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Post by marc dominique delabarre on Apr 8, 2021 16:04:34 GMT -5
Marc had come from wealth, and had his own to spoil the people he loved, but he preferred the little things. He liked the smaller gestures that showed someone he had listened when they talked. He found there was something so much more personal in a gift that was the right shade of their favourite colour, or flowers that were Bella’s favourite rather than just whatever was the biggest or most expensive bouquet at the florist. It was easy to spend money, but harder to make something special, more intimate and personal. It was a lesson he was hoping to be able to pass onto his children when they were old enough to understand, especially in this modern world of fast spending and social media where everything seemed to be a contest of the latest trends and fashion. Marc had never cared for it himself and he wasn’t about to try and keep up with it all now. He would rather keep up with technology and games; something that, thankfully, Laurence also seemed to have developed a keen interest in. Marc would love his children unconditionally regardless of their hobbies and interests, but he had to admit that it made his own awkward journey into fatherhood that little bit easier having a son who shared his love for all things sci-fi. He wasn’t sure how it would have gone had he returned to New York with a boy who loved soccer and knew more about sports than Marc ever had.
No doubt he’d have managed, of course. If his relationship with Bella had taught him anything it was that they could handle just about anything, but he was still grateful that there was one less hurdle in their path to happiness. Marc had never wanted to admit it, but there were fleeting moments when he had wondered if they would ever have weekends like this; together, as a family, living that happily ever after he had always dreamt of. “Of that I have no doubt.” He chuckled, shaking his head as he plugged in the chargers on his side of the bed ready for later. “But it guarantees we’ll have no peace - and you’re likely to end up with dog fur on your clothes.”
Grinning, Marc trailed his hands over his wife’s hips and around to the small of her back, his fingers lacing together there. “Be glad I didn’t insist we go camping.” He reminded her, pressing a light kiss to the side of her head, pulling away slowly, almost reluctantly. “Come on – before we hear something crashing outside the door.” After so many years of fatherhood, Marc had come to learn that too much quiet often meant that there was something going on. Usually in their home it meant dogs were sniffing around where they shouldn’t be or a little boy was rummaging where he wasn’t supposed to be. And he didn’t know enough about the lake house they were staying in to be confident that Laurence was just sitting about with his Switch and that the dogs were just scoping out their temporary residence.
• • • TAGGED! Arabella Marie Delabarre WORDS! 526! LYRICS! Rewrite the Stars - - - The Greatest Showman NOTES! <3
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Post by Arabella Marie Delabarre on Apr 12, 2021 21:21:03 GMT -5
It amazed Bella every time she stopped and reflected on the life they’d managed to build together. There weren’t always moments for it as they rushed between school drop-off, jobs, and cooking for their little brood, but sometimes it took her breath away to think about the world she currently got to live in. Sitting in the family room with Marc’s arm around her and Maddie on her lap while Laurence played with the dogs was one of those normal moments that made her smile. It made all the late nights and hours spent doing chores worth it to spend time with each other as a family.
That was why getaways like this were so important. Bella loved her job, but nothing compared to going on an adventure with her favorite people in the world. She was definitely one of those moms that took photos and had them all over their house, serving as little reminders of happier days spent together. They didn’t have much of Laurence from his younger years, and Bella was determined not to forget a moment of her daughter growing up. It made her emotional looking through the pictures of Maddie as a baby and seeing the bubbling little girl she’d transformed into now, her big brother sprouting up right alongside her. Taking these trips gave them time to slow down and spend time together reveling in these young years, and Bella was thankful Marc pulled her away for them. They’d only been away from the city for a few hours and she already felt lighter, laughing freely with her husband and knowing that her kids would be safe as they explored the peaceful lakeside cabin.
Bella’s nose immediately wrinkled at the mention of camping, souring their intimate moment. She was a cocktails in Manhattan type, not a hiking through dirt and bugs traveler; one look at her closet piled high with expensive designer heels would easily provide the proof. But if there’s one thing she’d learned being a married lady, it was that compromise was the key to happily ever after and Marc usually had a way of making even the farthest steps outside her comfort zone fun. Plus, giving the kids time in fresh air was definitely a necessity when the New York smog was feeling extra thick. "You would have to promise so many things to get me anywhere near a campground,” she said with a shake of her head and a shiver.
She slipped into her cover up as Marc finally brought them back to reality and reluctantly grabbed her sunglasses and sandals. Keeping the baby monitor close, she took a moment to check on her sleeping daughter and made sure the video feed was working. They had spared no expense getting things set up for their girl, and that included a fancy monitor that let them check in on her whenever. It had been one of the only things to ease Bella’s mind when they’d finally taken that first night out as a couple after her birth and left their sweet baby with a sitter.
Satisfied that Maddie was indeed asleep and would be for hopefully the next 45 minutes, Bella walked out of the bedroom and was immediately greeted by Gemma who was chasing Arc down the hallway, no doubt following the parade towards the backyard that led to the lakefront. Bella followed after, coming down to the first floor of the house and finding her two favorite boys. "Laurence, did you put on your sunscreen?” she called, pulling some out of the bag she’d left by the door. Since having Maddie, she had embraced the idea of a “mom bag” and usually carried around tote bag filled with anything and everything they could need for the kids. It was a staple for family outings, especially when the kids and dogs had a tendency for finding chaos. Grabbing their beach towels and sliding her sandals on, she grinned, "Let’s get outside before Maddie wakes up!”
