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Nell had spent a very long day at Soulwood on Sunday, working the land and setting out everything that needed to be take care of. Today, before and after work, she'd done more planting and digging here, which meant that by the end of the day she was amazingly grateful that there was a hot tub she could sink into to ease her tired muscles and joints.

Yes, it might be ridiculously hot outside and yes, she'd be grateful to be back inside in the air conditioning afterwards, but for right now she was content. Though she'd be much more content once Gladio got home.

Nell figured that Gladio deserved something special after his weekend, so she'd busily worked on making some fancy Cup Noodle based dinner for him. With some of her own touches, obviously. It might be a fairly basic dinner, but it was what he loved, so that's what he was getting.

Bonus points, it was super easy to put together, so she had plenty of time to relax after all of her daily stuff was completed.

There had been no children for Nell and Gladio this weekend.

Which was good.

Of course it was.

Right?

Nell had never had children come on any of these weekends, she wasn't even sure children were ever in the cards for her, so she wasn't expecting any. And yet...

And yet.

Dinner was catch as catch can tonight. Nell would be soaking in the hot tub for a while, thinking.

Nell made a delicious - if she did say so herself - chicken parm dish with spaghetti. The scent of homemade simmering sauce wafted through the house making it feel even more homey and comfortable. Even the cats were enticed by the odor.

Nell herself was curled up on the couch, just last minute things left to do for dinner. She was engrossed in her current book and periodically joined by one or the other of the cats before they headed off to investigate the smells coming out of the kitchen.

Nell had brought home all sorts of treats from the Mars Cheese Castle. Cheeses, sausages, craft beers, wine, jams, cheese bread, fudge... anything that struck her fancy and she thought that Gladio (and herself) might enjoy. Or that she might taste to try and replicate like some of their pies!

The kittens were very interested, but ultimately disappointed at not receiving any of the treats.

Nell had been pretty busy today putting things to right both at Covent Gardens and Plant Parenthood. SHe'd also had to devote a decent amount of time to making up to the kittens who had not been pleased to have both her and Gladio gone for a week.

By the time she got through with all of the everythings that needed doing - plus washing up and laundry and all of that - she was ready for a quiet evening.

Dinner was tomato soup and grilled cheese since she was in the mood for comfort food - and there was always Cup Noodle if Gladio wished. After that she figured a nice soak in the hot tub would be just the thing!

Nell was feeling a little... itchy, maybe. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she knew she wanted to be home and snuggled up to Gladio. So, finger foods, comfort foods were the decision of the day. Mini mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, mini quiche bites, pizza bites, mini egg rolls - any variety of things she could stick in the oven to heat up and nibble on while, well, potentially doing other things.

Nell was feeling a bit under the weather today, so she'd stayed home and kept herself mostly tucked up in bed with the occasional foray to get some hot tea. Needless to say she wasn't preparing anything special for dinner tonight. Maybe Gladio would bring home a pizza or something.

She might even migrate out to the lving room to wrap up in blankets by the fire to eat.

Dinner tonight was fancied up Cup Noodle. And fresh baked bread.

Nell was a little disheartened after having the flowers snickering behind her back all day, so she was making something easy that she knew Gladio would enjoy and that let her spend her usual cooking time sitting with the kittens by the fire and reading a book.

Nell had kept some of the favorite of the rubber ducks and hidden them around the house in odd places where Gladio (or anyone else who stopped by) might stumble upon them unexpectedly. She also kept out a small box of them to give to Prompto for Noctra.He and Liz might not thank her for that, but Noctra would surely enjoy them!

It was cold, so soups and stews were definitely called for as well as fresh homemade bread. Anyone who stopped by would certainly leave warm and with a full belly.

The kittens were happy to doze by the gas fireplace and Nell planned to join them there once everything was mostly finished. She had a good book to read and wanted to get in a few more pages in case people stopped by tonight.

As promised, Nell had created quite a great feast that day. In addition to the huge prime rib with au jus and all the fixings anyone could have hoped for, she had pies and baked goods and the spicy stew he loved and a few little treats from home that she'd wheedled out of Ignis.

The house smelled delightful and there were candles and a few presents by their fireplace and everything they could need for a wonderful day together.

Today was a day for warming soups and stews and Nell had a lot of them going. More than enough to feed anyone who might stop in as well as enough to freeze and give to people as Christmas or Hanukkah or just holiday gifts - along with all the baked goods she'd made.

She was currently contemplating how best to have a soak in the hot tub and be able to get out and wrap herself in something warm for the trip back into the house. Maybe if they got some sort of heated towel rails for up there?

Nell had stuck to her house and shop today once she'd realized that it was THAT day. The only one she wanted to be kissing was Gladio, so she'd stick in here where he was the only option.

And since they generally did quite a lot of kissing she didn't think the mistletoe would be very disappointed.

Today was definitely a fried chicken kind of day, and Nell was pretty good at that if she did say so herself. That meant she had to make mashed potatoes and biscuits and gravy and zucchini fritters with cheese. Obviously.

There was more than enough to feed herself and Gladio as well as anyone else who might happen to stop by.

