#and some of the locations visited have felt like . . . inauthentic. like the escape room one

[sage-nebula]

I'm just going to say it: Mystery Files >>> Ghost Files

[big-bad-ulf]

Hear You Me || Layla & Ulfric

Location: Graham and Frankie’s Apartment Complex

Timing: The early hours of May 30th, 2020

Tagging: @big-bad-ulf and @laylacooke

Content: Family death mentions, Grief

Description: Ulfric breaks the news to Layla about Celeste’s death

The knock on the door at Frankie and Graham’s apartment was ominous. She had spent all night tossing and turning and for that reason, she had ended up on the floor in a small, little corner in Frankie’s bedroom. It’s also why she was the first one up and sitting on the couch with the tv turned down low as she stared into space thinking about the day before. The knock had been the thing to draw Layla’s attention back to reality, and without thinking, she automatically got up and walked to the door. Opening it up, she saw Ulfric standing there, but no Ariana. No Celeste, “Ulf…” 

Ulfric almost groaned when Layla opened the door. Damned wolf hearing, she’d been so fast, he’d been hoping for a few moments longer of waiting on the doorstep figuring out what to say. Instead, he found himself stumped. “Layla… Hello. I’m sorry I asked you to leave on such short notice,” he apologized, realizing now how it could have easily been misconstrued as him tossing out after he’d expressly promised not to do that. It had seemed kinder at the time than just letting her sleep ignorantly surrounded by Celeste’s memories or telling her and having her stay up all night on the roof with him to wait for Ariana’s return, but now he was unsure if he’d done it for her so much as because he hadn’t been up to speaking the words aloud to anyone yet. He had promised Ari he’d take on this responsibility for her though, so he’d find a way to now. “Is there somewhere private we could go and talk?” He looked inside cautiously, unsure if her friends would still be around. 

Layla had known something was going on, and yet, again, she had felt left out in the cold. It seemed as though she was always the last to find out things from the other wolves. As if she would never fully fit in with the pack, and while him asking her to leave hadn’t necessarily crossed her mind as him kicking her out, it did sit uneasily with her for the remainder of the night, especially after the lingering sound of the howl remained in her mind. Simon’s message to her hadn’t helped either. If Winn’s mother calling and Winn texting hadn’t been enough, whatever this was, had been thrown onto her shoulders too, and now, she was about to find out what was really going on, “They’re both still asleep, but we can leave. I can come back for my stuff later.” She didn’t want to wake them up, let alone have Graham hear anything that was going on.

Ulfric considered her proposition for a minute, contemplating where they could go. He couldn’t bring her back home, that was the whole reason they were here in the first place, nor could he think of any other venue that would be ideal to break the news he had to tell her. “Maybe we don’t have to go that far,” he counter-offered, spying a fire escape snaking up the side of the apartment building. The roof would be good, private but open, as he suddenly realized that the thought of being trapped in a small room with Layla and words of Celeste’s deaths was rather unbearable. He led the way up the spiraling staircase in silence, pondering how best to initiate his explanation of the events that had occurred on prom night, though he hadn’t come up with much of an answer by the time he arrived on rooftop, pacing as he waited for her to reach the top too. “You were told someone picked up the bounty on Ariana and Celeste, yes?” He queried softly once she did. The beginning, that was usually a good place to start.

She wasn’t sure where they needed to go, but him wanting absolute privacy made her more nervous than she already was. How bad could this conversation be? When he spotted the staircase leading to the roof, she reluctantly followed him. Did she want to know? Could her heart take what he was about to reveal? And why wasn’t Ari there? She was the one that broke the news to Layla. She was the one that made sure she was okay. She was the one that had rescued her from the dumpster and sleeping under bridges and in seedy motels. Was Ulfric about to tell her that Ariana wasn’t coming home? She pondered this all the way upstairs, and when she made it to the top, she tried to prepare herself the best she could for whatever news was about to come, “Y-Yeah...Celeste told me that when I first moved in with you guys. Ulfric?” Her warm brown eyes held a heavy sadness behind them as she peered into his own eyes looking for anything that would give her some kind of heads up.

