Felicity and Laurel 21
"Hello Miss Laurel" Hearing her name in a lightly accented, so familiar voice, Laurel's mouth automatically moved into a happy smile of remembrance as she turned to take in the small woman standing there behind her in the ATM line.
"Raisa!" She enveloped the smaller woman in a happy hug. "It's so good to see you" The Russian woman smiled, stepping back but leaving her hands on Laurel's arms, looking her up and down
"It is good to see you also Miss Laurel, you look well, very well"
"Thank you. It's been too long" Raisa nodded.
"Indeed it has, you have not been to the mansion for a long time"
"I missed you" Laurel let her smile widen. "And your cooking" The smile she got from the older woman was positively impish.
"Ah, so it's not me you miss" She mock scolded her, waving an amused finger at the younger woman she remembered so well from Oliver's childhood. "So much Kasha and Kissel you ate when you were a little girl" Laurel couldn't help it, she moaned as the memory hit her, she'd loved those foods, so different from everything else she'd had growing up but such a wonderful part of her childhood memories. She was about to respond when Felicity arrived, two take away coffees in hand. She passed one to Laurel and turned to Raisa with a smile.
"Raisa, how are you, you're looking good"
"Thank you Miss Felicity, you too are looking well, I was just telling Miss Laurel here she too is looking well" Raisa tipped her head to take them both in. "I was not aware you were friends, but I am pleased to see it so" They both smiled and shared a quick glance before Felicity spoke.
"Yeah, we're good. How are you doing, after the break and all?" During the period that Isabel had taken everything and put the mansion up for sale, Raisa had been left unemployed. She'd refused to work for Isabel and instead taken herself off for a visit back to Russia and a Mediterranean cruise, returning to find Isabel dead, Oliver back in charge of the company and him practically begging her to come back.
"It was very good, but better to be home I think" They smiled at each other, enjoying what wasn't being said, before the line moved forward a bit as the person two ahead finishes at the ATM and moves away. Felicity eyes are distant for a moment, prompting Laurel to recall some of what she's learned about Felicity's childhood, how hard it was, before she comes back to them, smiling.
"Home is always good" They share a smile and it's good, Laurel thinks of her childhood and Raisa's cooking and laughter; Oliver, Tommy and her, growing up and the three of them, the three musketeers; now Tommy's gone and Oliver's still recovering from what was done to him and her, she's still trying to come to terms with what she was, who she is and what she will become. Almost as if she can read her, Raisa smiles brightly, her face lighting up.
"Mr Oliver, he doesn't eat enough and when he does, he eats alone. That is not good, meals are to be shared" She looks between the two young women standing there, both beautiful, both very special to the man who she thinks of as a surrogate son. "Would you eat with him, so he can be with his friends?" There's a sudden silence as both blondes feel something clench around their hearts, before Laurel swallows and smiles.
"I'd like that" She glances at Felicity and the conversation there is instant, as is the agreement. "We both would" Raisa smiles, happy for them and her boy, he is so hurt, so quiet, so much a man now, so little like the carefree, mischievous boy he was. Seeing the smile Felicity ducks her head.
"Oliver has friends, not many, but they're good ones, can we all come?" Raisa's smile widens and she nods.
"Of course, tell me when and how many and I will fill you all up with Knish and Pelmini and Pirogi and Orlov with Lymonnyk for dessert" Laurel feels her mouth water in long ago memory and nods as Felicity speaks.
"There will be seven of us, including Oliver, if that's ok?" Raisa waves her hand dismissively.
"Easy, we eat in the kitchen, the way friends do, not formal, just friends" Laurel nods, before Felicity smiles.
"There is one condition though" Raisa looks up at her with open eyes and apparent curiosity.
"What is that Miss Felicity?" The smile she gets from Felicity is shy but lovely.
"You have to eat with us, you're Oliver's family too" Raisa pauses, seeing Laurel's sudden smile and nod and smiles to herself, her boy is lucky to have these people in his life.
"Of course, I would like that, no matter what happens he is still my mal'chik after all"
A week later and it's Saturday night and they're grouped round the big bench in the kitchen in the mansion, dressed in jeans and runners and the kitchen is filled with laughter and happiness, Raisa looks round at the people here and smiles to herself.
The pretty young boy and the tiny girl with the short dark hair and the curious name, the big black man she already knew as John and his beautiful woman, so happy together, Oliver and the two blondes flanking him and she smiles again. Oliver hasn't laughed like this in so long, as if he had forgotten how to, blushing as the girls coaxed embarrassing stories out of her about the young Oliver, despite his protests she didn't miss how he hadn't told her to stop, he trusted these people, really trusted them, something he so rarely does anymore.
Raisa looked round the group and nodded to herself; they are so different from the people he used to associate with, but that's not a bad thing. Those people were attracted by the Queen name and the money and the lifestyle, people who didn't care for her boy, just what he represented, something she can tell means nothing to these people.
She looks across to see both beautiful blonde women smiling at her as Laurel nods gratefully and Felicity lifts her glass to her in toast and Raisa smiles to herself.
With friends like this her boy is in good hands.