[right][sub][color=dimgray]Friday night
Collab with [@TootsiePop][/color][/sub][/right]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/nyXdiDo.gif[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/hPmqQzc.gif[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/djx2Jye.gif[/img]

[img]http://a398.idata.over-blog.com/2/22/33/01/r-pertoire-2/divider--2-.png[/img][/center]
[indent]There were some days, Evelyn left without telling anyone the reason why. All she would say was she was ‘going out’.  Then she would drive almost two hours to visit Santa Barbara Cemetery Association and two hours back. This was the place where two of the most important people were buried. Right near her vineyard and a vacation home. A place her children can escape to if they needed to. Her mother, Cyndi Harding, who had been gone since she was twelve, having died from a drug overdose, and her manager, Silván Pearce, who passed away shortly after her youngest child’s baby shower. None of her fathers, who both were still alive, could compare to Silván. He was always there for her, even before grandfather Bellerose accepted her. His bastard child . He was always there during her rough times with the father that raised her. Van Harding. The man that treated her like a money making machine and not a child. A man sentenced behind bars until the day he dies for manslaughter. None of her children knew about Grandfather Harding and she would keep it that way. 

Silván protected her and for that she would be forever grateful for him. Returning home, after being gone for hours now, Eve silently creaked the door open and glided into her humble abode, wondering what her family was up to. The family she was able to have, thanks to those two very important people in her life. Forever grateful, she was. 

Emanating from the standard meeting room of the Green family — that is to say, the kitchen — Evelyn Green wasn’t greeted by the sound of her children being merry, nor the sounds of Henry and Min-seo swapping saliva, or even Parker playing with Jasmine the cat; all of which were becoming increasingly common noises in her home. Instead, Mrs. Green was met with a sound she’d heard far more often when she was younger.

[color=708090][b]“[i]You[/i] need to fix this!”[/b][/color]

[color=dad236][b]“Me!? You jumped her ass! The fuck did I do, Lyssy!?”[/b][/color]

[color=708090][b]“Do [i]not[/i] call me that, under any circumstances!”[/b][/color]

Evelyn was greeted to the noise of her wife and her baby daddy arguing in the kitchen. Just like old times.

Of course. Sighing deeply to herself, she dropped her purse on the chair in the lobby and made her way to the meeting room. On the trim of the door, the Mrs. of the Green household gently knocked, loud enough so both of her lovers could hear it. She stood under the archway, surveying the situation, before firmly speaking, 
[color=925f7f][b]“What happened.”[/b][/color] Not much of a question, more of a demand for someone to give her an explanation.

[color=708090][b]“This stupid idiot upset your daughter.”[/b][/color] Alyssa said simply, pointing at Ty, who huffed and shot a look at Alyssa.

[color=dad236][b]“It isn’t [i]my[/i] fault! You said you wanted me to talk to her! [i]I[/i] didn’t even know she was doing that stuff. I thought she just sort of… was normal at school.”[/b][/color] Ty said defensively, folding his arms off of his chest, before Alyssa huffed. Alyssa, for her part, looked like she was two inches away from gouging Ty’s eyes out.

[color=708090][b]“Please tell your [i]man[/i] that he’s a fool.”[/b][/color] Alyssa hissed in response, turning her glare onto Evelyn.

Stepping in the room and crossing her arms, Eve hissed back, [color=925f7f][b]“You two need to stop. Now, explain. What ‘stuff’? Ty, since you brought it up, you tell me.”[/b][/color]

Alyssa threw her hands up in the air, but she ultimately did allow Ty to speak. [color=dad236][b]“Alyssa called me earlier, because she wanted me to talk to one of the kids, because I get along pretty well with the kids —”[/b][/color] Ty was cut off by Alyssa tersely adding. [color=708090][b]“Except for Henry.”[/b][/color] To which Ty conceded, [color=dad236][b]“— Except for Henry. But anyway, I came to do that, and while I was trying to handle things, Alyssa got involved and it didn’t end pretty. So we’ve been arguing for the last like fifteen minutes about it… poor form. We haven’t argued in a while.”[/b][/color]

