thad-spaulding

[thad-spaulding]

Thump, thump Thaddeus could hear his heart beating in his ears as the silence between them filled the room.  Waiting in suspense, it was difficult not to fidget as he sat near here uncomfortably.  Whatever she was about to reveal, he knew it would be testing.  After all, she had it bottled up all these years and never uttered a word to him about it until now.

The already pale man turned ghost white hearing the words her husband hit her.  Tears started to fill his eyes and a deep feeling of remorse and shame fell upon him.  How did he not know his sister needed him?  Little did he realize, his mouth was hanging slightly open as he stared at her with great sadness.

Listening, Thaddeus pressed his eyelids closed as a few stray tears fell upon his cheeks.  Soon, the sadness dissipated and anger filled his veins.  Never in his life had he felt such rage that he wanted to murder someone…actually two.

Ophelia’s question at hand, stirred him out of his anger frenzy and he quickly scooted closer to her and reached for her hand, holding it with his right and laying his left hand over hers to enclose it.  Shaking his head, he started to speak.

“You did nothing wrong.  I–I’m so sorry, I’m sorry I wasn’t there in your time of need.  You did not deserve Emir hurting you nor did you deserve Hal deserting you.” 

Thaddeus continued to hold her hand, there really was no right words for this situation.  Just many regrets of not being there to help, caught up in his own life when his baby sister was hurting.

“You deserve the world Ophelia, you’re absolutely amazing and selfless.”  He gave her hand a light squeeze, needing her to listen to his words, needing her to soak them in and believe them.  “You are worthy.  You are worthy of so many great things.  Never think otherwise.”

she picked her nails for a few moments, silent, trying to find the words most appropriate. ophelia was the picture of grace yet, could completely unravel such an image with her often indelicate manner of speaking. "my ex-husband...emir," the blonde began, letting out a slow breath. who had she explicitly told this to? nobody. nobody.

"he...well. he hit me now and again. just when i refused to be a good and quiet wife, just - fucking arm candy," it was the way it was worded, just, as if that was a justifiable reason for raising a hand to the women one was married to. there was the other reason, to, one ophelia didn't want to speak out loud ; no child had come from the marriage. no heir to the demirci tech conglomerate.

at some point, her hands begun to tremble, still picking at the the corners where small scabs and skin reddened from her ministrations. "i didn't have anybody, at that time. i tried to...tell mom but she just...asked me what i was doing wrong?"

ophelia had told herself to stop crying over it. that tears wouldn't help, and they didn't but...now? recalling the worst part of her life to thaddeus? she could feel the pressure behind her eyes, the building in her chest.

"but then hal came to visit, and he was so nice to me, thad. he looked at me as a whole person, not a - not a fucking object to be placed on a shelf and admired!" the tears began to fall now, dark eyes not looking up, never looking up. "we started sleeping together. it made my life easier, you know? bearable, at least. when i finally...got a divorce, i did so with the idea that hal would be on the other side. that i could be - happy,"

the word is spoken with a pathetically wet laugh.

"he wasn't there. nobody was - nobody was fucking there! and now he has the - the fucking gall to turn up in greywood and act like everything's so fucking normal!" her voice cracks then, and the drops flow into rivers as ophelia sobs. "what did i do so wrong, to deserve the misery i feel?"

[thad-spaulding]

“You can tell me anything,” Thaddeus responded, unsure exactly what Ophelia was about to divulge to him.  As she continued, it felt as if his stomach was doing flips.

“Whatever you need to tell me, it is going to be okay.  I am here for you.”

As she instructed him to sit down, he calmly eased himself down onto the sofa as his blue eyes remained on his younger sister.  Right now, he was very nervous but tried to remain still and not fidget, wanting to give Ophelia one hundred percent of his attention and let her know that everything would be fine.

Slowly breathing through his nostrils, he counted slowly as he tried to give her as much time she needed to process whatever she needed to tell him. Thaddeus reached over to gently place his hand on her leg.  “It’s okay, take as much time as you need.”

the bookcase was back upright, and such a simple gesture almost made ophelia well up with how effortlessly thad had been to help her. maybe that's why she was so nervous about talking to him, his love was completely unconditional towards her, always had been, and the loss of it wouldn't just break ophelia, it would shatter her. the blonde took her place on the fold out couch, where she'd been perched for a while before her brother coming over, knees under her chin.

"i'm going to tell you some things," she began, testing the waters with her words. preparing thaddeus, or at least trying to soften the blows that were going to come.

