beverly-donovan

[beverly-donovan]

"Please! I am with child!”

May 31, 2025

Beverly Donovan had endured a difficult life. Though she was merely twenty-nine years old, it felt as if she had lived an entire lifetime. From losing both parents to their vices, to being thrown from one foster home to the next, to desperately trying to find her brother whenever he’d spiral out of control, it had been enough to exhaust Beverly. All she craved was peace.

When her brother, Matthew, died from an overdose, she had felt as if it were the end. And in a way, it was. She no longer had to worry about where he was, if he was safe, or if he was staying sober. No. Now, he could finally rest from the demons that constantly plagued him. His death not only marked an ending but also a beginning.

Beverly could remember the first time she laid eyes on Michael James, the small boy she now called her son. He was perfect in every way, the splitting image of his father, Beverly’s brother. His white, blonde hair and bright blue eyes often reminded Bev of when her brother was young, before the darkness of the world consumed him. He was so innocent then. It was how she wanted to keep MJ. Innocent. Happy. To give him a normal childhood.

The man MJ now called ‘dada’, had been there the very first time Beverly met him. Ace Donovan had always been there. Without fail, without hesitation and now, he assumed the role of father without question. Their small family was growing. She was finally happy and now, it was all about to be taken away.

With the cold metal pressed against her temple, tears instantly welled up into the corners of her eyes. Beverly was not one to cry, to show weakness like this but she was pregnant and all she could think about was the life inside her womb that had never gotten the chance to meet her or their little family.

The Hispanic male was screaming at her. “Where’s my fucking money?!”

What money? She didn’t know this man. Is this why he had been following her? It had to be a mistake.

“What money? I don’t k-know what you’re talking about,” Beverly managed to breathe out, her voice faltering as she met his gaze.

A smirk spread across the man’s lips. “The money your fucking brother owed us. Now the debt has been passed on to you,” he stated, malice dripping from each word he uttered.

Beverly swallowed hard, blinking away the tears to clear her visage. So this was the man who sold the drugs to her younger brother that ultimately resulted in his death and now she had to pay him? Her stomach knotted. “How much?” she asked, closing her eyes as she whispered the words. She felt so small, so insignificant.

“$100,000.00,” he said without hesitation. Beverly’s eyes snapped open, but she didn’t dare say anything to provoke the man to anger.

“Okay,” Beverly said quickly, nodding and the man lowered the gun, holstering it within seconds into the waistband of his pants. “But I don’t have it all here. I only have $10,000 here and the rest I’ll have to get out of the bank-,” she started to explain but no matter how quickly she tried to explain, the reaction was one of immense anger.

Beverly didn’t have time to raise her hands to protect herself. Santiago’s large hand grasped her throat, his digits squeezing hard. She tried to suck in a breath but the pressure on her throat had closed her windpipe. “I need my money now or I’ll kill you like I killed your brother. Do you fucking understand?!” he yelled right into her face, Beverly’s hands clutching at Santiago’s to remove it from her throat. She couldn’t breathe let alone answer him. He had killed her brother. Did she hear him right?

Discarded like trash, she was thrown to the floor. Arms wrapped around her head instinctively, protecting it as she hit the floor hard. She never had the time to react to protect herself from his kick, a hard blow to the chest that had her spitting out blood across the barbershop floor. With her head against the floor, she spotted Dallas. He was looking at her. Did he blink? He was alive?!

Tears spilled, cascading down the sides of her face as she turned to look at Santiago who was about to give her the next blow, this time to her stomach. She could see the way his leg was angled where he was aiming and any little hope she had of seeing her unborn child died within her. “STOP! Please! I am with child!” she managed to cry out, her voice hoarse as her arms wrapped around her stomach protectively. She closed her eyes to brace for the blow but it never came.

Instead, she heard the shuffle of footsteps retreating from her. When she opened her eyes, Santiago had his gun pointed at her again, though his face was pale. “Get my money. I’ll be back,” he warned before disappearing from the barbershop. The sound of the speed bike reverberated throughout the street until that too dissipated.

