I'm going to be a tad late, sorry
Holly sent the text before pulling out of the station. She felt bad, not just for being late but for not being able to stay with Gail and the kids, the look of disappointment in those clear blue eyes killed her. Gail seemed, in every other way, ok that she couldn't stay but her eyes gave her away. Her phone buzzed indicating a text, she left it for the next red light and reading 'How late?'
10 or 15 She sent back
Not too bad. I'll wait
Holly sighed in relief. She hated being late, it was something her mother was very known for and so she grew up determined to not be that person. And now because she was late they wouldn't get to go on their usual walk around the park before dinner.
It didn't take long to find the teen. Pulling up to the curb the girl had claimed she yelled at Sarah to get in, as she did Holly noted something new about her, she couldn't put her finger on it but there was something. She closed the door with a huff and turned to Holly, face unreadable.
"I hope you weren't waiting long." Holly said hopefully as she started the drive back to her place.
Sarah shrugged, contemplating her answer. "Nah, it's cool anyway I understand how busy you are so you can stop feeling bad now." she smiled her sweet smile at Holly before turning to look out at the city passing by.
"Seriously Holly stop it, I'm fine."
The brunette smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Okay, okay. Moving on, how was your day? Anything interesting?"
"Not much, same as usual except for Nina drama and I got a new book. You?" she rummaged threw her backpack as she spoke.
"One of the kids got a bloody nose because he bent over laughing and in doing so he bashed his face off of a desk and I hung out with the twins again before dropping them off with Gail. That's actually why I was late."
Sarah's head popped up at hearing about the twins and Gail, Holly was trying to stifle a smile and she was having no part in that. "You are so smitten." she teased the teacher and poked her side.
A bright pink stained Holly's cheeks, "Oh shut it."
"That offer still stands for babysitting like whenever, the twins sound awesome and I think we'd all get along well."
"I think so too, anyway what's this Nina drama?"
Sarah rambled off on how her friend was stressed about school and work and her love triangle, Holly couldn't quite keep up with all of the details as some of it was spewed so fast and things tangled into each other. Nina's life seems to be in shambles by the sound of it. Holly didn't remember high school being so intense, but her mom always said she was different from regular teens, that she skipped most of the angst and anger and petty teen things. But her own friends in school weren't like that and comparing the two it was still a colossal mess, no wonder she hasn't seen Nina in a while.
Holly threw her keys on the counter and turned to Sarah who was flopping onto the couch. "You two are always welcome here for a break, which sounds like you two really could use it. And tell her not to choose the guy just because it's what her parents would be more comfortable with, she's gotta look at the two for who they are alone and how she fits with them, then choose which is best and happiest for her, not her parents."
"That's basically what I told her but we both know how well she listens to me, maybe if she heard it from you it'd sink into that pink hair of hers." Sarah sighed. "What're we having for dinner?"
Holly shook her head, that kid was always hungry. "I don't feel like cooking and if we got Chinese it'd take forever to deliver right now. I could order it and run out to get it, it'd get here faster."
"That would be wonderful Hols. I'll stay here though, nap or read or something."
She took out her phone and dialed the too familiar number, "how about homework?"
Sarah chuckled. "All done Ms. Stewart."
Holly just smiled as the thought of Gail jumped to the front of her mind. She really was smitten, the two of them have only just became official after Gail decided the trial of the past two months of dating is worth it if something were to happen. That Holly was worth the hurt if anything were to go south and she was worth the commitment. It was a big step that was taken in this very room the previous memory brought butterflies.
10 minutes after Holly left her phone rang, Sarah was so into her book she answered the phone without realizing who's it was.
"Is this not Holly?" came an unfamiliar voice. She sat up and pulled the phone from her ear, not her phone but Holly's.
"This is her phone, can i take a message?" Sarah replied.
There was rustling in the background as the woman on the other end thought for a moment.
"No it's fine." whoever it was sounded tense.
"You sure? She'll be back any minute now, I can have her call back." she offered. Just then Holly came through the door with a loud 'honey I'm home'.
"Thanks. Bye." the woman replied curtly and the line went dead. Sarah shrugged it off for now, she'd tell Holly over dinner right now her mind was only on food.
Holly crossed her legs under herself, getting comfy on her end on the couch before digging into her plate of food. She told Sarah to put whatever she wanted to watch on so she was now stuck with watching some teen drama she'd heard Nina talking about last time she was over. It was definitely crappy and over dramatic with actors well into their twenties trying to play sixteen year olds but she did find herself excited for the next episode. Now she has to watch the past season, great.
"FYI you got a call while you were out." Sarah casually said around a mouthful of noodles, her eyes never leaving the tv screen.
"From who?"
She shrugged, "I didn't see the ID but she sounded upset by the end. You might want to look into that."
Holly immediately grabbed her phone from it's spot on the coffee table, wondering who it would be. Flicking it open her heart sped up for a second, it was Gail, now worried as to why she called and why she was upset. She put her empty plate on the table and stood, pressing send she started a slow pace into the kitchen. Straight to voice mail. She tried again with the same results. Maybe text would be better, she'd probably be wrangling the kids to bed by now.
