A Mother First

Doctor Single Mother Closed RPG Penned by Court

[reneebrandxn]

[Ciswoman, she/her] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [RENEE BRANDON]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [AJ COOK]. You must be the [FORTY-ONE] year old [DOCTOR]. Word is you’re [NURTURING] but can also be a bit [OVEREXERTING] and your favorite song is [PERFECT BY P!NK]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [SEABROOK QUARTER].

Name: Renee Brandon Age: 41 Birthday: February 21st, 1983 (Pisces) Job: Doctor Family: Two sons, Oliver (6) and Henry (4), Husband Andy (deceased) Status: Widowed

Biography:

TW: Death

Renee Noel Brandon was born and raised in a small town in upstate New York. She was the oldest of three girls and although they were a very happy family, Renee also knew that she was being held to a higher standard than her younger sisters. Their parents were constantly busy with their businesses, which left Renee to take care of her sisters after school. She learned to cook fairly young, helped them with their homework, treated all the cuts and bruises, broke up fights and once she learned to drive, was in charge of getting them to and from school and other activities. Somehow she managed to do all of this while padding her resume for college. Renee was academically gifted and a natural athlete and her senior year, she earned a full ride scholarship to college to play soccer for Virginia Tech. It was tough to say goodbye to her family, but after taking care of her sisters for so long, she was glad to get away and do something for herself.

Her freshman year, Renee wasn’t sure what she wanted to study. She had been so focused on getting into college and taking care of her sisters she hadn’t really thought about what she wanted to be when she grew up. She maybe thought about becoming a famous soccer player but she knew that as much as she enjoyed soccer she wasn’t overly passionate about it. It was only in her second semester when she took biology and human anatomy for her undergraduate requirements did she realize that she was fascinated and truly passionate about medicine. It made sense – she had always taken care of people growing up. This way she could help them as an adult. She graduated with a degree in Pre-Med and was quickly accepted into the medical program.

A year into her program, she met Andy Brookes. He had transferred from Texas to attend the med school in Virginia. The two became fast friends, however their feelings grew and the following year, they entered into a relationship. The day they both graduated from the program, Andy proposed. He didn’t want them to grow apart. Of course, she said yes and the following year they were married. Renee got a job as a doctor in the hospital while Andy joined the military as an officer to practice medicine. Life seemed perfect – and then she found out she was pregnant with their first son, Oliver. Renee offered to drop her career to take care of their new bundle of joy but Andy knew that Renee loved what she did and didn’t want her to give up that. Andy planned to get out of the military and be the stay at home dad, he just had to finish his contract in a few years. The year he was supposed to get out, Renee found out she was pregnant again. Andy promised he would do whatever it took to get out faster, but he came down on orders to deploy and a month into her pregnancy, he left.

Andy had been gone for four months when she got a knock at the door. Renee would never forget that day when the Coronel and the Chaplain informed took her into her living room and told her the news - Andy had been killed by an IED. Just like that, her life flipped. She was left alone to take care of everything. Of her sons, one born and the other arriving soon.

They stayed in Virginia for as long as they could, but eventually, Renee needed a new start. She couldn't keep living in the house haunted by happy memories of her and her husband. Knowing that one of her sisters had moved to Aurora Bay, she got herself a job at the hospital there and moved her family, looking for a fresh start.

Headcanons:

Renee is fiercely protective of her sons. The loss of their father was hard on her oldest and she tries to keep their youthfulness and optimism protected.

She still wears hers and Andy's wedding rings on a chain around her neck.

Has not spoken to her parents. They have basically been gone from her life since she moved out. They didn't even show up to her wedding or to the birth of either of her sons. For all intents and purposes, they are dead to her.

Still keeps in contact with her two sisters.

[clint-bennet]

Seeing the other outside of the rehab facility was a difficult adjustment. First Jude, now her, he felt like Jude was easier, probably because they were on the same footing all those years ago, that wasn't the case with Dr. Brandon. "Didn't know ya had kids." He stated, absentmindedly, still processing seeing her again. She was one of the kinder doctors on the ward, she wasn't full time, must have been more of a volunteer situation, but everyone seemed to know her. It made sense, a pretty blonde doctor that didn't just push everyone aside, she wasn't the type that was just there for a paycheck. All the others on the ward, himself included, could sniff that shit out from a mile away. No, Dr. Brandon was different, rare, the patients actually looked forward to seeing her, and he was no exception. But, on the same token, she was another reminder of a past he was trying to escape.

