themeixhuang

[themeixhuang]

"It takes a village." Mei told her softly, smiling still. She'd been alone at the end of her pregnancy, and in the beginning it'd been hard to open up and trust anyone, so it was difficult at first. But slowly she began trusting people, she found the likes of Santiago and Joey, friends who were more like family now, and with their help, Mei was able to raise Luna with a little community of love. She didn't think she'd be able to do it alone. She was glad Sterling never had to go through that.

She was also glad Sterling didn't get upset with her at her sudden question. She almost regretted it though when she saw the way Sterling reacted, and when she heard the girl's words, Mei felt her stomach twist a bit. What if Mateo did the same?

"I apologize, I shouldn't have just...sprung it like that. I promise that wasn't the reason to have this little picnic today either." Although it was a reason that crossed her mind. "I just...I was only wondering because..I'm sort of in the same situation as well." Mei looked over to the girls then, Sunny and Luna plucking out blades of grass while laughing and playing. "Luna's father is here and...I'm just not quite sure how to navigate it all. With her. I don't want to hurt her, or confuse her or...anything like that. I'm not quite sure what to do."

“It’s been challenging but I’ve got a lot of people helping me out. My sister and her husband like to take Sunny out sometimes, my boyfriend is there to help, my dad visits and takes care of Sunny a lot. I really couldn’t do it without them.�� Sterling smiled softly even as her eyes watered a bit as she thought about how lucky she was this time around.

Sterling happily took Mei up on going ahead and starting to eat and got scoop of the fruit salad to put into one of the paper bowls they brought along. She began eating when suddenly Mei’s question made her eyes widen. She didn’t like to talk about Sunny’s father at all, but she didn’t think Mei would ask without good reason.

“Umm..” Sterling breathed and set the bowl on the picnic blanket while she rest a hand on her belly, almost to comfort herself this time.

“He left soon after I told him I was pregnant. I was barely showing at all before he left so he never even saw me like this.” She gestured to her round stomach. “He left and came back about three years after she was born and wanted to meet her. I wouldn’t let him because I didn’t trust him to stick around. No surprise that I was right. He was gone again soon after and I haven’t spoken to him since. Why?”

@themeixhuang

[themeixhuang]

"It definitely put a damper on things since it was only up for a few days. I definitely don't want my daughter feeling that disappointed, so, I've most definitely become the person that decorates little by little throughout November, and then keep it up into January." It was absolutely a comfort to have the warm glow of the lights up for weeks at a time. "I knew someone once that kept their tree up all year round and honestly? It sounds like fun. She'd decorate it for different holidays and all, and it's economical since it doubles as a lamp!" Mei said with a laugh. "Might have to take a page out of her book, at least to keep some lights all strung up."

"Oh gosh, that certainly doesn't sound like a very festive time." Gwen would say that she's more into Christmas than her parents, but they still liked to have things properly decorated from the front porch to the backyard even if it's just Christmas lights. "I'm glad you are able to have something that brings you more joy now with your daughter. I tend to keep the small Christmas tree I have in my room up for as long as I can. There's just something so cozy and comforting about the glow of Christmas tree." @themeixhuang

[themeixhuang]

Mei had a wide smile on her face as she watched the interaction, glad that he was playing along because it just made Luna grin and giggle louder that she'd easily been able to scare him! as she so excitedly put it. And with Luna settling in happily besides Reggie, Mei slid in across from them, letting out her own laugh at his comment.

"You've got a point there." She told him with a nod- her own accent much softer and poised despite not having set foot amongst the upper echelons of London in years. As they spoke she watched Luna immediately scrambling to kneel beside him and just start grabbing at his arm, twisting and prodding at his skin as she investigated the ink coloring his skin. "I came prepared this time by the way. Skin-safe markers so she doesn't inevitably try and take a Sharpie to your arms like her own personal coloring book." and it was just another thing she loved about him, how open and at ease he was with her daughter. People like him were what made this town a home for them, giving Luna a circle of people and a support system who loved her.

