Morningstar Manor

Gavin had just gone down for his nap and Alec was getting ingredients together to make himself a grilled ham and cheese sandwich when the front door suddenly opened.

Squashing the sandwich together between his hands, Alec took a couple steps and leaned through the doorway, curious as to who was letting themselves in the apartment at this time of day.

Ang was tired, and after an appointment with her doctor earlier in the week had been back today with a decision made. Now, worried and feeling slightly out of control, she was seeking solace in a large tea, and a couple of muffins. Not for the first time did she wish Julie was here, a friend she could, rely on to tell her if she was being completely stupid, a shoulder to lean on that wouldn't have any preconceived notions of what was right or wrong. She sighed heavily and sipped at her tea, the paper in front of her open to the business pages, a notebook filled with shorthand to one side of it, but she wasn't really looking anymore, she was just, staring into space worrying.

Around her the Mocha filled up, but she didn't notice, not until someone approached her table anyway.

After chasing Gavin around most of the night, the little tyke finally tuckered out and Alec found him fast asleep in Faith's dog bed. The dog sat nearby, watching with what Alec could only assume qualified as the doggie equivalent of a bemused expression.

She looked up at Alec, upper lip hooked back by her one of her lower canine's and made a gruff, whining noise.

But that's my bed, Alec imagined her saying.

He chuckled softly and reached down to rub her ears, "I know, I know." Over his shoulder he called out to Ang. "Hey, Ang, come in here for a second."

After a lie in and a hot breakfast Adam made his way down the garage with a small bucket and a set of rags.

With Selma's passenger door hanging open he scrubbed, trying to get jello stains out of the seat.

~.~

Something strange was going on with the mail, Alec thought. After almost a year of marriage he was more than used to seeing all sorts of deliveries for Ang - but here lately...nothing. Not a bill, not a packet from her foster home, not even a flyer from that boutique she liked.

He knew what it looked like, but he refused to believe it. Why would Ang come down, get her own mail and leave him to come get his own? That would be completely out of character.

He shook his head and turned to the sorting counter.

Things were probably just slow right now.

~.~

Down in the gym, Jazz sat on the floor in her little shorts and sports top and stretched out her legs, one long limb at a time.

Last night her dance professor had set them all with an interesting little task and she was eager to begin work on it. She slowly leaned down over her leg, holding her toes with her fingertips. She held that position for a few deep breaths, then she sat back up and switched to the other leg.

Technically they shouldn't have put it in the pool, but the Manor could afford to replace it if necessary and it had to be admitted that a genuine floating pirate ship was a lot more fun than one on the grass.

Nick tied it off securely at one side of the pool so the prow was in the shallow end and the stern over deep water for jumping in, and wondered who would be the first to find it. There were plenty of posters up, that was for sure.

{Standard party post - get your pups' scantiest swimmers on and come and say 'Aaaaar'}

It was safe to say, Ang mused as she exited the stairwell and crossed the lobby to the mailroom, that she had very little inclination to go anywhere near the office. In fact, she was doing everything she could, as she opened the mailbox for 113, to avoid it.

Sorting the mail was second nature, and the business mail for herself now included a couple of course outlines and requirements for local colleges and teaching hospitals. Well, if work was this unattractive, Ang knew, it was time to look for something else. Closing 113 and leaving Emma's mail inside it, she turned to the mailbox for 8160 and quickly went through that too. With all her own mail sorted into a bag, she left Alec's there, he was in the habit of picking it up and some of the stuff she was getting she didn't really want him seeing, well, not until she knew what she was doing anyway. Sighing she closed the box again, picked up the bag and headed out across the lobby. Anyone who knew her well would have known just from her walk that something was wrong, there was no enthusiasm, no bounce to her step, and she was distracted and not quite with it. She did remember to smile and thank the doorman, but, it wasn't her usual cheery greeting, and she didn't ask after his family the way she normally did.

All was most definitely not well with Mrs Reyes.

Ang was in the garden with Gavin, a sensible sleeping baby, while she weeded her garden patch and tended her herbs and vegetables. Just occasionally she'd sip from a water bottle, and look round the garden to check her progress, or to see if there was anyone to talk to, even she didn't know which.

---

Icene was in the gym, working out some of her frustrations with a concerted effort to exhaust herself so she could sleep. She'd done her laundry yesterday, and cleaned her apartment from top to bottom, but that hadn't helped much. So now she was pounding the punchbag into some semblance of submission. She wasn't entirely unaware of her surroundings though, and often paused to wipe her face or sip from her water bottle, especially when anyone walked by the doorway.

---

Emma was positively not skulking. She was up in the pool house swimming laps instead, and then when she needed to take a break she was enjoying the sunshine and whatever tunes her iPod shuffled up. Which didn't mean she was averse to company, but, while there were a few people she really didn't want to see, pretty much anyone else was guaranteed at least a smile as they came by.

---

Spencer was in the Mocha, waiting patiently for his Mom to call him back, something about a wedding present? But while he was waiting, he was enjoying a large coffee, and a cinnamon danish or two. Well, he'd call it lunch if anyone asked.

