Chapter Two: Living in the Real World


Joy could not begin to express the overwhelming emotion Weiss felt surging through her veins. She and Ruby had parted ways not too long ago and their last kiss still lingered on her mind. Everything felt so electric her skin tingled all over. She even found herself bouncing in her seat as she drove. Her—Weiss Adel, age twenty-six, not-so-single mother of one—bouncing in her seat like an over-excited child going to the amusement park for the first time. It was a strange feeling to be this excited about something she'd experienced once before. But this incredibly memorable day wouldn't be the same without a certain little lady's help, so Weiss thought long and hard about what she could surprise Chrys with. It had to be something special because Weiss never would have asked Ruby to move in if Chrys didn't give her the push she needed.

"What to do, what to do—hm?" Weiss blinked in confusion then laughed at herself. The answer was so simple it might as well be a giant neon sign up in the sky. Acting fast, Weiss made a left at the next turn and drove until she saw a familiar restaurant.

"Hey, Mrs. A, it's been a while," said the exhausted young man manning the cash register. He managed to put on a smile and add a little pep in his tone, but an errant yawn ripped both away. "Sorry."

"Hello, Chase, another double shift?" Weiss asked, amused by how comfortable Chase was around her.

"You know it," Chase said before letting out a sigh that made him sound thirty years older. "I swear I'm gunna make it big one of these days and never have to work like a dog again."

"Speaking as someone who has 'made it big,' you end up working even harder. I can't remember a time when I didn't bring work home with me," Weiss muttered, her face reflecting the long unsung hours she worked to keep her company afloat. "Just find something you love and pray it doesn't consume you. Life isn't supposed to be all work."

"True that, thanks for the advice," Chase said. "So what can I get for you today?"

"I'll take a Big Belly Burger with cheese and fries, a cheeseburger, and two medium fries," Weiss said. "Oh, can you put the medium fries in separate bags? They're for Chrys' friends—and no pickles on the cheeseburger."

"Still not a pickle fan, eh, Mrs. A?" Chase laughed, his mood significantly better than when Weiss first walked in.

"I won't be changing my mind any time soon," Weiss chuckled. "But they're okay on the other burger."

"Got'cha. Anything else?"

"No, that should be it, thank you, Chase," Weiss said. "If I could tip you, I would."

"You gave me some advice earlier, that's more than enough," Chase said.

"You'll go far in life, my friend."

Weiss paid for her food and stood off to the side with her receipt in hand. She was third in the order window so she spent her time reading some work emails and checking the group chat she had with Ciel and Neptune. They kept her up-to-date on the latest office news, but there was also a surprising amount of gossip shared between them. Neptune was being particularly catty about Ciel's latest whirlwind romance and Weiss was embarrassed to admit she was quite curious herself.

Her number one assistant was the tight-lipped sort of girl who never kissed and told. In all the years Weiss had known her, Ciel never showed an interest in anyone or anything but her work and how she could advance her career. So whenever she admitted to seeing someone, it always came as a shock, but Ciel usually just brushed it off like it was last week's news. She never mentioned her breakups either. One day she'd have a partner, the next she's single and ready to mingle with Neptune at the bar. There was never any downtime where she mourned the loss of such an important connection but to each their own.

"Order number one-seventy-six! One-seventy-six!" an employee shouted from behind the counter.

Weiss double-checked her receipt and walked up to the counter.

"One—whoa… uh, order one-seventy-six?"

"Yup, that's me," Weiss smiled, holding her receipt up.

"Y-Your, uh," the boy gulped, "o-order—I mean order."

"Thank you, my daughter is going to love this!" Weiss beamed as she picked up the bag and quickly rifled through it. Everything was done to her specifications and nothing was amiss, as expected of Big Belly Burger. "Have a good day."

"Y-You too!" the flustered boy managed to squeak out. "Have a real good day!"

"Dude, she's married," Weiss heard Chase say.

"A guy can dream okay?!"

"Dream smaller, loser."

"Screw off, dude."

On the way out, Weiss thought about her first interaction with Ruby. Her lover was just as awe-struck as the boy just now, but Weiss would never pay him any mind so what made Ruby so special? Weiss had pondered this question many times since that fateful day, but the answer was still unclear. Weiss had felt her heart skip when those molten silver eyes first met her and that effect hadn't dwindled in the slightest. Something drew Weiss to Ruby. Something beyond her control. She refused to call it destiny though. Magnetism, perhaps?

