#imagine it's 1997 and it's father's day and erin's talking about their little family and how they got to where they are :')

[erineverly]

 ◤  THEIR  ROSE  GARDEN  IS  BLOOMING  !

            one  of  the  most  private  actresses  in  hollywood ,   𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧  𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐚  𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲  𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 ,  opens  up  about  her  marriage  to  the  former  juvenile  delinquent  and  choirboy ,  now  retired  king  of  rock  n’  roll  and  father  of  two  —  𝐚𝐱𝐥  𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞.  after  years  of  silence ,  the  jordache  model  shares  some  of  the  most  intimate  stories  about  the  couple’s  struggles  with  mental  health ,  secondary  infertility  and  parenthood.  

            ❛  you  know ,  i  still  can’t  believe  that  today  we  are  celebrating  𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬  𝐝𝐚𝐲  with  not  one  but  two  beautiful  miracles  because  our  journey  to  get  to  where  we  are  now  wasn’t  easy.  actually ,  it  was  a  rollercoaster.  one  of  the  wildest  rides  ever.  there  were  days  when  i  felt  like  giving  up ,  when  i  just  couldn’t  take  it  anymore ,  but  my  husband  was  right  by  my  side ,  doing  everything  in  his  power  to  comfort  and  support  me.  it  was  all  the  more  surprising  for  us  because  getting  pregnant  the  first  time  was  a  breeze.  we  love  our  son ,  we  wouldn’t  trade  him  for  the  world  and  wouldn’t  change  a  thing ,  but  back  in  1990  we  didn’t  necessarily  think  we  were  ready  for  such  a  huge  step.  i  mean ,  we  just  got  married ,  we  lived  in  a  fairly  small  condo  in  west  hollywood ,  neither  of  us  was  mature  enough  to  take  care  of  a  little  human  but  we  stuck  together  and  we  did  it ,  despite  all  the  obstacles  that  came  our  way.  one  of  them  being  the  use  your  illusion  tour.  our  son  was  born  in  the  fall  of  1990  and  my  husband  had  to  leave  us  and  travel  the  world  only  a  few  months  later.  i  was  devastated.  it  was  a  terrible ,  terrible  experience.  of  course ,  he  tried  to  fly  home  as  often  as  possible  but  the  weeks  spent  apart  still  took  a  toll  on  our  relationship.  i’m  surprised  we  didn’t  sign  the  divorce  papers  and  went  separate  ways.  i  think  we  have  our  son  to  thank  for  this.  we  stayed  together  for  him.  we  never  stopped  trying  because  we  didn’t  want  him  to  grow  up  in  a  broken  home.  [  .  .  .  ]   then ,  when  all  that  insanity  came  to  an  end ,  he  stopped  touring  after  twenty - eight  months ,  we  finally  sorted  everything  out  and  learned  how  to  fix  our  issues.  we  had  to  go  back  to  the  start  and  rebuild  our  relationship  from  what  little  was  left  of  it.  it  took  us  some  time  to  feel  like  we  were  in  the  right  place  to  focus  on  ourselves  and  even  consider  adding  another  tiny  human  to  our  family.  it  was  actually  our  son ,  who  was  about  three  and  a  half ,  maybe  four  at  the  time.  he  started  asking  us  for  a  brother  or  a  sister  and  we  eventually  decided  that  it  was  something  all  of  us  wanted.  we  were  stable  financially ,  had  a  big  house ,  enough  time  to  raise  more  than  one  child ,  and  so  we  started  trying.  we  didn’t  expect  it  would  be  that  difficult.  the  negative  pregnancy  tests  began  to  pile  up  and  that’s  when  the  disappointment  came.  it  was  a  challenge  to  say  the  least.  we  felt  blessed  and  didn’t  want  to  be  ungrateful  because  we  already  had  one  child  but  we  both  come  from  big  families  and  wanted  to  have  one  of  our  own.  we  wanted  our  son  to  have  a  sibling ,  a  best  friend.  i  felt  like  a  failure.  it  was  horrible.  i  wouldn’t  wish  that  upon  my  worst  enemy.  [  .  .  .  ]   so ,  we’re  incredibly  lucky  to  have  two  perfectly  healthy  children.  they’re  our  greatest  blessings.  and  my  husband  ?  he’s  a  whole  different  person  these  days.  he’s  the  sweetest ,  most  nurturing  father  in  the  world.  when  our  daughter  was  a  newborn ,  he  would  wake  up  in  the  middle  of  the  night  to  feed  her  and  change  her  diapers  so  that  i  could  get  some  extra  sleep.  he’s  been  puked  and  pooped  on  more  times  than  i  can  count  but  he’s  never  the  one  to  complain.  he  takes  our  son  to  his  piano  lessons  on  tuesdays ,  hosts  the  greatest  sleepover  parties ,  bakes  and  cooks  with  him.  there  are  nights  when  our  now ��almost  seven - year - old  just  refuses  to  sleep  and  axl  stays  in  his  room ,  reading  him  his  favorite  bedtime  stories  until  his  voice  gives  out.  right  now  my  men  are  building  a  tree  house  in  our  backyard  and  i’m  terrified  but  they’re  having  so  much  fun  together  that  i  simply  don’t  have  the  heart  to  ask  them  to  stop.  he’s  amazing ,  you  know  ?  there’s  nothing  he  wouldn’t  do  for  our  children.  he  loves  them  unconditionally.  but  what  i’m  most  proud  of  is  how  he  teaches  them  that  marriage  and  love  are  constant  compromise  and  teamwork.  our  son  and  daughter  get  to  grow  up  in  a  house  where  mommy  and  daddy  are  equal ,  where  we  have  our  moments ,  our  strengths  and  weaknesses ,  but  that’s  why  we  need  to  work  together  to  always  succeed  in  the  end.  he  inspires  them  to  reach  for  the  stars.  he  truly  is  the  greatest  father  in  the  entire  universe ,  ❜  says  erin  rose  in  a  rare ,  personal  interview  with  kim  neely.  read  more  about  it  in  our  father’s  day  special  !

