we used to be kings

April 13th, 2087. Angelo Shaw is 24, Devon is 15, Valerie is 51. Aldous Jones is 15. Aliyah Sylvester is 26. April Hutchins and Beau Jackson are 23.



In another life, fifteen-year-old Devon Shaw might have grown up a spoiled mafia princess. She sighed and fantasized about that life as she sprayed degreaser on the coffee machines, because in this life, her dad is in the slammer and most of their assets were repossessed and her mom works two jobs to barely cover their rent. But a teenage girl needs pocket change sometimes to buy new earrings or see a movie with her friends, or you know, help her mom cover the electric bill occasionally. So Devon picked up her first job at IceBerry Cafe. She had a lot to learn, but she was eager.


She even babysat for her boss when needed. Babysitting was a much easier job than the coffee and ice cream stuff, to be honest. Their daughter was such a charming, happy baby.


It was a long and odd story of how April Hutchins became a kind benefactor to most of the Shaw family. April had already hired Devon, but the name didn't ring a bell until Angelo stopped into the cafe a few months back. He didn't need to say much, but he looked so much like his father that it struck a chord with April. She remembered Max awkwardly, but fondly, too. Perhaps Max had taken advantage of her dysfunction and naivete, but he'd also been very generous to her.

Later, it was Devon, actually, who let some details slip about her family's situation, and April assumed the rest. April has made many positive changes in the past few years. Now that she'd come to a better place, she would love to return the favor and offer some kindness back to his family, if she could. She told Devon to mention to her mother that they had a bar opening in the lounge, if she was interested.


Valerie never cared to know who used to sleep with her snake of a husband or not. Not thinking about it was how she'd always gotten through her days. In any case, April was a nice girl and Valerie needed the work. April used to work in her husband's bar, and now Valerie worked in April's bar—oh, how the tables do turn. But Valerie was never a prideful woman, so she made it work. April offered full time hours, here, and Valerie wouldn't scoff at the paycheck.


However oddly fated, Angelo found Beau all on his own. Beau was a chemist and he needed something of a human lab rat to test and perfect his serums. Being paid to take drugs? Yes, please! And it wasn't even illegal! The extra cash would fill in the blanks between meager courtroom cases, and maybe even buy nursery furniture for the baby. Angelo signed the consent forms and filled out his emergency contacts, and swallowed down the serums.





Well, the next batch would be better, Beau promised. Maybe this wasn't a dream job after all, but money was money, and Angelo would do just about anything to get more of it.

But it was just really hard work trying to stay on the right side of the law. Sometimes he wondered if it was even worth it. He totally understood why his dad took the easy way out for all those years, but that caught up with him eventually, too. Maybe there was no easy way.

If only Jeremiah hadn’t skipped town, Angelo would be significantly richer by now.

But some things in Angelo's life were going great, and sometimes the future felt lit with such promise. Angelo did win his first successful court case recently, which he would use that win to shamelessly inspire his lady to have faith in his prospects as a partner and provider. Not that she needed a provider, he knew, but he also didn't want her to think of him as a good-for-nothing louse.

After much debate, after crunching the numbers and reaffirming that there was no reason to get hasty and do anything wild like get married, Aliyah agreed that it would probably be reasonable and maybe even advantageous for Angelo to move in with her. So he forfeited his apartment, which he really only needed as a home base for his scrappy "law office." They moved him into a corner of the living room, and perhaps he would meet his more dignified clients at a cafe or library.

It surprised him that Aliyah changed her mind so completely in the last few months, going from barely speaking, to friendly dating, to living together and even sharing a bed. He was surprised, but he wouldn't complain!


The thing was, Aliyah overlooked something very important. Aliyah loved sex. She had forgotten how much she loved it. At thirty-two weeks pregnant, no longer throwing up by the minute and not quite yet boat-like, Aliyah rediscovered all of her sex drive. She remembered how much she loved sex with the curtains open, sex on odd furniture, sex at all hours of the night and day. And well, Angelo was not boring in sex.

