Joanne's annoying alarm clock shattered Maureen's sleep. Her eyes shot open, and she rolled over to face Joanne.
"If you don't turn that damn thing off, I'll show you a real example of time flying!" the diva snapped. Joanne turned off the alarm and rolled out of bed. Maureen's ill-tempered early morning remarks no longer fazed her. Joanne walked around to the other side of the bed and gently shook Shania's shoulder.
"Come on Shania. It's time to get up for school," she said. Groaning, Shania sat up and rubbed her eyes. "You too Mo. We've got to take Shania to school."
"You both don't have to take me," Shania said.
"You sure?" Shania nodded. Joanne sighed. "Looks like you lucked out Mo." Maureen smiled lightly and pulled a pillow over her head. Shania climbed out of bed and went to go get dressed.
Shania came into the kitchen, fully dressed and wide awake fifteen minutes later. Joanne came out of her room and quietly closed the door behind her.
"What do you want for breakfast?" she asked. Shania sat at the table.
"Do you have any cereal?" Joanne pulled out a box of cereal, a bowl and milk. After she got Shania her cereal, she got herself some coffee.
"Now remember, Mommy's going to pick you up from school at three thirty. I want you to wait out front for her." Shania nodded. "You nervous?"
"Little bit, but I'm excited too." Joanne looked at her watch and stood up.
"Good, you'll make friends. now, what do you want for lunch?"
by the time Maureen stumbled out of bed, Joanne and Shania were long gone. Taped to the coffee pot was a note from Joanne. Maureen picked it up and read it.
Mo, please remember to pick Shania up outside her school at three thirty. You should take her down to the performance space, she'd probably like that. I love you. Joanne. Maureen put the not on the counter and made herself a large cup of coffee. Maybe she would take Shania to the performance space. She did have to work on her protest.
At exactly three thirty, Maureen walked up in front of Shania's school. Shania came running down the sidewalk, her backpack bouncing up and down.
"Mommy! Mommy!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around Maureen's neck. "You're late." Maureen laughed.
"I'm late? Look at my watch, it says three thirty on the dot, you're early." Shania crossed her arms over her chest. "Come on, we've got to stop somewhere before we go home." Shania slipped her hand in Maureen's, and they began to walk down the street towards Alphabet City.
Shania clung to Maureen as they walked down the street to the performance space. Wide-eyed, the child looked around the strange place.
"Where are we?" she whispered as Maureen walked into the performance space.
"This is where I work," the diva replied.
"I thought you didn't work." Maureen shrugged and went up on the stage. Shania followed apprehensively.
"I'm an actress. It's an on again, off again type of job." Maureen tried to turn on the speakers, but they wouldn't work. "God damn it!" Shania raised her eyebrows. "Oh shoot, sorry. Lemme call Mark to fix it." Maureen picked up the phone. "You have any homework?"
"Yeah, a little bit."
"Why don't you work on it now, and then show me some of your dance moves?" Shania sat on the side of the stage and pulled out her folder. Maureen dialed the familiar number to the loft and talked Mark into coming down to help her out.
Fifteen minutes later, Mark came down to the performance space with Mimi in tow. While Maureen had been waiting, she was helping Shania with her homework. Maureen got up when she saw Mark and Mimi.
"Thank you so much Marky! I don't know what's wrong with the stupid thing," she exclaimed.
"Well, what'd you do to it?"
"If I knew that, I wouldn't have called you in the first place!" Mark rolled his eyes.
"Is that her?" Mimi asked. Shania looked up.
"Shania, can you say
hi to my friends Mark and Mimi?"
"Hi," Shania said quietly.
Mimi sat down next to her while Mark helped Maureen with her broken
equipment.
Shania simply sat there doing her homework and ignoring Mimi. Mimi noticed all of the child's dance stuff.
"You like to dance?" she asked. Without looking up, Shania nodded. "You know, I'm a dancer. I also teach dance." Shania looked up. Now, Mimi had her attention.
"Really?" Mimi smiled.
"Yeah, I teach a few blocks away from here. Maybe you can sign up for lessons with me." Shania's face immediately lit up at the suggestion.
"Can I Mommy?" she asked. Maureen looked up from what she was working on with Mark.
"Can you what?" the diva asked.
"Take dance lessons." Shania got up and grabbed Maureen's arm. "Please? Please, please, please, please, please!?" she begged. Maureen sighed while Mark and Mimi laughed.
"We'll talk to Mama when we get home." Shania let out a squeal and threw her arms around Maureen's neck. Mark chuckled. "What's so funny?"
"You. You've had her not even for a day, and she's already got you wrapped around her little finger." Maureen scowled.
"Just focus on fixing my equipment." Maureen flipped her hair over her shoulder and went to go talk to Mimi.
Maureen sat down next to Mimi and pulled Shania onto her lap. Mimi smiled at the mother and daughter.
"So, where's Davis?" Maureen asked.
"At the free clinic. It was too quiet at the loft, so I decided to come down here." Maureen nodded. "Guess who's going to be back in two weeks."
"Collins?" Maureen guessed. Mimi nodded. "No way, really?"
"Who's Collins Mommy?" asked Shania.
"A very good friend of ours."
"He's only gong to be here for a little while. He has a break between jobs, so he's coming home." Maureen couldn't help but smile. She was thrilled that Collins was coming home even if it was only for a little while.
That night, Maureen told Joanne about Collins coming home and Mimi's offer about dance lessons. The diva slid over and rested her head on Joanne's chest.
"She seemed really excited about taking lesson, Pookie. Could we consider signing her up?" Joanne wrapped her arms around Maureen.
"I think it'll be good for Shania to have some friends her own age. We'll wait until she gets settled first though." Maureen got up and straddled Joanne. She took the lawyer's face in her hands and began to kiss her tenderly. Not breaking off the kiss, Joanne flipped them over. Maureen slid her hand under the lawyer's shirt and deepened the kiss.