#his grandma would totally kick her grandson out of his room

[kuaille]

that's the continuation of this post

idk exactly how many parts it will be, i have all the script defined until the end of moa. i think writing here maybe help me to actually write the fanfic too

after everything, will decides to keep the secret and he notices that drew also didn't said anything (despite how upset will knew she was)

in december (before jason, piper and leo arrive at chb), will gets permission to spend a week with his mom at his grandparents' house (and here's what i thought for will's family dynamics)

before dinner, will and his grandma go to the market to buy some ingredients

will separates from her for two minutes, comes back and sees his grandma catching a child's attention, saying that "he's not dressed up enough" and "he's too thin"

would have been fun if it was anyone other than nico di angelo

nico tries to argue, but he obviously doesn't stand a chance against a worried indian grandmother

only the situation gets more serious when will's grandma says she's taking nico to spend the night with them, and doesn't accept opposition

"ammamma, you can't force someone to go somewhere, that's kidnap-" will gets The Look from her and gives up "so nico is coming with us"

when will blurts out nico's name, he realizes he won't be able to hide the truth from his grandma, so he said that nico's another demigod, which makes the lady even more impassive to leave nico alone (again, read this)

in the end, will's grandma wraps nico's entire neck and head with a scarf and drags him with them

when they arrive at his grandparents' place and his grandma explains the situation to his grandpa and naomi, she asks will to guide nico to the bathroom and borrow clean clothes while she finishes the food

when they're alone, nico stares at him silently and will feels like he's being watched by a macabre demon child from a horror movie (inspired by this)

nico finally opens his mouth and asks how much will and drew told chb about bob and hazel, looking like he's about to have a breakdown

will just says he didn't say anything and notices how nico gets visibly more relaxed

will leaves him in the bathroom and it doesn't take long for dinner to be ready and everyone to gather at the table

when nico comes back, he's wearing one of will's sweatpants, a loose, faded master yoda shirt, and his hair smells like will's favorite linseed shampoo

will definitely doesn't think about how the sight of nico with his family makes him feel warm with joy in his chest, and how different nico was from when he showed up riding a hellhound in manhattan and was so cool to challenge chronos in his face— will don't think about none of that

dinner follows as usual: naomi talking about her tours, his grandpa talking about some neighborhood football or basketball game, and will making brief comments

(he preferred not to talk about the demigod world during such peaceful moments)

will saw nico choke on his food and thought maybe the underworld didn't have great varieties of hot peppers, so he passed a big glass of water to the poor white boy

nico seemed determined not to participate in the conversation; will's grandma, on the other hand, had the opposite goal, and asked him a lot of simple and not very intimate questions most of the time

nico, however, only really started talking when will's grandma commented something about her history classes

it was the most will ever see of nico's excitement, the way he straightened his spine and didn't look away as he discussed whatever historical fact of the time was that will didn't pay enough attention to know

by the end of dinner, will had learned three things about nico: he loved history, he was terrible at putting up with spicy food, and he gestured a lot when he was excited

that night, will slept on the couch (not that he cared; it was closer to the kitchen) and nico took his room

will spent soms good thirty minutes trying to assimilate the strangeness of everything that happened that day, but when his eyes were closing, he could only think about how it was the first time a cute boy that his grandma loved slept in his bed while wearing his clothes

part 1 | part 2 | will's backstory

[im-in-love-with-pizza-bites]

It Takes A Village: Chapter 28

Chris Evans x Teen-Mom!Daughter!Reader

Series MasterList

Series summary: You find out that you're pregnant. After being kicked out of your mom's house you go to live full time with your Dad who you only saw once every few months. Will he react badly to you being a mom at such a young age?

Chapter Summary: It's June! Chris's birthday party and Fathers day.

Series Warnings: swearing, fighting with a parent, teen pregnancy, speak of abortion.

Chapter Warnings: Teen mom?

You grabbed the outfits your cousins got your boys a while ago. Your dad was having a birthday party. It was gonna be mostly family but a few of his friends would be there too.

"Bubba I set up their playpen outside so they can chill in there at the party when you're eating," Chris told you walking into your room.

"Thank you." You smiled at him. "How does Flynn look?" You asked.

"Adorable!" He gushed. "Your grandma is on her way."

"Okay." You nodded changing Felix.

"Want me to take Flynn?" He offered but you shook your head so he went back outside.

You put Flynn in the Tigger themes overalls and Felix in the Winnie the Pooh one.. Both boys would probably end up in just a onesie or their diapers by the end of the day because it's gonna be hot out. Also, you'd probably be swimming too so they'd end up in swimsuits at some point too, but you wanted them to have a cute outfit for at least the beginning of the party. You lifted them both onto your hips and walked out to the patio. The playpen was set up in the grass, it was just a baby fence thing that normally sat in the living room. (per Chris' suggestion and the fact he bought it for them) their floaties you just got them were also already out and sat next to the pool.

Chris was setting the grill up and hadn't noticed you. You sat the boys in the play pen and went to your dad.

"Okay, they're dressed." You told him with a yawn.

"Okay now go get yourself dress I'll watch them." He assured looking over at the two babies who were playing with the toys that he left for them in the grass.

"Fine." You chuckled hurrying inside. Once dressed and ready you made it outside. Your grandma was already here and helping your dad set up. "Hi, nana." You smiled before going to the playpen. You climbed in and sat with them until your dad and grandma needed help.

The party was halfway through. You were getting the boys into their swimsuits. Flynn had a crab-themed swimsuit that says Totally Claw-some while Felix was in a lobster-themed one that says staying cool, both had long sleeve shirts and shorts that had the respective animal on them. You changed them both before changing into your own. Then you carried them outside again. Your cousins were standing there with very displeased looks on their faces as Carly put sunscreen on them. You chuckled before setting Felix into the playpen and beginning to apply sunscreen to Flynn, started with his legs.

You finished his legs than did his face and swapped him for Felix. Soon they both had sunscreen so you put some on yourself. You put Felix in a floaty, it was a basic baby floating that had the shade. You sat him in the pool.

"Uncle Scott hold the floaty for a second, please." You requested. He nodded putting his hands on the floaty before continuing his conversation. You put Flynn in his and got in the pool with him taking Felix from Scott. You had a hand on both of their floaties and they were both in front of you.

"Y/n! Come play with us." Ethan said smiling you looked at your sons before looking back at your cousin.

"Sorry I can't have to keep an eye on them."

———

"Happy father's day!" You exclaimed as your dad walked out of his room.

"Thank you bubba." He smiled sleepily, having just woken up.

"I made you breakfast!" You told him happily. Chris yawned and sat down at the island next to Flynn and Felix's high chairs where they were sitting and eating scrambled eggs, cut-up sausages, and cheerios.

"Thank you bubba. Hi boys." Chris smiled at his grandsons. "What did you make?"

"Eggs, toast, and sausage!" You smiled putting a plate in front of him.

"Aw sweetie you didn't have to do this." He chuckled. You just shrugged and grabbed your own plate sitting on the other side of the twins. "Thank you. so we're going out to lunch with your grandpa then we're gonna just hang out here together okay?" He gave you the rundown of the day's plans.

"Sounds like a plan!" You smiled.

"Bubba. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, dad." You smiled.

