Delphine has herself propped up on the couch with her laptop sitting on her thighs, a half eaten cookie hanging out of her mouth. She is finishing up this week's round of bills and finds herself frustrated at the amount left in her bank account after she's done. With her golden curls tied up on her head and her legs kept warm by a loose fitting pair of sweatpants, she looks every bit ready for bed. With a roll of her eyes and a puff of air blowing her hair out of her face, Delphine sets her laptop aside and heads for the kitchen to pack her son's lunch for the morning. Life has been chaotic since she divorced Paul over a year ago, and she has found herself having the bulk of the responsibility in raising Robin. Not much has changed with Paul as a father over that time with him still choosing his job in the army over spending time with their son. Although she has learned to get by as a single parent, Delphine still finds it hard to keep a positive attitude when she sees Robin's heart broken by his father. She is the one left holding the pieces when Paul misses yet another school event or holiday, but she tries her best to make Robin's childhood a happy one.
After cleaning the paperwork and research she needs for her seminar tomorrow off the bed, she settles into the warmth of her sheets. This fall has produced some colder, wetter days, most filled with frustrations she is barely hanging on through, and Delphine has found that her bedroom is her safe haven. About four minutes into her attempt to sleep, her eye pops open at the sound of Robin's feet padding into her room.
"Maman, can I have a glass of water? I'm really thirsty."
Delphine pries herself out of the comfort of her personal cocoon and trudges through the halls to the kitchen. She sits on Robin's bed while he finishes up his glass of water. She can tell that he is having a hard time sleeping, too much excitement over his class' field trip in the morning.
"And we're going to be on a double decker bus! We need to get there early so I can sit on top. I won't be able to see much if I'm not up there, so we will have to hurry in the morning."
Delphine groggily agreed with Robin's plan and was halfway to another round of dozing with her head propped up by her hand when her son's soft voice chimed in again.
"Daddy's coming to my soccer game tomorrow, right? I want him to see how much better I've gotten!"
"Remember what I said about his work being important with the army? He is really busy, mon petit chou chou, but he is going to try hard. Really hard! But now it's time to go to sleep. We both have a big day tomorrow. I love you to the moon and back!" Delphine sing songs to her now heavy lidded son.
"Do you love him, maman? Do you love daddy?" Robin says half into his pillow.
Delphine adoringly looked down on her son, who looks far too much like her ex-husband. Being in these types of positions has become the norm for her, and she replies, "I will always love your daddy because he gave me you. Now go to sleep!" With another kiss on Robin's forehead, she heads back into the comfort of her own room, hoping to sleep herself with the excitement of what the next day could hold for their future.
It's 7:16am. Who in the name of whatever may or may not be out there is knocking on my door this damn early?! Someone IS knocking, right? Note to self: no more baking and Rune Wars til the early morning on a work day. Cosima throws the duvet off of her body and kicks her legs like a child not wanting to go to school. "Okay okay I'm coming," she spits out to whoever is behind her front door while she gathers the strength to use her legs again. She stands on her tiptoes to take a peek at the intruder only to be answered with, "Oi! I see you, Cos. Open the bloody door!" Sarah at a normal time of day is hard to swallow, but this early only spells trouble in Cosima's mind.
As soon as Cosima has the deadbolt turned, her sister Sarah is busting through like a woman on mission with her daughter Kira at her side. "Hey monkey," Cosima says while lifting up her glasses and wiping the sleep out of her eyes. "Mornin' Auntie Cosima. Mom says I'm going to stay with you for a whole week! We're going to have so much fun."
"You bet we - wait what! Sarah, why do you have a suitcase? And for the love of Darwin, why are you in my apartment this early?!" Cosima yelped.
"Listen, Cos, you know Cal and I haven't been in the best of places recently, yeah? Well we decided that we needed to get away to try to work on things. We're headed to Jamaica for the week and needed last minute help with watching Kira. Cal's downstairs in the car, hoping you'll say yes. And I know it's not usually your cup of tea to be tied down to another human being, but Alison fell through late last night. She is off planning who knows what festival this time and didn't seem fit to watch her own kids let alone mine right now. If you know what I mean," Sarah said as she made a motion to with her thumb and pinky fingers letting Cosima know that their sister is back to boozing.