Weiss arrived at Chrys' school a few minutes later than she'd anticipated. But to Weiss' relief and dismay, Chrys wasn't out in the cold waiting for her.

It hadn't been that long since Chrys graduated from elementary school and entered the wild world of preteens and their junior high jungle. The school was run the same way it's sister school did, so the physical environment itself was relatively the same just bigger and more expensive. Money, however, was never an issue for Weiss. She could pay double or triple the tuition and not care as long as it benefited Chrys in some way.

So, if money and the school itself weren't a problem, then what was Weiss so worried about? The short answer was people.

There was a sudden spike in maturity compared to the land where sixth graders ruled the playground. The children were older, students had to change rooms between classes, and most tragic of all, recess was cannibalized to make classes longer. Other children bemoaned these changes like it was the end of the world as they knew it. Chrys, however, greatly enjoyed this new, stricter structure and it reflected in her work. Yang jokingly called Chrys a masochist and Weiss couldn't refute it. Chrys wanted to make her Maman proud so she studied as hard as she could and earned her teachers' respect. But despite all the praise and adulation, Weiss couldn't help but worry. Chrys might've been as tall as the teenagers, but she was still two years younger than all of her peers.

Weiss sent Chrys a text telling her she was out front, but she knew she wouldn't get one back, so she put her scroll in the glove compartment and made her way to the front entrance. She made sure to keep a calm, steady pace to avoid any curious eyes and hide how excited she was to see Chrys again. Two weeks without Ruby was agony, but Weiss had survived losing a spouse so their time apart was comparatively a drop in a bucket. Being away from Chrys, however, was the worst experience Weiss had ever endured. She knew that Ruby took good care of Chrys, it was the world that left Weiss wide awake at night. No amount of money or fame could shield Chrys from a stubborn bully. She was more well-equipped to handle them now, but teenagers were mean and Chrys was a soft girl at heart. There was also all the information cropping up online about her that Weiss couldn't do anything about.

"Don't think about it," Weiss told herself before the errant thought sent her spiralling out of control.

The paparazzi were beginning to sniff out Weiss' location. A few had spotted her with Ruby and jumpstarted the rumours mill, so it was only a matter of time before they all clued in and disrupted her life again.

"Mama! Mama!" shouted an all too familiar voice.

Weiss turned to the direction she heard Chrys' yell and braced herself for the inevitable.

"Mama!" Chrys shouted again as she ran right into Weiss' waiting arms, slamming into her like a truck. They hugged for what felt like an eternity and ignored all the jeering eyes that threatened to tear them apart. "Mama, I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, mon coeur," Weiss tearfully replied, still recovering from the hit that nearly winded her. The gaping hole Weiss felt eating away at her heart steadily healed as the warmth of her daughter's embrace shielded her from the cold.

They broke apart for a moment and Weiss took her sunglasses off to get a good look at her greatest achievement. Chrys was happy and healthy, though she sported a healthy amount of colour on her cheeks now that she noticed her friends watching.

"Hi, Mrs. Adel," Heizell said, greeting Weiss before Briar and Donovaughn could do the same.

Weiss greeted all of Chrys' friends, but before she could say much else, Chrys cut in and asked, "Did you bring me a present?"

"It's in the car," Weiss said, pulling the two bags of fries away from Chrys' grasp. That still didn't stop her from trying though. "Hey, stop! These are for Heizell and Briar—I'm so sorry, Donovaughn, I didn't get you anything. I wasn't expecting to see you today. No basketball practice?"

"It's okay, Mrs. A," the boy replied. "Coach wants us to eat healthier, so I've been cutting back a bit. Gotta work hard to get that six-pack, y'know?"

"I wish you luck on your endeavours," Weiss chuckled, silently rejoicing the boy had given up on his hopeless crush on her. She did feel bad for not anticipating his presence though. Donovaughn was a nice boy who—

"Ruby has a six-pack," Chrys said, sneering at the only boy brave enough to stand beside her. "She can also do chin-ups without struggling."

Weiss sighed and shook her head. "Be nice."

"Just stating some facts," Chrys chirped as she gleefully went back to monopolizing Weiss' attention. "I'm so excited for our trip!"