The cheery voice of the little boy brought him out of his thoughts, catching her question and explanation regarding his name. "Clint, yeah." He answers. "What are you doin' here? Vacation?"

@reneebrandxn

[reneebrandxn]

"Oh yeah, my two boys," she said, laughing a little, "they keep me on my toes. You've met Henry, already, and this is Oliver." It wasn't that she didn't like talking about her boys with people or her patients. Rather, when she was at work, she focused on work. Her patients always came first. Making them feel like they were taken care of and had her undivided attention was important to her. After all, bedside manner was sometimes more important than the treatment itself.

"It's actually my day off," she said, "I promised the boys I would take them for a little trip today. They wanted to get some lemonade and run around the pier before we went to see some Christmas lights."

"I like the ones that look like icicles!" Henry stated rather proudly. Oliver, as subdued as ever, added, "I like the colored ones."

Renee laughed a little. "It's a tradition. They look forward to it every year."

"You should come with us!" Henry announced rather excitedly. "You can have hot chocolate with us!"

Renee laughed nervously. "I'm sorry. He's very excitable. You don't have to if you don't want to."

[demichu]

"Full, yes, but I have some questions about how long it's been out," Demi wagers, lifting the canister towards her face and taking a slight whiff an uncertain tilt in her brows.

She then hols the cannister out towards the blonde.

"Here -- take a sniff. Smell sour to you?"

@reneebrandxn

[reneebrandxn]

Renee was a little stunned at first and hesitated. But she leaned forward and smelled before making a face. "Yeah, I wouldn't drink anything from that if I were you. It smells like it's on the verge of turning."

@demichu

[colexwalters]

Cole leaned against the counter, sipping his own coffee with a sympathetic smile. “Sounds like you had quite the circus this morning,” he said, shaking his head lightly. “Props to you, though—I’d probably lose it by the second round of cleaning up oatmeal explosions.”

He chuckled, glancing at her as she stirred her coffee. “Kids keep you on your toes, huh? Bet they keep you smiling too, even when they’re driving you crazy.” @reneebrandxn

[reneebrandxn]

Renee laughed under her breath and nodded. "Just a little one. But thank you." There were days she felt like she was barely keeping her head above the water, between her job and taking care of her two sons, and other days where she was straight drowning. It was hard, being a single mom. But she wouldn't trade her boys for anything.

A smile tugged on her lips and she nodded. "That they do. They're the sweetest. And they grow up so fast. I swear, it was just yesterday Henry was taking his first steps and now he's just started kindergarten and I just keep asking, where did the time go?"

@colexwalters

[edenxoconnell]

Eden was wiping down one of the tables when the woman spoke to her. She lifted her eyes to meet hers and she shook her head. "You don't want that. Let me get you the heavy cream that's actually good. Those little containers have crappy creamer in them. I do have to say that the cat cafe has better coffee in general." Eden walked behind the counter and grabbed the pitcher of heavy cream. "I have some non-dairy stuff that's better than the creamer too if you'd rather have that."

@reneebrandxn

[reneebrandxn]

"Oh," Renee muttered, putting down the container and stepping away. She followed her over to the counter and gratefully took the heavy cream from her. "Oh, no, regular heavy cream is just fine, thank you." She poured a bit into her coffee before sliding it back. "I haven't been yet. I've been meaning to take my boys but I'm afraid they'll try to walk out with a cat each."

@edenxoconnell

[luckylewis]

closed for: @reneebrandxn

where: driftwood

On his third coffee of the day before the day had even crept passed noon had Lucky as close to wired as he got without any substances involved, unsure if it was anxiety or caffeine intake that was making him feel moderately stressed out in in a situation that wasn't stressful at all.

( He always looked forward to any time spent around Renee. )

"Are you ready for Christmas? I know I should be thinking Thanksgiving but I keep thinking about everything I haven't even started yet for Christmas."

[reneebrandxn]

Renee laughed as she tapped her fingers on the outside of her coffee. It was rare that she got a chance to settle down and enjoy coffee, but with the kids at school, she could take this time to catch up with Lucky. "No, I am nowhere near ready for Christmas. I still have so much shopping to do, not to mention I still have to unpack all of the Christmas decorations. I should probably do that before I shop. And I have to find a good hiding spot for the Santa presents. I feel like my boys will be able to sniff them out so it has to be good. You know what you're getting others for Christmas?"

