Welcome to Hickstead, home to both Seven Oak Stables, and Blue Acre - two rival stables. Both offer opportunities for their clients to reach the highest level of excellence. Each stable differs from the other, so choose wisely and never forget, loyalty is everything... Meanwhile as the stables battle it out, there's trouble brewing at the university. Be careful, if you don't pick a side you may get caught in the cross-fire...
This is an chilled out rpg with a super friendly and relaxed atmosphere! Remember to sign up with your characters full name in all caps and don't forget to do your claims! Thank you and Welcome, we've been established since 10th March 2009 but unfortunately have had to close guest view of our boards due to multiple sites ripping off our hard work, such a shame! Come chat to us in Discord before joining if you like!.
hayden had to stile something of a grin when alexis exclaimed that it was chocolate so proudly. she was one of the most adorable children hayden had ever seen. it had been hard to miss what flavour the ice cream had been, with the drippings covering alexis's little hands like a label but there had been no harm in asking, it had included her in the conversation and that was the most important thing. "oh, well that is the most delicious flavour!" she said with a large smile on her face as she watched the two of them make their way over to the counter and she couldn't help but feel like she watched dean grow up just a little as he walked away from her. she knew that was impossible but it seemed that every time she was away from him or he was out of her view, he changed. he was just a hair taller, his face looked a little more grown up and there was less of a child standing in front of her. she knew it was something all parents must feel but she couldn't help feeling her heart sink a little every time it happened.
she rested a hand across her bump lightly as alexis joked about popping him out at the same time as dean's birthday. she laughed slightly and nodded her head a little, not helping being able to see the image of a joint party at the zoo, with two grumpy children at the helm mad about having to share their birthdays. "oh i think this one is going to be the exact opposite of dean .. he's going to hold on and stick it out in there as long as he can." dean had been born a week or so earlier than he'd been supposed to and she just had this inkling that this next child was going to want to take their sweet sweet time. "but i could start throwing dustin's parties here too." she joked with a laugh, just the thought of that was enough to make her laugh.
they really were just too adorable. she watched them walk back together, dean so careful with the ice cream in his hand but still making sure to walk that little bit slower so alexis could keep up with him. he melted her heart more than once every day and she knew it was going to get a lot worse the older he got. "they really do need to create a freeze time button for parents." she wished they would. it still felt like yesterday dean had been taking his first steps and now here he was buying ice cream on his own. she smiled at his enthusiasm for the bubble gum ice cream. "she did help me!" she smiled at both of them and reached out to touch both of their heads softly. "well you two are just about the smartest kids i know then, very clever." she said as they both went to sit down with their ice creams.
hayden heard the baby grizzle and she couldn't help but sympathize with the child. missing out was no fun. "do you want me to cuddle her so you can eat?" she offered as she leaned forward to look into the stroller. she couldn't help it, she was always clucky and willing and ready to fall in love with every baby she laid eyes on. whether they were her friends or not. "that sounds like a great idea." she said as she looked over at dean and alexis, watching the ice cream drip through their fingers as they ate it and chattered happily about the animals they'd seen. "dean is desperate to go see the snakes." she couldn't help but shudder a little but she smiled. she wasn't their biggest fan but she'd suffer through it to see her son smile.
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT
she hadn't been sitting there that long when all of a sudden, there was a child running into her field of view, making a bee line towards her son, who was currently crouching down and looking very very intently at something that was sitting in the grass. she smiled as her nephew ran over to her son and they greeted each other as excitedly as they could, as if they hadn't had breakfast together just a few hours before. she hoped it was something they'd never lose. she knew that they wouldn't always live under the same roof but she hoped the bond they had now carried through to when they were teenagers and then into adulthood. she'd not had what the mccarran family had. there had been no love lost in the house she'd grown up in when she'd left it and she'd never felt the connection with anyone that dustin and his siblings had. it was messy, it was powerful but most of all it was forged in love and nothing any of the siblings did would ever cause it to break, that much was clear for anyone who looked at the family.
they'd become hers over the years, dustin was the love of her life and his family were the siblings she'd never had. and as they'd found partners of their own and fallen in love with their own soulmates, she'd welcomed them into the family without any hesitation. there were some perks to all living under the one roof though, that was that there was usually always someone to watch children, talk to late at night and eat food with no matter the time of day. she couldn't think of a better family to raise her children with and she knew that her children, while they might not always think it, were lucky they'd have aunts and uncles who would love them just as much as their own children.
she sat up a little as holly made her way over to her and she smiled wider at her greeting. "hey." she said in a return greeting as she watched holly set up the stroller rocke must have been in so it was out of the sun. she'd been hoping to steal the baby from holly but it seemed she'd have to wait just a little while. "as soon as he wakes up, can he be mine?" she asked with a smile as holly sat down next to her. she glanced down to check on the boys quickly, smiling when dean held levi's hand to help him climb over one of the logs. "how much do you want to bet that one of them walks out into the water before we eat." she said with a small laugh. they were good kids but they were kids, easily distracted, easily tempted and so so curious about the world around them.