She had some quiet non-holiday music on as she fiddled around with all the last minute things, occasionally slipping a tiny bit of something to the cats - and a larger bit of something to Gladio, should he wander into the kitchen.

[There's more than enough should anyone randomly smell the fried chicken and invite themselves over.]

Nell had had so much work to do after a week away that she'd been out straight all weekend. Tonight was a good time to kick back and have a quiet evening - with or without company. By late afternoon she was sitting up on the roof with a cup of tea and two kittens curled up on her lap as she gazed off across the distance.

Nell did not open Covent Garden Flowers today. Their stock was vastly depleted after the weekend and frankly, Nell simply needed a day to take in everything that had happened this weekend. She had left a note on the door for anyone to call if they had a flower emergency.

So, instead she cleaned the house. Again. Though honestly it didn't take much since she'd cleaned it to within an inch of its life when she knew Iris was coming. Dinner was a spicy beef stew, that had been simmering since the morning, and the rest of the bread she'd baked fresh over the weekend.

She didn't honestly expect any visitors today - she knew it took time to settle back down - but in any case there was plenty of food for anyone who might stop by.

She spent most of the rest of the day on the roof, alternating between puttering in the greenhouse, checking that the hives would be ready for the coming winter, and taking breaks to soak in the hot tub.

Which was most likely where she could be found at twilight.

Nell had briefly met Gladio's sister - sister! - last night and frankly her head was still spinning. She was delighted for Gladio and worried that Iris would, rightly, think she wasn't good enough for him, and delighted for Gladio and oh, good lord, she was going to make a wonderful dinner and make sure the house was spotless for when they all got back from the Parent's Weekend activities.

Gladio had, of course, invited her to come along, but she wanted him to have as much alone time as possible with the sister he loved so much and hadn't been able to see for two year. Two Years!

When Gladio and Iris and possible Aranea? - got back they'd find the house redolent with the aroma ofspahetti sauce and fresh baked bread. The kittens even seemed to be on their best behavior.

Nothing too fancy tonight, but a homemade spaghetti sauce had been simmering all day, filling the house with delicious scents. Nell and the kittens were curled up on the sofa - Nell reading, the kittens dozing - with a relaxation well earned, by Nell at least.

Nell was making hot honey glazed chicken for dinner and had made rice with honey and ginger mixed in with the stock. There was fresh-made cornbread with honey to put on it and an apple and honey tart for dessert.

Once everything was set she took a little time for herself and went up to soak in the hot tub. The kittens were always a bit disgruntled that she had immersed herself in the water thing again, but they were happy enough to curl up on the outdoor cat tower that was nearby so they could watch her.

Nell had not been prepared for the sudden influx of hummingbirds when she arrived up on her roof after work. She'd let them into the greenhouse, leaving the door open, and dashed off to pick up a few hummingbird feeders.

It hadn't been hard to make up a clear sugar syrup for them and place the feeders around the roof where she'd be able to watch them from wherever she was. It was possible some of them would be able to winter over in the greenhouse if she made a sheltered area for them, so she sat herself down to research that.

It seemed only right with the boys away for Nell to have Liliana over to try out the new hot tub.

She'd got nibbles and some wine and sweets for after and now she just needed a Liliana to join her.

It was a beautiful evening and when the stars came out it was going to be even lovelier.

Time for indulgence!

Someone might just have planned for nibbles and drinks up on the roof to be able to show off the new hot tub. Not that there was room for everyone in it, but at least they could admire it!

Nell was planning to soak in it for a while before people arrived - if any stopped by tonight - and she thought Gladio might just join her when he got home.

It was finally time! The hot tub was installed and working and finally up to the right temperature!

There were nibbles and drinks on the small table they kept up there, towels draped over the backs of their chairs, twinkle lights around the greenhouse, and the two of them. What more did they need?

Nell smiled over at Gladio as he fiddled with some last minute thing, taking a moment to just appreciate him and all they were sharing together. Never in her wildest dreams would she ever have imagined she would have someone like him in her life. Never had she imagined she could be this happy.

The only thing that could possibly make this better would be if Soulwood could somehow magically be in Fandom. But at least she was able to go back there whenever she chose even if the circumstances weren't ideal.

But this, all of this, was more than anything she ever could have even thought to want or dream of. And it was real.

When Gladio turned to look at him her smile widened. "Are we ready? I can't quite believe this is real. I hope you're prepared to live with a wrinkly Nell, because I may just live here."

[For the gently modded Tall Man in question.]

There was a delightful potato stew cooking as well as freshly cut French fries ready to go, and gnocchi set to either be cooked or frozen. Not to worry, there were also a variety of non potato things to eat, but Nell had decided she might as well lean into the unexpected bounty.

Nell herself was curled up on the couch with a good book, that had absolutely nothing to do with potatoes, while she waited for Gladio to come home.

Looked like she'd dodged another crazy weekend. Which was perhaps a benefit of spending the weekend doing house and greenhouse things. In any case, Nell was prepared for whomever might make their way over tonight, figuring she could make whatever comfort type food they might like.

