"I don't get how something so large can come out of you." Rusty holds his niece out in front of him, "I mean, you're like...a month old now, Freya. You really need to start working out and stuff."
"Leave her alone." Eve smirks, listening to her brother as she stands in the kitchen, cooking dinner, "Julio said mom is really upset, so...just a heads up."
"From what, though?" He looks to her, standing from the sofa and comfortably carrying Freya to the kitchen, tucked in his arm.
"I think you're probably the one to do that."
"To do what?"
"To talk to Mom." Eve nods, "They really like what you do over at St. Joseph's for the summer camp. They like that a former student stepped into those shoes...even though you have that whole fight thing on your record."
"That was my first day I went there and it was worth it." Rusty grins, glancing down to the baby, "Right? You're not going to take any crap from anyone either, Freya."
"Yeah, well, you can give her boxing lessons." She smirks, stirring the pot.
"What are you even making?"
"Dinner."
"Does dinner have an actual-"
"It's food. You'll eat it." Eve nods to her brother, perking up her head when she hears the front door open.
Sharon steps in and closes the door behind her. She leans against the door, leaning her head back to take a deep breath in an attempt to control her emotions. This was all too much. History repeating itself in the worst way.
Rusty moves to the end of the hall, looking to the woman, "Aren't you going to come say hello?"
She picks her head up, not expecting her son. She pulls her lips into her mouth, biting them with her teeth. Sharon places a trembling hand to her mouth before she walks to him. Her pace picking up just short of a jog as she reaches him and her granddaughter.
He is sure she has never appeared this upset in front of him before. Rusty threw his free arm around her, "You okay?" He's careful to keep his niece between them.
Sharon nods, reaching a hand out to stroke the baby's ultra fine, barely existant hair. Far from her usual reaction toward the infant which was to instantly take her from whoever was holding her and not letting the baby go for the rest of their visit. "I'm going to take a shower and um..."
Eve moves from the kitchen, looking at her mother, "Mom, what's wrong?" Concern covering her face.
The older woman shakes her head, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She waves a hand before climbing the stairs, not wanting to fully cry in front of them.
Rusty waits until she is out of sight before speaking, "What was that?"
"I don't-" Eve shakes her head, still watching the stairs. She swallows, "I haven't seen her like that for a very long time." She answers quietly.
"When was the last time?"
"Rusty-" She takes her daughter when she begins to fuss.
"When was it?" He asks again, putting his hands on his hips.
Eve darts her tongue out between her lips, "I was...I was very small. Five, I think. My Dad was home and he was supposed to be watching me and Chad..."
"You were five. Couldn't you occupy yourself?"
"That isn't the point." She shakes her head, "We were both small. Mom was at work. She trusted my dad to watch his children, as one would do with the father of their children. He got drunk, brought our neighbor over, and locked the bedroom door while he fucked her." Eve's response seems cold, "Mom started calling the house to check in and I answered...Chad crying in the background. Told her everything was fine. She rushed home...Saw me sitting on the floor, trying to keep Chad occupied. She went upstairs and broke the bedroom door down-" She smirks.
"I'd expect no less."
"She was so angry with my father. Angry, but more disappointed than anything. Didn't say a word to Mandy Jefferson, who just stood there looking like a guppy. She was nineteen, didn't...ya know, she just took it as attention. Ran out of the house so fast. Mom cried and cried after she kicked him out. Just..." Eve swallows, "Andy wouldn't do that though. I don't see him as the type to do that."
"I also didn't see him as the type to drink again." Rusty shakes his head, "Did Julio say anything else?"
Eve shakes her head, "I don't know what to do."
He glances towards the stairs once more, "I have an idea." Rusty takes the fussy baby once more, "Let her hear Freya cry...if it relates to the last time, maybe the crying will snap her out of it. I mean...I've never been in the room with my niece and Mom without Mom taking her." He smirks, "Mom can't get enough of her."
She reaches a hand out, stroking her daughter's cheek with her finger. "Be careful, Rusty. Make sure you-"
"Eve, I've done this." He nods to her.
She offers him a sympathetic smile, "Sorry."
Rusty carries the baby to the master bedroom, situating her between two pillows. He sighs when the baby cries more, closing the door behind him and returning downstairs.
Eve bites her lip, her hand over her chest, worried.
He smirks, placing his hand on her arm, "Trust me."
Sharon stands in front of the shower head, letting the near scalding water hit her face. The stresses of what she had witnessed only a few hours earlier. Tilting her head to the side, she hears what she's sure is crying. Slowly reaching her hand out, she turns off the water. "That's definitely-" Her eyes widen slightly before she rushes out of the bath, wrapping a towel around herself, seeing the squirming baby on her bed, screaming at the top of her young lungs. "Oh honey." She whispers, picking her up, "Freya, you're okay. Gigi is right here." She holds the infant close, closing her eyes as she takes in her smell. A mixture of baby powder and spoiled milk between the crevices of her neck. Sharon feels her own chest heave with emotion, willing herself not to cry when the baby settles against her. "Everything is okay." She swallows.
