Sunday morning- 8:30
Scully sat in the rocking chair nursing Faith and listening to the loud noises coming from one floor below. Faith pulled away from her breast and looked up, her blue eyes big and wide.
"Yeah, he's making quite a ruckus down there, isn't he?" she asked as she stroked her soft cheek. In response, Faith smiled before resuming nursing. Scully smiled as she leaned her head back, rocked the chair, and closed her eyes. Mulder was making an awful lot of noise.
Several crashes and swears later, he came up the stairs with a defeated air about him. Following behind him was an aroma she could not quite place. Burnt … something. She grimaced as he walked in the room and sighed.
"Mulder, what in the hell is that smell?" she asked as she took Faith from her breast and sat her up to burp. She squealed when she saw Mulder, reaching out for him. He came over and took her from Scully, burping her as Scully covered up.
"Mulder? The smell?" she asked as she sat back. He sighed again and looked at her with the puppy eyes that convinced her to do so many things.
He sighed again and kept patting at Faith's back. "I was going to surprise you with breakfast and … well, I might have burned another pan. And the eggs that were in them. Let's just say, the fire extinguisher worked and will need to be replaced." She tried not to smile, but laughter bubbled up and he shook his head.
"Don't listen to her, Squatch. She's not being kind to your Daddy, who was just trying to do something nice," he said with a pout in Faith's ear and she wiggled against him.
"Yes, poor Daddy, who nearly burnt down the house as he tried to cook eggs," she said as she stood up, rolling her eyes. Coming closer to him, she kissed his cheek and then Faith's head. "Looks like you just bought yourself a breakfast date. I'm going to get changed. You're in charge of Squatch."
"Yeeeeessss," she heard him say, as she walked out of the room. "I knew she would love that nickname."
"I wouldn't go that far," she called out as she walked into their room, his answering laugh reaching her ears before she got to the bathroom.
An hour later, she was smiling as they drove to the pancake house close to their home. He was sighing and huffing, but she kept grinning and finally she saw his lips twitching. Reaching for his hand, he gave a relenting sigh, and she laughed again.
It was crowded at the restaurant, even for a Sunday. They walked up, the baby in the car seat and were told it would be a fifteen minute wait. Scully took Faith out of the seat and held her, showing her the flowers outside and telling her the names of them. She pointed out the bees and explained how they collect pollen and take it back to their hive to create honey.
Rocking her and smelling her sweet scented head, she sighed as the sad thoughts she could never truly escape began to creep in. Worries and failings poked through the happy bubble she was in most of the time these days, and she had to stop and redirect her thoughts.
The past is the past, she repeated in her head, closing her eyes as she took a few breaths.
"Scully?" Mulder called and she turned to look at him. "We're being seated." She nodded and kissed Faith's head as she walked back toward the restaurant.
Seated in a booth with Faith next to her in her car seat, they looked at the menu. Scully decided on pancakes and bacon while Mulder opted for an omelette and a side of pancakes. The waiter brought them some water and took their order.
"It's busy," she said looking around. "Even for a Sunday. And it's still early yet. After the church crowd gets out, it will be even more packed."
"Well, it's an important day," he said with a shrug. She looked at him with a frown and he laughed. "It's Mother's Day today."
"What? It's not … is it?" she said causing him to laugh and nod his head.
"Why do you think I was making breakfast this morning?" he asked. "Or, trying to anyway?"
"But, how could I forget that?"
"Well," he said glancing at Faith, who was looking up the toy hanging on her chair handle and chewing on her hands. "I'd say your mind has been focused on other things than the date."
"But, Mulder, we could've planned something. For your mom. For mine," she said feeling terrible. "Some kind of memorial for them."
"Relax, I got it covered," he said with a smile. She tilted her head, confused by what he meant, but he just waggled his eyebrows at her. "Oh, speaking of …"
He grabbed the backpack, took out a lilac colored envelope, and pushed it toward her. She stared at it and then at him before taking it and sliding it open.
"Read it out loud," he said, a big grin on his face.