Cosima shook her head, dreads tossing back and forth. "Sarah, you know how busy I am right now, too. I'm on the verge of a breakthrough with that stem cell line I'm working on. I need to spend all my free time in the lab."
"Is that what you were doing last night?" Sarah barks at her sister.
"Oh don't be a bitch. You know I can handle work and play. Just on my own terms!"
"You know I wouldn't put this on you if I had ANY other options. Felix is out of town opening his art exhibit. Helena is, well, Helena. I would buy her groceries for the week, but they would be gone by tonight. I would most likely come back to my daughter being part wolf and knowing how to use a bow and arrow to survive. Just please, Cos, help me this once. The tickets are non-refundable!"
"Alright I can watch the little monster. C'mere monkey!" Cosima croutches and growls as she chases her niece around the tiny apartment.
Sarah tries to finalize plans through the giggles and growls coming from the other room. "Here's a list of numbers that you may need. I've got her pediatrician on here as well as Mrs. S if there is an emergency." After muffled "uh huhs" she proceeds, "and Cos, my neighbor is willing to take Kira to school for you, but you need to be at her apartment before 8am. Her name is Delphine Cormier, and her apartment is 324 in my building. Cosima, are you listening?"
"Yeah. Yep, Delphine Cormier, 324. Hella French...how could I forget!" Cosima says with an awful attempt at the European accent.
"If you don't need her help, make sure you call her to let her know. Okay, Cos? Call Delphine and set things up if you need help." She looks at her phone. "Shite! I gotta go. Bye monkey! Have fun with Cosima!" After a few kisses and hugs, Sarah runs out the door.
8:10am
Delphine, carrying her briefcase, purse, and sloshing bowl filled with Robin's class goldfish, finally shuts her apartment door behind her. The two of them get into the elevator and hit the button for the floor of her friend, Sarah, who she has agreed to help with getting her daughter to school. After a few knocks on the door without answer, Robin suggests that she pound on it. Three minutes of waiting and a painful palm later, Delphine gives up on her attempt to be a good neighbor.
"Maman we have to hurry! We can't be late for my field trip. Stupid Kira is going to mess everything up!"
Dragging her son behind her, Delphine walks as fast as her long legs will carry her, stopping only once to tie Robin's shoe.
"We're going to miss my field trip, aren't we?" Robin whined.
"No they won't leave on time," Delphine offered in an effort to cheer him up. "We'll make it I promise. But let's run just in case! Allez, allez!"
8:43am
Walking down the crowded pavement, Cosima carried Kira on her back, in no hurry whatsoever. "Hey, monkey, what time does your school start?"
Kira giggled into Cosima's dreadlocks, "I don't know!"
"It probably starts around 9am. Everything starts around that time. We're going to try hard to be early for once. What street is your school on?" Cosima questioned her niece only to receive the same response of not knowing. "Ok well we may be in trouble then. Let's hurry!" She started galloping down the sidewalk causing Kira to hold on tighter and laugh louder than before with Cosima neighing as she skipped.
9:16am
Delphine and Robin stop at the door to Glendale Elementary School, blonde curls covering the woman's face as she hunches over to catch her breath. As she regains her composure and sets the emptier fish bowl down, she notices the sign on the door confirming that they did, in fact, miss the class for the field trip. Behind them, a voice is reading the same note.
"The Toronto bus tour field trip has left. Sorry we missed you!" Cosima looks between her niece and the woman she is sharing personal space with. She can't help but be taken aback by the different colors adorning the woman's eyes...as well as the anger set within them. "That's a big uh oh, right?" she states attempting to ease the tension with one of her disarming smiles.
Although Delphine can't help but admit that the woman's smile is adorable, she refuses to be won over by her charm. "You must be Sarah's sister." With arms folded over her chest, the blonde waits for the response from the bumbling shorter woman. She cocks her head forward with an eyebrow raised attempting to coerce an answer from her while the two children mumble greetings to each other.