"I am too," Weiss smiled. She motioned for Heizell to take the fries and went back to hugging Chrys.

"Make sure you take pictures," Heizell said, passing the other bag of fries to Briar. "I wish I could go…"

"Same," Briar pouted. "Chrys wouldn't stop talking about it."

"I'll see if we can go again—spring break, perhaps?" Weiss suggested.

"We probably shouldn't plan it for my birthday then," Chrys snickered. "The booking lady would probably think it was a prank."

"True, but anyway, as much as I'd love to catch up, we have a long drive ahead of us," Weiss said, letting Chrys go so she could say goodbye to her friends.

Briar was the first to hug Chrys goodbye while Donovaughn hung back to tease her. It was good to see that the ribbing went both ways and that Chrys wasn't actually being mean to the boy. They still hugged, but they treated it like competition and tried to see who could squeeze the other harder. Chrys won hands down and shamelessly lorded it over the poor boy who could do nothing but yell about how freakishly strong Chrys was; another trait she seemingly acquired from Coco. And finally, it was Heizell's turn.

Weiss had been carefully watching the girl ever since her parents' divorce was finalized this summer. She was constantly at the penthouse almost to the point where it was stranger not to have her over. Heizell never meant to intrude though, she just didn't have anywhere else to go. Her father, despite fighting so aggressively in court for custody, never bothered to watch her. He always had something come up last minute during his days with her. And last Weiss checked, the bastard had been skipping out on child support. It was heartbreaking to see and made Weiss appreciate Coco even more. Weiss never struggled with money the way Tawny did, but her efforts to provide for her daughter resonated with Weiss. So when it came time to register for the new school year, Weiss decided to sponsor Heizell to ease some of Tawny's burden and to keep their daughters together. Heizell didn't know about the sponsorship, neither did Chrys, and Weiss intended to keep it that way until they were old enough to understand why.

"Text me, okay?" Heizell said as she hugged Chrys.

"I will," Chrys replied, hugging her best friend just as fiercely as she hugged Weiss. "I'll send you guys so many photos and videos, it'll be like you're right there with me!"

"I'm going to miss you."

"Me too," Chrys said. "But it's just the weekend, I'll see you on Monday."

"Y-Yeah, Monday." Heizell stepped back and brushed some hair behind her ear. "Thank you for the fries, Mrs. Adel."

"You're more than welcome," Weiss smiled.

After Chrys said one last goodbye to her friends, she obediently followed Weiss to their car, oblivious to the lingering look Heizell was giving her.

"What did you get me? What did you get meeeeeee?!" Chrys asked once she was safely buckled in the back seat of the Beast.

"Calm down, you're acting like I never get you anything," Weiss said as she handed Chrys the takeout bag. "It's all yours except for the cheeseburger."

"Cheeseburger only? Mama, you should've gotten something bigger."

"I don't have your metabolism, mon coeur," Weiss chuckled. "Anything more than this and I'll have to start living in the gym."

"Life's too short to worry about stuff like that!"

"I got other ways to enjoy life," Weiss said. Chrys rolled her eyes and handed Weiss her cheeseburger. "Thank you."

"No problem," Chrys beamed. "Thank you for the treat, Mama."

During the first hour of their four-hour drive, Chrys filled Weiss in on the latest happenings in her school. There was a lot more relationship drama than Weiss expected, but the kids were getting to that age. She didn't recall much happening during her time in junior high school. Then again, she did spend the majority of it with her nose in a book trying to stay ahead of her peers.

By the two-hour mark, Chrys got hungry and started digging into her burger. Ever since Ruby became a part of their lives, Weiss' strict "no eating in the car" rule went out the window. They constantly ate together on their way from a spontaneous takeout run, the cabin filled with raucous laughter, not caring about any crumbs. Weiss felt a little peckish too and took a bite of her cheeseburger when they stopped for the next red light.

"Oh god damn it," Weiss groaned, her face scrunched in disgust as a familiar tangy substance dominated her taste buds.

"What's wrong, Mama?"

"I said no pickles on my burger." Weiss carefully inspected her food and found the offending morsel wedged between the patty and melted cheese with a noticeable bite mark through it. "Ugh, just my luck…"

"Do you want to pull over and get something else?" Chrys asked. "I think I see another big belly burger down the road."

