the rest of it's easy. willow's never been the jealous type, really. a large part of that, of course, is due to the fact that she would rather press flowers or string together nonsense notes than think about her thoughts and feelings for longer than a minute. which is why her friendship with ollie works. 

it's easy to get him talking. and when she does, she can curl up on her daybed, put the phone back down, and try to see everything as he's describing it. he's sent her plenty of pictures, but she makes his apartment look a bit more homey. a little more golden. messy, still, because tofu is a disaster when it comes to cleanliness - ollie more so.

and right on cue, tofu starts trouble. she chuckles and dabs at her eyes while the phone bangs about on the other end. and all the while, that dumb smile stays on her face. happy, for now, that they can just be. 

"i can't wait to meet her! but if she's anything like you say she is, then you really are lucky." her face scrunches as she tries to hold in another laugh again.

"but really, i'm glad you're happy. and that it's working out. even if i miss you like crazy most days."

ollie morales

☉

"no, not at all," she says, smile melting the rest of her worry lines away. she shifts her weight to the side, suddenly a little self-conscious, and wishing she'd worn something with sleeves. her shoulders are tanned from the summer, but she absolutely sports a farmer's tan, and feels all the more ridiculous for it. 

when he comes closer, she rocks up onto her toes so he doesn't have to lean down as much, taking the offered salvia in stride. 

"so this is lilycove? i can't believe i haven't made it out here before." 

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

she's known him long enough to tell that something's just a touch off when he responds to her. so she pauses, still in the middle of straightening after finally finding a small plastic bag of wrapped tissues. she straightens slowly and unwraps the tissues with one hand, taking a moment to dab her nose while she debates on whether or not she should ask him what's wrong. 

but her neck warms and she swallows and decides better not, especially when he's offering her an out. 

"i don't feel like i do anymore," she says and her voice sounds small as she climbs back into the daybed. she hugs a pillow to her chest and holds the phone away so she can blow her nose. 

"what's it like, really being a ranger? out there. how are you and penny? and tofu? is he adjusting well?" she breathes out. "see? lots to talk about."

ollie morales
mentions of PENELOPE LIVY

☉

you've got me. and she does, really. not many others know her like ollie does. like he always has. their friendship was always easy as breathing and even now, miles apart, he knows exactly what she needs to hear. he knows he doesn't need to try and convince her that everything's okay because she knows it is. she'll get through this heartache. she always does. always has. 

she's done it before, hasn't she?

"he asks about you, you know. says he wants to grow up and 'kick ass like a ranger like uncle ollie.' i don't know what you've been telling him."

she laughs alongside him and sits up. the phone clatters down to the floor and she makes a chuffing sound as she leans to get it, checking anxiously to make sure the call hasn't dropped. and when it's clear it hasn't, she rummages around in her little desk in the corner for a packet of tissues. 

"can you tell me about you? i just...want to hear you talk."

ollie morales

☉

she feels ridiculous. she feels electric. she feels giddy, like a kid again. anxious with butterfree in her tummy while she waits with her fingers wrapped tightly around her long-strapped purse. she sports a long yellow camisole and jean shorts, wide sunhat with a yellow ribbon tied around it. a long stem of ajuga is tucked under the ribbon.

this is different than wearing wrapped flowers tucked behind her ears, wearing confessions around boruta maher because he'll never know what they mean. 

but lance? there's something special about the way he'll smile when he sees it, when understanding will dawn on him as easy as the breeze.

she checks her phone - their last few text messages where she'd promised she would be the one to go see him this time around. 

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"probably, but i don't think he'd admit it," she says. it's been years since they'd done anything like it. he makes a face whenever she asks him to help around the farm, but that's work. and also usually involves manure. and maybe, with bo here to share it with him, he'd agree?

