FOR THE WIDOWS IN PARADISE — private au

[MYERS]

[align=center][div style="text-align:justify;width:55%;font-family:verdana;"]Once upon a time, Ahab was not quite himself.

He woke up in a hospital bed and learned he was somewhere in his early forties, he owned a reasonably-sized bungalow off in the woods, and had been set to adopt a young girl by the name of Roxanne Roux only a few days after he went under. Or, that was what he'd been told. In reality, he had been out for a few years at least, a scrawny, dying thing surviving on tubes that only woke up in unconscious increments to hear new portions of his fabricated life playing on repeat. What he didn't know was that the house had been purchased only days before, and neatly organized to look lived-in but kept tidy for someone waiting to come home. He was given a few days to recuperate in the house, find his way around. A new date was placed for Roxanne's adoption as soon as he stressed that he could care for her, she needed him more than he needed another doctor's visit.

What he didn't know was that this was meant to keep him from learning too much. He was never meant to be a father - he was assigned a foster child at random to keep him busy, to reintegrate him quietly. Suddenly she was being given a new chance at life under the care of a person who, she'd been briefly told, was getting back on his feet after an accident left him bedridden. No coma, no witness protection, no new-and-old life divided into forgotten portions. No interviews. They were starting over again, both of them, in entirely different ways.

They wanted him to be a father? He would be a family man, then. Perhaps he'd wanted to be, at some point before all of this. Maybe he was going to get married back in the day, have a couple of kids and achieve the dream of the white picket fence, but if there had ever been love in his life, it was insignificant now. His new family was all that mattered to him - and maybe that person in the past would be proud of him for making it this far, too.

"Roxie!"

He's older. Rapidly approaching fifty, at best, with a touch of silver lining the roots of his hair and deep smile lines carved into his cheeks. If he thought twice about the hospital he'd woken up in some ten years prior, the doctors, the unconnected dots, they didn't seem to matter as he stepped out onto the porch with open arms and grinned. Roxanne had moved out a few years ago and announced her pregnancy soon after, and while she seemed to spend more time at his house than her own, he still greeted her every time like they hadn't seen each other in years. Roan, too, was sweet, taking after his mother: kind-hearted and sharp as a tack, with just enough of her adventurous nature running through his blood to keep her on her toes. Never was the boy shy, but it still took time for them to warm up to each other - Ahab, because he needed time to adjust to so much change, and Roan, because the house had once been a new place and his mother had warned him delicately not to disturb too much.

These sorts of visits were frequent, so much so that his home had essentially become an extension of her own. Little pieces of her own life were beginning to re-accumulate in the corners of the rooms - new pictures of family decorated the walls, a short table and chair were placed in the den for Roan. Curly-straws were left in the silverware drawer, and a Beanie Baby had been tucked into Roxanne's bed sometime during his last babysitting stint. Occasionally, Ahab found himself stepping on a stray crayon, or worse, a piece from those building sets he'd been told that every kid loved. (Yeah, he rued the day he let an employee convince him to buy fifty dollars' worth of Legos for Roan, because he spent more time shoving the pieces under the couch for laughs than he did playing with them.) The house felt real, these days, even more than it did while he was still nagging his daughter to finish her homework. It felt like it had always belonged to him. That this family was meant to be built on the foundations of this house. No matter how jarring the transition from father to grandfather had been, maybe he needed this - a chance to leave something good in the world, a child being raised by a mother who was happy. Happy, because he gave her a life to be grateful for.

Fast-forward, and now he makes his way down the steps - thinking, idly, about the way his knee creaks on the down-step - to wrap his daughter up in a bear hug. Maybe she wasn't meant to be his child, maybe it was all a cover-up, but damn if it didn't give him a reason to keep going. That was another feeling he'd forgotten for a long, long time: hope. "...S'Good to see you."

[ROXANNE R.]

CANNIBAL QUEEN { .:*・°☆ } ——— [size=10pt]info

Roxanne didn't know the meaning of family for a good while after the incident that had struck her whole town, it had scared her horribly yet she had always try to keep it at bay not wanting to panic or startle any of her new bunkmates at the orphanage she had been staying in. She had watched as most of the kids were now starting to leave with their own family, she found herself drawing her dream family with the crayon and paper provided to them. She would have a beautiful mother and a handsome father who would love her very much, she didn't bother thinking about whether her life would be a humble or a rich one, all she knew is that she wanted a family. Eventually, they called her over telling her that she wouldn't be staying at the orphanage any longer this spooked her at first wondering if she had done something to upset the caretakers there. They noticed how teary eyed she was getting offering her a soft smile and in a soothing voice told her that a man was going to adopt her, Roxie couldn't believe her ears. But before she got too excited, they began to explain to her that the man who was going to give her a new home had been getting back on his feet. She said it had been okay since that meant she wouldn't love him any less, now, all she had to do was wait for the day he would come and take her from this place. Her drawings of a family, well, it had been reduced of a Mommy but that only meant she'd have a lot more love for her papa.