"No, I'll just deal with it," Weiss said with a heavy sigh as she forced herself to take another bite. It wasn't too bad the second time around, and by the third, she was starting to enjoy them. Perhaps she'd been too hard on the little, floppy things.

Chrys fell asleep not long after and by the time she reopened her eyes, they were at their destination. The Forever Fall Resort was a beautiful rustic getaway with spacious lodgings and state-of-the-art facilities to cater to its guests' every demand. It had everything Weiss wanted to help unwind after the hell she put herself through. But the biggest attraction the resort had was a heated outdoor swimming pool that looked out to the snow-capped mountain, surrounded by the forest's famous red trees. And since it was early winter, the trees and land had a fluffy covering of snow over them that gave the scenery a festive feel.

"I can't believe we're here!" Chrys cheered as she helped Weiss unload the Beast. They were only there for the weekend so they packed fairly light. "What are we going to do first, Mama?"

"Sign in?"

"After that!"

"Well, the buffet's open until midnight, so we still have plenty of time to settle into our suite and explore a bit."

"I want to see the pool!"

"The big pool is probably closed by now, but our cabin has a pool—"

"We have a pool in our room?!" Chrys stared at Weiss like she'd seen the face of god.

"Uh… yes?" Weiss blinked. "And it isn't just a room, mon coeur. We have our own building—like a little house."

"But with, like, a pool?"

"Why are you so surprised by this?!"

"Because!" Chrys shouted, jumping in place. "You splurged on our weekend!"

Weiss slapped a hand over her face and groaned. "Chrys…"

"You're here to spoil me!"

"Chrys!"

"Oui, Mama?"

"Get your bags, it's cold and I want to get inside."

"Yeah, yeah—so what made you decide to splurge?" Chrys asked as she followed Weiss into the resort.

"I wouldn't call this splurging," Weiss said tiredly. "I just wanted some privacy."

"We could've gotten one of the hotel rooms though."

"And risk hearing something unsavoury from the next room? No thank you."

"This is weird," Chrys continued as the receptionist greeted them.

"How so?" Weiss asked.

"When Maman was around and we went on vacation, we'd always get the simple stuff." Chrys leaned against the desk and watched Weiss sign some papers and confirm their booking. "I'm not complaining though. Just curious—hey, think they got some free pens with the resort logo on them?"

"I… uh," Weiss looked at the receptionist who was struggling to keep a straight face, "do you have any?"

"We do," she replied with a smile and a soft chuckle. "Would you like one?"

"Can I have four?" Chrys asked, hitting the poor woman with her best smile.

"Sure," she replied, opening a drawer to pull some out. "No one really asks for these, so I'll give you a couple extra."

"Thank you!"

The receptionist, Rachel, handed Chrys the pens and returned her friendly gaze back to Weiss. "Your… sister?"

"My daughter," Weiss corrected.

"Oh! She's adorable," Rachel blushed. "The teenagers we get here are usually so moody… I had one come in with her parents earlier today looking like she'd been kidnapped."

"How could anyone not be excited to be here though?" Chrys asked with her little collection of pens all lined up in a row. "I just got here and I'm already having fun!"

"Well, I'm glad you think so."

"She's young and easily amused," Weiss laughed as she ruffled Chrys' hair. "We're allowed to explore the facilities at night, right?"

"Of course," Rachel replied. "We still have a number of things open at this hour, but—"

"What about the big pool outside?" Chrys suddenly cut in, her lips scrunched together in anticipation.

"Still open for another two hours," Rachel answered without missing a beat.

"Mama—"

"Ughhh… fine," Weiss groaned, feeling the last of her tired, old soul get sucked out. "We'll drop our things off then head to the pool immediately."

"Poggers."

"No," Weiss snapped, shutting the statement down immediately. "You have spent far too much time with Ruby. I need to reset your brain."

At this point, Rachel had given up on restraint and openly laughed. "You two are great!" she said between chuckles. She handed Weiss two key cards and a map with directions to their cabin drawn on. "Would you like someone to show you where your cabin is?"

"Hm, I think we'll be fine—we just have to follow this, right?" Weiss laid the map out for Chrys and double-checked everything with Rachel.

After saying their goodbyes to Rachel, Chrys returned to pestering Weiss. Her energy was through the roof and it was beginning to grow irritating. Weiss tried not to show it, but she could tell her frustration was bleeding into her tone whenever she spoke. So by the time they found their suite and entered it, Chrys was as silent as a door mouse.