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT
there was a split second that she was worried he wouldn't let go of her wrist. she could feel herself getting ready to fight him for it without thinking about it, those instincts she'd needed to stop using years ago still lying dormant in her were stirring and she had to ignore everything they were telling her to do. she wasn't about to make the situation worse if she didn't need to but she did have to fight the urge to kick, scratch and bite her way out of his hold. then the pressure was gone and his fingers unwrapped from her wrist and she pulled her hand back, though she made sure to do it slowly, hoping that he wouldn't pick up on the fear she'd felt. she let out the breath she'd been holding and she lowered her hand to her side.
she shook her head a little when he growled at her, barking the instruction not to touch him again. she resisted the desire to tell him not to talk to her like that, like she was the enemy he needed to hate but she didn't. it wouldn't help the situation and she was sure he wouldn't listen to her but she was determined to let him know that he wasn't going to be able to scare her away from him. she'd respect wishes of not touching him but she wasn't about to turn her back on him, which is what he seemed to think she wanted to do, otherwise he wouldn't be pushing her away so hard. "i can't promise that joe. i won't promise that." she said simply, her voice as level and as calm as it had been when she'd been talking to him on the stairs just a few minutes ago.
"i promise i'll try not to touch you but if you need help, you can make a safe bet i'm going to help you." she said as her eyes softened just a touch. she couldn't imagine what he as going through and how hard the tug of war must be inside his head right now. "now are you going to clean the blood off your face or do you want me to do it?" she said as she looked at his reflection in the mirror he was standing in front of. she wasn't asking because she thought he wouldn't or couldn't do it, but he still didn't look all that great and it worried her.
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT
the second her fingers made contact with his back, she'd felt it. she felt the way his body tensed as if her touch was painful but it wasn't that that sent alarm bells through her head. she could feel the scars that lay under the fabric, feel the ridges and gouges that had been taken from his back at some point and if she hadn't been aware of herself she'd have let out a gasp. as it was she'd only just caught the noise that threatened to roll off her tongue and out of her mouth. she wasn't about to fawn and gasp over them because she knew enough to know that it was probably the last thing he wanted. if he hadn't told them about the scars then he didn't want them to know and that in itself broke her heart because she couldn't figure out why she wouldn't want them to know. she knew that herself, holly and jasper were almost strangers to joe so she knew why they hadn't been told but she doubted that his siblings knew too. she wished in that moment that he'd let her hug him, to let him know that it wasn't important, that it didn't matter that he was broken and they'd love him regardless but it wasn't something he seemed ready to hear.
it also seemed like something he didn't want them to know. she'd felt the tension in his boy and had almost braced for a fist that might come swinging but she hadn't been expecting the grab to her wrist. his grip was rough and entirely too tight for her to have a hope in working out of and she could feel her muscles starting to protest about it. she tensed her arm slightly and she couldn't help but frown just slightly as she heard him hiss out a demand to her. "alright." she said softly as she lifted her hand from his back and she dropped it back to her side. she bit back the wince as she felt the pain in her wrist growing from how tight he was holding it but she leveled him with as calm a gaze as she could. was she scared he was about to hit her? yes, she couldn't deny it. would she hold it against him if he did? no. it was an awful situation and it was hardly his fault. however what she couldn't deny was the flash of fear about the fact that there was a chance her unborn child could suffer somehow, it was hard to clamp down on that fear but she was doing her best in the moment.
"now let go of my wrist joe." she said, hoping her voice showed the calmness she was desperate to exude because she didn't want the situation to escalate any. she just wanted to help him clean up and get him back to bed. she wasn't going to let this moment stop her from trying to do that either. she would just need to get him to agree to pass her the cloths she'd been trying to reach for when she'd touched his back a moment before. it took everything for her not to try and pull her wrist out of his grip, to fight back and to not use her knees as a weapon against him in the cramped bathroom. it wasn't what the situation needed and she was sure he'd let her go in a moment when he realized she'd taken her hand away from him.
