diana-amari

[diana-amari]

mickeyvillegas​:

“Bywater didn’t have this house in it,” Mickey said unapologetically, not willing to explain to a stranger that the home that he lived in was a gift from his mother, that she had owned it long before he had ever known about Crescent Harbour’s existence. Nothing he had was a result of his own merit, or at least– nothing before the home that he had put together; the building had been his mother’s, but the people inside had been his own doing, he had brought them all together. You’ve got a lot of love in you, people see it: his nonna had said the words when he was young, it was now that he was starting to see bits of her wisdom manifest. “I don’t think I would’ve been quite as happy not living on the beach.” He offered a smile, sincere now. “No one’s actually tossed a brick through our window or anything yet, but if it happens I guess I know who to call.” Brows knit for a moment and he gestured towards her, “What do you do for work anyways?”

He nodded, but it seemed to be a common occurrence of Sunstone Beach. Those who were wealthy enough to afford the school seemed to also be the same ones who lived comfortably behind the wrought iron gates of the community. Still, Mick smiled. “I hope that my students like me as much as you liked your teachers.” He paused when she did and his head turned, following the source of the noise. After spotting the baby in her arms, a grin spread on his lips and he lifted a hand wiggling it in that direction. “Hey little guy.” His chest hurt, the fussy expression on the child’s face reminded him of baby cousins that he was missing in Italy, whose first steps had missed and babbled affection he had cradled close to him when he had been home last. It had been almost a year, they’d be so different now. Still, he nodded reaching to open the fridge door. “I’ve got the juice, want some?” 

.

“Fair enough,” she replied with a gentle laugh. Her eyebrows raised at his question, almost as if she misheard him. It only took a beat for her to remember -- he hadn’t been in town long, and she didn’t think he was in local morning news anyway. “Weekday morning news anchor,” she replied, a little amused. “I’d apologize for the amount of times you’ve been listening to my voice against your will before coffee, but I’ll be going back to the evening news cycle soon enough. It’s a little easier to take at night.”

She called over her shoulder as she collected Rahim, “I’m sure they do!” It was a mindless assurance, one she couldn’t really mean considering she didn’t know the man from Adam, but Diana never thought kindness was needless. People’s insecurities tended to pop out in the side comments they made, from what she noticed. She smiled at the warm greeting he gave her son, picking up his tiny hand to wave to Mickey. “Hi, Mickey,” she nearly whispered, her tone switching to the childlike one it always took to when Rahim was in her arms. “Oh, no, we--” She stopped herself, clearing her throat as if going back to her normal voice was a physical switch. “I just made tea, but, please, help yourself,” she nodded, bouncing Rahim on her hip as she rounded the kitchen island, pulling her still warm mug of tea towards her with her free hand. “Is this your first teaching job, or have you done this before?”

#convo #mickey #this baby is going 2 learn how 2 walk n talk in this very thread at the rate i reply lmao

[diana-amari]

lachlan-peters​:

His brows raised in surprise at the way she took charge of the situation, seemingly unflappable in spite of the supposed roadblock, striking that delicate balance between assertive and kind. As soon as he heard the name Blackwood it made a bit more sense, and it was only after she mentioned ‘the station’ that he realized he recognized her from the news. (He was more of a new podcast guy, himself, but his parents occasionally switched over to the local station when they needed a break from Fox News…) “Oh, uh- the prescription would be under Brian Peters. Thanks.” 

.

“Okay, then,” she nodded, looking back to the cashier. “Let Syd know Diana Blackwood and Brian Peters are on a bit of a time crunch, and I would really appreciate it if he can arrange that.” When the boy appeared to look hesitant, she quickly added, “It’s okay if he can’t, and I promise he won’t be upset at the call. Blame it all on me.” She leaned in with a small smile. “You can say I was being a Karen about it.”

Satisfied that something was being done, she straightened and turned towards the other man, letting out a breath of embarrassed laughter. “Sometimes a name is power,” she said, as if she had to justify herself. “And sometimes it’s okay to use it, right?” She shook her head and glanced at the candy lining the check out aisle. “Sorry if it doesn’t work though, Brian. I don’t want to get your hopes up.”

#convo #lachlan

[diana-amari]

larawinter​:

Fond, critical, the expression on Diana’s features was so very quintessentially Diana that despite the idea of it being mean had perhaps once occurred to her when they were teenagers, it’s merely a look that Lara only sheepishly smiles back at. Had Lara not known the woman, nor trusted her as much as she did, maybe Lara wouldn’t have offered her the faint but visible swatch of lipstick on the back of her hand to be added to. 