Soon the day of her new father, Ahab, was going to pick her up and the moment she saw him well, she already knew that he would be the best papa ever. She was so nervous and excited to show him the drawings she had made for them together but most of all, she was ready for the life that they would both have together and share a home. Both of them were getting a new start at a life together and she couldn't have been more happier than to know it was with Ahab.

"Papa Bear!"

She hadn't wanted to be irresponsible whenever she was out hanging with her friends mainly since her old man taught her to have important morals and to have responsiblity. Even if Roan hadn't been conceived of love, Roxanne definitely knew that she loved her baby no matter what. She had been nervous, a little hesitant on her sudden news of pregnancy uncertain of how her father would take the news of his little girl expecting something smaller than even her. It had been a lot for her father to take in but she didn't want to feel left out from meeting his grandson, soon enough she was dropping by his home for frequent visits with Roan. She had told Roan about how he should be careful at grandpa's so he wouldn't disturb her father too much, Roan was smart so it didn't take long for him to pick up on the things that Roxanne had taught him was right or wrong. He definitely was adventurous and keeping her on her toes, she would let him play outside but only if her pitbull, Kalayavan, was outside watching over him when she wasn't able to. Although, those moments where she couldn't watch him were rare seeing as she was a rather worrisome mother and well, she couldn't keep away from her baby because of how much she had loved him. She was certain that all the love Ahab had given her had been enough to make her the beautiful, strong, independent woman she was today. She couldn't have been more grateful for the opportunity of a better life.

Roxanne immediately hugged her father in return feeling herself smile so much that it made her face ache, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek as she answered with a soft sigh "I'm happy to see you too," She turned her gaze to her child with a soft smile gracing her beautiful face "Well, we are happy to see you again. Isn't that right, mi angelito?" She parted briefly from the hug to lean over and kiss Roan on his forehead, she would only continue with a soft giggle erupting from her lips "We're always excited to see abuelo, aren't we?" Ahab was such an important part of her life, a massive one really, he had inspired her and even when he nagged her to do her schoolwork it had been due to good reasons. She wouldn't be where she was today without her father and well, she wanted Roan to have such a wonderful, inspiring person in his life too. Ahab was her role model and she would never hesitate to say otherwise. "character's speech."

[roan ;]

[align=center][div style="width: 45%; text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: times new roman;"]♡ — Roan, unlike his mother and grandfather, had known what family meant since the very first day he had been born into the world, screaming and chilly. Family meant safety, and warm smiles, and soft encouraging words from mama and his supportive father, along with soft chuckles from Ahab whenever Roan did something unexpected. Never had he known the confusion and disoriented terror of waking up in a hospital bed, nor did he know the sadness and anxiety that came from living within an orphanage, desperately waiting to see if one day you would have a family as well. No, even though he had certainly been a surprise for both Roxanne and his father, he was certainly far from a mistreated one. Ever since his first day in the world, the boy had been pampered with gifts, clothing, and love, from literally every one of his relatives. And it certainly wasn't as if he had a small family. Even though Roxanne pretty much only had Ahab, his father had many family members scattered all about, all of whom were eager to see and spoil the new arrival. At first, Roan had been confused and distressed by all the new faces, commonly bursting out into tears or throwing fits when he was surrounded by doting relatives. However, over time, Roan had grown to be a much more social and polite boy, who was still extremely curious about everything he came across. Although he was still young, already he loved venturing off on his own, commonly sneaking out to places like the backyard with Kal following close behind. Occasionally when his mother found him, she would respond with fond exasperation, although at other times she would respond with sheer fear. He never knew the true difference in how she reacted, but he knew how much he hated the fear, and it made it so that his ventures out were few and far between.

When Roan had first met Ahab, he had been a timid child, not out of worry that Ahab would hurt him or something along those lines, but just because of his mother's several warnings. Ahab was sensitive, and while he was a warm man that cared about Rox and by extension him with all of his heart, that didn't erase any possible trauma he had, buried as it was. However, as the months had gone by and Roan had grown more comfortable, he had become extremely used to his grandfather's company, very commonly spending day and night drawing pictures of Ahab and his mother, along with him. As time continued even further, Roan's toys began to migrate into Ahab's house, littering the floors and getting stuck in every conceivable corner as Roan's imagination came up with elaborate games. Although he did well to heed his mother's warning about Ahab's home, Roan couldn't help the curious urge that often drove him to explore the place, usually whenever his mama and grandfather were distracted by their conversations about what he considered to be "adult stuff." Usually, he would eventually be stopped by Kal, who would sometimes accompany them just so he could gently wrangle Roan back to where he was supposed to be. Had he been anyone else, perhaps Roan's adventurous spirit would've been bested, but he wasn't anyone else, and he could still commonly be found searching around for secrets. There was no guarantee there was some secret portal to Narnia in his grandfather's house, but there was also no guarantee that there wasn't.