[color=925f7f][b]“This doesn’t answer my question! What were you talking to Cyndi about?!”[/b][/color] Oh my god. Could they get to the point? By process of elimination, the most sensitive child was Cyndi so it only made sense this was about her. [color=925f7f][b]“Is it about her birthday? Do I need to make changes? Is she getting bullied [i]already[/i]? Do I need to get Xander to kill somebody?”[/b][/color] 

At this, both Ty and Alyssa furrowed their brow, taken somewhat off balance by what Evelyn had said. [color=708090][b]“What? Cyndi? No…”[/b][/color] Alyssa didn’t get to say who it was, because Ty spoke up. [color=dad236][b]“Hailey.”[/b][/color] As if it was on cue, footsteps could be heard in the room, before they were joined by James, Hailey’s Butler.

[color=2F8A17][b]“Well done. She’s damn near crying, which I’ve never seen before.”[/b][/color]

[color=925f7f][b]“Okay. I’m done with you two. I’ll just find out from her.”[/b][/color] Evelyn had to digest that the child who was crying wasn’t Cyndi. Rarely did Hailey need comfort. Not like when she was little. It seemed like the past was definitely creeping up with the mother of three today. Not listening to anything more her lovers had to say, she looked at James, [color=925f7f][b]“Bedroom?”[/b][/color] 

[color=2F8A17][b]“Yes. But I’d personally just leave her be. She’s upset.”[/b][/color] Butler gave his advice, but ultimately knew that he couldn’t stop Evelyn from doing what she wanted to. The three people standing there signed the checks, after all.

[color=dad236][b]“Well… I can at least arm you with some good news before you go?”[/b][/color] Eve was upset, but it made sense — she wasn’t getting a straight answer. The option of Eve being the one to talk to Hailey was a good one… it meant that Hailey wouldn’t be talking to himself and Alyssa, the two people who upset her.

[color=925f7f][b]“What is it, Ty?”[/b][/color] Evelyn’s face was visibly fed up, as she looked over her shoulder to glare at the father of her children. Her child was crying and she wasn’t there yet to make her feel better. What was this good news he had to tell her? Was it [i]that[/i] important? 

[color=dad236][b]“Hailey’s kind of having a breakdown. She’s just overwhelmed. She likes structure, you know that about as well as I do. The video store she and I have been renting movies from for movie night since she was a baby is closing down. So she was a little stressed when she rolled in. ...well, that’s downplaying it… she was freaking out. But like the way Alyssa does. Coldly.”[/b][/color] Ty offered a… slightly more detailed explanation, before giving her the good news. [color=dad236][b]“Anyway… the point is, Alyssa bought the store. So it isn’t going out of business anytime soon.”[/b][/color]

[color=708090][b]“Well, I’m in the process.”[/b][/color]

[color=925f7f][b]“Duly noted. Thank you.”[/b][/color] If all else fails, Eve had that to fall on, but first she needed to see if it was just that or if there was more to the issue. Henry got punished at school — who’s to think Hailey didn’t have something else going on too? Not her. She was positive her children were having their own adventures, but she also knew Hailey was good at taking care of herself, so perhaps it was only about the movie store. 

Well, she wasn’t going to find out anything by staying here with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Silently, Evelyn made her leave, with no dismissal. Gracefully, she made her way to her daughter’s room. Eve had a way when she walked through the halls. She was the type of person who could go unnoticed in plain sight. Too quiet for anyone to hear. With the knuckles of her right hand, she tapped on the door, [color=925f7f][b]“Hailey.”[/b][/color] and waited for her eldest child’s to respond.[/indent]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/TYrZ82d.gif[/img][/center]
[indent]At first, there was no response. Another mystery, and another oddity for the night; Hailey was never slow to respond, but it was nonetheless delayed. [color=922b2b][b]“What. Do [i]you[/i] want?”[/b][/color] The reply came through the door, and it certainly wasn’t an invitation for Evelyn to step inside, and the venom hanging off of each word showed the story clear enough. Hailey Green-Locke was in a mood.