The only thing that matters, though, is that she does trust her. And she’s so terribly fond of her as well, letting out a chortle of laughter that’s somewhere between bemused and embarrassed. Them. Teenagers. Right now, it seems like a lifetime away, something like some impossibility when Mason’s the same as she was when she had him, when her whole life so far had spun into the complete opposite of where she had planned. “Fine, fine,” Lara relents easily, her lipstick-stained finger running over the swatch more enthusiastically this time before she blots more of the colour onto her lips. She grins at the colour, the brightness a pretty contrast, and through the reflection she shoots her friend a smile, too. “If we’re going to act like we’re teenagers again, we’d might as well go all out. Outfit, shoes, the whole nine yards. But this time I won’t regret splurging my babysitting money.”

.

Diana leaned back, smiling fondly at Lara while she deepened the shade on her lips, and nodded in approval once there was no going back. She swiped product on her own hand, leaning forward to look into the mirror as she dabbed on the horrid plum colored lipstick on her lips. She let out a small laugh, a mixture of at her reflection and at the suggestion, and her knee jerk reaction was a no. She’d been the first to joke about it, but only in a way to get Lara to step outside her comfort zone. Something made her pause, though. It sounded... fun. When was the last time Diana had fun?

“Please tell me that was a real suggestion because I’m sort of really excited about that,” she whispered, almost like they were plotting a conspiracy. A thought occurred to her and she dug out her phone from her purse, pulling open her Facebook to flip to the various albums. Most were private -- a compromise, she supposed, a show of letting go of the past without having to forget it happened -- and she scrolled to the bottom to show the oldest. She angled herself so Lara could look, selecting the one that was labeled with her friend’s name. “I’m pretty sure some of these are old enough to have been on MySpace, too,” she laughed. “We can use them as reference pictures.”

#convo #lara #only if u can forgive me for taking 10 days to get back to u <3

[diana-amari]

location: diana’s house closed: @johnbernsteinx​

Diana made a face at Rahim, balanced on her hip, as an excited gasp left her while she opened her front door. “Is Uncle John here?” she asked, mostly for John’s benefit than Rahim’s, as she leaned towards her friend to pass him the five month old. “I think he is,” she sang out. “Which means he gets to be the one to give you all the cuddles. Mommy is tired.”

Her eyes went to John once Rahim was handed off and she tilted her head with a teasing smile. “Good luck putting him down. I’d apologize for tricking you into being the one doomed to hold him until he passes out, but my arms are dead.” She stepped inside and lead them to her living room, falling back on her couch in a slump that was more than a little dramatic. “Happy Sunday. How are you?”

#convo #john #we're all going to PRETEND like this isnt their first thread in months lmfao #BEST FRIENDS!!!

[diana-amari]

lachlan-peters​:

—Starter for @diana-amari Location: Doctor’s Orders

Lachlan appreciated supporting local businesses, but with that came certain ‘local business quirks’ - like the only pharmacist on staff going on lunch break and leaving the counter completely unattended. If he’d known, he might not have volunteered to help his mom by picking up his father’s medications during his break. The stoner at the front register was completely clueless and provided no help in deciphering when the pharmacist might be back from their break. He was considering calling it a loss, tell his mom he tried and dealing with the consequences when he saw another patron walk up. 

“They’re closed, apparently,” he sighed. “Not sure when they left or when they’ll be back. Could be a couple minutes. Could be an hour…” 

.

Diana flicked through her emails, starring the important ones to make her way back to once she was back in the studio, and probably would have walked right into the register if a voice hadn’t made her realize she was already inside. Her autopilot could be dangerous sometimes. Her eyebrows furrowed at the news, making note of the time. 

“Oh, I...” She let out a slow breath from her nose and looked at the cashier, giving him her brightest smile she could muster. “Would you be so kind to let Syd know that Diana Blackwood is here? It’s okay if you don’t feel comfortable, it’s just that I have to be back at the studio in thirty minutes and I really need to get Rahim’s script before then.” She looked over to the man next to her with raised eyebrows. “And...? Your name? It might help the push.”

#convo #lachlan

[diana-amari]

phoebe-winter​:

Phoebe didn’t usually have a problem bugging someone even if they appeared busy, but she liked Diana, so she spared a nanosecond to feel guilty as she watched her hastily collect her things.  “Oh, y’know, nothing they can pin me to,” she shrugged noncommittally as she slipped into the seat opposite. “Whacha workin’ on? Anything I can help with?” 