---

Jane was between apartments, and having trouble with her trolley as she moved about the Manor's hallways. One of the wheels was wonky, had been ever since that incident with Jazz knocking it over the other week, and today it was being extremely awkward and not steering at all well. It slowed her down too much, and she was considering asking someone to fix it for her, because she had no idea where to begin.

Emma was having a so so day, some nice gifts, some not so nice gifts. She'd had a while to think about it, but still didn't regret the weekend, other than for the pain it seemed to be causing for Niles. She was going to have to do something about that, it wasn't fair. But for now, she knocked on the door for Apt 8160 and waited for the door to open.

Ang heard the knocking, and so did Faith apparently as she trotted down the hallway barking happily, Ang was already moving though, so she opened the door, "Emma!" Ang grinned, "Come in, Happy Birthday!"

Lily came in and sniffed at Faith, Faith sniffing right back, before they headed off together to play something not too like rough and tumble Ang hoped. "Alec, Emma's here!"

( For a not so comfy family birthday dinner )

The phone rang just as Gavin had gone down for a nap, and Ang sighed, especially when she saw who it was. The office were calling her? For a moment she couldn't remember why, and then she answered the phone to find it wasn't her boss, or Human Resources on the phone, it was operational imports.

"Mrs Reyes? You asked to be notified when we collected a vehicle for import? We just wanted to let you know it's been picked up this morning and was safely loaded into the container. It's currently on the road to Marseilles, where it will be loaded, probably in a couple of days, onto a ship, and then transit time to the City is just three weeks." The man on the end of the phone paused, "Is that satisfactory?"

( Read more... )

It was rare to have Friday off working in an important position in a place such as La Fee Verte. Now that he had it off, Thomas Avery was dressed in a silver suit with a black shirt underneath and he had left the tie home for once. He was heading out into the City's night with his car keys in his fist as he left his apartment on the 12th floor and stepped in the elevator on its way down to the Lobby.

**

It was rare not to be working on a Friday night. Emily had to admit that morning shifts weren't all bad, even if she was snappy in the early mornings. But they did leave time for enjoying other things, such as a peaceful corner of the Conservatory with a few cookies, icetea and a good book.

**

It was a bitch to be working on a Friday night. When Lucas finally did get off from work late in the evening, he threw his black leather jacket over his shoulder and started walking towards the Vine Square enjoying a much needed cigarette. At least he had the weekend off and no plans, so everything was possible. He liked that!

Ang had been up early this morning, and treated Alec to an unexpected (perhaps) but very welcome dose of pre-breakfast marital activity. Well, getting Alec to sleep in otherwise was very nearly impossible. However, since then she'd made his favourite breakfast, and set it out with a small gift and a card from Gavin. Then fetched the baby himself and made sure he was fed and cleaned, and happy before they both headed back to see if Alec was getting up or had already moved.

Aha! It had worked, he was still in bed! She grinned, "Good morning Daddy, someone wants to say hello, can we come snuggle?"

Ang had cooked a quiet dinner, just the two of them and baby Gavin, and settled down afterwards to watch the baseball with Alec, sometimes, keeping quiet about a birthday was the best way to have it pass un-noticed. Besides, this years was nothing special, but next year, well, that would need a party or something to commemorate it, the big four oh! Dear lord she was getting old!

But still it was a little, well, disheartening, that apart from a birthday and gift card from Emma for one of her favourite little lingerie stores, there didn't seem to have been anything else. Still, she had more gifts than she could think of in her life right now, it didn't do to be greedy. If you got too wrapped up in acquisition, you could lose sight of the more precious gifts that you had in your life, like family. Nonetheless, she settled on the sofa with a cup of tea, wondering if perhaps in the interests of a peaceful life she should just, keep quiet?

Ang was dishing up at just gone one, when the knock came at the door. Inwardly she breathed a sigh of relief, Emma hadn't forgotten. Then she continued to dish up, trusting Alec would open the door. Then came the moments of confusion, where everyone, and two dogs, seemed to be in the kitchen and talking at once. At least, until Gavin was settled into his seat, and everyone else was sat down, cutlery in hand and busy eating.

Only then did Ang really smile, her family around her, a good meal on the table, and for a moment, all was right in the world. "So, did college finish alright Emma? Get the grades you wanted?"

Emma looked up, and swallowed her mouthful, "Mmm, oh yes, straight A's across the board. A Plus in some classes." She grinned, then chuckled, "Does that pass muster with you guys? Or do I have to try harder next year? If it helps, my drawing professor thinks I can do better, but she could only give me an A plus, merits and distinctions come later? My math tutor was not so impressed, I only got an A in that."

Jazz had really meant to do this sooner, but things had gotten so crazy and hectic and generally unpleasant this week that she decided to wait until she had a day off from work to bother Anghara.

With a couple of printed pages in hand (she'd had Olly email any information she hadn't had on hand herself) she made her way up to the eighth floor and knocked on the door of apartment 8160.