When his mother had announced that morning that they were going to visit grandpa Ahab, the child had practically vibrated with excitement, stumbling over himself in his race to get dressed. He always loved visiting grandpa, because not only did he get to see his very sweet grandfather, but it meant that he had someone to test out his creative stories with his toys out on. Of course, Roan didn't know that Ahab often just nodded along and told him it was great no matter what it entailed, but he didn't really need to know that. Roan had been walking happily alongside his mother when Ahab's house came into view, his hand clasped tightly in his mama's. When Ahab and Roxanne met together in a happy hug, Roan practically bounced with joy. The boy enthusiastically nodded at his mother's words, rushing forward to hug at one of Ahab's legs,  "Of course we're always excited to see abuelo! Abuelo is always so sweet and nice!" He hugged the older man's leg for a long moment before he stepped back, a broad grin on his face as he retook his mother's hand.

[MYERS]

[align=center][div style="text-align:justify;width:55%;font-family:verdana;"]Ahab used to wonder, shamefully, what life would be like if things were different. Watching the ceiling fan on sleepless nights, he'd try hard to imagine the weight of - a wife? a husband? - at his side. He'd try to fabricate a reality in which he was the first to see his daughter's smile, hear her laughter before anyone else could take it away. A life where she was his own flesh and blood, and they didn't have to spend years on rocky footing before he'd found her. He knew Roxanne had suffered. He'd held her when she cried, when she lashed out, when memories overwhelmed her just as they could overwhelm him. Footage of the tsunami and newspaper clippings about the death tolls had made him feel sick. The occasional, uncomfortable reference to her biological family only served to fuel a burning rage that had simmered inside of him for years.

The illusion of the nuclear family seemed tantalizingly picturesque, sometimes, enough to have him fooled for the first few years. This false idea that the past was avoidable, it lured him. His daughter deserved better than another deadbeat, another dysfunctional home; berating himself for being a sub par choice of a father was instinctive when all he felt was low. But the longer she stayed, the stronger their little family could grow, and when it finally stood on stable legs he could accept that this was enough. He was enough. Everything was okay, just as it was.

And now, things could only get better.

"There's my little guy! C'mere," When Roan scoots forward Ahab stoops down to catch him in his tracks, sweeping him up in a one-armed hug and swinging him around for good measure. Roan hugs his leg once he's back on the ground again, giving Ahab just enough time to muss up his hair. "Come on in. It's chilly out, you shouldn't have walked - call me next time and I'll come pick you up, okay?"

DD is an endlessly patient dog, but in his retirement it was easy to forget the house rules - the dog scratches at the front door, whining excitedly at the sound of familiar voices. As Ahab lets them in, the mutt gives an excited bark to Roxanne and her son, and takes off. A bad hip had done a number on the old dog, but he was never too sore for a quick zoom when his person had company over.

The bungalow itself was a two-story, but seemed to sit squat among the tropical trees. A mudroom, a kitchen, a small sunken den, only two bedrooms - it wasn't much, but he was proud to call it his own. There was an effort made to keep the place tidy, but it had the air of a busy family home. Rows upon rows of photos adorned every surface: each moment of Roxanne's new life had been documented in birthday parties, camping trips, and holiday mornings aligned on the wall. And now, Roan was popping up alongside them, his best drawings framed on the fireplace (and the rest smothering the fridge). Shoes at the door were muddied, and yesterday's paper was spread out on the kitchen table. DD's toys were scattered among the vague attempts at organizing Roan's belongings; Ahab kicks a bone out of the way as they linger by the front door. "Y'Want anything? I can make, uh - sandwiches, if you're hungry."

[ROXANNE R.]

[glow=white,1,400]I LOVE YOU, CANNIBAL QUEEN ! — ｡+ﾟ.[/glow]

However she would have entered the world or let alone Ahab's life hadn't really mattered to her, she was simply grateful and happy to have something to call her own. A roof under her head, a blanket to curl around herself, and a papa's arms to bring her into an embrace. There were moments where she'd panic or wake at the middle of the night with a cold sweat, there had been moments that she was ashamed of. Mainly the moments where she would lash out though it hadn't been from ill intent but rather when she had been in panic. Ahab had always been there for her even after all of that, she'd try to make it up to him with several teary eyed apologies or a drawing she had made for her father. Those had been her younger years, she had grown into quite the woman being quite independent and responsible for the most part. She knew how to defend herself whenever she needed thanks to her ol' man, when she had been at school well, she could recall the several times he had nagged her about homework. She was grateful for all of what Ahab had done for her, Roxie wouldn't trade any of it for the world. She wouldn't give up either Ahab or her baby, Roan, they were far too precious to her. She definitely held them both above herself, she managed to unfurl herself from her thoughts concentrating on what was happening now. The present.