When she first met Angelo, she had thought of him as a tattooed playboy with bold lines, a hot fling, a fun romp. At most, it might last a long wild summer. He was the kind of guy you might sleep with but not bring home to your mother. She never expected "husband material" out of him. In fact, she was never the type of girl who dreamed of having a husband at all.

But there was something more with Angelo. He was lascivious, in a ridiculous way. He was endearing, in a funny way. He was a bumbling wreck of an attorney, but he made ends meet. She liked the way he held his family in such high esteem. And well, she was also pregnant with his baby. Maybe that counted for something. She couldn’t get enough of this man.

There must be worse fates than it turning out that she liked the father of her baby. Maybe that wasn't a terrible thing at all.

—

However much it made his skin crawl, Angleo made a truce with Devon's boyfriend. He once promised his father that he'd always look out for his baby sister, but he realized how he was doing it all wrong. Devon was a teenage girl. Angelo knew he couldn't order her not to see the boy—she'd only continue to see him, and probably seek him out even more out of spite. At least if Angelo got to know the boy, he'd have a better chance of actually looking out for Devon.


And yet, Angelo still didn't like the kid. But he could put up with a conversation here and there if that's what it took to stay in his sister's good graces.




Aldous lived in the same building, just across the hallway, with his parents who worked just as constantly as her mom did. They were both left to mind themselves most of the time, and they pretty much did as they pleased. They spent lots of time together, studying...


And studying some more.

But that's fine, maybe. Devon was a straight-C student, and she mostly stayed out of trouble. Nobody demanded anything more from her. Except her teachers, sometimes. High school doesn't last forever, they warned her. She might like to think about something she could aspire to.

—

Since things were going well with Angelo, Aliyah felt it was time to finally meet his family. They arranged that dinner they meant to have all those months ago. Devon even set the table as a truce to her brother.

Valerie said, “Angelo told me about that fancy place where you work. I hope you won’t find this fish too boring.”

But the fish was excellent, actually. Aliyah and Valerie got along great, having much to talk about between their restaurant work, food, and art. Aliyah thought that Valerie was very friendly, and Devon was chatty and complimented her dress.


The fish was so good that Aliyah helped herself to seconds, shamelessly eating for two, while Devon cleared the table. They talked for a while longer. Angelo enjoyed seeing Aliyah and his mother getting along. Valerie hoped they could all be friends, because she’d really love to get to know her grandchild.


"I'm just really happy that you two worked it out," Valerie said, "Considering everything, I know it wasn't what you might have planned for, but babies come along by surprise all the time. It works itself out, you'll see. It’ll just be so much nicer for her to have both of her parents together. Have the two of you decided on any names yet?"

"Not yet," Aliyah said, looking across the table at her man with puzzlement. Such an odd character. He really did tell his mother absolutely everything, didn't he? That was sweet, maybe, but she hoped they could keep some secrets between them, too. Mothers didn't always need to know everything.


When they were alone again, later that night, he said, "So that went better than expected. When do I get to meet your family?"

Aliyah thought about how much her own mother still didn't know. She recalled some lie that slipped off her tongue in a moment of indecision and fear. That his father was dead. She had invented a whole cancer for the man. Now how would she explain to her parents that her baby's grandfather was not actually dead, but in prison for felony money laundering?

What a pickle. It was much easier when her baby's daddy was just a hopeful child support payment. It's a shame that she ended up liking him so much.

—

footnotes: April and Max // Angelo promised Max to always look after his little sister // when Angelo yelled at Devon's boyfriend // Angelo's first win in court!

gameplay notes: I've written about Angelo here and there, but I suppose this might be a first update on this blog for Devon and Valerie. Much of their history would be found on the LH blog, in the Shaw tag, if you're curious. But hopefully, much of it was explained with Angelo's stories. Devon is too young to have much history of her own. 

It was very amusing, in game, to see Angelo shake hands with Aldous and sit down to a game of chess. He did it all on his own, out of nowhere! But I ran with it, and took it as a cue that maybe Angelo doesn't want to alienate his sister over a boy. 

Sylvester-Shaw baby is coming very soon! Well, she's actually already born in my game, but I'm so far behind on my writing. Now I just need to pick up my blogging speed and get to June! :)