Chapter 09: Lonely Spinster

Type: Family / Romance

Rating: T

Prompt: "Oh, I know u probably have all the fic done but... ok ,uh, now that she's single could by like 0,01% that Elaine also fancy the ladies? :D

a girl can dream kkkk"

I did not answer that in the fic because it was about Gail and Holly. Now that you know more about Elaine, it's time to know a little more.

This takes place after the chapter "A Girlfriend Experience" by two years. It's 9 years from the end of "Out With The Old."


Some of Elaine's favorite weekends were spent with her family.

That was a feeling she'd never had before, not even while Gail and Steve were children. Weekends were just two more days where she had to work. Now, mostly retired and a grandparent, she felt like the weekends where she spirited her step-grandson or adopted granddaughter away were some of the best ever. Leo had grown past wanting to hang, but even now that she was in high school, Vivian was perfectly willing to spend a day with Elaine, going shopping or having a lunch somewhere nice.

Today they had a lazy Sunday and sat by the lakeshore with ice cream, having had a nice long walk and talk about all sorts of things, when Elaine was struck by the realization that the quiet, suspicious child she'd met was now a sixteen year old. It happened when a young man on his bicycle slowed down to ask for her number, and Vivian laughed him off.

"You know, if I'm cramping your style, I can go," teased Elaine.

Vivian rolled her eyes. "Not interested."

She looked at the young woman and sighed. "I have absolutely no idea how to have this conversation."

"If it's the sex talk, I got that from Mom already."

"No, that's easy," admitted Elaine. "And I should hope Gail already talked to you about it. Are you on the pill?"

Her granddaughter nearly choked on her ice cream. "Seriously? I thought Mom was kidding when she said you got her a prescription when she was 14!"

"God no," she laughed. "The last thing I wanted was for her to end up pregnant as a teenager." It was in direct opposition to the rest of the Pecks but even Bill had agreed with her stance on sexual education. Their children would be educated and aware.

Vivian looked thoughtful and surprised. "Oh. Well. No. But I'm not … er …" A blush crept up Vivian's neck. "I'm not having sex," she managed, in a bit of a rush.

And Elaine understood that, even if it was wildly different from Gail at that age. Gail had informed her mother, upon the occasion of losing her virginity, that she didn't see what all the fuss was about. "Well. If you do, please be safe."

"If?" It was always interesting what words Vivian would latch on to. Her ability to pick out pertinent words from a conversation was second only to Steve's. That man always found the important phrases. Gail would just file it all away for later in her subconscious, but Steve saw and attacked it. Vivian latched on and pushed.

"If," repeated Elaine. "You don't have to."

The girl hunched her shoulders a little. "Oh. Alright." She kicked at the dirt a little as they sat. "It's not that I don't want to date anyone, or … anything. It's just … " She sighed. "I kicked that guy."

Elaine scoffed. "You were twelve. And he deserved it. You said no."

With a faint smile, Vivian nodded. "Sure, but it really made me think why I didn't want to, you know?"

"Twelve," repeated Elaine, firmly. "Your mother broke a boy's nose at fourteen. And I believe she poured a hot pot of coffee in Nicholas' lap."

They both laughed. "I keep forgetting they went out. It's … I don't know. I can't see Moms with anyone else."

"Neither can I." In many ways, Gail and Holly were well suited for each other. It was was a relief that her daughter had found happiness at all, but especially that she found someone like Holly, who loved her nearly unconditionally. Oh, certainly Elaine had caught the edges of them fighting, like any other couple, but they were supportive and clearly cared deeply for each other.

She'd asked Gail, once, how she'd made everything work after a particularly interesting row over Holly being reckless on a case. Her daughter surprised her, saying that she knew they'd fight, but they never did out of meanness or hatred. They loved each other, and as long as they kept that in mind, they could find their way back.

It was surprisingly deep.

And it identified all that had been wrong with Elaine and Bill. Well. Not all.

"What about you?"

Elaine blinked. "Me? Dating?"

