[center][url=https://fontmeme.com/art-deco-fonts/][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/231001/351366e10207a7fd6e1851bc3d09bb21.png[/img][/url] [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/54bd0682-48c6-4f09-8636-0bf46a545e10.png[/img][/center] [sub]A [color=DC143C]Miles[/color] and [color=fff79a]Mary[/color] Price post[/sub] [hr] Mary had the day off the day after yet another dumpster fire of a family dinner. She’d spent the morning distracting herself. She cleaned the house, made some more healing potions to take to the coven house tomorrow, drove the 2 hour round trip to Seattle and back to take her parents to the airport and did some cooking. All the while the box of letters sat in the middle of the table. She’d moved them right after the Montgomerys had left with the full intention of reading them that night but she was too drained. Then the next day went on as the woman avoided them. They were uncomfortable to look at, in all honesty she was terrified of what she’d find within those words. It was just past 3 when she finally worked up the courage to open the box to find pages and pages of notes written on all kinds of paper. She made herself a coffee, slipped on her reading glasses and worked at starting on the project. [hr] [color=DC143C]"Evening mum."[/color] Miles called down the little entranceway corridor as he returned home from work. His mother called back a soft, [color=fff79a]"Evenin' Hurricane."[/color] Her words sounded distracted. While Mary often was keeping herself busy on Miles' return home she almost always called out her greeting. She only really had that gentle contemplative tone when she was really deep into something. With a cocked eyebrow the young man walks into the dining room to see his mother at the table surrounded by stacks of trifold-creased pages. In front of her was a large box that still held a large collection of 100 or so envelopes despite the overwhelming amount on the table before her. [color=DC143C]"What's all this?"[/color] Miles asks, taking the seat opposing hers. He was sure he knew exactly what it was but he hoped it was wrong. [color=DC143C]"Looks unending."[/color] Mary gave a sigh, putting the letter in her hand at the bottom of the stack closest to her and slipping her reading glasses off of her face. [color=fff79a]”Letters from your father.”[/color] she explains gently, looking over her son. She hoped telling him wouldn’t blow up in her face, the last thing she wanted was another yelling match across her dining room. [color=fff79a]”Asked about you a lot and wrote ‘bout his hopes and dreams for you. Sounds like he really wanted to be here with us, Hurricane. He was so convinced he couldn’t for our safety, he seems to never stop writing. Turns out Amanda was hoarding ‘em.”[/color] She decided to leave out the fact there was money mentioned in most of the letters that was missing par the occasional bill that was obviously mistakenly left behind. Miles gives a low, drawn out sigh. So the box was exactly what he thought it was. He looked between his mother and the letters that surrounded her. Before he could say anything she spoke up once more. [color=fff79a]”I did try to divine ‘em. You know my divination works better on the spoken word than writing but it seems he’s being sincere.”[/color] Miles gave another sigh, finding a sudden interest in the tablecloth before him. [color=DC143C]"So what am I meant to do, ma?”[/color] he asks gently, picking at a loose thread. He kept his voice low, he didn’t want another argument with his mother either. [color=DC143C]"Just run into his arms and call him pa?”[/color] [color=fff79a]”I’m not askin’ that of you, Milo.”[/color] Mary replies gently. She was glad this conversation was more civil than the day before. She felt bad for her son, the poor kid had been through so much the past weekend and she could see it in his eyes. [color=fff79a]”Look, this is a very different situation for the both of us. For as much as I’ve suppressed it there was a time when I loved your father, when he made me happy and was good to me. It doesn’t discount the hurt or mean I want to be with him again but I had that. For you though? No matter how much he wanted to be here he never was a father to you. It wouldn’t be fair for either of us to expect you to want a relationship with ‘im.”[/color] Miles looked up at his mother. He was honestly expecting her to beg him to give his father some grace, Mary was always quick to give that and Miles knew she wanted to instill some of that into him. [color=DC143C]"Thanks ma,”[/color] he replies quietly, a small smile playing on his lips. In all honesty Miles was unsure about how he wanted to play this. He knew he wasn’t going to hold Aloysius up as his father but he wasn’t sure how much more rage he could have for the man. For so long his father was someone to blame for a lot of near unexplainable things, mostly in the realm of how he watched his mother struggle, and part of him didn’t want to lose that. [color=fff79a]”Carlisle told me you told him to pass the letters onto me. That was a good thing for you to do, Milo. Thank you. It really gave me some clarity I needed.”[/color] Miles’ smile seemed to grow just a little wider. [color=DC143C]"Well, y’know,”[/color] he says meekly, rubbing the back of his head. [color=DC143C]"I guess I owed it to ya for everything.”[/color] Mary’s face softened at Miles’ words. [color=fff79a]”Miles, baby, you don’t owe me a single thing.”[/color] she clucks with a gentle smile. [color=DC143C]"Don’t lie to me, ma. I know I put you through hell. I know I’m-”[/color] [color=fff79a]”Miles,”[/color] Mary interjects, raising a hand. [color=fff79a]”I’m your mumma, it’s my job to put up with all that. Sure, we’ve had our rough patches and you were a bit- out of hand shall we say- but I like to think you turned out ok.”