Rusty hears the baby calm herself and finally goes up to stand in her doorway, "Feel better?"
Nuzzling her face against the baby's fine hair, she glances over to her son, "Is this what they teach you in college?"
"It doesn't take college to tell me that you're crazy about Freya and anytime you act uninterested toward her, something is very wrong."
"I'm always interested in her." Sharon answers softly.
He nods, walking over and sitting next to her, "Want to talk about it?"
"Not particularly."
"Why?" Rusty raises an eyebrow.
Sharon gives him a look, "When I say I don't want to talk about it-"
"Usually means you want to talk about it, but don't want to think you're burdening us with this story or you're afraid of what we'll do in the outcome." He smirks, "So, What's going on?"
"I mean I don't want to talk about it." She shakes her head, kissing the baby's temple.
Rusty lets out a heavy sigh, "You should get dressed...Eve's almost done making dinner."
Sharon swallows, "You let her cook?"
"I was downstairs the entire time."
"What is it?"
"Pork chops and mashed potatoes." Rusty grins, "You'll love them. Gram gave her the recipe."
Sharon nods, "We'll be down in a few minutes."
"Sharon-"
"A few minutes." She answers him, waiting for him to close the door. Sharon lets the babe rest against the bare skin of her shoulder as she gets dressed, putting her down for a moment to pull an old LAPD sweatshirt on of Andy's, a pair of heather gray lounge pants, and large woolen socks that her sister knitted for her a few Christmas holidays ago. She lifts Freya back into her arms, looking her in the face. Sharon chuckles softly when Freya offers her a large grin. "You are always happy, aren't you..." She hums softly to her, finally rising from the bed, she opens the bedroom door, making her way downstairs to the kitchen, "Smells great, baby." She smiles to her daughter.
Eve nods, offering her a smirk, "Thank you. Freya okay?"
"Absolutely." Sharon nods, "Where is Mac and Katie?"
Rusty picks his head up, "Mac wanted to take her for a girl's day out since Mac is going to be leaving for college next month."
"I would have gone." She sighs, looking to him.
"So would I!" Eve interjects.
He shrugs, "I don't know what to tell you both. Said they'll be home by eight."
"Katie will be exhausted by then." Sharon nods, not bothering to move the baby from her shoulder as she pulls down plates to put on the dinner table from the overhead cabinet.
"I can do that, Mom." Eve smirks.
"I've got it."
"Or Rusty can do it. He doesn't do anything else." She teases.
"Be nice." Sharon carries the plates to the dining room table, slowly setting them out.
Rusty sighs a little, getting silverware for the three of them, "Just for that, I'm slipping Freya parts of my porkchop."
"Like hell, baby." The older woman smirks.
Eve plates the food up and sits at the table with us, ignoring the fact that her mother hasn't let go of her daughter since she returned downstairs after Rusty's plan, "So, what happened at work?"
Rusty rolls his eyes, "Don't you think I tried that?" He mumbles.
Sharon sighs softly, looking between them, "I'll tell you, but I don't want Mac knowing...or Katie. It will just upset the one and confuse the other." When she glances to both, receiving a nod from each, she continues, "Andy's ex-wife showed up at the station today."
"Okay..." He tilts his head to the side.
She adjusts Freya onto her lap gently, kissing the top of the baby's head, "They were...kissing in the lobby."
Eve, much like her mother, has always been very subtle with her reactions. She slowly places her fork onto her plate, "You saw it..." It wasn't so much a question as something she could see between the lines.
"Yes." Sharon whispers, biting the corner of her mouth, keeping her fork in her hand, "They're...going to dinner tonight...something about her seeing Mac again."
Rusty shakes his head, "Mac hates her guts." The anger building as each minute passes within him, "Did anyone else see it?"
"All of my people." She absently brings the back of her hand to her lips in an attempt to keep her emotions at bay, "Provenza kept saying she's trouble and he doesn't trust her and Andy doesn't trust her, but...that's not what I saw."
Eve tilts her head back, taking a deep breath, a tear trickling from the corner of her eye as she glances away from the other two people.
"Where is he now?" Rusty nods to his mother, gently touching her arm.
"I don't know...I don't know if I want to know."
He stands, "I'll call Provenza." He walks to the living room, pulling on his shoes.
"Where are you going, Rusty? Leave it alone." Sharon doesn't look at him, not exactly wanting him to stop.
"I'll take care of it." Rusty walks back over to the group. He kisses his niece on the head and Sharon on the cheek before jogging to the front door.
"This is not going to end well." Eve says softly, reaching over and taking hold of her mother's hand.