"We did, yes. She made out like an absolute bandit. We'll be having kitkats and skittles into the new year I'm sure. And yes! The sitter stayed with her the rest of the evening and I went for a few hours. It was fun, if not a little....chaotic?" She offered with a laugh. "Once a fight broke out near me over something as silly as a spilt drink I figured it was time to head home. The end of the year masquerade is much more my speed." At least at those there was a somewhat less chance of brawls breaking out. Sometimes. "And you? Any Halloween shenanigans? Or plans now for the upcoming holidays?"

"Help, I'm being robbed!" Reggie half-yelps, picking up his giggle-y assailant instead of fighting back as he pretends that it's dawned on him who it was who had run up on him.

"Luna, sheesh," He says like he's relieved, a grin on his face as he hugs her hello, "You scared me, you know I can't take you in a one-v-one."

The Welshman had grown well-accustomed to being a human jungle gym of sorts to Luna and Oliver whenever they had playdates at his and Fletcher's, his party trick being making a show of walking around with each of them hanging from each of his biceps like a pair of spider monkeys.

He made space for his little friend to sit beside him seeing as she was on his side of the booth anyway, laughing at her mother's accurate take.

"Fear not, it's just the height that can makes people assume I'm a tough bloke. I ruin it myself the minute I open my mouth because I always say silly things in my silly accent, don't I?" He jokes, nudging Luna beside him gently which had her catching his arm.

He had deliberately worn short sleeves to brunch so she could take stock of his tattoos, which she always seemed to like doing.

"You survived trick or treating then," He says to Mei, having heard in the lead up to the night how excited Luna had been for it, "Did you do Sharkys after or was it a quiet one for you?"

@themeixhuang

[themeixhuang]

Since she was still navigating life now with Mateo back in the picture, Mei wasn't quite sure what to do regarding holidays, but when Noelle extended an invite for her and Luna, she just couldn't say no. Noelle had been a friend for years now, and Luna absolutely adored visiting her at the bakery, so it was a no brainer to show up today. She grinned brightly at the greeting, immediately moving to give the other woman a hug. "Of course! Thank you so much for inviting us. Luna's been so excited to see Sunny and all her other little friends, it's all she's been able to talk about all week."

open starter: @aurorabaystarter

where: Noelle's home in Seabrook Quarter on November 21st, the day of her Friendsgiving

"Oh my god, hi!" Noelle beamed as she opened her front door to greet her guests. "I'm so glad you could make it! Please, come in and make yourself at home. We have plenty of food, drinks, desserts... Oh, I have little coloring books and things for the kids, too! Thank you for being here."

[themeixhuang]

Mei smiled and just waved off her thanks, "None of that necessary. Raising a five year old is hard enough, I can't imagine doing it while pregnant. I do hope you're finding time to rest as well throughout? Please let me know if you ever need me to pick up Sunny along with Luna some days, I'm sure the girls would love it." it was nice, knowing her daughter had friends and people she loved. It was nice knowing she had a wonderful little life here- it made all the heartache in Mei's past worth it.

"Well then, eat! Please!" She told her with a laugh, "Have anything and everything you two want." Mei herself grabbed one of the juice containers she brought to pour herself one. "I'm good, we're good, all things considered.." Mei's smile tinged just a bit as she looked to the girls running around for a moment before she thought of something and she bit her lip, hesitating before speaking. "Feel free to tell me it's none of my business and I'll zip it, but....does Sunny know her father? Or...or does she ever ask about him?"