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT
the day was cool but the sun was bright as they made their way from the carpark down to the duckpond. it was one of those afternoons she had arranged to meet holly for some time away from the house, to get the kids out somewhere they could run and play without fear of bothering anyone and they could get as dirty as they wanted. she had towels in her car for this very reason because she had long learned that if there was mud to find, the boys in the family would find it and she wasn't always talking about the children. dustin and avery could have just as much fun and get into just as much trouble when they let their hair down a little. she had her basket in one hand, bag in another. it was just some sandwiches and some soda, a special treat for the kids, and while she wished she'd been able to bring a bottle of wine she'd settled for some decaf coffee for herself. such were the annoying moments of pregnancy.
she watched dean as he ran ahead, keeping a careful eye on him but she trusted that he knew to stay back from the water. it was something they had drilled into him from the time he could walk. water was a no go zone without an adult around. thankfully he mostly listened, it was just when he got excited that he forgot sometimes. she found the usual spot and set her things down before she settled in the grass, legs outstretched as she leaned back on her hands. "you know the drill bud, stay in sight." she smiled as her son ran off to start exploring. there was still a fear that something would happen, unfriendly hands would grab for him or someone would hurt him but she wasn't about to keep him on a chain. he needed the space to grow and as much as it terrified her she'd let him have the space he needed.
she sat forward slightly, brushing her hands on her jeans as she tucked her legs under her so she could reach the basket of food she'd brought. she'd slipped her phone into it just before she'd taken it from the car so it would be easier to find after. once she had it she sent the message to holly to say she was in their spot before she lifted the phone up to take a few photos of where dean was playing down close to the water so she could send them to dustin later. she sighed softly as she set her phone down beside her, wishing that their days could all be as peaceful and slow as this one.
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT
the glare that he gave her was swift and strong. she felt it before she caught it in his eye but she didn't react to it. she guessed that he probably didn't want to admit that he felt like he looked but she wasn't about to bring it up. there were things you got to know when you knew people. and while she didn't know joe well she knew the family he came from, how his brothers looked when they were unwell and how his sisters looked. plus there was the children in the family, that was another big one. with so many children in the house one needed to be able to tell the signs because children were good at getting sick just from another child getting sick. it was so much easier to just look for the signs than it is to have a chain of it. but she kept her mouth shut because it wouldn't help tonight and she wanted to help him get cleaned up so he could get some sleep.
she was glad when he chose to go to the bathroom and get cleaned up, even if he didn't want her help. he'd listened to her rather than ignore her and do the opposite and she was going to consider than a win. he needed to get that blood off him otherwise it would drive him crazy when it dried. she followed him down to the bathroom door but she didn't offer to help him, she just wanted to make sure she was there in case he faltered or tripped on something in the low light being offered from the kitchen and the stairs. "alright." she said gently as she door closed and she brushed some hair off her face. it was a process but at least it seemed to be in the right direction.
she took the chance to head up the stairs so she could get the shirt he'd asked her to get. she did wonder about getting him some clean pants too but he hadn't mentioned where they were in his room and she wasn't about to go looking around for any. she turned the light on in the hall as she reached the top of the stairs and opened joes door. she didn't turn the light on, the light from the hall was enough to light up his wardrobe and she walked over to it, opening the door and grabbing one of the shirts. as she closed it softly she turned back to the door and couldn't help but notice how empty the room felt. she bit her lip slightly as she left his room and closed the door behind her. she glanced down at the shirt in her hands and she decided to grab some of dustins sweat pants from the clean laundry basket that was just outside their door, yet to be put away.
heading back down stairs she folded the clothes up the best she could while she moved so she could just leave them outside the door for him. as she reached the door she heard him getting sick and she couldn't help but feel bad for him. she at least had to try and help him, she couldn't just turn around and walk away from him. even if he kicked her out the bathroom she'd wait until he came out to make sure he got to bed okay. she put her hand on the door to the bathroom. "joe?" she said softly through the door as she pushed it open. when she caught sight of him she couldn't help it, the mother in her couldn't ignore him. "i'm going to touch you joe." she said gently, trying to warn him as much as possible because she needed to lean past him. she reached to put her hand on his lower back softly as she stepped forward so she could try and reach one of the fresh washcloths sitting on the shelf.
