Evergreen
INVOLVED: Samuel Evans and Mercedes Jones. LOCATION: Camp Grounds - Big Sur, California. TIME FRAME: Saturday, February 14th, 2026. NOTES: Samuel and Mercedes take a short hike to Samuel’s favorite spot in Big Sur, so that they can have a nice Valentine’s Day picnic together.
Samuel held Mercedes hand tightly in his, not on purpose, just out of fear that the small hike could be too much for her. He made sure beforehand that he had gotten everything she needed ahead of time. Comfy clothing, a good pair of hiking boots, he packed his backpack with a first-aid kit and any possible thing they could need in case of an emergency. His other hand held a cooler filled with the food for their picnic. He was taking her to one of his favorite spots in Big Sur that had a gorgeous view they could set up at, he made sure the cabin wasn’t too far from it so she didn’t have to hike very far. Licking his lips he looked down at her “are you okay babe? It's just right up here” he said to her as he gestured the direction with his head.
Mercedes inhaled deeply. The clean mountain air is a welcome change from the stale LA smog. Samuel set a casual pace and the path before them was relatively clear of obstacles, meaning she could take in every chirp or snapping twig underfoot. She stretched her finger, wiggling them, urging blood to return to her appendages. “Bae, you know I want to continue playing the piano.” She said, looking him up and down. He was being so overprotective, it was sweet. She’d have to thank him later. She leaned in to him, “I’m fine” she said, squeezing his arm. “I feel fantastic. Breakfast was wonderful and once I got used to the silence, I slept like a log. Stop worrying, we are fine.” She said, knowing his mind.
“Sorry” Samuel said sheepishly as he loosened his grip of her hand fully. He moved his arm around her shoulder instead as they grew closer and closer to the spot. “Good” he told her “I am glad, sorry if I am annoying you” he told her thoughtfully. He wasn’t trying to be overbearing. They reached the spot “here it is” he said as he looked towards the large body of water. “My favorite spot,” he said, nodding his head happily to himself. He sat the cooler down on the ground and said “I have a picnic blanket for us” as he moved to take his backpack off of his back. He whistled for Zeus, he knew the dog was trailing behind them exploring the area for himself. The dog moved in their direction stopping beside Mercedes and sitting down panting. “Need anything babe, I have some water if you need some?” Samuel asked as he crouched down to unzip his backpack in pursuit of the blanket so that she could sit down and get off of her feet properly.
“Don’t be,” Mercedes said, arm going around his waist. “I’m being selfish. I don’t want you to start thinking I can’t take a little exercise,” she said, turning her face to his side laughing. She dropped her head as they continued up the path. Samuel stepped up to a clearing, the view breathtaking. It was something out of a movie. She moved forward, holding the low hanging tree branch out of her way. Blue water danced under the sun. Wind causing waves across the surface of the water. The lake was enchanting. “A picnic. Oh Sam” she said, tears she didn’t know she was shedding streaming down her face.
“No,” he said, shaking his head “I wasn’t thinking that” he told her as he pulled the picnic blanket out of his bag. He placed his backpack on top of the cooler and he placed the blanket down. Samuel looked up at her quickly “yes” he said simply, watching her tears “you don’t have to cry” he chuckled to himself. Mercedes was a water bag he guessed he had his child to thank for that. “I wanted to do something special, it's Valentine’s Day” he said as he reached out for her hand, “come here” he softly.
These were the types of lies Mercedes loved. Little white ones, that amid to make her smile and feel protected. She shook her head at the man, but chose to stay quiet on the matter. She furrowed her brows. Crying? Her finger lightly brushed over her wet checks and she huffed, hand covering her mouth. Turning she took his hand before burying herself in his chest. “I don’t know what’s come over me. It is just so beautiful here.” She shook a bit in his arm, tears still coming unbidden. “Good grief” she told him, “You have done so much for me. Always.” She didn’t say she didn’t deserve it. Not out loud. Instead she squeezed him tighter, pouring thank you into her hug.
