Thanks for reading and especially to those who review. This chapter is based around actual events from the show that I felt needed to be included to give their setting some context. Words in italic are quotes from the show. Apology in advance for the lack of Nicky in this chapter, for those who love her. She's a major part of the next chapter though and I'm sure she found some ways to amuse herself, behind the scenes, while Red was busy in this one.
Hope you enjoy.
"I'm back", Red proclaimed, her blue eyes piercing directly into Gloria's and a smirk tugging at her lips as she waited for reaction. Her hands gracefully tugged the straps of the pristine white apron Norma had tossed her as Gloria stood in the entrance of her office, staring at her in stunned incredulity.
"You're back?" Gloria blinked. Her eyes darted around the kitchen at her girls as though she expected one of them to jump up and announce that this was just someone's idea of a joke. Although, when it came to matters concerning the kitchen she knew that Red had literally no sense of humour. This was some serious business and she knew Red expected a rise from her. "How the f*ck did you manage to talk your way back in here?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I never should have been out of here," Red said calmly, tossing her head slightly as she folded her hands together. Yesterday, in the late afternoon, Sam Healy had let her know he'd sorted it out with Caputo for her to return to work. He'd gone out of his way for her, which was something Red had been hoping he'd be persuaded to do. She'd been gunning for his assistance for the past several weeks and finally felt like things were beginning to go her way again. She was back in her beloved kitchen as though nothing had changed. The only infringement on her jubilation was the lack of power. She was beholden to whatever the cross looking Latino woman in front of her desired. Healy had stressed that Gloria was doing too fine of a job for them to replace her. If Red wanted the kitchen back, then she was going to settle for less than before.
"Huh," Gloria scoffed. She walked over to the hook to fetch her apron she had hung there and then wrapped the straps around her waist. "You're like a Somali pirate trying to get their ladder hooked," she shook her head, as all her prison daughters walked around to stand beside her, facing Red, as a family unit. "But I've got the whole f*cking coast guard watching you," she motioned to them with her thumbs. "These girls? They're mine!"
"I'm only happy to be back," Red said, trying to look innocent while the others gave her looks of suspicion and hostility. It wasn't as if Gloria and her girls didn't have reasons not to be thrilled about her return. Even if she hadn't injured Gina and nearly wrecked everything with her criminal attempts at sabotage, Red knew that she had been a consistent thorn in Gloria's side since the switch. Always at the ready with a critical eye was not something that Red regretted. It drove her insane to see how grumpy Gloria could become, despite having to begrudgingly admit that Gloria was indeed at least effective at the job. She had nothing personally against Gloria. She liked and respected her well enough and if it weren't or the kitchen then they could probably be friends. However, it was abundantly clear to Red that Gloria did not gain any joy from the work and it did bother her to be in such a lowly spot while Gloria strutted around managing her position. She was meant to be in charge. The kitchen was her baby.
"You're going to be happy sweeping floors, washing dishes? Because there's no way I'm going to let you handle a knife," Gloria lips pursed, as she lifted her chin up a little higher and squared her shoulders. She felt under threat, well aware that Red wanted nothing more than to get this kitchen back and was strategically worming her way back in, calling on special favours from the administration or however else she had managed it. She was an annoyance and a drama that Gloria didn't need when all she was wanted was to do her job, keep herself and her girls out of trouble, and then get the hell out of this place. Litchfield wasn't a home and she refused to consider it as one. She had no ambition in this place aside from making life as tolerable as possible. Unlike Red, who was filled with a passion that Gloria considered to be borderline ridiculous, Gloria wanted nothing to do with any of that.
"Probably wise." was the snarky reply she got from Red, right before she sent her off to help Norma who was silently peeling potatoes while observing their confrontation. Gloria continued to watch Red closely, as she barked orders at her staff and worked to get lunch prepped much sooner than was usually required.
Benny was coming today. She'd arranged for her boy to get rides with Sophia's wife and son, and the opportunity to have regular visitation with him was all that mattered. She watched discreetly as Norma passed Red the sharp peeler, while pretending not to notice or be impressed by the Russian's quick and graceful hands. Maybe it could be alright, them both in here together. Gloria sighed loudly, as she walked over to the stove to supervise the girls who were stirring the large pots on the stove. Everything seemed to be in order.
