Anything & Everything

prologue

p r o l o g u e

It was an unusually chilled September afternoon in Charleston, the wind kicking up leaves on the tree, threatening to bring them to the ground before they were ready to part. It was the perfect evening to stay inside the LoveTaylor house, gathered in the kitchen and the living room, occasionally peeking out the window to make sure none of the kids had killed themselves or each other. The kids, for the most part, were relatively well behaved, especially when Owen Blackbourne was there to keep them in their places. It wasn't something Millie Lovelace often had to worry about, not with the way her daughter treated Owen's word like law.

"The hot chocolate is almost done!" Samuel's soothing voice washed over Millie. Millie and Amelia Griffin shared secret smiles with each other, affection hidden between their teeth and lips; their affection towards Samuel was a quiet one but it didn't need to be loud in order for it to be felt.

As females related to a motorcycle club, misogyny and being doted on came hand in hand. It was something that Samuel and Castor worked hard to curb, but in cases such as with Amelia and Erica, there wasn't much to be done other than offer open arms and open guest bedrooms. It wasn't as if Amelia and Erica made their situations blatantly obvious, either, preferring to keep their heartbreak and bruises in secret.

"What are the kids up to?" Castor Lovelace asked, coming to stand by his sister at her perch by the window. Millie's lips lifted into a smile once more as she watched the duo that had drifted away from the other children. Sang sat in the grass alongside Owen, the latter watching intently as Sang plucked flowers and handed them off to him.

"The usual," Millie said and it was true. It was normal for Sang and Owen to drift away once the others had gotten a little too rambunctious for them to handle.

Soon, Victor would join them when his energy began to fade as well. Next would come Kota, and where Kota went Nathan followed. The last to join them would be Luke and Gabriel, who seemed to have an abundant amount of energy. Once they all settled in the grass, it would indicate nap time, something the parents both loved and loathed. Owen was awfully good about helping put them to bed, considering he was three years older and technically didn't need a naptime. He always part took, though, crawling in beside Sang once the others had been tucked in.

A hand rested on Millie's shoulder, familiar and comforting. Millie leaned into the touch, already fully aware who the hand belonged to. If her husband was there, she would have backed away, felt compelled to turn away and smile in the way she always did when she was trying to be complacent. Complacency ate away at her heart, at her soul, burned deep at her bones. She was not born complacent and kind; she was born screaming and stubborn. Robert Sorenson, although not a terrible man, had stripped Millie of her fire and brimstone backbone when they married and she wasn't sure how to get it back. Samuel Taylor had never attempted to steal her essence, he had only ever tried to nurture it.

There was no use in comparing Samuel and Robert, and there was no use in wondering about the "what ifs".

"We should bring the kids in," Samuel said, handing a mug of hot chocolate off to Millie. She held it tightly, hoping the warmth would seep through her hands and into her soul. "The sun will go down soon and the temperature will drop. I know Lucian won't mind, but Gabriel and Victor might get a little fussy."

"I'll go get them," Castor offered, patting his sister's head. "Ophelia will be here any moment with the kids, so she can help me wrangle the others."

"Get Sang and Owen to help as well," Millie called to her older brother as he slipped out the front door, strolling over to where the kids were still playing in the yard. Sang sprung to her feet and crashed into her uncle's legs, skinny arms winding around him to hug tightly. Owen watched the interaction, head tilted back and a smile curving at his lips.

He always smiled when looking at Sang.

Castor ducked his head down, whispered something to his niece. She nodded fiercely in response, taking a step back and holding her hand out for Owen. He immediately accepted her hand and the two approached the rest of the kids, prepared to help Castor in any way that they could. Within moments, there was a stampede of children running up the steps, spilling into the living room that the adults had been spending their afternoon in.

Amid the chaos, a small cry broke through. Millie froze, the sound much too high pitched to belong to one of the boys. Her and Samuel both bolted for the front door, peering out past the screen to see Sang curled up on the top step, her hand cradling her knee protectively as both Castor and Owen attempted to look at it.

"Sang!" Millie stepped out onto the porch, crouching beside her little girl. "Will you please let Uncle Cas and Owen see your knee, baby?"

Sang paused, clearly unconvinced, but slowly moved her hands to reveal her knee. The top layer of her skin had been scratched off, blood dripping down her knee onto her shin, but for the most part it wasn't serious. Owen, seven years old and extremely serious, knelt down beside Sang, pulling her leg into his lap to inspect the injury. The moment was much too delicate and sweet that Castor and Millie felt it wasn't their right to interrupt.

"Come on, Sang," Owen said softly, his steel gaze focused on her. His lips dipped down at the tears spilling along her cheeks. "I'll make your knee feel better."

Millie and Castor stood back, allowing the two to walk inside. A breeze blew through the yard, ruffing Millie's hair and sending a chill down her spine. Samuel was right, as usual, the temperature was dropping. Castor wound an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him in an attempt to warm her.

"You okay, Camille?" He asked in a low voice, his hazel eyes pooling with brotherly concern.

Millie's lips cut across her face and her smile was the blood that would never fall. "I'm great, Cas."

Castor stared at her for a moment longer, his eyes prying at a door that would remain shut. She shook him off, nudging him with her elbow to encourage him to go find his wife, and strolled back into the house. The screen door rattled against the frame, announcing her presence and drawing Samuel's eyes to her. Unasked questions shimmered in his gaze and that bloody smile appeared once more. She looked away, settled beside Erica and began to fuss over fixing Kota's hair.

Her siblings would arrive soon, they would laugh and talk until late into the night, and then Millie would go home and fight with Robert while Sang covered her ears. They would fight until Millie threatened to leave, to run back to the LoveTaylor house, into her brother and sister's arms. They would fight until she grabbed the keys and Sang, and Robert would talk her off the ledge, and everything would be okay.

Everything would have to be okay. Her family was her everything and she would do anything to hold on to it.

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a/n: yes i've risen from the dead. i had some encouragement from a close friend to post this and so... here i am. i've reworked it quite a bit if you're someone who had the displeasure of reading the first draft i posted. i hope you enjoy.

- ry <3