RP: Happy Anniversary
Date: September 30, 2011
Characters: Gigi Campbell, Miah Campbell
Location: Campbell Residence
Status: Private
Summary: Days like this are hard to ignore.
Completion: Complete
Miah thought this year would be different, that he'd feel it less keenly. He was happy, life was good, and he was moving on. He hadn’t expected to carry a dull ache in his chest all day. Feel like everything reminded him of Renee in some way. Like the way Rachel’s smile mirrored Ren’s so closely. Or the way that Gigi always managed to find the things he had misplaced.
Three years. Three whole years, and it still felt just as bitter as that first year had.
It had taken all his energy to smile through the day and put on a good face for customers and staff alike. Act like nothing was eating at him. Same old smiling Miah.
He leaned his weight back in the patio chair and took another drag from his cigarette, sliding his gaze sideways at the click of the back door opening. Watched as Gigi stepped through quiet as a mouse. "Did you just get home?" He asked, setting the chair legs right again with a dull thump. She nodded and pulled one of the other chairs up beside his, "Shop was quiet. So they let me go before all the closing shit was done." She sat sideways in the chair and curled her knees to her chest, studying Miah with a look she rarely wore. He took another long drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly.
"What's up with you, big brother?" Gigi murmured quietly after a few minutes of silence had passed and she couldn’t figure it out just by looking. “Looked like shit this morning and now you look even worse.”
He considered not answering. But Gigi, she never pushed to know what was going on in his head. Usually he was the one trying to figure her out. Wouldn’t be fair not to answer. Even if he didn’t want to bring it up.
"Me and Ren. Today was our anniversary.” He flicked his cigarette butt into the ashtray he kept on the patio table. “Woulda been ten years.”
"Aw, hell." Gigi huffed out a sigh and rested her chin on her knees, "Thought you were over that?" He caught her cringe, "That wasn't what I meant. Just thought you were happy, y'know?"
"I am happy."
“Tell your face that.” She shot back, eyebrow raised. He laughed despite himself; that was a phrase he and Joel had been throwing at her for years. Turned out little sister had actually learned a thing or two from them over the years. Good or bad. “You look like somebody died.” She cringed again, “Sorry. I’m bad at this.”
“I am happy, Munchkin.” He reiterated and reached a hand out to cup her chin, “Need to be a sad a little also. Get it outta my system. Days like today, things that were important to us. Just haven’t adjusted to living through them yet.”
“She,” Gigi began then paused and he could tell she was trying her best to sort her words outs, “She wouldn’t have wanted you to hold onto her forever, Miah. Or at least I don’t think she would’ve.” She shifted her gaze to the ground, purposely not looking him in the eye. He knew it took a lot for Gigi to voice her thoughts like that. Like showing she had feelings would open too many doors to things she didn’t want to deal with.
“I know.” He murmured as he dropped his hand back to his side, “Believe me, I know. And I’m not. Can’t help that my heart’s still connected a little though.” He shrugged.
“I miss her too.” He heard her mumble into her knees as she caught his eyes only briefly.
“I know you do, baby girl.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forward, “No harm in that.”
Characters: Gigi Campbell, Miah Campbell
Location: Campbell Residence
Status: Private
Summary: Days like this are hard to ignore.
Completion: Complete
Miah thought this year would be different, that he'd feel it less keenly. He was happy, life was good, and he was moving on. He hadn’t expected to carry a dull ache in his chest all day. Feel like everything reminded him of Renee in some way. Like the way Rachel’s smile mirrored Ren’s so closely. Or the way that Gigi always managed to find the things he had misplaced.
Three years. Three whole years, and it still felt just as bitter as that first year had.
It had taken all his energy to smile through the day and put on a good face for customers and staff alike. Act like nothing was eating at him. Same old smiling Miah.
He leaned his weight back in the patio chair and took another drag from his cigarette, sliding his gaze sideways at the click of the back door opening. Watched as Gigi stepped through quiet as a mouse. "Did you just get home?" He asked, setting the chair legs right again with a dull thump. She nodded and pulled one of the other chairs up beside his, "Shop was quiet. So they let me go before all the closing shit was done." She sat sideways in the chair and curled her knees to her chest, studying Miah with a look she rarely wore. He took another long drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly.
"What's up with you, big brother?" Gigi murmured quietly after a few minutes of silence had passed and she couldn’t figure it out just by looking. “Looked like shit this morning and now you look even worse.”
He considered not answering. But Gigi, she never pushed to know what was going on in his head. Usually he was the one trying to figure her out. Wouldn’t be fair not to answer. Even if he didn’t want to bring it up.
"Me and Ren. Today was our anniversary.” He flicked his cigarette butt into the ashtray he kept on the patio table. “Woulda been ten years.”
"Aw, hell." Gigi huffed out a sigh and rested her chin on her knees, "Thought you were over that?" He caught her cringe, "That wasn't what I meant. Just thought you were happy, y'know?"
"I am happy."
“Tell your face that.” She shot back, eyebrow raised. He laughed despite himself; that was a phrase he and Joel had been throwing at her for years. Turned out little sister had actually learned a thing or two from them over the years. Good or bad. “You look like somebody died.” She cringed again, “Sorry. I’m bad at this.”
“I am happy, Munchkin.” He reiterated and reached a hand out to cup her chin, “Need to be a sad a little also. Get it outta my system. Days like today, things that were important to us. Just haven’t adjusted to living through them yet.”
“She,” Gigi began then paused and he could tell she was trying her best to sort her words outs, “She wouldn’t have wanted you to hold onto her forever, Miah. Or at least I don’t think she would’ve.” She shifted her gaze to the ground, purposely not looking him in the eye. He knew it took a lot for Gigi to voice her thoughts like that. Like showing she had feelings would open too many doors to things she didn’t want to deal with.
“I know.” He murmured as he dropped his hand back to his side, “Believe me, I know. And I’m not. Can’t help that my heart’s still connected a little though.” He shrugged.
“I miss her too.” He heard her mumble into her knees as she caught his eyes only briefly.
“I know you do, baby girl.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forward, “No harm in that.”