Ulfric tried to meet Layla’s eyes as he searched for his next words, but seeing the sadness already reflected there, he pulled his gaze away. Instead, he fixated on the horizon behind her where a patch of the sky still appeared slightly hazy from the smoke that had filtered out of the abandoned warehouse on the docks districts. “Celeste’s parents… They slipped Ari some kind of sedative at the prom, took her hostage, wanted to draw Celeste out so they could make her watch them kill her. We managed to get Ari out,” he barrelled through, wanting to assure her of Ariana’s escape, but he knew it would be cruel to allow Layla to build up hope that everything had worked out after that. To allow her to think that maybe Ari was a little worse for wear but that otherwise things would continue the way they were. So, he barely paused for breath before adding. “But Celeste didn’t make it. I’m sorry-- I promised she could take the lead. It was her vengeance to take and I thought-- I should have…” He trailed off, a thousand better actions, judgments, and plans he could have made filling the space between them. Unable to settle on one he just repeated. “I’m sorry.”

Layla listened closely as Ulfric explained what had happened. She didn’t want to miss anything or to make him have to repeat anything. When she heard Ariana’s name and that she was safe, relief came to her. But the short pause caused Layla’s breath to hitch in her throat. And when she heard that Celeste hadn’t made it, her heart stopped beating, “Wh-What?” Tears began to fill her eyes. And her hand fell to her side, where some of the stitches had remained from the last time they had really got to sit down and talk to one another. The last time Celeste had given her advice and saved her from bleeding out from another stupid teenage situation she had gotten herself into. Her hand covered her mouth in disbelief as she let out a muffled cry. And then her mind went back to Ariana and the howl. That had been the reason she howled. Crying out because the girl who had become her sister was lying dead at the hands of hunters. At the hands of her own parents. The woman that Layla had shared a similar history too. The only person that seemed to understand what she was going through, more than anybody, was dead, “No-No this...this can’t be right.” She began pacing back and forth anxiously. Fiercely wiping her eyes and nose with her arm; sucking in air through her nose trying to clear her sinuses. But she soon stopped as a tidal wave of sadness came rushing over her. Someone else, who just in a short time, had become so important to her, was gone. A mentor and an ally. And while she knew the hurt she was feeling was only a fraction of what Ariana was feeling, it still hit her and brought her to her knees on the rooftop. Sobs began filling the air as Celeste’s death had seemed to be the cherry on top of all the drama that had happened in the past few days, and her heart felt like it was crumbling. No wonder Ulfric had told Layla to leave. But how could she even begin to go back to a trailer that held all the memories she had with Celeste. From the first day they met to the night she explained to Layla that her time would come to be brave and to help the pack. Followed by the two watching Legally Blonde and laughing until tears were in their eyes. But yet here she was again. Left in the lurch with no one there to explain to her that sometimes life just went this way and that she wasn’t alone. In that moment, with Ulf standing just behind her, she had felt so lonely. The relationship with Ulfric, though still relatively new, had felt strained. Layla had struggled to trust him and even though he was the one standing there telling her, because Ariana probably couldn’t and Celeste was...gone, she knew the connection him and the other young wolf had would never be something she could obtain, and the adult she had felt like she was connecting with the most was dead, “I didn’t even get to say goodbye…”

Ulfric stood frozen, wanting to provide Layla comfort but not sure how to do so. They both knew the trust between them was a recent thing, and rather tenuous. An embrace seemed to him like it might come across as inauthentic. Still, he wanted to show her that a better understanding between them wasn’t impossible. His misgivings about her weren’t as set in stone as they had been before his realization about Celeste; that her actions had been driven by a genuine love for Ariana, not malicious intent or cowardice. If someone with a hunter’s blood and abilities was still capable of having a good heart, then he owed this hunter’s child who lacked the latter the benefit of the doubt. With that in mind, he placed his hand on her shoulder hesitantly and squeezed. “I marked her resting place,” the older wolf informed her softly. “I know it’s not the same, but you can visit her, talk to her there.” 

