samgraca

[samgraca]

deviousyolo​:

Harshness was something Yolo was familiar with. Although she had been lucky enough to have a devoted father and an equally devoted brother by her side whilst growing up, the businesswoman had also had the joy of growing up with Marcela Del Valle as her, until a few months ago, mother. Marcela had always demanded perfection, her love had always been something the brunette had to earn, ridiculous standards being forced upon her.

Alas, she had developed the necessity to make a name for herself, to reach the expectations and go above and beyond, to be respected if she couldn’t be loved. People who worked with her and even those with higher power than hers often regarded her with such esteem that the businesswoman was not used to be talked down or denied of something. And yet, she tried to be understanding, knowing at least she had had much more time to process their current situation.

“I really don’t want to make your life harder than it must already be, if my reports are correct. I can’t imagine everything your family has gone through” she mused, features softening every so slightly as she grabbed the papers from the desk, eyes focused on the other “If you really want to go somewhere else, we can handle this in my office. We’ll be at peace there” a pause “But first, I believe I need to tell you who I am and what brought our destinies together.”

Explaining the mess that was the Córcega lineage was hard work. She had tried and failed multiple times and deep down Yolo believed a part of the reason why her interpersonal relationships never seemed to work out, was because she could never bee a thousand percent honest with her own background. Still, the businesswoman had to shake off every feeling of uncertainty, as this didn’t only involved her family and their well being. “My mother” she gulped. Marcela was anything but her mother, yet Yolo had learned to regard her as such. “She— married him, a few years ago in some island near Montenegro, took his name and everything, apparently. I really come here waving a white flag, Samantha. Just because they messed up, doesn’t mean anyone else has to suffer for their sins.”

.

of all the ways people had responded to the revelation of who william smith truth was, sympathy had not been a common one. disgust maybe, or horror, or even outright anger. those reactions were familiar enough that she knew how to respond. this though? this kindness, this understanding that her family had suffered too? that she didn’t know what to do with. she just stayed silent, dark eyes watching the other like a hawk.

she wanted to interrupt her. to yell at her at demand that they do this elsewhere. but, she couldn’t. the words had her frozen, not moving except for that fucking hand of hers. 

she married him. that one sentence broke the ice that encased her and her body learched. she struggled to keep in the bile that had been rising up in her throat from the moment the other woman had revealed her intentions. in one frantic moment, she grabbed her bin and threw up in it. god, it had been such a long time since mention of her father and drawn such a reaction. 

despite all desire to appear formidable, she sunk into her chair again. putting the bin on the on the ground, she wiped her mouth with her good hand. she didn’t look at the other woman. she couldn’t. it was as if she was a teenager again. only, back then she had been just young enough to seek the arms of her mother. to be helped into the shower and talked to in the smooth, soothing voice of her mum. to be hugged as it happened again, being told over and over again that it was okay, that he wasn’t around anymore. those days were over and now her walls were so high her mum could barely get through anymore. let alone this stranger. 

“i said that we aren’t doing this here and you kept on going. get out.” her voice was low and shaky as her embarrassment and shame manifested into anger. her office had been special. it had been the one place that he had never touched, not even with his memory. now that had been ruined too.

[samgraca]

sam-caine​:

sam was definitely happy to see the woman. he was once close to her sister throughout childhood until they had to say their goodbyes. she had been one of his few genuine best friends and the thought of having her back made him happy. that was until sam’s words left her lips and he was in shock. that was definitely not what he was expecting and part of him regretted asking and imposing. “i’m sorry. i mean, i didn’t mean to ask. i had no idea. i’m… sorry,” he went on, realizing that’s probably another thing she didn’t want to hear. 

i’m sorry. those words had followed sam around like a bad smell since she was sixteen, even more so after maddie. she never had figured out how respond, even so many years on. “no, no, it’s fine.” it wasn’t fine. it was so far from fine it wasn’t even funny. but this was how people responded. “we would have contacted you, for the funeral you know? didn’t know how to though, sorry.” she hadn’t even thought that. not at the time anyway but people also lied so that’s what she did now.