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT
she heard him scoff and she lifted her gaze to his eyes, wondering what must be going through his head if he couldn't bring himself to believe that she could love dustin's family too. "you don't need to buy it joe." she said honestly as she rested her elbows on her knees, her hands folded in her lap. "because i know what it's like to have no family. i joined this family and i was welcomed with open arms and gained one. i love them and i love you. nothing you do will change that, sorry." she said, not really leaving much room for argument because she wouldn't listen to anything he might say to argue the point that she shouldn't. she wasn't about to change her mind because he didn't think he deserved it. she almost added that he was her children's uncle, the one safe within her and the one who was sleeping safe upstairs. but she didn't think that would help right now, he hadn't come around to the kids yet and she wasn't going to hold it against him, he just needed time and understanding so he could adjust in his own time. it was his world and his home as much as it was the childrens so he needed to be able to find his place in it.
she watched as he started to rock himself off the step, grabbing onto the wall and he was on his feet before she was. the bump made it a little hard so it took her a moment to get herself to her feet and it wasn't graceful by any means. once she was up she looked at him and saw the change in his face and she stepped towards him. she'd seen that look on dean's face more than a few times and she was pretty certain he was about to see his dinner. "do you need a bowl joe?" she asked him, more than willing to go get him one if he was going to vomit. a lot of people couldn't deal with blood, she hadn't been given a choice.
she nodded a little, wishing with all her heart that they were correct. that dean never had to dream of anything scarier than what was in his imagination. that was scary enough without facing the horrors that the world could throw at a person. she'd never seen war, she'd never seen death on a large scale but she'd seen bodies, she'd seen darkness and she'd felt hunger like nothing she could describe. there were different horrors in the world but if they did their jobs, dean and his cousins wouldn't have anything to fear. "i'd give my life to make sure of it."
she bent down to lift up the ice pack from the stairs, not to give it to him if he didn't want it but so it wasn't left there for someone to trip on in the morning when the house woke up. she sat it on the table beside the stairs and she watched him lean forward to try and stem the blood flow. "you can ask me, i'll get you one in a minute." she said with a nod and she wiped her hands on her shirt slightly. "but first i think we should get you to the bathroom. your face and neck has blood on it and you should clean it off. i can help if you'd like or i can set you up in the bathroom so you can do it yourself. you choose." she said as she stepped back and motioned to the bathroom that was just a few steps to the left, luckily tucked into the area just past the stairs so he wouldn't need to walk very further.
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT
hayden smiled softly at the expression on alexis's face. she was so adorable and really a carbon copy of both her parents in looks. "is it? what flavour is it?" she asked gently as she fished her wallet out of her pocket. she reached her free hand to run it over dean's head gently and she smiled at him. "that's very nice of you honey." she knew that often he didn't mean to be but he had the energy of a bull and while he was one of the sweetest kids he did often forget himself and he could be clumsy and he did have a habit of forgetting to mind other people. never in a malicious way but if he was excited. but he was only a child and it was all part of the learning. she had to agree with faye that they were at one of the best ages. not that she had experience with older kids but she didn't think it could get better than it was right now. she dreaded the day her sweet, affectionate and loving son would turn into a moody teenager who slammed doors and blasted sad music through his door.
she watched the two of them run off together and she had to rest a hand on her heart softly as she took the opportunity to sit down next to faye, keeping an eye on the kids while she did. "i think i'll celebrate every event in his life at this zoo. i can see him cutting his twenty first birthday cake right there." she pointed to one of the party tables in the area with a smile. she rested her hand on the bump of her stomach though and she looked down and smiled. "at the very least i'll have this one to use as an excuse to come here for a few years after he grows out of it." the thought that one day he might be too old for the zoo tugged at her heartstrings but she pushed it down. he was still six years old, that's what mattered now.
she watched as the kids hurried back to them, carefully and calculated steps as den held an ice cream cone in his hands, already slowly dripping down his hand. she couldn't help but hide a giggle as she saw him stick his tongue out between his teeth in concentration as he walked, thinking about each step before he took it, lest it cause the ice cream to tumble to the ground, never to be eaten by anyone. "ooo bubblegum flavour?" she asked as he nodded his little head before he sat down carefully on the ground in front of him and faye, eating his ice cream like he'd never eaten it before in his life. "so how much of the zoo do you guys still have left to see."
