The Place That We All Call Home [Dominic]

[SUMMER LILA BANES]

From the mountains high
To the wave crashed coast
There’s a way to find
Better days I know

It’s been a long hard ride
Got a ways to go
But this is still the place
That we all call home

Rain fell in large drops as she walked along the line of shops, memories filling her mind at each small sign, the old restaurants and clothing stores. She loved this town, so why had it taken her so long to come back? She had no answer for this question which had been ringing in her mind for the past few hours, so she kept walking.

Her eyes traveled to the docks of the harbor, at the end of the street, all of the sails visible over the small buildings around her. She remembered running along this street, the sun warming her skin, the other townspeople creating a small path big enough for her small self to weave through as she raced her shadow down to the harbor. It was just like any other day, where she’d spend her time exploring with her school friends, or maybe even just by herself at the house. She didn’t mind being alone, so she didn’t mind just staying home and pretending to be something she wasn’t. The one thing that was concrete in her daily routines was when her father and brother would come back to the docks, tie down the boat, and bring back what they caught. She was always there to greet them, like clockwork. She smiled fondly at the memory and, checking her wristwatch, an idea formulated in her mind.

Her feet carried her over the rain-soaked sidewalks, along the old wooden boards of the harbor’s docks, and around to where their father had always kept his boat. She could see one coming into view now, and as she looked around at all of the others which had already come in, their captains having made their way up to the bar or restaurant to drink away their bad luck or celebrate their successful catch, she put a name to each vacant boat. Each boat there held a specific memory in her mind, each of the captains having grown used to seeing her on the docks, some even teaching her about their boats as she waited for her father and Dominic to come back.

Her blonde hair was covered by the hood on her black raincoat, her thin and muscular legs were hugged by her pair of dark-wash skinny jeans, and her feet were kept warm and dry by her light blue rain boots which covered her legs until they were three quarters of the way up her calves. The boat was closer now, she waited for a face, the sound of the raindrops hitting the water provided the only noise to fill her silence. Occasionally she’d hear a bird’s wings flap as it took flight, or a small fish flapping its tail as it discovered there was no food at the surface. The grey sky poured down it’s sorrow upon her, and yet she stayed hopeful. The time was right, the destination correct, so as long as her brother was still a man of tradition, keeping his boat in it’s place, she was sure this was him coming to dock. She stood on the dock, her blonde hair peeking out of the coat’s hood, becoming soaked at the ends from the rain which fell, and she waited for a face.

Outfit Here

[DOMINIC ELI BANES]

it was raining, a somewhat hard, steady fall. dominic was used to this sort of weather so it didn't bother him at all. he actually liked being out in it, though it hadn't always been that way. when he was younger and had first started going out on his dad's boat with him, he'd hated being out in a downpour. it took only about five minutes to be soaked through, and it was already cold, so it always made for a miserable day. but eventually he got used to it and didn't mind so much, like his dad had always told him would happen. dominic had never believed until it actually happened.

he went out alone when he was fishing for just himself. it wasn't necessary to get the whole crew out there for a private fishing trip. sometimes a few asked dominic if they could come out with him the next time he went, and of course, he never minded that. at those times they fished for themselves and usually drank a few beers while they were at it. he didn't drink constantly, mostly because of his daughter, everleigh. he never wanted her to seem him drunk, so that was the main reason. though, when he did drink he rarely drank to the smashed point. the only times dominic came close to it was when he would dwell on thoughts of his ex-wife for too long and find himself pretty depressed. he tried not to, but sometimes he couldn't help it.

dominic had been out for about four hours, the rain starting up about an hour ago. he'd already caught plenty of fish, half of which would get placed in the freezer along with the other dozen already there. he kept it well stocked, never letting it run out completely, though sometimes it was so full he had to give some of it away. the thing was, dominic went out even when it wasn't necessary, just because he enjoyed it or needed to get away for a while. sometimes he took everleigh out with him, but on those occasions he didn't go nearly as far, and always checked the weather to make sure they'd be safe. he didn't want to risk his daughter's life for the sake of a fishing trip.

everleigh was like her grandfather, himself and her aunt. she loved being out in his boat, or just swimming. anything to do with water. dominic had made sure she had swimming lessons before he took her out for the very first time, taking all the precautions necessary. maybe he was overly cautious and protective of his little girl, but he would always rather be safe than sorry.