"Chryssie," Weiss weakly called out before her daughter could venture further into the cabin. Chrys looked back at her with a downcast gaze. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you like that."

"I was being annoying, it's okay," Chrys murmured with a sniffle. "I'm sorry. I'll be quiet."

"No, no, mon coeur…" Weiss left her bag at the door and closed the distance between her and Chrys. She embraced her daughter and kissed her cheek. "This was entirely my fault. You were just excited."

"Too excited," Chrys said, her head sinking into her shoulders. "I know you're tired, I should've been more mature."

"Chryssie, you're tall for your age, but you're still ten," Weiss said, pulling back to cup her little girl's face. "You are allowed to be excited. You should be excited! I'm sorry for being so difficult."

"Mama," Chrys said, "why did you get us this place?"

"Huh?"

"I'm serious. This cabin is huge! We've never gotten some so fancy before. Maman would've…"

"Your Maman got bored of things like this, but me? I've never grown out of it," Weiss said. "This is the kind of lifestyle I was used to. I miss being able to live like this."

"All this space for just the two of us?"

"I had originally planned for Ruby to be with us, but you know how she gets when she thinks you and I need to spend time together."

"Haha… yeah…" Chrys fiddled with her suitcase's handle, lips pulled to the side in thought.

"I don't want to be apart from you tonight," Weiss said. "This is a two-bedroom suite, so you have your own room… but maybe we can share my room? We can watch movies, talk… do our hair, paint our nails, talk about cute boys—or girls—I don't know. What do girls your age like doing?"

"Ew, Mama. I don't want to talk about boys with you."

"Look," Weiss sighed, "I'm trying here. I didn't have the most… traditional childhood. I'm flying blind."

"It's okay, I don't want to do any of that lame girly stuff. I'd really just like to go swimming," Chrys said with an awkward smile.

"Then we'll go swimming," Weiss said, pulling Chrys' head down to kiss her forehead. "I'll probably end up falling asleep the moment we come back from the buffet though."

"That's okay, I'll probably do the same," Chrys chuckled.

The pool was everything Chrys imagined it would be. The juxtaposition between the cold winter air and the heated pool made the whole experience invigorating. There were a few families in the pool with children roughly the same age as Chrys. They slowly gravitated towards each other out of curiosity and soon enough did what kids did best: they made noise. Weiss was far too tired to swim, so she hung by the edge and enjoyed the sound of her daughter's laughter much to the ire of a few guests.

Weiss eventually grew bored sitting in the water and stepped out of the pool, quickly slipping into the robe she brought before the cold could set in. She called out to Chrys and pointed to the bar to let her know where she'd be. Chrys motioned back before ruthlessly splashing her new friends.

"I'll take a whisky," Weiss told the barkeep.

"Make that two and a double at that," said an older gentleman that took the seat next to Weiss.

Weiss gave him a passing glance before settling her gaze back to Chrys. She hoped he was just feeling generous after a good swim and prayed he wouldn't say anything further. He was relatively handsome though, so she'll give him that, but he looked far too much like her father to ever pique her interest, romantic or not.

"Couldn't help but notice you all alone by the pool," the man said, quickly dashing Weiss' hopes for a quiet nightcap.

"I wasn't alone," she replied curtly, making sure to keep her gaze sharp and focused.

The man let out a bellowing laugh as he swivelled his barstool around to face the water, his elbows casually resting on the bar. Weiss could feel his eyes rake over her body, slow and methodical like he was appraising her worth.

"Your stepdaughter doesn't count."

"Excuse me?" Weiss sharply turned to the stranger and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I see that wedding ring," he continued without pause, pointing to Weiss' left hand, his own weathered ring visible under the bright fluorescent lights. "Where's the lucky fella that gave it to ya? Well, he can't be much of a man if he left someone as beautiful as you all alone. If it was me, I'd—"

Weiss had a few choice words prepared for her unwanted companion, but the bartender noticed what was going on and stepped in, asking if everything was okay.

"Everything's fine," the man said, his countenance oozing with money and the power it gave him. "Just hurry with the drinks—and charge 'em to room 104. The lady deserves a drink."