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT
it hurt her heart when joe questions why she cared for him. not because it made her feel bad but because her heart went out to him. that he thought he wasn't deserving of her help because they didn't know each other very well. she hadn't forced herself onto him since he'd come home, she'd given him the space it seemed he wanted and she knew it would have been hard to come back to a house full of strange adults and children. she knew a little bit about suffering and how it could warp whatever senses you had that kept you safe so she'd given him the chance to take whatever time he needed to get used to her being around. "because i love your brother and in loving him, i get to love the people he does too." she said with a small smile as she shifted from crouching to sitting cross legged on the floor in front of him. she wasn't going to push herself onto him so she could clean up his nose and hold the ice against him or hug him tight like she really wanted to do but he did need to know that she wasn't going anywhere until she knew he was okay.
she shook her head a little, very very glad she was able to say no he didn't get them often. she considered herself lucky that her son hadn't gone through anything like his family had. she'd grown up in unhappy homes and eventually she'd lived in a shelter and then found herself hanging around with daz and his gang for the protection she thought he'd provide. but she'd managed to get out, to find love and to settle into a life she'd never thought possible. surrounded by family and people she loved and people who loved her back. then there had been what dustin and his family had been though, horrors she couldn't imagine and still didn't know the full story of. her son was unaware of such hardships and had nightmares about monsters and the normal things that caused children to worry. she'd never be glad he was scared but she would be glad that he would never have to go through anything like they had. "not often, tonight's was about a ghost under his bed, so i just sat with him until he fell asleep, promising to keep the ghost away." she said with a soft smile, resting her elbows on her knees.
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT
she had to bite back something of a smile as she heard him growl a question at her from the darkness of the stairs. there were so many family similarities between joe and his siblings that there was no denying he was their brother no matter how had any of them might argue the point. to his credit, even though he didn't seem to happy with her being there he did sit back down on the stairs when she'd asked him to, even though sit was something of a stretch to what he had actually done but she wasn't going to berate him for it even though it could have hurt him more, she was just happy he hadn't tried to walk away from her.
"because i care about you joe." she said simply as he took, snatched, the cloth from her fingers as she held it out to him. it was this attitude he had that made her feel all that much for him. it wasn't sympathy though it was more she felt bad he felt he had to deal with the world this way. that so many things had happened to him that he felt he needed to lash out at the world because it was easier. "dean had a nightmare so i sat with him until he fell back to sleep." she told him, not wanting to say something like it was lucky she was or something along those lines because she didn't think it would be received very well.
she didn't try to hand him the icepack that she also had but she did lean forward carefully to set it down gently on the stairs, not next to him but a little ways away so he hopefully didn't think she was forcing it onto him. it would help though, either on the back of his neck if it was a nose bleed or on the nose itself if he'd smacked it into the stairs like she was guessing he had. but she was also well aware that helping a mccarran man came at the risk of getting your hand bitten off, not so much from dustin, but avery had certainly been as testy as joe had been when he'd came home injured too. it wasn't their fault and she didn't scare easy, her past made sure of that.
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT
it didn't take long for him to come into view once she'd asked if it was him. the light from the hall behind her illuminated the staircase a little and it was enough for her to see him sitting on the bottom of the stairs. had he fallen? she chewed her lip a little as she took a step forward and that was when she saw the blood dripping from his nose. she almost hummed in sympathy but figured it wouldn't be well taken so all she did was she turned back to the kitchen and she quickly gathered up a towel and an ice pack from the freezer before she made her way back towards him. it was as she stepped back into the light that she heard his gruff voice telling her to go away but that was one thing she couldn't do. she couldn't leave him there, bleeding. if it was a nose bleed then she'd help him clean up if he needed and that would be it. if it was something due to a fall then she wasn't about to leave him alone to deal with it.
"sorry mate, but i can't do that." she said gently as she walked over towards him. "it's hayden by the way." she told him because he was still sitting in the dark and there was every chance she hadn't see her face yet and she didn't want him to be shocked when she turned the light on to see it was her. she heard him attempt to get up as she flicked the light on in room they were in and she shook her head slightly. "joe sit down, please?" she asked him as she stepped forward, crouching as best she could with the bump that protruded slightly from between her hips. "i brought you this for your nose." she said as she held the cloth out for him to take so he could hold it against his face to stop the blood running down it. she wished that he'd just let her help him, let her wipe his nose and hold the ice against the back of his neck or against his nose but she knew that he wouldn't. if he was anything like dustin and avery she'd have her work cut out for her so he'd let her help him, but she was just about as stubborn as any of the mccarrans so she wasn't worried.