dominic turned the boat around and started heading back to the harbor. it wouldn't be long before he reached it since the wind was picking up quite a bit, even blowing him in the right direction. as he made his approach, working the boat like a pro, he noticed someone standing on the dock. dominic saw that it was a woman, but she was wearing a rain coat and the hood was up, so he couldn't really see anything defining, not even a hair color. he took the sail down, preparing to dock her, and skillfully placed her where she needed to be, grabbing the rope and jumping out. dominic tied it off, then went back for his fish. he had five big ones and a couple more of good size. way more than he needed, but again, he could freeze some and make fish for dinner. as he got off the boat a second time he now brought his attention to the stranger. now that he was up close, dominic could see, despite the hood, her face. "summer?" he exclaimed with some shock. he dropped the fish onto the dock and practically ran the few paces over to her, pulling her into a big hug. "when did you get here? why didn't you tell me you were coming?" excited questions burst out of him as he released her from the hug, but still held her arms so he could look at her. dominic was close with his sister and they talked on a regular basis, but only over the phone. she'd sent him pictures, of course, but it was different than seeing her in person once again. "where you staying?" he asked, knowing he was asking too many questions, but he couldn't help it. "if you haven't found a place yet, you can stay with me and everleigh. there's plenty of room." even if summer had found a place, dominic still wouldn't mind, since the guest bedroom was pretty nice and spacious. of course, he would understand if she turned him down in favor of more independence.

outfit: here
image credit: Line @ caution 2.0

[SUMMER LILA BANES]

The boat came into the harbor quickly, a tailwind helping it through the water. The memories of her childhood flashed through her mind again, the times when she would count the boards on the dock until her father finally tied up his boat, when she would be careful not to step on any lose boards, when she would climb up onto one of the thick poles that held the dock up and take a seat while she waited. She hadn't seen his boat in years, which made it hard for her to decide if it truly was her brother coming back. Then she thought again, shaking her head. Who else was crazy enough to be out in pouring rain? As he docked her, she waited for him to see her standing there, she waited to hear his voice. She'd kept this news from him and wanted to see his reaction in person.

He got off of the boat after he had glided over to the dock in a way that only experienced boaters could, and quickly tied his vessel to the metal dock cleats, and then, without a word or glance her way, he got back on to carry off his catch. She raised her eyebrows but knew that he was probably still unsure of who it was. She had seen his face, however, and knew very well that her instincts were correct.

As he stepped off the boat again, carrying what seemed like ten fish, most large, some smaller, and she shook her head, knowing that there was no way he needed to take that many back, but that he always would. He finally looked up and when his eyes landed on her's, the fish fell to the dock, landing with a small thud as her brother ran over to her, surprised as ever. She laughed, a smiling lighting up her face as she met him in a hug, holding him tightly. "I flew into Portland last night and rented a car this morning." She said to him as he pulled back a bit to look at her as his mouth kept spewing out questions for her. "Well if I had told you I wouldn't have gotten to see your reaction in person!" She laughed to him, squeezing his arms slightly as she spoke. "I just rented an apartment... Pierce Court or something?" She shrugged. Before she had left for college, there had been only one apartment complex and it was no where to be found now. When he offered for her to stay with he and her niece she grinned but shook her head. "Maybe I'll sleep over one night, but I might as well get some use out of that apartment." As much as she loved her brother and his daughter, she would feel odd just staying with him after so many years of just phone calls and photographs. "Speaking of which, how is Miss Everleigh?" She asked him, her eyebrow raised. "Gosh, last time I saw her in person she was just a newborn." She nearly whispered. She'd missed them, much more than she could put into words.

She didn't bother to fix her hood which had fallen down when they'd hugged each other, but when she noticed his rain-soaked clothes, she wondered how he wasn't frozen yet. "What? Did you just grow immune to the wet and cold weather?" She asked him with a laugh, pulling lightly at the rain jacket which was nearly stuck to him now. "Let's go someplace where it's not pouring out the Atlantic Ocean on our heads." She suggested.

