𝗜𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀 | 𝐁𝗼𝐛𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲/𝗥𝗙𝗞

I: "The H of the Hollywood sign"

[Summer, 1953]

"I am very grateful for everything you've done to me, but I think I should do this on my own." Multiple pairs of eyes; almost all blue, dart on Evelyn — her body shivers. Those pale hued irises stare her down as if she's some kind of artwork by Rembrandt.

"Does this mean you're declining my offer?" A few seconds ago, there were sounds of screeching forks and knives on plates, but as of now, the room is silent. "No, Joe!" The woman forces out a sound that's intended to be a chuckle from her mouth. "I'm thankful. But what will people think? That I'm some sort of carpetbagger to the Kennedys?" With an eyebrow raised, she gently places the utensils down on her ceramic plate.

"I've always treated you as my own daughter, am I right?" The aged man proceeds, Evelyn lowers her gaze. How unnecessary, she thinks. Evelyn grew up in a somewhat luxurious house right next to the Kennedys. She was only five years old when her parents decided to move to the United States from France; it was all thanks to her father, Maurice, who received a better job — due to his friendship with Joe Kennedy — in the land of freedom.

The elderly man chews on his cold steak before pushing his slipping glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. The older woman, who's sitting next to the grim man, continues dining — unbothered with the situation. She is Rose Kennedy, a woman of few words. The kind of mother who would spank her children for merely spilling water on the floor. Nevertheless, she raised her children better than others could — except for one who went against her request, and received a 'rightly deserved' punishment from God.

"I can't accept your offer, Joe." There's uneasiness in the tone of Evelyn's voice, her slender fingers fidget with the wine glass by her left hand. "That movie is guaranteed to be a hit. I went a step further, I begged George to give the role to you, Eve," Joe snaps back. He slams his fist on the table with a steak knife in his palm. "Calm down, father," A young man softly speaks up, he's careful not to provoke his father. "Eve." He leans forward and peers over the green-eyed woman. "Just take the role. As a farewell gift, at least." Another woman in the room nods her head, she has fairly short hair to her shoulders, freshly permed. "Bobby, I..." Evelyn studies the room, the youngsters avoid making eye contact with her. Letting out a sigh, she feels defeated. It's expected by Evelyn that she'd have to submit to the senior Kennedy as there is no reasoning with him. "Yes... Joe. Thank you." She receives a quick nod from the stern sixty-five-year-old man.

Eloquently, they resume dining. As the gloomy topic fades, a joyous one is ignited by Jack, the newly elected Senator. He's one of the reasons why Evelyn was so afraid to accept Joe's gift; he has a son that gets all the attention in the Senate now.

"What do you think, Evelyn?" Jack, clearly exhausted, gestures for Evelyn to put her thoughts regarding the new topic. "Robert Kennedy Junior... I like that." Evelyn stretches her lips into a smile. One of the many short-haired women in the room responds to her with a smile. "Thank you, Eve," Ethel kindly says, she gently rubs her enlarged belly. Bobby gazes at the woman whom he calls his wife lovingly. Evelyn feels flushed with fever when Ethel, the expecting woman, shifts her eyes toward her.

"I'm finished." An unpleasant sound follows after Joe's sentence, giving everyone a slight headache — the legs of his chair grind against the wooden floor loudly. When Joe's eyes meet Evelyn's emerald ones, his face softened. "Best of luck, Evelyn." The room falls silent as they exchange utterances. "Desserts?" A question is asked. "No," A simple and direct answer comes from Rose. The mature woman shoots Evelyn a prideful look before following her husband to the living room.

"Jeez." Eunice shrugs her shoulders to everyone at the table, she begins lifting her father's plate and glass, "I'll help," Ethel chimes in as the Kennedy girls clean up. "Honey—" Before Bobby could get a word out, the woman dismisses him, leaving him speechless.

"So!" Jack lights up a cigarette with a match from a matchbox he picks from Joe's seat. "Are you excited for Hollywood?" His voice is overpowered by noises of plates and clinking wine glasses. "Of course. This is what I've been dreaming about." Evelyn sips on the remaining liquid in her glass. Uncertainties are kicking in, her heart keeps dropping from thinking about her future.

"I'll cheer you on from here. Well, from DC." Jack shakes his head, feeling foolish. His sixth month in the Senate and he's already losing sleep. Though, with the weight of the country on his shoulders, not once did he ever complain. Still, nobody knows what's happening in his residence. Nobody dares to ask why Jackie, a true housewife, couldn't attend today.

Bobby taps on Evelyn's dainty hand. "Eve, we should take a last walk by the beach tomorrow. Maybe we could watch the sunrise," He says as he bites his bottom lip. "Instead of sunset, like we usually did." His eyes are full of hope, but the troubled look on his face is clear as day. Twenty-three-year-old Eve is finally spreading her wings, as long as she knows how to fly, Bobby shouldn't worry about her falling off the Hollywood sign.

"Then I have to wake up at, what? Five in the morning? Am I going to church?" Evelyn tries to lighten the room up. She has a smile so contagious it could make the world's saddest man happy. "Well..." Bobby's eyes drop to his lap. "One last time," he sullenly said.

"Oh, you two are so touchy," The youngest Kennedy teases Bobby and Evelyn. He notices how close they've become since Evelyn is leaving, and going far away from Hyannis Port. "I'm glad you decided to finish college, Eve. Good choice." Ted is only twenty, going through his sophomore year at Harvard — yet, he often acts mature and senior to Evelyn; who was born two years earlier than him.

"If this doesn't work out, then I can become a lawyer. Right, Bobby?" Evelyn fiddles with a cigarette in her hand, placing it between her delicate lips. "We know it'll work out, Eve." As Ted light up the woman's cigarette, Bobby feels heaviness in his heart, for many reasons. Even though what had happened between them ended long ago, he couldn't help but become overprotective over her. After all, Evelyn was his first friend and vice-versa.

꧂꧂꧂꧂꧂꧂꧂꧂꧂꧂꧂꧂꧂꧂