You called, just wondering if something's up
There isn't much else she can do at this point so she went back into the living room where Sarah is sprawled across the couch. Holly motioned for her to move for a second, just so she could sit and she could lay back down with her head in Holly's lap. Now she couldn't get her mind off of Gail and if something happened and now she can't get a hold of her. Don't freak out just yet, she told herself, Gail could just be busy with the twins and cant text or call. She'd talk when she could.
Holly didn't hear anything, it was a long night to say the least. She still hadn't heard anything mid morning so she sent another text and by the time she dropped Sarah back at her place she was thoroughly worried, she couldn't help thinking of all of the possible scenarios. But what got her the most was when she asked Sarah about the call she said Gail was happy during the hello, then confused and by the time she hung up -abruptly- she sounded upset. She didn't go into what kind of upset as she couldn't remember. Holly tried one more text before trying to leave it be -at least until tonight or tomorrow, if she doesn't hear anything by then she would go to the house.
Are you ok?
These are the times she wish knew one of Gail's friends well enough to be able to call and ask them if something happened, this waiting was torturous.
Now it was the next day and still nothing, Holly figured if it was injury or something of the sorts she would have been informed by now, so it was personal or the blonde would have found a way to say something by now. They haven't gone a day without a call or text since their first date. She decided she would drop by the house with the movie she promised the kids, it gave her a reason to be there and while there she could ask what was wrong.
Turning off the car she took a deep breath, suddenly nervous but needing this silence to be over, Holly needed to know. So she grabbed the movie and walked up the porch steps, knocking three times and stepped back. Stomps from the stairs, silence, movement from the side curtains and the door was pulled open and out came a flash of dark curls. Holly couldn't help her smile at the tight squeeze on her waist and buried her face in the soft waves of Ollie's hair.
"I didn't know you were coming over, mommy didn't say anything." she smiled brightly at Holly.
"I just wanted to bring you and Zander the movie, as promised. Is mom around?"
"Yup. Common I'll take you to her." Ollie didn't giver her anytime to respond before she laced their fingers and pulled Holly in with her freakish strength. She told Holly all about the castle they were making in her room as they climbed the stairs. Gail was huddled over a tower of boxes and Zander was drawing bricks and vines on the already put together walls. Ollie announced their presents, the boy beamed a hello but stayed where he was, Gail froze.
Gail straightened out, slowly put the tape she was holding onto a dresser and turned to face Holly. "You guys stay here and keep building that castle, I'll be downstairs with Holly."
Holly couldn't quite read the blondes mood but she was obviously ridged. The two women silently went into the kitchen where Gail started to busy herself with cleaning as Holly awkwardly leaned against the far counter.
"Did I do something?" Holly asked quietly.
"I don't, know did you?" Gail replied in that if you don't know what you did I can't help you way.
"Apparently I have, could you tell me so I know?"
Gail was throwing dishes into the sink, making a lot of noise, her shoulders squared off but her head hung lower.
"You left because you said you had a thing, a thing being a woman you either had at your place or are homey enough at hers to make an entrance with 'honey I'm home' and 'I got you, your favourite ice cream'." she threw a fork into the pile of dishes and then grabbed the edge of the counter, her back still facing Holly. Gail took a deep breath. "I don't want to assume things to the extreme point of there being someone else, but I thought I knew you enough by now that if you had some other woman in your life that you call honey or whatever I'd know. But there isn't one I've been told about so I can only jump to the extreme." she was at a whisper, all anger vanished and in it's place was vulnerability.
Holly instinctively stepped closer but stopped halfway to the blonde, she probably shouldn't get too close right now, no matter how strong the urge to envelop the cop into a protective hug and reassure her with light kisses. Instead she needed words until invited for contact.
"I don't talk about her much but you have been told about Sarah, that's who you talked to and that's who I had over. You remember Sarah right? The seventeen year old girl who is basically my sister, the one in a group home until she turns eighteen and moves in with me."
Gail's shoulders relaxed and Holly could see her take a breath, she inched forward.
"I'm sorry." Holly said barely above a whisper.
"You have nothing to be sorry about, Holly. I'm stupid and totally freaked out, I'm sorry." she finally faced Holly.
"Maybe a little." she smiled. "But I was being a bit cryptic with what I was doing and to honest I probably would have made the same assumption as you did. So I'm sorry for that." she needed to at least touch her once quickly, for reassurance, so Holly took the least few steps and reached out to Gail. She ran her fingers over the soft skin of Gail's hand and gave it a squeeze, then let go to give her distance again, just encase she still needed it.
"You do have a point with cryptic city but still, I feel kinda stupid for getting so worked up over it."
"Text me back next time." Holly teased, trying to lighten the mood now that they were on the same page, she knew that's how Gail liked to keep things -especially when it came to seriously things that included feelings. It was best to keep it light asap.
"I will try to let you explain before going over the deep end." Gail gave her a cheeky grin and wrapped her arms around Holly's neck, pulling her close. "I'm really glad you came over."
"I couldn't stand the silence, especially when I hadn't a clue what I did."
Gail wasn't really listening at this point, Holly was here in her arms with that damn smirk on those damn lips that she had been deprived of for days now because of her own big head and she couldn't stop the longing stare at them if her life depended on it. So she took what she wanted, what she needed, and pulled Holly's smirk lined lips onto her own.