Sterling liked Mei a lot and sometimes she wished she’d known her sooner than now, but she was still glad to have her in her life and glad that Sunny and Luna were friends. It was nice to have been invited to have a picnic with the girls and Sterling felt her mouth watering as Mei listed off the foods she brought. “Oh god, all of this sounds so good. You’re an angel, Mei, seriously.” Sterling let out a soft laugh when Mei corrected her to say there were five of them there and Sterling moved her hand to rest of her belly. “Ah yeah, he’s not so easy to hide anymore.” Not that Sterling was trying to hide her pregnancy anymore. In fact, she’d been far more excited about this pregnancy and posted about it on social media more so than when she was pregnant with Sunny. It made her feel a bit guilty for not giving Sunny the same attention back then. But back then Sterling was going through a lot and she now at least knew she had a wonderful support system.

“Hungry all the time.” Sterling laughed and rubbed her hand over her belly. “Baby’s healthy and I’m not panicking as much anymore.” Although she had plenty of worries about postpartum. “How are you?”

@themeixhuang

[themeixhuang]

Despite how...tense she felt having this conversation, Joey was one she trusted to have it with. Someone she trusted to know everything. "No, he didn't know. I found out I was pregnant after he left." And given she was told by her father that he was dead...she never tried to find him after coming here. "And as for Luna...I'm not really sure? The only father figure she's ever had in her life is Santiago- and even then, he's more the loving uncle. She's getting to the age now where she's around more kids at school and realizing she's missing something, but..." Mei trailed off, feeling a pang inside herself because she never wanted Luna to be left wanting. She didn't want her daughter to feel excluded or like she was missing something in her life- but unfortunately she knew that was becoming a reality right now as she started kindergarten and started being around children who did have fathers.

Joey was right though, about pretty much all of it. "I don't want to confuse her, or upset her, but I don't want to keep it from her for forever either. But I also don't want to force Mateo to just...assume the father role right off the bat? Because I know it's a lot for him too.." Another sigh left her and she took another long sip of her wine. "I wish I hadn't been scared all those years ago. I wish I would've just run away with him when he asked..." but then, they could've been tracked down, they both could have been found and killed by her father and his men... "What would you do? If...you were in this crazy situation," She asked with a soft, near-humorless little laugh. "Rip the bandaid off and tell Luna the truth without really knowing him, or let it go at a slower at a pace until he's ready and just...slowly introduce them to each other?"

It’s hard for Joey to believe otherwise, but she considers Mei’s honest nature. She wouldn’t lie to defend this man. If it was purely coincidence, she would believe her.

The bigger concern, of course, is Luna. Joey makes a sound that sounds like a hum as she takes into consideration the nature of Mei’s relationship with him, past and current, and then the one who takes precedence in all of it. “Did he know about Luna before?” she can’t help but pry. “And what does Lu think about a ‘father’ figure in general?” Was it a topic broached with her prior? 

“I… don’t know. It’s a tricky thing to introduce a kid to someone, and then to maybe, down the line, tell the truth? Is it worth having her start to build a relationship with a man she doesn’t know on a lie?”

@themeixhuang

[themeixhuang]

Mei ushered her daughter inside, the little girl clearly excited to spend an afternoon with other kids. Mei followed suit immediately after, all the while shaking her head as Ruby apologized, "Oh please, nothing to apologize for. Luna once wanted a snow day and threw an entire bag of flour all over the kitchen before getting twigs and leaves from outside to make a whole winter wonderland of sorts." Mei laughed at the memory even if at the time she didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the absolute chaos in the room. "It was also like, July, mind you." but as insane as these little things were, they were memories they'd keep as parents.

"We've been good! And yes, she loved it. She was Moana and has been sleeping with the little stuffed pig that came with the costume ever since." With the girls off to play then Mei motioned to the bags and brought them over to put down on the couch. "So there's plenty of toys and clothes in here for the girls- all cleaned of course." She tacked on with a smile. "I figured we could go through it all and see what you wanted to keep? And I'll donate the rest. And maybe also order some food? If you're all up for it of course"

with penny resting firmly on her hip and zelda hanging off her arm, ruby quickly opened up the door while also trying to keep the dog from running out. "hey! and hello to you too, miss luna." the usual overwhelmed mom uniform on in full force: sweatshirt, paint-stained leggings, and the classic mom bun told the story of the day. "oh gosh! thank you so much. come on in!" her voice cheery but obviously overused. "please ignore the mess. zell decided she needed to open her new bakery right in the middle of the living room." a small nod of agreement bounced zelda's golden curls.

stepping out of the way to let mei in, ruby placed penny in her little playpen. "how've you been? did you guys have a great halloween?"