"Oh, I disagree," Weiss said. "Cancel my drink; I'm not thirsty anymore."

"What? Hey, c'mon now, don't be like that," the man implored, brushing his greying hair back to try and salvage the night with his charm. "Let's take a second to calm down and think things through. We're just chatting here."

"Ugh, you're disgusting." Weiss left the bar without another word and called for Chrys to get out of the pool. The robe she left for Chrys by the edge was still relatively dry so she unfurled it and held it up, angling it in a way that obscured the view from the bar.

"Everything okay, Mama?" Chrys asked as she stepped out of the water and into the robe.

"No," Weiss answered honestly, unable to keep the discomfort off her face.

"I saw the creepy guy talking to you."

Taking a second to think, Weiss adjusted Chrys' robe to sit more snuggly on her shoulders. "Do you really want to know?"

"I think I'm old enough to tell when someone's hitting on my mama," Chrys said with an awkward laugh. Weiss let out a heavy sigh, her eyes drifting back to the bar where the man leered at her behind his drink. "He looks old enough to be your papa."

"Then you can guess why I want to get out of here."

Chrys looked over her shoulder and flipped him off.

"Chrys!" Weiss gasped. "Who taught you that?"

"Aunt Ciel—but who cares about that!" Chrys pouted. "He's still watching you!"

Weiss felt her stomach violently churn that second and rushed to the nearest bathroom with Chrys running frantically behind her. She managed to get to a toilet and threw up what little she had in her stomach. She felt disgusting as she shakily clung to the porcelain and heaved into the bowl. Memories of the torment Jacques put her through flooded Weiss' every thought, leaving her cold and clammy but burning on the inside. She could feel Jacques' hand on her shoulder seconds before the world turned upside down, but Chrys' terrified voice broke through the haze and pulled her back.

"Mama! Mama, are you okay?!" Chrys desperately asked. "Do you want me to call someone? Mama!"

"I'm…" Weiss flushed the toilet before Chrys could accidentally peer inside and shook her head. She was still shaken up, but having Chrys beside her made every choice Jacques mocked her for feel right. She thanked Chrys for her concern and held the hand Chrys had on her shoulder. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

"Should we go home? I can call Ruby."

"Ruby's in Patch visiting her father."

"Then I'll call Uncle Neptune—Mama, you're really pale. Like really, really pale."

Weiss ran a trembling hand through her hair and grimaced. "We don't need to call anyone, I just need a second."

"Are you sure?" Chrys asked, joining Weiss on the floor.

"I'm sure."

"I know you hate your papa, but I've never seen you this"—Chrys cautiously gestured to the bleary-eyed mess Weiss was crumpled into—"I don't know how to put it, Mama."

"I wish this was the first time I've reacted like this, but it's more common than you think."

"Really?"

"Unfortunately," Weiss sighed. "I feel better. Help me up?"l

Being the dutiful daughter she was, Chrys helped Weiss to her feet and brought her over to the sink.

"You weren't kidding when you said I was pale," Weiss said as she washed her hands and rinsed out her mouth. She closed her eyes to collect herself but only saw her father's cold gaze inside. She was nothing like him and Chrys proved her right when she held Weiss to comfort her. "Mon coeur, let's head to the buffet before it closes."

"Are you sure? But, umm, I think we should head back to the cabin instead," Chrys said. "You need to rest."

"And you've been swimming nonstop for an hour, your stomach's going to be grumbling before we even make it halfway," Weiss said.

"We have snacks back there!" Chrys protested.

"We do, but you need a full meal," Weiss said. "All you've had was a burger and some fries during the drive. You need more than that."

"I'm fat enough as it is, I can skip dinner for one night!" Chrys said with a sardonic laugh.

"No," Weiss barked, finding no humour in what Chrys said. "I do not work as hard as I do so you can go hungry for even a second, Chrys."

"But, Mama—"

"Don't 'but, Mama' me," Weiss said. But before she could say anything further, the door to the bathroom opened and some women walked in. "We're not done discussing this."

"Ughh…"

"Now, before anything else," Weiss continued in a calmer tone, "we're going to get changed and we're having dinner. Then we're going to talk. And I mean really talk."

"Okay," Chrys murmured with her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Don't be like that, mon coeur. I'm not angry at you." Weiss held her daughter and kissed her cheek, sad she couldn't kiss her forehead without heels or going on her tiptoes. "C'mon, let's go."

