The warm wind of Los Santos blew past Michael as he stood against the balcony, watching the beautiful streets of Rockford Hills. Pulling out one of his Redwood cigarette from his grey suit coat along with his signature blue lighter, Michael had the cigarette in the corner of his mouth, before igniting the end with his lighter. Taking a inhale from the cigarette, Michael blew out the smoke from his mouth before having it between his fingers.
"It's been five long years, since you've left this earth, kiddo…" Michael thought to himself, before pulling out his iFruit X phone and went into the photos application. Looking through his 2013 photos, he saw a few pictures of him and Blake together in Los Santos together with her friends and family, before reached the end of the timeline which ended off with the dark haired teen's missing poster. "I wish you were here, so I can tell you everything that you've missed."
"Hey!" Michael exclaimed, as Amanda taken the cigarette out of her husband's finger.
"Still smoking at 50 years old? You need to give it up, Michael. And also get yourself a haircut." Amanda explained, while putting it out and thrown the cigarette towards the front yard.
"There's nothing wrong with my hair, Amanda." Michael answered, running his hand through his greying slicker haircut. "Beside, I fuckin' needed that, since it's been five years."
"Oh God… Michael, she's in a better place now. You know… somehow, I never know who Macey fucked with to have her, but when I see you and Blake. You two look the same." Amanda explained.
"Cause I've been a strong influence on her, more than Trevor and Brad." Michael stated, before walking back into the bedroom and sat down at the edge of the bed.
"She'd always followed you. Became a tomboy, learn how to fight on her own, and even had strange color eyes for a girl like her." Amanda said, lifting a spring picture of Blake, having her black raven hair up in a messy and wore a navy blue dress with black heels. "I just wish she shouldn't bit me." She stated, while look on her left wrist to see the pinkish marks of Blake's teeth marks.
Back in Ludendorff, a 23 year old woman named Maven Neathery who worked at a nearby diner serving and taking customers orders, five years later. As she grew over the past years while taking care of her soon to be 10 year old eldest daughter, Indie and 5 year old youngest, Kynsleigh, Maven (or known as Blake De Santa in her past life) went from teenhood to adulthood in an instance. She added a violet purple hair dye to long waist raven black hair to add an traditional ombre touch to it. Maven had to wear eyeglasses sometimes to read small print, but she sometimes wore eye contacts to help her. But when she wore them for the first time, Indie decide to make a funny comment of how her mother's eyes made her look like a vampire in a snowy small town.
Hearing the table bell ringing, Maven headed back towards the counter before ripping of one of the customer's order from her small notepad and had it clipped onto a closepin. She taken the plate of a freshly cooked bacon cheeseburger and crinkle cut fries, and headed towards the booth in the back next to the old time red and white jukebox from the 70's.
"Here's your plate, sir." Maven said, showing her signature smile.
"That smile always brighten up my day, Maven dear." The man complimented before giving the dark haired violet colored ombre woman $10 for a tip.
"Aw, why thank you." Maven said, placing the money into her red apron, until the older man lighty grabs onto her wrist.
"When are we going to go out on a date, little missy?" The man questioned, before Maven pulled her own wrist back.
"In your own dreams." Maven answered, before walking away towards the counter, rolling her eyes.
"Maven, you are free to go. I believe that both of your girls are probably home by now." Her co-worker, Becca said from behind the counter. Once Maven heard her, she checked on her coral blue Badger smartphone and notice it was after 4:30.
"Oh okay, but I need to take a few plates home." Maven said, before sitting down at the counter. "What's today's dinner special again?" She questioned.
"How about three of our bacon cheeseburgers with a side of fries?" Becca said, while placing three aluminum foil wrapped plates in front of Maven, as the violet purple ombre mother can smell the cheese and bacon goodness of a yummy burger. "I'm sure the girls always love eating good food from the diner."