.

Diana gave a small, hesitant laugh at Phoebe’s response, unsure if she was being serious or not. It was hard to tell with her, and either answer was likely. “I suppose that’s all we can ask for.” Her immediate response was to shake her head no at the offer, but she paused. “There’s no harm in telling you,” she drawled, giving a small smirk. “But no funny business. I don’t even know if it’s something worth looking into, or even if it’s something to look into at all. It’s just... The town’s budget isn’t exactly lining up. I was doing a piece on the damage from the snow storm on town property and well. I was never great at math in school.”

#convo #phoebe

[diana-amari]

mickeyvillegas​:

“I dunno,” Mick said with a shrug of his shoulders, “It feels like more than half the neighbourhood feels like they’ve gotta police us when all the noise complaints we get are really because of the beach rentals down the street.” He had plans to bring it up at the next community hall meeting, but the ribbon of annoyance was one that he hadn’t been able to shake off. Despite himself, he snickered. “Yeah, there’s a guy up the road whose grass I did in the summer. Couldn’t have been nicer to him but he was still an asshole when it came to me parking on the street.”

He leaned against the counter, hooking his elbows against the surface as she fussed with the glasses. “I teach at the prep school,” Mickey supplied, padding out the answer with what was bound to be the next question. “Italian and Spanish.” Hazel eyes skimmed over to the fridge and his mouth hitched in a smile. “The wine’s for you, I’ll indulge with some juice.”

.

She cringed, mostly to herself, briefly wondering if one of those incorrect noise complaints had come from her. Well, no. She didn’t have to wonder. She remembered assuming one time... That wasn’t information Mickey needed to know. It would just drive home his neighborhood watch accusation. She let out a quiet laugh, hopefully covering her guilt. “Combine a small town and inability to adjust, and you’ve found the majority of Sunstone residents. You probably would have been treated a little kinder in Bywater.” She chewed on her bottom lip for a beat before she offered him a kinder, warmer smile than before. “I’m sorry about them. Let me know if anyone is causing you real problems and I’ll take care of it. My job and name has its perks. Leverage, if you will.”

She brightened when he supplied what he did for a living, suddenly feeling less cautious. With good reason, she told herself. “That’s amazing,” she marveled. “I went to the prep school. Loved every teacher I had. That’s all I need to know to--” Rahim’s cry startled her, and she barely shot an apologetic look before she was off to the living room, bending down to gather her son into her arms. “Sh, baby,” she murmured, standing up and poking her head through the threshold. “I’m sorry, would you think me the worst host if I make you pour your own juice? He’s going through a fun phase where he won’t nap longer than five minutes without me holding him.”

#convo #mickey #just so we're clear i didn't make u wait 20 days out of spite #i did it because my brain died #but we back

[diana-amari]

ash-cassidy​:

Ash felt his own excitement grow as she spoke. Getting to know Lotte was adventure everyday. What intrigued him about it was how much of his sister he saw in the little things. Daisy showed in the way Lotte scrunched her nose when she thought too hard or the way she tied her hair before she helped Ash’s father in the kitchen. Ash knew getting to see Rahim grow would bring him a similar experience. He pondered on what about him would derive from her - if he’d share her stubbornness or her compassion. “He’s amazing. He’s going to be amazing.” He smiled wildly.

It seemed she used his own line against himself. Ash wondered if it showed on his face or she just knew him well enough to know based on what he informed her of he wouldn’t be doing well. He shook his head, feeling the smile fade. “I’m okay.” Ash never really leaned on people the way he expected others to rely on him. Only recently he realized how bottling up everything seemed to effect the people around him. “Just trying to focus on Lotte. She’s getting excited about summer. She wants to go to camp and on vacation.” He sighed softly.

“My mom gave me the cold shoulder for a bit. Haven’t seen or talked to Cora. It’s been a little.. lonely.” He shook his head. “I deserve it though.”

.

“I have to agree,” Diana replied softly. “But it’s nice to have an unbiased opinion on that.” 

She shifted in her chair as she watched his reaction to her question carefully, on the off chance that he would choose to gloss over the truth, if the truth wasn’t as sunny as she hoped. It was bittersweet when Ash decided on honesty, even if it wasn’t the prettiest picture. She tucked a short strand of her hair behind her ear and nodded empathetically along with his words, tilting her head as she listened. Her brows drew together at his last words and she shook her head instinctually, but also correctly.

