#soledad threads.

[echosnoir]

closed for: whoever your heart desires ( @colorsflat )

the diner had finally started to quiet down after what felt like one of the longest shifts she'd worked all week. somewhere behind her, table four's tiny menace of a customer was still giggling to himself after successfully launching a spoonful of mashed potatoes in her direction every single time she'd walked by for the last hour. at one point she'd simply accepted her fate, laughing it off with his exhausted mother and declaring him her newest arch nemesis. now, with a faint smear of mashed potatoes she'd somehow missed near her apron pocket and tiredness settling into her shoulders, soledad grabbed her notepad and headed toward another table. she let out the softest sigh imaginable before immediately replacing it with her usual warm smile, the kind she wore even when she had very little energy left to give.

“welcome, sugar.” she greeted gently, setting a menu down in front of them. “what can i get for you today?” she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before leaning against the edge of the table ever so slightly. “we got a special on our homemade cherry pie. buy one, get one.” a soft laugh escaped her then as she motioned over her shoulder toward the kitchen. “i promise you won't regret it.” her gaze drifted toward table four for a brief second as another burst of childish laughter echoed through the diner before she shook her head with an amused smile. “and if you happen to witness mashed potatoes flying through the air at any point tonight and it lands on me…” she lowered her voice conspiratorially. “i'd appreciate it if we both agreed it never happened.”

[echosnoir]

closed for: anyone your heart desires (@fivepointe )

the coffee table had been transformed into a tiny sanctuary for the evening. a bottle of wine sat uncorked beside a small bowl of snacks, a couple of face masks waited to be opened, and a candle flickered softly in the corner of the room while quiet music drifted through the house. soledad emerged from the kitchen carrying two glasses before handing one over with an easy smile. “doctor's orders,” she announced, lifting the face masks in her other hand. “and before you ask, yes, i'm the doctor.” a soft laugh escaped her as she set everything down. “which means my professional opinion is that we both desperately needed a night like this.”

settling down beside them, she reached for a nail file she'd already set aside for the evening before extending her hand toward them expectantly. “okay, give me your hand, sugar.” her smile softened as she gently wiggled her fingers, waiting for them to place theirs in her own. “you are not allowed to protest either. tonight is all about being taken care of.” she reached for a quick sip of wine before holding her hand back out, gently smiling at the other. “now, the important question…what color did you pick?"

[echosnoir]

closed for: anyone your heart desires ( @clwmarks )

antique stores always felt a little magical to soledad. every shelf was cluttered with tiny pieces of someone else's life; old books with handwritten notes tucked between the pages, mismatched teacups, faded photographs, and trinkets that had somehow survived decades of being loved by strangers. she stood in front of a display case, carefully holding an old photograph in her hands, her thumb brushing gently over the worn edges. “isn't it weird?” she said softly, a small smile pulling at her lips as she looked up at them. “someone loved this enough to keep it once. they probably looked at it every day, and now here it is sitting on a shelf waiting for somebody new.”

she glanced back down at the picture before carefully setting it back where she'd found it. “i think that's why i like places like this.” she admitted quietly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “it reminds me that people's lives are so much bigger than the little pieces we get to see.” then her expression brightened again, warmth immediately returning to her features. “okay, enough of me being sentimental.” she laughed softly before motioning toward the shelves around them. “come on, sugar. help me find the weirdest thing in this entire store. whoever wins gets a free lunch on the loser."

[echosnoir]

closed for: anyone your heart desires ( @aqu4regia )

the cemetery had become part of her routine long ago. every visit started the same way: a fresh bouquet for her mother and a handful of extra flowers tucked beneath her arm for the strangers she'd never get the chance to know. soledad always thought no one deserved to be forgotten, even if nobody was left to visit them anymore. after setting a few flowers down at her mother's headstone and lingering there for a quiet moment, she wandered further down one of the rows before noticing someone already standing nearby. immediately, her steps slowed and her expression softened. “i'm sorry,” she said quietly, holding one of the flowers against her chest. “i didn't mean to interrupt your peace, sugar.”

her gaze dropped toward the headstone for a moment before she looked back up at them. “i come here to visit my mom,” she explained gently, a small smile finding its way onto her face. “and sometimes…i leave flowers for other people too.” she rolled the stem between her fingers absentmindedly, almost shy about the habit despite doing it for years now. “is it okay if i put a flower here? i promise i won't be offended if you tell me no.”

