lowellchanning - Tumblr blog

[lowellchanning]

Lowell was distracted by some of the shells that had washed ashore. If there was ever an interesting looking one or one with cool colors, he’d tuck it into his pocket and give it to Maggie, his sisters, the next time they ran into each other. He’d been bent over, rinsing some sand from a shell in the frigid waters when he heard Gus take off, so Lowell wasn’t too far behind.

“No worries. He thinks anyone that give him eye contact is his best friend, don’t you, Gus. You get no love or attention at home ever,” Lowell teased. “He’s got pretty good manners, but I got distracted.”

OPEN STARTER. ↪ at prince’s point, evergreen dock ↪ @somertonstarter​

“hey there little guy,” it was no surprise to anyone who knew harvey how much he loved dogs. growing up, it was the one thing he always wanted and never got and he still hoped to adopt one with felicity. he loved coming to evergreen dock and run over the coast and when four paw friends joined him, who was he to send them away? harvey leaned down and pet the dog until someone came over. “you’re just the cutest buddy ever, aren’t you? oh hey,” he said as he watched the person’s shadow and got up. “sorry, is he yours?”

[lowellchanning]

laylaferguson​:

Layla leaned her back against the bar, her eyes watching out into the club as the rest of Lowell’s companions seemed to be fully enjoy themselves at Dark Sensations. She supposed she wasn’t surprised, the goal after all was to make sure they all had a good time, and that was something she and the other dancers had all but perfected in doing over the years. 

“I feel that. I could work here until the early hours of the morning but I still need a couple of hours at home to actually relax. I can’t just fall straight into bed, you know? Need some trash tv, some junk food, and really just switch off.” She explained with a small laugh, figuring the two of them were more alike than perhaps she might have thought. “I’m jealous, I don’t think any of the pizza places will be open when I leave here tonight. It might just have to be some pizza rolls for me tonight, so make sure you enjoy it, for my sake.”

🔥

“Oh!” Lowell’s eyes lit up, because he loved being able to share his go-to method for a fresh slice at weird hours. He’d worked enough second and third shifts when nothing but a 24-hour drive-thru was open. “So I’m gonna share my secret, because bagel bites--” pizza rolls were fine, but bagel bites were superior in Lowell’s opinion-- “but you can do a half-bake from Hearty Slice. I sometimes do that before a night shift. So then you get a pizza that you finish cooking in your own oven. It’s totally better than frozen options.”

Lowell took another sip from his glass -- his drink was nearly drained, only a couple gulps were left -- and then asked, “What time do you get off anyway?” Because another seed had sort settled into his mind. Maybe he could place an order for Layla and bring it to her when she was done. Lowell didn’t think that was weird. It was just a friendly thing to do. 

[lowellchanning]

somertonmayor​:

“I never say no to free coffee.” It was his lifeline and on dreary days, his only friend. A bit of a dramatic description, but coffee has been there for him for decades – when Maggie was teething and didn’t let him sleep, when he had long shifts at the hospital, when snow decides to blanket every inch of his town. “You guys been busy?”

🔥

Lowell tended to get hot chocolates -- sometimes with a shot of espresso if he needed the caffeine kick -- but he never really advertised that. He’d gotten a few weird looks back in college, some comments about being a kid’s drink, but Lowell knew what is tastebuds liked. They always liked hot chocolate, and right now they wanted a bagel breakfast sandwich, too. He’d add that to the order he was keeping track of in his head. 

Heading in the direction of the coffee shop Lowell answered, “Not really. Busy that is.” Then after a second Lowell figured he should probably correct that. “I mean not when you compare it to how it was.” Post-storm was sort of feeling like a breeze. “But I figure we all deserve some quiet days. But I’ll never complain when work just means making sure the firehouse is clean and paperwork is done.” Because that means no one was in accident or at risk of losing their house or lives. Quiet days were good days. 

[lowellchanning]

mrrckwood​:

Merrick burst into laughter, unable to stop herself - she’d seen A Christmas Story enough growing up to never try it, though she couldn’t pretend she didn’t have the urge to do stupid things all the time. Still, it was things like this that made her glad she and Lowell had become friends - she could absolutely see him doing it, and she could absolutely see herself daring him to do it again. “Okay, but like, please tell me someone took a picture or something. Because I did not think anyone ever actually did that in real life.” 