“Stay with me, Dallas,” Beverly pleaded, her voice soft and broken, pressing both hands to the bullet wounds to suppress the bleeding when she reached him. She ignored her pain though she was sure several ribs were fractured or broken. Grabbing his phone from his pocket, she frantically dialed 9-1-1 and put the phone on speaker. She stayed on the phone with them until paramedics arrived, not realizing how grave the situation truly had been. It wasn’t until she felt arms pull her away from Dallas did she start screaming. She didn’t know who was grabbing her, all she knew was that she didn’t want Dallas to be alone as he was hauled into the ambulance. Pain coursing through her body, Beverly succumbed to unconsciousness in the arms of the person that held her.

[beverly-donovan]

Waking you up at midnight so I can wish you happy birthday! @ace-donovan you’re everything to me. You are my best friend, protector, comic relief, shoulder to cry on, my strength, father to our children, and my husband. I never want to exist in a world that you’re not in. Here’s to another trip around the sun, my love.

PS - Thank you for not judging me when I asked for In-N-Out after our wedding. I love you! 🤍

[beverly-donovan]

Embracing womanhood in all its beauty.

[beverly-donovan]

[beverly-donovan]

@ace-donovan life with you

[beverly-donovan]

Waiting on my boys for lunch. @ace-donovan

[beverly-donovan]

🦋

[beverly-donovan]

“Panic is the sudden realization that everything around you is alive.” -  William S. Burroughs, Ghost of Chance

Saturday, April 5th, 2025

“So life is good then?” Luis asked Beverly, though his eyes remained on his client. Taking the straightedge blade to the nape of his client’s neck, he cleaned up the back and only after he was satisfied, did he look up and grin at the woman who had glanced his way.

Beverly Donovan was cleaning up her station, sanitizing the combs and trimmers, shooting Luis a suspicious look. “Who told you?” she asked the man she considered a brother. In fact, all the barbers at Locke Studios were a part of Bev’s family, even if none of them were blood related.

Luis grinned innocently, the corners of his lips almost reaching his ears. “Told me what?” he teased, chuckling as he returned to work on his client.

Beverly narrowed her eyes, placing both hands on her hips, her fingers curled into fists. Did Luis know? No, he couldn’t know. Beverly hadn’t told anyone yet apart from Ace.

The silence made Luis’s smile broaden. He finished brushing off the small hairs off his client before removing the cape, shaking it out to the side where he’d sweep up later. “What?” he asked, raising his hands in innocence after tossing the cape in the laundry bin to be washed.

Before Beverly could speak, Luis closed the distance between them and grinned stupidly. “My boy Ace got the job done,” he whispered. “You’re pregnant.”

Beverly’s mouth popped open, speechless. “But how did you know?”

Luis rolled his eyes. “Bev. We’ve been friends for how long now? You don’t think I know you? You don’t think I’ve noticed that suddenly, you can’t stand the smell of eggs? How you keep running to the bathroom and take a long time to come out? Oh and my boy has been calling you more than usual. He’s gotta take care of his woman and mother to his child. I knew it and since you haven’t told me yet, I had to let you know that I know. You can’t be slick around me,” Luis explained, still grinning from ear to ear. “So, give me a hug, sis. Congrats.”

Beverly’s eyes started to well up with tears as she reached to fall into Luis’s embrace.

Luis started laughing, giving her a tight squeeze. “Oh, and you’ve been doing that a lot too,” he finished, grinning as he released her.

Beverly couldn’t help but laugh, blotting a tissue Luis handed her against the bottom of her eyes as to not smear her makeup. “Okay, okay but promise me something? You won’t tell anyone just yet? I want to tell everyone, okay?” she asked, her blue eyes meeting his hazelnut hues.

Luis lifted his pinkie up for Bev to take. Smiling, she held up her own and wrapped it around Luis’s. “Thank you,” she said sincerely.

Glancing at the clock, she swore at seeing the time. Her next client would be arriving soon and she hadn’t finished cleaning her station. Shit.

 Turning in a frenzy, she practically ran into the man who had been passing by her to make his way to the front door.

The Hispanic male placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her. “Woah,” he called out, his voice as smooth as silk.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you,” rambled Beverly, her head snapping up to look at who she had almost collided into.

When his eyes met hers, Beverly’s blood ran cold. This man, he looked so familiar yet she could not place where she had seen him. But the look he was giving her was enough to chill her to the bone.

“Don’t worry about it, ma,” he said, releasing her from his hold and taking a few steps backward from her. “I’ll be seeing you, alright?”