Nodding, Vivian gestured at the park as if to indicate the world. "There's a whole world out there. Men." Vivian paused and then added, as an afterthought, "Or women."

That caught Elaine by surprise and she laughed. "I can honestly say I have no interest in dating anyone, Vivian. Romance has never been to my benefit."

Vivian wrinkled her nose. "Mom said you and Bill married because it was convenient. Which I thought was code for you were pregnant with Uncle Steve."

"No, Steve was a planned baby. Your mother was the accident." She smiled thoughtfully.

With a toothy grin, reminiscent of Gail and Elaine both, Vivian laughed. "So was Mom. Her birthday is 7 months after her parents wedding anniversary."

"She wasn't premature?" When Vivian shook her head, Elaine smiled. "Your mother was. Premature and a rather terrible pregnancy, actually. If that had been my first, there never would have been a second. She was months early and I spent almost a month in the hospital."

"That's… horrifying. Ugh, I'm never having a baby." She shuddered. "But… what does 'convenient' mean then?"

How did you explain that sort of thing to a teenager. "It means Bill and I came to an agreement we felt was beneficial to our futures."

The expression on Vivian's face might have been comical if it wasn't so depressing. "Wow," was all the teenager managed. "Okay, convenient makes sense." She shook her head. "Did you love him?"

"Once, I did." Elaine wiped the sticky traces of ice cream off her fingers. "He had the ability to be a very wonderful person." Looking at her granddaughter, she asked, "Did you ever meet him?"

Vivian nodded. "Once. He bumped into Mom at work and I was there." The girl looked up at the sky for a moment, frowning as she trawled through the memory from what seemed to be years ago. "All I really remember was she got pissed at him and told him he didn't get to just show up and try to be a dad. And he should call her."

The story was one Elaine actually knew. Gail had recounted it to her, still seething, a few days after it happened. All Elaine had advised was to listen if he tried to talk, but to make her own decisions. "He never did call her," sighed Elaine, sadly.

And that was the difference between them. Elaine knew what she'd done, she knew the consequences, and she accepted them. But she also wanted to be a better person and apologize, sincerely. When Gail started to talk to her, ask her for advice for work, they suddenly found themselves at a place where they could talk as adults. As people who perhaps liked each other. And now as family.

"Why'd you divorce him?" Vivian's question was innocent of Peck drama. For whatever reason, Gail had opted not to tell her the stories of what was, effectively, child abuse. The only Pecks that Vivian knew, like the only Armstrongs she knew, were the ones who had grown and changed and become decent people. Slowly they'd outlast the others.

Elaine exhaled loudly. "You know, my children never asked me that," she announced, realizing that truth in a moment. Patient Vivian just waited for the real answer, saying nothing more. "Bill decided it was easier to be the man his father wanted him to be, the Peck marionette, rather than change and be the father his children needed."

It was the easiest way to explain it. It was all Elaine had been able to understand at the time. Even now, with Bill dead for four years, it was hard to look back and contemplate. "Mom said he was racist and homophobic."

"He was," sighed Elaine. "You know your Uncle Al? When he married Laura, Bill stopped talking to him. Socially." Work was always a different thing. One thing you could say about Bill, he rarely let his bigotry impact the job.

Vivian scowled. "You know Mom isn't mixed race, right? It's just that Mom's so pale, she glows in the dark."

"I do know." Technically Holly had some Spanish Moor in her, which did make her mixed race, but she really wasn't that dark. Gail was just so pale. "Why do you call them both Mom? Doesn't it get confusing?"

"Hasn't yet." Vivian shoved her hands in her pockets, looking like Gail at that age.

That was true, realized Elaine. Holly and Gail always knew which one Vivian meant when she shouted for her mom. If it was shouting at a mom, it was nearly always Gail. With a sigh, Elaine shook her head. "I'm very glad they kept you," she told the girl.

"I'm not a dog, Elaine," teased Vivian. That was the same joke Holly and Gail made. "Do you mind I don't call you grandma?"

Seeing as Vivian did call Lily that, it was a bit odd. "You're welcome to, if you want. I can't say I haven't wondered why you don't."

