"Five minutes… five minutes out of her day Kate, that's all I'm asking. She said she'd call and yet… nothing. I swear she's doing this just to piss me off" said Sara close to tears.
"She's not babe. I just think her mind is all over the show right now" said Kate out of breath on her stationary exercise bike. She wiped sweat from her eyes.
"I think you've had enough now" said Sara sounding worried.
"I'm good, just five more minutes" Kate panted.
"You said you wouldn't push yourself too fast" Sara almost yelled.
"I'm not pushing! I know what my body can take right now. This is fine. You know I sweat a lot when I exercise, even when I'm taking it easy. Relax!" said Kate still pedalling.
Sara put her hands over her face and started sobbing.
"Shit" Kate mumbled and got off the bike.
"Babe, hey it's okay" said Kate softly touching Sara's cheek. Sara just shook her head, face still buried in her hands, shoulders shaking.
"I'm really sweaty but I want to hold you so bad right now" said Kate. Sara nodded and put her arms around Kate's neck.
"I feel like I'm going to snap" Sara whispered into Kate's wet hair.
"Its okay babe, it's going to be okay. Want to talk?"
"I talk… I talk all the time" said Sara still clinging to Kate.
"Sara, I think you should see Violet again" said Kate. Sara had stopped her sessions with her therapist about a month ago and since then Kate could see Sara slowly go back to that dark place. She hardly slept, constant nightmares keeping her awake.
"I don't know… don't know if it will help" said Sara sniffing.
"Sar, just try? For me?" said Kate gently cupping Sara's face.
"I'll think about it" Sara mumbled and extracted herself from Kate's grip.
"Sweetie, come here" said Kate.
"Go take a shower, I'll go check on Amelia"
Kate sighed and wiped her face with her gym towel.
-0-
The van ride into the city was relatively quiet. As they pulled up to the Fairmont Tegan sat up straight.
"Want to join us for a piece of pie and a coffee?" asked Tegan as if inspired suddenly.
"Um… I…" said Cam looking a bit uncomfortable.
"Say yes!" Tegan smiled.
"Okay, thanks"
"Let's just drop your bags off at the hotel" said Beth.
"No it's fine, I'll get them later" said Cam fast.
"It really is not trouble Ms Hart" said Beth.
"I said no" Cam snapped.
"Okay, obviously hangry! Let's get pie" Tegan smiled.
"Pie" said Ryan clapping his hands together.
-0-
Fifteen minutes later Tegan, Cam and the kids were seated at a booth in a diner down the street from the hotel. Beth and Nicky were seated a few booths away pretending to eat but watching Tegan and Cam closely. Mike was hanging around outside.
"Sorry about my cops, total overkill" said Tegan rolling her eyes.
"No problem" Cam snorted.
"I don't need them but Sara and Kate would've never let me come without them" said Tegan.
"I get that" Cam shrugged and took a large bite of the massive piece of pie the waitress just put in front of her. "Ohhhh my… this is heaven" said Cam with her eyes closed.
"Ryan, you're making a mess boy, hang on" Tegan laughed trying to wipe her son's mouth and hands.
"Tegan…"
"Yeah. Hang on. Oh yes, this is heaven" said Tegan savouring the piece of pie with one finger up.
"I'm not really staying at the Fairmont" said Cam and shrugged, not waiting for Tegan's go-ahead.
"Oh… why did you say you were? Afraid we're going to track you down?"
"No, I just… I'm staying in some little AirBnb bedsit. I guess I was embarrassed"
Tegan laughed. "Honey, you should have seen the places I've stayed in in my life. I'm sure this place is like a palace". She shoved another piece of pie into her mouth.
Cam burst out laughing. "It's just for a few days and I don't like wasting money. I'm basically just going to be sleeping there" she said after the laughter had died down.
"Makes sense to me" said Tegan.
Conversation continued for a few minutes before Tegan excused herself to go to the toilet.