“I wish you would have called me sooner,” she murmured. “You don’t deserve loneliness. No one does. I’m not... I don’t know what advice to give about your situation with Cora. It’s messy, but you know that. The only thing that can fix that is time. It doesn’t mean you have to be alone.” She took a long drink of her water, mulling over his other information. “Especially if Lotte wants to go to camp. What on earth are you going to do then?”

#convo #ash #RY PLS FORGIVE ME diana needed to sleep for a month #(read: *i* needed to sleep for a month)

[diana-amari]

10

When did you have your first real relationship? How did it go?

High school. It ended in a divorce so... Not great!

#(ask meme) #whoever sent this did it on purpose lmao #don't clown her. #Anonymous

[diana-amari]

4,7,13

Last thing that made you cry?

A movie. Any time something happy happens and the music swells, Diana loses it.

What is your biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for you before?

Diana operates under everything is fine if I try my hardest mindset, which means she doesn’t talk about things. Instead, she silently acknowleges the issue, and sets out on fixing it by herself. While she wants a partner, she struggles with the concept of a partnership. It’s hard to say that was the reason her marriage ended (it wasn’t), but it certainly didn’t help.

When was the last time you were truly happy?

Ever since the birth of her son, Diana’s base emotion is Truly Happy. She’s successful, a mother to a healthy little boy, and has the best friends she could want. She doin’ great.

#(ask meme) #i dont like answering things ic lmao #Anonymous

[diana-amari]

#(ask meme) #🤨

[diana-amari]

quinn-hawthorne​:

Quinn knew she wasn’t wrong, he should just let her speak, let her apologize. He didn’t need it, didn’t ask for it. He simply gave her a nod, taking it in. After Diana had come to see him, to say all that she had, Quinn hadn’t wanted more problems. He didn’t mention it to John, didn’t want to cause problems for them. “I appreciate it,” he finally said.

He met her eyes, and let out a soft sigh. He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of this whole exchange. Diana had every right to hate him, to judge him, to not trust him through everything she’d seen, not only with John now, but through their teen years, through his relationship with Lara. “Your opinion matters to John, and you matter to John,” he said. “I get that, with our history, I haven’t made it easy for you to trust me. But, I am trying.” Words that so many people had heard over and over again, weren’t they? “I’m trying to make sure I don’t screw this up like I have before. I want him to be happy, and so, having a little peace between us is all I want, because I know that’s important to John.”

.

Quinn’s assurance sounded dull to Diana, like he’d spoken them while her head was underwater. She didn’t feel hopeful or relieved -- in truth, she felt nothing at all. It was an apathy only the words I’ll try to be better spoken by a man could make her feel, a resigned sort of feeling that felt like it was wrapped in inevitability and failure. She stopped allowing herself to be stupid enough to be disappointed a long time ago, and her olive branch of a tight smile didn’t meet her eyes.

“Peace it is,” she agreed, nodding once. “Just, um, refrain from punching my family in the future,” she joked lightly, the levity stiff in her attempt. She swallowed and looked away, everything screaming in her to politely end the conversation there, but she hesitated. She blinked twice, her fingers tapping against her thigh to the slow tempo of the swell of music, before she looked back to Quinn. Her next words were spoken professionally, as though she were laying boundaries in a work environment with someone lower than her in the hierarchy. Perhaps she was.

“As John’s partner, I know he’ll be mentioning things about my life, personal information. I expect it, and of course I’m fine with it. But I would feel much better about our truce if we can have an understanding that my ex-husband is to hear none of it. Not my name, not my son’s name, not what I eat for breakfast. Nothing.” She swallowed again and shifted in discomfort. “That’s all.”

#convo #quinn #u could take a year and my heart wuld still flutter <3 #also lmao ironic jokes pls tell me i'm funny

[diana-amari]

larawinter​:

“Di—” It’s only a half-protest at best, a half-warning though she’s likely to fold as quickly as it leaves her lips. Splurging on something that she wasn’t likely to use at least once a week was still a difficult concept for her. After all, she’d been living with her parents until she was twenty-seven, and it was only a mere three years ago that she’d begun to relax somewhat about spending money on herself when it was more of a want than a necessity. Though she wouldn’t exactly call herself frugal, she was incredibly conscientious about how and on what she spent her money on. Spending on a whim was only really ever acceptable if it was Mason-related. 