She easily tore off the crust of her pizza in exchange for his pepperoni - a fair deal, she was really the one winning here - and pondered over another competition they could try out. She knew he was a star basketball player - she’d never been a fan - and he knew she was basically a pro softball star - really, they were matched for matched when it came to skill. “I wish like, adult football leagues were a thing,” she mused as she popped another pepperoni in her mouth. “Like, I’m gonna need to find a softball league when summer comes - obviously, because yoga is fine but definitely not fun, and running only works out like, a third of my energy I always have. But I bet I could absolutely destroy you in football.” 

🔥

Lowell could look back on that moment, at least now, and laugh. Laugh at the situation and himself, so his joined in with Merrick now even as he shook his head. 

“I think if any of us had had cellphones with decent cameras there would have been all the pics. But it’s only my my memory.” And Maggie’s. But Lowell wasn’t about to share that info. Sibling black mail and all that. 

Happy with his the extra crust on his plate, Lowell nodded. He totally agreed that Merrick would kill at football. “You’re tiny so you’ve got a low center of gravity.” Lowell had never taken a physics class in his life, but he understood how that was helpful from a fitness standpoint. “You’d be hard as hell to tackle. But we could totally start a flag football league. Like, even if it was just a Saturday pick-up game sort of thing.”

[lowellchanning]

Lowell had been given a blessed three full days off and he was taking every opportunity to hit up his favorite local haunts. He had his go-to breakfast platter and fresh doughnuts from Tim’s tucked under one arm, and a large dirty, hot chocolate in his other hand as he walked back to his home. Lowell was sort of in his own thoughts, already thinking about what order he was going to demolish his treats and what episode of Bob’s Burgers he’d probably put on, which was why he almost ran into–

“James! Hey, man.” Lowell had always felt some kinship with James. They were both drummers after all, so it was like they had a super secret club they shared with other drummers and percussionists. “You doing good?”

@somertonstarter​ Where: Downtown Bridgeport

It was an odd thing, to be lost in a town where he had spent his entire life. But as much as he hated, it, this was the new norm for James. Getting lost, not remembering where he was going, how to get from one place to another, so much of it was lost on him these days. When he had set out to grab a coffee that morning, he had known where he was going. But a few minutes into his journey and James felt it slip from his mind. It was one of those things he was slowly getting used to, knowing that there was nothing that could be do about it. He could either keep going and get more lost or take a moment and try to regroup, see if he concentrated hard enough, that he could figure out where he had been heading. Not wanting to block the flow of people on the sidewalk, James moved over against the side of a building for a moment, a look of absolute confusion on his face as he tried his best to remember how the hell to get to the coffee shop.

[lowellchanning]

mrrckwood​:

Merrick smiled, linking her arm through Lowell’s - she was never worried about him being a sore winner, not like some people, and she laughed, shaking her head. “Okay, but can it be pity pizza if I steal your pepperoni?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows.

“Now that you know my deep dark secret life as a former pro bowler, you have to share something equally embarrassing. Like how you got to be so good -  most people I know suck and just come for the beer and nachos.” Which was, admittedly, why Merrick still bowled now - that and the state of nostalgia that made her just a little homesick, something she was sure Lowell could relate to. The winter felt neverending, and she thought briefly of how warm it must be in Georgia already, how she could have ditched the winter coat and started wearing shorts if she was back home. “In fact, you’re in a very elite club of people who can beat me. What’s your big secret, hm?”

🔥

Lowell really liked pepperoni, so yeah, it would be a pity indeed when all he’d do is like, blink twice, and Merrick and her magic ways would have snatched it his slices, so he figured maybe he could do a haggle. “What if I offer up all my pepperonis for crust?” Because for Lowell, toppings were good, but crust was his favorite bit of pizza.

“Oh, I dunno if it’s really like a secret skill or anything but I’m just like, pretty athletic in general.” He definitely could have been a solid 3-sport athlete in high school, because he’d never met a ball he couldn’t throw or catch or hit, but he’d focused solely on basketball so he could get a scholarship and then spent his off-seasons studying and training. Because Lowell’s mom had always said that intelligence came in all different packages, and his was his body just knowing how to naturally move. “Plus I dunno, I think being able to bowl and do trick shots isn’t embarrassing. It’s pretty cool. But um...” Lowell looked skyward as he thought over all the silly (and often stupid) things he’d done and landed on one his fellow southerner would understand. “Okay, so when we first moved up here? Our first winter someone dared me to stick my tongue to a metal pole like in that one movie?” Lowell had never seen the film in question before than, and since he’d never seen snow and this was the first time he’d even been outfitted in winter gear, he didn’t understand the error of his ways. “It was a traumatic, like, 30 seconds of me trying to huff out warm breath and someone trying to pour a thermos of cocoa. Zero out of ten. Do not recommend.”

