"I can't believe that you've come back to work, Erin," Penelope said as they rode up to the sixth floor.
She looked down at her daughter, giving her a warm smile as she shrugged. "There was nowhere else for her to go. I wasn't about to bring her back to school for two hours, and our house is in the complete opposite direction from the hospital, so it made sense to bring her with me for a few hours. And you're going to be good for Mommy, right?"
Elise nodded as the doors opened, and then Erin was crouching down a little to pick her daughter up in her arms before stepping out of the elevator car. There weren't many people milling about, which Erin was grateful for, and they started for her office, allowing Penelope to head into the bullpen. She had almost reached her sanctuary when Alex Blake stepped out from another room. Erin braced herself for an argument with the woman, since she was almost certain that she would have nothing good to say about the fact that she had brought her daughter into this place.
They paused in front of each other, Alex assessing her coolly before turning her gaze onto Elise. "Hello," she said quietly, clearly addressing Elise.
"Hi! I got to come to work with Mommy for a few hours, since I broke my arm when Amanda pushed me off the monkey bars. Are you one of Mommy's friends?"
Erin braced herself for Alex's reaction, knowing that she could very well be unkind in that moment. Instead, the smile on her lips softened as she reached out and stroked Elise's hair. "I do work with your mother, yes, sweetheart. Does your arm hurt?"
Elise shook her head before snuggling in close to Erin. "No, Mommy kissed my arm and made it all better after the nice doctor put my cast on. Do you want to sign it? Miss Penelope did it before we left."
Once more, their eyes met, and Erin could just tell that there was this quiet war happening in Alex. "Does your mother have a pen I could use?"
Elise nodded, while Erin fumbled around in her purse for the marker that Penelope had used. After pulling it out, she handed it over to Alex, trying to ignore the way their fingers brushed. It was the first time that they had touched in so many years, and it just reminded her of everything that she had lost as a result of her arrogance and hubris. Alex's face tightened for just a moment, which told Erin that she hadn't managed to hide her expression, and Alex was upset at that. Stiffening her spine, Erin schooled her features into as best a mask as she could while Alex signed Elise's cast before handing the pen back to Erin. This time, she made certain not to touch her, not even slightly, and then Alex was ruffling Elise's hair before disappearing into the bullpen.
Letting out as quiet a sigh as she could manage, Erin brought Elise into her office. Helen jumped to her feet immediately and rushed over to the inner door, opening it for Erin before following them inside. "How are you feeling, Elise?"
"A little tired, Miss Helen. Do you want to sign my cast? You'll be the third person."
Helen nodded, and Erin settled her daughter onto her sofa before once more pulling the marker from her purse and handing it over to her assistant. While Helen and Elise talked between each other, Erin went over to her desk and practically deflated in on herself as she thought about her interaction with Alex. While it hadn't been the best, she still had a flicker of hope that perhaps seeing her child had been the catalyst into softening Alex towards her.
Starting her computer, Erin logged into her email and caught up on what she had missed while at hospital with Elise. When that was taken care of, she picked up her phone and called Jessica, watching as Elise slowly fell asleep, her head in Helen's lap. It was a sweet sight, and she sighed slightly as Jessica picked up on the other end of the line. "Erin! How's Elise doing?"
"She's about to fall asleep in my office. Were you able to pick Catherine up without any problems?"
"Yes, and she is playing with Jack right now. I can't believe that some brat would push our girl off the monkey bars!"
"Tell me about it. I have half a mind to just march down to that school and ream out the teacher who's allowed this bullying to occur all year without informing us about what's going on. I know, that's not the best attitude to have, but my overprotective side just kicked into overdrive?"
"I completely understand, because I want to hunt that girl's parents down and give them a thorough drubbing. Will you be home at your normal time?"
"I think so. There are a few things that I need to finish before I end my day, and Elise needs to have a good nap before I wake her up, too. Oh, and I had a bit of an interaction with Alex earlier."
"Really?"
"Yes. We ran into each other on my way back to the office, and Elise immediately engaged her in a small conversation. She wouldn't look at me for most of the short chat, but it was nice to be in close proximity with my former friend. I took your advice, and didn't push things, just let them happen naturally, and I think that it went well as a result. Maybe she won't open up to me for a while, but I hope this is the first hint of cracks in the wall of ice between us."
"That's wonderful to hear! You'll have to tell me more tonight, after Aaron takes Jack home. And don't worry, I've already started making our meal, so all you have to worry about is getting home. I'm so glad that Elise is all right."
"So am I, Jessie. We'll see you soon."
After ending the call, Erin looked up to see that Elise was now fully asleep, and Helen had left the office. Letting out a soft puff of breath, she turned back to the computer and began to work through the things that had needed her attention most before she had had to leave to take care of Elise. It was all too easy to get lost in the work, until she heard Elsie start to stir on the sofa. "Mommy, I'm hungry."
"Well, that's good to hear, because I am finished with my work, so we can go home and see what Aunt Jessica made for supper. Does that sound good?"
Elise nodded as she awkwardly sat up, rubbing her eyes with her good hand. "Yes. And I can get her and Uncle Aaron to sign my cast, too?"
"Of course, darling. Let Mommy save this file, and then I'll pack up my bag, and we can head out."
Elise nodded as she came over to Erin's side, watching her carefully before taking a look at the pictures on her desk. "Mommy, it's the nice lady from earlier. I thought she said she wasn't your friend?"
"She was, once, but right now, things are difficult. When you get older, you'll understand a little better about how people can grow and change. I promise. But I still hope that one day, we'll be friends again." Elise nodded as Erin pushed away from her desk and began to gather her things, suddenly ready to head home and be with her other children, missing David more than anything, and looking forward to a call from him that evening, after the littles had gone to sleep.