• • • TAG: marc dominique delabarre WORDS: 671! LOCATION: On Vacation, The Lake LYRICS: Sugar by Maren Morris NOTES: <3 <3 <3
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Post by marc dominique delabarre on Jul 8, 2021 12:18:23 GMT -5
There was nothing in life that could have prepared Marc for family life. What he had now was so very different to what he had grown up with. From the culture differences, to how they chose to balance work and family life, there was little comparable to the childhood he had spent in Arles. He couldn’t choose one over the other either, for a whole host of reasons. They both held special places in his heart, but Marc wouldn’t give up what he had now for some easy life in a French villa. He liked being busy, he actually enjoyed his day starting the moment he got up and having that checklist of things to do the second his feet were out of the bed and he’d downed that first cup of coffee.
He also thought that the busy, hectic life they shared in New York made the trips like this one feel much more special. They could savour the break, enjoy each moment they didn’t have to think or plan for the day ahead, and enjoy the time that was usually crammed in or rushed between all the other things they couldn’t put off doing in New York. If Marc could talk Bella into it more often, he’d have them going away like this at least once a month, but he doubted he could persuade his wife to do that. There was always a mountain of things waiting for them when they got back home, emails and messages that just screamed for their attention, errands that couldn’t be put off any longer, and that dull crash back to reality that seemed to take longer to recover from than anyone anticipated. It always left Marc wondering if he’d need another break away from it all before that first week was out.
He was planning on making the most of this trip. The weather was on their side, there was plenty to do without needing to drive far, and they had nothing from the city to worry about for at least a couple of days. Chuckling, Marc swapped his regular glasses for his sunglasses on the way outside. “You could surprise yourself, Ma Cherie. You might find that camping turns you into a real nature lover. Long hikes through serene forests and fields, stargazing by a campfire, no tech distractions…” He sighed dreamily, even though he knew they could do most of those things on this trip. It just rang differently when someone was camping and didn’t have a cottage to turn back to.
Outside, Marc double checked that Laurence was carefully coated in sunscreen. The boy managed most of it himself, but Marc pulled him back from the water to get the spot between his shoulder blades that he’d missed. The last thing they needed was to have to deal with a night of sunburn complaints. Once Laurence was off, he wasted no time in jumping into the water from the small dock. “Will you be joining us, or are you just going to enjoy the sunshine?” There were loungers on the decking, but Marc was more excited about getting into the water. He placed his glasses case, phone and towel carefully on one, so that he would be able to grab things when he needed them, but he was already itching to join his son in the lake and swim off some of the stiffness that came with such a long drive.
• • • TAGGED! Arabella Marie Delabarre WORDS! 577! LYRICS! Rewrite the Stars - - - The Greatest Showman NOTES! <3
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Post by Arabella Marie Delabarre on Nov 19, 2021 23:10:56 GMT -5
Bella had always known that when she grew up, she wouldn’t be an heiress locked in a socialite tower. Watching her mother decay away in that role, wearing emotionless hostess smiles and attending extravagant function after function, she had sworn from a young age that she wouldn’t follow that path. That life had been filled with fancy gifts and expensive schooling, all of which served as a distraction from the fact that money got used to erase any problems that could come up. It was a boring life, despite the luxury that came with it, and Bella knew she would have been unhappy if she had entered that world.
Having a career had been important to her from the moment she discovered she could choose her own path in life. Her parents had set expectations for the Curtis children, but they had never forced them into anything too unreasonable. When Bella had asked her father about theatre school, he had dismissed the idea easily enough, probably assuming it was a distraction until she found a husband and started her own family of future millionaires. But Bella had bigger plans and was stubborn enough to fight until they came true.
She stood on the small deck of their cottage, smiling as the bright sun hit her skin. The dogs ran out beside them, following Marc and Laurence eagerly. Gemma didn’t stray far from Bella, jumping onto one of the loungers as Bella set out a towel and slid off her sandals. Bella checked the volume on the baby monitor, ensuring that Maddie could be heard should she wake up from her nap a few steps away inside. Bella let out a laugh as Laurence jumped into the water, glad that he could enjoy the outdoors like this. They didn’t get much of this raising kids in the city and, even though they did have a small yard at their house now, it was nothing like the beautiful landscape here.
However, Bella had been raised in cities her entire life and vacations meant travelling to European cities with cobblestone streets or crystal-clear oceans. Lakes were not a typical occurrence. "Only if you promise to keep any terrifying fish away from me,” she replied back to her husband, shaking her head at him nearly bouncing with excitement. Bella loved him and his tendency to push her outside of her comfort zone in so many aspects of their lives together, including moments like these. She looped her arm through his, pulling him towards the end of the dock where Laurence was already swimming through the water like a little fish. "L'eau est-elle froide mon cher?” she called, only slightly hesitant to join him.
• • • TAG: marc dominique delabarre WORDS: 453! LOCATION: On Vacation, The Lake LYRICS: Sugar by Maren Morris NOTES: "Is the water cold, my dear?" <3
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