a  little  something  for  my  favorite  ;  @thornrosed

[sandy-sims]

                           Finding Marley: The Story So Far... 

As a lot of you will already know Finding Marley was the first story I ever published on Tumblr. It was how I got my blog started and without it I wouldn’t be where I am today 🙂 I used to update the story every day or so, however over the past few weeks I’ve been lacking inspiration to write and to post 😞 But!! Over the last few days I’ve begun queuing up the next posts and hopefully the updates will stay regular until the story inevitably ends 😞

Because my posts have been so irregular lately I’ve realised that some people may have forgotten some details of what has already happened 🙂 aaaaand of course I don’t expect you to reread it all again!! (unless you want to of course!) So, I’ve put together a post basically recapping the entire story so far from:

Prologue

Act 1

Act 2

So if you’re needing a refresher, keep reading! The recap also outlines links I intended their to be in the story. Or if you’d like you can read from the beginning, here!

Note: If you’re new to the story and have never read it before you can totally read this to catch up if you’d like, but I would strongly suggest reading the story from the beginning properly if you have the time; I believe it only takes about 30-45 minutes, if that!! 🙂 the mixture of the music, the screenshots, and the dialogue is what makes Finding Marley, Finding Marley 🙂 (can you tell that it’s my baby?? lmao xD)

May 2007: Willow Creek, Louisiana

28 year old Nick Wiley retells the story of how he met and fell in love with Marley Holbrook. 

“I am twenty-eight years old, not too old, but old enough to be lonely. I had been in love once, that I knew. Once and only once, and a long time ago. And it had changed me forever. Perfect love does that to a man, and this had definitely been perfect.” 

                                              10 Years Earlier...

The Prologue: June 1997: Willow Creek, Louisiana

18 year old Nick Wiley meets 17 year old Louisianan heiress Marley Holbrook at the Bayou Carnival, through his two best-friends Reuben and Jenna. 

“As I shook her hand and met her eyes, I knew that she was the one I would spend the rest of my life looking for but never find again.”

Nick fondly recalls the summer that they fell in love; from their first day to their last. 

“By late August the best of the summer had gone, but the new fall hadn’t begun. We spent our last days on the grass under the trees of Magnolia Blossom Park. We spent hours talking about our dreams- mine of seeing the world, Marley’s of photographing it. Suddenly all the things that ever troubled me seemed far away and unimportant: all that mattered was the touch of Marley’s hand in mine. And so, on a humid evening in late August, under the stars, I proposed.

When she left town two days later, she took a piece of me and the last few days of summer with her.”