[samgraca]

berryxboyd​:

.

Nothing made sense. While her eyes never left her former sister in law’s, she barely saw her. The world around them was spinning and fuzzy, closing in on her as she tried to process every word. “But why didn’t she tell me?” Though Berry knew how her wife could be, shutting out the bad things, pretending everything was good right up until she died. Berry hadn’t understood the full extent of it though, how much she’d hidden. It stung something fierce to be so on the outskirts of a huge secret. And Sam, the less emotion she had, the more frustrated Berry grew. She wanted to shake the woman, to ask why she was acting like she didn’t care. “He’s here?” Fear rocked through her as she imagined the faceless man looming in all shadows, one she was somehow event distantly, related to. “D-Do you think he’ll try find you? Us?”

.

as much as sam wished she could, she couldn’t give berry an answer. she could guess and speculate but the truth was, neither one of them would ever truly know. maddie was gone now and it was too late for sam to try get those answers out of her again. “because she loved you? because she didn’t want her family screwing up the best thing she had? i don’t fucking know!” she snapped, her emotionless facade cracking.

then came the question she had refused to contemplate. it opened too many doors that she wanted kept firmly closed. she knew that she was supposed to be the one with the answers, the comforting words. there was nowhere to pull them from though. so, she didn’t respond. she just continued pacing over and over again, right hand shaking and shaking and shaking. something needed to be said, she knew that but there was nothing. just this terrifying sense of being placed but in a cage, the keys just out of reach.

[samgraca]

berryxboyd​:

..

Berry crumbled, her arms wrapping around herself to hold herself, to give herself a hug. “No, I don’t believe it. Why wouldn’t she tell me?” Her and Maddie had been through everything together, life, love, even death. How could she possibly reconcile the woman she loved with all her heart, the woman she married, could keep something so incredibly horrendous? But then there had been moments, when Maddie seemed far away, like she had something holding her back. Moments where she’d still Berry, try to speak to her about something important and change the subject. 

With tears streaming down her face, Berry couldn’t take her eyes off Sam, the woman who reminded her nothing Maddie, and had shattered her perfect illusion in one fell swoop. Why did Samantha have to ruin her memories? “Why are you telling me this now?” She hiccupped, “why does it matter now? She’s gone. You couldn’t have left me alone?”

.

sam hadn’t wanted this. what they had had been so beautiful that sometimes it had seemed as if nothing could taint it. yet, nothing was infallible. certainly not to the wrath of mr william smith. it made her hate him even more. even from so far away, he still could ruin his dead daughter’s wife. “it was what maddie did when it came to him. it was easier for her to pretend he didn’t exist.” it was something sam had almost been jealous off. no matter what she tried, she was like her mother and her father never left her. it had made her mother kinder in a way but it had done the opposite to sam.

looking at berry was almost unbearable when the other woman’s gaze was directed at her. she swallowed thickly, hiding her trembling hand behind her back in an attempt to appear stronger then she felt. “because i’ve received some information that suggests he may be in america as of recently. it might be wrong or maybe it won’t affect us, but i thought you should know.” her voice once again lack emotion, like she was reading from a police report. doing that was easier then revealing any of what that man had done to her, what he was still doing to her.

[samgraca]

jamesselroy​:

“Yeah, there is quite a bit of people here.” James said with a nod of his head, while he knew it would be crowded, he didn’t think this many people would actually be here. If he was being honest, it was a little bit overwhelming. “I’m alright, if I’m being honest, parties and stuff like this isn’t really my thing anymore.” He gave a light shrug of his shoulders, though he knew before everything had happened, he did love a good party. At the mention of him having just been on stage, his entire demeanor changed, his face lighting up quite a bit. ”Yeah, I was. Thank you, means a lot!”  It was always nice to hear that people thought they were pretty good, that all their hard work seemed to paying off when it came to the band. 

