~Daisy~
When Daisy Hearth first saw the slight Spanish girl take a seat next to her on their flight, she was struck by the similarities she could see between the girl and her sister. The girl couldn't even be in her twenties and yet there was a world-weary look in her eyes that made Daisy want to bundle her up in a soft blanket and then sequestrate her from the world to keep her safe. It was what she should have done to Violet after the first time she'd spotted a strange and seemingly unexplainable bruise on her baby sister's skin.
And she would have if she hadn't been too enthralled in her own life. Now, that would never be an option since that mother-fucking bastard Andrew Jacobs took her little sister away from her in a more permanent manner. She could only content herself with the knowledge that the murderer of her baby sister was never going to get parole and serve his life sentence in the West Georiga Correctional Facility. Apparently, it hadn't been the first time he'd battered a girlfriend up so badly that their absence had been noticed. However, unlike Violet, the other girl had lived even if she was now permanently disabled.
Back to the flighty little thing staring at her incredulously with those big hazel eyes blinking at her with confusion... the Spaniard girl introduced herself as Esmerelda Cavallero, and after Daisy butchered it three times, much to her embarrassment and her husband's amusement (the smarmy bastard), she was told to call her by her nickname in an adorable display of butchered English.
"You -puedes llamarme- jus' call me Esme. Si- much simple, yes?"
Daisy's heart just about melted into a goddamn puddle of goo right then and there. Mitch could forever deny it, but Daisy just knew that his had too.
"Tha's it!" Daisy had chirruped, "Yer definitely comin' wit' us!"
Esme had stared her uncomprehendingly for a moment before tilting her head like a puppy dog, which only served to move her hair and expose an ugly bruise on her collarbone that filled Daisy's inside with a cold fury even if she didn't let it cloud her face, "Come?"
"Yup! Do you like chil'ren? I love 'em! Mitch an' I ain't plannin' on having' kids jus' yet, Mitch an' I jus' got hitched, this was our honeymoon you see, but I own this lil' daycare back home in LaGrange. Mary jus' quit 'cause her husband's bein' transferred to another department, so's I could use another worker. What'cha say?"
The Spaniard simply stared at her before slowly repeating, "Daycare, una guarderia? Si, I work."
"Tha's jus' wonderful! I can' wait ta show ya the school. It's a bit of a work in progress, we tryin' ta go completely green but it'll take some time an' effort nothing that can' be done!" Daisy babbled, expertly ignoring Mitch's chuckles and low whispers that she was talking to fast for the Spanish speaker to keep up (Esme would tell her if she rambling, Mitch, geez! The women are talking right now pal!), "You don' gotta place to stay do ya? The school has a lil' apartment above tha' could serve as yer lodgings! Oh, this is so excitn,' I can' wait ta introduce you ta the other girls! Carla's been complainin' somethin' awful..."
Even a year after first meeting Esme, Daisy was proud of the fact that she could now fully pronounce Esmerelda without butchering it, Mitch still teased her terribly about their first encounter with the diligent Spanish girl.
("I'm telling you Daisy, I got no idea how you didn't scare her off!" he'd chortle, "She looked close to passing out when you'd start talkin.' Not that I blame her, mind you, woman I thought you'd never stop ta breathe!")
But what did that idiot man know?
Nothing! That's what! Especially since the now twenty-year-old girl was currently flourishing here in LaGrange. Esme had taken to caring for children much like a fish did to the sea... swimmingly! Sometimes Esme still painfully reminded her of Violet, of her failure as an older sister to guide and protect their younger counterpart, but Esme was also her own person. The Spaniard was still somewhat wary of strange men, but she'd stopped flinching around Mitch months ago and even started to barb and tease her husband whenever they saw each other.
It made her so unbelievably happy to know that because of her actions she was able to help an abuse victim get up on their feet and even give her a fresh start. Daisy liked to think that Violet would be proud of her. That she forgave her for not seeing and stepping up for Violet in her time of need.
Daisy would never regret talking to that sweet little thing that'd been sitting tensely in the seat next to her on their flight back to Georgia. That's why she organized a little anniversary party for them on that first January 15th to celebrate their year-long friendship. Honestly, it was only natural that it caught on and became a little tradition they'd do every year after that!
Mitch and Esme would squabble over who got the last slice of the buttercream-cake like the children in the daycare while she snaked it away while they weren't looking before they would all curl up together on the couch and watch a movie.
Esme was like a balm to Daisy's soul, a way to not only make it up to her deceased sister but to heal her from that pain as well. Esme became family to Daisy and her husband. A broken china-doll of a sister that had a spine made out of steel that they didn't know they'd wanted nor needed before she arrived. Yes, Daisy was eternally pleased with her decision to chat up the bruised and suspicious Spaniard sitting next to her in that plane.
Esme was an absolute doll! When Oliver's mama died in that unexpected car accident she stepped up to the plate, like an avenging mother lion ready to care for her fallen sister's cub. The twenty-one-year-old was willing to go to a doctor and mess with her hormones to start up her lactation just to feed the motherless infant. She was willing to give her body over to help nurture and care for a child that was not even her own.
It was the most selfless thing she'd ever heard of.