But, her best friend acquiesces to the suggestion of something that leans somewhat pink rather than a bright red. Truthfully, the idea of such a shade intimidates her, but as Diana hands her a Guerlain shade labeled ‘325′ she absentmindedly spritzes it with the sanitizer before swatching it onto the back of her hand. “Doesn’t look too bad,” She murmurs half to herself before she steps closer to one of the mirrors, dabbing at the colour with the pad of her finger before applying it lightly from the center of her lips outwards, aiming for a light wash rather than the full-blown coverage of a painted red lip. “Too pink?” She thinks it’s pretty, it’s subtle with the way she’s applied it, but a part of her knows that this definitely wasn’t the power move, powerful red that Diana meant. “What’s the verdict?”

.

Lara was a quieter soul than Diana -- it was something she appreciated. She picked up a tube of lipstick and pretended to consider the plum colored atrocity for herself while, thinking an audience might push her best friend along. When she was prompted to look over, she had to press her lips together to conceal a grin -- it was a fond grin, but perhaps something that could be seen a little on the mean side. Mean for Diana, maybe. Still, she couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, putting the plum lipstick down as she reached for Lara’s hand and the pinker shade in her hand.

“I can barely see it,” she giggled quietly, running over the swatch on Lara’s hand twice more to load up on product. “More. Come on.” She raised her eyebrows challengingly, albeit teasingly. “No one but me knows you here. Put on this lipstick, buy it, and then let’s walk around this place like we own it. That’s fun, right?” she checked. “I think we both deserve a little fun after the couple of months we’ve had. We should look hot doing it, too.” She let go of Lara to grab the merlot colored lipstick she rejected in her head. “I’ll put on this one and it’ll be like when we were teenagers.”

#convo #lara

[diana-amari]

ash-cassidy​:

His nose scrunched, eyes shifted upwards, as she teased. Ash shook his head chuckling softly.  “A guy needs a reason to buy a friend dinner?” Honestly, he wanted to thank her, or show her he appreciated her in some way. He said all the time how much he appreciated her, but sometimes it was important to show someone too. Whether she knew it or not, over the past couple weeks, she was a huge support system for him. Ash was no longer taking people for granted, a lesson he’d been taught over and over again.

Ash placed the menu back on the table, turning his full attention to her phone. It felt like yesterday Lotte was just a baby and he was just an uncle. Time flew by. He wondered when he’d blink and she’d be off to college. “He’s beautiful, Di. Hard to imagine he won’t be a little genius too. “ His eyes traced the screen. For a moment, Ash caught himself thinking about a kid of his own before snapping back into reality. “Sometimes when I can’t figure out what to get my dad, I just buy him a new version of a shirt I know he loves or something like that.”  He was glad to hear everything seemed well with her.

“By the way, Lotte wanted me to let you know that when she’s old enough she would love to babysit.”

.

“Oh, well now you’ve just started a philosophical debate,” Diana replied, still teasing. “Who was it that pushed the theory that we’re all inherently selfish and never do anything unless it benefits us?” She pretended to think for a moment before she shook her head. “Thank you. I do appreciate it. Gave me a reason to leave the house and a specific point in time I can use to say I’m not a recluse. Plus it’s always nice to see you.”

She couldn’t hold back the smile at his compliment, tilting her head as they both looked at the picture of her son. “I know they say that you don’t want time to go by fast, but I can’t wait until more of his personality comes out,” she sighed, almost dreamily. “I’ve never been so excited to get to know someone.” She pulled her phone back and darkened the screen, nodding as Ash provided some insight. “Ties are usually my go to. So cliché, but he wears one five days a week still, so can’t go wrong. Maybe I’ll switch it up with a shirt this year, though.”

She grinned. “Tell Lotte she’s first on the list.” She hesitated a moment, covering it up as she took a sip of water. “How are you, though? Really.”

#convo #ash

[diana-amari]

larawinter​:

If they were all to be punished for the actions of their family members, Lara would have had a never-ending list of things held against her with as many fostered and adopted siblings she had that came from troubled pasts. Whether they grew to be successful or not in their lives, well, she could hardly be blamed. So it made no sense for her to hold anything against Diana, especially when they’d been friends for so long. It wasn’t as though she’d been the one to tell Nate to punch Quinn, or caused the altercation in December, or the one to throw Quinn in jail. Diana was her friend first, Mason’s godmother second, and Lara would judge her on what she did. Not what her family did. 

