking an interest in her attendance. In turn, she concerned herself with him--he quickly became her favorite grief group buddy, and, though she quickly ceased attending, she kept up with Ollie, checking in and meeting up occasionally to touch base. Today was one such occurrence. She stood at the end of the counter, awaiting the announcement of her name, while she half-heartedly scrolled through her phone awaiting Ollie's arrival.

[oliverxkelly]

Grief was something he supposed he could be called well-versed in. Before losing Jonah and Kirsten he'd lost his mother and the void that had created in his life was one that never really felt filled. A piece of him always feeling hollow and empty no matter how many days, months or years passed. There were times when that hollowness shrank and felt so small it was nothing more than a twinge and others that it threatened to swallow him whole and leave him in the nothingness. But he'd found that it was never predictable and healing wasn't linear. The groups he attended helped, simply being around other people who could at least understand the impact of such a loss. But he understood that each loss and everyone's grief was unique.

Having attended them for a few years he felt a sense of responsibility towards any new members and had never been able to resist quietly being there for them. Isolation was always so tempting but he knew first hand that eventually they all needed someone. Maggie had been someone he'd clicked with past his gentle offer of support and they'd kept in touch long after she'd stopped attending. "Sorry I'm late." Apologetic smile was flashed her way before he launched into his explanation, keeping the tone playful. "Not to be that guy that plays the four-year-old card like a Get Out Of Jail Free card but this time it really was on Noah." He paused for a moment debating whether or not to ask that all too loaded question before he settled on a slightly less daunting one. "How's your morning?"

[ofmasterminds]

Location: Green Street Coffee Co.

Tags: @philly-starters

With a gentle nod and an almost remorseful smile, Alexander grabbed his order from the overworked barista in turn; blue eyes scanning the packed venue to later focus on his phone to check the hour. He had exactly 95 minutes before his meeting on a building nearby the coffee shop and even though technically he could leave home and get back in time for his meeting— it seemed absurd to even try and do so. His next move, upon seeing just how packed the place was, was finding the nearest park and waiting there, let the city sounds create a lullaby to soothe him into forgetting he was anxious about the meeting in the first place and, had the weather not made it impossible, he would’ve chosen that scenario. As far as his overworked, jittery brain could think, staying in the coffee shop was his most viable option, even if it was starting to feel like a hazard the number of people inside. 

Before all hope was lost, however, from the corner of his eye, the answer to his prayers arrived in the form of an empty chair on a table with only one other soul. With a decisive breath, he approached the half-empty table, one hand holding onto a ceramic cup while the other, kept a baked good resting on a similar ceramic plate. He shot the other a bashful smile as he bowed his head with outmost respect, feeling like high school all over again. “Sorry— is this seat taken?” he inquired, pointing with one finger at the seat in question, before drifting his eyes to at the crowd as if trying to prove a point, only to return his attention to the other. “All the rest are. I am willing to pay” he assured the other, trying to keep his order from spilling over the floor while simultaneously gesturing with his hands at every word, an old habit of his. “I don’t have money on me but you are welcomed to order anything from the menu or just give me your…” he faltered, trying to remember the name of the money-exchanging app he had just learned about a couple years ago. “Thing ID, to transfer the money” he shook his head at himself. “I’ll make it double for whatever that was.”

[oliverxkelly]

Predictability and consistency were two things he'd always reached for in his life and up until six months ago he'd managed it. Maybe it had something to do with his father's moods - never quite knowing whether he'd get to be ignored or it was the day for a verbal lashing. So he liked his routines, liked knowing what he could expect from the day to come and the satisfaction that came along with checking things off his to-do list. But since Noah had become a constant in his life, Oliver had struggled to build even the foundation for a routine. None of their days were ever quite the same and he always felt as though he was scrambling to try to take control of his life but it kept slipping from his grasp. Every time he thought he'd finally gotten a handle on it, another curveball came his way. Appointments, clients, playdates, meals, laundry - the list felt so overwhelmingly endless and he had a four-year-old to keep happy, healthy and occupied in amongst it all.