@luckylewis

[clint-bennet]

Clint didn't have very many opportunities to just come and fish off the pier, between fixing up the boats or collecting the crab pots to sell to a few of the locals, fishing had become a rarity. So, when he found he had a free day, he gathered up his poles, stopped at the bait shop, and made his way to the pier. Apparently several other people had some clearances in their schedule as the pier was busier than he had anticipated. Not ideal, but with his hearing aids out, at least he could have a quiet experience. He was looking out to the beach and all the people sunbathing and swimming when he felt a tug at his pant leg. He looked down to see a blond tyke staring up at him curiously, asking his question in a high pitched excited voice. "Fishin'." He answered simply, the question as to where his momma was on his lips before it seemed to answer itself with the appearance of the frantic woman, pulling a slightly older boy behind her.

The sight was too amusing not to get a little chuckle from him. "Naw, don't worry 'bout it. Y'got yer hands full there." He comments before it dawned on him that she was familiar, someone he knew, but it took him a second to recall. "Doctor Brandon?"

@reneebrandxn

[reneebrandxn]

"Hands full is an understatement. These two are keeping me on my toes today...and you can simply call me Renee," she insisted as she scooped Henry up into her arms to hold him, "I'm only a doctor when I'm at the office. Right now, I'm just Renee."

"And mommy!" Henry added brightly, making her chuckle as she leaned in and gave the side of his head a kiss. "Yes, and I will always be yours an Oliver's mommy." She gave him another kiss and squeezed her eldest's hand before straightening her posture a bit. "You're Clint, right? Forgive me if I'm wrong. I'm so bad with names. Hence why I normally have a chart in front of me."

@clint-bennet

[reneebrandxn]

Meme Day!

Everything is fun with you

Askbox

[damnhotmsimmons]

she looks so gorgeous here

[colexwalters]

Cole glanced over at the woman holding the empty canister, catching the hint of exhaustion in her expression. He offered a kind smile, holding out the cream he'd just picked up. "Here you go—this one's full," he said, handing it to her. "I think you might need it more than I do," he added with a chuckle, noticing the tired-but-determined look on her face. "Long morning already? It's only just started." @reneebrandxn

[reneebrandxn]

"Oh, thank you," she sighed, taking the cannister from him and pouring in just the right amount of cream to prevent the coffee from destroying her stomach lining. She laughed softly under her breath and nodded. "Unfortunately for me, my two boys get my mornings started a lot earlier than most. My youngest had an upset stomach all night so I was up every few hours soothing him back to sleep and my oldest tried to make oatmeal but forgot to watch it in the microwave so the milk didn't spill over the sides."

@colexwalters

[reneebrandxn]

closed starter: @clint-bennet location: the pier

The boys had been begging for Renee to take them to the pier on the weekend so they could eat ice cream and walk along the beach to find sea shells. Considering she had time Saturday morning, she felt like it was the perfect opportunity. Everything was going well until Henry bumped into Oliver and Oliver ended up dropping some of his ice cream down the front of his shirt. Renee had been cleaning up Oliver when Henry decided to wander off to a man fishing on the pier. Henry grabbed onto his pant leg and yanked a couple times to get his attention. "What are you doing?" Henry asked the man.

Renee's mom instincts kicked in and she turned, nearly having a heart attack when she saw how far her youngest had wandered off. "Henry William!" she yelled, grabbing Oliver's hand and dragging him behind her as she ran after her youngest. "What did I tell you about wandering off? I'm so sorry," she said to the man once she grabbed Henry's arm and pulled him back towards her. "This one likes to keep me on my toes."

[emma-keaton]

Emma gently poured the cream into her coffee watching as the dark black coffee in front of her lightened almost instantly. As she grabbed a spoon and stirred her coffee she couldn't help but wonder when the darkness that surrounded her husband's death and encompassed her would too lighten. When she heard a voice inquiring about the cream she was still holding on to while she was lost in her thoughts she looked up to see a familiar face. Ah Renee, she was one of the few where Emma didn't have to pretend and mask like she wasn't always on the verge of falling apart. Sadly if anyone understood the struggle of losing a partner and raising two littles alone it was Renee. "All yours, something is telling me I'm going to need something a whole lot stronger to get me through the next couple of weeks." Damian's death anniversary looming over her with every passing day and her youngest daughter's birthday approaching Emma was at a constant battle of emotions.