She cleared her throat and rolled her eyes. "It's Mother's Day and the day has begun, a day set aside for you to have fun," she opened it up and glanced at him again. "You're not like other mothers, you are one of a kind. In a pile of treasure, you would be a rare find. Given the choice of who I would pick, every time it would be you because you are so sick. Sick, Mulder?" she said, looking up with her eyebrow raised.
"Yo," he said, flashing double peace signs, making her laugh.
"So today Mother, oh no wait, that's crossed out and it says Mama. Sorry, let me try again," she said, smiling. "So today Mama, I say with no hopes of causing drama, you're the very best, because you are the bomb-a." Looking up, she saw him flash the peace signs again and at the same time drop his head down.
Bursting out with laughter, she smacked his arm with the card. He looked up at her and she shook her head. "Hey, she picked it out," he said, pointing at Faith. Scully looked at her and then back at Mulder. "She likes dope ass rhymes, Scully, what can I say?" They both laughed as she put the card in the envelope, and handed it back to him.
"I love it, you big weirdo," she said, grasping his fingers before he put the card away. She glanced back at Faith and smiled at her, touching her little bouncing feet. She turned back to Mulder and he was sliding another envelope toward her. "Mulder …"
"Shut up and open it," he said with a grin.
It was a bit bulky and her curiosity was piqued. Opening it, she found packs of flower seeds: Virginia Bluebells, Black-eyed Susans, and Wild Geraniums. She looked at all of them and shook her head, raising her eyes to him.
"You hate this stuff, the busy garden type work," she said knowingly. "I believe you called it boredom with no escape."
"I did," he nodded, his hand rubbing across his mouth. "I did say that. I also let you leave because my own ideas and conspiracies had become more important than you." He shrugged and she exhaled a breath, but her eyes stayed on him, waiting for his true answer. "People make mistakes, Scully They change and evolve. You're doing it every day, and I need to follow suit. Besides, the house is looking quite unremarkable these days, we should add some color and pop to it."
"Color and pop?" she asked, looking at the seed packets again. "Well then, I'd say that these are a good choice." She smiled at him, and he nodded with a smile of his own. She started to put them back in the envelope when he stopped her.
"There is one more thing in there," he said with a huge smile. Of course there was, this was too simple of a gift for Mulder, there had to be something else. Feeling around, her fingers landed on a small thing and she frowned at him. Grabbing it with the tips of her fingers, she pulled it out and found a small pin.
Turning it around, she saw it was shaped like an Erlenmeyer Flask. She smiled as she looked at the little black and gold pin, the bottom all black as though filled with some substance. There were black dots like bubbles coming up the neck and on the bottom, written in gold letters: Why be a princess when you can be a scientist?
She grinned as she looked at it and then raised her eyes to meet his. "Because of our conversation a few days ago?" she asked, remembering that morning as he nodded with a smile.
Lying in bed with Faith sleeping between them, they were exclaiming once again over how beautiful she was and how awestruck they were at the wonderful human they created.
"She's going to be the smartest, most amazing person in the whole world, Scully," Mulder said, kissing her head. "So much better than any princess in any book. She's going to be a scientist like her mama. She'll find a cure to all the diseases and create new ways to store renewable energy." He stroked a finger across her forehead and nodded. "She's going to be amazing."
Scully smiled at him now, as he looked at her from across the table. "I love it, and I love you," she said reaching for his hand. He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers, before squeezing lightly. She took her hand back, opened the pin, and put it through the shade cover on the car seat. No place Faith could reach it, but visible to anyone who looked at her.
"It's perfect," she said as the waiter arrived with their food. Mulder took the seeds back and put them away, clearing a space on the table. They ate their food in relative peace, until Faith began to cry, and Mulder held her as he finished his meal. She loved sitting up and looking around at everything these days. At six and a half months, she was a happy little thing, her eyes always watching the world around her.
"We'll need to start her on baby food soon. Hey, how about we go to the farmers market and get some fruits and vegetables? We have that baby food processor. We could make it from the fresh produce and know what she's eating," Scully suggested and he looked at her. "Or not, if you don't want to go today."
