#alli 001

[cagenewman]

WHO: cage & @allisonbennett

WHERE: skate park, suburbs

WHEN: june, 2026

Summer was officially in full swing, and while Shawn was busy packing up his life to move to Maryland and the girls were juggling summer programs and dance classes and playdates with friends, Ronan was probably wrapped up in his third milk coma of the day, content with his mom. And Cage... was at a skate park with his teenaged son who still, by some small miracle, enjoyed hanging out with him. Although, it could have been the promise that Finley and Allison would be there; Cage suspected that with Shawn going to college soon, Colton was feeling a little lost, and getting the chance to be a 'big brother' to someone while his own was too busy for their usual routine was actually exactly what he needed.

That, and the kid really did have way more skateboards than any one kid needed, which was why he had apparently made it a goal to teach Finley everything there was to know. But with helmets and pads, because Cage knew Allison a little too well, and he didn't blame her for being nervous. As he latched the gate to the park behind him, he turned to survey the ramps, the jumps, the benches -- thank God for those, forty year old knees didn't love boarding as much these days -- and headed for a free one to wait, bag of boarding goods in one hand, carrier with drinks in the other. Always come prepared.

[jaceeverett]

WHO: jason & @allisonbennett

WHERE: alli's home, countryside

WHEN: june, 2026

The path was well worn, because he had figured it out not long after he had bought the land. Once he mapped it out and knew exactly where his property lines were, where he could walk without trespassing, it hadn't taken Jason too long to explore every square inch of the woods that he owned. He learned that there was a small brook deep in the woods, a clearing where deer occasionally stopped to enjoy the sun and the grass that grew, and a path that they must have taken that popped out right onto the edge of Allison Bennett's property. And the first time he had popped his head out of the woods and into her backyard -- so to speak, of course -- he was pretty sure that they both had been more than a little surprised.

Now, it felt like she knew to expect him, or at least not to be taken by complete surprise when he showed up, like on that particular afternoon, a rare day with nothing else to do, out walking Ghost and enjoying some fresh air. He side stepped a branch that had fallen onto the path and smiled when he saw her heading his way, too, having texted her to ask if she was around that afternoon, not wanting to scare Finley or anyone else that might have been around when a mountain man and white wolf popped out of the woods. "Hey, stranger."