If anything the last year has told you it's definitely that your dad will always be there for you. He'll always be there for your sons too. You'll never have to wonder who. Flynn and Felix will look up to.

Taglist: @toastisgood @coldmuffinpartycloud @thevelvetseries @uniquebeautyqueen @kaitieskidmore1 @peggycarter-steverogers @denisemarieangelina @bubblegum28universe @lizzyclifford13-blog

Flynn's outfit: ⬇⬇ Felix's outfit: ⬇⬇

Flynn's swimsuit: ^^ Felix's swimsuit: ^^

A/n: it's two am but I wanted to finish this before I went to bed.

[rachelkaser]

Stay Golden Sunday: On Golden Girls

Blanche’s rebellious grandson visits, and the Girls help straighten him out. Also, we get more information about St. Olaf.

Picture it...

Blanche is upset and a wreck -- and not, as Dorothy initially assumes, because she has cellulite. Her daughter Janet is attempting to fix her ailing marriage with a second honeymoon to Hawaii, and Blanche will have to look after 14-year-old grandson, David, for two weeks. Dorothy initially grouses about having a teenager in the house while she’s studying for a French exam, but they all agree to help Blanche look after David, including taking him to see Rambo.

SOPHIA: I sat through it twice, you’ll love it. He sweats like a pig and doesn’t put his shirt on.

The next day, the girls prepare for David’s arrival, while Sophia complains about having to put up with Dorothy snoring. Blanche comes home in a panic, saying David never got off the plane. A police officer arrives with David moments later and says he stowed away on the plane while it went onto the Bahamas. David talks to the girls for a grand total of two minutes before skipping out to go hang out a burger joint, despite Blanche’s pleas for him to stay. Sophia says Blanche should have smacked him for his disrespect, but Dorothy thinks the St. Olaf story Rose was about to tell would be punishment enough.

At night, Dorothy is trying to study while Sophia goes about her very noisy toilette (which for some reason involves patting Nivea onto the backs of her hands and immediately scrubbing it off with tissues). Dorothy can’t study with the noise, so both of them turn in for the night. They argue over the amount of topical ointments Sophia’s wearing, and the hacking sounds she makes as she’s sleeping. Dorothy reminisces about how she would crawl into bed with Sophia when she was a kid and had a nightmare. They bid a fond goodnight and finally settle down.

Suddenly, loud music booms through the house, waking everyone up. They run to the living room, where David and a few other teenagers are listening to rock music on a stereo. Dorothy sends the strangers on their way and tells David to clean up. David starts to throw what can best be described as a hissy fit over not being able to have his new friends over, and starts to mouth off to all of the girls. As soon as he gets into Sophia’s face, she lands his with a resounding slap. This quickly shuts him up and sends him running from the room.

Blanche goes to check on David, who’s still reeling from Sophia’s smack. He says he wants to go home, and when Blanche tells them he can’t because his parents aren’t there, David says it’s no different from when his parents are there. He breaks down and tells Blanche how his parents neglect him because they’re always fighting, and angrily rebuffs Blanche’s attempts to comfort him.

The next day, the girls give Blanche a collected list of chores David can start doing. Blanche isn’t sure how it’ll help, but Rose and Dorothy talk about how the chores they did growing up gave them a sense of responsibility. Blanche realizes the way she raised Janet -- not having to do anything, just as she was raised -- may have contributed to David’s current behavior, and decides she’s going to make up for these mistakes by doing what’s best for him.

ROSE: Did they have chores in Sicily? SOPHIA: Are you kidding? They invented chores in Sicily. Crossing the street without getting pregnant was a chore in Sicily. DOROTHY: Rose, never mention Sicily.

One night, Dorothy catches David trying to sneak out and asks him where he intends to go and what he’s going to do. David doesn’t have an answer, but protests all the work he has to do. Dorothy accuses him of wimping out and says life is going to get a lot tougher than some chores at his grandmother’s house. David finally opens up and talks about how upset he is. Dorothy reminds him that he’s surrounded by people who care about him and he’ll always be welcome, good-naturedly negotiating a chore exchange and cheering him up.

Some time later, the girls are having dinner with David, celebrating Dorothy passing her French exam. They also toast David’s improved attitude. He says that it “hasn’t been half-bad” and earnestly asks the girls to let him live with them permanently. Sophia hustles him out for ice cream and tells Blanche to call his mother. Blanche gets Janet on the phone and says David’s so happy at her home that she’s going to keep him. While we can’t hear Janet, she naturally protests. Blanche acknowledges she can’t keep him against his parents’ will, but gives Janet a stern warning about the consequences of neglecting him further.

BLANCHE: If you and Michael don’t straighten up and given that boy the love and attention he deserves, I will kick your uppity butt ‘til Hell won’t have it again!

The girls say goodbye to David, who’s going to join his parents in Hawaii. Blanche tells him to give his parents a chance, and Dorothy reassures him that he’ll always have a place with them. After he’s gone, the girls hope he’ll be okay. Sophia, meanwhile, will be happy not having to live with Dorothy’s infamous snores anymore.

“What are you trying to do, pickle yourself so you’ll live to be 100?”

I’m swiftly going to run out of ways to say “this is the first time the girls do X” but it’s the first season, so there are a lot of first times. While this isn’t the first time we’ve seen the girls with one of their offspring, this is the first time we’ve seen them do some parenting and discuss parenting.

ROSE: I just fixed a special treat for David. It’s the same little afterschool snack I used to make for my own son: A triple-decker BLT, a hearty helping of homemade potato salad, and a great, big slice of double chocolate fudge cake. DOROTHY: Oh, where was he going after school? The electric chair?

It’s actually kind of heartbreaking that it’s in a case of child abuse that we get to see them show off their parenting skills -- but I do appreciate that they cut David some slack and get to the root of his issues. I think a lesser show would just have the rebellious teenager “learn something” from his grandma and her friends and shape up, but Blanche instead gets him to open up about the real problem, which is that his parents are too wrapped up in their own problems to take care of him -- not to mention, as Blanche keeps mentioning, his father’s a Yankee.

I mean, this poor kid is so emotionally starved he thinks his parents would be thrilled to get rid of him -- and that’s unambiguously shown to be their fault, not his. Dorothy’s little speech challenging him not to give up on the people who’re actually making an effort to help him is a believable exchange between a teenager and a teacher. Fun fact: Billy Jacoby, the actor who plays David, was 16 when this episode aired.)

While I know it couldn’t happen within the confines of the show, part of me wishes he really could live with Blanche and the girls. I’m not sure if it was not as common for kids to be raised by their grandparents in the late 80s, but it certainly wouldn’t be unusual today. Still, if anything, this is the first time we get an idea of how hands-off a parent Blanche was, and how much she’d like to make up for that -- that’s definitely something that’ll come up again later in the show. 

For what it’s worth, she strikes me as one of those people who’s a better grandparent than parent, but she does do some parenting in this episode: namely, her harsh correction of Janet, who’s too wrapped up in her own problems to take care of David. Blanche may not approve of Sophia’s more brutal forms of correction, but her going off on her daughter was no less impressive than that slap.