[themeixhuang]

"I came from a household that barely decorated, and then they'd only do it a week or so before Christmas? Which I never understood. It was made even worse when they'd want to remove everything the day after Christmas." Mei shook her head, a little frown on her lips as she thought of how strict and...well, cold her father had been growing up. "Now with my daughter though we've started the tradition to put decorations up the first weekend after Halloween- and she insists we keep the tree and lights up well into January, which is fine with me with how happy it makes her."

open starter for @aurorabaystarter location: choose your own adventure

"Okay, so are you a person that waits until after Thanksgiving to put up Christmas decorations? Or is it exactly right after Halloween that Christmas will get put up?" Gwen thought waiting until after Thanksgiving was the way to go, since that's when Christmas music would play on the radio. But recently, she felt as if this weekend was the perfect weekend to start.

[themeixhuang]

closed - @rubyraine-macmillon

where - ruby's place

Given Luna's recent growth spurt, Mei had a lot of older clothes and things, some even still with the tags on, that she figured Ruby could look through for her daughter. So ringing the bell, she grinned when the other girl opened the door, her own daughter Luna bouncing excitedly beside her. "Hi! I come bearing gifts."

[themeixhuang]

closed - @sterlingxlevin

where - botanical gardens

With a weekend off for both of them, Mei was excited to let Luna and Sunny have a little picnic amongst the flowers, especially since Mei herself wanted to check in on Sterling. The other girl was a friend of course, but Mei also felt a bit motherly towards her, and knowing now that she was pregnant, Mei just wanted to make sure everything was going well with her.

"Okay, so I brought a whole fruit salad because when I was pregnant with Lu I craved grapes and kiwi nearly every single day. I also really craved pretzels and peanut butter so I brought that too." She told her with a laugh as she finished laying out the picnic blanket and let the girls run around for a bit before eating. "And a bunch of other snacks and little things to go along with the grilled chicken wraps I made for all of us. Luna's current fixation is adding crunchy cheetos into any sandwich too, so.." She trailed off as she picked up the bag of chips. "There's plenty here for all four of us--well, five." Mei added with a grin as she nodded to Sterling's belly. "How're you doing?"

[themeixhuang]

A smile somewhat pulled onto Mei's lips, humming softly as she briefly thought of her baby brother (whom she hadn't seen in well over a decade) but just the same, she figured it was right up younger sibling alley to ditch the older sibling at a party. "Well, the entire town is pretty much packed in here, so it'll be safe to assume at least one friend will be made." She looked to the bar then, humming softly, "I had one earlier, it was a bloody cosmo? It wasn't too sweet so I was planning on getting another. You might like it if you like cranberry? There's also a neon green margarita that could be up your alley if you like tequila."

"It was just my two younger siblings, but yes they deserted me. They didn't completely leave but they just went about their business. They're pretty social people so I feel like they'll make a ton of friends while visiting." He laughed a bit, "That's totally fine, I saw some people with the different colored cocktails and they look really cook. Have you had any yet or would this be your first one? I wouldn't know what one to get but not sure if it's going to be too sugary for me since I don't like all those sweet drinks."

