"So..." Bridie begins, kicking her legs forwards and backwards to propel herself on the swing. "You kissed Mike. Does that mean he's your boyfriend?" She says the last word in an annoyingly sing-song tone, a wicked grin on her face. Kate, on the swing next to her, rolls her eyes, her own feet moving in rhythm too.
"You're incorrigible." She retorts, sticking her tongue out, every bit as childish as her daughter, before adding tentatively. "Would it be okay if he was?"
"Sure." Bridie says simply. Kate turns to her, raising an eyebrow, and Bridie rolls her eyes. "Well, he's nice, he's funny, he knows how to braid hair and cook and he has boats, which means we can go swimming more."
"I mean, I think the idea of the boat is to avoid the swimming?"
"Well, I like swimming!" Bridie protests, dismissing Kate with a wave of her hand. A moment later she seems to realise that Kate is making fun of her, because she pulls a face. "Plus he's the first guy you've actually told me you like, which... must mean he's pretty special. And if you got married, that means Rose could be my sister."
"Well..." Kate realises that on two moving swings probably wasn't the best place to have this conversation; she's starting to get nauseous twisting around to look Bridie in the eye, not to mention her momentum is slightly off with her only being able to cling to the chain with one hand. "We're not talking about getting married. Just... going out together. Sometimes with you guys and sometimes just ourselves." Kate stops kicking her legs and drags her feet into the bark to slow the swing, waiting until she can get out and stand in front of Bridie (though well out of the way of flying limbs) before she adds, "You know you and Cal are the most important people to me, right? Regardless of what happens with Mike. I would always choose you."
"I know." Bridie nods seriously. "But Mum... I don't think Mike is the sort of person that would make you choose."
Kate smiles softly at Bridie's character assessment. "No." Kate agrees. "I don't think he is."
For a moment Bridie just swings, pumping her legs so that the swing goes higher and higher, eyes squeezed shut, and Kate wonders vaguely whether Bridie is pretending she's flying, like she used to when Bridie was younger, still stuck firmly in her obsession of Enid Blyton's The Wishing-Chair. Kate leans against the frame of the swing, watching Bridie with interest, remembering the stories that Bridie used to recount of her imaginative adventures with Winx the Brownie, easily her favourite character.
"Mum?" Bridie breaks the silence, her voice soft even as she continues her swinging. Kate hums in affirmation, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the sun as Bridie continues. "Does this mean we're going to move again? Because I think you just unpacked the last of the boxes. And Rose and I kind of used a few to make a fort?" Kate can't help but chuckle at the tentative admission.
"Not now." Kate promises. "If and when that happens, it's a decision for us all, okay?"
Bridie nods, kicking her legs eagerly once more. "First one to go all the way around the swing is the winner!" She declares.
Kate gestures towards her plaster, already climbing back onto the swing. "If I break another limb, I think Cal will kill me."
Bridie laughs out loud. "Is it a risk you're willing to take, or are you a yellow-bellied coward?!" She calls in an exaggerated voice.
For a moment, Kate simply stares and marvels that this girl, this beautiful, kind-hearted, hilarious and perfect girl is hers. A moment later, the musing is interrupted by chicken noises. "You're on." Kate declares, clambering once more onto her swing. "And then, how do you feel about stopping by the firehouse?"
It's Nikki who spots her first, perched cross-legged on a table, her slinky top and sleek jeans telling Kate she's obviously off-duty. Abandoning her conversation with ET, she grins widely, squealing in delight. "You're back!" She clambers down and makes as though she's about to hug Kate, before seeming to think better of it as she catches sight of the cast. "Oops. Just imagine I'm hugging you. It has been super dull without you around. And... is this the famous Bridie? I mean, I don't think I've met her properly but she is freaking adorable!"
"Hello." Bridie grins, uncharacteristically shy at Nikki's enthusiasm.
"Bridie, this is Nikki, a paramedic. Nikki, Bridie." Kate introduces, but Nikki has no more time to converse as they find themselves swarmed by the rest of the crew.
"You're back!" 2Dads grins, Spider hot on his heels.
"Not just yet." Kate tips her head. "Apparently a broken wrist rules me out for eight weeks at least. But I was going mad at home. So I thought we'd drop by."
"There's a cat!" Bridie squeals, dashing off suddenly towards the fluffy mass seated in Charge's usual spot on the lounge. "Aww, what's its name?"