Lunch breaks had become his moment to catch his breath and he took full advantage of the time he was able to be away from his desk. With only a late afternoon meeting he had the rare luxury of a longer break. Still reluctant to spend too much time on his own Oliver headed to the nearest coffeshop with a book in hand. After placing his order and finding himself a table, he'd lost himself in the novel and become somewhat oblivious to the growing busyness around him. It had all just become a welcome background noise. But he's broke out of his reverie by a man stood by his table and words that he didn't quite catch but is able to put together after a beat. "Oh, yeah, go ahead." As he sat up he pulled some of his things closer towards him in an attempt to make more room for them both. His head shook in gentle refusal at the other man's offer, unwilling to take payment for what he considers politeness. "That's really not necessary, honestly. Besides, I went all out today so it would cost more than I'd ever feel comfortable accepting for what should just be the norm." Knowing that he would feel at a loss if someone had robbed him of his way to express gratitude, Ollie was quick to offer an alternative that would hopefully suit them both. "But you can always pay it forward at some point."

[oliverxkelly]

Kelly Household, Manayunk || @corinne-dowth

Weekends always felt the most difficult. A daunting 48 hours that loomed over his Friday nights as he tried to work out what he could possibly find to keep both himself and Noah busy. Through the week they had some semblance of a routine ( or at least his attempt at one that hadn't quite come to fruition ) but without the usual work and day-care to fill their time he'd yet to find a good way to spend it. Quiet and grief always came hand in hand for him, giving him far too much time to reflect and think. He couldn't tell if the quiet affected Noah in the same way as it did him, none of the countless resources he'd poured through about helping a child through bereavement had told him either. But what they had told him was that it was important to spend quality time with Noah and do something that he enjoyed.

It sounded simple enough but Ollie still found himself wracking his brain for something that might fit that criteria. This weekend, Cory had come to his rescue with her invitation to a Family & Friends day at the zoo and with Noah so animal-mad, he'd replied almost instantly. It had been a good day, Noah had spent most of it darting around trying to decide which animal he wanted to give his attention to. Wearing himself out so that as soon as they got back he'd fallen asleep. It had felt easy for once, everything feeling simple and for once in place. He couldn't help but feel as though it was all thanks to Cory.

After putting Noah to bed, he'd crept back through and grabbed them each a glass of wine before he rejoined Cory. Leaning on the countertop next to her, small smile on his lips, he made his gratitude known. “Thanks for today. I -” He caught himself just in time, preventing himself from crossing the boundary he'd set for them. It would have been selfish for him to tell her how much it had meant to him - how much she meant to him - when he had relegated her to a friend. So he settles for half of the truth, thinking it better for the both of them. “- I think Noah needed it.”

[mirayxaydins]

Lately, Miray’s days consisted of waking up, burying her nose into cold cases, staring at a blank word document for hours and going home to cook meals designed to feed an entire family. Her nene never taught her how to make meals for one. All this meant that she looked forward to nights that she got to spend with Oliver and Noah a lot more than she probably should. Clearly, the writer needed to get more of a social life. Tonight she had made enough Manti to last her an entire week so she sent Oliver a text asking if he wanted to have dinner together at his place. Thankfully, he wasn’t one of those picky eaters that just wanted to stick to what they knew. After placing the food in Tupperware she made her way over, laying two knocks at his door. Once he answered she presented the stack of Tupperware, with her chin resting on the last one, “Hope you’re hungry – also I just realized that I brought nothing to drink with this meal. Usually, I am better prepared but tonight I was late at the office.” Not that it had done any good. Her writer’s block was as strong as ever and the 25 missed calls from her publicist just meant tomorrow wasn’t something she was looking forward to.”Where’s the little man? You know I come around more for him.” She teased. 

starter for @oliverxkelly​

[oliverxkelly]