[DOMINIC ELI BANES]

whoever this person was reminded him of when his sister would wait for him and his father to dock, always there every time, like clockwork. but summer had gone off to college and hadn't been in hope harbor for years, so dominic knew it couldn't be her. and if she'd been planning to visit, she no doubt would have called.

apparently his sister was full of surprises. he had always thought that summer would come back to her home town one day, but he still hadn't expected for her to just show up, unannounced. dominic was happy, though, and wasn't one to mind surprises too much, depending on the kind. this was the best, of course. he appraised her, finding that she was a skinny little thing, even with a raincoat on. plus, she was beautiful, which he'd always thought she was, anyway. "you sneaky little thing!" dominic exclaimed with a laugh as summer told him when she'd arrived. he grinned as she laughed, and nodded at her statement. "that's true." he was teasing her, really, which he'd always done a lot of. the harmless kind, of course. then it was his turn to laugh. "pierson," he corrected. "and good. pretty nice apartments." dominic wanted his sister well taken care of, though hopefully he wouldn't go too overboard with spoiling her. "that'd be nice," he replied, when she mentioned sleeping over some time. he figured she'd turn him down. after all, what twenty-four year old wanted to live with her brother and his daughter?

as always, dominic's face lit up when everleigh was mentioned. "oh, she's doing great. getting big, fast, and talking lots." it was hard to keep her quiet, actually, though he usually didn't mind her rambling. he enjoyed spending time with his daughter and getting to see and hear all the cute things she did and said. she was well behaved, most of the time and very sweet. she loved her dad, as well as her mom and at this point still thought it was normal for them to live in two different places. once she reached middle school, she'd find out soon enough that that wasn't the normal way of things. "i know. three years," dominic said, his smile fading a bit for a moment, like his thoughts were elsewhere, but only for a moment and he quickly recovered.

he hadn't really noticed how soaked he was getting, but now that she mentioned it, he looked down. "pretty much," dominic told her with a grin. he was starting to get cold now, though, and was sure summer was already well to that point. "sounds good. let me just grab the fish." he could fillet and clean them later, so for now he just planned on dropping them off at his house. dominic walked over and picked them up before returning to his sister. "we can go get coffee or a bite to eat, if you want, or just have something at the house. it's up to you." he didn't really mind, either way, as long as he could make a quick change of clothes.

outfit: here
image credit: Line @ caution 2.0

[SUMMER LILA BANES]

She laughed and shrugged her shoulders, "Guilty as charged." She said with a smirk. That was him, always teasing her about whatever he could; especially when she gave him a perfect opportunity. "Pierson... Right." She said with a nod and a patted him on the arm, trying not to laugh with him at her mistake. "Yeah, you would think I'd remember that, I'm fairly sure I just signed for it." She said with a shake of her head. He seemed slightly disappointed by her declining his offer to stay with them, which almost made her feel guilty... He had to be lonely when Everleigh was with Jackie. Then again, how quickly would they start to get on each others' nerves if she did accept his offer?

As soon as she asked him about Everleigh, his entire being just lit up. His smile was contagious and she couldn't help herself from laughing as she shared in his joy. "So she's doing just fine." She said with small smile, pushing him lightly. "She's probably a little angel." She said to him, remembering just how precious she thought her niece was, even just a few hours after she was born. His face seemed to shift back down for a moment when she mentioned she hadn't Everleigh in three years... Which was when he and his ex wife split up. He let go of that feeling, but his happiness never got back up to that joy he was feeling a few minutes ago. "But hey, I can't wait to see my darling niece again." She said with a nod.

She shook lightly as they stood in the rain, the drops seeming to pound on their heads. He finally realized how wet and cold it was, which made her laugh quietly, "You think you caught enough of those for the next few weeks?" Her smirk grew as her eyes landed back on the pile of fish which he had dropped on the dock. She remembered the smell and feel of all the fish he and their father used to bring home, the ones which she used to help carry along the docks and up the main road, no matter how small she was or how heavy the fish were. That was what her childhood revolved around, to be truthful; that hour of each day when she'd reconnect with her family and they'd talk about what they had done when they were apart. She was drawn out of her memory when Dom suggested they coffee or food in town, or even back at his house. "Whatever you want to do, as long as its warm." She said to him with a shrug, starting to walk back along the docks. "I might grab a change of clothes from the car, though." She warned him as they walked. As they made their way up to the town, she felt odd not carrying anything like she always had before, so she stopped and turned towards him, her hands out of her pockets. "It's too weird..." She said to him as she reached for the load of fish in his hand closest to her.