"They sure do." Maven said, after putting her coral blue Badger smartphone back into her black skinny jeans and headed to the back to clock out. When she returned back wearing a royal blue winter coat and having her red crossbody purse over her body, Maven taken the wrapped up plates while exiting out of the diner, and made it towards her 2013 black and red Gauntlet, before heading back to Winterwood Trailer Park.
"As time went by, I was adjusting to being a parent now while raising two girls on my own. Now I'm a single mother at the age of 23, life is just getting good." Maven thought to herself, while she drove through the trailer park to reaches towards the home where both of her daughters, Indie and Kynsleigh were waiting on their mother's return. Once she parked the muscle car next to the trailer home, Maven climbed out of Gauntlet and taken the plates into her hands, before climbing up the steps to her childhood home.
"But I hope one day, I'll be marrying someone and having another kid… Today, we're facing newer problems." Maven thought to herself, before seeing a eviction notice taped onto the door and walking into the trailer home, with no one in the living room or kitchen area.
Maven places her coat onto the hook, before hearing the small mew of the Neathery's family cat, Touka. The tabby munchkin cat started purring quietly around Maven's legs, as the burgundy red ombre mother places the wrapped plates onto the counter.
"Hi, Touka… Did Indie feed you? Or are you hungry for some meat?" Maven questioned the cat, while petting Touka.
The tabby munchkin cat gave out a small mew in response, before Maven walk towards the couch to read the letter.
Dear, sir or ma'am,
We are sorry to bother you, but I'm afraid that we have bad news about your living status here at Winterwood Trailer Park. We decided to let the owner of a popular supermarket by our property. But within 30 days, you must vacate the property and find a new home. If you are here on their property after 30 days, the sheriff department of Ludendorff North Yankton will come and arrested you off the property, plus you will be fine with $5000.
"Not a happy face." Indie said, sitting down on the arm of the couch as she struggled to not scratch at her stitches in her chest, her heart having been replaced with a slightly larger one to work better with her growing body.
"What do you mean by that, girlie?" Maven questioned, looking over at Indie and folded the letter back.
"That face of yours doesn't look happy. Something happened." Indie responded.
"Well… It's only one thing. But I need to talk to you and your sister…" Maven said, before seeing Kynsleigh using her portable CD player while listening to her Trolls Soundtrack. "Kynsleigh!" She called out loudly, and the five years old finally saw Maven.
"Mommy!" Kynsleigh said happily, before hugging Maven. "Why are you so sad, Mommy?" She questioned after removing her arms.
"Well… I have something to talk about to you and your sister." Maven answered, before letting Kynsleigh sat down on her lap while the five years old turn off her portable CD player. "Girls… in 30 days, we won't have a home anymore. The whole trailer park is gonna be torn down, and they're putting a shopping mall over it." She explained, before looking back down at the letter on the coffee table.
"So then… we need a new house? We need to move." Indie questioned.
"Yeah… if I can find one within 30 days." Maven answered.
"Can we move to where Poppy and Branch lives?" Kynsleigh questioned.
"No… No, they live in a forest with all of the other trolls." Maven answered as she laughed. "We have to find a house. Any ideas on to find the perfect house?" She questioned the girls, before pulling out her new 6.2 in Badger smartphone in coral blue. "Like Indie, you need a room for yourself right?"
"With at least four wall sockets." Indie replied with a nod.
"But I like being in a room with Indie." Kynsleigh complained.
"I'll need the space for support machines if I get a natural heart." Indie responded.
"Kynsleigh, you'll be having your own room for now on. I know you love being in a room with Indie, but she needs the extra space, instead of stepping on by crayons and those tiny things that look like erasers." Maven explained.
"Can I decorate my room with paint?" Kynsleigh questioned.
"Yes, you may." Maven said, before looking at Indie. "What about you, Indie? You want your room painted as well?" She questioned the eldest daughter.
"Not crazily… I'll see what it's like when we get there." Indie answered.
"Okay…" Maven said, before removing Kynsleigh from her lap and stood back up to look back at the girls. "Hey, I promise y'all that everything will be alright. I raise you both here, and we'll be living somewhere. I will find us a good home here in Ludendorff." She explained, placing her phone on the coffee table next to the eviction letter.