The way Vivian tilted her head when she was thinking up an answer was pure Holly. "I did, actually. Once. It made Mom, Gail, look weird when I did. It was right after Bill died," she explained. "She got that look on her face, the one where she's scared and a little freaked out. Same as she had when Holly was sick. The one that means I'm not supposed to know about how scared adults get. I think saying it made her think about you getting older and maybe dying, so I decided it'd be better not to."

In general, one never got lengthy answers from Vivian. She wasn't exactly taciturn, just very collected and self-contained. In that way, Vivian was like neither of her mothers. Gail had always been gregarious and adventuresome, if cynical and bitchy. According to Lily, Holly had been awkward but friendly as a young girl, but very thoughtfully curious.

And their daughter was wary, introspective, and still, after all this time, distrustful of the world. She never put herself out into it unless she had to, as if certain she'd just get hurt. There had been a time when Gail did the same, hiding behind an icy demeanor and sarcasm and bite. Meeting Holly drew her out of that. She was still dark, but she smiled more honestly again. One day that too may happen to Vivian.

At least Vivian was more open with family, and there had been a brief period of time where she was friendlier to the world in general. Around seven or eight, she'd been fairly normal, if given to deeper thoughts. Then, around the time Gail's friend Chris had been in a coma, Vivian pulled in on herself. Elaine suspected it was directly related. Finally Vivian had seen her parents weren't infallible. Personally she wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"That's very thoughtful of you," Elaine said carefully. She paused and turned to face Vivian. "You've grown up into a remarkable woman, Vivian."

The teenager blushed and looked down. "I have some pretty awesome examples."

"And some pretty terrible ones," smiled Elaine.

They both grinned. "Gail's pretty cool. You did a good job with her."

"Oh that was all luck, dear. I did a terrible job with Gail. Every possible way I could."

"You always say that, but she's awesome. Gail's like... My hero."

Of course, Vivian had never seen the broken Gail and Elaine, not really. She first met Elaine when there was a tenuous bond between mother and daughter, and called her a grumpy version of Gail. When Gail had panicked about Holly being sick, Elaine had stuck around and been supportive of her daughter and gotten to know Vivian as a friendly child. If she knew you. When she didn't, she reverted to the silent and wary.

That child gave way to a coltish youth who liked the out of doors and adventure. The youth became the young woman who wanted to go to a Police Ball or Fite Nite, just to see everything. And while she was invariably polite and friendly on the outside, she didn't invite a lot of people inside. Gail once said that getting to be inside and know Vivian made her feel special. Holly said the same thing about Gail. And then she likened Gail to a cat in a tree, which Elaine didn't fully understand, but smiled and nodded anyway.

Elaine smiled, "She would be very embarrassed if you told her that."

"She's pretty bad with compliments."

"Pot, kettle."

"Potato, tomato," grinned Vivian.

And Elaine laughed. "Since my attempts to sugar you up and drop you on your parents doorstep have, once again, been foiled, how about we pick up dinner?"

Vivian's hazel eyes sharpened. "Schwarma and falafel?"

"I don't see why not," grinned Elaine. She did text Gail to let her know they were bringing food and, when a reply was not immediate, dallied on the way to the car.

This did not go unnoticed by her grandchild. "Not answering the phone, huh?"

"They're probably distracted."

"They're probably having sex," she corrected. Nary an eye roll this time.

"Sex is rather fun," smiled Elaine.

Vivian eyed her now. "And yet ... Why aren't you dating?"

This time she was prepared. "Why aren't you?"

The awkward look hit Vivian's face again. "It's a thing."

"What's his, or her, name?" The skin on Vivian's neck went red and Elaine smiled. "You know your mothers do not care who you date, as long as you're happy and safe."

"I know," muttered Vivian. "It's not that." And Elaine waited quietly as the walked to the car. "I really suck at making friends."

Elaine paused by her car. "That's okay."

"Yeah, except if you date someone, what happens if they're your friend? I mean, I know Moms managed be friends before and after."