This is still a pretty bad post, but I've got to go study...[/b]

[DOMINIC ELI BANES]

dominic shook his head, still smiling. "you always were the sneaky one." well, technically they were both pretty sneaky. 'partners in crime' some might call them. he would usually come up with a plan, tell her about it, then they'd both do it and get caught. nothing too major, mind you, but enough to get in some trouble. it was fun, though, and dominic would do it again if he could go back to that time. he made a mental note to remember how fun little mischievous things could be for kids as everleigh got older. being his daughter, she would no doubt be a bit of a troublemaker. he couldn't stop smiling from excitement, still finding a little hard to believe summer was actually back. he'd missed her so much; probably more than she knew. "it's alright. comes with age," dominic joked, winking at her.

"she sure is." everleigh was fine most of the time, though when she got sick, it wasn't just a mild affair. dominic always worried a lot when she came down with something, whether it was a cold or the flu. the worst times were when she had a fever. he would stay up all night, watching over her until the fever broke. fortunately everleigh was like him in that respect, too, because she rarely got sick. dominic nodded when summer referred to her as an angel. "yes, she is. just like her aunt," he said with a laugh, poking a finger at her ribs. "and she's going to love you." she was a pretty outgoing little girl, and once she found out that summer was her aunt, she would no doubt warm up to her quickly. dominic talked about her quite a bit, plus everleigh had spoken to her on the phone a few times, and seen pictures of her.

he gave a laugh at her comment as he returned from picking them up. "you know me. i like to stock up." way over stock, really. but that had always been dominic's way. of course, their father had done the same thing, so that was probably why. he had always told him that it was better to have too many than not enough, and who knew what would happen? if something happened to the boat and it took weeks to fix, they'd still have plenty of fish to eat. it was a wonder that dominic hadn't grown tired of the taste. "alright then," he replied, walking beside her along the dock. he wasn't sure where he wanted to go just yet, but he'd have a few minutes to think about it. "that's fine. i gotta get these back to the house and get changed myself." dominic was getting downright cold, at this point, his clothes thoroughly soaked, though the rain was easing off some. he walked a little faster, knowing that if he was cold, summer was probably freezing. he paused, though, when she stopped, wondering why. he grinned when he realized what she wanted, and handed her the line. "looks like you can carrying them a lot better now," dominic commented with a laugh as they began walking again, thinking of the younger version of herself, doing the exact same thing all those years.



outfit: here
image credit: Line @ caution 2.0

[SUMMER LILA BANES]

She laughed at his words, remembering all the trouble he got them into. Every devious plan that wasn't too well thought out had ended in them being found guilty, but it was fun every time. "Only because you gave me opportunities to be..." She said with a wink, laughing again. "We got into so much trouble... didn't we?" She asked him with a sigh. She only hoped that Everleigh would do the same with him that they did to their father. Dom kept trying to suppress his smile, but failed miserably. "What's up with you? Did the Joker come and cut that thing into your face?" She asked him with a smirk. She was actually glad to see him smile so much, but the thought that she could make him this happy just by showing up was something that scared her... How much had he actually smiled otherwise while she was gone? He then winked as he said the memory issue had to do with her age. "Right, and if my memory is going at 24, what's left for you at 26?" She laughed at him.

She loved hearing about Everleigh and how she was growing up. Those rare occasions where the little girl would speak with her on the phone were priceless and all the pictures he sent of them together and just of her were ones that she always kept close. She'd never met her niece in person, but the little girl was still her niece. After she'd made a comment about Everleigh being an angel, he compared his daughter to her, which made her laugh and shake her head. "Well, I don't know about that... I've had a big brother to corrupt me." She said with a grin, glancing over at him sideways. His words comforted her, as she'd been a bit unsure of how her niece would respond to her at first... Sure, Summer remembered meeting the girl when she was a newborn, but obviously Everleigh wouldn't remember her from that time. Hopefully the pictures and phone calls would have prepared her to actually meet her aunt in person.

