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Lucas Carmondy and Star Crosby met in middle school and since then, have become the best of friends. Star is a little odd, but next to Lucas, she’s completely normal which is probably why they get along so well. Now in high school, they fend off it-group stares of disdain with their odd sense of humor and the ability to make anyone feel awkward just by looking at them.
Brayden and Laurel Carmondy sat awkwardly on their living room couch. Taking her mother’s advice, Laurel decided that sitting down and talking to Brayden was her best bet. It took her a few days, but she finally cornered him into it. The kids were at the park so they had the house to themselves. “I really think we need to talk,” Laurel began, trying to keep her tone even. “Things have been so… strange lately. We’re distant.” He sighed, “is this where you suggest therapy? I wouldn’t even go to a therapist after my mother, I’m not about to start now.” “No,” she replied quickly. “I just think we need a break, maybe if we get away from our daily stuff… we can talk and communicate again. Maybe our conversations will stop ending with arguments.”
Emma and Gavin Bane were planning a trip, an exotic trip that would leave poor Demona out in the cold. She didn’t trust her little spawn to just anyone so she called up her parents. It was the lesser of most evils, as at least they had managed to feed and clothe her. She couldn’t say the same thing for babysitters. The entire trip had been a bit of a surprise, the result of Gavin’s undercover study. He had discovered that the organization had an affiliate in Shang Simla. So, he was going to investigate and Emma was tagging along.
Lucas and his younger sister, Julia, get on quite well now that she’s old enough to actually play with. There’s a several year age gap between the two, but as with little sisters, Julia tends to follow her brother around anyway. Instead of discouraging her or being mean, Lucas simply takes it in stride. They spend warm days playing in the back yard while Laurel tends to her garden, warning them now to step on the plants.
Laurel spent much of her time indoors. She didn’t mind raising the kids and she certainly loved her work as a painter, but sometimes, she felt a little stifled. Almost like a caged bird forced to look outside and know that they’ll never be a part of that world. Some days were worse than others.
Gavin Bane had been assigned to the special task force that focused on taking out serious criminals. His first task was to skim the populace, see if they had any information. Their target was a newly formed syndicate that was slowly, but surely, making its way up in the criminal underworld. The syndicate was already responsible for several high-scale burglaries and heists. Gavin was excited about his new position and wasted no time getting out there and hitting the streets. He began questioning people immediately. Most of it went nowhere, but there were some who seemed to have seen something, or heard something.
Laurel Carmondy wasn’t quite sure how she was going to manage a baby while caring for toddler Lucas. It would seem that her and Brayden’s reconciliations had led to a surprise pregnancy, one that she hadn’t told him about yet. She was planning on it, of course, but it never seemed to be the ‘right time’. Things were going well. She only hoped that this extra addition wouldn’t push the limit. Little Lucas seemed pretty oblivious to his mother’s plight.
Laurel Carmondy had slipped into her role of motherhood easily enough, after a small snag, but she hadn’t anticipated what came along with it. It wasn’t easy trying to maintain her painting along with Lucas’ demanding schedule. He was a needy and clingy baby. It didn’t help that Laurel was essentially a single parent. Brayden was on-call most of the time, so even when he was home, it was fleeting. The second his beeper went off–and it did, quite frequently–he had to run. She was thankful for the brief moments where she was allowed to paint in peace and quiet.
Laurel Carmondy was having a bit of a trial lately. She just couldn’t seem to sleep through the night. She’d lay down and no sooner would her head hit the pillow that she’d just feel incredibly anxious. Nausea would quickly follow and she’d eventually end up making a run for the bathroom. Brayden was a light sleeper, but his extremely long shits left him exhausted and so, he was ignorant of Laurel’s little issue. She kept it to herself. It didn’t seem to be as much of a problem during the day.
Brayden was surprised when he saw Laurel jogging up to him. He hadn’t really known her to jog or be athletic, never mind the fact that it was rather late to be out jogging. He’d just returned home after a rather long shift at the hospital and was hoping she wasn’t here to yell at him again. Brayden hadn’t seen her since the whole “I need space” lecture. She stopped just in front of him, looking more than a little winded. It took her a moment to catch her breath before she could speak, “I-I’m glad I caught you.” “Is something wrong? Why did you jog over here? You have a car.” “Davina has it, she’s working late and… I felt really bad. I was going to wait until tomorrow… but I couldn’t.” “Did I miss some–” Before he could finish his sentence, Laurel was kissing him. He wasn’t really able to respond, too completely shocked to do anything but be, well, shocked. |
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