Seeing the interaction between father and grandson warmed her heart, she could remember when she had to slowly introduce her child into the family. It had taken some time but eventually Roan was already leaving his small marks into her former home, the small things soon growing larger with pictures of him appearing next to hers. Whenever she came over to visit Ahab, she always loved going through those picture frames individually not minding if it was her, Ahab, or with a much littler Roan. She was brought back once more by the voice of her father telling them that it was chilly out and that they shouldn't have walked, a smile appearing on her lips deciding not to argue. Her father knew what was best even if Roxanne's home wasn't far from her old one "Sounds good, we'll make sure to do that next time, won't we, Roan?" The sound of whining and scratching out at the door caught her attention, oh, she knew who that was and eventually the canine would appear. She cooed at DD for a moment before he would zip away, she would stand upright brushing the wrinkles out of her sweater or attempted to.

Once they made their way inside, she couldn't help but glance around in wonderment recalling all the memories that had been made underneath this roof. She drew a soft breath still holding onto Roan's small hand, Roxanne kept him close for a moment only to slowly let him go knowing that she couldn't contain the creative imagination of her own son. She knew Ahab hadn't been capable of doing so or at least, he hadn't the heart to have stopped her younger self. At her father's inquiry, Roxie felt her grin grow wider "Only if ya lemme pitch in," She nudged Roan ever so slightly with a gentle hand before bending down onto her knee to look him right in the eyes, placing a soft kiss on his forehead "Tienes hambre, pequeñito? Y'know grandpa makes killer grilled cheese sandwiches," A giggle erupted from her as she rose once more. She loved her family. [glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]

[roan ;]

[align=center][div style="width: 45%; text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: times new roman;"]♡ — Many would say that Roan was lucky, having been born into a family that truly loved each other, and had been through enough of the bad times to be able to know and truly appreciate the good ones. And Roan would've been quick to agree with them, even if he didn't know the full extent of how cruel the world could be when it was at its worst. Regardless of this, Roan knew that he was lucky, because he had a grandfather that loved him more than anything in the world, and a mother that felt the same, and that was truly all the boy ever thought he would need – although the occasional showering of gifts was hardly frowned upon, especially when he got Legos and could make big towers for DD to run circles around. Even as Roan grew older – although really not that old, not yet – and more of his newfound friends began to grow distant from their families or find more solace in each other, the boy still loved being around his family the most. He knew he could confide in them when he was feeling bad, and could always count on them to smile and laugh when he was feeling happy and made a little joke or played out something funny.

Roan let out a squeal of joy as he was lifted into the air by his grandfather, letting the older man squeeze him as tightly as he could before he was placed back down against the ground. He liked those hugs best, where he could feel the warmth coming off of his grandfather as he was swung playfully back and forth. It made him feel like he was flying, and it was always reassuring to feel the strength in Ahab's grip, when so many of his playmates talked about how frail their grandparents could be. Roan wasn't sure he could ever picture Ahab being frail or sickly, considering what a strong presence the other had been in his entire short life so far. Of course, he didn't know much of the hardships his grandfather had gone through, but even then they would've mattered little to the boy. No matter what, grandpa Ahab was grandpa Ahab, and grandpa Ahab would protect he and his mama to the edges of the Earth. As if to demonstrate this, Ahab gently chided them about walking in the cold, and the young boy looked between him and his mother before he nodded firmly, bouncing on the balls of his feet, "Alright abuelo! I'll make sure that mama remembers, promise!" The boy raised his one free hand up, doing a little gesture of crossing his heart. It was one of the things he had learned very recently, from an older schoolgirl.

It was a moment later when they found themselves inside, and Roan instantly grinned when he saw DD, the canine's tail wagging enthusiastically back and forth behind him before he barked and took off. Roan jumped at the bark, but immediately devolved into giggles, enthused by the dog's excitement at having them around. He could hear his mama and Ahab talking about something, but the boy was so focused on DD that he only looked up at his mother's nudging. He smiled when she kissed him gently on the forehead, and before long was nodding eagerly, "Yeah, sí! I want grandpa's grilled cheese!" The boy would've offered to help as well, but his mind was elsewhere, which was quickly demonstrated only a moment later, "Can I play with DD? Pleaseeee abuelo, can I? I promise I'll be careful! Right, mama?" He looked to his mother for support, hoping that she could back up his claims of his ability to be careful. He had been told several times that DD was an old dog and needed his rest, but Roan loved playing with him, getting him to react in any excited way he could.