[Context: Cut from Cancelled (ch. 17 of The Fosters Musings) when I decided I wanted Stef to threaten the kids to leave the house instead of them all deciding to avoid being home for the night. However, I particularly enjoyed this interaction between Lena and Mariana - one of my favorite parent/child relationships - and wasn't willing to just delete it.]
When she got home, the house was quiet. There were no backpacks or shoes by the front door, no tv or music playing, no bickering. The quiet was unsettling. Lena set down her keys and purse before heading to the kitchen. She scanned the room for signs of teenagers but there was no food laying around. Only Stef's coffee mug from that morning was by the sink. The cash for the pizza was sitting on the table where she'd left it before going to work that morning. Just as she pulled out her phone to send inquiring texts to her kids, Mariana traipsed around the corner, head bowed and her fingers flying across her phone.
"Oh!" She stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide as she almost ran into Lena. "Hi, Mama."
"Hey." Lena set her phone down on the table, no longer needing it. Mariana was always a reliable source. "Where is everyone?"
Mariana pushed her phone into her back pocket. "Brandon went to Mike's. Callie took Jude with her to spend the night with Sophia, and Jesús is crashing with someone from the wrestling team." She ticked each one off on a finger as she spoke.
"So they're all spending the night out?"
"Uh, yeah." Mariana looked at Lena with more attitude than her petite body should have been able to hold.
"Why?"
"Because it's your anniversary, remember?"
"Yes. I remember." Lena's tone sharpened as she couldn't help but turn some of her daughter's attitude back at her. "But Mom and I were just going out for dinner. We left pizza money for you guys."
Mariana crossed her arms over her chest, her head cocked and her eyebrows arched high. "Yeah but eventually you're going to come home and trust me. No one wants to be here for that."
Lena pressed her lips into a tight line to disguise her shock at Mariana's candor, her eyes slipping to the ground for a moment. She cleared her throat while her face grew warm. "Then why are you home?"
Mariana rolled her eyes as she plopped down on a stool at the table. "Because I couldn't find somewhere to go before Brandon was ready to leave so they all just left me here." She dropped her chin into her hands, a pout settling on her face.
Lena chuckled and shook her head. She leaned her elbows on the corner of the table beside her daughter. "Well, it looks like the universe is on your side tonight."
Mariana's head popped up. "What do you mean?"
"We had to cancel our dinner plans."
"What? Why?"
"Mom has to work late. I'm not sure when she'll even be home."
"Well that sucks."
Lena nodded in agreement, though she was surprised that her daughter sounded more offended than relieved.
"I mean, you guys only get one first anniversary and you waited so long to be able to get married. That's so unfair."
Lena smiled, touched by her daughter's reaction. She squeezed Mariana's shoulder in appreciation. "It is. But that's life. And you know, when it comes down to it, a first anniversary is just that. A first. Which means that, hopefully, we're going to have many more. So, if we have to have one not-so-memorable anniversary in order to have all the ones to come, I'll take it." Lena's mood lifted as her own words helped her gain some perspective on the day. Mariana's face brightened with a warm smile and a quiet moment passed between them.
A loud buzzing startled them both and Mariana pulled her phone out of her back pocket. Lena dropped her head down onto her arm atop the table, letting the moment go as her daughter buried her head in her phone.
"So." Lena pushed herself up straight and rested her hands on the edge of the table. Her fingers tapped a slow rhythm against the wood. "Since it's just you and me, how do you feel about pizza and a movie?"
"Huh?" Mariana looked up from her text. "Oh, yeah. Sure. But can we get gluten free?"
"When did you stop eating gluten?" Mariana was deep in her phone again and Lena changed her mind. She didn't need to know. "You know what, gluten free's fine." She picked up her phone. "Why don't you go pick a movie while I order?" Mariana ignored her, continuing to text until Lena cleared her throat.
"Wha- uh yeah. Right. A movie. I'll go and pick one, sure."
Lena tilted her head to the side, curious about the sudden change in demeanor. "Is everything okay?"
"What? Yeah, no. It's fine."
Lena raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, and Mariana deflated.
"It's just. Emma texted me and her plans got canceled so she asked if I still wanted to spend the night. We have a STEM project to work on so it was kind of perfect timing but I told her I was busy so it's fine." Watching Mariana fight the look of disappointment on her face was like watching her own afternoon play out in front of her.
"You should go."
"No, Mama. It's fine. We'll just work on our project during our free period on Monday. I don't want to be the second one to ditch you for dinner tonight."
"Ouch." Lena grimaced, though a smile danced at the edges.
"Sorry."
"It's fine." She waved away the apology and smiled at her daughter. "I'm fine. So go on. Go to Emma's."
"Really? You're sure?" Even if she wasn't, how could she say otherwise with Mariana practically vibrating with excitement?
"I'm sure. Now go before I change my mind and make you stay and watch a documentary with me."
"Okay, okay! I'm going!" Mariana hugged Lena then rushed out of the room and up the stairs before Lena could blink. In the time it took Lena to get from the kitchen to the front door, she was running back down, a backpack slung over her shoulder.
"Do you need a ride?"
"No, I'll walk. Thanks, Mama." She was already halfway out the door.
"You're welcome. I love you."
"Love you, too." The door was almost shut behind her when she popped her head back in. "Happy anniversary," she said then slammed the door.
"Thanks," Lena said to the empty room. She stood there for a moment. When was the last time she'd had the entire house to herself? Never, probably. The unfamiliar promise of solitude was exciting and as she tried to decide how to spend her time, she found herself overwhelmed with possibilities. Her initial impulse was to take the opportunity to clean in peace. It would be nice to mop the floors without someone immediately walking across them, just once. Or she could answer some work emails without interruption. But as she wandered into the kitchen the money on the counter caught her eye. If she had to spend her anniversary alone, shouldn't she at least get to enjoy it?