"You're in charge while I take my visitation," Gloria instructed Maria, as she pulled her apron off and scrunched it into a ball. "Try not to burn the place down while I'm gone." She brushed off the complaints from her girls and ignored the look of disapproval on Red's face. Gloria could almost hear the other woman silently thinking about how when she ran the kitchen, she put it before everything else. She took of her cap, and finally glanced at Red on her way out of the kitchen. The air between them felt heavy with lots of feelings, although dislike was not one of them. They had a respectful relationship as prison mothers. Now they just needed to coexist on the job as well.
Maria took over commanding the room but basically left Red and Norma well enough alone, which was perfectly fine. Red could tell that Gloria ran a tight ship in here. All the girls seemed to know their jobs adequately enough, although there suddenly seemed to be a lightness in them all now that the boss was out. Flaca went to change the station on the radio and suddenly the volume in the room seemed to become louder as everyone began talking more jovially. Maritza and Flaca even tried engaging Daya in some dance moves before Maria ordered them back to their stations. Their camaraderie irritated Red, especially when she didn't have the authority to do anything about it. As time passed, Red began to feel eager for Gloria's return if only so she could bring her girls back into line. They were barely paying attention to what they were doing and Maria had given up trying to make them.
"Norma!" Red called her friend's name sharply, taking command of the single person in the room who she knew would listen to her. Norma had just begun filling up the bagged lunches for the inmates who wouldn't return to the cafeteria for lunch. "Put the drinks in first and then the sandwich. You're squishing all of them!"
"There, better," Red nodded approvingly, glancing up in surprise as she heard heavy footsteps walking into the kitchen. Her eyes flickered up and her cheeks blushed. She'd expected it to be Gloria returning to work, although it was early and visitation time was only half over. Instead she came face to face with Healy, who smiled at her warmly. Red's blush deepened. She hadn't spoken to him since before she'd learned that he'd gotten her back in here.
"Having a nice day?" Healy asked her, rocking nervously onto the balls of his feet and back again.
"Tolerable," Red answered. She walked slowly around Norma, who she noticed was darting her eyes inquisitively between Healy and herself. She folded her arms across her chest and raised her eyebrows knowingly at him. "The boss lady is on a break," Red told him thickly, pursing her lips in disapproval.
"Does that bother you?" Healy asked her seriously.
"It is what it is," Red replied calmly. She glanced at him imploringly, as Healy shifted nervously on the spot. The atmosphere in the kitchen had darkened, the girls all quiet and working with their heads down. Healy had the ability to make every single person in a room feel uncomfortable, except for Red. She understood him. "Did you come here to see me?" she asked when he still didn't say anything.
"Just wanted to see how you were settling in," Healy admitted quietly. "I haven't been convinced this was a very good idea for you so I was curious."
"Uh huh," Red said dryly, rolling her eyes up at him. She gave Healy a biting smile. "Well, here I am," she said holding her arms out expressively.
"Here you are," Healy repeated quietly, scratching the tip of his nose with his finger. "I... umm...there is something that needs to be discussed in my office. If you have time now?"
"Alright," Red nodded, she glanced at Norma and gave her a wink. "I'll be back," she announced to the room. She took off her apron and set it on the table beside her friend. Then she walked calmly down the hall next to Healy.
XXX
"Your divorce was finalized," Healy stated, sitting down in the chair behind his desk and absentmindedly rustling some files spread out on his desk. "I got a notification here.
"I know," Red said tightly, an amused glint in her eye. She sat down in the chair across from him. "I got my divorce certificate in the mail a few days ago. It's probably my most prized possession." She smirked. Despite giving Dmitri no warning about what she was about to do, her ex-husband had signed the papers without any hesitation. They'd communicated through lawyers since Red had removed him from her visitation list and wouldn't call him. Everything had been settled fairly though. Their store and the apartment they'd lived in above it were both on the market. Once they sold the money would be split 50/50 between them. Until her release in two years, Red had appointed Yuri as her trustee. Dmitri had transferred everything of hers into their son's name and he would be managing her affairs from henceforth.
Healy frowned and cupped his chin in his hand. "Why would you take pride in failure?" he asked her with a disapproving edge in his voice.
"Because I don't see divorcing as my failure," Red replied simply. "I'm simply rectifying the mistakes my scared and stupid younger self was too unwilling to change." There were a lot of things that she would do differently if given a second chance, but she had to admit that it was a lot easier to say that now when she had literally nothing to lose. No worries about children, no fear of being alone-Red had already been stripped of everything she had and survived. Letting go of Dmitri no longer intimidated her.