Ang caught up with Emma in the library, where Emma was studying, Ang wasn't too concerned, Emma was after all a very sensible girl these days, even if those jeans did look to be cutting off her circulation below the hips.

"Hey hun, how are you doing? I know you didn't want to talk at the barbecue, but I wondered if you might be more inclined when it's just the two of us?" Ang kept her voice low, not wanting to attract the attention of the librarian, but she quite determinedly sat down in a chair across th table from Emma. This was a conversation they were going to have.

"Not really, there's nothing much to discuss see," Emma smiled, closing the book after setting a slip of paper between the pages. The cover proclaimed it to be a book about Picassso, and Emma was looking more for ideas and inspiration than for education. "Was there anything in particular you wanted to talk about?"

( Challenging words followed... )

Ang waited until Emma was likely finished with work, and then called her on her cellphone. Waiting for an answer she wondered whether a Sunday dinner was a good plan, or a nightmare waiting to happen. BUt then Emma answered the phone, with a cheerful greeting, and Ang stopped worrying and started organising instead.

"Hey Emma, how are you love? Good I hope," She smiled, easy start, nice and slow.

( Read more... )

Ang was smiling, sitting quietly in her favourite seat on the sofa, half concentrating on a cross stitch and half watching Alec playing with Gavin. She couldn't decide quite whether to give up entirely on the cross stitch or whether she should stuff one hand in her mouth to stop her from laughing.

Of course, then she thought about Emma, and the laughter stopped in her head, so she put the cross stitch down and picked up her tea to take a sip. Of course, then Gavin laughed again and Ang found herself smiling, so what if Emma was wearing tight jeans, she was eighteen now, nearly nineteen in fact, and she could wear pretty much what she liked. Of course, she knew Alec wouldn't see it that way.

Ang hadn't noticed Alec getting home last night from the laundry, but she had been rudely awakened about three in the morning, after not enough sleep, by a once more screaming baby. He simply hadn't gone back to sleep after that either. She'd tried everything, feeding, changing, bathing, playing, water, a bottle of formula, jiggling up and down, patting the back in case it was gas, even the teething jel stuff they'd bought, apple chunks from the freezer, an ice filled teething ring, but no, NOTHING had worked. Buy six she'd been in tears, right alongside her son, by eight she'd handed him off to Alec so she could make breakfast and feed Faith and shower and get dressed.

But playing swap the crying baby didn't help when you were both in the same apartment and couldn't get away from the noise. So Ang took the baby and the stroller and Faith out into the garden and walked round and round and round until Gavin finally, exhaustedly, fell into a light doze. Of course by then Ang was mostly sleep walking round the garden herself, but, Faith needed some water and a cup of tea without screaming would be nice.... so she headed into the Mocha. Joy was easily convinced to let the baby stay asleep, it probably helped that Ang looked like hell on legs, and soon Ang was sitting at a table, Faith curled up by her feet, and staring at a pot of tea. It was slowly brewing while one hand rocked the stroller back and forth, more out of habit than anything else. Slowly, the rocking motion ceased, as her eyes closed and her head dropped forward, and within minutes Ang was asleep.

Ang had been walking the floor with a crotchety Gavin for several hours, he wouldn't feed, he was sicking up, and they were both exhausted because this had been going on for several days now. The doctor had reassured her and Alec that it was nothing serious, just Gavin had a minor viral infection, and was probably cutting a tooth at the same time. Right now though, he was actually feeding, and Ang was settled into the rocker in the nursery, more than half asleep.

She looked up as Alec came in, he was just as tired as she was, at least she figured he had to be, because every time she'd been awake he'd been there. "You ok hun?" She whispered quietly, unwilling to disturb the finally almost asleep nightmare of a child in her arms, "I think, he might be over the worst of it now?"

The Reyes-Brooks clan settled in at the massive table at apartment 8160-after they'd pried Emma off her books-to a hearty meal containing all the favorites. Per usual, Ang had gone overboard with the cooking, but after Gavin mashed several fist fulls of mashed potatoes into his hair it was agreed that all the extra effort had probably been a good idea.

~.~

After spending the morning working a shift that served the dual purpose of keeping her abreast of the news regarding the Mr. Michaels situation and keeping her out of her apartment while Jane would be cleaning, Jazz came home to her empty apartment with a bag of takeout and curled up on her couch. With the TV on, filling the quiet spaces with noise, she could almost believe she wasn't feeling particularly lonely.

~.~

He called his mother like always, listening like the good son while she gushed over the flowers that had he had had sent to her. But in the back of his mind, while he packed for the trip he'd be leaving for the very next morning, Adam was thinking about the other women in his life and how boring things were without them around. And how very much he was going to miss them when he left.

~.~

Absorbed with a new pet project, building a model replica of the U.S.S Constitution (a Christmas gift from Adam) Joe didn't stop to think about even everyday trivial things such as eating, let alone to stop to consider what significance this one particular Sunday might have.



(OOC: Meanwhile Mun is enjoying good food with great family and hoping Easter-or just Sunday for those who don't celebrate :)-is finding you just as well!)