Cosima continues to evaluate the beauty in front of her, finding her anger a turn on instead of something to be deterred by. She cannot stop herself from dragging her eyes along the length of the woman noticing that the newly started rain has caused her perfectly straightened hair to start curling at the edges. Delphine is clad in a perfectly tailored suit, one that Cosima feels is meant to emanate power. I wouldn't mind being bossed around by her. Anytime. Finally being burned by the intensity of the woman's glare on her, Cosima starts to dig in her pockets for the list her sister provided.
"And you must be...Oh wait here it is. 'Don't forget to call...Delphine Cormier!' Sarah underlined it three times," she said with a grimace of remorse. "Sorry we're late today. I'm kinda always late so kinda always sorry." Cosima offered as a white flag to the obviously seething woman. "Why do you assume I'm her sister?"
"Well first of all, that's Sarah's daughter, and she's told me about her irresponsible sister, uh Cosima, is it?"
"In the flesh!" Another one of those cheeky smiles with her tongue poking out.
"Enchantee…" Delphine mutters sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the shorter woman's arrogance.
"Enchantee to yo-" Cosima attempts but is quickly cut off.
"Listen, I have a busy day to get to and can't keep chatting here," she forces as she rushes away through the rain to hail a taxi.
Cosima and Kira stand dumbfounded at the reception given by the French woman, but the brunette is motivated to not let her get away with that as the only impression of her. She glances down to see a bowl of traumatized fish left behind and gathers it in her arms, running after the open door to the taxi.
After the two children complain about sitting next to each other, Cosima finds herself pressed thigh to thigh with the most beautiful woman she has ever seen. She has never been one to not win over a woman she desires and finds the challenge with Delphine one she is up to tackling. As she adjusts to the small confines of the back seat, water from the bowl sloshes onto her lap.
"Would you please...just take those? Thank you!" Cosima growls as she shoves the fish back into the lap of the disgruntled French woman.
"I don't get why you have a bad attitude when you're the one to blame for both of these kids probably missing their field trip," Delphine exclaimed.
"My attitude is just a chemical reaction based off of your attitude."
"Chemical reaction? You must be in the sciences."
"Let me guess, you have a bad taste for scientists. Maybe an ex was one of us geeks? Trust me, I could show you that we're not all alike," Cosima purrs suggestively.
"No my ex-husband is in the military."
Cosima hums at the response as she opens up a magazine and reads the latest article she wrote for the journal. She snorts and shows it to Kira who gives her a thumbs up.
She attempts to show off her accomplishments as a way of proving to Delphine that she isn't just an irresponsible babysitter. Unfortunately, she was met with scorn. "I don't need to read that. I already have an opinion of you."
The French woman goes back to ignoring her unwanted company in the backseat and makes a call for help. "Krystal! It's me. I need a huge favor. Can you watch Robin today? He's missed his bus for his field trip, and I've got to get to work as soon as possible."
"OMG I would but I've got like six appointments today. Why did he miss his bus?"
"Oh there's this woman, my neighbor's sister, who obviously thinks that a minor amount of charm and wit replaces the need to be responsible, and she has caused Robin to miss his field trip."
Beside the adults, Robin whispers, "My mom hates your aunt."
"So? My aunt hates your mom!" Kira challenged.
Over being ignored, Cosima reasons that she will try another tactic to win Delphine's favor. There has to be some way to break through the tough exterior she has. Let's see if I can make her blush. She picks up her phone. "Hey just calling to see if you're wearing panties? What color are they?"
Her virgin lab partner, Scott on the other line retorted "W-what?" Cosima glanced over at the blonde, hoping to get the reaction she was looking for. She was met with a scowl and another bout of rolled eyes. Delphine was lucky those eyes were mesmerizing or rolling them would get old.
Delphine sneered into the phone, "If I ever act interested in another person again, will you please shoot me?"
The indirect banter continued with Cosima loudly announcing "Rainbow!" into the phone at her imaginary paramour, met with the giggle of her niece.