Samuel hugged Mercedes to his chest, if he were honest she was a bag of water before the pregnancy. He rubbed her back gently, he pecked her forehead and said “stop” with a small chuckle he lifted her head by her chin. He rubbed her tears away and kissed her deeply, drinking her in lovingly “I love you” he breathed as he pulled away. “Here sit down and I will pull our snacks out” he said as he moved them towards the blanket he held her hand allowing her to get down on her knees and sit. Once he’d helped her he moved for the cooler, sitting his backpack to the side he opened it and removed its contents. He sat each container out and opened the lid, laying out a nice but small spread for the both of them. “You can’t drink obviously,” he said with a smirk “but I got us some sparkling Welch's juice” he said, lifting the bottle up for her to see. He sat it down before he grabbed two small plastic cups for them to drink out of. “I thought maybe glasses could be tricky, I didn’t want them to break.”
Mercedes' large eyes fluttered open, she watched as he kissed her soundly, the unique essence that was always him causing her to stutter in his arms. She wanted to remember him just like this. “I am so happy.” She admitted, overwhelmed by his efforts. She dabbed at her eyes a bit more, then took his hands as she sat down on the blanket. Getting comfortable, container after container came out of his pack until a feast was before her. Tilting her head, she looked down at the bottle. “My favorite. OH, 2026 what a good year” she quipped. Picking up the bottle she cracked the seal and removed the foil, he was being so playfully serious. He again warmed her from the inside out. “Plastic is perfect bae. Everything looks amazing.”
“Are you?” Samuel asked her curiously, the idea of her actually being happy with him was foreign and unfamiliar. He still felt like he was in a fever dream even now. He tucked his lips in at her words, shaking his head playfully he watched her open the bottle and he held the two cups out for her to pour the sparkling juice into. “Good I hope you enjoy the spread” he told her. “I figured we could relax and…” he paused, licking his lips as he stalled. “Talk about our future wedding” he said, clearing his throat a bit “we still haven’t picked a date” he told her though he knew it was his fault they hadn’t. It was for this exact reason, at the mere mention of a wedding he became flighty.
Mercedes tilted her head, her heart tightening in her chest. Why did her happiness shock him? “Don’t sound so surprised. It’s been years since I’ve been completely happy and right now. Right here with you. I am happy. My question is why don’t you believe me” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him playfully. Chulking, she poured the sparkling grape juices for both of them. Then replaced the cap, placing the bottle between them. It was her to be left gobsmacked. “Really?” she asked, biting her plump bottom lip, “I have some dates in mind, somewhere in August or September would be nice. November at the latest.” To be honest, he had never dreamed of a wedding. She just thought or rather hoped one day she would just be married. The wedding part was optional, “or we could just go to the court house when we get back to LA?” she laughed, taking a sip from her cup.
Samuel looked into her eyes as she replied back to him “well” he began, he took a long sip from the glass and then sat it down. “I can think of a million reasons why you shouldn’t be” he replied back to her, though only one really mattered; Carla and this unborn child she was carrying. He didn’t say that, however, because it would surely ruin the moment. “But I am glad that you are happy with me” he said lifting his glass again; he saluted her or the idea of them together rather. He took another sip of the drink. “August, September, November… of this year?” he breathed shocked, he assumed most women preferred not to walk down the aisle post baby. At the mention of a courthouse he raised his brow “now why would a woman of your status want to reduce herself to a courthouse wedding?” he asked quizzically. “There is no doubt you know you deserve the wedding of your dreams, who are you being modest for?” he hummed before he picked up a grape and popped into his mouth.
Mercedes relaxed one arm, moving out beside her for support. He wasn’t right, just not completely wrong. She sucked her teeth, “besides all of that…” she said, catching his drift. It had long been a trick of hers to compartmentalize their time together. She took what he offered and never asked for more. She glanced down at her ring; she didn’t have to do that anymore. That alone made each new day with him a blessing. She rubbed her hand over her belly. “Why not. We’ll have little momma in June, Sam. That should be plenty of time…” At least that was what she thought. “What did you have in mind?” she asked, curious to hear his ideas. She stared at the man for a long moment before finally answering him. “It’s not modest. I never really envisioned a big fancy wedding.” She laughed, “Now my mother, publicist, and manager. I am sure, will have other plans in mind. I suppose I should give them what they would want.”
Samuel pushed another grape into his mouth munching on it as she spoke, he didn’t know if he believed that. But he guessed part of practicing a healthier relationship required him to entrust that what she was telling him was the truth. He stretched out his long legs “if I were to be honest, I am okay with whatever you want to do” he said simply, he had no idea what his idea of their wedding would look like. The fairytale he had pictured was long gone and they were totally different people now. “What they would want?” he repeated with a raised brow, he grabbed a cracker and bit it, chewing lightly as he thought to himself. “I think we give into what people want enough already” he said, placing the other half of the cracker into his mouth.