Red leaned forward in her chair, her hands gripping the oak desk as her blue eyes pierced into Healy's. "Let's be real, Sam," she said in her thick accent. "You're not thinking about my situation right now...that's settled. So why don't you tell me what's wrong?"
Healy exhaled slowly and stared down at his folded hands. "Katya and I are separating," he admitted after a pause. He raised his head up to look across the desk at Red, who compressed her lips in sympathy. "I told her that she and her mother should move into an apartment and I'd pay for it."
"Well, that was generous of you," Red said. She clicked her tongue twice and cleared her throat. "You're doing the right thing, Sam... Sorry, I know that's not what you probably want to hear, but you did everything that you could."
"Talking with you before made me accept that things were never going to improve or change," Healy admitted. "You were right, Galina."
"I didn't want to be," Red sighed. "I wanted things to be different for you. But I think that's just the way life goes. Happily ever after was created for the storybooks. So, children reach breeding age without killing themselves."
Despite the grim picture she painted, Healy couldn't help but chuckle. He leaned back in his chair with his hands folded together. His eyes studied her as though she were a most curious specimen and Red's hands tightened their grip on the edge of his desk. "So, you don't think there's someone, somewhere, that you're meant to be with?"
"Of course, I do," Red answered immediately, with no form of hesitation. She bowed her head but peered up at him through her lashes, as she contemplated. "Everybody has a soul mate," she continued, "but they're usually on the other side of the bars, of the wall, of the planet from you." She shrugged, lifting her head up to focus her gaze back on Healy. "That's the way the universe works." she said matter-of-factly. It was something she had long ago made her peace with. It had made staying in her marriage to keep her family in-tact a lot easier. Searching for true love was a fool's game.
"Yeah," Healy sighed, "I am beginning to see that. I just don't think it always has to turn out bad. So why did everything go so terribly for us?"
"It gets easier, Sam," Red promised him, flashing a sympathetic smile. "This is a step forward for you, you'll see."
"I don't think it's a step anywhere," Healy said heavily. "It's me standing exactly where I've always ended up in the end-alone."
"Being alone is fine," Red said thickly. "I mean, look at me. All these years I've spent locked up in this place. No love, no one to hold me at night, or to whisper in my ear. And I'm fine."
"You're fine," Healy nodded slowly as he continued to study her carefully. "I wish you could be better than fine, though. It's like you've just accepted what is."
"I make the best," Red explained simply. "I'm not unhappy. I figured out how to do time, I made a family...now if only Gloria would get out of my way and I could have my kitchen back entirely that would be nice." She laughed lightly in satisfaction, as she at last coaxed a smile out of Healy. She drummed her fingers on the edge of the desk and her blue eyes sparkled. "I should go-"
"I suppose," Healy said faintly. He cleared his throat and shuffled through some files on his desk until he found hers. He reached for a pen and cleared his throat. "Before you do though, I just wanted to confirm a few things."
"Alright," Red said calmly, looking confused.
"You wanted me to list your son, Yuri, as your next of kin?" Healy asked, tapping his pen against the name written in his file."
"Yes," Red nodded, "I told you that before…"
"I just wanted to make sure that hadn't changed," Healy stammered. Since the information in her file had already been updated, he simply continued to tap his pen against the paperwork mindlessly. His question was useless. It seemed that he was just trying to come up with an excuse for why he had requested to speak with her alone. His motivations were actually of a more personal nature and Red new that.
"Sam," Red spoke up suddenly. She crawled her finger up to point at the names she saw on her visitation list. She pointed a long red polished fingernail at the spot where she could see her three sons' written. "I told Nicky to do this but knowing her she's probably already forgotten…"
"What is it?" asked Healy, the hairs on his arm standing up as Red's nail brushed against the base of his hand. He couldn't tell if that was from a deliberate or accidental reflex.
"Will you add my boys to Nicky's visitation list?" Red asked him. She slowly withdrew her hand, sliding it back across the table and into her lap. "I want them to meet," she explained.
"I don't see why not," Healy replied. "I'll handle it."
"Thank you," Red replied. She exhaled loudly, as she stood up from her chair. "And now I really do need to get back into the kitchen. The 'boss lady' will be back soon strutting around," she said sarcastically, with a roll of her eyes.