Tears continued to fall down her face as sobs could be heard. She was glad they had come to the rooftop. Glad Frankie wasn’t around to hear her weakness at this very moment. With Celeste gone, she felt confused. She had just started to find her footing. Had a parental figure in her life that she was starting to trust with both her head and her heart, and just like that, she was gone. Her mind jumped back to Ariana. Layla was older. She did feel protective over the younger wolf, but she was, by no means, capable of caring for anyone else. Hell, she couldn’t even care for herself half the time. Was she supposed to help Ulfric now? Those had been just a few of the hundreds of questions that ran through her mind. It was Ulf’s hand on her shoulder that stopped the swirl of thoughts and inquiries in her brain. The soft words gave way to quiet sniffles as her sobbing had eased, “And what about Ariana? Is she safe? Can I still see her?” Her eyes focused ahead as the sun was just pushing itself over the horizon.

“Yes, she’s safe,” Ulfric informed her, grateful and impressed that Ariana’s well-being was so forward in her mind despite how deep she still was in her own grief. He withdrew his hand but settled beside, on as equal a level as he could achieve given his natural height advantage, and joined her in watching the sunrise. “She’s staying with family friends, Deirdre Dolan and Morgan Beck. I’m sure she’d like to see you.” Despite his initial reservations about Layla he hadn’t failed to notice the bond she’d developed with Ariana, and now more than ever encouraging that bond seemed like it would do them both some good. “She just wasn’t ready to sort through her sister's things. And… neither was I,” He explained, confessing the last part reluctantly, but openness was something he needed to work on with her, if things were to be better going forward. “That’s why I asked you to keep out of there, but it didn’t seem right to explain the rest on the phone.” 

Layla wanted to see Ariana. She wanted to spend time with her, but most of all, she just wanted to give her a big hug. Of course, it didn’t mean she could keep herself from crying. In fact, she knew after Ulf had left, she was probably going to curl back up in her corner on the floor and sob, “I don’t think Deirdre wants me anywhere near her house. I don’t know if you heard about the bean incident, but I sorta wrecked her place, when she was having me chase after a dog - Simon’s dog.” She wiped her eyes with her arm. It was the last thing Ulf said though, that kind of stung. Keep out of there. It was as if she wasn’t welcome. Like he didn’t trust her. Looking towards him, but not directly at him, she spoke, “I wouldn’t have taken or touched anything, Ulfric. I know I’m just some stray that Ariana took in off the street, and I may not have known Celeste as long, but she meant something to me, too.” Getting up off the ground, she let out a soft quivering sigh, “I appreciate you telling me in person. And I won’t go back until I’m allowed to. Just don’t touch my bow. My name is engraved on it. I think I got most of my things out last night after you texted me.” She put a soft hand on his shoulder, before heading back downstairs to Graham and Frankie’s apartment. Slipping back inside, she found her spot back on the floor and laid back down, quietly crying to herself, until she couldn’t anymore.

“I doubt she’d hold some minor property damage against you now,” Ulfric countered, he didn’t know Deirdre very well but while she had come across as odd and a little dramatic, she clearly wasn’t uncaring. He doubted she’d be petty enough to stop the girls from visiting each other in this time of grief. “If you want to see Ari you should.” It wasn’t until Layla went on the defensive that he realized his mistake. “That’s not what I meant—” He protested, inwardly kicking himself for the poor phrasing. Keep out. He’d meant he wanted to keep her from harm, since his residence was now a treacherous place full of inescapable reminders of what they’d lost, not that she posed a threat to the sanctity of Celeste’s memory by being there. Still, considering he had outright told her he thought of her as a potential threat before, he couldn’t fault her logic. “It just didn’t seem right for you to remain, going about your business as if everything was fine, when it wasn’t,” he tried to clarify, by the young wolf was already descending the stairs. With her enhanced hearing, he had reason to hope she’d heard him, but not that she’d believe him given their history. With a sigh, Ulfric collapsed onto the rooftop and waited for Layla to reach the ground, allowing her to put some distance between them before he would leave himself. Above him, the stars had set, Celeste’s last night on this Earth had officially drawn to a close. Nothing remained but the bright morning sun to burn away any shadows that might have hidden the fact she was gone.