.

“they were never mine if that makes you feel better.” sure, with the right people and at the right time, she could be fun to party with. who didn’t like a good dance sometimes? yet, the question of whether or not this fit either one of that criteria had not yet been answered. the dude infront of her however, and whoever he had been on stage with, had definitely begun to tip things in the party’s favour. “how long have you guys been playing together for?”

[samgraca]

jamesselroy​:

Stoplight party, Open || @codstarters​

It had been a few weeks since James had played with his and Edgar’s band or had picked up any gigs. Music was the one thing that James remembered, it was something he was so compassionate about. Sitting behind his drums, getting to play old swing and jazz songs or whatever him and Edgar came up with was one of the best feelings by far. So he was beyond glad he had agreed to play with the band tonight, hopping down from the stage as their set was over. His drum sticks were still in hand as he made his way through the crowd of people that had gathered, none of their faces really looked familiar so he gave a smile and nod at their words, hoping to make his way to somewhere that was much less crowded. Thankfully it seemed that the bar area was pretty sloe, several seats empty, and James easily slid into one of them, ordering a water right away before the person next to him caught his attention. “Hey.” James grinned, “You having a good time tonight?” He asked, giving his nod of thanks as the glass of water was slid his way. 

short hair felt weird. sam was still getting used to the fact that she couldn’t feel it on her shoulders anymore. maybe getting it done on the day she went out wasn’t the greatest idea. but then her whole reasoning behind it was that it would actually look good. whelp, she did it so no point thinking about it too much now. she was casually sipping on her wine when she was spoken too. with a slightly raised brow, she turned to look at the male. “it’s alright. busy though, real fuckin’ busy. haven’t been to a party like this in a while. you?” she paused and then it clicked. “ay, you were just up their right? you guys were pretty good.”

[samgraca]

[samgraca]

berryxboyd​:

..

Each word Sam spoke slammed into her, knocking Berry breathless, loud white noise ringing through her head. None of it made any sense. It was so far out of Berry’s world she couldn’t possibly fathom it. Shaking fingers gripped the counter to steady herself as she stared at Samantha.

 “You’re lying.” Berry whimpered, tears pooling and face flushed with hurt that Samantha would say such a cruel thing, “you’re lying. That doesn’t even- you don’t-,” frowning at Sam was the easiest thing to do, blaming her rather than listening to her and taking them for truth – that her wife was the daughter of a – “No. No, that doesn’t make any sense, you must’ve got it wrong – kids do that all the time, right?  Misremember? “ there was no way Maddie wouldn’t mention that, whole parts of herself kept secret from her. “Your last name isn’t even Smith.”

.

sam could remember being almost exactly where she is. sixteen years old and hearing her father was the man the whole city was terrified of. she had done the same thing. suggesting every and any way that the words spoken could be lies. yet, they hadn’t been and they weren’t now.

she looked over at the younger woman and almost immediately regretted it. she had done exactly what she was scared of but she had to keep on going. “i was sixteen berry, old enough know the truth. and we changed it, when we moved away. went back to mum’s last name. portuguese you know?” this all felt so wrong. however angry she could be, however much she hated the world, she didn’t enjoy being the cause of pain. no, that was dad’s job. 

the emotion was back now, refusing to be locked behind a gate any longer. there was so much of it and she didn’t know what to do with it. it all manifested in her trembling hand and the way she couldn’t stop pacing. “maddie was young. young enough for it to not mess her up too badly. she liked to pretend that he was someone else.”

[samgraca]

berryxboyd​:

…

“Told me what? Samantha, you’re worry me,” this wasn’t the conversation she expected to have when Sam entered the store. One which supposedly challenged Maddie’s honesty, which alluded to her entire integrity being called into question. What had her wife kept so secret that Berry was forced to be in the dark about for years? And what did it have to do with the Grace sister’s father?