Snorting, Elaine pulled her keys out. "You're referring to the time when Holly was planning to move to the States?" When Vivian nodded she shook her head. "Sweetheart, I adore your mothers. They were never just friends. Gail fell for Holly hard."

Vivian screwed up her face a little. "But Mom said..."

"Gail holds the belief that she could have been friends with Holly across the continent. Ask Holly sometime. She'll tell you how painful it was."

The youngster exhaled thoughtfully. "Revisionist history."

"That would be my fault." Elaine held up the keys. "Would you like to drive?"

With undisguised glee, the sort that made one remember that Vivian really was seventeen, the teenager held her hand out. "Can you talk Moms into letting me on the course?"

Elaine buckled herself in. "That depends entirely on how well you drive today."

"Challenge accepted," grinned Vivian, and she started the car.

Halfway to the restaurant, Elaine's phone pinged. Gail was asking for the lamb.

And what does Holly want?

The dark meat chicken. Are you texting and driving?

Your daughter is driving.

Elaine took a photo of Vivian driving, looking rather serious, and sent it to Gail with the text.

Sorry, I'm officially old now, Mom.

It was quite adorable. "You're making your mother feel old."

"I'm pretty good at that," smiled Vivian. She turned down the road. "Love is hard, isn't it?"

Sighing, Elaine tucked her phone away. "Yes, it's very hard."

Vivian glanced over. "Moms make it look easy sometimes," she mused.

"You don't have to live up to them, you know."

"I doubt I could. I just don't want to disappoint them."

That sounds like Gail and Elaine sighed. "Sweetheart, you won't. I highly doubt Gail or Holly will be all that troubled if you never date anyone, or marry, or if you do. As long as you're happy."

Vivian's face set a little, as if she hadn't been talking about that at all. "Happy. Yeah. They make that look easy, too."

More than once, Gail had mentioned that conversations took odd turns with Vivian. Even Holly admitted she'd never really been able to dig into their daughter's head. That was when Elaine confessed she'd had the same problem with Gail. Boys were easier, or at least Steve was. He was simple and transparent. Gail had been, and still was, layers of complexity. She never admitted what she was really thinking or feeling.

When she'd talked to Lily about their daughters, Lily said her husband had always understood Holly. Brian and Holly had a connection, even though they were very different personalities, and they connected in a way Lily had sometimes been jealous of. But, Lily pointed out, her daughter was her own person with her own ideas and hopes and dreams. All they could do was hope they'd given her enough to succeed with.

It had to be harder, not having had the chance to help Vivian earlier. She still didn't talk much about her life before moving in with Gail and Holly. Once in a while she'd mention the other foster homes, but Elaine had never heard her talk about her birth parents. Neither Gail nor Holly pushed on the subject, telling Elaine that some things you just did not talk about.

Like Gail still didn't talk about her kidnapping. Like Elaine didn't talk about the divorce.

As they waited on their order, Vivian remarked, "Mom was telling me how you used to set her up on blind dates."

"I won't set you up," smiled Elaine.

"I heard about the poet and the guy with the fake accent."

"Ah, Winston. I still see him now and again," she laughed. "I was under the impression he'd been at Cambridge much longer."

Vivian leaned on the counter. "We could set you up," she offered, nonchalantly.

Elaine tilted her head. "You are really keen on me getting a date."

The girl shrugged. "You're alone a lot."

Narrowing her eyes, Elaine studied her granddaughter. Much of what the Pecks had beaten into her and, subsequently, her children had not actually been Peck raw talent but simply a great deal of work and effort. You had to practice at it, paying attention to the world and filing away what you saw. You had to keep your eyes open and let your mind continually process incoming data. It came easily to Elaine, which was why she'd chosen police-work as her stepping stone to success. It had been expected of Bill and their children. It had been required of her, to become a Peck, but she'd desired it so it was of no great effort. Or so it felt at the time.