[color=925f7f][b]“To talk to you. Please, can I come in? If not, we can talk like this. I don’t mind.”[/b][/color] Motherly Eve was vastly different than her teen self, years ago. She was much more warmer, softer, and kinder. Someone had to be, with a family like her’s. [color=925f7f][b]“I just want to make things better. I know how your other parents can be and honestly if you weren’t angry at your father, he’d probably make you feel better faster than I could, but you know they mean well.”[/b][/color] Evelyn was talking to a door. Quite literally. 

Truth be told, Hailey was still furious. She was furious with all of her parents, and though Evelyn hadn’t been there for the fireworks, Hailey was mad at her all the same. Still, she couldn’t deny Evelyn most likely wanted to help. There was the sound of a lock twisting and turning, before the door came open, and Hailey stood before her Mom. Hailey’s eyes were puffy and red, and as she spoke slowly and carefully — with much less venom than when she’d initially spoken to Evelyn, her voice cracked ever so slightly, revealing how closely on the edge of crying she was teetering.

[color=922b2b][b]“Do you… think… Daddy hates me?”[/b][/color]

[color=925f7f][b]“W-what?”[/b][/color] Evelyn was legitimately confused at this question. [color=925f7f][b]“Your father doesn’t hate, especially not you.”[/b][/color] First child. First daughter. Hailey had a lot of boxes checked off to be in Ty’s favor. He could get upset, sure, mostly disappointed, but he couldn’t hate. Not even a fly. Even if he tried. Brushing her eldest child’s cheek gently, feeling how wet it was, Eve shook her head, [color=925f7f][b]“Why do you think he hates you?”[/b][/color] The most ill informed parent’s reward goes to Evelyn Green! She knew more about Henry’s rep at school than any of her other children’s.

[color=922b2b][b]“I yelled at him. And Mother, too. A lot. They’re upset at me, because of what happened at school. I got angry.”[/b][/color] Hailey admittedly, numbly knocking Evelyn’s hand away from her face as she stepped into the bedroom, sitting down on the bed. On the TV, an [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBqDyAvv-_M]anime[/url] opening was playing, and Hailey snapped her fingers to mute the TV, [color=922b2b][b]“they’re upset about something that happened at school. I was — [i]am[/i] — upset about all the pressure on my shoulders. I cracked. I snapped. I’m not good enough to be a Locke, let alone a Green.”[/b][/color]

Cautiously, Evelyn stepped into the bedroom and tilted her head, [color=925f7f][b]“What happened at school? I only get calls for your brother, not you.”[/b][/color] At this news, the bafflement on the mother’s face was clearly visible, [color=925f7f][b]“Do you need a tutor? That can be easily arranged.”[/b][/color] 

[color=922b2b][b]“Of course not. Are you joking? I’m one of the smartest people there. I mean emotional, Mom.”[/b][/color] Hailey scoffed after Evelyn’s words, a brief show that the normal Hailey was still there. As she sighed and prepared to talk about the problems she was having, her mask shattered again. [color=922b2b][b]“I made Ophelia break Trixie and Owen up, following some unimportant ‘politics’ at the school. Daddy thinks that I’m not living up to his teachings, so to speak.”[/b][/color]

Ah. So that’s what it was. Not responding immediately, Evelyn made her way to the bed and took a seat next to Hailey.  [color=925f7f][b]“It seems…”[/b][/color] How should she word this? For once, Eve felt like she was walking on eggshells with Hails.  [color=925f7f][b]“...like you’re acting more like me, and your mother, than your father. Ty… he was, still is, very loving, but extremely misunderstood. May it be because of his accent or because of his brashness. As for Alyssa? She ran the place, still does, with total disregard for anyone that was no one to her, and me? I could care less. I pushed people away. I was cold. Your father, though? He somehow was able to unite very unlikely individuals together. Without him, your aunt, Amie, would’ve never gotten with your uncle. It's the little things like that… that really make your father a remarkable man.  I think, he’s just…”[/b][/color] She paused, trying to think of the word that best fits what her baby’s daddy was going through, [color=925f7f][b]“Disappointed. But, he could never hate you. I can promise you, when you walk for graduation, he’ll be crying like a baby.”[/b][/color] 