"Try to get along," Healy told her with a smile. Red twisted the knob to open the door and turned back at him momentarily. Then with a jerk of her head, she was gone.
XXX
"You know what gives me a headache? This job!" Gloria was yelling right as Red re-entered the kitchen. Surprised to see that Gloria was back at all when visitation was still ongoing, Red's looked over Caputo's shoulder at Gloria who was standing by the stove. She looked almost deranged. Her eyes were wild with fury, her breath was quick in her chest, and she seemed to be having something of a fit. As Gloria continued to yell, Red hurried around to grab the broomstick and then began sweeping the floor while methodically making her way to the center of the confrontation. Her ears were perked attentively as she listened to Gloria continuing to yell.
"I gotta be there for my son because he needs a mother! I didn't ask for this sh*t. You know that my ankles are swollen? I got calluses! And that my hair," Gloria ripped the cap off of her head and brought it to her nose. "Smells like canola oil!" she yelled. "I fucking hate this place! I quit!"
The words were like music to Red's ears. She stopped pretending to be busy sweeping and straightened up immediately to stare at Gloria. Red couldn't have tried to hide the smile on her face if she tried. It was exactly what she had been wanting and hoping for. Her hands squeezed tightly around the broom handle for support and her heart rate accelerated from excitement.
"You can't quit, this is prison!" Caputo retorted impatiently, "and there's nobody else to do it." Red quickly looked away from Gloria and over to Caputo. She gave him her most winning smile, tilting her head to the side persuasively and actively bopping onto the balls of her feet imploringly as she silently begged. "Jesus" Caputo groaned, as he stared back at her as though he were in pain. He shook his head tiredly and Red knew perfectly well that she was the last person he wanted. Still, there wasn't anybody else if Gloria was refusing.
"Yeah, give it to her," Gloria nodded her head, as she spotted Red standing behind her. She untied her apron aggressively, balling it up in her shaking hands. "If she wants this so bad, let her have it!" Gloria laughed maniacally as she tossed Red the apron, who managed to catch it, though she looked stunned. She hadn't expected Gloria to endorse her, and she was shocked to see her actually quitting in such a dramatic outburst.
Stunned into speechlessness, Red's eyes stared into Caputo's resembling something of a deer in the headlight. The broom shook in her hand and she didn't know what to say. Nobody else said anything either. Gloria placed her hands on her hips and nodded strongly looked back at Red and a smirk crawled across his face beneath the moustache. "Okay, Reznikov," he shrugged, "You're up. Enjoy it."
XXX
To say that Red enjoyed jumping right back into command was an understatement. As soon as Caputo had left the room Red got over her initial shock and began barking orders at her staff, snapping them back into a mode of productivity. Everything had come to a stand still during Gloria's explosion but now the kitchen life resumed. Flaca, Maritza, Maria, Aleida and Daya all shared dirty looks with one another, but nobody said anything out loud since Red was watching too closely. She was a tough boss, albeit an efficient one, and the re-made lunches and prep for supper were finished in no time.
Red's reintroduction into the kitchen had been a smooth transition, although even she was surprised at how much she had accomplished in a singular day. She hadn't expected Gloria to walk out on the job and return it to her, although it had been clear since that evening she had happened upon her at the phones, that Gloria was under a lot of stress. It was obvious that her mind was a million miles away almost all the time. Emotionally she wasn't in here, in this prison, in this kitchen. She was away with her sons, being the mother she always should have had a chance to be. Red had seen that longing in Gloria the other night while she'd spoken with Benny. It was an agony beholden to all the mothers locked up, how to disengage only enough so that you didn't lose your mind from the separation. No wonder Gloria was so irritated.
Gloria had stormed off to the kitchen's office once Caputo had left and hadn't come out or engaged with anyone since. Red had left her in there, had not bothered her. She had even resisted the temptation to go back to her bunk to retrieve all her personal cookbooks and immediately begin organizing the office the way she had had it before. Instead, she had allowed Gloria to use it as a semi-private space all afternoon. Now, glancing curiously into the doorway of the office, she could make out Gloria's form seated in the office chair, tapping her finger against her lip, as she stared blankly at the cover of a book resting on her thighs. She was obviously going through some stuff and in that instant, Red felt a smidgen of guilt for adding to Gloria's load, for being another stressor that the poor woman obviously hadn't needed.