[lowellchanning]

laylaferguson​:

Layla maybe would have opted to dance under a different name if she was in a big city, the kind of place where she wouldn’t see the same faces on her trip to the grocery store as she did at Dark Sensations, but Somerton was just too small for that. “Hey, for all you know Layla just might be a fake name altogether and I’m just living one huge double life.” She joked, smile tugging at her lips. 

The blonde nodded her head, she could understand the stresses of the job, and blowing off steam at the local gentleman’s club was hardly something that she wasn’t used to seeing. It seemed to be a recurring theme. “Oh don’t tempt me with that sort of thing, I’d much rather be doing the same. Bob’s Burgers, a big greasy pizza, a couple of beers. That is the best way to unwind after a stressful week.” She was almost hopeful that she might get an evening like that soon, save her from dancing, but she couldn’t be too picky. Money was money, after all. “Is that on the cards for you after this place? Cartoons and chilling at home?” 

🔥

A few weeks ago that comment would have sent Lowell’s mind on a trip. His brow would have scrunched and he would have been trying to figure out if what Layla was saying could be the truth. It would have been something that stuck with him for probably the rest of the day. But he knew better now, could read Layla a little bit better, so Lowell just grinned and then nodded.

“Yeah, probably. Like, you know when you’re tired but you’ve still gotta wind down a bit before you can really relax and sleep?” Lowell could feel the exhaustion in his bones and muscles, but knew the true end of his night was likely still a bit of a ways off. “And now I may have to pick up a pizza on the way home. You totally just planted that seed.”

[lowellchanning]

Lowell and mom both had the third shift of the day, so they had coordinated either a very late dinner (or early breakfast, depending on how you looked at it) at Timothy’s. He’d then swung by his parents’ house top pick up Gus, since they (or Maggie) usually volunteered to his dog the attention he needed when Lowell had overnight shifts scheduled. So even though the sun was threatening to rise and so many others would slowly be starting their day, Lowell’s only plans were to pull down his black out curtains and get some much needed rest. Which meant making sure Gus got out and was able to burn off his considerable energy so he would allow Lowell to get a good amount of sleep, too.  

“Oh, hey. Logan, right?” Lowell was pretty sure that was the man’s name. He and Gus had run into him and Ella -- why could he always remember dog names so much easier -- a couple weeks back, though definitely not this early in the morning before. “Lowell,” he pointed to himself, and then looked around the beach and toward the dune he was pretty sure Gus was digging a hole. “And my knucklehead Gus is just on the other side of the dune. 

“Can Ella play?” Lowell thought he remembered something about her being a service dog, which is why he really hadn’t moved to greet or pet her, even though he was itching to give the pup all the love, but if she was working, he didn’t want to interrupt that in anyway. “If so I’ll call him over, and if not, I can put him back on his lead so we don’t disturb you and stuff.”

who: open to all! @somertonstarter when: feb 2021 where: evergreen dock, the beach

Mornings had always been Logan’s favourite time of day. He was very much a night owl and often struggled to sleep, but there was something so calming about a sunrise, the glow filling every available space, the sense of peace it brought. So even though Logan suffered from insomnia from time to time, he couldn’t help but adore what mornings looked like, especially now he was in Somerton. Back in New York, everything was always moving, always loud and it was often overwhelming for him. But here it was just him and the beach. And Ella, of course, his loyal service dog. Right now though, she wasn’t working, not really, and he was quite content to watch her run around in the sand, chasing birds and digging in random spots. The sun had only just risen and it was cold out, but Logan didn’t mind. He was calm, there was no one about and he took the time to relax, working in his little sketchbook and glancing up every now and then to check Ella was okay. 

Only when he did, she had ran over to someone in the distance. Logan let out a soft groan and set his things down, hurrying to catch up with her. He wasn’t sure who it was, or why they were out on the beach so early in the morning - maybe they had just finished a night shift or maybe they had just risen early to watch the sunrise. Whatever the reason, all Logan could think about was stopping Ella from crashing into them. She was excitable but she was also a large dog and the last thing he wanted was to cause trouble. It was with a sharp whistle and a pat to his thigh that Ella stopped and sat down, watching him carefully. 