Now I’m gonna go on record to say I disapprove of hitting children. While I don’t have any of my own yet, I don’t believe children should be hit on the face or anywhere else as a punishment or preventative measure -- nor should anyone, if I’m being honest. However, I will say that I don’t think that’s what Sophia was doing. Her smack was more akin to when you slap someone who’s hysterical -- David was clearly whipping himself into a froth and any attempts to talk him down or intimidate him weren’t working, so Sophia administered a little… percussive intervention to bring him back down to earth.

Like Dorothy says later, it comes from a place of caring, and I think Sophia of all characters knows when something like that will help rather than hurt... melon baller notwithstanding. I do appreciate that Dorothy and Sophia’s interactions, both when they’re arguing and when they’re sharing fond memories, shows a healthy dynamic between parent and child to contrast what poor David is going through. There’s not much of a B-plot to this episode aside from Dorothy’s French exam, and much of it centers around the single scene of the two arguing in bed, but it’s by far the funniest scene in the whole episode.

Having watched all of the episodes up to this point -- and spending roughly a week over-analyzing each episode -- I think this is the first time we’ve ever gotten some true St. Olaf stories. Given that Blanche, Dorothy, and Sophia have their assigned “tasks” in the episode, the writers decided to give Rose the job of adding a little color and humor to the episode.

They do this by having Rose describe some stories from her home life on the farm, including Alice, the cow you had to milk while sitting on a stool -- as in, she sits on the stool. It’s our first indication that something isn’t quite right about the place where Rose comes from, though we only have her responsibilities as a child to go by. It’s not going to be the last time we hear about it, by a longshot, but it’s a great teaser of the sort of bizarro logic that St. Olaf runs on. And I really want to hear now what the heck happened to Alice that she had to sit on a stool.

By the way, the title is a reference to On Golden Pond, a film which also features a teenage boy bonding with grandparents -- and part of me wonders if this whole plot happened because they just couldn’t resist the reference to another well-known “Golden” thing.

Episode rating: 🍰🍰🍰 (three cheesecake slices out of five)

Best part of the episode:

BLANCHE: Is that all you Italians know how to do -- scream and hit? SOPHIA: No, we also know how to make love and sing opera.

[twentyonesoons]

Package Deal

Fashion Designer!Jeonghan x Reader

Genre- Free Style, drabble Word Count- 1100+ Warnings- None Notes- Again, I don't know where I was going with this

When Jeonghan gets his big break, he doesn’t forget who helped him get there.

- - -

You didn’t hate your job, but it was far from interesting. Truthfully, it gave you time to get your university studies done between customers, which was only a handful of older ladies each day, and not to mention the pay was quite good as you essentially ran the shop by yourself. The owner stopped by each Monday to serve while you restocked for the week, but that was the only time she was really seen.

Her grandson was a different story. You had made friends with the ever so handsome Yoon Jeonghan almost as soon as you had gotten the job. He stopped by every Wednesday to buy material, bringing a new creation every second week. Your closet became filled with custom clothes he had designed, and whatever he made for himself or others, he was sure to still bring in and show you.

For something he picked up purely as a hobby, he was goddamn talented. His face would turn a light shade of pink each time you praised a new creation, and your bright eyes and wide smile would instantly reinspire him.

- - -

You buttoned up your coat as you waited for the train, blocking out the harsh wind that the early winter’s morning was throwing around recklessly. Leaves gathered around your feet and you kicked them away before stepping into the carriage, standing within an open space. Once the train pulled away from the station, you could feel a pair of eyes on you. You moved your eyes around the carriage, spotting a well-dressed man who was moving through the small crowd of people to stand in front of you.

“Where did you get that coat? It’s gorgeous!” The man asked, and you flinched at his exclamation, noticing passenger’s eyes trailing over to you. “Oh, uh my friend made it for me.”  The man nodded at your words and reached into his pocket, pulling out a business card and handing it to you before exiting at the next station. Your eyes traced the words on the card, ‘Pledis Fashion Company’.

- - -

The morning dragged on, a total of two customers before midday, the third entering the same time as Jeonghan, whose arrival brought a smile to your face. He arrived wearing a coat with similar material to yours. Upon noticing the coat, you pulled the card out of your pocket and handed it to him. “I told this guy you made my coat and he handed me this.”

You’ve never seen Jeonghan in such shock, he silently pulled out his phone and disappeared into the back room. You helped a customer find a zipper to match their fabric before you returned to the front desk to ring up their items. Once they left you turned around to come face to face with Jeonghan, the largest possible smile spread across his face.

- - -

The next day dragged on, and you couldn’t wait until the weekend, which was your only free time. When you were closing on Friday afternoon, you were greeted by a box on the front step, your name written on the note on top. ‘Y/N, I hope you like this, and I hope you’ll come with me to my meeting tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at 1 – Jeonghan.’

- - -

Jeonghan stayed true to his word and knocked on your door exactly on time. His jaw dropping as he sees you in his latest creation, a dress that’s chic yet elegant. His well-fitting pants and dress shirt combination cleverly displaying a casual yet professional look. He snapped a quick photo and then offered his hand, leading you downstairs and towards his car.

- - -

The sleek reflective design of the Pledis building mimicked the high afternoon sun, yet you noticed the large number of fans who stood outside, waiting to potentially meet a model they adore. Jeonghan led you through the gathered fans, where you were both brought into a meeting room.

“Ah Jeonghan its nice to meet you, and you must be Y/N.” You both smiled politely and shook his hand. “How does he know who I am?” You whispered to Jeonghan, who shrugged with a sly smile on his face. You sat to the side as the boys discussed Jeonghan’s work, who proudly showed off his portfolio – which consisted mainly of pictures of yourself. You felt yourself grow shy whenever the man would look at one photo slightly longer than the others.

You looked up once you heard him close the folder on his desk and reach into his desk, presenting two more pieces of paper. “Well I am convinced I need you both on my team, as workers under Pledis.” Your brows furrowed in confusion, “I’m sorry, but both? I was only here for Jeonghan.” The man nods but lets out a small chuckle. “Y/N, you have what we call ‘model material’, which isn’t seen as naturally as it is in you.”

You almost couldn’t comprehend his words, “But what about the shop? I need to help Jeonghan’s grandma-“ “Pledis will take care of everything.” You were cut off, but shook your head anyway, “I’m not sure...” Jeonghan turned towards you and grasped your hand, “Please Y/N, just give it a try?”

You couldn’t resist the look in his eyes, and you nodded. “I’ll do it on one condition, I’m in every show Jeonghan designs for, we’re a package deal.” The man in front of you nodded, sliding the papers over to your side of the desk. Jeonghan signed first before handing the pen to you with a small smile. You signed and passed it back to the man who smiled at you both. “We’ll work out everything and then get in contact with you.”

- - -

Jeonghan lightly grasped your hand as you walked through the park, the wind lightly ruffling the hem of your dress. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” You murmured, causing him to laugh. “I’m proud of you Y/N.” “You’re proud of me? Jeonghan you got discovered! Your designs are going to be seen all around the world!” Your arms wrapped around his neck before you could stop yourself, yet he pulls you closer when you try to move away.

When you finally separate yourselves, Jeonghan smiles and timidly rubs the back of his neck. “You know, I dragged you into this all so I could spend more time together with you.” You giggle at his sudden confession and link your arms together, a smile spread across your face. “Well, you’re lucky I agreed then, because I’d like to spend more time with you as well.”