"I want that counter sparkling clean before you go," Red told Flaca and Maritza sternly as she passed them. The girls rolled their eyes at one another and groaned loudly as they spritzed the surface and began rubbing their rags against it with their lips formed into matching pouts. Red paid them no attention, walking ahead into the office that was now hers again. She cleared her throat loudly to announce her presence.
"Have a good day?" Gloria asked sarcastically, she leaned her head back against the top of the chair and looked up at Red standing in the doorway. Her legs were stretched out on some boxes under the desk and a pile of books were stacked before her. "Do you want this?" she asked, leaning back in her chair further to hand Red the book that had been lying in her lap.
Smirking, Red accepted the book and then put her glasses on so that she could see the cover. "A 101 Things to Do with Eggs," she read out loud. Lowering the book, she peered at Gloria over her violet frames. "Are these recipes? Or is this just going to tell me all the ways you waste eggs doing your magic?"
"Recipes," Gloria replied, giving her a tight smile. "You know, I think most of this camp preferred my scrambled eggs to yours, Red. Just thought you might want to study up so that you don't disappoint everyone in the morning."
"How about those spices you used on the potatoes?" Red retorted.
"What about them?" Gloria asked lazily, clasping her hand over her mouth to disguise a perfunctory yawn.
"You used so much that they were inedible," Red replied. "And Nicky complained that sometimes you served them to her cold."
"Nichols? Please," Gloria rolled her eyes. "That girl's loyalty to you would prompt her to say anything to coax a smile out of you. She loves my home fries…. she certainly asks for a large enough portion."
"Hmm," Red sniffed. She walked deeper into the office and placed the cookbook back on the shelf. Gloria's eyes followed her, as she stretched her feet out beneath the desk comfortably. Red motioned to the stack of books before her. "Are you getting rid of these too? Or did you always leave your workspace such a mess?"
"If you want them, you can have them," Gloria replied easily. "I have no use for them anymore. I'm free!" she stretched her hands up above her head. Suddenly she frowned. "Well free from this job, at least," she sighed, dropping her hands back into her lap.
"You know, I didn't get the impression from Caputo that quitting the top job meant that you didn't have to do anything anymore," Red told her dryly, as she perused a recipe in another of Gloria's books at random.
"I'll help tomorrow," Gloria shrugged unconcernedly. "Let's just declare this a mental health day, alright?"
"Well, no one would doubt you needed one," Red replied with a smirk. Her eyes were still scanning a recipe for Beef Barley soup. "You know...I'm not sure this book is too credible. I think their measurements are off. I'd add a little more garlic and some Worcestershire sauce to the broth...this might explain why I always found yours to be a little bland."
"You're boring me," Gloria yawned exaggeratedly, not bothering to cover her mouth this time. "If you insist on being around me right now then why not talk about something more interesting?"
"Like what?" asked Red, with a frown. She returned all of Gloria's cookbooks to the shelf and then turned back to stare at her. "And this is my office again so if you have a problem, then you should leave. Or I'll kick you out."
"Hey, I gave you everything you wanted today," Gloria reminded her. She exhaled loudly. "You should be thanking me."
"For what?" Red demanded crossing her arms. "You didn't step aside for me, you did it because you couldn't handle the job."
"I handled it fine," Gloria retorted, her eyes narrowing. "I just didn't want to anymore. Why overexert myself? This is prison, not real life. I'm not going to do anything in here that will interfere with the precious time I get to be with my kid."
"So that not-so-little outburst before and you yelling at everyone, that was about your kid?" asked Red.
"Let's call that the last straw," Gloria said vaguely. She eyed Red closely. "And don't look too smug because you and your antics triggered me too."
"I didn't know I had such a powerful effect on you," Red smirked.
"Please," Gloria rolled her eyes. "You think I wasn't up to your games? How long was it going to take you to start gunning for my job if I hadn't just gone ahead and quit. You think I actually believed you'd willingly work for me?"
"Well, I had hoped you'd see reason," Red's eyes glimmered. "But I didn't expect any of this to happen today. Why didn't you just have your son visit at a later time when you'd be free? I always managed to arrange visits with my boys around my work.
"Because hitchhikers can't be choosers," Gloria replied. "Sophia's wife was driving him and that was the only time she could to do it."
"Why didn't your aunt bring him?" Red asked curiously. Reaching for a pen, she walked over to the bulletin board hung on the wall and began scratching out Gloria's meal plan with her own modifications. "Isn't she his guardian?" she asked with her back to her.