"Here or elsewhere… somewhere nice." Indie replied, heading to the sink to get herself a drink.
"I'll do my best… beside, I've brought dinner from the diner." Maven said, before heading towards the counter. "And I want you two to guess what have I brought home."
"Cookies and cake!" Kynsleigh answered.
"You, sis, have such a huge sweet tooth." Indie responded.
"You will lose all of your teeth, Kynsleigh Pie… but it's not dessert. And I want you to guess, before I unwrapped the first plate." Blake said, before having the top plate in front of her.
"I know I can smell bacon." Indie replied with a smile.
"Yeah, that's one, but what is it since it's has bacon." Blake said, before unwrapping the plate as she showed fries on one side.
"I see fries!" Kynsleigh said.
"Bacon and fries only go together in two things I know… an English cooked breakfast, or a nice burger!" Indie said in response.
"You must have been studying, Indie. And you are correct, dinner is a bacon cheeseburger and fries." Blake said, unwrapping the first plate, before heading towards the fridge to grab three cans of soda. "And soda is good with a yummy cheeseburger dinner." She said, placing the sodas on the table.
"I want strawberry, Mommy." Kynsleigh said, taking the soda can, before Maven opening the can for the five year old girl.
"You gonna drink it through the metal?" Indie questioned, looking at the can.
"Yeah, I wanna be a big girl and I need an adult can of soda." Kynsleigh explained, before grabbing the soda and accidentally spilled part of the strawberry soda onto her long sleeve dress, until she started crying.
"Uh-oh, I don't think so." Maven said, taking the soda can from Kynsleigh's hand.
"That's why I still poured it into a cup when I was 8… hm, there's a thought…" Indie said in response, going to get her pen and paper pad so she could draw out something while she ate.
"Go get change into your pajamas, Kyns. I'll clean this up." Maven said, before Kynsleigh left and grabbed a few pieces of paper towels.
"You mucky pup, sister." Indie teased her jokingly, as she passed Kynsleigh her pyjamas set from the closet, since she'd already been in the room getting her pen and pad.
"Stop it, meanie." Kynsleigh said, before removing her long sleeve dress and slipped on her princess pajama dress and black leggings.
A few hours after dinner, Maven decided to let both of the girls stay in her bedroom while looking on her laptop to find homes in Ludendorff. But her luck was running out when she couldn't find anymore trailer park home openings or any houses in the snowy area.
For now Maven closes her laptop, and removed her black rimmed eyeglasses from her tired teal colored eyes, before seeing Kynsleigh asleep onto the extra soft pillows with the comforter covering her small body with the TV playing one of Kynsleigh's favorite cartoons, Trolls: The Beat Goes On.
"Momma… what do you think?" Indie questioned as she stepped into the room, holding a piece of paper. She'd drawn a drink can on it, and on the top of the drink can was what looked like the top of a bottle, clipped to the can edge with its own screw on cap.
"It looks great, honey. You're starting to become a natural at this, Indie." Maven said, while looking at the drawing.
"I like making things… sorta. Designing them." Indie replied as she took the drawing back. "I haven't shown you all of them recently."
"Oh really, Indie?" Maven said, before checking her phone for the time. "And you have 30 minutes until it's bedtime, but hey, I have something to talk about with you." She said, before scooting over not waking Kynsleigh up.
"Yeah… what is it?" Indie asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Listen, I know your birthday is coming up soon at the end of the month, and I want to know what you want exactly." Maven explained. "But I can not be too expensive, cause we have to look for a house to live in."
"Everyone's starting to get phones. All the thin ones with all touch screens, not like the old one you gave me for emergencies." Indie answered.
"What was wrong with the Motorola one? I had that for five years, and I was being teased by my rich cousins for that." Maven questioned, before looking back at the her coral blue Badger smartphone. "Do you want something like this?" She questioned, while holding up her new smartphone.
