Disclaimer: I don't own GOLDEN GIRLS
Blanche woke up to the sound of Dorothy and Sophia arguing. She couldn't hear what Sophia had said but apparently it set Dorothy off.
"ENOUGH MA," she yelled, "ONE MORE COMMENT LIKE THAT AND YOU'LL FIND YOURSELF BACK AT SHADY PINES."
"What's your problem anyway," Sophia asked.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME! FROM THE TIME I GOT PREGNANT WITH KATE WHEN I WAS 17, 17 YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT DOG ON ME ABOUT THE FACT THAT I WAS PREGNANT AT A YOUNG AGE. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING BUT YOU DON'T."
"Come on pussy cat," Sophia said, "It's all in good fun."
"NO IT'S NOT GOOD AND IT'S NOT FUN," Dorothy said, "Maybe you don't realize this but I love Kate and I love Michael."
"So do I," Sophia said, "What's the point."
"The point," Dorothy said, "Is when you insult me for getting pregnant at seventeen you are insulting Kate. You're saying she shouldn't have been born and that's not fair."
Blanche could not believe what she was hearing
"I've never said she shouldn't have been born," Sophia said, "She should have been born after you were married for a few years not when you were a child yourself!"
"Ma," Dorothy said, "Did you ever think that maybe Kate is special."
"Fine," Sophia said, "Maybe she is; let's just assume that. Her care was left mostly to me the first few years of her life. I was the one that babysat her while you were studying for a test. I was the one that changed her dirty and wet diapers. I was the one that dealt with her tantrums when she was 2 years old and you would never let me do it my way!"
"I appreciate what you did for me," Dorothy said, "Don't ever think I didn't. I love you but whenever you talk about my getting pregnant at seventeen you make it sound like a tragedy. It wasn't a tragedy but rather the opposite of a tragedy."
"And you couldn't have shared that with me before because?" Sophia asked.
"Because you would never listen," Dorothy said, "I tried to tell you."
"Put yourself in my shoes pussy cat," Sophia said, "What would you have thought?"
"That something good is coming out of something that isn't planned. She's not a mistake. As for why I would never let you do things 'your way' it's because your way is about surviving not thriving."
Blanch laughed. Sophia was more about surviving than thriving.
"Pussy Cat I grew up in a world where surviving was thriving. There was no time to take the time to slow down or pause or whatever it's called. It was all about functioning."
"Yes but that's not what we are about now ma," Dorothy said, "We've not been like that in years... now we love laugh and thrive."
"Well you don't just get over your childhood so quickly pussy cat," Sophia said, "There's something you don't understand."
"What ma," Dorothy asked annoyed but curious.
"It doesn't matter," Sophia said, "If I wanted you to know I would have told you. There are some things parents keep to themselves."
"Do not ever," Dorothy said, "say anything about my teen pregnancy ever again! I will put you in Shady Pines again."
"Why are you being so testy about that," Sophia said, "You know you had some good prospects before you got pregnant. A prince liked you for GOD sakes"
"It doesn't matter a bit," Dorothy said, "I would never trade Kate and Michael for anything in my life."
"But-"
"Sorry ma," Dorothy said, "Enough is enough!"
Sophia was put back into Shady Pines the following afternoon. She started cursing in Italian while the nurse tried to sooth her.
"Shady Pines is different since you were here last," she said.
"Really? The food isn't made from human mucus now-"
"MA," Dorothy scolded, "This is what's best for you."
Sophia flipped her off.
Dorothy knelt down.
"Look Ma," she said, "You're 86 years old. You aren't the same person you used to be and I can't take care of you-"
"I don't need anyone taking care of me," Sophia said, "I can take care of myself"
"Ma you haven't been able to do that in years," Dorothy said, "You haven't even been able to take care of controlling your mouth. The stroke affected the part of your brain that filters what you say and what you think. If you were to say something to the wrong person which you have at times you would get knocked out, which you have at times."
"Better than being knocked up," Sophia muttered
"MA!"
"Dorothy you said you weren't even going to come visit me," Sophia said, "How do you think that made me feel."
"I was angry," Dorothy said, "Sometimes I forget you are so frail."
"I'm not frail," Sophia said, "I hate this place because..."
Sophia's eyes filled up with tears, "Because I watch my friends die every day. It's hard enough losing parts of myself but watching my friends die every day... no that is too much for me."
"Ma why didn't you tell me," Dorothy asked.
"So I can come back," Sophia asked, "Home I mean?"
"Of course," Dorothy said, "But there has to be some rules. You have got to stop insulting Kate. You have got to stop insulting me. You have got to do your share around the house and you have to accept that not everything is going to be how you want it to be. Also ma, you must and I'm serious about this... you must let me know when something is bothering you so that we can fix it together. I love you and I don't want another blow up like this to happen again."
"I love you too Pussy Cat," Sophia said.
"I think we're going to put Shady Pines on hold," Dorothy said.
She said it in a loving tone but one that made it clear Shady Pines was an option.
"For my part," Dorothy said as they left, "I will be more understanding to what you've been going through. I know it's hard for you and I think I need to stop expecting you to just fall in line."
"Thank you pussy cat," Sophia said, "One more thing. Don't be such a tough cookie. It's not important for you to be like that. I'll try to do as best I can but you have to understand that I am doing my best."
"I won't pull punches," Dorothy said, "I love you too much and respect you too much to do that but we will figure out together what a better solution is when there's a problem because bickering isn't working."
"It's also not worth it," Sophia said.
"No it is not," Dorothy agreed.