Then Sam spoke again, her words devoid of emotion, throwing the random question at Berry as though somehow, she was supposed to understand what it meant. The words serial killer rang through her head, not helping make her any less confused. “No? I don’t know, I don’t know any serial killers if that’s what you’re asking,” the trembling in her body thrummed through her, tears of frustration pricking her eyes just by how stressed the discomfort of confusion made her, “am I supposed to?”

.

sam couldn’t look at berry. she could imagine the look on her face without actually see it. the idea that she was the cause of it, that she was the one probably breaking her heart and belief in maddie was something she didn’t think she could ever sit comfortably with her. yet another to add to pile of reasons why she didn’t want to do this. 

“william smith, or nightcrawler if you want to go by what they named him, plagued the streets of new york for six months in 1999. he killed twenty-two young girls before they caught him. then on the day of his trial, he escaped. he hasn’t been seen since.” like the previous facts, these words were spoken in the same emotionless tone as if she was merely spitting information that had nothing to do with her. her hand continued to tremble, even if she had now clenched it tightly into a fist. it wouldn’t fucking stop. 

it felt like an age passed before she spoke again. this was it. these were the words that she needed to say but the ones that she couldn’t bare too. in this sense she could understand why maddie hadn’t said anyone but god she had married someone. closing her eyes tight, her hand going and going and going, she spoke. “that’s our dad.”

[samgraca]

gus-amado​:

Gus knew she’d be irritated. Maybe not at him, but at the situation of him showing up like some kind of babysitter or mediator. He wasn’t in the business of trying to ‘fix’ anyone. Sam had an attitude and Gus absolutely loved it. He barely cared about her snapping at people who probably deserved it. But. He did care about hearing that she was easily distracted, getting more upset quicker. It was clearly more than just a coworker saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. So. Here he was. Normally he’d be chomping at the bit to talk his ass off. He was always chattery. But instead he just held up one finger to her question, shaking his head. “Just one.” He promised, waiting for her to get into the car. Which she thankfully did.

He pulled the side door shut and got into the driver’s seat. “Sit wherever.” He commented easily, starting to pull the RV out of the spot he’d parked in along the side of the road. “One person called me. Because they were worried about you. So we’re gonna get coffee, take a breather.” He explained, hands gripping the steering wheel a little tightly. “Think we both could use a breather.” He didn’t even fully know what he meant by that. Only that he constantly felt like his head was being held underwater. 

.

if sam hadn’t been in such a shitty mood, she probably would have commented how god damn cool his rv was. however, she was in a mood (shitty wasn’t even the word to describe it really) and instead she just sat in the chair next to him and buckled up. maybe if she didn’t speak, she wouldn’t lose it at him. he was the last person that she wanted to snap it but she wasn’t all too sure if she could help it. it felt like she was wound so tightly and her skin was too small for her to fit in. the smallest thing felt far more impactful that it had beforehand.

“worried? sounds questionable.” she would have thought they were angry at her rather then anyone else. she’d surely be angry at them. for a moment she softened and she nodded. “yeah, that sounds good.”

[samgraca]

berryxboyd​:

…

Berry flinched at Sam swore, surprised by the sudden display of anger directed towards her wife. Her mouth hung open, watching Sam storm around the small shop, shaking – the both of them. Anxiety buzzed through her, making it impossible to think clearly. “I don’t understand,” her voice shook with fear, with concern, in defence of her late wife, “Maddie didn’t do anything wrong, why would I be angry at her?” Nothing that was happening now made sense. Sam’s words whirled around her mind, Berry scrambled to put them together into something she could understand. “What do you mean, Samantha?” For the first time, Bery’s words were sharp with the woman across from her, “What are you talking about?”

.