"No, I like that idea. What do you say, Squatchy?" he asked as he turned her around and lifted her up. "You ready for more than just what your Mama's giving ya?" She squealed and shoved her hands in her mouth. "Oh yeah, she's super excited."
Scully laughed and he smiled at her.
Arriving at the farmers market, they put the car seat onto the stroller frame, and walked around looking at all the items for sale. Different kinds of fruits and vegetables were purchased, along with some homemade soaps and a lotion that Scully enjoyed. Mulder loaded up the car not too long after, while Scully nursed Faith in the front seat.
When she was finished eating, Mulder buckled her into her car seat and got in the car. He looked at Scully and grinned. "How about we go to the park? The … duck park. I brought some bread to feed them."
"Seriously, you are becoming such a softie. So much for your cool exterior," she said with a smile and shake of her head.
"Hey," he said, turning on the car. "I think we both know I never had a cool exterior. Not really." He winked at her and she laughed.
The park he was talking about was indeed home to a lot of ducks. A couple of weeks ago, they drove past it, but Faith had been asleep and Mulder did not want to see them without her. Today, they were lucky and she had slept while at the farmers market. She was wide awake now and babbling away.
Mulder parked the car and looked at Scully with a grin. She smiled back and again shook her head at the happiness he exuded from something as simple as feeding ducks in a park. He got out, closed his door, and opened the back one.
"Faithy, my girl," he said as he took her from her car seat. "Are you ready to feed some ducks?" She laughed, and he held her to his chest, kissing the top of her head. "Scully, could you grab the backpack? I've got the Squatcher."
Scully put the backpack on and reached for Mulder's hand as they walked toward the large pond full of ducks. He held Faith facing out so she could see the beauty of the park. Scully took a deep breath and smiled, feeling happy and content, the spring day cool with a bit of wind.
"Look at them, my girl. So many ducks and they are going to love you. You know, since you'll have the food for them," Mulder said causing Scully to laugh and squeeze his hand.
They walked up to the pond, and Mulder sat down on the ground cross-legged with Faith in his lap. Scully took the backpack off and knelt down beside him, unzipping the bag and searching for the bread. Finding it in a zipped baggie, she took it out and opened it.
"Okay, here you go," she said, handing him a piece of bread. She took one and began to rip it apart, throwing little pieces into the water where the ducks were floating around. "You do know the ducks are going to swarm us once they see the food, right?"
"Attack of the Park Ducks?" he asked, ripping his piece of bread and grinning at her. He threw some into the water and held onto the rest as he moved Faith to his knee. "If it gets too bad, we'll make a run for it. Hopefully, we won't be looking at a Walking Dead herd situation."
"You jest and crack wise, but when we're being overrun, just know I will grab her and step over your body to get to safety. I'll miss you, but … you brought this on yourself," she said, shrugging her shoulders and making a face. He laughed and bumped her shoulder.
"You threw the first piece of bread, you're in it now. Now shut up, get your phone out and take pictures of this. It's guaranteed to be adorbs," he said, nodding toward the pond.
"Oh sweet Jesus, here they come," she said, taking out her phone and watching the ducks swimming toward them as they ate the bread.
Faith squealed and shook her arms up and down. Mulder laughed, and Scully snapped pictures of them as he threw more bread and created a little trail toward them. The ducks came out of the water and waddled over closer but still hesitant. Mulder threw out small pieces, and they got closer. Faith was quiet now, her eyes huge as she watched the ducks, and Scully grinned as she switched to video and captured every moment.
"Okay, baby," Mulder said, and held out bread to see if they would take it from his hand. "See those there, the lighter colored ones? Those are the females, and they're easy to differentiate because they are not as colorful as the males. Most animals are that way, with the male being the more colorful, or extra, as the kids say these days." Scully silently laughed as she took pictures while the video was going.
The ducks came up closer and a couple of the braver ones took the bread from his hand. He smiled and then took Faith's little hand in his, opened it, and put a piece of bread in it, holding it open within his. He watched the ducks and kept a tight hold on her hand and her body. Scully could see it all through both the phone and looking above it. She saw the care he was taking with Faith, and felt so much love for him it was sickening.