[reneebrandxn]

Renee hadn't even realized that it was Emma standing next to her until she spoke. Recognition immediately took over as she stood up a bit straighter while taking the cream from her. "Emma, hey," she greeted as she poured just the right amount of cream into her coffee, "how are you?" Renee knew it was a loaded question, given that she was aware of what time of year it was - Renee felt the same in the summer months. But Renee knew that Emma knew she could be honest with her.

[thecarolinexkelly]

Caroline tapped her finger against her chin as she thought about the answer, "Not sure if I'm feeling a club today. But the soup sounds good, especially if they do like, pressed sandwiches here so they're hot? Cause the idea of dipping a sandwich does sound pretty solid right now..." as she mused it she shot the woman a thankful little smile, "And thanks- I just moved here so even just the idea of ordering lunch is a little overwhelming."

[reneebrandxn]

Renee laughed gently under her breath as the woman thought out loud through her decision. "It's no problem. Honestly, I'm still learning what's good around here. I just happen to come back here because it's close to work for lunch. That and it's the closest to my favorite sandwich place back in Mt. Vernon."

[reneebrandxn]

open - @aurorabaystarter where - driftwood coffee

Renee quite literally lived off coffee. Having to chase two boys with free spirits and high energy levels while handling a demanding job like a doctor, she was tired. Although she wouldn't change it for anything in the whole world. She loved her boys, even if days like today were blessings - a day off for her and the boys were in school. She was going to enjoy as much Renee time as possible before she had to pick them up. She was grabbing some cream for her coffee when the canister she grabbed was empty. "Excuse me," she asked the person next to her, "is that cream full?"

[gwen-moreno]

open starter for @aurorabaystarter location: choose your own adventure

"Okay, so are you a person that waits until after Thanksgiving to put up Christmas decorations? Or is it exactly right after Halloween that Christmas will get put up?" Gwen thought waiting until after Thanksgiving was the way to go, since that's when Christmas music would play on the radio. But recently, she felt as if this weekend was the perfect weekend to start.

[reneebrandxn]

"Honestly, its more of a Thanksgiving tradition," Renee replied, "We have dinner and then afterwards, we pull out the decorations and start decorating. But the tree we go get the night after. The boys love picking out the Christmas tree. Although, if it were up to them, we'd have Christmas decorations up year round."

[thecarolinexkelly]

open - @aurorabaystarter

where - any food establishment

One of the first things Caroline did when she moved to Aurora Bay a few weeks ago was enroll her son in daycare so she could have time to get them settled into their new home. After spending the morning putting up photos and decor around their new place though, she was hungry, so here she was now, stepping inside a place that seemed relatively busy. "Hey." She spoke up to the person nearest to her, "So what's good in here? Any recs?"

[reneebrandxn]

Renee had finally found her favorite little deli that she could visit during lunch. Well, it was possible it wasn't the best one in town but it was the first and their Club was pretty good. She was just waiting for her order when she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Oh, uh," she said, looking at the menu, "Well, I really like their club sandwich and their tomato soup is pretty good too....I'm honestly not sure. I haven't sampled the whole menu yet."

[sterlingxlevin]

closed starter: @reneebrandxn

where: all-nighter diner

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry I'm late. Sunny had a full meltdown while I was trying to get her ready to go to my dad's." Sterling let out a breath as she sat down across from her friend, happy to finally have all that craziness behind her. "She loves staying the night at her granddad's, but I didn't pack her shark plushie her aunt and uncle got for her, so she kind of lost it and I had to go all the way back home to grab it. Anyway," She let out a little sigh, "I hope your day's going smoother than mine."

[reneebrandxn]

Renee hated being late. She prided herself on being punctual to everything, but today, she had been running late. Henry did not want to stay with the sitter. In any other circumstances, she might have gave in to her child's demands and stayed home, but Renee didn't want to cancel on Sterling. Not when she knew that Sterling was going through a hard time herself. However, it once she got to the diner, she realized that she wasn't late - in fact, she was the first one there. So she got a table and went through her phone as she waited.

Renee looked up as soon as she heard Sterling apologize and she quickly put away her phone. "You don't have to apologize," she insisted, "I actually thought I would be late. Henry was being a little extra clingy today. But that's four year olds for you. I had to bribe him with a trip to the pier this weekend just to get him to agree to letting me go. How are you? Do you want me to order you anything? I'm sure you could use a treat after performing a night saving rescue by fetching the shark plushie."