[queenofmosttrades]

Making Memories in Montreal

Happy December, let’s not pretend we love the snow and hurry and get to April 😉 k thanks. Living in Brooklyn, NY it definitely gets bitter cold, but I suddenly felt like I was from the tropics after our visit to Montreal and hearing from some of the locals about what it really feels like when winter arrives up there. We managed to escape at the beginning of November (and witnessed their first snowfall of the season), I’m also shocked we actually pulled this off...without the children! 🤯 This was our first “parents only” getaway in exactly 1 year, and last time I was pregnant so it doesn’t count right?  We got all hands on deck, my parents, my in-laws and nanny came to the rescue for us to leave for close to 72 hours...my god! Who does pick up, drop off, where do they sleep, home or at the grandparents, do we split them up, and the list goes on and on. I feel compelled to share how ahhhmazing and challenging it is to get away for a few days without the kids. Love you boys but mama and Tati (dad in Yiddish) needed some alone time.  

We picked Montréal, because Europe was too far for a long weekend and we wanted a place that felt like we traveled a million miles away without the jetlag. I loved the city! It’s a melting pot of culture, art and food. Do you love to eat? Oh great me too, they have nearly as many restaurants as NYC per square capita, and not gonna lie, it’s overwhelming...I still stay up at night wondering if we made the best restaurant choices, I’ll just never know 😂 

I’ll split it up by neighborhood:

Downtown

We stayed at the Four Seasons hotel, its a relatively brand new hotel and has an indoor pool (which was a must for us, even though we only used it once, wop wop) and a beautiful spa which obviously any mom traveling without her kids would take complete advantage of 💆🏼‍♀️ Their in-house restaurant is Marcus, by the incredible Marcus Samuelsson (if you’re like me and have no idea who this is, it’s fine, I guess we’ve been living under the same rock...neighbor 😉) Dave knew about this apparent rockstar chef and told me that this is his first ever Canadian restaurant...I would highly suggest making reservations a few days in advance (at least), it gets pretty packed. We enjoyed room service one morning because #sleep and had breakfast in the hotel the other two days which was quiet delicious and full of fresh squeezed juice options 😋 

Our hotel was located down the block from Boulevard de Maisonneuve which has tons of shops, restaurants and one of the entrances to the underground mall. It’s bustling and I was really happy with our choice of neighborhood. I was on the fence because Old Montreal has a lot to offer as well, but it was a short Uber ride over. 

Old Montreal

If you get a warm and fuzzy feeling when you see cobblestones then this is the place for you! This is a popular place for many tourists, it’s adorable, and I see what the hype is all about; it has the Old Port, has a charming little tree lined walking road along the water, The Basilique Notre-Dame which is a big attraction and tons of cobblestone streets surrounded with French inspired architecture, hotels, restaurants, cafes, art galleries, shops, I mean you get the picture right? It’s pretty fabulous. I must say though, at times I did feel a bit like a tourist, because certain shops and restaurants we passed seemed how should I say this...inauthentic. I’ve been around Times Square enough to know when I’m in a tourist trap, which I don’t particularly enjoy when traveling or ever lol ... But we did stumble across a few incredible art galleries and a delicious brunch spot called Olive and Gourmando, yummy food and fun atmosphere!