“I’m so sorry,” Logan typed on his phone, letting the app’s robotic voice speak for him. “There’s never usually anyone around so I let her run around and have fun. I hope she didn’t scare you, I know she’s big but she really is a gentle giant and a complete goofball.”

[lowellchanning]

laylaferguson​:

Layla was used to this sort of thing - it wasn’t exactly a large town, the faces she saw in the club tended to be ones she’d see outside of it too. Perhaps it was just second nature for her now that she didn’t get too bothered by it, the face that served her a coffee one that ever so delicately slipped a bill into a thin strip of material a couple of nights earlier. She wasn’t embarrassed about it, and didn’t think that anyone else should be either. 

She gave a small laugh at his question, one she wasn’t completely unfamiliar with in her line of work. “It’s a small town, fake names don’t last too long around here.” She grinned, she’d tried the alias thing when she’d first started out, but there wasn’t much point in her mind. People caught on to it far too quickly for her liking. “What’s got you guys here? Bachelor party? Someone get dumped?”

🔥

For some reason, not having a fake name for someone he’d had friendly coffee with relaxed Lowell. He can feel himself sink into his seat just a bit more and the line of his shoulders to sag. “Okay, cool. ‘Cause I like your name.” Layla was different -- she was sarcastic, though it took Lowell a few meetings to figure that out, and confident -- and so was her name, so Lowell thought it fit pretty good. 

“And I think just blowing off some steam. It was a long week.” They had a bunch of calls, nothing too serious or life threatening, but all the instances sure add up and can strain the little boxes of compartmentalizing the rigors of the job life from home life. “Me and some of squad just got off a double shift and someone suggested unwinding here. I mean, I could have done that with a few episodes of Bob’s Burgers but...” Lowell let his words trail off because he realized he was just rambling a bit.

[lowellchanning]

teagan-li​:

Thankfully the giant was here to help her tiny ass see into the back. Yet another person in town that Teagan didn’t really know more than in passing. It was hard not to notice a man who was that huge and looked like that so of course she knew his name and had considered setting her apartment on fire to get him to come over. “Thank you, I might have gone on a rampage if I didn’t get this. You’re saving lives as we speak.” She smiled at him as she took the carton and furrowed her brow at his question. “I mean, it’s better for the environment and your gut health so, does it matter how it tastes?” She mused out loud, though she knew it was probably coming off snooty. It was on brand for her so she decided she didn’t care to correct herself.

🔥

Lowell had to grin down at Teagan. Just the imagery she’d put into his head of tiny adult tantrum tickled him in the same way the silly animal videos Maggie sent him did. 

“Well saving lives kinda is part of the job description, so.” Lowell shrugged. All in a day’s work. “Though like maybe the brand is looking for a new spokesperson or something if you like it so much? Oatmilk does the body so good and all that that it’s an olympic medalist’s go-to.” Lowell wasn’t an ad-exec of course, but it made sense to him. “Get yourself a lifetime supply delivered right to you.”

[lowellchanning]

mayamumford​:

“Right,” she grinned, feeling like maybe she’d hit a button with him, one that she was all too curious about. “But you’re not one of those people. Got it.” Then again, maybe he was, but who was she to judge? “Point is, you put up with more than you need to. I guess I don’t understand why.” She’d tried to push him away with consistent insults and by guarding herself, but he seemed to always come back. It was sweet, in some messed up way that she couldn’t even begin to process. She didn’t deserve sweet things, hadn’t he heard?

“It depends on your definition of good. Sometimes it’s nice to catch a break from condescending men. Sometimes all I want is to see the look of disappointment when the judge and jury rules in my favor.” It was a bittersweet victory at the end of almost every trial. With a track record like hers, it was almost impossible to say no to her. “Courtroom uniform,” she half questioned, eyes rolling. “If you mean do I dress professionally, then yes. That’s sort of what you do when you’re a professional,” she continued, eyeing him with a grin. “Any other questions?”

Lowell normally didn’t like puzzles when they came in the form of math or words problems. But people puzzles were a different story, and Maya was sort of one of those puzzles with her walls and her actions that didn’t speak louder but just spoke different. She was different, which was maybe why, as she stated, Lowell put up with her. He liked this different puzzle, and for all the barriers she put up, Lowell liked Maya, too. 