"and they're not - they're not nice, and it's all a little fucked up, but i -" ophelia swallowed around her words.

"if i don't tell you, then i'm going to completely fucking lose it, thad," all of it had been left in the dark, fermenting for so long that in its over ripeness, it had neared an exploding point. the state of the apartment was just one step before it, after all. the final stage was...well. who knew. ophelia was trying to stop it getting to that point.

"sit down?"

[thad-spaulding]

As they sat there together around the table, Thaddeus felt content.  Things could not possibly get better than hanging out with your best friend and the person he loved most in the world, his daughter.  Maybe if his sister was there it would be better, but right now things were wonderful.

“Glad to hear she did well.”  Thaddeus wasn’t exactly comfortable with Norma taking martial arts, but Ophelia insisted that he let her try different things out and she appeared to be a natural at the spot.  “Uh, wow.  You go man!”  His cheeks reddened as he quickly shook his head.  “No, they don’t.”  Honestly, a few did  hit on him.   However, it always went over his head.  He never picked up on subtle hints.  “But you’re the good looking one out of the two of us,” he chuckled.

Theo was always happy to help. He liked making his friends' and family's lives easier. Without kids of his own or a serious relationship, he had an abundance of free time and often used it to support those around him who were genuinely busy.

''Yeah, I know!'' He was only half-joking. He was aware that Thad enjoyed his time at work, even when he wasn't there, but he still hoped he was missed at least a little. They weren't best friends for nothing; their shared humor and fun conversations always made their time together enjoyable.

Theo chuckled at Norma's response. She was busy drawing, but not actually too busy to answer her father. That was just how she was, and Thad was obviously used to it. ''She did well,'' Theo said. ''Her teacher mentioned she's a quick learner and clearly enjoys it. I think some of the moms were flirting with me. Do they usually flirt with you when you go?'' He asked, curious to know if his best friend had met anyone interesting lately without directly asking.

[thad-spaulding]

“Not a problem,” Thaddeus responded as he squatted down to lift the bookcase with his legs and was careful not to strain his back.  Working for the fire department made things a lot easier given he needed to remain in shape.  It did not go unnoticed that everything else piled around the apartment, but he figured helping with one issue at a time was the best thing he could do.  Last thing he wanted was for his sister to clam up and ask him to leave.

“Thank you,” he responded as he took the drink and had a sip.

“Uh no, what is going on?”  Their married lives seemed rather strange, neither one really knowing the other’s spouse or their families.  “If I met him, it was a very brief meeting,” he admitted.

it seemed that they both walked on eggshells around the other for different reasons, ophelia nodding at her brothers offer to help pull the bookcase back up into a reasonable position. it didn't explain the other things, however, the magazines and shoes, piles of plates on the side. as if a once proud creature had completely given up on itself. which - ophelia felt she was.

"that'd be helpful, thankyou," she called back, finding a clean glass to get thaddeus a drink, and popping a few ice cubes it and a straw also. ophelia came back into the room after, handing the drink over with a smile and sitting on the couch. the air felt stagnant, the two of them being in the situation often - that is, ophelia unable to ask for help, and her elder brother only wanting to provide it.

"i..." she began, licking her lips and looking away from thad for a few moments, wringing her hands in her lap. nervous.

"i texted you, right? about - my former brother in law? did - did you ever meet him?"

[thad-spaulding]

“You do?  That’s great, he’s a nice guy and one of my closest friends.”  Thaddeus commented glad Jeremy knew someone that was invited.  The way Thaddeus looked at it was that the more people that came, the more everyone could get to know each other and it could become a nice regular thing.  At least he hoped, he wanted it to happen organically, everyone hanging out and getting along.  “Of course, I don’t think I have actually met Ryden, although I have heard about him numerous times in town.  Strange how that happens.”

Jeremy didn't know most of the people Thad named, the only he did know was, "Theo... I-I know... I know.. know... Th-Theo." He'd met the other man at The Den and they were in the same pack but Jeremy didn't exactly consider himself a friend to Theo which was most likely his own doing, it was overall difficult for Jeremy to get close to people when he could barely talk to anyone. It was at least nice with Theo for the other man seemed to talk enough for the both of them. "C-could I... Could I.. I.. I... in-invite.. invite... R-Ryden?" Jeremy believed that he had one solid friend out of everyone he knew and that was Ryden and having Ryden around would immediately make him feel more at ease about a card night with strangers.