After getting changed and surrendering their locker key to the poolside attendant, Weiss and Chrys made their way to the buffet. Despite the late hour, the buffet was extremely busy. The light in Chrys' eyes returned once she saw all the food on display and eased some of the guilt Weiss harboured during their quiet walk.

"Mama, I've never seen so much food!" Chrys gleefully exclaimed as they lined up for their plates and utensils. "What should I get?"

"Anything your heart desires," Weiss chuckled.

"Maybe a little bit of everything?"

"It's an all-you-can-eat buffet, mon coeur, you can get as much as you want."

"This is dangerous, Mama!" Chrys said.

"You're on vacation, enjoy yourself."

And true to her word, Chrys got a little bit of everything but the majority still consisted of vegetables. There was a seafood bar further down the line, but the oysters Chrys was gunning for ran out just as she got there. Thankfully, there were plenty of other options so Chrys didn't leave empty-handed, but Weiss could see the disappointment on her daughter's face as clear as day. And it was hard not to feel heartbroken over it because she'd chosen this resort knowing the oyster bar would change Chrys' weekend with her mother from a great one to an unforgettable one.

Sighing, Weiss ruffled Chrys' hair as she followed her to an empty table in a more secluded corner of the room. Once they claimed their space, Chrys ran off and came back with two glasses of water.

"I am so ready to eat!" Chrys beamed as she took the seat across from Weiss and shifted her plates to find the most optimal path to gorge herself with. "I don't know where to start—Mama, where do I start?"

"You can start by slowing down so you don't choke." Weiss looked down at her plate and pulled her lips to the side. Her meal was significantly smaller than Chrys' and she worried about it might affect her daughter's appetite, but she didn't want to take more than she needed. She didn't even know if she could finish what she had.

"Mama," Chrys called before she poked Weiss between the brows, "crinkle."

"Oh, sorry."

"Why are you saying sorry?" Chrys asked. Weiss looked down at her food again and limply poked at it with her fork. "You just puked your guts out, Mama. If it was me, you'd be forcing me to have some soup or crackers."

"I'm being a bad example, aren't I?"

"The worst," Chrys giggled as she shared some of her cheese-covered mussels with Weiss. "Don't make me call Ruby."

"Alright, alright." Weiss took a sip of water to whet her appetite and pulled a mussel out of its shell. She ate it and revelled in its garlic-buttery goodness. She ate another, and before she knew it, she was enjoying her meal with Chrys.

"So what did that creepy guy say?"

"The usual spiel," Weiss said, popping a green bean into her mouth. "He thought you were my stepdaughter though."

Chrys snorted and threw her head back laughing. "Why does that keep happening?"

"Because you look exactly like your mother."

"I have your blue eyes."

"And my nose."

"It's a good nose."

"It is an exceptional nose," Weiss said. "But everything about you is exceptional."

"Including my appetite," Chrys blushed. "Mama, I finished my shellfish… but I want more. Do you think people will stare if went back to get more?"

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, mon coeur. Eat as much as you want to eat."

"But I've already eaten so much…" Chrys glanced down at the towering remnants of her shellfish and blushed. "Wow, I ate more than I thought. Maybe I call it quits here now."

"Chrys, I helped eat half of that," Weiss said. "Frankly, if you went back for more, I'd ask you to get more of those razor clams."

"The long ones?" Chrys asked. Weiss nodded. "What about the cheesy mussels? Those too?"

"Chrys D'Artagnan Adel, you've read my mind."

"Okay, I'm going to go!" Chrys beamed. "Anything else you want? I can get you stuff."

"Just the shellfish, mon coeur," Weiss said.

"Okay, be right back!"

While Chrys went off to raid the seafood bar, Weiss forced herself to finish what was left on her plate. It was an uphill battle against her body and mind, but she managed it just in time. Chrys came back with a mountain of seafood and brandished her haul like a proud cat bringing a dead bird to its owner's feet.

"I snagged the last of the razor clams for you," Chrys proudly said as she settled back into her seat. She looked at Weiss with a big beaming smile, silently asking to be praised.

"Thank you," Weiss said. "We should finish up before the buffet closes though."

"Already on it!" Chrys happily announced as she plucked a mussel out of its shell and popped it into her mouth. "Best vacation ever!"