“of course you don’t understand, maddie didn’t tell you anything. god, i thought she would have at least told you something.” sam knew that she was stalling, that she was just sprouting anything she could to put of what she was actually here for. “jesus fuck mads, you owe me for his” she muttered, briefly looking above her as if she was actually there. god, she couldn’t do this. 

hearing berry snap brought the older woman back into reality. it didn’t matter if she couldn’t do it. she had too. because berry deserved to know. because even though it had been twenty years, sam couldn’t trust that he wouldn’t suddenly come back. “william smith. serial killer in the nineties. heard of him?” her voice lost all emotion then, her attempt to detatch herself from the topic completely because maybe that was the only way she got this out. her right hand still continued to tremble though and finally she let go of it. her left was doing anything but trembling with it. it didn’t matter how she tried to sound, the way her hand trembled to the point of not being able to hold anything ruined it. and she hated that.

[samgraca]

gus-amado​:

It wasn’t exactly the call Gus wanted when he was already having a rough time. Therapy had been like nails on a chalkboard and his head was hurting more often. He was thinking about too much and it was making his classes feel worse and worse. Like he was just going through the motions while simultaneously spiraling back down where he was 3 years ago. And he hoped that his students didn’t notice. But the call he’d gotten from a mutual friend who worked with Sam had him concerned. She was snapping at people and didn’t want to talk to anyone. The friend thought Gus could help. And… well. Gus didn’t know if that was true. He hardly felt like he could help himself right now. 

And yet here he was driving the RV towards the NYU campus, low on sleep and therefore energy. The English professor had bags under his eyes, and he needed coffee. So he figured he’d grab Sam, they’d go for a drive. Hop into a drive-thru and get shitty coffee somewhere. Didn’t matter where. Once he’d parked the camper within eyeshot of the History building, he texted her: ‘I’m outside with the RV. We’re getting coffee. -Gus’ In reality, he should’ve been sleeping. Or eating something, as he’d forgotten to have breakfast today. Or dinner yesterday. He tied his hair back, realizing it was an utter unwashed mess, and he probably should’ve shaved. But thankfully the inside of the RV was clean, Chelle sleeping on the big bed in back, a few dishes in the sink but everything else looked okay. He waited, phone in hand. And when he finally saw her coming, he got himself out, tugging the side door open to let her in. “There she is, the lady of the hour. C’mon, I’ve been waiting. We’re gettin’ coffee, going for a drive. I’ve got all the time in the world and it sounds like you need someone to shout at.” 

@samgraca​

.

sam always had a temper. anyone who knew her for any length of knew that. yet, she usually had a pretty good hold of it. at least at work. she didn’t like being known at work as someone who lost it at the drop of a hat, rather someone took no bullshit. there was a slight difference. yet, ever since yolo had come around and brought everything up again, she was more the former then the latter. just that moment she had lost it at another professor for bumping into her by accident. it was a bloody university, everyone was always looking at something. this type of thing was common. yet by the way sam snapped at the woman, you’d think she’d done much worse.

it was honestly a surprise she hadn’t properly gone at someone yet. its the small things

she was currently lying on the tiny couch she had shoved into her office when she got the text from gus. now, if it had been most people, she would have told him to fuck off. yet, this was gus and from the few sightings she had of him in the past few weeks, he was doing pretty shit too. she didn’t exactly want to add to that. so, after shoving on her coat and beanie, she made her wait out of the building and to his rv. “lady of the hour? how many complaints you got ‘bout me lately?” she was sure that was part of this. although, her previous thoughts were also confirmed by the sight of him. he looked absolutely nothing like the put together man she had met all those years ago, or even the one she had run into at the start of the year. not that she was going to say that. she hoped into the car, trying not to pull a face at his words. “so, a few complaints then? assholes.”

