Q & A #54
The park was an oasis of serenity. In the midmorning sun, mothers watched their children on the playground equipment, as people walked their dogs along the path into the ravine. In daylight, Sunnydale seemed like any small American town, where normal people led normal lives.
Buffy watched her daughter from the bench, sitting next to Willow. She smiled as one of the mothers, Monica, Buffy thought her name was, alternated pushing her own daughter and Meredith on the swings. She waved, and Meredith waved back, laughing as she swept into the sky.
"You never heard from Riley again?" Willow asked.
"Nope." Buffy kept one eye on her happy daughter, the other on her friend. "Sam covered her tracks pretty well. And it's not like we're best friends or anything. I'm hoping he figured she went someplace else."
"And if he didn't? If he calls again? Or shows up on your doorstep?"
"I'll lie. You know I'm pretty good at that. Heck, I lied about my feelings for Spike long enough." Buffy picked her tote off the ground and pulled out a paper bag. "Want a sandwich?" When Willow shook her head, Buffy pulled out a segment and took a bite, swallowing. "I'm so hungry all the time, now that the vomiting finally seems to be over. Anyway, Sam will be moving out of town soon. They figure at the shelter she'd be better off someplace where she has no connections. It'll be hard, starting over, but they'll help her."
Meredith suddenly appeared at her mother's knee. "Can I have a bite?"
"Sure, sweetie." Buffy pulled out a piece of chicken from the sandwich and popped it in her daughter's mouth. "Chew it up good."
Meredith smiled as she chewed. "I'm going on the slide now, Mommy."
"Sound's like fun. The baby slide, right? The other one's too big."
Meredith put her hands on her hips, and Willow tried to suppress a laugh. Baby Buffy. "I'm a big girl, Mommy. But okay." She ran back towards her friends.
"Erin's adopted. Will that be a problem?" Willow asked.
Buffy nodded. "Could be. If they find her." Her face hardened. "Though, if Riley finds them, that might not be her only problem. How could I be so wrong about him?"
"He changed, Buffy. I don't think he was like that. Not before."
"Which begs the question," Buffy closed her eyes and sighed, "Is it my fault? Did I do something to him?"
Willow patted her hand. "It's not all about you, silly. I wouldn't discount the big bad government, and scary hush hush military stuff. Can't be good for a guy."
"Mommy!"
Buffy looked up at her daughter, and her eyes grew wide. "I told you the baby slide," she called.
Meredith was standing at the top of the tall slide, waving her hands. "I'm a big girl." Meredith looked down the long slope of the slide, and panicked. She stood at the top, frozen. "Mommy! Too high!" The line up of children behind her yelled at her to go. The boy behind her, impatient, gave her a shove, but instead of heading down the slide, she lost her balance and plummeted over the side of the platform.
Buffy rushed towards her. She wasn't going to make it.
"Soft," Willow muttered.
Meredith hit the ground.
Buffy screamed. She knelt beside her little girl, terrified of what she'd find.
Meredith looked up at her, giggling. "That was fun."
The circle of mothers and children that gathered parted as Buffy carried her daughter away from the slide. "Is she okay?" Monica asked. "I was sure ..."
"She's fine. Right honey?"
Meredith nodded with enthusiasm. "I'm fine. I want to go again."
Buffy mouthed "Thank you," to Willow, then put her daughter on the ground. "Don't you ever do that again. Ever." She took Meredith's hand. "Time to go home." A tear trickled down the young mother's cheek. 'I should have been paying more attention,' she thought. 'How can I watch two kids, when I can't even look after one?' But to Meredith she added, "Your daddy is not going to be happy about this."
The park was an oasis of serenity. In the midmorning sun, mothers watched their children on the playground equipment, as people walked their dogs along the path into the ravine. In daylight, Sunnydale seemed like any small American town, where normal people led normal lives.
Buffy watched her daughter from the bench, sitting next to Willow. She smiled as one of the mothers, Monica, Buffy thought her name was, alternated pushing her own daughter and Meredith on the swings. She waved, and Meredith waved back, laughing as she swept into the sky.
"You never heard from Riley again?" Willow asked.
"Nope." Buffy kept one eye on her happy daughter, the other on her friend. "Sam covered her tracks pretty well. And it's not like we're best friends or anything. I'm hoping he figured she went someplace else."
"And if he didn't? If he calls again? Or shows up on your doorstep?"
"I'll lie. You know I'm pretty good at that. Heck, I lied about my feelings for Spike long enough." Buffy picked her tote off the ground and pulled out a paper bag. "Want a sandwich?" When Willow shook her head, Buffy pulled out a segment and took a bite, swallowing. "I'm so hungry all the time, now that the vomiting finally seems to be over. Anyway, Sam will be moving out of town soon. They figure at the shelter she'd be better off someplace where she has no connections. It'll be hard, starting over, but they'll help her."
Meredith suddenly appeared at her mother's knee. "Can I have a bite?"
"Sure, sweetie." Buffy pulled out a piece of chicken from the sandwich and popped it in her daughter's mouth. "Chew it up good."
Meredith smiled as she chewed. "I'm going on the slide now, Mommy."
"Sound's like fun. The baby slide, right? The other one's too big."
Meredith put her hands on her hips, and Willow tried to suppress a laugh. Baby Buffy. "I'm a big girl, Mommy. But okay." She ran back towards her friends.
"Erin's adopted. Will that be a problem?" Willow asked.
Buffy nodded. "Could be. If they find her." Her face hardened. "Though, if Riley finds them, that might not be her only problem. How could I be so wrong about him?"
"He changed, Buffy. I don't think he was like that. Not before."
"Which begs the question," Buffy closed her eyes and sighed, "Is it my fault? Did I do something to him?"
Willow patted her hand. "It's not all about you, silly. I wouldn't discount the big bad government, and scary hush hush military stuff. Can't be good for a guy."
"Mommy!"
Buffy looked up at her daughter, and her eyes grew wide. "I told you the baby slide," she called.
Meredith was standing at the top of the tall slide, waving her hands. "I'm a big girl." Meredith looked down the long slope of the slide, and panicked. She stood at the top, frozen. "Mommy! Too high!" The line up of children behind her yelled at her to go. The boy behind her, impatient, gave her a shove, but instead of heading down the slide, she lost her balance and plummeted over the side of the platform.
Buffy rushed towards her. She wasn't going to make it.
"Soft," Willow muttered.
Meredith hit the ground.
Buffy screamed. She knelt beside her little girl, terrified of what she'd find.
Meredith looked up at her, giggling. "That was fun."
The circle of mothers and children that gathered parted as Buffy carried her daughter away from the slide. "Is she okay?" Monica asked. "I was sure ..."
"She's fine. Right honey?"
Meredith nodded with enthusiasm. "I'm fine. I want to go again."
Buffy mouthed "Thank you," to Willow, then put her daughter on the ground. "Don't you ever do that again. Ever." She took Meredith's hand. "Time to go home." A tear trickled down the young mother's cheek. 'I should have been paying more attention,' she thought. 'How can I watch two kids, when I can't even look after one?' But to Meredith she added, "Your daddy is not going to be happy about this."