[dust2dust34]

Pieces of Always: December 2014 (FICoN ‘verse)

Life continues after Forever is Composed of Nows.

by @so-caffeinated and @dust2dust34

Summary: Ongoing non-linear collection of family moments for the Queens. (You do not need to have read FiCoN to enjoy this, but it will spoil the end. Please see the first installment for additional author notes. Thank you @jsevick​ and @alizziebyanyothername​ for the amazing beta!)

A/N: Please see the first chapter for an important Author’s Note, as well as under the cut for an additional one.

A/N: I am taking more of a beta role for right now. The effervescent @so-caffeinated is fully in the driver’s seat and she’s kicking all the ass, so please go send her your love!

(read on AO3)

December 2014 - Sins of the Mother

‘Things’ don’t mean a whole lot to Will. They never have. But, he’s awfully pleased with his room at his dad’s house. It’s not that there’s so much stuff in it, even though there really is. It’s that his dad and Felicity obviously put so much thought into it.

There’s a Lego Movie poster on the back of his door and a picture of him and his dad at a ballgame on the edge of his mirror. He’s got Big Hero 6 sheets and a whole pirate ship play set of Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Now, that might just sound like a typical first-grade boy’s room, but it’s not to Will. It’s a reminder that Felicity took him to see the Lego Movie when his dad got stuck at work and that his dad got season tickets to the Starling City Rockets just because he likes baseball. It’s a reminder that his dad had stopped him from crying when he’d skinned his knee by quoting Baymax and asking ‘On a scale of 1-to-10, how would you rate your pain?’ Will had said zero, even though it hurt, because that’s how the line goes. It’s a reminder that he spent a solid month saying “aw, coconuts” at every opportunity, just like Jake’s pirate friend Cubby, and they never once pointed out how annoying it was, even though Will’s pretty sure it drove them nuts.

Will’s room is a filled with evidence that he belongs here, that his dad and Felicity love him and welcome him as a part of their family. So, that’s why he loves it. It’s not all the ‘stuff,’ it’s what all the stuff means.

Today there’s an extra layer of excitement to it all, though. Because today he gets to stay here. He gets to sleep in that bed for the very first time. And, while part of him is really super worried about being away from his mom all night long, a bigger part is just buzzing with anticipation at staying the whole weekend with his dad.

Until this past summer, his mom was his only family, but it’s grown quickly this year. He’s got his dad and Felicity and soon he’ll have a baby sister. He’s got kinda mixed feelings on that last one. He’s excited to be a big brother - he’s always wanted that - but he’s also a bit worried that it’ll change how his dad sees him.

He hasn’t said that, though. Not to anyone. The idea of voicing it makes him too nervous.

But he doesn’t need to worry, yet. Julianna is still more than a month away from being born, and Will has a super awesome weekend ahead of him and a second Christmas with his dad. It sort of promises to be the best weekend ever.

He tosses his overnight bag in the corner of his room and sits on the edge of his bed, bouncing a bit on the mattress - because he can - and giggles when he flops backwards and looks up at the solar system model that decorates his ceiling. It’s a nightlight, too. ‘Cause his dad was worried he’d wake up and not know where he was, so now he’s got the glow of the planets to remind him.

Will’s not a hundred percent sure, but he strongly suspects he’s got the best dad in the whole world. And he gets to spend two whole days with him.

A little thrill of excitement runs through him at that and he grins up at Jupiter for a moment until his stomach rumbles loudly.

Snacktime seems to be most of the time, lately. His mom says he’s in the middle of a growth spurt, which has Will checking his height against the marks on his doorframe back home on a daily basis. He swears there’s a difference from a few days ago, but his mom had flattened his hair and told him otherwise. He’s not buying it, though. He knows he’s grown. Just like he knows he’s hungry and Felicity totally bought him those yogurt push-up things his mom won’t get because she says they’re too messy.

There are so many perks to being at his dad’s house.

Will hops off the bed and scurries from his room, all inexhaustible childish energy. He barely pays attention as he slams his bedroom door behind him and bolts down the stairs, taking them two at a time and wondering if he’d get in trouble here for sliding down the railing like he does back home.

He might try that later. It’s super fun, even if it does get him scolded pretty hard by his mom.

It would probably be a good idea to just try it now. His dad had to go answer the door just a few minutes after his mom left and Felicity had gone up to her room for something. It’s tempting. He’s all alone, way less likely to get into trouble… But, no. He wants that yogurt and he wants it now.

Apparently Felicity couldn’t remember what flavor he liked, because he opens the fridge to find pretty much all of them ever made. This is extra awesome because there’s Berry Bubblegum Bash which is a thing his mom says is gross and he doesn’t need, but it’s totally his favorite anyhow. He tears into the tube of yogurt and happily starts sucking it down when he hears his dad talking to whoever was at the door.

“Mom, I don’t know what made you think this would be a good idea.”

Grandma Moira, then, Will realizes. He’s met his dad’s mom twice and she’s… she’s weird. She’s not like he thought grandmas were. She shook his hand instead of hugging him when they met and she just kind of stares at him like she can’t figure something out. He’s pretty sure his mom doesn’t like her much, either. They barely spoke and when they did it was clipped and stiff like the way his mom had been with him after that parent-teacher conference last year when she’d found out he’d been ditching his homework assignments on the bus since October. So… super mad, is what he’s thinking. She’s super mad at his grandmother and he doesn’t know why, but it’s enough to make him a little nervous around her anyhow.

At least he has Felicity’s mom. She sorta makes up for it because she’s all hugs. She squishes him and leaves lipstick smears on his face and sneaks him cookies with a wink and a finger to her lips urging silence. Grandma Donna’s pretty awesome, even if she’s not actually his grandma.

“Of course it’s a good idea, Oliver. He’s my grandson.”

Oh… they’re talking about him. Will freezes at that realization, yogurt in hand. He squeezes it tightly between his little fingers, but he’s no longer drinking it down. What are they talking about?

“You know exactly what terms you can see him under and you know why,” his father counters sharply.

Will’s brow furrows at that. He’s got no idea what they’re talking about, but it’s enough to make him nervous. Had he done something? What did he do?

“Don’t be ridiculous, Oliver. These barriers you’re putting up are completely pointless.”

“The one thing Samantha insisted on if he was going to be a part of my life is that he not see you unless she’s there, too. And you know what? I agree with her. So, no, Mom, the barriers aren’t pointless at all. They're there to protect my family.”

His head spinning with all of this, Will takes a few hesitant steps toward the stairs and holds onto the railing before sitting on the bottom step and tucking his legs in close, making himself small as he listens in.

“I am your family. And whatever you might think, everything I did, I did to protect you.”

“You told me my son was dead!”  

His dad’s voice is so loud and so sharp that Will don’t have to strain to hear it. He’s never heard his dad yell before, never heard him really angry, but he definitely is now.

And he’s not done.

“You robbed me of knowing my son for years. And you’d have kept doing it if I hadn’t found out on my own. This is my son, my child, and he spent the first six years of his life without a dad because of you.”

“Yes,” his grandmother confirms. “And he was better off for it. You weren’t ready to be a father then, Oliver. That boy would have ruined your life.”

There’s more yelling after that, voices increasingly loud and definitely angry on both sides, but Will can’t make out the words because he’s crying too hard to hear it. He doesn’t feel like he’s ruining his dad’s life. He doesn’t want to do that. He’d sort of thought everything was great, that his dad was happy. Is he not? Does his dad secretly wish he’d never met him? Would he be happier if it was just him and Felicity and their baby?

