"The One" – Part 57
Summary and additional notes in part 1.
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! That last chapter was a lot of fun to write, haha! In this one, the focus is on Fi. We get more backstory on her past and learn where her head is at now...
To the folks I can't directly message - see the note at the end :D
This is not related to my Degrassi timeline fics. (See my Author's profile for details!)
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!
-oOo-
When Fiona woke up she instinctively reached for the other side of the bed. Finding it empty, she frowned and opened her eyes. She then remembered that she was at home, in her own bed. While she thoroughly loved her 300 thread count sheets and the abundance of throw pillows, they couldn't make up for absence of the love of her life! She was used to him being beside her. Often when she woke up, she would lay there for awhile, just listening to the sound of him breathing.
"This week is going to suck," she muttered to herself. Fiona sat up and stretched her arms. The light was pouring in through the windows, illuminating the room perfectly. It was beautiful and she spent a few moments just studying her surroundings.
Last week she had spent three nights here, and four nights over at Adam's apartment. She knew she was living like a gypsy at the moment, but staying in one place just wasn't an option! She didn't technically live with Adam, but being with him felt like home. Lately she began to envision what it would be like if they got a place of their own.
Fiona glanced at the clock and groaned. She had slept in, which wasn't surprising given the time she had come in last night. Deciding to grab breakfast, she peeled back the covers and got up.
After a quick stop in the bathroom to brush her teeth and rinse her face, she put on a robe and left for the kitchen.
-oOo-
"Morning," a tired voice called out.
Mrs. Coyne looked up and smiled at her daughter.
"Morning Fifi! We didn't know you were here," she told her. It was the weekend, so she hadn't expected to see Fiona at all. These days she spent most of her free time with Adam.
Fiona shrugged and joined her mother at the table. She had grabbed a scone from the pastry bin on the counter to nimble on while Gertrude whipped up her morning omelet.
"I got in pretty late last night," she answered in between bites. After finishing pizza, she and Adam cuddled for awhile in his room.
Mrs. Coyne chuckled. "And you returned to us with a ravenous appetite!" she teased.
Fiona laughed. "Hey! I missed breakfast."
Her mother nodded. "True. Now it's actually closer to lunch," she noted. She took a sip of her coffee. "So, what are your plans for the day? Are you heading back to Adam's or is he coming here?"
Fiona had a wry smile as she considered the past few weeks. She had been rather preoccupied with work and Adam. Everything else had moved the back burner. Not intentionally, but that's how it turned out.
"I'm actually meeting up with a friend this afternoon," Fiona revealed.
"That's great, honey," Mrs. Coyne said encouragingly. She was happy that Fiona's relationship with Adam was going well, but she was certainly cognizant that they were in the 'new relationship' bubble.
"Yeah, we're to get some frozen yogurt and catch up," Fiona informed her. Though she hated to admit it, Fiona hadn't been so great with keeping up with mutual friends of her and Beth. While she regularly spoke to her friend and former roommate Gretchen, they hadn't met up in awhile. Today they were finally doing so and Adam was going to join them later. She wanted to introduce the two in advance of a dinner party they were attending next week.
Gertrude brought Fiona's mocha latte to the table.
"Thanks!" Fiona told her happily. "I really need this!"
Mrs. Coyne grinned at her daughter. It was half past 11:00AM and she was still wearing a night robe. "You look like you really do!"
-oOo-
Fiona and Gretchen shared a long hug.
"I was starting to think you had fallen off the end of the earth!" Gretchen joked as they pulled away.
"We still talk regularly!" Fiona pointed out as they joined the long line to get frozen yogurt. Apparently it was very popular on Sunday afternoons!
Gretchen grinned. "FaceRange messages don't count!" she said in jest. In actuality, the two had spoken over the phone too. "It's just weird, because I used to see you every day for two years!" she pointed out.
"Yeah…" Fiona trailed off. Two years ago Gretchen, Fiona, and Beth moved into a townhouse, which was located in Inwood. It was an incredible find and Gretchen had put her amazing negotiating skills to good use! The following year Tami replaced the original fourth roommate. The four of them had their share of the usual roommate squabbles, but all in all they had gotten along remarkably well.
So much had changed in the past three weeks!
"So are you excited about your book launch next week?" Fiona asked. She was eager to switch to a lighter topic.
Gretchen was a photographer. Over a period of sixteen months she had been working on a composition of portraits detailing people from different walks of life in New York City. After much hard work, she had landed a publishing deal for it as a photo book.
She smiled broadly. "I can't believe it's right around the corner! You know how much I put into this, Fi. It's almost surreal!"
Fiona was truly happy for her friend. This was a major milestone for her. For years she had worked crappy jobs as an underpaid photo assistant. "Well, it's happening!"
They both laughed.
"Are your parents and brother coming down for launch party?" Fiona asked. Last she heard the party date had been moved up, so their plans were up in the air.
Gretchen nodded. "They are. Pete lives in Brooklyn, so it's no big deal for him to get there. But my parents have to fly in. Luckily they got a really good deal," she responded. "They're going to stay in your old room. I guess, the upside of you moving out is that we now have a guest room," she noted with a laugh.
Fiona snorted. "Thanks!" she said sarcastically.
"At least it's something positive!" Gretchen pointed out. "We've become the house of bitterness and tears," she quipped.
Fiona grimaced, feeling guilty. "Sorry."
Gretchen sighed. She wasn't passing judgment, though she realized the statement sounded a bit harsh. She felt for Beth. She was her friend and roommate. It was difficult to see her go through so much pain. However, she found her draining to be around these days!
Beth was convinced that Fiona cheated on her and probably never really loved her, which was just ridiculous! And Tami had taken her side. The two of them had a rather low opinion of Fiona, which put Gretchen in an awkward position because Fiona was still her close friend. She had known her longer than she had known both of them!
"It is what it is," Gretchen stated.
They stepped forward and were next in line.
"Well, for your troubles the frozen yogurt is on me!" Fiona declared in an upbeat tone.
"I can live with that!" Gretchen quipped.
The two women laughed.
.
tbc
A/N: Aww, it's good to see drama free Mother/Daughter time! Hmm, Fi's building up her friend karma. That's good too! What do you guys think of Gretchen? It's been awhile since we seen her, no?
Reviews rock! :D
In the next chapter… Frozen yogurt! Fiona and Gretchen continue to talk! And Adam makes an appearance!
To the folks I can't PM -
I3FADAM - Thanks for the review. I will always heart the Torres brothers! They just rock :D
Tiff125 - Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, it's clear to me they had no idea Fadam was going to be so popular. Maybe they thought no one would buy them as a couple. It shows a huge disconnect from the audience, because Annie and Jordan had major chemistry. They definitely pulled it off and it would have been way more interesting if they continued with it. I hope they give it another go! (Come on, it's Degrassi! Even Jimmy and Ashley reconciled - after 5 seasons apart!)
As I previously mentioned, I'm trying to avoid promos... But now that I've read that... It's great to hear that Bianca's getting a plot! Always liked her character (even after MBIAC. Haha, I still ship Badam). Don't like her with Drew so I hope they break up and the writers develop her more.
Haha. As he told his roommate, because they're fun and he likes to mix it up, lol! He used toys before transitioning, and there are plenty of cisgender men who use them with partners, female or male.