She was also prepared to have no one arrive if they decided they needed a night at their own homes to decompress after the weekend.

Nell had not gone to either the concert nor the wedding, but she had certainly paused for a moment to wish the couple well. Tonight she was going with lasagna - one with meat and one vegan - for the evening meal, along with fresh baked bread which would soon be turned into garlic bread. There was a lovely salad with fresh vegetables from her greenhouse and an assortment of other snack type foods for nibbling on.

If she looked a bit distracted at times it's because she was thinking about their soon to be hot tub.

It was hot. Too hot. Yet Nell was not complaining. At least here she had air conditioning and the roof top was the best place to catch whatever small breezes might be around.

She'd made fruit salad for the evening and a pot of spicy spaghetti sauce on the stove simmering. The cats were lounging in the window sills and Nell was planning to do a little lounging on the couch if she ever finished her to do list.

Nell had settled in after work with a glass (or two) of Sister Erasmus's wine. Her feet were up on the couch, the kittens were in her lap, and an assortment of take out menus were on the table.

Why places always sent take out menus along with every delivery was a question for another day. Any potential circus performer and mother of fifteen children had other things to contemplate.

Guests were still, of course, more than welcome, but it would be more of a DIY get-together. Though the distraction or more people to laugh with would be most pleasant!

Nell was in a rather cheerful mood today and had gone with a variety of sandwich fixings again, as well as some fruit salad drizzled with a little honey from her beehives. There were plenty of snack type foods as well as ice cream and topping for later.

Today she'd settled into one of the chairs on the rooftop to read for a bit till Gladio made his way home and they put the last touches on getting ready for their guests.

The first thing Nell did when she got home was take a long shower and change her clothes. She braided her long hair back, but left it wet to give her that added little bit of cool from the heat.

Then she cut up a wide variety of fruits, freezing some and putting others in the refrigerator for a cool treat with - or as - dinner if someone preferred. She'd also gotten a variety of sandwich fixings ready since it was a bit too hot to cook much, even with the air conditioning.

After that she put her feet up until company arrived.

Nell was still feeling particularly cheerful tonight. She'd decided to make her own pizza dough so that people could decide what they wanted on their own individual pizzas. With her homemade sauce and fresh herbs, obviously.

She'd also picked up some ice cream because she'd thought it would be nice to cool off with something sweet at the end of the evening.

Once that was all set to go she'd headed up to the roof to check on her bees and maybe read a bit of her book.

Nell was still feeling rather sleepy after work, so she'd ~~handwavily~~ let Gladio know that she thought they should order something in for dinner. She had plenty of snacks and baked goods for anyone who wanted any of those, but she didn't feel like cooking tonight.

The kittens were only too happy to encourage her to curl up on the couch with her book where she may or may not have dozed off.

Nell wasn't sure who, if anyone, would be coming tonight after the men's weekend getaway, but she had food stuffs ready to throw together. She'd wanted to bring home some of the daffodils, but given that they were toxic to cats she'd brought home a few sunflowers instead.

And,as usual, once everything was set she settled down with her book to relax a little.

After (presumably) a very quiet day at the shop Nell was looking forward to having some company tonight. She had a variety of fixings for making sandwiches and wraps - on her homemade bread, of course - and lots of (moddable) sides to go along with them. Everything was all ready to set out when guests had come and easy enough to put away afterwards.

She'd cleaned the house to within and inch of its life over the weekend, so now she had time to curl her feet up on the couch and relax for a little bit.

Nell was rather cheerful today. After work and class she'd thrown together two noodle casseroles - one with sausage and the other meatless - and then headed up to the roof to care for her bees. They seemed to have made it through the winter well and were happily buzzing around. Once everything was taken care of she settled into one of the chairs and curled up with a book to enjoy the quiet before any guests arrived.

Nell was still feeling quiet and thoughtful this evening. She'd put together a spicy beans and rice dish for dinner as well as a meat dish for those who wanted it. There were the usual snacks and desserts as well.

The kittens seemed rather sleepy as well and had tucked themselves up inside their little cat tree enclosures, though undoubtedly they'd come out to visit with any guests.

Liliana had ~~handwavily~~ asked if they were still getting together, so Nell told her to come along. Nell would either whip up something Liliana wanted or they could have something delivered. The kittens would no doubt be delighted to have company and Nell wouldn't object to having someone to talk to. As pretty as the gladiolas were, they were not the best conversationalists and Nell had gotten used to having someone around to keep her company at night.

She did stick a pan of brownies in the over to bake, since she'd had a bit of a craving for them, so the house smelled delightfully chocolatey when Liliana arrived.

Before Nell left for work she seared and marinated a roast then set it to cook slowly while she was at work. She'd had a craving for a dish her Mama had called Misssissippi Pot Roast and today seemed like a good day to make it. The pepperoncinis and garlic gave it a delicious tang and made her mouth water just thinking of it.

THe house smelled incredible when she got home and she set a pot of water ready to boil so she could cook the egg noodles fresh once everyone arrived. She threw together a pan of jalapeno cornbread to go with it, then settled down with her book and eventually (hopefully) a Gladio would join her.