[thad-spaulding]

“Not sure about that,” he responded with a smile.  Even now, the man could hardly take any form of a compliment.  “Goodness, that has to be difficult with your daughters not being at home.  Sometimes, I think about Norma being that age and it terrifies me.”  He commented.  Thaddeus took in a breath, “things are going okay with Norma.  Still some issues with her at school, but it does appear she is behaving more.  Which is a relief.  Still mischievous as ever, but I think that is the fae inside her.  How about your two?  What have they been up to lately?  Well besides leaving their mother home alone.”

"You're the best," she announced as she took the coffee in hands and made herself comfortable on the chair he pulled out for her. She always had loved how gentlemanly the man was, probably not even realizing his actions sometimes. "Of course I would come, I wouldn't miss the day," she said with a soft smile as she took a sip of her latte thoughtfully. "Honestly, I'm okay, things have been monotone lately and Violet is following her sister's example and is barely home," she said and even though this made her a bit sad she didn't let it show one bit. "What about you? How's the little beast doing?" she joked, talking about his daughter, though they both knew that she adored her and surprisingly the girl did like her company too which didn't seem to be a common occurance.

[thad-spaulding]

At the grocery store, Thaddeus had two lists.  One for the fire department since they were now bringing dinners back at the station and one for the next few days at home.

As he strolled down the aisle, he couldn't help overhearing someone mutter to themselves.  The woman looked rather new, he had never seen her in town before.

“Personally, I like the local garden vegetables myself or going to the farmer’s market where it is more fresh.”  He commented.  “However, you just need to look them over and maybe pick it up to check the firmness of it.”  Thaddeus explained with a soft smile.  “I just realized, I am being incredibly rude.  I just assumed you needed help and didn’t even offer my name.  I’m Thaddeus.”

In the picturesque town of Greywood, nestled among the rolling hills and lush greenery, Polly found solace in the anonymity surrounding her. Here, she reveled in being Polly, free from the expectations and responsibilities tied to her family's prominence in the community and her successful fashion empire. Greywood provided her with a haven to cast off the public image she carefully maintained and live a life unencumbered by societal labels.

Within Greywood's serene embrace, Polly sought refuge from the scandal that engulfed her following a highly publicized outing with another woman. Striding through the quaint town, Polly made her way to the local market to personally select her groceries, a task she rarely undertook. The prospect of handpicking fresh produce and discerning its quality left her contemplating out loud, considering whether the internet could offer guidance in this uncharted territory.

"I wonder how you know the veggies are still fresh." She muttered to herself as she entered the grocery store.

[thad-spaulding]

“Glad to hear things are well,” Thaddeus smiled back as he stood there still studying the other.  “Oh, well you came on the right day.  All the rigs have been washed, although one is out on a call right now.  Nothing big,” he added not wanting him to worry.  “A pleasure to meet you Finch, I’m Thaddeus although most people call me Thad.  Are you new in town?  Don’t think I have seen you around.”

Finch smiled softly as he nodded his head when Thaddeus asked if everything was alright. "Yeah, yeah everything okay." Finch looked at the fire truck he was standing next to. "It's just been awhile since I've in a fire station is all." Finch stepped away from the truck and walked over to the male. "I'm Finch." Finch held his hand out for the other.

[thad-spaulding]

There was a nervousness in Thaddeus’ manner, scared Ophelia needed him and he was too blind to see it.  Although her answers sufficed, he decided to question one more time and even gave a gentle push to allow him inside for them to converse more in private.

As he entered, he swallowed thickly not fully believing her explanation but merely nodding.  “I can help you put it back up and get everything situated,” he offered.  Although strong in many ways, he looked at his sister and didn’t think she could lift the bookcase by herself.

“Water is fine,” he smiled as he stepped further into the apartment and looked around trying to see where he could help if she would only allow him.

she knew thad loved her dearly, that she only had to so much as ask and he would try his best to accommodate her - it was just that ophelia lived in perpetual fear of disappointing him. there was an ugliness to her that she didn't want him to see, enjoying the pedestal her brother and his niece often placed her on. for every step made forwards, it seemed three were taken back.

the question burned her, accusatory in its nature, thaddeus seeing right through her lies. or...maybe not. giving her a chance to come clean. the grip on the door tightened, and she fell silent for a few moments. wondering whether or not to let her brother in, both figuratively and literally.

"sure," ophelia responded slowly. "but - it's a mess in here? i was just...trying to shift the bookcase and toppled it over so just - ignore it?"

the blonde opened the door wider.