"No, Krystal, I will not leave him at the Glendale drop in center. You know he hates it there. You're my best friend. You can't figure out a way to help me? I have this seminar to facilitate later that could lead to a big promotion for me, and you can't help?"
Krystal answered, "I'm sorry sweetie, but I've got too many clients lined up and a party to attend with coworkers later tonight. Why don't you get a nanny?"
Biting her lip, Delphine was faced again with the realities and challenges of being a single parent. "Ugh. I can't afford a nanny," she says quietly.
Cosima listened on as the car was tussled around the pot hole riddled streets. "You're with a girl aren't you?" Scott asked.
"Yeah a real super hero. Thinks she has it all together but is really a mess."
This got the blonde's attention. "Excuse me, are you talking about me?"
"No no. Hillary Clinton-my friend's really worried about her health over the past few months. She's been 'with her' this whole time."
Delphine lets out an exasperated sigh, "So Krys, you really can't help me? Ok ok nevermind. Thanks anyway. Ciao."
Cosima gets off the phone around the same time and smirks over to Delphine. They make eye contact, and the brunette opens her mouth to say something witty. Before she has a chance Delphine shifts away from her and looks out the window.
9:48am
Finally pulling up to the bus depot, the four scramble out of the cab, the children happy that there are still buses in the station. As they run to look inside the first one, they are met with nothing but empty chairs and no driver. Delphine, running in stiletto heels, has the fishbowl sloshing all over the pavement and her outfit. Cosima makes an offer to carry it, only to have the taller woman hold it closer to her chest and refuse. Not willing to fight with her more, Cosima runs to the last bus in the station only to be greeted by a number of smiling faces of a tour of elderly people.
"It was the first bus. I'm telling you it was the first bus," Delphine hissed.
"It wasn't the first bus. There was no one even on the first bus!"
Finally admitting defeat, Delphine sinks down to her son's level. "Oh who wants to go on a double decker bus in the rain anyway." Robin puts his head down with a frown on his lips. "I know. You did."
"Alright listen Delphine. I want to make this up to you. You, too, kiddo," Cosima says while pointing at Robin. "Here's an idea...I watch the kids while you have your seminar. I overheard you talking about that on the phone. And then you can watch them while I do some work in my lab later this afternoon. It will only take like an hour or so."
"I'm sorry, but I only let incredibly responsible people watch my child."
Feigning hurt, Cosima bargained with the taller woman. "Oh hey I'm a lot more responsible than I look."
Kira looks up to her with pleading eyes. "Auntie Cosima I'm hungry."
"Uhhh...I've got TicTacs. You want a TicTac? It's all I got," she offers.
The blonde pulls a bag from her purse with a muffin in it and hands it to Kira. "Thank you Delphine."
"You're welcome ma cherie." She looks at Cosima with an unimpressed look, "You were saying?"
"I was just saying that maybe, uh, maybe we could help each other out. Ya know, for everyone's sakes."
Cosima looks down at the two children, trying to urge Delphine to use them as motivation to trust her. The kids play with the older women's cell phones and pretend to call each other while passing the devices back and forth.
"Well…" Delphine starts. I can't believe I'm willing to trust this woman I barely know. But I'm desperate. And she does seem to have a good heart.
Cosima, while waiting for Delphine's response, sees another mother pull up on a Vespa with her son and puts on her 100-watt smile. "Looks like you missed the bus, too" she says with a wink.
Delphine straightens up and brushes her hair out of her face, obviously annoyed by Cosima's flirting. "You know, I don't NEED your help. And if I did, you would be the very last person I would turn to." She shoves the bowl of water into the shorter woman's arms. "These are the class fish and were supposed to be back in the school this morning. Now they are spending the day with you." She looks away, searching for anything to get her out of this situation. "Oh a cab! C'mon Robin let's go!" She grabs the boy's arm and drags him over to the yellow vehicle.
Staring blankly at the response she was given by the enticing, yet infuriating woman, Cosima looked down and smirked at her niece. "Do me a favor. Don't be like that when you grow up!" She took her phone back from Kira and moved to flag down their own ride.