Scene-setting:
This vignette comes from the If Only There Was A Word Called Adulting modern AU, and explores the scenario where Wentworth, joining forces with Croft, buys "Kellynch Hall", aka Walter Elliot's house in Grosse Pointe. The Croft and Wentworth families inhabit the house, with Sophia and AJ (currently Captain Croft, the future Admiral Croft) having one daughter Tiffany, and Frederick and Anne having two sons, Marshall and Lionel.
Walter Elliot's surround sound system hasn't been maintained in years, but the sound is still sick, man. Our kids won't know any of the hardships we did, when we can spoil them silly with weekend cartoon nights in this crazy-ass tricked-out home movie theatre.
"Lilo and Stitch, again?" I ask. "Why don't we switch things up a little?"
"That's the kids' favourite," says Sophia. "They're always asking for it." Like real, I think to myself. It's your favourite, is more like it.
"OK then," I say, cool as a cat. "Tell me where to get Marshall a live pet alien for Christmas. Because that movie's the reason why he won't stop asking for one." Actually, I have no idea why she likes that movie so much, when I absolutely hate it. Who wants to have the most painful moments of their childhood played out in all their Disney glory onscreen, time and time again?
After movie night is done, Sophia puts Tiffany to bed in the room that used to be Anne's, under the pale blue sky Anne's late mom painted for her when she was little. The one Anne painstakingly retouched, especially to hand down to Sophia's little girl. Every single night, Sophia sings the same song to Tiffany at bedtime, her melodious voice filling the room.
"Aloha oe, aloha oe
E ke onaona noho i ka lipo
One fond embrace
A ho'i a'e au
Until we meet again."
Sophia can sing this song without tears now, because this is the child that nobody will take away from her. "Sleep tight, darling," she says, pulling the curtains shut on the shiny antique brass four-poster bed, the princess bed that used to belong to Anne.
She sees me lingering in the doorway, and our eyes meet; that's when I know she remembers that day just as well as I do. The day when I started telling everyone on the street that I would always be lucky.
The day that I began boasting about my luck, annoying all and sundry with my cockiness, was the one when CPS decided Ed and I could stay with Sophia for good.
Song Reference: Aloha Oe, a traditional Hawaiian folk song that also appears in Lilo and Stitch. Elvis also sang it in Blue Hawaii.