With the hand that he'd been dealt in life, one filled with loss and grief, it would have perhaps been understandable if he'd been more prone to falling into cynicism than most. It would have been easy to begin viewing the world through a suspicious or darkened lens but Ollie had often found there to still be too much light left for such things to truly take hold. That didn't mean he wasn't still prone to days where the sadness took a bit too much of a hold or that he never found himself questioning why his life had taken the turns it had. But he found more often than not whenever things threatened to look bleak, there was someone in his life who managed to restore his faith in the good. It was almost never an intentional thing and that just made it all the more comforting of a notion. Instead it was only every just people, and it was Miray who demonstrated the simple act of caring that evening. He'd answered her text happily and opened the door to her knocks with a smile on his face. "Starving." Between oversleeping in the morning, a busy day at work and then having to pick up Noah almost immediately after he'd finished, there'd barely a moment for him to feed himself. "I think I've got some wine somewhere if that's what you're meaning, or there's this great lemonade from the store down the road." Reaching out he took some of the Tupperware from her, an appreciative hum given to the smell that greeted him, moving out the way to let her into the house. It still didn't quite feel like his home. "Just as well, I can't promise I'll be much company tonight. He's been glued to his animals ever since our trip to the zoo but maybe you'll have more luck tearing him away from them."

[oliverxkelly]

Fishtown Tavern || @sam-loftgren

Although he had never been the most outgoing but he always did his best to keep up with the friends that he did managed to make. That had been harder in recent months due to the unpredictable nature of grief. Some days it felt almost bearable and he was able to come up for air. And others he was drowning in it, unable to figure out which way was up so that he could surface. Thankfully most people in his life seemed to understand, at least to some extent, that any distance that might grow between them probably wasn't personal or intentional. But that was as much as some could do - simply sympathise and give him some grace. It wasn't as though he was ungrateful for that, quite the opposite, but it was still a relief for him to have friends that he didn't have to explain himself to. There were times he still felt it was necessary and an apology was always given but there was always that sense of ease that they could fill in some of the blanks themselves.

With Noah at a playdate, Oliver had found himself at a loss for a few hours and had taken the opportunity to reach out to someone he felt as though he'd neglected in recent weeks. The holidays had been hard for him. The first without his brother and Kirsten, not to mention that other family memories were wrapped up in them. "My mom always loved Christmas. Her birthday was the 22nd so we used to just roll it all into one big celebration." It was a soft and simple confession that he hoped would go some way to explain his recent withdrawal. "I think it went okay though. Or as fine as it could be. For Noah at least."

[cleanfm]

There special perks that came with working at the rink, especially because she’d been skating there since she was three. The owners trusted her implicitly so they allowed her some free skate time after hours and allowed her to have not only her own key, but the alarm code. It was only half an hour after closing, just after 9:30, and she was just doing some basic spins & jumps when she heard the door open across the rink. She looked up slightly as she stopped spinning, calling out, “Hey, sorry, we’re closed right now! Come back tomorrow, we open at eight!”

[oliverxkelly]

The thought of inconveniencing someone almost always made him feel physically sick, a sense of nausea taking over as soon as he felt remotely like he’d put someone out. But there were some things that overrode his desire to not be a nuisance and Noah was one of them. A fun-filled afternoon at the rink had ended in the realisation that his nephew’s favourite toy was missing. It wouldn’t have usually been an issue and just a year ago it might have been something that could have been laughed off but given the way that Noah had renewed attachment to the toy after the death of his parents, Oliver wasn’t about to tell him that it was another thing he’d lost forever. After leaving Noah with Cory, Ollie had had no choice but to retrace their steps in search of the teddy that would be crucial in giving them all a goodnight’s sleep. 

As he walked into the rink and saw someone skating, he had to urge himself to continue on despite the way he cringed at the reminder that it was no after hours. “Sorry. I wouldn’t usually, it’s just it’s kind of a personal emergency.” Guilt crept into his tone, knowing that he was eating into the woman’s personal time just because he’d been unable to keep track of all his things. “I promise I won’t take long, don’t want to interrupt your evening anymore than I already have. You haven’t seen a teddy have you? It’ll be wearing a suit, looking like it’s just come from a long day’s trading.”

[oliverxkelly]

I don’t know how to live in this world lightly. Some memories I grip too tight, and some crush my shoulders.