Will tucks himself into the tiniest ball he can manage, his tears soaking through the sleeves of his Super Why sweatshirt. Maybe he should go back home. Maybe he belongs with his mom. But what if he’s ruining her life, too? What if he’s just no good, if he doesn’t belong anywhere? What if no one really wants him?

He’s so heartsick that he’s nauseous and he squeezes the yogurt in his hand hard enough that it gets all over the knee of his jeans. That just makes him cry harder because now he’s made a mess and that already gets him a scolding from his mom. Will Felicity hate him for it? Will his dad?

“Will?”

He can’t make himself look up at the sound of Felicity’s voice. He just scoots closer to the wall, away from her and whimpers into his arms.

“Will, what’s wrong?” Her voice sort of trails off at the end and he’s pretty sure that’s because his dad and his grandma are yelling loudly enough that she hears whatever they’re saying.

He’s not sure what he thought Felicity would do, but lowering herself down to the step he’s on and pulling him into her arms isn’t it. She’s huge these days. Her baby takes up all the space where she’d have had a lap and there’s no room for Will, but it seems like that’s something Felicity refuses to accept because she holds him tighter than he could have imagined.

“I’m sorry, baby, you shouldn’t have heard this. I’m so sorry. She’s wrong, okay? She’s wrong.” It’s whispered fiercely into his mop of hair and there’s so much determination in her voice that he thinks maybe she actually means it. That just makes Will sob harder into her chest because maybe he doesn’t even deserve this. Maybe she’s just being nice.

Later, when he’s older, he’ll wonder how the hell she’d managed to both stand and pick him up. He’s not that big yet, but she is eight months pregnant and it has to be incredibly awkward. But she does it anyhow. He buries his face in her neck and clings to her because even though all of a sudden he’s not sure he deserves to be comforted, he still needs it.

He’s only dimly aware of them moving closer to the shouting in the living room, but he does register when his not-quite-stepmother speaks up because her voice is low and livid and it rumbles beneath his cheek.

“Get the hell out of my house,” she snaps.

The yelling stops instantly and he can hear his father quietly say his name. It sounds concerned, but then maybe his dad just feels like that’s his responsibility. Will clings to Felicity’s neck, his fingers gripping the back of her maternity blouse so tightly that his knuckles hurt.

“He wasn’t meant to hear any of that,” Grandma Moira states. She sounds a little uneasy as she says it. “I didn’t intend to-”

“I really don’t care about your intentions, Moira,” Felicity announces, cutting her off. “You hurt my little boy. Again. So you can get out, cool down and give us a call next week when I want to throttle you slightly less for doing this to him.”

Will melts a little as he feels his dad’s now-familiar arms lift him from Felicity and pull him close. It’s so warm, so welcoming, and Will is so very terrified that it’s not real, that it’s been faked out of some sense of obligation, and that maybe it won’t last.

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I’m so sorry,” he sobs out brokenly against his dad’s shirt. “I didn’t mean to ruin anything. I’m sorry.”

“Mom, get out,” his father says. It’s softer than Felicity’s voice had been, but no less firm and the click of heels along the wood floor a moment later gives way to the thunk of the front door shutting.

And then his father’s attention is entirely on him. “She’s wrong, Buddy. You didn’t ruin anything. I promise. I love you so much, okay? We all love you. My life is so much better with you in it.”

“Why’s she hate me?” Will asks into his dad’s collarbone, eyes pinched shut and his nose running on his dad’s shirt. “What’d I do? I’ll fix it. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, god, Will… you didn’t do anything,” his dad says. His voice is so thick that Will thinks maybe he’s crying, too. “Felicity… what do I…?”

“I don’t know,” she answers quietly. “I don’t know. This is…” She sighs hugely and he hears the sofa creak under her weight as she plops down on it. His dad follows suit a moment later and Will winds up on his dad’s lap, his head tucked under his father’s chin while Felicity runs her fingers through his hair.

“Will, look at me, Buddy, please?” his dad asks.

It’s hard, but he does. With a sniffle and a swipe of his nose along his sleeve, Will looks up to find his father looking back at him brokenly.

“Nobody hates you, Will,” he vows. Will flinches because he’s not sure how he can believe that right now. “Your Grandma Moira made a big mistake before you were born, okay? I… I wanted to wait until you were older for us to talk about this. I wanted to talk with your mom, first, but…”

“You don’t have a choice now, Oliver,” Felicity murmurs from his side. There’s a whole silent conversation that goes on between the two of them and Will finds himself bracing for whatever’s going to come next.

“Your mom and I… we were young when we found out she was pregnant with you and we didn’t have the kind of relationship Felicity and I do,” his dad says. It’s all a bit broken, like he’s not sure what he’s supposed to be saying here, but that just makes Will listen harder. Grown-ups tend to be more honest when they haven’t planned out what they’re gonna say. “My mom thought I was too young to be a daddy. She thought I might miss out on too many parts of growing up if I had a baby. So she made some bad choices that kept us apart.”

“She told you I died,” Will supplies.

His dad doesn’t want to agree. He can see that much, but there’s also no arguing that point. Not after what he’s heard.

“She did,” he confirms. “She did tell me that and she made your mom go away so I wouldn’t know that you hadn’t.”

“None of this has anything to do with how we feel about you, Will,” Felicity assures him. She’s stroking his hair like a mom, like his mom, and looking at him like she’d give anything for him to believe her. He wants to. He loves them so very much and he’s gotten painfully attached to this side of his life very quickly. “Your dad is so happy that you’re his son. Even when you aren’t here, we talk about you all the time. He’s always showing off your picture to people and telling them stories about what you did together. And me? Will, you’re an awesome kid with such a big heart. You didn’t have to accept me in your life, but you did. Right from the very beginning, you did. You’re not really my son. You’re not even my stepson. But I can’t imagine my life without you in it and I’m so happy that you’ve let me be a part of yours.”

“But…” Will pauses, his eyes casting down. Felicity’s baby bump is front and center, full-on proof right in front of him that they don’t need him to be parents. They’ll have a baby of their own soon enough.

“But, what?” his father asks, wiping his thumbs beneath Will’s eyes to clear away the tears.

Will clears his throat and looks up nervously. “But… you won’t need me, soon. You’ll have Julianna. Your real kid, the one that belongs to the two of you and you get to have all the time.”

Aw, damn, he’s made Felicity cry. In truth, it’s amazing it took this long. She cries a lot lately. His dad says the baby makes her do that sometimes, that it’s something called ‘hormones,’ but Will’s never seen her not pregnant, so he’s not all that sure about that yet.

“Come here,” she insists, tugging him from his father’s lap. His dad seems reluctant to let him go, which is pretty nice, but Felicity is insistent. Sitting on her lap is awkward as anything. He’s sort of draped over her stomach as she hugs him like she’s afraid he might disappear if she lets him go. “Nothing is ever going to change what you mean to us, Will,” she promises. “Julianna is completely separate from you. We need both of you to make our family whole. She’s gonna need her big brother and I’m gonna need my Will and so will your dad.”

“Were you worried about this before today?” his dad asks.