"Okay, let's see," he said quietly, keeping her hand still. A duck came close and it was as though time slowed down for a second. She touched her bill to Faith's hand and then delicately took the bread from her and stepped back. Mulder looked at her as he closed her little hand up and waited for her reaction. She was quiet for a second and then she laughed and squealed, her little body bouncing. Mulder grinned and looked over at Scully, finding her matching smile and tears in her eyes.
He took another little piece and did it again. The same duck gently and slowly took the piece from Faith's hand, making her laugh and squeal. The other ducks moved away, but the one taking the bread quacked quietly and waited for more. Faith kicked her legs and babbled away as Mulder got her hand ready to offer more bread. The duck took it and then seemed to look at them before she walked away. Mulder looked at Scully again and grinned at her, shaking his head. She turned off the camera, locked her phone, put it in her pocket and wiped her eyes.
Grabbing the bag, she stood up and started to throw pieces of bread all around them. All the ducks went for it and Faith laughed as she waved her arms at them. Scully grabbed a wipe from the bag and handed it to Mulder, who wiped her hands off before she put them in her mouth as she was wont to do.
"I've never seen a duck behave that way, Mulder," she said, thinking about how gently the duck took the bread.
"I know," he said, making sure Faith's hands were wiped very well. "Must be an X-file." He looked at her and she grinned. He handed Faith over to her and he stood up, brushing off his hands. He took the bag from her and picked up the backpack and put it on, adjusting the straps.
There were only a few pieces of bread left and he broke it up and threw it to them. Scully kissed the top of Faith's head as she held her and they watched the ducks eating. Mulder grinned as he fed the ducks and Scully smiled as she looked at him. This was what they deserved, in the past, and now. The happiness of experiencing things as small as feeding ducks in a park, such a normal thing to do.
"Well, that's the last of it hens and drakes, we'll have to get you next time," Mulder said as he collapsed the bag and zipped it shut. He looked at Scully and smiled. "You wanna go over to the playground and push her in the swing?"
Scully shifted Faith to her hip and reached for his shirt, pulling him toward her for a kiss. He put a hand on her waist and held her to him, kissing her softly. Pulling back, she smiled at him and stroked his face with her hand.
"I love you," she said, moving her hand and patting his chest, looking in his eyes.
"Love you too," he said, squeezing her hip and smiling back at her. Faith hit his chest and he held her hand in his, raising his eyes at Scully. She nodded and they headed toward the playground.
Thirty minutes later, a tired Faith was carried back to the car in Mulder's arms. She yawned and rubbed her head into his chest, humming her baby noises as he held her close. Arriving back at the car, he buckled her up, gave her a pacifier, and they headed home.
Mulder unloaded the car when they got home, while Scully took Faith upstairs for a much needed nap. Giving her a kiss and rocking her, Scully laid her down and watched her sleep. She touched her chest and felt it rising and falling as she breathed deeply. Turning around, Scully left the room and closed the door halfway.
She went downstairs and found Mulder standing on the porch, looking down the driveway. She picked up the baby monitor, turned it on, and put it in her pocket. Hearing the creak of the screen door as it closed, he turned around and smiled, reaching his arm out toward her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and put her head on his chest, as his arms held her close.
"So, good day?" he asked as he kissed her head.
"Hmmm," she replied, closing her eyes and holding him tight as she took a deep breath. He echoed a hummed response and they stood there for a few minutes, quietly enjoying the peace of the day.
"Oh good, here they come. I was worried we would miss them," he said and she opened her eyes and raised her head. Coming up the driveway was a pickup truck with the name of a nursery close to their house written on the side.
As she leaned back to look at him, he shrugged. "Told you earlier, I had it covered," he said, rubbing her back and letting her go. He walked down the steps and she frowned, but followed behind him.
The men in the truck shook Mulder's hand and then walked to the tailgate. Mulder glanced over at Scully as she walked up to him and smiled at her, reaching for her hand. She took it and looked at the truck to see what was inside. Two medium sized trees wrapped in burlap were taken out of the truck and set on the ground.