While Diana spoke, she idly swatched a colour on the back of her hand (too bright a pink), then picked up another to add another strike next to it (a pretty pink-peach but she wondered if she already owned something like it). “Your makeup artist makes sense,” Lara responds with an absent-minded nod. Though she wasn’t the type to own too much makeup or wear it often, it was always nice to at least look at. Rarely was there an occasion in her own line of work that required anything more than for Lara to arrive awake. Even in her own free time when she was streaming there was no pretense: hoodie, glasses, curly hair a mess. If she could ever look as half as put-together as Diana it was a miracle. “…Red?” Her hand hadn’t even drifted over the colour and she looks at her practically perplexed at the suggestion: “I— If it’s just going to sit on my vanity…” But red’s pretty, and bold, and would be a nice change of pace. She shrugs. “Maybe a pink-y red would go better with spring, right?”

.

Diana admittedly made a lot of the Nate and Quinn debacle -- now frustratingly plural -- about herself, and she was less than impressed with her selfishness. It wasn’t often she thought about her feelings before someone else’s, and the one time she chose to do so had inadvertently disregarded Lara’s. Who was arguably closer to the situation than she was. They had been through tougher things together, true, but none recently that left her with the feeling she owed an apology, whether Lara wanted it or not.

“Red,” Diana repeated with a nod and a soft smile. Her fingertips danced over the testers, her eyes looking for something with a blue undertone, and she shook her head. “No, everyone needs a red. Just knowing you have it ready to whip out when needed is power in itself.” She paused, her eyebrows furrowing. “That just made me sound incredibly shallow. We’ll get a pink-y red, too,” she offered, as if it cancelled out her self critique. “Not everything needs a purpose, though.” She picked up a tube she thought was acceptable and handed it to her friend. “Try this one.”

#convo #diana #diana: i need 2 apologize for being selfish ;-; #diana in the next second: nono lara u must listen to me

[diana-amari]

Text -> Nate 🤗

Nate: I don't have an honest answer for you. Ask a different question.

Diana: I think that answered it.

Diana: I'm glad whatever was going on between you and Quinn is over, at least. I hope the new season is kinder to you.

#text #nate #:)

[diana-amari]

lachlan-peters​:

—Open Starter @crescentstarters​ Location: The Art of the Draw

His nephew Donovan had apparently come down with a cold, so to keep the kids from cross-contaminating, his sister-in-law had asked Lachlan to take Ava for the afternoon. He didn’t mind - for a five year old, his niece was surprisingly good company. Later, he’d use her as an excuse to get ice cream and eat chicken nuggets for dinner, but for now, they decided to go to the art store and pick up some crafts that would last them a couple hours. 

“What about this one, Avs?” he asked, picking up a Sew Your Own Unicorn Pillow kit and looking over his shoulder to consult… no one. “Ava?” The kid had wandered off… 

He turned the corner to the next aisle - not quite panicked, but getting close - only to spot the little girl had struck up conversation with someone. He sighed in relief before approaching. 

“Ava, kid, you gotta stay in my eyesight. Your mom would kill me… Sorry, was she bothering you?” He directly this question to the other, who might not find the girl’s company quite as charming as he did. 

.

Diana had never been a DIY kind of woman -- it was logical to her to pay people with actual talent to do the things she wanted rather than attempt it herself -- but the end of her maternity leave was making her a bit restless. She’d been back at the station for a month, but not at full hours, and the free time she did have were now littered with thoughts like I could probably do that. 

She still wasn’t sure if she was going to buy any of the supplies she had in mind, a wooden cut out letter I in her hand, when a little girl ran up to her. Diana’s instinct was to look around her first to see if there was another adult close by, and when she didn’t see anyone, she ducked down to be eyelevel with the child. She listened to the only slightly coherent greeting, nodding along in agreement when she didn’t understand what was being said.

“That’s very cool,” she said, her tone exaggerated in warmth. “Where’s your grown up?” she asked, tilting her head curiously. “I can help you find them if you want, you know. I don’t think this is a very fun place for hide-and-seek.”

Her eyes darted up at the appearance of another man, and she smiled as she shook her head in a way that said it wasn’t a problem. Her eyes went back to Ava. “Ava is a very pretty name. How old did you say you were again?” she checked. She hummed at the answer -- a hesitant five -- and pushed herself up to stand straight again. “It’s fine. She was telling me about something called puff paint? Context clues tell me it’s paint that is fluffy. She seems very excited about that.”

#convo #lachlan