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT
sleepless nights didn't happen very often for hayden but tonight it seemed like she'd get very little. dean was a great sleeper, he had been since the time they'd brought him home from the hospital and she knew she was so lucky for that but occasionally, like all children, he had the odd nightmare and he'd come in tonight to wake her up because of it. it was easy to forget that he was only six sometimes, there was something about her boy that made her think he was one of those old souls. sure he had the energy only a six year old could match but he was also considerate and he thought more than other six year old's she knew and sometimes she thought he was braver than she was most days. but then there was moments that reminded her that he was still a kid and this was one of those moments.
she'd spent the last half an hour sitting in his room with him, stroking his head while he fell back to sleep and she found herself staying there longer than she needed to. he was her first baby but that was going to change in a few months. her and dustin would be bringing home another baby and there was no telling if they were going to take after their brother or whether they were going to be total terrors. but she found herself wishing she had just a little more time with just dean. another child would just expand their love but she would soon need to share herself and that was going to be the hardest part. she finally managed to drag herself away from him, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead before she backed out of him room and closed the door softly.
she was about to go back to bed when she started to feel that all too familiar burning in her throat. she sighed a little as she rested a hand on her bump and she glanced down. "couldn't let me have one night could you." she said softly with a smile as she headed down the stairs towards the kitchen, grabbing a glass from one of the cabinets as she crossed to the fridge to pull out a bottle of ginger ale from the fridge. she stood there in the kitchen, staring out into the darkness through one of the windows, watching the lightly illuminated garden as she sipped her drink. it was then she heard a clatter and she frowned a little, still gripping the glass in her hand. she knew dustin was still in bed, the kids were all asleep because she'd heard them as she'd passed their rooms and she didn't think holly and avery would come down and as far as she was aware heather was fast asleep too. that left one person to check. she held onto the glass as she walked through the lower floor of their home, looking carefully through the dark, though she did flip lights on as she walked through rooms. "joe?" she said softly. "joe is that you?"
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT
it always amazed her how genuinely happy her son was to meet just about anyone. of course he had the people that he loved more but there was no one that he wouldn't talk to, no stranger than he wouldn't greet and there was no child he wouldn't stop to say hello to. it did her nerves in sometimes but today, today she was more than happy for him to run ahead to greet alexis. faye and nik were some of her closest friends and she was happy they'd run into each other too, although she managed to refrain from the same greeting her son had given. "oh that looks delicious alexis!" she said as she came up and put her hands on deans shoulders softly as she watched the ice cream drip through the little fingers.
"i'll be caweful!" hayden smiled a little at the promise from her son and she leaned down to kiss his head and she pulled her purse out of her bag. "here, you can go buy your own ice cream honey." she said as she handed him the money he'd need. they'd been working on his independence and while it was breaking her heart to know he was getting older, she was glad he seemed to be taking it like a duck to water. she watched as he started to run towards the kiosk before she sat down next to faye on the bench, dropping her purse next to her. "it's perfect for that isn't it." she said with a smile. "i don't think dean will ever get bored of this place." she said as she leaned forward a little to see brylee in the pram.
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT
hayden couldn't help but smile as dean ran from one enclosure to the next, his smile getting larger and larger as he saw all the different animals, reptiles and birds that the zoo housed. it hadn't been a planned trip to the zoo, it had been a spur of the moment choice this morning as she'd been trying to figure out how to occupy him for the day. things at the house were still turned upside down with the arrival of dustin's brother joe, it was a very welcome upheaval but trying to keep the kids entertained, quiet and calm around him while he settled back into life at home was starting to become a difficult task. she didn't mind though, it was just another day she got to spend with just him before their family grew by one more.
she walked slowly behind him, letting him take his time looking through at every animal he wanted and if she was being honest she liked how slow the pace was, fast walking wasn't exactly her strength at the moment. not that she was anywhere near close to being due, she was just exhausted pretty much every waking hour this time around. she'd lost track of how long they'd been walking around when dean came back to her asking for something to eat. she hadn't packed anything for the day so she'd promised him he could get something special for lunch from the little shop, whatever he wanted.
walking up to the little cafe she smiled as she spotted some familiar faces and she put her hands on dean's shoulders lightly before she bent down to talk to him. "look who it is." she said as she pointed towards faye and alexis, who were sitting there eating the very treat dean had asked for. she smiled as the grin on his face grew and he pulled away from her, running towards the little group. "alexiiiis!" she shook her head slightly and smiled, following along after him. "it looks like great minds think alike!" she said as she approached faye before wiggling her fingers in greeting at brylee as dean clambered onto the seat next to alexis.
TWENTY SIX | DANCER AT LUNA LOUNGE | DATING DUSTIN GASPARD MCCARRAN DEAN MCCARRAN | 6 PREGNANT