For notes and disclaimers, see part 1.
Part 16
"Miranda, please eat up your dinner," CJ said and sighed.
Miranda leaned back in the chair, crossed her arms over her chest and simply shook her head.
"Honey, I thought this was your favorite. I made it especially for you and you did say you were hungry."
Miranda didn't answer.
"Damn it, Miranda! Eat up your food!"
Miranda looked at CJ for a short moment. Then she looked down and CJ noticed that her lower lip was starting to shiver.
CJ leaned her elbows against the table and leaned her head against her hands. "Damn it," she whispered and looked up. "Miranda, honey, I'm so sorry."
She tried to reach her hand over the table but Miranda pulled away. Instead she stuck out her tongue and left the table. Normally, CJ would never tolerate if someone stuck out her tongue to her, but now, everything was so weird and everything felt like shit, so she didn't care.
* * * * *
"He's been here all week. This is the fifth night in a row," the bartender told Josh and gave him his beer.
Josh thanked him and slowly approached Toby at the end of the counter. "Hey Toby. How are you doing?"
Toby didn't answer. Instead he lit a cigarette.
"Listen, the bartender told me you've been here all week after work. No wonder you've looked the way you have."
"If you're trying to cheer me up, you're not doing a very good job," Toby said quietly. "How did you know I was here?"
"Sam told me," Josh said after a pause.
Toby laughed a little, a sarcastic laugh. "And why did Sam send you? He's that afraid of me?"
"Toby, he's not afraid of you. He respects and looks up to you. He doesn't want to see his role model and friend act like this," he paused for a short moment before continuing, "and neither do I."
"Yet, here you are, sitting right next to me."
Josh was quiet. He didn't know how to reach him.
"Has something happened?" He tried after a while.
"You could say so," he murmured and lit another cigarette. "Want one?" Josh shook his head.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
One glare from Toby gave Josh the answer. Josh nodded before finishing his beer.
"Okay, if you ever need to talk you know where to find me." He rose and placed his hand briefly on Toby's shoulder before leaving. "Keep an eye on him," he told the bartender when he passed him.
* * * * *
CJ didn't know what to do. She had been standing outside Miranda's room for nearly thirty minutes now and she refused to let her in. She didn't understand how Miranda could have found the key to that room.
"Miranda, please come out! I'm so sorry I yelled at you. Miranda?"
She hadn't answered once since CJ had begun asking for her. She leaned against the door and slid down against it to the floor. On the floor she put her hands over her face and silently began to cry. What had she been thinking in New York? She could never make this. She wasn't meant to have kids. Maybe she was one time, but she blew that. She heard the door click and when she felt it move behind her she quickly turned and stood on her knees. She looked at Miranda who stood with her new favorite stuffed animal in her hand, a purple bear. CJ wiped away her tears and looked at Miranda.
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry. I just. I can't do this. I'm sorry."
Miranda looked sad at CJ. Then she patted her gently on the cheek and smiled slightly before stepping into CJ's embrace. CJ held her tightly and kissed her on the head.
"I'm sorry, honey. I'm sorry for everything. I should never have taken care of you in first place. I should have realized this would happen."
"Don't say that," Miranda said quietly. "I like you a lot and you've done a great job. It's just. maybe you need someone's help."
CJ looked at her and now Miranda was smiling mischievous, which made CJ close her eyes and sigh.
"Honey, I want nothing more, but that's never going to happen and the sooner you realize that the better."
TBC.
Part 16
"Miranda, please eat up your dinner," CJ said and sighed.
Miranda leaned back in the chair, crossed her arms over her chest and simply shook her head.
"Honey, I thought this was your favorite. I made it especially for you and you did say you were hungry."
Miranda didn't answer.
"Damn it, Miranda! Eat up your food!"
Miranda looked at CJ for a short moment. Then she looked down and CJ noticed that her lower lip was starting to shiver.
CJ leaned her elbows against the table and leaned her head against her hands. "Damn it," she whispered and looked up. "Miranda, honey, I'm so sorry."
She tried to reach her hand over the table but Miranda pulled away. Instead she stuck out her tongue and left the table. Normally, CJ would never tolerate if someone stuck out her tongue to her, but now, everything was so weird and everything felt like shit, so she didn't care.
* * * * *
"He's been here all week. This is the fifth night in a row," the bartender told Josh and gave him his beer.
Josh thanked him and slowly approached Toby at the end of the counter. "Hey Toby. How are you doing?"
Toby didn't answer. Instead he lit a cigarette.
"Listen, the bartender told me you've been here all week after work. No wonder you've looked the way you have."
"If you're trying to cheer me up, you're not doing a very good job," Toby said quietly. "How did you know I was here?"
"Sam told me," Josh said after a pause.
Toby laughed a little, a sarcastic laugh. "And why did Sam send you? He's that afraid of me?"
"Toby, he's not afraid of you. He respects and looks up to you. He doesn't want to see his role model and friend act like this," he paused for a short moment before continuing, "and neither do I."
"Yet, here you are, sitting right next to me."
Josh was quiet. He didn't know how to reach him.
"Has something happened?" He tried after a while.
"You could say so," he murmured and lit another cigarette. "Want one?" Josh shook his head.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
One glare from Toby gave Josh the answer. Josh nodded before finishing his beer.
"Okay, if you ever need to talk you know where to find me." He rose and placed his hand briefly on Toby's shoulder before leaving. "Keep an eye on him," he told the bartender when he passed him.
* * * * *
CJ didn't know what to do. She had been standing outside Miranda's room for nearly thirty minutes now and she refused to let her in. She didn't understand how Miranda could have found the key to that room.
"Miranda, please come out! I'm so sorry I yelled at you. Miranda?"
She hadn't answered once since CJ had begun asking for her. She leaned against the door and slid down against it to the floor. On the floor she put her hands over her face and silently began to cry. What had she been thinking in New York? She could never make this. She wasn't meant to have kids. Maybe she was one time, but she blew that. She heard the door click and when she felt it move behind her she quickly turned and stood on her knees. She looked at Miranda who stood with her new favorite stuffed animal in her hand, a purple bear. CJ wiped away her tears and looked at Miranda.
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry. I just. I can't do this. I'm sorry."
Miranda looked sad at CJ. Then she patted her gently on the cheek and smiled slightly before stepping into CJ's embrace. CJ held her tightly and kissed her on the head.
"I'm sorry, honey. I'm sorry for everything. I should never have taken care of you in first place. I should have realized this would happen."
"Don't say that," Miranda said quietly. "I like you a lot and you've done a great job. It's just. maybe you need someone's help."
CJ looked at her and now Miranda was smiling mischievous, which made CJ close her eyes and sigh.
"Honey, I want nothing more, but that's never going to happen and the sooner you realize that the better."
TBC.