Why did dread suddenly fill her? Who was this man? Beverly didn’t say anything, only watched the man turn and head out the front door.

“Bev. Beverly. Bev!” Luis called out, waving his hand in front of Beverly’s face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s wrong?” he asked, his eyes frantically searching hers for the answer.

Beverly shook her head, her hands rubbing her skin to clear the goosebumps that had erupted. “Do you know who that was?” she asked.

“Who?” Luis asked, looking around.

Beverly shook her head again. “Nothing, never mind,” she said, leaving her station to the front desk. She sat down at the computer and checked the sign-in log. Scanning the list of names, she knew all that appeared on the sheet. “He never signed in,” she mumbled to herself. Maybe he just needed to use the restroom. Was that it?

For the rest of the workday, Beverly could not shake the feeling that left her anxious and jumpy. She was constantly glancing up, looking around the shop and out of the windows to see if he had come back. He had not returned.

It wasn’t until she was locking up when it hit her. It was him. The one who had been staring at her from across the street when she had been locking up for the night. It had been over a year since she had seen him but it was him, wasn’t it? He looked different now. He had facial hair but it was him. It had to be. Beverly was sure of it.

I need to call Ace. Pulling out her phone, she paused. But what if it wasn’t him? All this is going to do is worry him even more. His nightmares were already getting worse, especially since the news of her pregnancy.

Pocketing her phone, she decided she wasn’t going to tell him. No, it would only make things worse. It wasn’t him. It couldn’t be.

She tried to use the drive home to clear her head, to shake the fearful thoughts from her mind but it was futile.

Sounds of laughter were coming from the kitchen, the aroma of lasagna followed. Beverly entered the kitchen, her husband looking up only after he secured their son, MJ into his high chair.

“Baby,” Ace called out to her, smiling at the sight of his wife. She didn’t have to say anything for him to immediately know. His smile faltered, handing MJ his plate of cut up pasta to keep him busy while he tended to his wife.

Crossing the room in just a few steps, he immediately cupped Beverly’s face with both hands, tilting her head up so she’d look at him. “What happened?”

With tears immediately pooling in her eyes, Beverly told him everything.

[beverly-donovan]

My cowboy surveying where we’re going to build our barn. 🐎

[beverly-donovan]

a year with you - @ace-donovan

[beverly-donovan]

"When confronted with a challenge, the committed heart will search for a solution. The undecided heart searches for an escape." - Andy Andrews

Beverly Alora Donovan

Basics Date of Birth: February 1, 1996 (29) Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Occupation: Owner and Barber at Locke Studios Family Father: Jonathan Williams ⟊ (May 9, 2005) Mother: Layla Noel ⟊ (May 9, 2005) Sibling(s): Matthew Williams ⟊ (November 11, 2023) Spouse: Ace M. Donovan (Married on October 31st, 2024) Children: Abigail Donovan (step-daughter, unknown to all), Michael James (MJ) Williams Donovan (adopted by Ace Donovan on December 1, 2024) Bio Family. Love. It was all Beverly wanted but never given. At the young age of nine, Beverly endured the sudden loss of not one but both of her parents. Layla and Jon’s lives, both tragically cut short due to their own vices, left their young children scrambling to find their place in the world. Pulled apart from her baby brother and bounced around from foster home to foster home, Bev was forced to grow up all too quickly. Protecting herself from the abusive nature of the men who swore to take care of her, trying to keep in contact with her brother, Matt, during their years of separation, and trying to find peace in the many homes she lived in, Beverly made herself several promises. One, always treat others with kindness. Two, give to those less fortunate because even though she often had very little, there was always someone out there that had less than she did. Three, never live a life of addiction and poverty like her parents had. She needed to be financially successful in order to give back. Four, always find and protect her brother the best that she could. And five, one day build her own family and give them all the love she had saved for them. Personality Traits + passionate, kind, unconditionally loyal - traumatized, workhorse, guarded

Storyline Nx01 Nx02 Nx03 Nx04 Nx05 Nx06 Nx07 Nx08 Jx01

[beverly-donovan]

Paradise. 🌴

[beverly-donovan]

Vacation. ♥️

[beverly-donovan]

I love the view. 😏

[beverly-donovan]