The Prologue: August 1997: Willow Creek, Louisiana

We learn that although Marley accepted Nick’s proposal, her parents refused to accept their marriage. Distraught and sick of her structured, silver-spoon upbringing, Marley suggests the two of them move to San Myshuno, California. As much as he wants to go with her, Nick decides to remain in Willow Creek to look after his aging father and their business; something which Nick never actually admits to his father.

“My Mother passed away when I was just four years old, and ever since then my dad had taken care of me- he taught me everything that mattered. But now, it was my turn to take care of him. I couldn’t just up and leave for California.

I didn’t like that my Dad blamed Marley for leaving, but I couldn’t live if he’d blamed himself for me not following her.”

Act 1: May 2007: Willow Creek, Louisiana 

Nick reveals that he eventually did go to California to find Marley, 3 years after she left; 2000. The year is now 2007 and Nick intends to look for her one final time.

The night before Nick leaves for San Myshuno he has dinner with his old friends Jenna and Rebuen, who are now engaged and have a daughter; Lennox, together. Nick reveals that he’s ready to settle down, and the only woman he can imagine settling down with his Marley. Jenna and Nick’s father warn Nick that Marley may not be how he remembers her. Nick remains hopeful.

Act 1: May 2007: San Myshuno, California 

During a conversation (as well as a flashback) between Marley and her bestfriend, Alma Komine, we learn that Marley met someone in 1998, Andrew Proust; a well-to-do Investment Banker from Cambridgeshire. The pair first met in Andrew’s senior year of college at a party, and was immediately drawn to her. But sensing that she still harboured feelings for someone else, didn't ask her out until several years later. During Marley and Alma’s (present day) conversation it becomes clear that Marley still has unresolved feelings for Nick.

Nick arrives in San Myshuno but struggles to track Marley down; there are 36 Marlene Holbrooks in San Myshuno alone, so he calls them all up. Meanwhile Andrew and Marley are out on a date. Upon returning from their date Andrew checks their answering machine only to find a message from Marley’s old fiance, Nick Wiley, asking to meet her. 

We learn that Marley never told Andrew about her being previously engaged, upon finding out Andrew flies into a rage; disappearing for several days.

Meanwhile Nick and Marley meet up in the city. Nick is upset to find out that Marley has moved on from him; they blame eachother for their breakup. Eventually the pair reconcile and agree to see eachother one last time before Nick returns to Willow Creek, Louisiana. However, Andrew appears just in time to catch the pair embracing. He leaves without a word, Marley and Nick unaware.

Andrew goes to the bar that his best friend, Mira Vecoli, works at. We learn that he’s been staying at her apartment for the past few days. Although it’s never explicitly acknowledged, this post suggests that perhaps Mira has feelings for Andrew.

Andrew returns Marley the following day, but the two argue over where he’s been. He later announces an unexpected business trip to Los Angeles and leaves just before Marley goes to meet Nick for their final goodbye.

Nick and Marley go to a restaurant and they talk about why their relationship fell apart. In this post we see a glimpse of what could’ve been. During their dinner Nick recieves a phone call from Reuben telling him that Nick’s father has been rushed to hospital; and he may not make it. Both tragically and ironically, it is Nick’s father yet again that unknowingly seperates him from Marley, just like in 1997.

Nick and Marley spend Nick’s final night in San Myshuno in a hotel room drinking and watching their favourite movie; Casablanca. We see a flashback to the first time they watched it at a drive-in movie theatre in 1997; noteably this was also the first time they said ‘I love you.’

They awake the next day in bed together. Marley immediately worries that they slept together, but Nick reassures her that nothing happened. As the two leave the hotel, Andrew’s bestfriend’s Mira and Natalia spot them...

Marley takes Nick to the airport and they say their goodbyes. Marley thanks Nick for ‘Finding Her.’ And promises him that the next time she goes to Willow Creek, she’ll look him up.

                                                4 Months later...

Act 2: September 2007, Willow Creek: Louisiana (present day)

Act 2 opens with Nick leaving flowers at his mothers grave. But a unknown woman finds him and tells him “It’s time to go home, Nick.” Consquently Nick drives home, but as he drives he sees Marley in the street; we quickly realize that it’s just his imagination.

Nick arrives home and we learn that his father is now wheelchair-bound, and that Nick has bought an old-abandoned house that he’s fixing up. Nick’s dad gives Nick a letter from Marley; the two have kept in touch since he left.

We then meet Marley’s mother, Blanche Holbrook, who pays Nick a visit later that night. She reveals that Marley is coming back to Willow Creek for 2 whole weeks for her little sister, Viola Holbrook’s wedding. Blanche warns Nick to stay away from Marley.

