[Dial tone]

[Pickup]

ROSLYN: You've reached the Love and Luck Podcast.

[Music]

[Beep]

[Pickup]

[Beep]

MIRA: [Crying] Hi, it's Mira. I... We broke up. Sarah and I broke up. I'm so... I don't know what to do, Papa Bear. I don't know what to do. Can I-- Can I please come back to stay at the bar again? Please? I don't... I don't know what else to do.

[Hangup]

[Beep]

JASON: [Tired] Hey babe. Everyone's asleep and I've just closed up the bar.

Mira took a lot of convincing to actually try sleeping, but Helen... somehow managed to get through to her. Asked her real gently, "Please look after my friend Mira", and that... well, first it made Mira cry some more, but then she nodded and agreed to try.

Might have to remember that phrasing. Might help some things later on, not just with Mira. Admittedly it might have just been because Helen was the one who said it. She really does have some kind of calming way about her.

Speaking of calm, I've tried to send some soothing sleepy vibes upstairs over the past little while and... I think Mira's asleep now. I mean, I'm not 100% sure, but... I did duck upstairs to see how you were sleeping a little while ago, and I couldn't hear any more crying coming from her room so... hopefully that means she's sleeping.

[Sigh] Poor kid. Breaking up with your first love is so devastating.

I remember mine - he was this sweet boy named Cameron. We were... I think nineteen? So... yeah, not that much younger than Mira, I guess.

Ah, we were so bad for each other. Not like, toxic bad. Just... not compatible, at all. He wanted to do the serious boyfriend thing, and settle down together and all that, and I... was not up for that. So... yeah. Kinda the same thing that broke up Sarah and Mira, from what little she was able to tell us today.

I still gotta put chairs up before I can come to bed. [Sigh] Might leave you another message after I've done that. Love you.

[Hangup]

[Beep]

JASON: [Tired] Hey. All done downstairs now. Just outside for some fresh air before I come to bed.

[Sigh] Man, I've been thinking about Cameron since I left you that last message. I wonder what he's up to these days? I wonder if he found someone to settle down with? I haven't really heard anything about him since we broke up.

We probably stayed together longer than we should have, really. But you don't think about that when you're young and in love. You want to believe you'll get through anything. Love conquers all, and all that.

It doesn't, though. A lot of things conquer love, turns out. Compatibility. History. Circumstances. Stupidity.

I did love him, though. I don't think he thought that I did. I think he thought that I was there for the sex and nothing else. And I mean, I was definitely distant to him in a lot of ways. I didn't exactly have a healthy relationship with my own emotions, you know?

I didn't love him deeply like how I love you. You're... you're different from everyone else I've ever loved. It feels... way more intense with you. But way more casual and comfortable, too. I feel like I can be myself with you. All aspects of myself, not just any particular side of me.

But I did love him. In my own way. It still hurt a lot when we broke up. I got... very, very wasted, on many, many different substances for a good long while after that breakup.

But... [Sigh] I came good. And I'm sure Mira will too. I'm glad we can be here for her.

[Hangup]

[Beep]

KANE: [Sweetly] Hey. I like it when you get introspective in the wee hours. I really like waking up to long voicemails from you. It gives me a really nice start to the day.

Mira's not up yet, which is a good sign, I think. Hopefully she's still sleeping soundly.

No one's up yet, actually. It's just me and the coffee machine.

[Sigh] Yeah. First loves are hard. Mine was a girl named Erika. We were... like the token queer kids at school, so... it was kind of natural for us to date, I think. I was... I think I was fifteen, when we got together? We were together for nearly two years, actually. I think everyone was expecting us to stay together for good, or at least like.... a really long time.

But, yeah, well. She fell in love with someone else, so... that was the end of it for us. It was... as good of a breakup as a couple of teenagers can have, I think. We were trying really hard not to hurt each other over it.

Foolishly, we tried to stay friends even though we were hurting far too much to be friends. And that... went a little worse than the breakup itself, sadly. We stopped speaking to each other only a couple of weeks later.

Hey, this might seem out of nowhere, but... talking about past loves... well, you know, some of mine are women. And... I've caught a lot of shit from people over the years for being bi, but you've never done that to me.

I just want you to know that I really, really appreciate that. Like... I know it might seem like nothing to you, but... trust me. I notice the absence of shittiness on this issue. And I appreciate it a lot.

Thank you. For being you. I love everything about you.

[Hangup]

[Beep]

MIRA: [Tired, Fragile] Hey Papa Bear. Ricardo said that when he's having a bad night, he leaves messages for Jason, and that it can be helpful, so... I thought... maybe I'd try that too.

Only I'm leaving a message for you and not Jason. I hope that's okay. You just... I don't know. You're really gentle and soft, and... I guess I just need that right now. [Quietly] I don't know.

I feel like the whole world is falling to pieces around me. I know it's not, but... that's how it feels. I keep looking at people who are okay and feeling like... "How can you be okay? Can't you see the world is ending?"

[Laugh] God, listen to me. I'm so dramatic. I'm sorry. I'm trying not to be. I'm trying to keep it together and move on, but I just... [sniff] I just... [Tearing up] I loved her, and I miss her so much already, and I just... [Crying] I didn't expect things to go this way.

[Hangup]

[Beep]

MIRA: [Still upset, but trying] Hey. Me again.

Sorry. I thought... I thought I could talk about this without crying, but... I guess I'm not there yet.

[Deep breath]

[Sad] It was kids, you know. The straw that broke the camel's back. She wants to have kids someday, ideally sooner rather than later, and I... I just don't. I don't think I even want kids at all.

And... there was other stuff. Like I said, this was just the final straw. We just... wanted different things. Like... I wanted to experiment with open relationships. We're young, you know? I don't want to get older and feel like I missed out on something because I was monogamous from the beginning. I don't even know if I want to be monogamous in the long run. But... if I do, I don't want to regret it, you know?

[Voice catches] I... I thought we were going to try all that stuff out together, though. I didn't think... I didn't think it was something that was going to break us up.

I know... [Sigh] I know that this is for the best. We... we couldn't have been happy in the long run. Not like this. No matter which way we went, one of us would have been miserable. And I know that, I just...

I just wish it didn't have to be this way.

[Deep breath] You know, I do actually feel a little better.

Thanks for listening, Papa Bear. See you in the morning.

[Hangup]

ROSLYN: Love and Luck is written by Erin Kyan, and produced by Passer Vulpes Productions.

Kane is voiced by Lee Davis-Thalbourne. Jason is voiced by Erin Kyan. Mira is voiced by Tahlia Celenn. Credits spoken by Roslyn Quin. Recorded by Kermie Breydon and Eris Barnes.

Thank you to Our Kink for supporting this episode.

If you're enjoying Love and Luck, consider backing us on Patreon. We do our best not only to make a high quality show for you, but to pay everyone involved in its creation. Your monthly donation will be directly supporting queer art by queer people. Pledge now at patreon.com/passervulpes - that's patreon.com/ P A S S E R V U L P E S.

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[Music fades out]