“Of course you dress professionally. I guess I just meant, like, do you have something that makes you feel extra powerful. Oh, and...” Lowell pulled his phone from his pocket. When they had caught up the other day Maya had been working and he had been reading over her shoulder and only understanding about every seventh word or so. “What does,” he squinted at his notes app to find the right word, and then sounded it out in his head first before finishing his ask, “malfeasance mean?” Sure, Lowell could have looked it up since the other day, and probably some of the other terms that went with it, but he figured Maya could explain it in a way that would make more sense than a google.

[lowellchanning]

who: lowell + layla  @laylaferguson​​​

where: dark sensations 

Lowell doesn’t remember who makes the suggestion or why he agrees when he really should go home and shave and sleep after finishing off a double shift. But he’s in dimmed shadows of Dark Sensations, a 7 and 7 in one hand he doesn’t remember ordering, and waiting for a lap dance he also doesn’t remember requesting. Must be one of his coworkers being nice after Lowell might have lamented the fact that Aliza’s ball hadn’t resulted in any sort of dating traction. 

With is free hand tapping and drumming along to the synth beat currently blaring through the club, Lowell takes a moment to realize there’s someone in front of him, and when he does, he blushes just like he did all those weeks ago when he realized why Layla was familiar. 

“Oh, hey, Lay--” Lowell shuts his mouth so quick his teeth click, and then he stage whispers, but just loud enough to be heard over the club’s sound system. “Do I still call you Layla?”

[lowellchanning]

At 6′5 Lowell was definitely tall enough to see that weren’t anymore cartons on the shelf, but really the only reason he’d even reached for it was because the brand had a crazy little doodle as their logo and he wanted a better look. 

“Naw, I just wanted to check out the art.” And since he’d gotten his closer look, Lowell offered out the carton to the woman. “No bribes needed. It’s all yours.” 

Though now Lowell was curious, but not enough for any sort of takesies backsies. Just enough to linger around the milk fridges for a couple more minutes and ask, “Is it any good? The only non-cow milk I’ve had was coconut and rice.” Both were pretty watery, but not really unlike skim and did the job of providing a vehicle for Saturday morning cereal. 

location; the full cart with; @somertonstarter​ - open

Watching as someone grabbed the last carton of oat milk from the refrigerated section, Teagan let out an audible sigh, though honestly it sounded a little more like a whine falling from her lips. “Please don’t tell me that’s the last one and that I’m just too short to see there are more in the back.” She sighed and looked up at the other person with the carton in their hand. “And if it is the last one I’ll give you five bucks if you let me have it. My morning coffee is garbage with almond milk and I promise you that literally no one wants to see me without caffeine in my blood stream.” Maybe bribery was the way to go or maybe she was about to have someone tell her to go fuck herself but either way the woman was already reaching into her bag looking for her wallet. 

[lowellchanning]

Post-shift, Lowell went a place that some days felt like a second home thanks to the gigs the band played on the stage. He was lost in his own wandering, random thoughts while he waited for his platter of appetizers, when someone pulled him back to the present. And Lowell had to chuckle.

“Naw, my dance card’s free.” And so was the open chair across from him, so he thanked Riley for the beer with a smile and pushed the chair out in offering with his foot. 

“How’s your place doing? Have you been able to get back home yet?” It was a bit strange, Lowell thought, when the last time they’d really spent any sort of significant time together they were still kids, though Riley always sort of seemed like a mini-adult to Lowell, even back in high school. But now they were both very much grown. More than old enough to drink beers legally. 

CLOSED STARTER ↪ for lowell channing ( @lowellchanning​ ) ↪ at on the rocks bar 

“hey stranger.” riley saw lowell sat alone at a table and decided to bring him a beer. it had been a long time since the two had catch up. she had seen him around town already, he had been the one to tell her that she couldn’t go back home for at least two weeks after the snowstorm. but they hadn’t actually stopped their lives and hang out. not since leaving the cheer pom poms and basketball’s jersey. “i hope you’re not waiting on your hot date because you’re stuck with me now.”

[lowellchanning]

somertonmayor​:

“Neither did I, neither did I. Would’ve chosen a different jacket.” And he just got this one too, a gift from his sister for Christmas. If he ruined it, he would never hear the end of it. Tsking, he looked at the kids, waving lazily at them – no harm, no foul. “Just be more careful. What if it was an old lady, man.” they nodded quickly and scampered off, probably off to wreak havoc somewhere else. “With him as our pitcher, we will win the season. No doubt about it.”

