The world's at our feet, let's make it our home
It wasn't a date.
Remy knew it wasn't a date. She was in converse, worn out jeans, and a t-shirt with a T-Rex on it with a monocle, bowtie and top hat, sitting down to tea with a word bubble that said, "Tea Rex"…
It wasn't a date.
She still felt like she was about to go on one though as she grabbed the four cookies she had left and the pint of vanilla ice cream from her freezer… it also felt like a date when she grabbed a variegated red and white rose from a vase she bought for her pitiful excuse for a decorated apartment.
But it was not a date.
It wasn't.
She didn't understand why she was so nervous then as she knocked on the door. Because, for the last time, it wasn't a date!
"Mommy I answer!" She heard from the other side.
"Alright, little man, you answer." She heard the slight amusement in Cameron's voice.
The door opened and blonde curls greeted her, hidden beneath those curls, she saw Cameron's big, green-grey-blue enigma eyes. The little boy smiled, "Hi!"
Remy really couldn't help the grin that came to her face, "Hi."
"I'm Christopher. Christopher James Kirkpatrick. But you can call me Chris." He said.
The brunette nodded and knelt down so she was eye level, "I'm Remy. Remy Beauregard Hadley. But you can call me Remy."
"Beau… Beauregard?" He tried to hide his giggle.
This made Remy's smile widen, "Yeah, It's my granddad's name. My mom and dad wanted to name me after him, but it turned out I was a girl, so it's my middle name."
"Oh." Chris nodded in acceptance, "My mommy says she knowed you before she met my daddy."
"She did." Remy nodded her head agreeing with the fact.
"She says you're very nice and pretty."
"Am I?" She grinned.
"Yes." He said without a doubt. Then he looked in her hands, "You got ice cream?! And a flower?! And cookies?!"
"I did. Is that okay?"
"YEAH!" He almost screamed and jumped up and down, "Mommy! Mommy!" He started pulling Remy even though she had yet to stand back up again. The brunette quickly kicked the door shut behind her and let the toddler drag her along, "Mommy! Remy Beauregard Hadley brought ice cream and a flower and cookies!" He said once they got to the kitchen.
"She did?"
"Yeah. Can I has some ice cream?"
Cameron looked down to her son; her tone clearly correcting, not allowing him to have any quite yet, "Have some."
"Can I have some ice cream?"
Cameron raised a brow and looked at her snarky three-year-old.
"Mommy, please?" He looked down and his bottom lip seemed to make a sudden appearance.
"We'll have some after dinner, alright?"
"Alright, Mommy."
Remy looked between mother and son before interrupting, "Where should I put this?" She indicated the ice cream.
"Freezer's a good bet." The blonde winked at the brunette.
Remy gave her a playful look before moving to the freezer.
"Mommy, I'm going to go play with my toys."
"Alright, little man." The blonde looked over to see a familiar paper plate with four large cookies on it, "You not like your welcoming treat?"
"No… I did… that's why I'm bringing these here… they're all that's left, and I shouldn't eat them… and I heard Christopher James Kirkpatrick talking about how he wanted one."
Allison couldn't help the smirk that graced her features as Remy full named the little boy as he had full named her, "Well, Remy Beauregard Hadley, I guess you were home when we dropped them off…"
Remy looked down, "Yeah. I uh… I was in a mood, and I didn't want to talk to anyone."
Allison nodded as she looked down into the mac 'n cheese, "Because things changed?"
Remy chuckled, "Yeah. That and…" She jerked her arm and flicked her wrist intentionally to show her what wasn't so voluntary when she was in her apartment.
Allison stared at Remy's arm, she knew she was staring too long when the brunette crossed her arm, mindful of the rose, and turned away a bit.
"I'm sorry."
"What's there to be sorry for? You didn't do anything to me." Remy made a conscious effort not to look up into those big sad eyes.
"Okay." Allison let Remy do her thing and hole up, but before she let her lock the key, she moved the pasta to a colander and made her way to the fridge, then said, "I know this probably doesn't mean much…" She took three hot dogs from the package and set them on a cutting board, "Especially since you don't know me," She grabbed a knife and started cutting, "But you're not alone…" She felt the air thicken and finished with the hot dogs then moved to the colander and put the pasta back in her pot. She threw the powder, the milk, and the butter into the bowl and started stirring, "I mean, if you don't want to be… We're just a door down."
Remy smiled, but that didn't stop the tears from filling her eyes, "Thanks." She paused making sure her throat wasn't going to close up on her due to the lump, "This is for you" She whispered out, gave Allison the variegated rose and turned around.
A little pitter-patter of feet came marching back into the kitchen. Remy turned away to gather herself. They stopped then made their way around the counter, "Mommy?" Chris whispered tugging on his mother's shirt.
"Yes, my love?"
Chris continued to stage whisper, "Is Remy Beauregard Hadley okay?"
Cameron knelt down and looked at her son, "You know how Mommy is a doctor?" He nodded, "And you know how we try to help fix people?" another nod, "And you know that there are some things that mommy and other doctor's just can't fix yet?"
Chris looked over to Remy with wide eyes, "She's gonna die?"
Allison swallowed, "Not for a while, my love… But she is sick and mommy and other doctors can only help her with her symptoms."
Remy could not believe what she was hearing.
"But Mommy, I like her."
Allison chuckled despite the intensity of the conversation, "I do too, Chris. That just means that we need to help her when she lets us, okay?"
"Okay." Then, like any toddler, he was ready for a new subject, "Is dinner ready?"
"Almost. You wanna go set the table?"
"Yeah!" He ran to the pantry to get bowls and ran out of the room.
Allison looked over to Remy's wide eyes, "I'm not a bad mother." She paused and walked over to the brunette to whisper, "What and how I teach my son is up to me. He needs to know that people die and that that sucks, but sometimes there is nothing we can do. If he grows up thinking that everything can be cured then I've done something wrong… I have to be honest with him."
Remy tilted her head, "I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to. Your eyes said it all."
"You obviously need to go to the RBH School of Eye Thoughts then." Cameron knit her brows, "I was simply going to tell you how brave and impressive that is… telling a kid that there is death in the world and him understanding and accepting it."
This made the blonde smile, "I guess I should take a couple lessons…"