"want a drink?"

[thad-spaulding]

Thank goodness Uncle Theo was there to rescue Thaddeus and offered to take Norma to her karate lesson.  Sometimes, he wondered what he would do without the people close to him in his life helping him raise his daughter.  It was true what they said, it takes a village.

As he got off work, he made his way home and took a quick shower and got into some comfortable clothes before heading to the restaurant that Theo text to him.

“Always boring without you man,” he smile.

Thaddeus sat down across from his friend.  “How was practice today?”  He asked Norma.

“Dad, I’m busy.”

He lifted his eyes back up to his friend.  “How did she do?  Did she behave for you?”

Theo's favorite thing to do on his day off was spending time with his best friend and his daughter. Today, Thad had to cover for a coworker, just when Norma was supposed to attend her karate lessons. Theo offered to take her, spending the day chatting with the parents and cheering on the little girl he considered his niece. He wasn't sure who enjoyed the day more. Before he knew it, it was time to bring her to the diner where they were meeting Thad for dinner.

Theo chose a table by the window and asked for some colored pencils. He was busy drawing with Norma when Thad arrived.

"Hey! We were waiting for you to order. Not too tired?" Theo asked, knowing Thad had been working and unsure how busy his day had been.

"Wasn't too boring without me?" He teased. @thad-spaulding

[thad-spaulding]

Off upstairs in one of the beds, Thaddeus laid there in the fire department just staring up at the ceiling.  The man had already cleaned the kitchen and prepared a bit to cook dinner later that night for the rest of the firemen.  Of course, the police officers would be invited because there was always plenty of food to go around.  As he rolled out from the bed, he got up and stretched until he thought he heard something down below.  Right now, it was just him in the building so he decided to take the pole down to check what was going on.

As he looked around, he heard someone say fuck causing him to jump back a little.  “Uh,” was all he could utter at first, unsure who this person was and their intentions.  “Oh, um.  Yeah, earlier we had washed the rigs.  There is one out right now, that’s why it is open.”  Thaddeus replied.  “Everything okay?”  He asked.  “You seem a bit, I dunno dazed.”

Finch had finished work early, and a few hours to kill before he had to pick up James from school. They were seeing how well James did with a full day, and truthfully Finch as nervous. He knew that James wanted to do full days, and be like the rest of the kids. But Finch was worried that James, would push himself. Finch shook the thought out of his head, James would be fine. He was a smart, capable boy and he could do anything he set his mind too. Finch took to walking around town when he had free time, just getting use to the layout of the town and once again his feet had brought him to the fire station.

Finch sighed as he looked at the building, before his eyes landed on the rigs inside the building. Pushing a hand through his hair, Finch took a deep breath before he walked into the building. He would be lying if he said he didn't miss this life. But he knew that with James in his life, he need to be in a somewhat stable job and James didn't need to worry if Finch would come home or not. Finch walked over to ladder truck and ran his fingers over it. Still, it was something he strived something, something he was good at. A noise behind him, causing Finch to jump a little. "Fuck." Finch muttered out as he turned around and notice a male standing next to the ambulance. "Shit, uh sorry." Finch smiled weakly as he rubbed the back of his neck a little. "Didn't uh..." Finch bit his lip a little as he tried to figure out what he was apologizing for. "The doors were opened. I was just curious."

@thad-spaulding

[thad-spaulding]

"Yes, Helen, it is nice to see you," she repeated without realizing and nodded as she moved more to one side of the bench to allow space for the man to take it. She hoped she wasn't interrupting his walk or somewhere that he was going to. "I am very well, thank you. Enjoying the first rays of sun in a while," she noted and as if to prove the point she looked up at the sun and closed her eyes briefly. She could stand like that all day. "What about you? How have you been doing? How is your lovely daughter?" she asked, wondering where the little girl was as she had found her to be quite charming despite the grumpy mood the last time she had seen her in the supermarket.

"Yes, Helen, it is nice to see you," she repeated without realizing and nodded as she moved more to one side of the bench to allow space for the man to take it. She hoped she wasn't interrupting his walk or somewhere that he was going to. "I am very well, thank you. Enjoying the first rays of sun in a while," she noted and as if to prove the point she looked up at the sun and closed her eyes briefly. She could stand like that all day. "What about you? How have you been doing? How is your lovely daughter?" she asked, wondering where the little girl was as she had found her to be quite charming despite the grumpy mood the last time she had seen her in the supermarket.

