The pre-teen sunk into his seat, arms crossing his chest. Figures they wouldn't enjoy the joke. Well, CIAN MAHER seemed to, but the look he shot Roman a second later said otherwise.

What the fuck were they expecting from him? Something sweet and wholesome? Pah, Roman laughed at the thought.

"Apologize?" green daggers narrowed on Grandma and Bo. The angry Mankey in his chest begged Roman to pick a fight. Explode. Turn a small thing into something massive and ruin the day. He parted his lips, ready to free the monkey from its cage but paused.

Mom and Dad chatting happily in the kitchen flashed into his head. His angular features softened, "Whatever. I'm sorry."

boruta maher CIAN MAHER willow atkins

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her mouth is a thin line as she waits for roman's reaction. green eyes lift up to bo, corners softening a bit as he reprimands him, as he stands up for her, but the surprise at the response is evident on her face, if only for a fleeting moment. she beams. the impossible has been done. her son has apologized. 

was it a perfect apology? no. but she'd take what she can get, and right now it feels like a whole lot. she reaches over and places her hand over roman's, squeezes, and then draws back, knowing the last thing he wants is her fawning over him. 

"thank you," she says. 

louder, she adds, "well, that makes it my turn next. this year, i learned...that i don't have to do everything myself." she thinks of ophelia, helping run her day-to-day at the flower shop, and of greyson, who's helped bring one of her dad's dreams to life. and of bo, who's proven his loyalty a million and one times over. 

"and the best day i can remember...hmm..." she bites her lip. a lot of memories about someone pop up and she feels a twinge of guilt; she looks away from bo, towards cian and roman, and then smiles. "honestly, it might sound cheesy, but i'd have to say today." 

and with that, she grabs her cider and then tilts it in cian's direction before taking another drink. 

boruta maher  CIAN MAHER  Roman Maher

☉

tense is one way to describe the maher-atkins household. by the sheer will of all the gods above, roman doesn't explode in fiery retaliation, and cian isn't sure who to thank.

himself, then. because roman must've listened to him. definitely.

"aw, that's sweet, willow. cheesy, but sweet."

his tease is made clear by the grin and wink he gives her as his glass meets hers.

"shoot. is it my turn?"

after a particularly long sip, his posture straightens as he sits up.

"i learned..." how to lie. how to kill. "...how to love."

before that was taken away as well.

he'd always been particularly withdrawn about his personal life so he doesn't expect any of them to know otherwise. so his smile would likely be considered appropriate and not sad.

"best day was when i let boruta maher win during our gym challenge."

willow atkins boruta maher Roman Maher

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at the way willow reached out to roman so gingerly, bo was almost inwardly daring his hellspawn to rip away. sorry should have just been the bare minimum to stay at the table. this kid was in debt.

when it was willow’s turn, he looked over, but he might not have had he known the words that would leave her mouth. their implication was heartbreaking. he should have been there, to prove that she didn’t have to do it all herself. if anything, he’d only been strong evidence of the opposite. he’d abandoned her.

watching her avert her eyes, regardless of the reason, left his own sense of security crumbling. still, he smiled. the moment was bittersweet.

”it’s really nice, will.”

his attention turned to his brother, smirking at antics he missed. he wasn’t expecting such a deep answer to follow. it softened his gaze as he realized how out of touch he’d been; but a grin flashed at cian’s second answer.

”yeah, yeah. i always tell you not to go easy on me.”

shaking his head, he took a sip of his cider. was it his turn? for a moment, he considered quietly.

”i learned... the true joy of togetherness.” his families united. ”uh... best day...” the last day of HST. he nodded, looking around with a smile. ”today. this is great. only thing better would’ve been if we had caden here.” and if roman wasn’t such a little shit.

willow atkins CIAN MAHER Roman Maher

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"Great," Roman rolled his eyes, fed up with all the emotional vomit being spewed. "Can we eat now? I'm hungry."

boruta maher CIAN MAHER willow atkins

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while she's had her fair share of drink before, especially after a long day's work when it really hits just right, the couple she'd had before bo and cian had arrived, coupled with what she's currently drinking, and the plain and simple fact that she isn't as young as she used to be - well, the bottom line is that she's tottering into tipsy territory. 

her smile is languid and it comes easier. her stress starts to melt away - some of that tension that she always carries in her shoulders begins to ease. and being beside roman is easier. she's less aware of the fact that every moment can be catastrophic if he so desires. 

she raises her glass when bo finishes them off, side-eyes roman, but still with that grin on her face. 

"cheers," she says. "to love and togetherness and to the start of what will be a long-standing tradition." caden maher will come to the next one because there will be a next one. and maybe roman will have grown up a bit by then.

she grabs a serving spoon and piles a stack of fresh green beans on roman's plate and then takes a healthy serving for herself. most of the vegetables and even the breads were sourced locally, given to her by friends and loyal patrons of the flower shop. in return, she'd gifted them garlands, woven them crowns. 

"samuel, pass me the biscuits," eleanor says, blinking at bo. 

boruta maher  CIAN MAHER  Roman Maher

☉