[themeixhuang]

Mei: Oh? Mei: I'd love to! If you're sure that is Mei: I am. It's actually quite pretty if I do say so myself. Mei: (I've never quite been one for the more gory aspect of Halloween)

Mateo: You should! I'll give you a tour sometime and we can get dinner together after. Mateo: Are you wearing a costume then? @themeixhuang

[themeixhuang]

Mei came with a friend but had lost her in the crowd, so rather naturally, Mei found herself gravitating towards the bar, figuring a cocktail would help pass the time. Looking to the man she'd moved beside she gave him an easy smile, humming softly, "Deserted? Did they leave altogether?" She wondered, tilting her head to the side before she wrinkled up her name at the question, shaking her head, "Oh- no thank you. I've never quite been one for shots. I'm more of a glass of red wine kind of person. Or a fluorescently-colored cocktail in this case."

Open Starter For: Anybody @aurorabaystarter Location: Sharky's Monster Mash

Oliver wasn't feeling like himself lately, but that's when his siblings had shown up into town and they surprised him. He was glad that they were able to come for Halloween so that he could party with them. He hadn't partied much with his younger siblings since he was always worried about taking care of them. But as usual, they took off with someone random and Oliver, dressed as Harry potter, found himself alone. He ordered himself a drink at the bar and he looked around while he waited. He looked to the person who was closest to him and he smiled, "It's so nice when you're deserted by people who came to town to see you." He chuckled a bit. "I was going to take a shot, are you interested in joining?"

[themeixhuang]

Mei: That's good to hear. Maybe I should stop by the hotel some time? I've never actually been to the restaurant in it but I've heard it's good. Mei: Aww okay. I am yeah, my friend convinced me to go with her, so Lu will be with the sitter

Mateo: All is well here, thank you for asking! Mateo: I was not planning on it. Are you? @themeixhuang

[themeixhuang]

mei 📲 mateo

Mei: Hey Mei: Just checking in, hope today was good? Mei: And also just curious if you're thinking of going to the Halloween party the town does? They tend to go all out @mateoxdiaz

[themeixhuang]

Mei hummed in agreement, nodding her head as she took a sip from her wine. It was all still quite overwhelming and she just hoped that, somehow, things would turn out alright. Joey's question was one she was almost expecting, so when she heard it, Mei just shook her head.

"No, he had no idea I was here. I used to come here years ago with my husband so...he maybe remembered the name of the town? He's also not native to London, he was only there because of the job he took..which was to be a bodyguard. My bodyguard. That's how we met....and how we managed to find time alone together." Mei's thoughts drifted off as she spoke, a wistful little smile on her lips as she thought about their secret moments togethers. "He's finally feeling up for meeting Luna now too, even if I don't think it's best for her to know he's her father just yet. I...I think it might be better to ease her into it? To meet him first, spend time with him..." it sounded smart in her head anyways. "What do you think?"

It is usually how these nights work. A subtle pattern of bottles of wine, late afternoons bleeding into early evening until Luna is to go to bed, and Mei opening up. Joey does wonder if it is the lowered inhibitions to make it so that Mei can be vulnerable, or if it's just that Joey has proven herself to be a trustworthy friend. She hopes more for the second even if she gets the need for wine to make things easier.

"That's a development, isn't it?"

Though, Joey notes to herself, not the same kind of development she heard last time. This is... good, isn't it? Hopefully it is, once Joey gets to the bottom of it.

"That's quite a coincidence. I mean, England to Aurora Bay? This place isn't Los Angeles, it's not a big star on a map. Did he seek you out?"

@themeixhuang

[themeixhuang]

Mei watched as Luna was all too excited to take the ice cream tokens from the woman, bouncing in place as she clutched at them like they were gold. "That's a good point, especially because she gets cranky when that slump hits." Mei told her with a laugh, resting her hand on Luna's shoulder as she stood upright. "Thanks again, really. Are you enjoying yourself?"

Presley goes to her small purse and plucks out two of the free ice cream tickets that she had been designated to hand out to children at the carnival and tucks them into the little girl's hand before she stands to her upright height again, smiling at the mother.

"Look at it this way -- the sugar will give her a second wind do she doesn't hit that 2 PM slump. Lines for the games will be shorter because all the other kids will have to go home for naps."

@themeixhuang