[samgraca]

berryxboyd​:

…

Sam seemed too tense for a friendly catch up, the energy around her already filling Berry with unease as she sat down across from her sister-in-law. While she didn’t know her very well, Berry was empathetic enough to understand when things were wrong with Sam Graca. Her eyes fell on the left hand clasped over her right, the tightness of her grip. At her question, Berry stared at her former sister-in-law in surprise. Her father?

“Um…” she blinked, trying to recall the rare moments Maddie ever spoke about her dad, each moment she mentioned him either incredibly flippant or filled with disdain. In Berry’s expansive pool of knowledge about her former wife, her father was her only blank spot. “I know he left when she was young? I know he was, she said he was a bad person but she didn’t go into it much, she didn’t like talking about him much… why?”

.

“fucking dammit maddie” sam swore under her breath, the tremble in her right hand continuing to get worse and worse the closer the time came that she needed to talk about him. she hated it, hated it so much. “because ‘bad person’ is a fucking understatement.” she stood up, unable to keep herself so contained as to sit down. her left hand remained clasped on her right, but not it was starting to tremble along with it, unable to hide it now. fuck. fuck. fuck.

“don’t be angry at maddie. she loved you and trusted you more then anyone. probably why she didn’t say much, didn’t want him to ruin that too.” didn’t mean that part of her wasn’t angry at her baby sister. for telling her nothing at all so this was left to her older sister. although, who could have guessed that she wouldn’t be here for this.

[samgraca]

sam-caine​:

sam chuckled nervously at the woman’s reaction, rubbing at his wrist once she let go. he cleared his throat before shrugging, “uh, well, i live around here. was just walking.” he offered a smile at his half explanation, unsure what he was supposed to say. it had been years since he last saw her and their family. having been good friends with her sister, he was naturally curious. “how are you? i mean, it’s been some time. didn’t know any of you were back.”

sam immediately pulled her offending hand back, crossing her arms almost in an attempt to hide what she had even tried to do. “i’m fine” she responded quickly, maybe a little too quickly. she wasn’t quite sure how she felt about seeing him here. did he know now? why they left? “uh, i’m the only one here. mum’s back in london and maddie-.” she stopped. oh god. he didn’t know. how could he? now he asked, she couldn’t exactly lie and say that maddie was bright and vibrant and alive because she well.... she wasn’t. clearing her throat, she swallowed thickly. “maddie um, she passed away a couple years ago now.” it was a mammoth effort trying to keep her voice steady. it didn’t matter how long it would be, having to say those words out loud always felt like it was taking a piece of her away.

[samgraca]

berryxboyd​:

…

Maddie. The name made Berry’s polite smile dim as she heard it, concern flooding her entire body in response. What could they possibly have to talk about when it came to someone whose life had stopped? Was Samantha finally opening up to Berry? Was this the moment when Berry was no longer alone in her grief? 

With a falsely cheery smile, Berry nodded, waving the oldest Graca further into the store. “Of course, please, I always have time for Madeline’s family. Please,” she shifted a plant off a nearby stool, “take a seat.” She nervously put away the plant, trying to keep her hands busy as she waited for Sam to speak, “what’s up?”

.

sam wanted to run away. sam didn’t think there had ever been a point in her life when she had voluntarily told anyone this information. if anyone knew, it was because they had already figured it out or for some reason, sam couldn’t get out of telling them. maybe if she put this moment in that last category. maybe if she told herself that she didn’t have a choice (she didn’t really, if she wanted to be a good person), it would be easier to get this out.

there wasn’t exactly a manual for this kind of thing.

she sat down on the stool, only out of a desire to hopefully not freak berry out too much. the information would do that well enough. she clasped her left hand over her already trembling right hand, holding it tight. “what did maddie tell you about our dad?” might as well finally know what maddie decided was a good idea to tell her wife. whether it be the truth or not.

[samgraca]

deviousyolo​:

Doubt was a rather odd feeling for the businesswoman.