Mile End

We took a great tour in this neighborhood that so much reminded me of parts of Williamsburg, Bushwick and Park Slope. @Localmontrealtours did a great job taking us around and giving our palates a unique experience of flavors. One of my favorite stops was at the St. Viateur Bagel (shocker right, a NY girl excited about bagels) this place has been around forever and is a true staple in Montreal. A few other noteworthy spots were Drogheria Fine, known for their incredible tomato sauce that covers perfectly delicious gnocchi served in a Chinese take out container; funky and indulgent. Additionally, Boucherie Lawrence, which serves local meats and cheeses amongst other things such as various jams and honeys. Dave talked me out of buying about 10 jars of different delightful items in order to avoid shlepping them back to NYC...I’ll be placing an online order soon 🙌🏼

Le Plateau

This is technically a broader neighborhood that consists of several sub neighborhoods; Mile End being one of them, so I would suggest checking it out as well. We specifically made our way there to check out the Jewish Museum and what is considered the area with the greatest Jewish presence and history. We weren’t able to make it on their tour, which I’m secretly pretty bummed about but we did get to wander around the area. It’s a touch of hip, grunge and art. What I loved most is that you feel like you’re a local, no big hotels or tourist traps, you’ll see homes, grocery stores, cafes, etc...you’ll be submerged with the people who live there. 

A great restaurant located in Le Plateau that my girl @arielloves recommended from her visit to Montreal was Au Pied de Cochon, they are known for their foie gras which comes in all different forms and styles. Dave liked the “naked” one and I was obsessed with the “nigiris”. We also decided to try the POUTINE here! Ok so if you don’t know what Poutine is, it’s the traditional comfort food of Montréal...French fries with gravy sauce on top and some places get funky and add other toppings...yes it was yummy, but one time was enough for us, it’s extremely heavy and made me want to jog home, but hey worth a try and to each their own. 

Speaking of jogging, I usually make it a priority to check out some gyms or outdoor fitness areas on all my trips, but full disclaimer this did NOT happen this time 🤷‍♀️ I won’t even try to dig up an excuse, just was focused on sleep before and after our excursions haha #priorities. Not gonna beat myself up about it (even though TBH I started to a few times) but I’ll be on it again next time 💪🏽

Extras 

One of our mornings we decided to be outdoorsy and “hike up” Mont Royal aka realizing how cold it was we took an Uber up and a bus down 🤷‍♀️ whatevs, we did spend some time up there breathing the crisp air and enjoying the view. A cute place to check out if you’re into “look out point” type of stuff. 

We also went to a hockey game duhhh! We watched the Montreal Canadians play the LA Kings. It was a real cultural experience, something that Dave and I love participating in whenever we travel anywhere. If you’re like us and you like to just do things and go to places that make you feel like you’re one of the locals I would highly recommend going to see a hockey game when visiting, its like going to see a Yankees game in NYC, authentic and exciting 🏒 

The Low Down 

All in all, we had fun, but I do want to touch upon something that is real and deserves a moment just like all the other mentions. Shit’s not perfect! Dave and I have somewhat of a different view on how we should “plan” our trips. I typically like to have an agenda ready to roll and he likes to wing it. We discovered this about ourselves a few years ago, yet perhaps since we didn’t go away alone for a while we kind of forgot how to handle it. As a couple it’s not always unicorns and lattes (well there are usually lattes involved with us 😉) but we get to make it work because that’s what we signed up for! After a day of on and off arguing, we decided that moving forward I need to have my “planned activity” happen first and then I’ll be much more willing to hang loose and flow, not freaking out that we don’t have a specific destination (this only took us 6+ years to establish #couplegoals 🤣). I’ll be keeping you posted on how that plays out for our next trip! I heard something the other day when listening to a clip from @garyvee, he said we are all being fake and how when we get back from a vacation we tell everyone that we had a great time (usually regardless of what kind of time we actually had). I found that to be insanely insightful and it struck a chord with me. I believe it’s important to acknowledge both the great times and the times of struggle. They are equally important to process and learn from. I hope you enjoyed my recap and found it helpful for your future trip. I would love to hear from you and get some of your feedback! Till next time fam; Stay living on those skinny branches! 

-Love, 

Suzanna 

Queen of most Trades