"Yeah, something that doesn't come back with 'unsupported version' when you try to install something as simple as Pacman." Indie answered with a nod.
"I'll see what I can do. But if I don't get it, you'll understand right?" Maven explained.
"I'd be more pushy about it if them calling me someone who time travelled from the 80s didn't sound a tiny bit cool." Indie joked in response.
"Okay, Indie. You better go ahead and get ready for bed, honey." Maven said.
"Yeah… you don't hear a child agree that they're tired every day." Indie said before she leant in and hugged Maven. "Night Momma."
"Night, baby." Maven said, before Indie left.
Maven looked back at her sleeping daughter, before sighing quiety.
"What am I going to do for me and the girls? We can't live out in the cold streets, they'll know that I let them down." Maven said to herself quietly, before looking back at our laptop and typed in 'Los Santos' in the search engine. She managed to find a few house openings in Richman and Mirror Park, but Maven had already used up half of her savings from her bank account to pay for Indie's heart surgery.
"Well… I guess I have to call someone to help." Maven said, before looking at her coral blue Badger smartphone.
Reaching for her 6.2 inch smartphone, Maven started searching for a familiar number, before dialing it…. Until someone answered on the other line.
"Hello. Is this the number for Lester Crest?" Maven questioned the caller on the other line.
"Who's asking?"
"A certain woman named Maven Neathery, but in the past she'd goes by Blakesleigh Rose De Santa, Uncle Lester."
"You're alive, kiddo?!" Lester said shockingly. "We all though you were dead."
"No, I'm actually alive, but I need some help." Maven explained. "And I don't want no one to know that I'm here in Ludendorff. Not even Michael, Franklin or whoever."
"Hmm, that depends. Where you been for the past five years?" Lester questioned, as Maven can hear him typing on the computer.
"Well… I change my name, and I adopted two girls. 10 and 5 year old. I'm working at a diner full time while the girls are at school, but so far I'm doing alright… for now. The reason why I called you is because that the place I'm living will be torn down and I need to find a home within a month." Maven explained. "I do have money in my old account, but I'm afraid that I'll be found alive by Michael."
"So, you're coming back to Los Santos?" Lester questioned. "Well, you're in luck. There's actually over 20 million in your old account." He stated.
"I'm sorry but… What the zip you just say? How many?" Maven questioned once more.
"Michael decided to put some of his take from the Big One into your account, hoping that you'll come home sooner." Lester explained. "I'll transfer the money onto your account, as soon as we get off this call. You'll be surprised by the amount of how Michael really wanted you to come home four years ago. If you're planning on buy a home here in Los Santos, you can use that amount to buy a house in Richman. I'll set it up for you to come have a look around the property in a few days, and make the final arrangements."
"Excuse me for a few seconds…" Maven said before placing her smartphone on the bed, and slipping Kynsleigh's headphones over her ears, while getting out of the bed...
Having gotten out of her bed with a dry mouth, Indie had gone to the kitchen and into the fridge to get a small pot of yoghurt, spoon in hand from the drawer. It was a she opened the fridge however, that she turned around, hearing a quick succession of patting noises on the caravan's wooden floor coming towards the kitchen.
Maven started doing a few cartwheels, until she made a huge front flip over the kitchen counter and for her final move was a split onto the living room's chocolate brown hardwood floor, before getting back up on her feet.
"Hella yeah!" Maven cheered, having her balled up fists in the air before turning her head to see her eldest daughter, Indie. "Uh…" She muttered.
Indie stared at her mother for a moment as what she'd just seen replayed through her head… midway through it, her hand weakened and the spoon fell from it to the floor with a clattering noise, before she at last spoke. "What… in all buggery… are you doing?!"
"Uh… just being happy, Indie Neathery… I'll tell you later… Goodnight, kiddo." Maven said embarrassed, before heading back to the bedroom.
"Beats throwing an excited fit on your bed, I suppose." Indie responded, before she picked up the dropped spoon and washed it off, then heading back to her room with the yoghurt.