Will can feel his lower lip quivering and his eyes watering up again. “Maybe a little,” he admits.

There’s a rustling of fabric for a moment and a squeak of the sofa. Soon enough, Will realizes his father is standing up. “Hold on a minute, Bud,” he says. “I need to show you a Christmas present.”

“I don’t need a present,” Will tells him, his heart sinking a little because he knows no toy is going to make this better.

“Good, because it’s not for you,” his father says, shooting him a slightly amused look. That’s enough to pique his interest and Will watches as his father disappears into the kitchen and trots up the stairs.

It’s very quiet then, except for the sound of his father’s heavy footfalls and Felicity’s concerned sigh as she rubs his back.

“We found out about you when we needed you the most,” she tells him, tucking the top of his head under her chin. “I know you don’t understand that, yet, but you’ve brought us a lot of joy when things were pretty tough. You’re a bright spot in both of our lives and neither one of us would give you up for anything. You make everything better, Will. You make us so happy…”

He cuddles in, ignoring the way Julianna pushes back against his chest when he squeezes Felicity. Every word she’s said, every word his dad’s said is like a balm to his bruised heart. And he wants to let it heal him. He wants that so badly…

“Found it,” his dad says, reentering the room with a box in hand. “I got this for your sister for Christmas, but I think maybe she’d want you to hold on to it for her for now.”

Will eyes the slim box warily because he can’t possibly begin to imagine what’s in it. Felicity clearly knows, though, because the smile on her face grows about a mile wide as she watches Will’s dad with teary-eyed affection.

“Go on, open it up,” his father urges, handing him the box.

Will untangles himself from Felicity, as his dad sits back down next to them and pulls them both closer with an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder. It’s nice, cozy, leaves him literally surrounded by the family he’s been sitting here questioning his own value to. They’re definitely acting like they want him, anyhow.

He shakes off the top of the box and looks down at it with a furrowed brow before looking back up at his dad. “It’s a picture frame with lots of spots for pictures.”

“It’s a little more than that,” his dad tells him. “How’s your reading going?”

“It’s… going,” Will says a little anxiously. Words are hard. He’s got letters down no problem, but books with pictures are just so much easier.

“How about I help you a bit here, then, okay?” his dad offers, taking his hand and placing it over the engraving beneath one empty spot for a picture. “What’s this first word? You know this one.”

“It’s Will,” he says a little astonished at the familiar letters beneath his fingers. “And the next word is ‘and.’ I know that one. It’s a sight word at school.”

“Good job,” his dad says. “Can you sound out the next word here?”

“Um… Gel?” he asks before huffing in frustration when his dad doesn’t agree.

“Maybe we should save the reading lesson for sometime a bit less… this one,” Felicity offers.

“Jules,” his dad tells him. “That word is Jules. This says ‘Will and Jules at their first ballgame.’”

“It does?” Will asks, looking up hopefully.

“Yeah,” his father confirms. “It does. And this next one says ‘Will and Jules at the park.’ And the next one says ‘Will and Jules at Mom and Dad’s wedding.’ ...You were always gonna be a part of our family, Will. From the instant I knew you existed, we wanted you to be in our lives. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise, not your grandmother and not your own heart. Julianna won’t make you less a part of this family, she’ll just give you a bigger family to be a part of, Buddy.”

It’s a good thing that Felicity had one hand on the picture frame because Will drops it without warning and launches himself at his father. Oliver’s more than ready for him, holding onto the boy for all he’s worth.

“I want you in my life, too, Daddy,” he murmurs into his father’s neck. “Felicity and Julianna, too. I’ll be a good brother. You’ll see. I’ll take her to the park and teach her baseball and I’ll only sneak her cookies sometimes.”

“I know, Little Man, I know,” his dad whispers back, rocking him and cupping the back of his head. “I never had a doubt, because you’re already the best son I could ask for.”

Will swallows hard and nods, before pulling back and looking at his dad. “Is it okay if maybe I don’t like your mom so much?” he asks. “She makes me feel bad. I don’t like feeling bad. I don’t think I want her to be my grandma. Can I just have Grandma Donna instead?”

He’s pretty damned nervous about asking this, but he just doesn’t know how he can face his Grandma Moira. Not after today, not knowing what she thinks of him. And he doesn’t want to feel sad. It’s awful. He hates crying.

“You’re always gonna have Grandma Donna,” his dad tells him. “And I think maybe it’s a good idea that you don’t see my mom much for a bit.”

“I think Samantha is going to insist on that,” Felicity adds quietly.

His dad tilts his head in agreement. “However you feel about my mom is okay, WIll. She hurt both of us and she cost us a lot of time together. I can’t blame you if you don’t like her. She’s not always an easy person to like. And if you don’t want to see her, I’ll limit that as much as I can for you, but she’s still your grandmother. Nothing changes that.”

“Okay,” Will agrees, because that’s as close to getting his way as he thinks he can really expect.

“Do you feel a bit better? Did you want to call your mom?” his dad asks. Even without looking, Will knows just from his tone that his father is desperately hoping he doesn’t want to make that call. His mom will come rushing back in a heartbeat. She’d probably be upset with his dad, even though it’s not really his fault, and Will might not even get his holiday weekend with his dad if that happened.

“I’m good,” he assures him. He lets go of his dad with one hand to rest it on Felicity’s belly. Jules kicks him immediately in greeting - or maybe it’s a fist-bump, he’s decided his little sister is the fist-bump type; maybe they’ll make up their own secret handshake someday, just like in Big Hero-6. Felicity’s hand settles over his and squeezes gently. Something in his heart settles at the closeness with the three of them.

When he’d been younger, when he’d daydreamed about his dad, he’d come up with a million scenarios for what his father would be like. Sometimes he was awesome, sometimes he was awful. Sometimes his dad had a whole huge family that existed without him, sometimes his father was a spy or a soldier or a superhero. His imagination drafted a hundred scenarios, a million lives that could have been his, but thinking about that now, he realizes not a one of them was as great as his life really turned out to be.

“I’m more than good,” he says. “I’m sort of great.”

*

Thank you for reading! Reviews literally feed the soul and muse, so go feed @so-caffeinated!

[ecotone99]

[RF] Thanksgiving with the royals and the Commoner

(Pre-Covid 19, Thanksgiving 2019).

The flight from Orlando to Panama City Beach had been non-eventful. Maxine Aldo- Bolton had flown under an assumed name. The flight arrived in Panama City Beach around 9:00 am. She had taken a taxi from Panama City Beach to Defuniak Springs. She had enough cash to pay the taxi and gave him a good tip. He didn't seem to know who she was or if he did, he left her alone.

After being dropped off, Maxine drove Aunt Clara to the Henderson Meats Store.

"My dad finally retired and a couple of months ago turned over the business to me." said Mark Henderson.

It had been about 6 months since Maxine had visited her aunt, so she and Mark talked briefly.

Aunt Clara bought an expensive Turkey that was hormone and drug free. She only bought her meats at this store and had for 60 years.

Maxine took her Aunt home and then went to a nearby Farmer's market to get the other trimmings for the Thanksgiving dinner.

It was around noon when Maxine took her Aunt to the Windsor Tea House in downtown Defuniak Springs. The servers at the restaurant were young and really didn't know who she was which was fine with her.