[color=922b2b][b]“That’s [i]worse![/i] Don’t you understand!? I have lived my [i]whole life[/i] trying to [i]never[/i] disappoint any of you. I live for my parents — especially Daddy! My disappointing him makes me sick.”[/b][/color] Hailey snatched the remote off of her bedside table, and hurled it across the room like a spear, toward the wall. Rather than shatter, it stuck in the wall with a huge hole and Hailey rolled over, burying her face in a tear stained pillow and screaming. Lifting her head up, she spun back around to look at Eve. [color=922b2b][b]“I can’t disappoint him. I’m supposed to be his favorite.”[/b][/color] She was close to blubbering again.

[color=925f7f][b]“It happens, Hailey. I’ve even disappointed your father and I can agree when you disappoint Ty it really messes you up.”[/b][/color] Turning her body, Eve decided to lay beside her child. Instead of addressing how to fix it, she simply said, [color=925f7f][b]“Come here.”[/b][/color] A gesture for her daughter to go into her arms. 

Hailey let out a noise that was certainly negative to say the least. She grumbled and moved closer to Evelyn and shook her head, [color=922b2b][b]“Yes, yes it does. I don’t even know what to do… what if he [i]never[/i] forgives me? I’m scared, I’m not sure I’m going to do, I have to go and deal with Trixie and Ophelia and Owen and all of [i]that[/i] mess, and I just want to sit in my room and watch anime and pout in my bed!”[/b][/color]

[color=925f7f][b]“If he was [i]that[/i] upset with you, he wouldn’t have went out of his way to convince your mother to buy [i]Vidiots[/i].”[/b][/color] Smiling to herself, loving the small gestures her daughter gave her, even if reluctantly, Evelyn comfortingly cooed, [color=925f7f][b]“It’ll all fall into place. It’s a mess. Yes. But nothing that can’t mend over time. You’re stronger than I ever was your age. And I [i]promise[/i] you, your father [i]will[/i] love you forever.”[/b][/color]

[color=922b2b][b]“You don’t know that. No one knows anything.”[/b][/color] Hailey said in a voice so bitter it might as well have punched Evelyn in the face. She was upset, she was tilted. She was a million and one emotions at once, she didn’t even know what to do, let alone what to say. [color=922b2b][b]“Me, Ophelia, and Trixie were supposed to be forever, and now that’s gone because of me, so what’s next? Daddy? You? Mother? Auntie Amie?”[/b][/color]

Sighing heavily, feeling Hailey’s words go straight to the heart, Eve kept a cool head on her shoulders. She would play her piano later, to ease the pain.  It wasn’t easy being a mother. [color=925f7f][b]“I do know things blow over. Why do you think we don’t know anything? I almost lost both your father and mother, at one point in time. It’s hard to say how anyone will react or feel, but you shouldn’t assume how they feel. That isn’t right on them. If you want to know how your father feels, find time to talk to him alone. Same goes for everyone else. Trixie. Ophelia. Your mother. I don’t know what issues you have with my sister, but her too.”[/b][/color] Eve wanted to kiss her daughter’s forehead, but she refrained from being affectionate. It didn’t seem right. Her daughter didn’t want to be touched. [color=925f7f][b]“Right now, no words I will say will make you feel better. So, tell me whatever. Yell at me. Cry. Scream. That’s what I’m here for.”[/b][/color] 

Hailey’s response didn’t come in words. Instead, she let out a long breath, and moved closer to Evelyn, placing her face in Eve’s chest. Without another word, Hailey let the angry tears begin to flow.[/indent]