Tears stream down her face, though its hard to tell if they are out of pain or anger. Maybe a mix of the two- and maybe humiliation as well.

"Don't-"

She objects at the same time he does, but he approaches anyway. And she doesn't stop him, even though she's spoken to suggest otherwise.

Instead, she curls in on herself, either hand clasped to her ankle as she holds back heaving sobs. He's speaking to her, but she can't find any words to say in response between the hyperventilating through her teeth.

"It hurts-- it hurts so fucking bad."

CIAN MAHER

☉

"Then you must not know your wife very well."

Or she's lying to him.

"What does she say about me?"

Scratch that, she doesn't care. Spencer scoffs, looks at the ground. Her earbuds dangle around her neck, her lifeline.

"I'm not much help in the kitchen, anyway."

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

With every syllable he speaks, she buries her earbuds deeper into her skull, intentionally, so he sees it.

"That's great, Cian, really. I'm so glad to hear you've found another person to one day forget about and take for granted."

You fucked me up, too.

She bites back the tears, because she has to be better than that. She can't be the one to kneel or admit she had feelings, and that he'd broken her heart long before she'd chosen to put the knife in his back.

Spencer glances back at Cian Junior, at the innocent life caught between their strife. She pulls away from him, too, twisting on her heel to walk away. But her haste, and her emotional state, and the hurt rising up and out of her prevents her from thinking straight.

She doesn't see the dip in the ground. Pain lances up her ankle and she gasps, dropping to the ground like a stone.

CIAN MAHER

☉

Oh, did she startle him? Shit, she thought they were asking about each others personal lives. Her bad.

But his response, while not unexpected, is still painful. She masks it with a sarcastic, mean scoff and shake of her head. She glances down at her feet and then away, turning away from him just slightly.

"Nothing new."

So much for grandmother saying the stars had aligned when Spencer had met Cian.

CIAN MAHER

☉

For the sake of faking politeness, Spencer keeps her hands busy. She listens attentively though, with the occasional glance over her shoulder. Nothing Jessica has to say truly surprises her, but it does intrigue her.

"I see."

She sets the timer as her niece sets the pie inside the oven.

"Then fuck Gabriel. If you're happy with the choices you're making and what you're doing, then that's what matters- not his opinion."

Spencer shrugs, and then laughs and pulls Jessica into a hug. It's awkward, because she isn't a hugger, but the moment feels right anyway.

"Then I'll book us a spa day. You know I'm coming with."

Jessica Manner

☉

Agitation crawls across the surface of her skin. She frowns visibly, creases forming between her brows. It makes her look older, and stressed.

"I wonder."

This was probably the most they'd spoken to each other in months, maybe even in the final moments of their relationship. What happened?

He sighs, she bristles, they replay the same sad story.

"No. Are you seeing anyone?"

CIAN MAHER

☉

"Mhmm."

She responds automatically, an affirmation despite her preoccupied state entertaining the adorable Castform. When her hands open up for her to gasp quietly: "peek-a-boo!", the little Pokemon ducks beneath them to hide beneath her hands. She smiles.

"I've always had good ideas, you just never stuck around to listen to them."

Spencer glances at him cautiously, though her eyes reflect the hurt. She swallows, looks away, back to the Castform to keep distracting herself. Familiar feelings crop back up and threaten to swallow her.

"You used to be nice."

CIAN MAHER

☉

Drawn to one another like magnets, unable to deny the push and pull, stuck in each others orbit. That's what it felt like, watchin him step aside and yet still remain.

It worsens the redness in her face, and she adjusts her cap to throw shadow over her features.

"Junior."

She swallows, feelings of frustration and confusion bubbling to the surface for a moment at his question. When had he ever cared what she thought? Why was he asking her that?

"Just Junior. It suits him."

In response to the Castform's puffed out cheeks, she does the same, as well as a brief game of peek-a-boo behind her hands.

CIAN MAHER

☉

'Aunty', God, she would never get used to that. Especially not when she was barely older than some of her sister's kids. Being the baby of the family sucked.

But she braves a smile for the teenage girl who waves at her, and she waves in return. Something soft sparks in her chest at the sight of young Gabrielle, and it makes the situation all the more bearable.

Earlier today, she'd spent time with Jessica Manner baking pies, and later on, she'd stopped by GABRIEL BLACK's to drop the off at her sister's. Thanksgiving was tomorrow night, and Gabby had insisted she help her with gift shopping. Naturally, Spencer agreed, because spending money was literally the only good thing in her life.

"Hi, Gabrielle, you look like you've grown!"

And she almost certainly has, Spencer hardly visits. But the last time she'd seen her, Gabby's cheeks had been pinchable cheek pouches.

gabrielle black

☉

Spencer, cooler bag slung over her shoulder, stops suddenly at his commanding tone. It sparks surprise and indignation, but when she glances back, his expression is visibly softening as if he were putting in the effort to correct himself. She's surprised he isn't clearing his throat to mask the awkwardness of the situation.

But she has to laugh, a sarcastic tone in the hum of her voice. This home was her home? That wasn't the implication her sister had given her when she'd married.

Gabriel, with his head still turned, gives Spencer time to watch him work. But the moment he looks up to watch her in return, she quickly looks away.

"My sister already knows I'm dropping the pies off and will inevitably blame me for something amiss when she comes home. I'd rather leave ahead of time so that I myself know I haven't done what she's bound to accuse me of."

She's sarcastic and flippant until she realizes what it is she's admitting to him: an unstable relationship between herself and his wife.

"Uh-- honestly you seem to have your hands full already, I wouldn't want to interrupt your rhythm."

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

Oof, sore spot. Spencer can't help but raise an eyebrow and tuck her cheek to the side to hide her devious grin. More like a subtle smirk, but the effect was the same. Outside of her own dumpster fire of a social life, she didn't keep up much with the affairs of her sister's family.

This was probably the first time in.. months or longer, that she had even seen them. Jessica might be the one relative she hears from the most, and even that was somewhat uncommon.

When she glances back, she notes the woman's farmer's tan and smiles, looking up at the coupon taped to her fridge.

"Sounds like you could use a spa day."

Spencer's eyebrows raise and she sets down the napkins she's holding. Concern shimmers behind the suspicion and the intrigue, for once, genuine human emotion.

"It sounds like you really could use a spa day."

Jessica's stirring is furious for a moment and she stops before Spencer has a chance to step in and stop a mess from occurring. But she does step in anyway, hands hovering over her nieces to set the bowl and spoon to the side for a moment.

"Uptight? Demanding?"

She's referring to her sister, Jessica's mother.

"Please, continue all you like, my dear. I love to hear about other people's problems. Makes mine seem small in comparison."

Jessica Manner

☉