"Yeah," Gloria sighed. "But she works like crazy hours, and doesn't have a very reliable car, and I guess she just feels she's already done more than enough for me." Gloria had to blink rapidly and clear her throat to compose herself before Red turned around to face her. It was emotional to think about the Tia who had basically raised her and who now was raising her sons. Gloria knew how disappointed Lourdes was in her, which was especially unfortunate when she remembered how her aunt used to light up at the sight of her. Gloria didn't blame Lourdes for her resentment.
"So now you've made arrangements for Burset's wife to drive him?" Red clarified. Stepping away from the bulletin board, she returned the pen to the holder on the desk and then sunk onto the stool across from Gloria.
"Yeah, so I could see him every week," Gloria replied tiredly. She brushed her hair back off of her face and groaned loudly. "It was actually going pretty good in there, he and I," she admitted. "I was helping him with his homework and he was starting to catch on…. just, f*ck," she buried her face in her hand.
"Well, next time will probably be better," Red said gently. She pulled off her glasses but continued to play with the chain they were attached to. "At least you'll get the full visitation without interruption."
"I don't know," Gloria shook her head. "I'm not even sure they'll bring Benny next week. Sophia thinks he's a bad influence on her son."
"Is he?" Red asked curiously.
"Probably," Gloria admitted. Red let out a chuckle at her honesty which took Gloria so by surprise that she even flashed the Russian a begrudging smile. She knew at once that there wasn't judgement there, just two mothers who understood that their kids usually weren't angels and that was okay. Gloria had less in common with a parent like Sophia who seemed to believe that their own kid's problems were always somebody else's fault.
"He's got a mouth on him for sure," Gloria admitted, sharing a look with Red who was watching her attentively. "He gets in trouble at school, at home...but then he can turn around and just be the sweetest little guy you'll ever meet."
"He sounds like a typical boy," Red replied. "He just needs to act out right now and rebel, like everyone does to some extent. He'll grow out of it."
"I hope so," Gloria said quietly. She shook her head. "I just wish I could be there to help him with his problems. I know a lot of it probably has to do with him missing me. He was just the biggest mama's boy you'd have ever seen when I was home. To see him now, getting so tall and now so angry, I barely recognize him."
"How much time do you have left?" Red asked bluntly.
"Almost four years," Gloria said in a flat tone.
"Four years?" Red echoed, looking shocked. "For Food Stamp fraud? You've already been in here for quite awhile."
"Should have taken the plea deal," Gloria said with a shaky laugh. "Tia convinced me that they'd never put a mother in prison. I thought if I went to trial I'd be able to explain the circumstances and get off with house arrest, community service, or at least less time than they'd been offering. I never expected this."
"Oh," Red said softly, suddenly at a complete loss for words. The only thing she wanted to ask was what the circumstances surrounding her crime had been, but she had a strong suspicion that Gloria wouldn't answer, would even be bothered by the intrusion into her personal life when they weren't friends, or at least not very good ones. Gloria's coffee brown eyes seemed so sensitive to her suddenly. There were so many stories and much pain buried in their depths. There was a lot withheld and suddenly Red felt a rush of compassion. She wasn't even thinking about herself right now. She was completely focused on Gloria.
"My family is in Queens," she said suddenly. "Near yours, I think? I heard you say something before. Mine are in Astoria."
"Yeah," Gloria nodded. "They're in close proximity. Funny, huh?"
"Convenient," Red replied. "Because if rides from Sophia's family aren't working out, I think I could help you." Her words were deliberate and slow. She meant them. Sitting with Gloria these past minutes had suddenly spiraled Red into a compulsion to do something for her. Gloria didn't get enough credit for what she deserved and it was clear that she was struggling.
"I was going to ask you before, actually," Gloria admitted. Her nose twitched as she gave Red a quick smile. "But then after you told me about your husband, I dropped it."
"My sons still visit though," Red told her. "They don't come every week always, but usually one of them does. I could tell them to bring Benny and it would be no problem."
"Red, I-" Gloria gasped suddenly, and her lips stretched into a genuine smile that signified a glimmer of joy. "Benny could pay them for their gas, I'll trade you whatever-"
"You don't have to do any of that," Red interrupted, holding up a hand. "I mean, as you so blatantly put it, you already gave me exactly what I wanted. It's making me feel generous."