In Vivian there was the same casual insouciance that Gail cultivated, sometimes colored with the 'dumb blonde' persona, but generally her daughter was careful to make herself look like everything was as natural as breathing, no matter how hard or painful it had been. That was her fault, hers for letting the Pecks control the future for her children. The Pecks demanded excellence with ease, no matter how much they all worked at it. Stupid Pecks.

But there was no way Gail had put that on her own child. True, Vivian had begged to be allowed to hike from town to the cottage when she was fourteen, but that had been her own demand, not Gail's. According to Holly, she'd had to force Gail not to try and track Vivian with a phone when they'd let her. That surprised Elaine, but Holly insisted that since if the kid wanted to try it then they should trust her and let her. Gail drew the line at a night time drop off in the middle of the woods, though, saying they'd do it together, in decent weather, or not at all. To that, Vivian agreed it was too dangerous and was fine not demonstrating that level of self-reliance.

"A very long time ago," Elaine said slowly. "Back when Gail was still a rookie with a tie. I came to the station for a special night, when we let the community in to see what we did." Vivian nodded quietly. She'd attended those nights since joining the family. "And I stole Gail for a bit, since I never saw her. She lived at home, but she was like a ghost. Always hiding away from us or vanishing before we were up in the morning, or staying at that horrible apartment with Chris and Dov. She was dating Chris. And I ... I thought she should reconsider. Because she didn't want to wake up in 20 years and regret her life."

Vivian licked her lips nervously. "I heard that once. Okie from Muskogee?"

With a thin smile, Elaine nodded. "I do wonder- I did wonder how the hell I'd gotten where I was. And if perhaps it was because my mother pushed me the wrong way." Elaine sighed loudly. "No, Vivian dear, if there's anything I know about myself now, it's that any future I have with romance is best left to fate and not any of my own planning."

The girl frowned. "Have you seen Moms' rings? The inside?" When Elaine shook her head, Vivian went on. "They're engraved. It's totally cheesy, but they say 'Plus Ones Forever.'"

That was something Elaine had heard the duo say more than once. When Gail went to a sports game with Holly, or Holly came to the ballet, the one who was less excited about the idea would say it. "They're each other's plus ones," Elaine said slowly.

And Vivian nodded. "I asked Mom, Gail, what it meant. She told me that life's way too long to go at it alone."

Profound. And certainly not something Gail had ever learned from her or anyone named Peck. "I'm not alone," countered Elaine. "I have Gail and Steve and all of you."

"You need someone to go to the movies with, go have fun with. Besides us. Someone who likes hanging out with you, just for you."

"I can't tell if you're implying you don't like me or if you're telling me to get laid," Elaine replied dryly.

Her granddaughter gestured a finger at Elaine's face. "You're where Mom gets it from." She picked up the large bag of food and smiled at the owner.

At her daughter's home, Elaine waited until Vivian slunk off to her room for whatever teenagers needed privacy for these days, and then casually mentioned the conversation. Gail rolled her eyes and apologized.

"She has a point," noted Holly, sipping her beer. "I mean, you're an attractive, healthy, woman, Elaine. Why not step out a little? Enjoy life?"

Elaine shook her head. "I'm really not interested."

Her daughter snorted. "Viv says that because she thinks we don't know she has a crush on a friend of hers." Both Gail and Holly shared a smirk. So they understood why their child was acting odd about dating questions. Good.

"I have no crush on anyone, Gail dear."

Gail looked thoughtful. "Mom. You know I don't mind, right?" Their eyes met and Elaine frowned. "If you date. Or have a plus one. I don't mind if you date. God knows you won't be betraying my memory of Dad or anything."

Elaine leaned back in her chair, looking over the yard. "I honestly hadn't thought about it that way, sweetheart."

"I'm just saying you're allowed to think about yourself, Mom," Gail said firmly.

They all fell silent, watching the late afternoon sun change the color of the yard, sipping craft beer. Elaine glanced over and saw Holly leaning up against Gail, knees pulled up, dark head resting comfortably against the blonde. And her daughter, her strange and brilliant and cynical daughter, had an arm around the older woman, holding her close as if it was the most natural thing in her life.