It had been a very long time since Maxine had been bothered by the paparazzi but she was always on the lookout for them. She was the ex-girlfriend of a Prince from Eastern Europe. Too common and wasn't suitable for him. Prince Sergi was a very kind person but the same couldn't be said for the rest of his family who despised her. She only visited the castle where his parent lived once and the 5 days she was there was just awful. She was treated like a servant (only one person was nice to her) and when she protested she was kicked out on Christmas Eve. Prince Sergi didn't come to her defense and wished her well. He broke up with her that night and had bowed to the pressure of his family. They had never let her forget that her father fought on the wrong side of the Hungarian uprising of 1968. The royal family wasn't Hungarian but had sided with the government.

By 10 pm she had packed all of her bags with one person helping her and was given a cart and walked out into the cold. It was also very dark out. She walked down a country road with suitcases in a luggage rack for about 10 minutes. She was crying, sobbing, and very cold.

Prince Sergi had told one of his servants to find Maxine and find her a place to stay for the next two days. She was picked up and went to a nearby village where she spend the night. She overheard the servant called the Prince once they had gotten home.

She spent Christmas day with the servant, his wife and four children. She gave them the Christmas gifts that she was going to give the Prince and his family. She also gave his wife who wore the same size as she some clothing as she wanted to lighten the load.

The servant took her to the airport the day after Christmas. He declined her offer of money.

Once she got back to the states, she found out that on Christmas Day, Prince Sergi had announced his engagement to Princess Alexandra. The Princess had helped her pack her bags. She didn't know the Princess and had only arrived at the house the day before and never was formally introduced to her. Now she knew why the Princess was so nice to her and probably was glad to see her go. She was the only royal who was nice to her.

It had been a very long time since Maxine had thought about this but some reason it popped into her head. She and her aunt had been home for a couple of hours. Tears came down her face. Thankfully she was alone as he aunt had taken a nap.

By 9:30 pm, both the aunt and Maxine were read for bed. At 11:30 pm Maxine was awaken to a large bang. She look outside the window and saw a car that had ran into a curb and the car wheel wouldn't move.

There was an older woman and one year women with two small children. The older woman was yelling at the younger woman. The argument was very heated.

They were talking in a Hungarian dialect that Maxine recognized. Her father was born in the US to Hungarian parents. In 1968 he went back to Hungry and fought in an uprising. He was killed about 2 months later.

She walked outside and asked them in the Hungarian dialect if they needed help. She recognized the older woman but the older woman didn't immediately recognize her. Soon her aunt joined her.

About an hour later, a tow truck came and took the car to the driveway of where Maxine's aunt lived.

The older woman slept downstairs and the 1 daughter and her two grandsons slept in the two guest rooms upstairs. Maxine slept in the basement.

Maxine got up and went upstairs. Princess Alexandra was up and was on her I-phone. It was about 7:30 pm.

"Yesterday was a total disaster. Mia and I decided to do a road trip in Florida. We rented a beach house in Panama City Beach and nearly burned the kitchen down, Mia put a chicken in the oven on low after we had breakfast and we forgot about it. Took a walk on the beach, went shopping and then we heard the fire trucks. The place was heavily damaged and so we had no place to go. It was later in the evening. The fire was a slow burning one. "

Pausing for a moment, Princess Alexandra went on. Maxine said nothing but listened.

I've never driven a stick shift nor has Mia and well we damaged and totaled the car. That's why people like me have servants and people who help us. "

"Grandma, good morning. "said one of the children.

The thanksgiving dinner preparation went smoothly and the dinner was very nice.

"I have two daughters and two grandsons. They are in Washington D.C. My husband died a couple of years ago and my mom died about ten years ago."

Princess Alexandra and Maxine were showing each other pictures of their families. There were also some pictures of Sergi with his 2 grandsons.

"I only had the one daughter. Couldn't have any more kids, had several miscarriages. Sergi will inherit the throne when my father in law dies, but it will skip my daughter and my oldest grandchild will be in line (he's actually 2nd in line). My daughters okay with that, Sergi will try to change it so if my grandson has a daughter, she will be heir to the throne. My ex-father in law is a difficult man. After I did that interview, he really hated me as he couldn't control me like he did Sergi. Sergi was furious with me for a long time. We mended our differences as time went on. My father in law as well but he has a very long memory.

Maxine couldn't sleep and had the window in the basement slight open. She could hear Princess Alexandra talking with her ex-husband. They seemed civil enough.

1994 Interview with Barbara Walters....

"I"m talking to Princess Alexandra who is the ex-wife of Prince Sergi. You told me that Maxine Aldo was treated like a servant when she visited the family during the Christmas Holiday. "

"I didn't know Maxine but before I met her I felt like she was a rival. I couldn't believe it when Sergi's father ordered her to be my personal assistant. Even she was shocked. Sergi said nothing in her defense. She ironed my clothing, made my bed, made sure that I had a bath when I requested it. She even had to take dinner in her room. Sergi was ordered to break up with her in a way that would humiliate her. I overheard my father in law and him talking about it. I mean who does this and then on Christmas Eve, my father in law orders her to leave. He never would do such a thing to me, he wouldn't dare as I'm a royal; Maxine was a commoner and he didn't have to worry about the consequences of doing such a thing. He had no backbone but I will say that he made sure she got lodging in a safe place. I don't know the details of it but she was safe."

Barbara Walters had said prior to the interview that she had Maxine Aldo had refused comment and refused to do an interview.

"I never had to worry about Maxine becoming Sergi's mistress. His family wouldn't have it and she told me she would never take him back and I don't blame her. The mistresses that he had looked like Maxine or had similar facial features. He never loved me and quite frankly I didn't love him but we were expected to marry each other. My ex-father-in-law has a nasty temper and my ex-mother-in law is a snob. My three sisters in law or ex-sisters in laws aren't any better. I would really have to say is that Maxine Aldo is a saint. She's never had a bad word to say about Sergi or his family, never wrote a tell-all book and I don't think she ever will. She wasn't given a parting gift, no she wasn't given nothing and she has class. She really does."

While the others slept, Maxine listened to the old interview that Barbara Walters did back in the day. She taped it and for some reason kept it. It was interesting that Maxine and Princess Diana became close friends because they didn't have much in common.

The next day a limo arrived and Princess Alexandra, her daughter and two grandsons left to go to the airport. They were going to Disney World.

submitted by /u/baronesslucy [link] [comments] via Blogger https://ift.tt/3mvNo32

[excusetheconfusion]

The homeless days.