"Did you have a spot in mind, sir?" One of the men asked looking at Mulder, and nodding at Scully with a smile, which she briefly returned.
"Yeah," he said, letting go of Scully's hand to show them where he wanted the trees. She stared after him completely flummoxed as to what he was up to. Seeds for plants and now trees?
She watched him gesture to either side of the fence that no longer closed, but still held the posts. For years, they talked about a better fence and gate to close up the driveway, but they never got around to it. She doubted that these men were there to build a fence, but Mulder obviously had something different planned.
The men nodded and they all walked back to the truck. Grabbing shovels and the trees, the men walked back close to the fence. As they started to dig, Mulder turned to Scully and smiled.
"What are you up to, Mulder?" she asked him, with a tilt of her head.
"You'll have to wait and see," he said, crossing his arms, as he shrugged and winked at her. She nodded and smiled back at him.
The men were done fairly quickly and Mulder thanked them for their work, shaking their hands once again. They smiled at Scully and got back in the truck. Once they drove away, Mulder reached for Scully's hand once again. Walking close to the trees, he stopped, took a deep breath and both her hands in his.
"So … these past couple of years, and most importantly the past few months, has left me thinking about a lot of things. The past, the present, and particularly the future. There are areas we don't need to visit, things best left in the dark, but then there are things that I want to shine a light on, to celebrate," he took another deep breath, and looked at her. "We thought we'd never be here again. A new chance for us, a baby. We've talked about all this before, our new lease on life, but I wanted to do something, especially considering the day. We've never celebrated Mother's Day, not us. It would have been far too painful and unnecessary. But we had your mom to celebrate with brunches, visits, and gifts. Now … we don't have her anymore, nor do we have my mom." He paused and looked down at their hands. Scully squeezed his fingers and he looked up at her. She smiled at him and he nodded.
"It's been almost twenty years, but it doesn't feel that way sometimes. The pain and sadness still linger, and I know you know that feeling," he said and she nodded, tears in her eyes as she thought of her parents and Melissa. "Today, I wanted to do something to lessen that pain and also create a beautiful reminder of our mothers, of Faith's grandmas. And Jackson's." He squeezed her fingers this time and she sniffed as she nodded again. She sighed and looked at him and he smiled.
"I went to the nursery while you were at your baby yoga class a few days ago, and found some trees that I thought would fit well here. They are the same type of tree, but different varieties, and I thought they would look good on either side of the driveway, framing the property, welcoming us home. And, yes, I know we still need to fix the fence, but one thing at a time," he said with a chuckle. She smiled as he dropped one hand and they walked toward the trees.
The tops of them were taller than she had previously thought, about shoulder high to her. She saw a tag on both of them, and as the wind blew, she saw his handwriting on it as it twirled. Grabbing for it and letting go of his hand, she read the note. Jane Magnolia tree for Maggie Scully. Strong, never bending, beautiful. Happy Mother's Day.
Scully wiped her eyes as she looked at the pink buds already on the tree, giving off a beautiful fragrance. She bent her nose to one of them and drank in the scent. Standing up straight again, she looked at Mulder and shook her head.
Stepping across to the tree on the other side of the driveway, one full of yellow buds, she reached for the tag. Butterfly Magnolia tree for Teena Mulder. Resilient, brave, beautiful. Happy Mother's Day. Scully let it go and shook her head again, tears on her cheeks. Wiping them away, she turned and walked into his arms.
For a moment she was unable to speak, too overcome with emotion at the thoughtfulness he had put into a day she had completely forgotten about. He did not just celebrate her, but all the mothers he had known. It was beautiful and a perfect gift.
"I love it, Mulder. Everything about today has been perfect. Well, aside from the small fire in our kitchen," she said as she leaned back to look at him. He chuckled and nodded and she smiled. "It's all been so great. You planned it all, and I had no idea."
"Well," he said, pulling her back into his arms. "That would have ruined the surprise, so of course you didn't know." He rested his head on top of hers and rocked her slowly, the scent of the magnolia trees blowing on the wind.