This was something Elaine never thought she'd see. Gail connecting with people, or at least a person, and being comfortable touching people. That was definitely her fault. There hadn't been enough touching of baby Gail.

"Gail," she said slowly. "Did you know you were never breastfed?"

Holly tilted her head to look up at her wife, smirking. "Well that mystery is explained," she teased, and Gail blushed. Slapping Gail's leg, Holly added, "I meant that you have trouble connecting with people. Scientific studies proved that children who aren't breastfed have issues."

Before Elaine could feel guilty, Gail snorted. "I remember when you read that, and they said it might." She kissed Holly's forehead. "I do so love your breasts, let's be fair."

Of all the taboo subjects in the Peck home, sex had not been one. "I should have seen that coming," smiled Elaine. "She was terribly unimpressed with sex, though I think that was Walter's fault."

Holly looked amused. "Walter? Your first time was with someone named Walter?"

Shaking her head, Gail sighed. "Yes, Walter Van der Pete."

"And he wasn't any good?"

"Unimpressive," Gail tipped her beer bottle at her mother. "Unimaginative. I mean, Nick was better and he was always just a kinda bad boy."

"He did look like the sex would be ... athletic," offered Elaine.

Gail shrugged. "He wasn't bad. Just turns out I prefer women."

Wasn't that a question, though. "Do you? Prefer women? I recall you said you were a lesbian, but ..."

Her daughter squeezed Holly's shoulder, looking introspective. "You mean am I gay or gay for Holly?" She shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"No," admitted Elaine. "Not to me. It never has." She looked at Holly.

"Doesn't to me," Holly smiled. "She's in love with me."

They did manage to make it look remarkably effortless. "Did your father and I ever make marriage look appealing?"

Gail shook her head. "I always thought I would get married to some socially appropriate moron who looked good on a resume." She smirked. "You do look awesome, by the way, Chief Medical Examiner Stewart."

"I knew you married me for my credentials." Holly sounded entirely nonplussed.

"Mom! I need help with my history essay," shouted Vivian, abruptly.

Kissing Holly, Gail wormed her way off the bench and obediently went inside, muttering about summer homework. "How do you know which Mom she wants?" Elaine was still mystified by that trick.

Holly looked at the house. "I don't know. We just do. There's something about her tone." Tucking her legs up under her, Holly made herself more comfortable. "Thank you for taking her out today. And letting her drive."

"Sometimes you need a break from being on the job," smiled Elaine. "Besides. I do like her. She's a wonderful girl. You and Gail have really raised a good person."

Unexpectedly, Holly blushed. "Thank you," she mumbled. "I feel like I'm guessing half the time."

"Everyone does." Elaine finished her beer and put the bottle on the arm of her deck chair. "Holly, may I ask you something personal?" The doctor looked surprised but nodded. "How did you know you were a lesbian?"

There was a brief pause before Holly's awkward side smile showed up. "Wow. Okay, didn't expect that. Uh, when I was making out with a boy. It was boring. Which making out with a girl had not been." Then, shrewdly, Holly asked, "Are you asking about Gail or...?"

Apparently not being a cop, but being very smart and married to one, had given Holly skills. "Your daughter informed me she thought I should date a man or a woman. Sometimes I wonder how you knew."

"I don't know how to explain it," confessed Holly. "It's just a thing I knew was true and right. Women excited me. Gail... Well she's probably bisexual, but it really doesn't matter. She's incredibly loyal."

"I always wondered if she was gay. As a child. But I worried more she'd never be able to connect with people properly."

"She doesn't." The simple, blunt, admission surprised Elaine, and Holly smirked. "She's terrible with connecting with people. Except ... She's not. She just isn't normal about it. When she does, though, when she decides to trust someone, you have to do a lot to get rid of her. Look at Nick."

Ah. Nick. "That was my fault, the first time. I take no responsibility for him deciding to go undercover."

Holly pursed her lips briefly. "You didn't make him, I think. Any more than you really made me stay."