[thad-spaulding]

Everything is ready.  Only question was, was he ready?  The notion at first sounded wonderful, Minho, one of his dearest friends offered him a bridge from this world to the other to speak to his wife.  However, now that he was there he was having second thoughts.  Perhaps there was a reason people didn’t communicate with the dead very often.  Perhaps the second guessing was plastered all along his face or his friend could sense something was wrong, but Minho asked exactly that.  “I don’t know,” he murmured as his friend guided him around the place.

It seemed strange seeing Minho more in his fae form, but it was a nice change.  Both were beautiful forms, but Thaddeus never got to see this side of his friend.  While they continued, it was a bit quiet between them.  All Thaddeus could  hear was the blood rushing in his ears and his heart thumping against his chest.

“Do you think she will be available on the other side?”  The human still did not fully comprehend how things worked with magic even though he lived in Greywood for nearly a decade.  A lot of things that seemed impossible in the mortal world outside the town, were possible here in this beautiful Colorado town.  “I brought a few of her items, not sure if you need them.”  It wasn’t anything much, a little jewelry and a picture of the two of them when she was pregnant with Norma.  “I’m really nervous, is that normal?”

|| Thaddeus & Minho ||

“Come on in, darling. Everything is ready.” Minho stepped away from the door to let Thaddeus into his home, still spacious and pristine as it always was, a perfect, impressive blend of hospital white, spaceship-like modern technology and unrestrained nature. It wasn’t the main door Minho had told Thad to come ringing to, main door meant going through the whole house and Minho’s house was too big to go through unnecessarily. It was one of the side doors, the one that would take them to Minho’s backyard quickly. 

“Are you ready, though?” He asked as he reached to wrap long fingers around Thad’s wrist to gently guide him around to where everything was waiting, ready for the ritual. Prior to Thaddeus arriving, Minho had let his wings out, feeling like being closer to how he truly looked like, who he truly was, would form a deeper connection to whatever magic he could still use in the human world. Long as they are, like a cape behind him dragging across the floor, he had to have them draped over the bend of his arm like fabric and they still got in the way, their ends easy to step or trip on. But Minho was an expert by now at evading his own burdens. After all, they made him beautiful - at least they did back home, on the fae-side. No one ever claimed beauty wasn’t also an inconvenience. He was rich and royal there, he did not need to lift a finger let alone a wing so he did not need them smaller or fully functional. 

The rest of him though was the usual, heavily glamoured Minho. Although Thaddeus was familiar with the fae, since both his deceased wife and lovely daughter were fae, Minho was very aware that there was no two identical faeries in the world. Kylee might’ve been less shocking for the human world, appearance-wise. Minho was not. Even Thaddeus who was obviously used to people from other worlds might have a hard time seeing Minho’s true appearance in full. Most people here, in the mortal realm, did.

@thad-spaulding

[thad-spaulding]

“Thank you, I appreciate it.  It is just a matter of finding someone who is able to watch my daughter.”  Thaddeus responded with a pleasant smile. “Both, but mostly she enjoys seeing what she can get away with.  One time, she managed to lock the babysitter out on the balcony while it was raining.  I felt horrible, so I gave her extra money just for the whole ordeal.  Although she behaves for Theo, that is because she has a little crush on him.”  He chuckled to himself.

“Are you sure, I don’t want to overwhelm you on your first day back to hiking.  It isn’t too difficult, just long.”  He stated, not wanting to push the other too hard.  “I am just happy to get some fresh air.  Might start mountain climbing again, but it has been about seven years since I summited a mountain.”

Charlie nodded his head as he listened to Thad. "Well I'm always happy to help you escape, your house whenever you need too." Charlie looked back at Thad, his smile growing slightly. "Does she not like new people or is more testing to see how much she can get away with?" Charlie questioned as he slow his car for a light.

"I use to do a lot of hiking back in the day." Charlie said softly as he shrugged. "Haven't been for awhile to be honest with you, but we can to go the bigger trail. I like a challenge."

[thad-spaulding]

Already at the cafe, Thaddeus took it upon himself to order for Lorelei.  The two had been friends through his wife Kylee for years and by now he knew her order.  Just as he settled down and looked at his phone to play one of his little puzzle games, he heard the familiar voice and quickly put the cellular device away and leaned his head back to somewhat see his friend.  “Of course,” he smiled as he stood up and grabbed the chair for her and pulled it out from the table.  “How are you?”  He asked, it had been at least a month since they last saw each other.  Both are busy with their children and well…life.  “What has been going on?  By the way, thanks for going to the grave with me today.”