FULL NAME: Oliver James Kelly NICKNAME(S): Ollie, Ol PREFERRED NAME(S): he’s not really fussy  BIRTH DATE: 3rd March, 1993 ZODIAC:  Pisces ☀, Cancer ☽ , Libra ↑ AGE: 29 OCCUPATION: Architect

GENDER: Cis Man PRONOUNS: He/Him NATIONALITY: American ETHNICITY: African-American & White  NEIGHBORDHOOD: Manayunk

BIRTH PLACE: Hartford, CT HOMETOWN: Norwich, CT SOCIAL CLASS: upper class EDUCATION LEVEL: Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell FATHER: Bradley Kelly MOTHER: Celeste Kelly, née Abbott (deceased) SIBLING(S): Jonah Kelly (deceased) BIRTH ORDER: Jonah, Oliver CHILDREN: guardian of his four-year-old nephew, Noah PET(S): a cat called Boots that was his brother’s

Biography:

tw cancer, tw familial death

Oliver was born five years after his older brother and was very much seen as an inconvenience by his father from the moment he was told his wife was pregnant. To Bradley they already had the perfect family and he had a perfect son - Jonah. Oliver was regularly excluded from their father-son bonding time and Bradley never found anything he thought worth praising in his youngest son.

The lack of a relationship with his father was somewhat compensated by the closeness he shared with his mother. Celeste was encouraging and coaxed Oliver into finding what made him happy rather than pinning all his happiness on his father’s approval. It was with her help that he discovered an interest in architecture.

He worked hard and managed to get into his dream school of Cornell, the same college his mother had gone to. Once there, again with Celeste’s encouragement, he embraced college life and began to find his confidence.

When he was 21 he lost his mother to cancer. Despite having known for a year, the time with her still felt too short. The grief was overwhelming but he continued with his studies, knowing it was what she would have wanted. 

After graduating he got a job at a firm in Philadelphia, choosing to move to be closer to his brother. Their relationship had been strained as children but once they were both away from the influence of their father they’d become close. Oliver was the best man at Jonah’s wedding and doted on his nephew, Noah, from the moment that he was born.

Just after his 29th birthday, whilst on a date, Oliver received a phone call that turned his world on its head. He’d brother and his sister-in-law and had been named as Noah’s guardian. Overnight he found himself living in his brother’s house and trying to raise his son. It’s been an adjustment period but he’s doing what he thinks needs to be done for Noah.

This is the tl;dr version, his full biography can be found here

Personality:

Oliver feels his emotions deeply and has long had a habit of internalising them in order to make himself easier to get along with. After years of making himself smaller in the hope of not drawing his father’s ire, he can be on the quieter side but once he’s built up a rapport with someone then it becomes clear that he’s thoughtful and weighs his words before speaking. He is fair-minded and understanding, usually the first person to put himself out there for someone else if he thinks that they need it. He has trouble letting things go and moving on from the past, although some therapy has helped him work on this he is still guilty of getting too wrapped up in the past and losing focus of the future.

Wanted connections:

Best friend: they met at college and both ended up with jobs in Philadelphia, making the obvious choice to live together. Up until March they still lived together before Oliver moved into his brother’s home to keep a sense of normality for Noah.

Bookshop buddies: when he’s not at work he’s at the bookstore so probably there frequently enough to have struck up a dynamic with a few of his fellow customers or even staff.

Grief group: a few years after the death of his mother he found attending a grief support group helpful in dealing with some unresolved feelings. He found a community through it and I imagine has kept in touch with a few people he really connected with. He’s recently started attending one again to help him process his more recent losses.

Former dates: a bit of a romantic, Oliver had been somewhat focused on trying to find love when he moved to Philadelphia. None of the dates he went on really stuck but he probably managed to salvage a few friendships out of them. Of course there’s room for there to be some awkwardness and maybe even some animosity too.

Neighbours: could be from Manayunk or from his time in Fishtown. He’s the type to try to keep up with people and get to know those that lived around him so there could be some quite close dynamics.

Friends of his brother or sister-in-law: anyone that was close to Jonah before he died, he was 34 and I imagine him in some sort of business setting. Anyone close to Kirsten who was a similar age and a lawyer. 

Parent friends: I imagine him having a small circle of people he’s met probably through Noah that are helping him navigate his new life. 

Bonus: 

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Please feel free to dm me here for any and all plots but discord is probably the easiest place to reach me - andromache#9873

[halalgrl]

[headspace-hotel]

the theme that always resonates me the most in stories is “the world is cruel; therefore I won’t be.”