Summer laughed at his understatement as they began walking again. "And up, and up, and up, and up..." She said with a laugh. He'd always done that. Their father had taught him that lesson, and just like any of their fathers' lessons, Dom went above and beyond to try to ace their tests. She looked at all of the fish and wondered how he was going to get through them all without getting tired of it... When she went away to college, she could barely walk into a seafood place without wanting to throw up. Now, of course, she was craving it again, which was a good thing for her since she was back in Maine where seafood made a good breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desert. As they walked along the docks, back to town, she nodded when he said he wanted to get changed also, so they would definitely be stopping by his house. Soon enough, Dom started to speed up his pace, but she ended up stopping. She smiled when he handed her a line of fish to take and she eagerly picked it up, hoisting it over her shoulder, and began walking... more like jogging, after him. She laughed at his comment and nodded her head. "Well, now that I'm taller than the fish, it's a bit easier to carry them." She said with a smile. Years ago, she did the same thing, but some of the fish would drag on the docks, so she'd have to hoist them up above her head as high as her arms would go.

[DOMINIC ELI BANES]

dominic laughed out loud at her reply. "oh, and you never thought any of them up?" he questioned in a joking manner. well, summer had on rare occasions, but left the planning to him, generally. she was always happy to participate, though. "yes, we did." they shared so many great memories from back then, despite losing both of their parents. dominic thought about both of them often, especially his dad, and was sure that summer did, too. it hadn't been easy on either of them, but it'd helped when connor mclaughlin asked if the two wanted to live with him. definitely far better than having to live with their aunt. "what? i'm not allowed to be happy to see you?" he stuck his tongue out at her playfully. anyone who had been around dominic for the past three years would be happy that he was smiling so much, since it wasn't a common thing anymore. everleigh always brought one to his face, of course, but outside of her there were very few people who could. "it's different for men, of course," he informed her in a jokingly matter of fact manner.

dominic couldn't wait for everleigh to meet her aunt, and if the little girl knew she would be soon, her excitement would be evident. summer probably felt the same way, not having seen her since she was just a baby. well, they'd have plenty of time getting to know each other now and she'd be a good influence on everleigh. his sister was a great person. one he trusted, loved and adored. if his own daughter ended up more like her than himself, that would make dominic very happy. he planned on doing something special for summer in the very near future. he wasn't sure what, yet, but he'd think of something. "ahhh, that's true." he grinned back at his sister, knowing she was only teasing him.

"hey! i'm not that bad, i am?" he asked, pretending to be offended by her words. "too much like dad, i guess." dominic had a slight smile on his face as he thought about their father, wishing he could have been around to meet his grandchild. everleigh would have gained a lot from knowing him, as well, and their mother. he slowed back down a little as he noticed her trying to keep up with him. "yeah, that helps," dominic replied with a laugh. it had been comical, to say the least. it wasn't long before they reached the house. he walked in and removed his boots and coat right off, not wanting to track anything into the house. he kept it neat and clean, always. the babysitter was sitting on the couch reading and looked up when they came in. everleigh had just dropped off to sleep and would be out for an hour or two.

dominic quietly showed summer where she could put the fish, and then a place she could change. he made his way to his bedroom then, grabbing a towel to dry his hair with, the stripping off his wet clothes and putting them in the tub for the moment. he replaced them with a pair of dark jeans and a long sleeved black cotton shirt. dominic pulled on a pair of socks and grabbed a different pair of shoes. he walked back out into the living room and waited for summer to return. the babysitter was still on the couch with her book and glanced up, smiling, when she saw him come back in. dominic only let people he knew very well and trusted, babysit everleigh. he chatted with her a few minutes, until his sister was ready. he had been trying to think of a place to take her; nothing too fancy, since he hadn't dressed for it, but nice.

by the time she was ready, dominic had reached a decision. the eagle pointe coffee house was perfect. it had a nice atmosphere, good coffee, and if she was hungry, good food. "how does the eagle pointe sound to you?" he asked, summer having been there before, since the coffee house had been around for some time.

outfit: here
image credit: Line @ caution 2.0

[SUMMER LILA BANES]