@thad-spaulding

Lorelei had packed a basket of food and had picked some of the early blooming flowers from her garden, walking alone towards the coffee shop where her and Thad usually met on these days where they would go and talk about their lost friend and wife. These rare occasions were the only times she let the black in her wardrobe be seen, despite still keeping it cheerful as they weren't going there to be sad but to smile at memories. "Hey," she said as she saw his back towards her, putting a hand around his shoulders from behind as a surprise. Ever since she met him at dinner where Kylee had invited her over at, she had taken him as the brother she always wanted to know but didn't have (until recently when she once again found her real brother). "Did you get a coffee for me too?" she asked with a warm smile.

[thad-spaulding]

Despite the few years of them living in Greywood and mending that sibling bond, it sometimes felt as if his sister maintained a distance from him.  Never allowing him in too much, for whatever reason.

As he stood outside her apartment door, he wondered if he was going about this the right way.  However, all the missed calls and unanswered texts forced his hand to directly come to the source for an explanation.

When his sister opened the door just a crack, he sighed in relief just seeing her face.  “Is that all it is?  You got busy?”  He questioned his sister, trying to gauge whether she may be lying to him.  Unfortunately, he usually could not tell if someone was lying to him.  Thaddeus tended to see the good in everyone.

“May I please come in?  Catch up?  It feels like I haven’t seen you in ages and I dunno, I feel like something is off with you right now.” 

it was never ophelia's intention to ignore thad, or norma but, lately she'd been getting particularly overwhelmed. for a while, the blonde had been doing good at her new job giving her a better lease on life, finding that her frustrations were easily dealt with by sleeping with jesse. there was a stability to it all that she had severely lacked.

and then hal showed up, and the building blocks had been destroyed.

after the little interview, after playing it polite and professional, ophelia had never experienced the feeling of rage that came over her. once again, the blonde became locked in a past she couldn't change, thinking about how he hadn't waited. that ophelia had gone through a public divorce, her character questioned and lied about in magazines and blogs, that whatever money and assets she won had then needed to be sold for a lawyer and had done so completely alone.

there was nothing to do but scream and destroy - which she had done. even now, the apartment lay in disarray, empty bottles and a few smashed plates on the floor, pillows and throws places they shouldn't be. even the shelf where she kept her books lay on its front, contents kept in by virtue of its position.

a knock at the door interrupted what she was doing, sat on the floor re-watching pride & prejudice in her pjs, the same ones she'd been wearing for a week. it wasn't like ophelia had been going to work lately. fuck. - thaddeus, she forgot to text. rising up, she stepped over the mess, knowing that he'd have something to say about it. what excuse could she use? a break-in?

"oh. sorry - yeah, sorry! i forgot to text back and then i got busy -" the blonde opened the door a crack, giving thaddeus a sleepy smile. "no need to worry, thad,"

[thad-spaulding]

“I suppose that is true,” he responded with a light nod.  “Yes, it has been interesting to say the least.  Norma has a proclivity to find trouble, truly she is talented.”  Thaddeus somewhat jokes.  There have been several times she had been called into the school for the young girl’s behavior.

“Completely understandable, I barely have time for the gardening club.  But I try to do at least two hours a week if I am able.”  Being a single parent was hard and although he had wonderful friends and an incredible sister, ultimately he was responsible for Norma and she took a huge portion of his time outside of his job.

It made sense, perhaps he would enjoy this place.  Being a nervous nelly, he wasn’t sure he would enjoy it.  However, he did it mainly for Norma so she could grow and be more social.  “So, what do you do for a living?  Been in Greywood your whole life?”  He questioned, trying to be social.

~~*~~

"Well we are busy all of the time and I just try not to think about that," she laughed as they watched the children play, "It's easier to manage if you don't think about it, I suppose. So did Norma start school this year then? That had to be hard on Dad. How are you doing with it?"

It was typical that someone in town knew the name. Usually it was her parents with as popular as they were but her brother was also very well known. "Yes, he's my brother. Honestly I'm supposed to be a part of that club too but I haven't been since the kids were born. Scheduled just get out of control, you know how it is."

"Mostly, they are for this," she shrugged and crossed her arms as they spoke. A subconscious need to protect herself, "Kids make friends everywhere they go so socializing them is easier than people think but as parents," she shrugged, "We forget to talk to other adults sometimes. It's nice to know we aren't alone out here."