And she was filled with endless pride for the hazel-eyed woman.
Mitch was too, even if he blanched at the idea at first. What was with men and nursing women? Boys, because all men secretly were one (even her own husband, much to her displeasure sometimes and her husband's amused indignation, was), were so immature sometimes. Breasts weren't put upon God's green earth for the entertainment of the crasser sex, no sir! They was here for child-rearing purposes. She told Mitch as such. Of course, her husband then questioned Daisy why on earth he would be concerned over another woman's breasts, especially that of their best friend. Which was a fair point... So when she questioned once more why he'd been acting so weird... Well, Mitch then sheepishly admitted that he'd done some reading on breastfeeding and found out that a woman's nipples could become so raw and sore that they could crack and bleed... that and something about how painful it was for a clogged milk duct to form, because that was apparently a thing!
After that, Daisy too became more concerned over Esme's choice to breastfeed children in need, but if it made her little Spanish jewel happy... then Daisy would support her.
Of course, she stocked up on some baby-safe nipple cream and learned how to unclog a milk duct in case her services would ever be needed.
Mitch had better wait on her hand and foot when they decide to have children of their own.
Daisy and Mitch were absolutely thrilled when she finally fell pregnant. They'd been trying for two years and it finally happened. Honestly, she wasn't sure who was more thrilled with the news when she first found out, Mitch who wanted to be a father as badly as she wanted to be a mother or Esme who would comfort and encourage her every time the pregnancy test came back negative. Her husband had done the stereotypical man thing and fainted from his excitement while Esme vibrated in place before proclaiming that they needed to start shopping and planning for the newest Hearth-to-be right away.
Daisy simply basked in the joy and excitement that came with impending motherhood as she was surrounded by her equally thrilled family.
When Mitch had first introduced the idea of a babymoon to Daisy she'd shot her husband an unamused glare before telling him to go get her a heat pack for her hurting lower back. Why on earth would Daisy want to go to Hawaii in the condition she was currently in? She was eight months pregnant and wouldn't be able to do any of the cool touristy things with her large belly... Hell, even putting on a swimsuit and tanning on the beach wouldn't be the same. She was the farthest away from bikini-body ready as she'd ever been. There was nothing attractive about the large beachball size her stomach had taken and the stretch marks that littered her skin as it struggled to expand with the baby's growth.
No. Daisy wanted to go to Hawaii when she was more comfortable in her own skin. When her baby was already in her arms and out of her body. Besides, there were so many things she needed to get done at the daycare!
On the other hand... Hawaii.
Warm sand, tropical beaches, the smell of the salty ocean kissing her cheeks every morning...
Mitch won, probably his only win for the entire year, they were going to Hawaii.
No matter how much she begged, Esme refused to come with them. In her defense, it made sense that Esme stays behind. She was the boss when Daisy was away, even if Carla had been there longer. If Esme left as well who would look after the daycare and make sure everything was running the way it was supposed to? Still, it chaffed her that Esme was staying behind in Georgia. Esme hadn't left the United States since she arrived over five and a half years ago, it would have been fun to go traveling with her husband and her best friend. Of course, Esme also argued that it was a babymoon and that only the expecting parents were supposed to go on it before their lives permanently turned around by the arrival of the baby.
Daisy had a feeling that Mitch was also disappointed that she wasn't able to convince Esme to come with them. She'd overheard her husband call the hotel they'd be staying at and canceling the one-bedroom suite next to theirs. Sometimes that silly Spaniard didn't seem to realize just how much she and Mitch loved her. Esme had become a huge part of their daily lives. They saw each other every day, had dinner with one another at least five times during the week, they went grocery shopping together, hell when she couldn't talk to her husband about something or vice versa it was Esme they went running to!
Next time Mitch decided to spring a surprise vacation on her, Daisy was not taking Esme's 'no' for an answer. Family vacations meant family vacations, as in the whole family. Thank you very much.
Hawaii was beautiful.
At least... while it lasted.
Mitch regretted not doing more to convince Esme to come with them. Hell, he regretted many things when it came to the babymoon vacation he'd sprung upon his wife, but not having his pseudo-baby sister in his sights along with his heavily pregnant and slightly hysterical wife was the biggest one. Mostly because he at least knew that his wife was safe, he was there providing for her and fortifying the damn hotel to protect her and their baby, but he didn't know where Esme was.
He didn't know if she was safe.
He didn't know if she had stocked up and locked down the daycare properly.
He didn't know if she would be able to keep herself and the unexpected children in her care safe.
He didn't know when he would see her again, or if he would ever see her again.
He didn't know if his wife would be able to handle the loss of another sister.
He didn't know how he and Daisy would be able to go on with their lives without Esme.
He cursed the fucking email brochure that he'd gotten from his co-worker Shawn on the beautiful resort they were now stuck in. Most of all, he hated that he'd hadn't pushed for Esme to come with them. Because even if he was able to protect his wife and unborn baby, he'd still lost his baby sister when the phone lines came down.
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(Okay, so this was the promised oneshot featuring Daisy and Mitch... depending on how much everyone likes it, it will turn into a 2-shot with some more scenes of the Hearth's first year during the apocalypse.)