[echosnoir]

closed for: nicky ( @capaddes )

the grocery basket hanging from soledad's arm was already fuller than she'd intended it to be. coffee creamer, pasta, fruit, cat treats she absolutely didn't need despite not owning a cat, and a bottle of wine she'd inevitably convince herself she deserved later. standing on the tips of her toes, she reached toward a box sitting on the highest shelf and immediately realized she was several inches too short for this battle. without looking over, she let out a soft laugh and held her hand up toward whoever happened to be nearby. “sugar, can i borrow your height for a second?” she asked, still stretching unsuccessfully toward the box.

she finally dropped back onto her heels, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she adjusted her grip on the basket. “i swear every grocery store does this on purpose,” she said absentmindedly. “they see people my height walk in and decide today's the day to make us work for our dinner.” a soft laugh escaped her before she finally turned her head to properly thank them, only for her expression to falter ever so slightly for a fraction of a second. "oh.” she said simply, her smile disappearing instantly. for a moment, she simply stared. nicky santoro.

it was ridiculous, honestly, how one person could somehow embody years of memories and years of resentment all at once. her mother, the debt, the second job she had to get. all the things she'd never told him and all the things he'd never bothered to ask about. “right.” the word came out flat, cold, without an ounce of emotion. “i didn't realize i'd be running into my monthly expense while grocery shopping today. are you here to tax this too?"

[echosnoir]

closed for: anyone your heart desires ( @astravorestine )

soledad stood outside the convenience store, a scratch-off ticket pinched between her fingers and an expression of intense concentration written across her face. for a brief moment, hope flickered across her features until she revealed the final square and immediately deflated. “okay, never mind.” she laughed, crumpling the ticket up before tossing it into the nearby trash can. “there goes my dream of retiring early and living somewhere by the ocean with two people fanning me with two ridiclously large palm tree leaves .” her shoulders lifted into an exaggerated shrug. “i could practically taste the fancy coconut with small umbrella drink, sugar."

she looked over to the person next to her, warmly smiing. “you know what? i think we should pretend this devastating loss never happened.” she laughed softly before motioning down the street. “come on, sugar. let's go get a drink together and forget about my almost very short-lived millionaire era.” her head tilted playfully to one side. “first round's on me."

[echosnoir]

closed for: savannah ( @savsgreco )

the soft glow of string lights illuminated soledad's living room, something random played on the television. it was more background noise than anything. she poured two glasses of wine before sold walked over and handed one to savannah. “this seems long overdue, sugar,” she said with an easy smile, settling herself onto the couch and tucking one leg beneath her. between work at the peach pit, waitressing shifts, and life generally deciding to be life, it felt like forever since she'd had a night that didn't involve rushing from one thing to the next. more importantly, it felt like forever since she'd had a night that didn't feel like something bad was about to happen.

ever since the kickoff she's been on edge as much as everyone else, bringing the glass to her lips, she took a small sip before turning toward savannah, her expression immediately softening. “how are you holding up, sugar?” she asked, her gaze scanning the other girls face as she tried to take in her answer before sav could say it. "i'm relieved to see you in one piece after the kickoff. please tell me you didn't know any of the unfortunate lost souls..."

[echosnoir]

closed for: anyone your heart desires ( @ofmoonlightx )

the tiny puppy was entirely too small to be wandering around by itself. the moment it trotted over, tail wagging so hard its entire body wiggled with excitement, soledad melted immediately. “oh, sweetheart…” she cooed, crouching down without a second thought before carefully scooping the little thing into her arms. the puppy immediately settled against her chest, licking at her chin, and she laughed softly. “well, aren't you the cutest little menace i've ever met?” she scratched gently behind one of its ears, her smile growing bigger by the second. “you should not be out here all by yourself, sugar.”

hearing footsteps nearby, she glanced up and flashed an easy smile, still holding the puppy securely against her. “is he yours, sugar?” she asked, bouncing him slightly as he continued wagging his tail. “because if the answer is no, i'm gonna be honest…” she looked back down at the tiny face staring up at her. “we're about thirty seconds away from becoming best friends and then i'm gonna have a very hard time letting him go.” sol really couldn't afford to let that happen. "please, sugar, help a girl out."