"you could probably entice him by telling him he can destroy it after." regardless, he's definitely going to be in no hurry to start building one now. he's out in the surf, splashing about in the waves with his dewott. 

she cranes her neck so she can look up at him and after a moment's hesitation, says, "oh. yes, please." she holds up the bottle of lotion and then sweeps her hair away from her neck. 

boruta maher

☉

she notices him looking. of course she notices him looking. (it's not like she'd realized she didn't have a swimsuit and spent way too much time finding one she thought bo lance would like.) roman, actually, was the one to call her out on it and now that she's thinking about it, she hopes he doesn't forget their deal.

'don't say anything to dad and you can stay up and play videogames until 1 am.'

she's hoping it's a tantalizing enough offer to stop him from spreading lies. 

"huh?" she says, realizing she's kind of zoned out while staring out at the water, fingers rubbing circles in the same spot on her forearm. "yeah. yeah, he's cute sometimes." she plops down on the towel so she can lotion up her legs. "we stopped making the trips when dad got sick, but before that, he loved when we came to the beach.

"every time we did, he made us build a bigger sandcastle than the last. he got pretty creative with a lot of them. seaweed flags and driftwood drawbridges." she sighs. and absentmindedly twists as much as she can to stretch some lotion to the parts of her back she can reach.

boruta maher

☉

the first taste is courtesy, but to see elisa enthusiastically go in for more stokes willow's pride. her regulars have praised her for the honey, but they're sweet folk and would probably still grin past a mouthful of dirt if she offered it to them. but elisa is honest, refreshingly so. some of her pointers have already helped her manage her gardens better.

"someone to handle deliveries would be so wonderful. i took in a mudsdale a couple weeks back and have done some day trips myself, but it's getting to be a bit much." and ophelia is good at managing the store, but she can't ask the young seventeen year-old for more hours. she's already pushing her hard enough as is.

"if money was no object?" she thinks about it for a moment. "galar, i think. so much history there. and open spaces. i've heard turffield is beautiful this time of year. and it's not nearly as hot."

Elisabeth Fiorelli

☉

eleanor doesn't seem bothered at all by the presence of someone else in the house. it helps that elisabet takes up a stance beside her, blade-like leaven arms tucked away from her. eleanor pats her gently and rambles on about how lovely it would be if she had something to read right about now. and ponders after samuel again.

"no, he didn't tell me," she says, fingers curling into fists, knuckles against the table. she drops her hands into her lap shortly after.

she balks at the last statement, looking incredulously at the man. that distrust still prickles at her, but from his demeanor, he seems...honest.

willow doesn't know quite what to think of it all.

"he's been...unpredictable lately. ran away from home. up until now, we haven't known where he went." she looks away. it's shameful to admit her failures to this complete and utter stranger. this person roman trusts more than his family.

"you said you were at...the soiree. were you there when he...?" something catches in her throat and she grimaces. "do you know why he would want to hurt someone?"

jayden cross

☉

"we are, actually!" again, poor ophelia has had more and more responsibilities dumped on her as of late. during her downtime at the shop, she's had to put dozens of stickers on mason jars so willow can bottle them up and sell them. "we'll swing by the shop on the way out."

the sun dips ever-lower and willow knows their time is nearing an end. "roman and adelaide should be home soon. i need to start dinner."

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"fifteen years...damn, we're getting old." despite the words, her tone is light. spoken fondly. she looks up at him, giggling at his childish remark and shakes her head. "okay, maybe not that old."

roman is running down the boardwalk and once or twice, he disappears from view, only for willow to spot him again, looking impatiently at the pair. when they finally get to the beach access, sand shifting under willow's sandals, roman strips off his shirt and hollers as he tears towards the ocean.

when they're closer to the shore, away from the hottest part of the sand, willow slips off her sandals and reaches into her beach bag. she unfurls a towel, plops the bag on top of it, and neatly steps out of her sundress. 

she folds it neatly and stuffs it in her bag, trading it for her sunscreen. after squirting some of the lotion into her hand, she holds the bottle up to bo. "you gotta drag roman out of the water. i don't want to deal with him complaining about a sunburn for the next week."

boruta maher
swimsuit uvu

☉