"Oh? Are you not angry at me anymore?"

"You're not that lucky. I'm always going to be pissed at you for that, but... I did think more about what leaving meant. Who I was leaving. Why..." Holly shook her head. "Now that I'm a parent, I understand why you did it. If it was Vivian, I'd get Gail to arrest whomever it took to make Viv smile again." With a large sigh, Holly added, "I'm glad I stayed."

Elaine smiled. "As am I. And I suspect Gail is as well."

Holly lifted her nearly empty beer in salute. "Don't do it again, though."

They both laughed at that idea. "That me is a long time away, Holly."

"Current you should think about the future you," the doctor opined. "Gail said you wanted to be mayor once."

She studied her daughter in law for a moment. "Future me will be very happy looking back at this current me, I think. I can tell you that I'm much happier than the old me."

Current Elaine Peck was a much happier, healthier, person.

Physically she remained in good shape, especially since Bill's death. That had been a shock to her system. As much as she'd been mad at him, his death left a gaping hole in her soul. He was the father of her children, and the reason she was much of who she was. To lose that, even when they'd not spoken in years, felt off kilter.

Mentally, she was possibly in the best place she could be, especially considering the circumstances. She finally understood much of herself, much of why she'd done wrong things, but also why she'd done some right things. It was late to understand herself, Elaine thought, though she was sure Gail wouldn't find it quiet so. Late self-revelations were par for the course in Gail's universe.

That did make her think about sexuality, of course. Elaine had seen the change growing in her daughter, years ago. There was a time when your child started looking at people differently, when they saw in others that which you saw in your spouse. Elaine remembered the exact moment when teenaged Steve's eyes widened, one summer up at the cottage, and he realized exactly what made girls attractive, especially when they were in skimpy swimsuits. But she also remembered the look on Gail's face, one Christmas, when she saw cousins a littler older than she was, dancing and kissing under the mistletoe.

As of yet, she'd not seen that look on Vivian's face, not even when the girl came to her first police gala a few years back. It seemed more that Vivian was keeping yet another thing to herself for now, even if her parents were aware of the situation. The question Elaine now asked herself was if she was keeping thoughts to herself, away from the others. Well. Not that.

She'd seen Holly and Gail both remark on attractive women, and intellectually she knew that women looked good. But they'd never made her turn her head. Besides, while it would be highly amusing to have one more late shock to her system, that was unlikely to be the case. If anything, Vivian might turn out to be a lesbian if only because of her issues trusting men. Elaine? Unlikely. She put the idea out of her mind. It really didn't matter to her any which way.

It was weeks later, at the firing range with Gail and Vivian, that it came up again.

Gail kept sticking her head around the dividers, looking down the line at someone between every round, until she finally gave up and walked to the end of the lanes to talk to someone. "Vivian, what is your mother doing?"

"Hell if I know," sighed the girl. "What am I doing wrong, Elaine?" Vivian held up her last target, gesturing at the clusters.

The next round, Elaine stood behind Vivian, helping her adjust her stance and aim. Gail went shooting every week, still, and since Vivian had turned 14, she'd come along. Every week. Elaine only joined them once a month, usually when Holly was off playing hockey.

"Two more, Mom, then we've got to go," Gail informed her, looking over Vivian's target.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Darryl. He's a teacher. I've seen him here a few times, thought he could use some pointers."

Elaine narrowed her eyes. "Gail. In the years I have known you, you have never offered to help a stranger."

"I can help people," snorted Gail, unconvincingly.

"She said help, not hell, Mom," quipped Vivian, smirking even after Gail gently buffed the back of her head. "Elaine said the sights are off."

"No, you're just left-eye dominant, doofus. Keep both eyes open. You're going to need to get used to this." Elaine watched her daughter explain why it was important to have both eyes open and concentrate on things properly. They started joking about how Vivian could try wearing an eyepatch to train her eyes before finally stepping back into their booths for the last two rounds.

In the parking lot, while Vivian reveled in getting to drive home in Gail's car (something that was still a treat), Gail handed her mother a piece of paper. "What's this?"