If there was something the brunette was; that was headstrong. Growing up with the woman she did as a so called “mother”, there was no way to persevere that environment without being driven and developing a thick skin; which only had proven true during her lifetime as a heiress and semi-public figure with a high social profile. Nothing could’ve prepared her for the feeling of uncertainty and smallness upon seeing the other, upon hearing the way she was being regarded; something definitely new for the woman who had only recently gotten used to people either fearing or adoring the floor she walked on.

Still, ever a savvy businesswoman who had learned from the very same man who had gone open up another hotel the morning after his wife had disappeared, leaving him alone with two confused teenagers, the brunette concealed said feelings, never once letting them show on her features. Instead, a perfectly shaped brow quirked up “Yolo, Miss Graca. Or Miss Córcega, whatever you wish except kid. I apologize for your paperwork, I’m certain a scholar such as yourself will find the will to make it work whatsoever once you hear me out.”

“I know about your father— and I know where he is” her tone was even, brown eyes searching for any indicator of any sort of emotion coming from the other upon unloading the piece of information on the other. The young woman then walked to the other’s desk, taking a seat on one of the chairs she assumed were for visitors; placing the papers the private investigator had provided her with the past few months, eyes focused on the woman in front of her. “I am here as an act of service, Doctor. Because if the situation were the other way around, I’d like to be informed” the businesswoman spoke once more, taking off the leather gloves that kept her hands warm during the winter. “It seems like our paths have been selected to counter-interact, unbeknown to us.”

.

i know about your father. five words and sam’s world began to close in. she barely heard the five that followed, white noise blaring in her ears. she couldn’t even count the number of time she had those exact words but she didn't need to, to remember that what followed was always unpleasant. actually no, that wasn’t the right word for it. she wasn’t sure there was one. moments like having rocks thrown at you on your way to school only to turn up and find the word ‘murderer’ painted on your locker didn’t have words to describe them. some things didn’t deserve that.

the moment the papers were placed on sam’s desk, she stood up and backed away. ‘”i don’t know who you think i am, but i assure you that you’ve got it wrong.” denial was all she could think of doing. it was the belief that no one would figure it out, that she wouldn’t be recognised that helped her even take this job, it had been twenty years and she had a different last name for god sakes. that should have been enough. oh god why hadn’t it been enough?

look down, she caught the all too familiar tremor in her right hand. the sight of it making her want to throw up. she shoved the offending hand in her pocket. it was a reminder that no matter what she pretended, her dad still had a hold on her. even after all these years. 

“we’re not doing this here” she said finally, breaking the silence she had caused. this was her safe space. a place where she was someone who she wanted to be not someone she was forced into becoming by association. this place had no bad memories and she did not want it’s walls to be covered in blood like her childhood home.

[samgraca]

berryxboyd​:

closed / @samgraca

“I’ll be with you one moment!” Berry called as the jingling sounds of a new customer rang throughout the store. Running from the back of the room, Berry was too busy tucking her pen behind her ear and putting on her customer service smile to realise who was standing in the room. With her straight back, and commanding presence, Samantha Graca stuck out in a place like the Prickly Palm, where it was a haven from the harsh realities of the world. “Sam?” Berry’s smile faltered into one of concern as he regarded former her sister-in-law, “is everything okay?”

.

to be quite honest, sam had tried to take the night with yolo and all that she told her and shove it into a box in the back of her brain. it was wear she tried to keep anything to do with her father. however, much like the rest of the box’s content, it refused to stay there for very long.

so here she was at berry’s store of all places, almost vibrating with a mix of anxiety and misplaced anger and fear she didn’t want to admit existed. it wasn’t like she wanted to be here but after weeks of stewing on the news, it occurred to her that berry might not know.

the topic of how much berry knew was one sam hadn’t broached with her younger sister. this was for a few reasons, some more painful then others. now, she regretted it because maybe if she had, she wouldn’t be standing in the store that belonged to her dead sister’s wife. “when you have a break, i need to talk to about maddie. sort of.”