"Red... thank you," Gloria said sincerely, as relief coursed through her veins. She suddenly felt hopeful. A rising of faith that had been faltering lately. Now she was beginning to believe that everything might be okay. That a relationship could be rekindled between herself and her child. "Will you call...ask them tomorrow?"
"I don't have to ask them," Red scoffed. "They'll do what I say. And if they were planning to come anyways, then Benny, or your other son, accompanying them makes no difference. Do you only have the two?"
"I have two sons," Gloria told her. "Benny, and then Julio is just a year older than him…." she hesitated, her lips parting as she almost went on. Red raised her eyebrows expectantly, but Gloria clamped her mouth shut before revealing that she also had two older daughters who were estranged from her. It wasn't relevant and Red didn't need to know that much about her. She rested her arms on top of the desk and leaned closer to Red. "How many sons do you have?" she asked.
"Three," Red replied, looking slightly suspicious at Gloria's hesitation. "Yuri, Maxim, and Vasily. They're all in their early thirties"
"Nice," Gloria said softly. "They must be pretty great guys if they're willing to drive complete strangers over an hour."
"I think their mothers' similar circumstances might bond them," Red said, with a roll of her eyes.
"Maybe," Gloria agreed. "Although Julio can be pretty quiet, and Benny has a hard time with new people and tries to hide it by acting like he's bigger than he is. I'm not sure either would be great company…"
"It will be fine," Red assured her. Silence fell between the two women, wrought heavy with a lot of unspoken things. Red opened and closed her mouth several times but did not say anything else. Not for lack of wanting. Red was suddenly filled with curiosity about the mystery that was Gloria. There was a lot more to her than what met the eye, but she wasn't sure if she had a right to inquire about any of it. There was currently a lot of openness and sharing happening between the two women who were at best rivals, who sometimes cooperated and other times were downright antagonistic. Suddenly there was no more contention between them. They were just two women, two mothers, who were connecting through their similar roles without any competitiveness between them.
"Ladies, get ready to thank me!" Caputo's voice rang out in the kitchen, just as Red had opened her mouth to ask Gloria more about herself. Both women frowned across the desk at one another and then slowly got to their feet.
"What the-" Gloria muttered, as she and Red walked out of the office and spotted Caputo standing smugly next to a trolley heavily laden with large boxes. Beef Wellington, Chicken a la King, Macaroni and Cheese...were printed across the sides of the boxes. Red and Gloria exchanged a look as they approached Caputo.
"What's this?" Red asked, crossing her arms. Standing closely side by side, her shoulder pressed against Gloria's. The immaculately clean kitchen was empty of inmates, besides themselves.
"The wave of the future," Caputo replied promptly, as though he had been rehearsing for this announcement. He smiled as he watched Red's eyes reading off the labels on the boxes. He opened the top box and pulled out a large bag that had something brown in it that made Gloria wrinkle her nose in distaste. "Pre-packaged, boil in the bag meals. Your lives just got a hell of a lot easier. Just dump these bags in the steamer...and call it a day."
"Tell me this is a joke," Red exclaimed, her voice pleading.
"It's not a joke," Gloria said dryly, crossing her arms across her chest. "I'm sure glad I'm not running things around her no more."
"You didn't think I'd put you in charge if you actually had any power, did you?" Caputo pointed a finger at Red, almost tauntingly. It had been the plan all along. It would have been carried out regardless of who was running things in this kitchen, but Red still felt like this was a personal insult. She felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. As if to provoke her further, Caputo actually winked at her before turning on his heel to leave.
"Well…." Gloria said slowly, her eyes on the workmen loading up their refrigerator with the boxes. Red had sucked in her breath and winced, as though the sight of them was physically hurting her. It pained Gloria too. She might not as be as emotional about the food as Red was, but nothing about those bagged meals had seemed appetizing to her either. She felt defeated, whereas only moments ago she had been full of hope. The situation with her children was beginning to seem less bleak, since she and Red had been getting somewhere. Now everything seemed to be falling apart, which should come as no surprise to her anymore. She should be used to it. Red, who had been so positive and warm in the office, suddenly looked crestfallen and victimized. She'd wanted her kitchen back, but not like this. Gloria wasn't sure she would still be as appreciative of her stepping down now.
"So…." Gloria chuckled, patting her hands together, as she stared into Red's eyes and tried to engage her. "Will you still give my son a ride?"