"Can you keep an eye on them please?" she begged with her hands together.
"Of course! Take your time" said Cam waving Tegan away.
Tegan walked past Beth and briefly stopped. "Follow me" she said quietly and walked away. A minute later Beth got up and followed Tegan into the washroom.
Cam felt a little uncomfortable with the kids all over her. Casey tried to feed her some pie and Ryan was throwing the sugar shaker over, spilling sugar all over the table and now running his hands through it laughing.
"Um… Ryan don't do that! Oh no thanks sweetie I already had" she said as Casey became more insistent on pushing the pie into Cam's mouth.
"I leave you guys alone for 3 minutes and you've ruined our guest!" said Tegan with her hands in her sides, she burst out laughing.
"Sorry, I should have warned you, you need to be stricter" Tegan laughed and leaned over the table to wipe cream off Casey's face with a napkin. "Oh, looks like I have another customer" Tegan winked and wiped Cam's cheek too. Cam was suddenly afraid that Tegan would notice the heat that suddenly spread up to her cheeks. She pulled her face away.
"Sorry, not much of a babysitter huh?" she laughed shakily.
"I usually am, but there's two of them!" Cam laughed.
"I know right" said Tegan rolling her eyes.
"So… I don't want you to be mad, but I did something" said Tegan.
"That doesn't sound good" said Cam shifting around uncomfortably.
"Let me explain. Um… Tegan and Sara, the band I mean, we get sponsored by the Four Seasons. Basically we get a certain number of rooms and nights per year for free. Comes in very handy when we're touring of course but we're not touring this year. So we have all these free nights just going to waste. So I got Beth to book you in. As long as you want to stay"
"Tegan that's very nice but you really don't have to do that" said Cam looking perplexed.
"I want to. I owe you so much Cameron. This is something so small, it's nothing really. It's not even costing me anything. Please, take it"
"Well…. Um… Are you sure you're not paying for it?"
"Very, you can check their site. We're on their list of endorsers"
"That's really kind of you Tegan. Thank you. I guess a room in a nice hotel would be more comfortable than the glorified dorm room I had lined up. The mattress will probably be kinder on my back too" Cam smiled and took her last bite of pie.
"Good, then it's settled" Tegan smiled.
-0-
The kids were both screaming by the time they needed to be put in their car seats again. Tegan looked stressed.
"Tegan, hey hang on a sec" said Cam touching Tegan's upper arm.
"Provincetown ain't going nowhere. Why don't you guys just stay in Boston tonight since you have all those free rooms? The kids can run around, stretch their legs. You can all go to bed early and get an early start in the morning, well rested and refreshed"
"I guess you have a point. The time difference is messing things up too. We won't be there before their bed time"
"I heard there's a heated pool in there" Cam smiled with her one eyebrow up.
"That means I have to swim with them" Tegan laughed shaking her head.
"Okay monsters, who wants to go swimming? No more car seats for today"
"Um… Tegan, care to discuss the change of plans with me?" asked Beth taking Tegan aside.
"The kids are exhausted and crabby and frankly, so am I. We're staying in the hotel tonight, we'll leave for Provincetown first thing in the morning"
"I see. Let me help you to the lounge, I'll make the arrangements while you wait there"
"Shit, those bathing suits are right at the bottom of the luggage. You go make the arrangements, we're just going to get some clothes. Wanna come Cam?" asked Tegan already grabbing her wallet before reaching for Ryan's hand.
"You guys can stay, we're fine" said Tegan and waved off the guards.
"Tegan this is not the plan we discussed and…."
"I'm not a prisoner Beth. I can go shopping with my kids. I'll be twenty minutes. Relax! Seriously!"
It was obvious that Beth was livid. She was grinding her teeth not to comment.
"Nicky, go make the hotel arrangements. You have the codes. Mike and I are going shopping apparently"
A/N: Sorry I've been neglecting you again. Please review and let me know you're still out there.