Marley arrives in Willow Creek and we meet her family. It quickly becomes clear that Marley and her sisters don’t get on particularly well with their parents. eg. their parents refuse to call Erin’s girlfriend, her girlfriend, instead referring to her as friend. We then learn that Marley and Andrew are still together, but he’s still in San Myshuno because of work; but he’ll be coming back ‘in time for the rehearsal dinner.’

During a conversation (and a flashback) between Nick and Reuben it is revealed that the house Nick has bought was the house that Marley wanted them to live in when they got married. The house was about to be condemned and knocked down, so Nick bought it in order to save it. Reuben thinks Nick is crazy.

Marley and her family go to a wedding dress fitting in the town only for her to run into Jenna, one of Nick’s bestfriends. Jenna tells Marley that Nick will be at the hospital. Marley rushes to the hospital to find a very sickly and bedridden Tyler Wylie (Nick’s dad). In a drugged state Tyler reveals to Marley that Nick has never gotten over her, and most likely never will. We then see that Nick was easedropping on the conversation. In a heated exchange in the hallway, Nick and Marley come close to kissing, before a nurse interupts them. After Tyler’s check-up is over Marley asks Nick if she can have dinner at his house.

                                                  Meanwhile...

Act 2: September 2007, San Myshuno: California  (present day)

Meanwhile, Andrew, Mira and Natalia are hanging out in the bar that Mira works at. Andrew reveals that he is going to ask Marley to marry him, in hopes that being married will ‘fix their problems.’ It is also revealed that Andrew lied about having to work, he actually just doesn’t like Marley’s family. Mira becomes riled up over Andrew’s engagment announcment and tells him about the day that she and Natalia saw Nick and Marley coming out of a hotel downtown.

Act 2: September 2007, Willow Creek: Louisiana (present day)

Back in Louisiana Nick brings Marley back to his house, the house that he bought and restored for her. Overwhelmed with emotion the two end up kissing. Meanwhile the Holbrook’s are all gathered for a dinner party, a dinner party that Marley is missing. Worried for Marley’s safety, Erin calls her.

Nick ends their kiss before things can progress.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment... But this isn’t right. I’m not willing to share you, you’re either all mine, or not mine at all... You have to choose.” 

“I want to sit out on that porch with you Marley. I want to build you your studio. I want us to... have a future. I want me and you, forever, everyday. It’s all I’ve ever wanted... Is that something you can give me?”

Before Marley can answer she is interupted by Erin’s phone call. Nick drives Marley home and kisses her on the cheek outside her house. Marley’s mother, Blanche, spots them through the window. Marley, her mother and her father have an explosive argument over her future, only for Marley’s sister, Viola to lash out at her parents, “You two just had to drive her away again, didn’t you?”

Marley and Viola go upstairs and Marley tells Viola about her kiss with Nick. Marley gives us more insight into Nick and his inability to live in the present.

Act 2: September 2007, San Myshuno: California (present day)

Andrew and Mira are out by the docks and Andrew is finishing a cigarette. It becomes clear that Mira harbors some kind of feelings for Andrew, as they embrace, Andrew’s mind flashes to an image of Marley. He leaves Mira by the docks telling her “I’m going to the airport.”

Act 2: September 2007, Willow Creek: Louisiana (present day)

The next day Nick is on his hamock on the porch of his house. He is approached by the same unknown woman from the opening of Act 2. We learn that her name is Stella, and she and Nick dated “on and off” after Marley left in 1997, though clearly it didn’t work out.

Marley’s car pulls up to Nick’s house as he and Stella share a laugh, it becomes clear that Marley is jealous. Nick encourages Stella to leave and he takes Marley to see ‘her surprise’. Nick takes Marley on a canoe ride on the same river that they canoed down in 1997. After the boat ride they walk around the park and Marley questions Nick about Stella and their history, however Nick becomes aggrivated and refuses to elaborate.

In a flashback labelled “January 2001, Oasis Springs: Arizona” we see a young Nick and Stella in the desert, presumably on some sort of vaction. Stella asks Nick if he still thinks about Marley, to which he doesn’t reply. Stella tells him, “You’re a walking tragedy, Nick Wiley.” It’s suggested that Stella and Nick’s relationship fell apart because he couldn’t move on from Marley.

Back in the present day, 2007, Andrew arrives in Willow Creek.