She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I had my fair share, but they were all mostly made possible by you." She reminded him. She'd always been creative, and her plans were very much so imaginative, but without the help of her brother, they'd have never made it past her mind. Both of their parents loved and hated their schemes, though Summer didn't really get into them until after her mother had passed away, and the schemes had gotten bigger and more elaborate once they moved in with Connor McLaughlin. Thinking back on them all now, she did miss her parents, but she didn't spend time thinking about them very often. She liked to keep those thoughts to when she absolutely couldn't ignore them anymore, at which point she had to remove herself from whatever she was doing and let it all out, then the cycle reset and she was perfectly fine until it happened again. It was in no means a healthy way of dealing with grief and loss, but it was the way she dealt with it, that's that.
Dominic teased her right back, defending his smile and she shrugged her shoulders, "I've just never seen you smile this much... thought something might be up." She said with a small laugh. She immediately realized that maybe that was the wrong thing to say, but it was out now, so there was no taking it back. "I'm really happy to see you too." She assured him with a smile, giving him another quick hug. She stuck her tongue out at his joke, even though he had said it in a way that implied seriousness. She knew him too well, and it was obviously not true.

When he got defensive about his over-stocking habits she held up her hands in an apologetic way, though the smile on her face told him that she was fairly serious. "Well... I mean... If a stranger walked into your home and saw all of the fish, they'd either think you were feeding an army of sharks and bears or that you were stocking up for that... what is it? Zombie apocalypse?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. She'd heard people talking about that crazy idea and seen a few movie previews for it, but it was total bull crap in her mind, as well as quite a pitiful idea for entertainment. She felt like a little girl again, carrying the big fish that her two idols, Dom and their father, caught that day. She loved them both to the moon and back, even if she wasn't too close to her father, he was still important to her, and Dom was just her partner in crime, how could she not look up to him? All she ever wanted to be when she grew up was her brother. She wanted to be able to fish like him, to sail a boat like him, to date as many people as him and do as many things as him. Some of the goals she had because of him were probably not the best, but she didn't know any better, so she tried.

They finally reached his house and she took off her shoes and her rain coat, trying to keep his already spotless house as clean as she could. There was a younger girl sitting on the couch reading a book and Summer assumed that it was probably a sitter that he used daily, considering that he was always out on his boat. She wondered if Dom ever took Everleigh out onto the boat with him.

She followed him back to put away the fish and when they were all stored, she walked back out to her car to grab her bag with clothes. She brought it back into the house and took off her boots and jacket again, walking back to the room to get changed. Once out of her dark blue jeans and into a pair of light blue pants, her white and blue striped t-shirt, a blue cardigan, white and blue accented TOMS, and a blue pea coat, she walked out of the room and slung her bag over her shoulder, pulling her rain boots and raincoat back into her bag, not caring too much that they were still damp. Dom was there waiting for her and she went and stood by him. He asked if she'd want to go to the coffee house she'd always stopped by on the way to school and a small smile came up on her face, remembering it. "It hasn't changed too much... right?" She asked him, hoping it was still how she remembered it. "They've got the best sticky buns." She said with a smile, hiking her bag up higher on her shoulder. "Let's go!"

outfit: here

[DOMINIC ELI BANES]

dominic smiled and nodded, knowing summer was right. "alright, you win," he said in agreement. though her plans had maybe been a bit more complicated, it was he who always took the initiative to actually carry them out. his were a little more straightforward than hers, but then, summer had always been more imaginative than him. she was probably smarter, too. their parents didn't get too upset about them, most of the time, but it all depended on what the schemes involved. it got worse, though, after their mother passed away, and summer joined dominic more so in them. but their biggest and most complicated ones were after moving in with connor mclaughlin. he didn't know how summer dealt with the memories of their parents nowadays; they really hadn't talked about it in years. he wanted to address that in the near future, now that she was back.

he smiled a little at her comment. well, she knew him too well, though he didn't want to her to worry about him. he was fine. "maybe this is how i am now. remember, you've been gone for a while," dominic said, his smile widening some as he joked with her. he was trying to keep it light, and not let on about the fact that he was still struggling with his feelings about nicole. he would no doubt tell summer about it, eventually, but it wasn't something he particularly wanted to discuss. he hugged her back, already knowing that she was, but it was still nice to hear her say it. she took his words as he knew she would. they knew each other well enough to realize when the other was joking. dominic let out a laugh when summer stuck her tongue out at him, remembering how they'd always done that when they were little. joking or not.