"This is Darryl's phone number. He was totally checking you out." Gail looked rather amused.

"And you're my intermediary because…?" Elaine scowled at the digits. Why wouldn't this Darryl person just introduce himself.

"You're a bit intimidating, Mom."

Elaine shook her head. "I'm not interested, Gail. Nice try."

And her daughter looked even more amused. "Mom. Do you have any idea how many people ask me if you're single?" When Elaine blinked, feeling dumbfounded, Gail went on. "You're good looking, you're funny as hell when you don't have a stick up your ass, and I can tell you from a very disturbing experience in Vancouver that a woman like you won't be alone very long if you don't want to be." Gail made a face, as if remembering something unpleasant. "So if you don't want to, don't. But… I just wants to make sure that you don't end up a lonely spinster."

There was a distinct problem with having raised your own child to memorize conversations. Sometimes they did that back at you. "Gail. That was uncalled for."

"I'm not setting you up, Mom. I'm telling you… You know, my mother did this really awesome thing that I didn't even realize how cool it was for years." Gail looked over at Vivian, sucking on her lower lip. "See, she made me get off my ass and go out there. Every freaking night for a month, with some real duds, I gotta say—"

"Gail—"

But Gail kept on going. "But the thing is, without that, I don't think I'd have opened my eyes when the right person showed up." Gail tilted her head a little, a look that was very much Bill at his most endearing. The Bill that Elaine had liked a lot. "Everyone deserves to be happy, Mom."

Elaine sighed. "You make me sound like I had some grand plan."

Squinting at her, Gail smiled. "Pretty sure you did."

"Maybe," allowed Elaine, trying not to smile.

"Maybe," repeated Gail, shaking the paper at Elaine.

So she took the paper and blinked at the seven numbers listed, with Darryl's name as well as six other people, including someone named Maggie. "Seven people?"

Sauntering to her car, Gail tossed her reply over her shoulder, "There were more. I didn't like them."

"Pushy," sighed Elaine, watching her daughter get into the car. She couldn't help but smile, though. No doubt Vivian and Holly had a hand in the paper as well. Folding the paper, she shoved it into her purse.

That was a decision for another day. Another day she could sit and pour over what she wanted. Elaine had spent years wanting, chasing, success. She'd lusted for power and built a seemingly perfect life and then had it all come crumbling down. She'd used people, including her children, as stepping stones for her dreams. After that, the only dream Elaine had was to befriend the wonderful adults her children had become.

She'd known that her daughter had been fostering. She knew Gail still wanted to help children who were in need. And Holly ... Well Holly wanting to do that as well was a bit of a surprise to Elaine, at least. Either Gail had worn her down or presented an option Holly had previously not considered. Based on what Lily told her, it was a bit of both. Gail had always gotten along well with children, so Elaine's fears of her daughter being a parent were two-fold. Would Gail be able to do it without fracturing more under her perfectionist complex (which was all Elaine's fault anyway) and would she be able to connect with the child when it was a teen or an adult.

Without Holly, the answer might have been no. With, though, they balanced each other out. And Elaine felt herself lucky that she had them in her life. She felt lucky to have Steve and Traci and Leo, who still insisted on calling her Miss Elaine, or ma'am. They were all good people. Smart people.

A week later, she hadn't called a single number. Steve texted first, asking if she needed him to run a background check. Elaine asked why he hadn't already and Steve admitted that, yes, he'd done so before Gail gave Elaine the numbers at all. Of course. Next, Traci called to tell her Steve was an idiot and she would remind him to be less Peckish. Also that Elaine deserved to be happy too, even if that meant telling her kids to shut up. Gail brought it up at dinner only to have Holly roll her eyes. Vivian had the grace to look sheepish.

But. She did call a number. Eventually. In her own time.

It was just a get-to-know-you date, nothing more, and nothing serious would come of it. It was mostly nice to know your family wanted you to be happy.


No, Elaine is not a lesbian too. She is getting back into the dating world in her 70s. What a trip that would be to try!