Lowell thought the way the kids just listened to George was the perfect example about how Somerton felt about their mayor. They listened and trusted him and the rest of the town’s civic leadership, especially after their successful handling of the storm.

“Gus and I were headed to Full O’ Beans before work.” One of their bagel breakfast sandwiches and a large hot chocolate were calling Lowell’s name. “Wanna come with? Coffee on me. Best way to warm up, yeah?”

[lowellchanning]

jamiereynolds​:

It was fun to tease and that was why James liked working here so much. The others were like his family, a family who could make fun of each other but had each other’s backs, either way. “YOU might have not said anything about the wrinkles, but I had to mention them. Sorry, my love.” He laughed as he gave Lowell as teasing kissy face, putting his hands on his cheeks then resting his elbows on the table as he grinned at him. “Fine, you can have the happy lines as long as you promise that I’ll get them too. Rather that than anxious lines on my forehead.” He laughed once again as he exaggerated furrowing his brow. 

“You see, that’s a comparison I definitely can’t be mad about considering it’s true. Everyone loves Dug, anyway, therefore everyone adores ME.” Either way, the logic was sound in his head. He couldn’t help that it took three seconds for his brain to zone in on a brand new task. “He can TRY. I’ll prove to everyone that I’m big and strong. I drink my milk so I have strong bones. I’m basically Gaston.” 

“I dunno, Jamie, sometimes you get this lil’ crinkle,” Lowell emphasized his teasing point reaching out and tap-tap-tapping the upper bridge of Jamie’s nose, “riiiight, here.” These were the moments that he really liked around the firehouse. When they were between calls and the to-do list had dwindled and they could almost just relax. It’s when their squad bonded, when they found common ground and ways to unite beyond just coworkers. It’s how family was formed, and in moments like this Jamie definitely felt more like a little brother Lowell got to tease.

“Okay, but can you drink...” Lowell trailed off, trying to remember the song, because Maggie had definitely dared him to drink a certain amount of eggs post-Beauty and the Beast. “Raw eggs? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure Gaston wasn’t sporting a milk stache.”

[lowellchanning]

mayamumford​:

Whatever kept him around, Maya didn’t mind. He offered harmless company that she could easily push off whenever she needed to and he didn’t seem to mind. “Always finish with food, right? Good to know.” She liked figuring out just what made someone tick. If it was food for him, well, she’d always remember that. Even if he was only joking, there had to be some layer of truth behind it if he was willing to put up with her, even after she’d told him to back off.

A single brow arched upwards at his single confession. He liked hanging out with her? How would he feel if he knew the awful truth behind who she really was? Would he still want to be close to her, even if he knew she’d left two perfectly innocent children behind? Swallowing hard, Maya pushed back those thoughts and forced a soft smile onto her lips. It didn’t matter if he knew those truths or not. “I’m starting to think you have this weird thing for people being mean to you and if that’s the case, then no wonder you like hanging out with me.” She wasn’t necessarily all that mean to him. It seemed like every single time they met up, her walls crumbled a little more. “Sometimes,” she shrugged, not daring to look his way. “It’s been so much paperwork lately that I haven’t gotten a chance to be in a proceeding. I’m supposed to have a few cases on trial next week, but I’m tired of files.” She needed action, as did every good lawyer eager to win. “If I’m not working, then I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” She’d ruined her own family to build a career; it was all she knew.

“Oh, that’s not one of my kinky things or anything.” And Lowell meant it, even if a little bit of heat darkened his cheeks just so. “I mean, not that there’s anything wrong if someone’s into that that.” He wasn’t here to judge what consenting adults did. Plus Lowell had some truly mean things -- because kids could be cruel -- hurled his way when he was younger. Back when his height made him stand out, but not in a good way, and he had to leave his regular classroom for remedial assistance. Since then, since his mom and then later Chuck and Maggie’s support, it took a lot to really phase him. 

He sort of thought maybe Maya was like that too. It took a lot to rattle her, just the air about her, and maybe Lowell thought some of her barbs and frostiness all played into that. But, for now, Lowell would keep such a thought to himself. 

“That’s good then, right?” Lowell didn’t really know how courtrooms worked, because he figured sitting with his mom while she watched Judge Judy didn’t really count. “If you’ve got cases coming up next week that means you’ll get back? Oh! Do you have a courtroom uniform?” He always had a lucky tie he’d wear for game days back in college, and maybe lawyers had some superstitions too.