he shook his head, grinning at summer's exaggeration. "maybe i am stocking up for the zombie apocalypse. you never know, it could happen." dominic was, of course, only joking, since he thought the whole 'zombie' thing pretty idiotic, and was pretty sure his sister did, too. he didn't even see it as a good form of entertainment, honestly. plus, with everleigh around, he wouldn't risk her seeing or hearing any of it, since a lot of the stuff was pretty graphic. if she couldn't sleep or got woken up, she often times left her room to join dominic in the living room, and those were pretty much the only times when he even watched tv. the day was over, everleigh put to bed and he'd wined down for an hour or two. he never got to bed too late, however, since he had to be up early the next day, usually.

he didn't have to wait long for summer, giving her a big smile when she came out. "well, don't you clean up good," dominic praised, teasing her a bit, though she really did look great. of course, she'd always been the good looking one. "nope, not too much." the decor hadn't changed all that much, and the outside still looked the same. "yeah. everleigh likes them, too," he replied, remembering how summer had always loved those. now he'd got his daughter hooked on them, too. dominic liked them as well, but they weren't his favorite. he was more of a pie guy. he laughed at her exclamation and opened the door for her. the rain had slowed down to just a sprinkle by now, thankfully, but it was still pretty chilly out. he slipped into his shoes and grabbed his gray peacoat before following summer out the door. dominic beat her to his car, opening the passenger door before quickly moving to the drivers side and getting in. he started it up, turning the heat on, though not too high, before driving the short distance to the coffee house.

outfit: here image credit: Line @ caution 2.0

[SUMMER LILA BANES]

When he finally admitted his defeat in the debate, her smile grew wider along her face. "But when am I not?" She asked with a laugh, cocking her head to the side. Almost as quickly as she asked it, however, her smile faded a bit and she pointed a finger at him. "Don't answer that question..." She said with a laugh, walking along again. She was sure that he could think up plenty of instances where she was proven to be wrong about something, and she didn't want to be reminded. If there was one thing that Summer really actually hated, it was being wrong. She turned into a whole other person when someone told her she was wrong, which is probably why she chose to go into Elementary School Education rather than teaching High School or Middle where the students would challenge her every word. Summer's temper, though rare, was a force to be reckoned with.

She sighed and raised an eyebrow at his words. She knew him better than that. He wasn't always laughing, not yet at least, and no matter how much she wished it was true, she wouldn't let him fool her into thinking he was fine and dandy again. "Well, maybe, but it's too sudden of a change for me, so you'll have to reign it in again and let me warm up to it." She said to him with a grin, hoping to let the subject go but let him know that she still remembered. What if he was still stuck on Nicole? Sure, his ex-wife wasn't all that horrible, but she did completely change and it didn't look like there was any turning back for her. Besides, she was with that asshole who she cheated on Dom with, so it was safe to say that Summer wasn't expecting anything from Nicole any time soon. Her brother's laugh made her smile again and she let it go, just enjoying herself with him.

His joke made her laugh but she shook her head, looking over at him. "How do people take themselves seriously with things like that? Seriously." She said with a sigh, looking back at the surrounding town. "I mean, if anyone ever came up to me and spoke about something that absurd like it was actually going to happen, I might just shoot myself." She said to him as their shoes clopped on the ground.

When she came out of the bathroom, she smiled at his compliment and rolled her eyes. "You calling me a slob otherwise?" She asked with a laugh, shaking her head. "You don't look too bad yourself, boy." She said with a wink as she grabbed her bag around her shoulder. "I'll just throw this into my car and then we can go." She told him before they walked outside and she ran out to her rental car which she had parked outside, having remembered where she lived, of course, and throwing it into the backseat. "Good! I hate it when people try to fix what isn't broken." She said with a smile. That was kind of her philosophy on life, not changing something if it works just fine the way it is. Maybe that's why she never really got along well with new people, or kept them very close, or ever tried to change any aspect of her life. Maybe... When he mentioned that his daughter like sticky buns as well, she smiled and let out a small laugh. "So even your daughter has come to the dark side, yet you continue to remain the stubborn pie lover you have always been?" She asked jokingly. Who was she to be giving a speech about never changing? Even though she had already been outside before him, and closer to his car than he, her brother still beat her to the passenger side and opened the door for her. She glared at him teasingly before slipping inside and closing it behind her. "Dom 1, Summer 0... that'll have to change." She said with a smirk while he started the car and they started to head over to the coffee house. "So are you still just fishing for a living, or have you taken on a side job?" She asked him, wondering how he didn't get bored of just being on the boat all day.