"We're not sure." Dutchy pats the cat idly, but Charge throws it the filthiest of looks.
"It turned up here three days ago. And someone decided to start feeding it." He turns his glare towards Nikki, who rolls her eyes.
"He was skin and bones!" She protests. "Have a heart, Andrew!"
"Anyway!" Dutchy interrupts, turning to Kate. "What have you been up to while you've been slumming it at home?"
"Slumming it?" Kate scoffs good-naturedly. "I have been hard at work, let me tell you. Tell him, Bee."
"Mum, can we take the cat home? Please?" Bridie begs, taking no notice of Kate's words.
Kate says "no" at the exact moment Charge says "yes". She glares. "So what's been going on here?" She asks, trying to keep the subject away from stray cats.
Spider shrugs. "Well, the temporary guy we've got replacing you is kind of cool. Not a patch on you though. But Cliff's a martial arts freak like Buff, so they get on well." Buffer clears his throat and Spider gulps. "I mean, I didn't mean freak as in..." He trails off.
"What else is happening..." 2Dads hums, trying valiantly to save Spider. "Ah... oh, we had to rescue some guy actually stuck up a chimney. And... Spider got to do a full-on apartment building balcony rescue." He grins at Kate. "Nikki and ET are still not getting married, despite making out for nearly an hour here the other day." He dodges ET's hit, but Nikki's slap to the back of the head is well on target. "Ouch! Did you see that, Bridie? Blatant assault of a firefighter."
"You kind of deserved it." Bridie muses, smiling at Nikki.
"What?!" 2Dads scoffs. "I thought we were mates!"
"Uteruses before duderuses." Bridie replies simply.
"You have been watching too much Parks & Rec with your aunt." Kate mutters, dragging a hand over her face. "Last week it was treat-yo-self."
"Which is why we should get a cat!" Bridie interjects. "Then, I would be spending more time with Catalie Portman and less time watching TV."
"Is that seriously the name you're going with?" Kate frowns.
Bridie hesitates for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I'm feeling pretty confident about it."
"When are you coming back?" Buffer interjects, speaking for the first time.
"Whenever I am cleared." Kate replies. "I hate being on sick leave. It's so boring. Even I'm watching too much Parks & Rec."
"You can never watch too much Parks & Rec." Bridie mutters, high-fiving ET, who nods.
Kate stops in the doorway of Mike's workshop, leaning against the doorframe and taking a moment to admire Mike as he dutifully sands back the sloping wood. From what Kate can see, the canoe he's carving is beautiful, made of a deep red wood and beautifully finished, although she must admit (if only to herself) that it isn't really the woodwork she's admiring.
A moment later, however, Mike turns around, cocking an eyebrow. "Like what you see, McGregor?" He quips, resting his sandpaper block on a nearby benchtop. She simply rolls her eyes, not willing to deal with the inevitable ego-boost that will occur if he knows she was checking him out. Of course, she knows she's not fooling him, but mercifully he changes the subject. "What have you been up to today?"
"Just been around town." Kate sighs. "Popped into work to say hi."
"Should I be jealous?"
"Of a bunch of hot firies?" Kate grins, moving closer to him. "Hmmm..." Something in Mike's gaze seems uncertain, so she leans forward and presses her lips to his, trying to convey without words that he has no need to be jealous. He responds with enthusiasm, however when he pulls away the look is still there. "What's up? I assure you, Bridie was there. It was all very professional. Also, I now have a cat."
"Okay." Mike looks perplexed for a minute. "Passing over the feline part, it's just..." He hesitates for a moment. "I guess... I knew you'd go back to work eventually. But... all of this... it was... it was close, Kate."
All of a sudden she can't look at him, and for a moment she hears the roaring of that building, that gurgle as Patrick took his last breath. "I know." Kate murmurs, turning her head away. Suddenly, the conversation is completely sober. "And... I can't promise that nothing will ever happen. You know that. But..."
"I know. It's who you are." Mike nods. "And I know I'm never going to stop worrying about you. I guess it's just something we'll have to live with."
"We?" Kate challenges, moving closer to him.
"Yep." Mike nods, resting his hands on her hips. "We. I'm going to be overprotective of you and Bridie and Cal, and you're going to be... wildly sarcastic and demanding until I ply you with coffee and chocolate."
"Milk chocolate." Kate adds, moving closer still.
Mike nods. "Milk chocolate." He agrees, as he closes the distance.