After rekindling an old friendship from a 7 year hiatus, I've been inspired/influenced to write an experience story. Usually my blogs are just stoner ramblings about my feelings and thoughts but today it'll be more of a recap kind of deal. If you've kept up with my blogs, you know about the 'bad' ex, you know about my dad dying, you know how I sold the house that I hated...this picks up right after I sold the house. After living in the small town of Houston, Missouri from 2010 to 2013, I sold my first house. Really, sold my dead dad's house. Before that, I had lived with my dad on the Gulf Coast. We went through Katrina, lost everything over and over again. So material things hadn't meant much since 2005. We had our mobile home, then another, then a FEMA camper, then a FEMA cottage, then another camper. We didn't really move, all these homes were on the same piece of property, but hurricanes kept taking them. One day, after my dad had gotten his back pay from SSI and some other government things that he had been owed, he typed in cheap properties, and Houston, Missouri popped up. We moved summer of 2010. It was my first time having a real house, I thought it was going to be great. I hated leaving my friends, and I didn't care for the town too much, but it was a real solid house. Not even a year later, my dad was killed. I ended up pulling the plug while my dad was in a coma, basically brain dead. Bar fight gone wrong. I finished the job that a 23 year old, Caleb Buckner couldn't.(feel free to search Midtown, Licking Missouri Barfight, October 8th 2011, Victim Rickie Murray) After that, the boyfriend at the time, who was 20 seemed pretty mature considering I was 16. So here I am 16, no family, a house, 2 vehicles, in a town where the only people I knew were my dad's bar friends, and my boyfriend's family. I was a good kid. Good grades, good intentions, polite, soft spoken, the worst thing I did at the time was smoke a little pot. Which what 16 year old hadn't done that? Well, my family in Louisiana tried to get me to come home but, I knew better apparently. My family let me make my own choices, which looking back on now was stupid. I was 16, they should have made me come home and have a normal life. But they didn't and that's when I began my journey alone. My boyfriends grandparents adopted me. They gave me a room in their home, and treated me like their own. They went to my drama club plays, they helped me with cash when I needed it. They loved me just like I loved them. I called them grandma and grandpa and things were fine aside from the fact that their grandson was incredibly abusive. But where else could I go? We ended up moving into my dad's house 6 months later. So, I'm 17, a senior in high school with a 21 year old living with me. It got worse once we were really alone. It was about a 2 year long process of getting dad's house back from the government. I had a plan to leave Shad, but I had to bide my time. The day I found out the house was out of probate and was able to be sold, I packed up all his stuff and had it sitting on the front concrete porch. The day he moved out was also the day that The guy who ended up being my kids dad and I would sleep together. It was a hasty thing that happened at a very vunerable time. But we ended up in love and dating soon after. He was a hippie soul, and introduced me to many of the things I cherish and while heartedly believe now. I had wanted to be homeless since I met this guy called Homeless Dave at a party in Mountain Grove, Missouri. I envied him. I always wanted to just sneak away from my ex in the middle of the night and just walk and keep walking. I figured I'd do it one day, but I didn't know how soon it would actually be. My new boyfriend and his friend's family had a plan to go to Colorado. So I said fuck it, and that I'd go too. I didn't know these people from Adam. They move in with me, and I instantly regreted it. I didn't have a kid at the time, and I never thought I would have one because I didn't like fucking kids. Well, this whole thing was turning into a shit show. Long story short, their plan was for me to financially support everyone with the new money from selling the house. Which wasn't going to happen. So, I have to be the worst person in the world and say no to a family, because all it would do is bring me down. It was hard. I still feel guilty, but the gift of being in the present (future) is that they are still in the same boat. Divorced. Had more kids, in jail, on drugs, etc. No matter what I would have done back then, it wouldn't have changed their future. So I go to Colorado, alone...minus my dog and cat. I gave away everything I owned. I took clothes, pictures, and an open mind. And kitty litter and dog food. I make the trip totally alone, 19 years old, first time free, and totally in love. So, the plan was to go to Boulder and be homeless. But I had a home, I had family, I had people who cared about me. So I wasn't homeless, I was houseless. And I wanted to be. At this time, the big flood in Boulder had just happened, so there were not only regular homeless, but there were displaced victims of a natural disaster there too. And I say homeless because it is the PC thing to say. Hobo is insulting apparently. And I mean that with all the sarcasm. I stayed at the park in Boulder, right by the library. The mix of people were rich Boulder college kids, retirees, teens who left home just because, 20 something year old stoners, drugies, or 40 something year olds who were kicked out of the crazy homes back in the day. Some people lived in tents, motel rooms, cars, storage units. Even if some of them had money, they still lived like that. I met a ton of real people. I mean, as far as they knew, I didn't have anymore or less than they did. I didn't tell a whole lot of people that I just sold a home. I didn't want to get robbed or anything. Turns out, it ended up happening. The deadbeat husband with the family that I bailed on, well he stayed in Colorado being a bum while his family was in Missouri. I let him sleep in my car from time to time. In my car, had my dad's jewelry. Gold necklace, a few gold rings... He stole them and hocked them. He stole my cell phone, and a set of tires and rims that I left in Missouri. All for nothing too, if he had stolen my things and bettered his life with it, then I don't care. Rob me fucking blind,if you are going to fix your life. That's a sacrifice I'll take. But he didn't, and he took the last of my dad's things that I had. So there I was in Colorado and the only soul I knew was the guy who I had just started dating a couple weeks ago. He got a job with relief clean up from the flood. So I was just chilling. I had my pug, Rosie on a leash and my cat, Jan in a kitty fabric carrier. I had my back pack with water, snacks, and my recreational tools with me. I would just walk around and take naps in the grass. I'd sit by a creek. Go walk down town. I was just free. It was pretty safe for the most part. I have to say, the worst thing that happened was on one of my first days there. I saw some nerds playing MTG at a table, which was a card game I was familiar with. I join them and before I could even say anything a guy sits by me. He uses my body as a wind shield, leans down and pulls out foil and a straw. I'm in disbelief. Then he exhaled and said, 'It's just meth'. Then he walked away. Shortly after, I left the nerd table to hang out with some other homeless. Another funny story. So, I have my dog Rosie, who was an unbelievably disgusting animal. Nasty mucus filled eyes, a long dry shark skin tongue, that usually had poop stuck to it, because she literally ate shit. So with that horrifing backstory, I would walk around with Rosie and people would ask to take pictures with her. I let about 10 people take them for free. I decided to start charging. I was homeless, so I may as well hustle. This huge black guy with a briefcase come up to me, asks to take a picture of her, and I was like 'what cool thing do you have to trade'? This mother fucker opens up his brief case, that is full of buds of weed, and he throws a handful on the ground. Well that was enough of a payment for me. Never saw him again. Once it got to be October, it was getting pretty cold in Colorado. So we got an apartment in Westminster. Which ended up being the hood. And ya know, we still kept our homeless friends. We would go visit them in the park, or they would come and stay the night. We kept in contact the whole time in Colorado. Those people were 100. And those are the people who most see I'm the sides of the road and look down on them. Honestly most of those people had more money in their pockets then most 40 hour a week workers. I'd say the experience in a whole was humbling. Not just for me but for perspective on other people. I've showered in a homeless shelter. I've ate food from a soup kitchen. I had strangers give me socks and hot dogs, they took time out of their day to give me some comfort. It was a toughening thing too, knowing that I don't need anything or anyone and I'm good. I have it handled. I denied help when I felt like it. Because I knew I had the means if I wanted. I was pretty ghetto at times. I mean, I took sink showers in grocery store bathrooms for shits sake. I highly recommend doing something crazy like this at least one time. The only thing stopping you is you. It is as easy as waking up and giving everything away. Just walking away from everything you know. Right when it is scariest, that's when you jump. Who knows, you may jump into a shit storm, and walk away with less than what you came in with. You may ruin your relationship and be miserable. You may meet the love of your life. You may get pregnant and have the most beautiful baby. Your life may take a complete 180. But wouldn't you rather know what happens? I don't know how anyone could just wonder about these things...jump. It's the best choice I've ever made.