[DOMINIC ELI BANES]

dominic made a face at her playful question. "well.." before he could say anything else, he was laughing at the fact summer told him not to answer. she was the type that didn't like being wrong, even if it wasn't something serious in question. he could understand, to a degree, but he wasn't like that himself. if he was wrong, he'd admit it without a problem, as long as he was convinced that he really was. not so with his sister, though. he remembered quite a few times in their younger days when he told her she was wrong and she got pretty mad at him. at the time, dominic had laughed at her anger, just to make her more so. nowadays he wouldn't do such a thing, of course. he was in no hurry to see her mad, though.

he could tell by the look on summer's face that she wasn't convinced. he wished she wouldn't worry about him, since it wasn't necessary. he'd get over nicole, eventually. he hoped, anyway. in the mean time, the way dominic felt about her didn't matter since she was clearly over him and in love with another person. he wondered if he'd be invited to the wedding, and found himself hoping that he wouldn't. it would just be awkward, plus he wasn't sure if he could take watching nicole exchange her vows with another man. there was probably no need for him to worry about it, though, since he highly doubted she would want him there. "will do," he replied, going along with it. now wasn't the time to have that talk.

dominic shrugged at her question. "i have no idea." he was glad that summer was in agreement with the fact that it was stupid. he would have tried talking some sense into her if that was something she liked. "heeey now! no need to be drastic," he told her with a laugh. "plus, it would make more sense to shoot them." dominic was still smiling as they continued to walk along.

"i hate to say it, but, you know what they say about college kids.." he teased, trailing off as it was common knowledge. but summer was no slob. "why thank you," dominic replied with a smile. "ok, sounds good." he was getting a bit hungry by this point, and was ready to sit in a nice place with a hot cup of coffee and possibly a slice of pie. no, definitely a slice of pie. he nodded at her comment, which was very summer. she'd always said that, even when they were younger. in a lot of ways, his sister was the same as she'd always been. "me too." dominic gave an emphatic nod. "yes ma'am, i d0," he replied with a grin. "and i'm completely unrepentant." he had hurried over to his car, glancing over at her to make sure he'd beat her there. he merely gave her a big grin when she glared at him, and closed the door. he laughed at summer's words. "good luck that," he said, teasing right back, as he pulled out onto the road. "mostly fishing, but i still do a bit of boxing sometimes." dominic had started in his teen years, having always liked it, though not as much as fishing. once he'd been married and had everleigh, however, he'd slacked off a little. now that nicole had left him, his depression and the fact that he had more responsibilities when it came to his daughter, he only did it once or twice a month. even then, it was only over the two weeks when everleigh was with her mother. dominic didn't want her to see him after a fight, knowing it would upset her to see her dad hurt in any way.

outfit: here image credit: Line @ caution 2.0

[SUMMER LILA BANES]

That was a problem of her's... she got mad if she was ever told that she was wrong. That rare temper of her's came out right quick whenever someone challenged what she said. She shouldn't get so mad, but she did, and it was definitely a problem. She was glad that he made sure to keep his teasing at a level which wouldn't set her off, because they both knew all too well that he could push her over the edge easily.

They both knew that he was faking it. He wouldn't get over that girl, as much as Summer hated to admit it, he was hooked on his ex-wife and he'd never move on. She wished that he would get over her, find someone else, just get away from that part of his life, but it wasn't happening and no matter what she said to him, she knew that he'd continue to love her.

She laughed at Dom's joke and when he pointed out that it would be better to shoot the idiots who believed it, she raised her eyebrows. "When did you ever get common sense?" She laughed as she stuck out her tongue slightly to show him she was kidding.

As they walked along to the car and he commented on the college kid stereotype, insinuating that she was a slob, though they both knew she wasn't, she shoved him to the side jokingly. "The day I become a slob just check me into a mental hospital, okay?" She laughed to him. She'd never liked her things to be messy, so it would be a clear sign that something was wrong if she suddenly turned into a pig. She laughed as she got into the car and buckled in, and then they headed out to Eagle Point. He mentioned Boxing and she cringed slightly. It always scared her when people fought. Fighting in general usually sent her into the fetal position, but boxing was especially terrifying for her because she'd always seen her brother fight and seen some of his worse injuries from them. "I always hated it when you went to fights..." She said to him quietly.