"Thank you for today," she said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I love you. So much, Mulder."
"I love you too, hon."
She smiled against his chest and then tipped her head back for a kiss, which he happily gave her. They smiled at each other and then stepped apart. A final look at both new trees, she took his hand and they headed back to the house. Her stomach growled and he looked at her with his eyebrows raised.
"Pay no attention to that growl behind the t-shirt," she said, rubbing her stomach and making a surprised face.
He laughed and squeezed her hand. "Should I not pay attention even if I have chocolate chocolate cake in the fridge?" he asked, looking at her with a grin.
"You don't," she exclaimed, her eyes wide. He laughed again and nodded as they started up the steps.
"And a fresh container (carton?)of milk."
"Oh, Mulder," she said, shaking her head and touching his chest as they stood in front of the screen door. "You are a smart, smart man." He kissed her again, this one more sensual, his tongue licking at her lips. She pulled back and stared at him. He winked at her and opened the door, and headed to the kitchen.
"I can't help but feel bad for you though," he said as he took out the cake, and starting cutting them each a slice. She handed him two plates and he loaded them up, setting them on the table. She poured two glasses of milk, grabbed two forks, set them down, and joined him at the table.
"You feel bad for me?" she asked, taking the baby monitor from her pocket and setting it on the table. She sat down and pulled her plate toward her. "What do you mean? Why would you?" She got a bite of cake on her fork and her mouth started to water.
"Well, I mean, it's Father's Day is next month," he said with a shrug. "It will be interesting to see what you do to top today." He grinned at her and she froze with the fork nearly to her mouth.
Next month?
"Oh, Scully," he said with a laugh. "Your panic face is showing."
She put the bite in her mouth and began to chew. He continued to laugh, but the wheels had begun to turn with ideas on how to outdo him.
"Laugh it up," she said taking another bite. "Next month, you're gonna be crying." He laughed again and she smiled, letting him have this moment of glory.
I wonder if I still have that page with the Sasquatch costume bookmarked, she wondered as she watched him chuckle, her mind already seeing his face of surprise when his Squatch really was a Sasquatch.
Okay, she thought as he kept shaking his head and laughing, I got this. She took another bite of cake, her mental shopping cart filling with items she knew would permanently destroy his cool exterior.
Oh yeah … it was in the bag.
Driving away from the house where they had just dropped off the trees, Jake, the passenger, smiled as he thought of the couple who lived there. The way they looked at one another and her confused expression as she stood watching them pick a spot for the trees he purchased left him grinning.
"They seem nice," Brandon said as he drove the truck back to the nursery.
"Yeah," Jake said back, nodding as he looked out the window. "They really do."
"I like deliveries like those when you see the surprise on someone's face, like how she kept looking at him," Brandon said. "And the fact that he left a tip for each of us before we even took them over there, well, that puts him over the top for me."
"Yeah," Jake laughed and turned the radio on, hoping to stop any more chatter, as he wanted to think about the day. He felt something in his mouth and spit it out the window.
"The hell was that?" Brandon asked, looking over at him.
"Ah, nothing. A piece of bread I ate earlier must have gotten stuck in my teeth. It was a bit stale, but I didn't mind," he explained with a smile and a shrug. He turned the radio up louder and Brandon started singing along to the song that was playing. Jake paid him no mind as his thoughts were elsewhere.
He was thinking of the scent of the pond in the park, the cool of the water underneath him, the happiness he felt from the little family as the group of fellow ducks started swimming toward them. He thought of the big blue eyes full of wonder and excitement, watching them all and zeroing in on him when he showed no fear. He thought of the softness of her small hand, held tightly and securely in her father's larger one.
Leaning back, he let those memories wash over him. It was risky to follow them today, especially knowing he would be delivering the trees later, but he had to see her before that. He felt a pull from her heart and he answered it the best way he could right now. He was not completely ready yet, but he was getting there.
Until he was, he would pay attention to the pull from her and be there when he was needed, even though they had no idea. He would become Jake at the nursery, a stall worker at the farmers market, or a duck in a park who surprised them all by oh so gently accepting the offering of stale bread.