Mercedes plucked a small cluster of grapes from the board, eating two, mulling over her options. “It seems this conversation about us has just become about me.” She quipped, all the while she pushed down the feeling that maybe he was deflecting. She thought, eyes moving back to the crystal clear lake. She shrugged. “Maybe.” She said, “The powers that be will want a big wedding. You and I both know that.” Looking over to Samuel, “however, if pressed, I’d say something that’s small, just us. That’s the wedding I want just for us. Then we can have a big spectacle for the world. The best of both worlds.” She said, a sweet sad smile on her face.
“No” Samuel said, shaking his head at her, he didn’t know how to navigate how he felt just yet. It was Valentine’s Day, this is the day meant for lovers not giant truths. He felt this was the perfect time to tell her his feelings but then again it would just ruin the moment. “No it’s about us, but I am just flexible is all” he said instead of the truth. Her not having a big wedding would go against the Hollywood code if you had asked him, she would be letting more than her mother, manager, and publicist down. “A small wedding to start would be perfect,” he said, because it is what she would want to hear. Again, he pictured her chickening out more than he could picture a cake and flowers. He would match the amount of weight she put into it, he didn’t want to be disappointed, he did not want his heart broken again. “September,” he finally agreed, “that would be the perfect month.”
“Mhm.” Mercedes said, on the verge of laughing. Her grapes rested in her hands. She lifted one and placed it in her mouth, chewing slowly as she considered things. Truth be told, Carla was a huge problem and deep down, Mercedes knew, anything but a private wedding was going to bring that she devil out into the light. No way she was going to sit quietly in the background. Her eyebrows shot up when Sam called out September. Tentatively, she said, “Okay.. We need a day.” She said, thinking out loud, “The fifth?” she asked, feeling as if she was truly dreaming.
The large man reached for a chocolate covered pretzel and then a strawberry eating them both silently. “A day” he repeated as he grabbed another strawberry, she answered for him before he could think of a random one. “The 5th” Samuel repeated again, he sounded like a parrot. “September 5th, okay” he nodded his head wrapping his head around the idea of them having set a wedding date. “That works,” he put simply before leaning over to peck her lips passionately, pulling away from her slowly when he was done. “A small wedding, on September 5th” Samuel said more to himself than anything else, he couldn’t believe he was setting a wedding date and that the bride of said wedding was Mercedes. He picked his cup up, taking a long sip of the juice as he looked out over the water. All he could think to himself was how funny life could be sometimes.
Not for the first time, Mercedes savored Samuel's kiss, quite astonished that he’d agreed so easily. He touched the side of his face, raking her fingers through his coarse beard causing sparks to run up and down her spine. When he released her, she bit her lip reflexively. A practiced habit, she’d long developed to try and keep her emotions and desire for him in check. Whose life was this, because after years of ups and downs there was no way this was hers. -NO- A thought began to blossom, taking shape in the corner of her mind. She looked down at her ring, her stomach doing cartwheels. “Did we just set a date?” It was a question, but her words were a spoken declaration. Her eyes were twinkling, excitement she’d never allowed herself to feel spilled out into the sunlit day. She crushed every negative intrusive thought that wanted to come up like a bug under her shoe. Overcome with joy, she got to her feet and went over to him blocking his view, opening his arms wide and pulling his legs apart. She eased down, settling between his legs, placing her back against his sturdy chest. With unbridled glee, she announced to the trees, the world, Sam, and herself, “We are getting married,” She said, lacing their fingers together.
Samuel looked over at Mercedes, he nodded his “mhm” he told her with a smirk on his face. “We did” he told her confidently as he sat his cup aside once more, he grabbed another grape and put it into his mouth munching quietly. She got up and he watched her, his eyes moving to follow her as moved towards him. He accepted her as she lowered herself back down to the ground, she rested against his hard frame and he pecked the side of her face gently wrapping his arms around her. She laced their fingers and he rested them on her growing belly “yes” he said chuckling to her “we are” he said happily. Her excitement oozed over him easily and hugged her tightly. “I love you” he told her truthfully. He closed his eyes basking in the feeling that this moment brought on, this is something he’d wanted his whole life and perhaps all the stuff they endured during their lives were worth it for this exact moment. The two of them are starting a family and tying the knot. With countless people banking on him failing he hoped that he could be half of the husband she deserved and a better father than his father was to him.