[/color] Miles couldn’t help the redness that spread across his cheeks as his eyes forced themself away from his mother’s gaze. [color=DC143C]"I hope I can be half the parent you are,”[/color] [color=fff79a]”Oh, my baby boy,”[/color] Mary chuckles. [color=fff79a]”You’re gonna be so much better.”[/color] The room fell quiet for a moment as Mary started putting her well-organized stacks of paper into a large stack and Miles scrolled through his phone. After a minute she clears her throat before speaking up again. [color=fff79a]”So, when are you movin’ out?”[/color] Miles was caught off-guard by her question. He should have seen it coming but it was in that moment he was reminded that asking John to move in at the family dinner was the first Mary had heard of that plan. Although it had been on the man’s mind before he found out Lilith was pregnant he didn’t intend on it being brought up so soon until he did. A perfect storm of thought out planning and spontaneity that was almost a trademark of his at this point. [color=DC143C]"I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner,”[/color] he replies, forgetting about her actual question. [color=fff79a]”Honestly, Milo? Even without the divination I woulda assumed that was your next move. It’s fine. Really.”[/color] Miles nods his head as his mother speaks. It didn’t sound contemptuous so he just had to assume it wasn’t. [color=DC143C]"Well Lil and Claire want me to move in as soon as I can. I was thinking Saturday, don’t have to worry about work then.”[/color] [color=fff79a]”Saturday,”[/color] Mary muses in response. In all honesty she expected him to fumble around for a while. In a way he’d still live at home but slowly just start spending more and more time with Lil until suddenly his clothes were in her drawers and he only really went home occasionally to see his mother. In a way Mary was proud he was making a swift concrete decision for once but she couldn’t help but feel the sting of losing him in her house. She swore she could feel herself become misty eyed as memories of Miles over the years played in her mind. While he had moved to Olympia for a good few years she knew he’d come back eventually to take his place in the coven, she cried then a few more times than she would ever tell him. This, however, felt a bit more permanent, a bit more real. She was ready for him to move it, it was very much his time, but it didn’t mean it was painless. Miles knew the face the woman was pulling, the face she made when she didn’t want him to know she was on the verge of tears. Miles did feel a twinge of guilt at bringing out that sadness in her but he knew it was time and he knew she probably did too. [color=DC143C]"Ma?”[/color] he questions. [color=fff79a]”I’m fine, Miles.”[/color] she replies somewhat forcefully, in a way she was trying to convince herself of that. [color=DC143C]"Are you going to be alright by yourself? Y’know the ranch has a lot of spare rooms and I’m sure if you asked John would happily-”[/color] [color=fff79a]”Miles,”[/color] Mary interrupts once more. [color=fff79a]”You and I both know the answer to that second question. I’ll be fine, I’ve done this before. I’m not just gonna mope around on my ass, I’ve got my work and I expect I’ll be at the Ranch quite a bit. Besides, triplets are a lot. I imagine Claire, John or the two of you might need an escape every now and again. Y’know you and Lilith are always welcome here.”[/color] Miles nods simply, not getting a word in edgeway before Mary spoke again. [color=fff79a]”Anyway, I can’t be assed cookin’ tonight. Was thinking of orderin’ some pizza? We could put on a movie and have a drink. I feel like we both need to decompress after the weekend we just had, hey Hurricane?”[/color] [color=DC143C]"That sounds perfect. Let me pay for dinner tonight.”[/color] [color=fff79a]”Nuh-uh, you pay for too much in this house. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve picked up some of the Montgomerys’ tricks. This one’s my treat. You need to save them pennies while you can with 3 little ones on the way.”[/color] [color=DC143C]"At least let me pick them up.”[/color] [color=fff79a]”I need some air,”[/color] Mary replies simply. A code phrase the duo have had forever indicating they need to be alone and out of the house for a bit. In truth those letters had started becoming suffocating. Apologies after apologies strewn amongst ‘I love yous’ and memoirs of the life of a man it turns out she never knew. It all made her head spin a bit. She needed to get physically away from them for a while. Miles put his hands up in surrender. [color=DC143C]"Alrighty, you go for it then,”[/color] he responds, getting up from his seat. At least it gave him some time to clean up and get into something more comfortable than his business suit. Mary finished stacking all the pages and placed them on one side of the box, the other still piled with masses of envelopes. [color=fff79a]”Look, it’s up to you Miles but if you do want to read ‘em I’ll pop ‘em underneath the coffee table. I recommend it honestly, not to make you see his side or anythin’. Clarity can just be a beautiful thing sometimes.”[/color] So goes and slips the box into its new home, deciding the rest of the letters had to wait for the next day, she was done for the night. [color=DC143C]"We’ll see,”[/color] Miles mumbles, honestly unsure on if he would read them or not. Mary collects her handbag and starts making way for the front entrance. [color=fff79a]”You’re on movie duty tonight. Please nothin’ too crude tonight and Miles, honey?”[/color] she settles her gaze on her son, waiting for his eyes to meet hers. [color=fff79a]”I’m proud of you.”[/color]