Marissa felt awful about collecting Miranda so late from the psychiatrists, she decided to make it up to her by stopping off for a treat on the way home. It was too cold for ice-cream, but there was always pie!
The sessions with Dr Stanhope were certainly helping. Miranda was becoming much more her talkative old self. As they drove across to Krystal's she was busy explaining one of the new exercises Dr Stanhope had her working on; making something silly by adding 'with a hat on' at the end of the sentence.
"It makes everything funny; good things and bad things." Miranda explained, "Go on try it!"
"You want me to try it, "said Marissa, as she was half concentrating on parking the car. "…with a hat on."
"Yes I do… with a hat on." said Miranda, grinning. Then she noticed their surroundings. "Why are we here… with a hat on?" she asked.
"Because I wanted to treat you to some pie… with a hat on." answered Marissa.
Miranda found that very funny.
"I like pie." she said, giggling, "…with a hat on."
"Pie is good… with a hat on." agreed Marissa. The line was intentional and caused more silly giggles from Miranda. It was a wonderful sound.
…
Miranda was still giggling when they entered Krystal's. Opal was at the counter and greeted them with a smile.
"We are here for hot pie to warm us up." Marissa announced, "What do you recommend?"
"Well, we have the usual, peach, apple, pear and chocolate, cherry, and rhubarb…" said Opal, counting the flavours off on her fingers. "And Camilla has introduced us to a new flavour, apple and strawberry."
"Mmm, they all sound so good." said Marissa, giving Miranda a grin. "What do you fancy?"
"I like cherry…" said Miranda, "And I like chocolate… and peach… and I love strawberries?"
"So?"
Miranda looked pained, this was a big decision.
"I tell you what," said Opal, giving them both a grin, "Why don't a cut you a half slice of each of those and then you won't have to worry. I take it you're sharing."
Marissa nodded.
"Yes please." said Miranda, "Thank you."
"My pleasure, angel." said Opal kindly. "I'll bring it over to you."
Marissa added her own smile of thanks, as Opal headed to the kitchen. They took the table by the window with the comfy seats.
"So you had a good time with Dr Stanhope," Marissa asked now Miranda's initial silliness had calmed down a little.
"Yeah." said Miranda. "We just talked and played games."
"…With a hat on?" added Marissa that made Miranda grin again.
"And word association;" said Miranda, "You did that one with him?"
"I did."
"And 'Most Battle'"
"That one I don't know."
"Yes you do, we play it at bedtime sometimes." said Miranda, "Where you have to make the thing you are thinking of the most pretty or most cute or most silly thing you can. Only now there are more categories, like most scary or most annoying or most revolting thing. Dr Stanhope is really mean, I start off naming the cutest thing ever and he makes it the silly category."
"It sounds like you have fun though." said Marissa, "And it helps you feel better?"
Miranda nodded.
"I'm glad."
Miranda was still smiling.
"This is like when mommy takes me on a mother/daughter ice-cream date." she said gesturing to the way they were sitting together in the restaurant, "When Gabby has a play date."
"I heard about those." said Marissa with a nod.
"This could be our mamma/daughter pie date!" said Miranda happily. Then her face fell a bit when she realised that the word 'Mamma' had slipped out again; like when she talked to AJ at the zoo. She didn't know if Marissa would mind.
Marissa however had caught the word and was smiling again.
Opal chose that moment to arrive with the pie. The plate she brought had four generous slivers of all the pie flavours Miranda had selected and a huge dollop of cream. Marissa gave Opal a grateful nod, but most of her focus was on Miranda and her nervous question.
"I don't see why we can't have a mamma/daughter pie date." she said, "We need a thing, don't we? Gabby and I have squooshes… Your mommy and AJ had their Buddy and Binks thing… You and AJ are brilliant birthday twins… There is no reason why pie shouldn't be our thing!"
Miranda looked delighted at the idea that she and Marissa would have a 'thing'.
She timidly bit her lip though before she asked her next question.
"And can I call you Mamma like Gabby does?" she asked. "I asked AJ and he said it was okay because you were kind of my mom already anyway."
"You can call me whatever you are comfortable with." said Marissa kindly, "And if you want to call me Mamma then I would be thrilled with that."
"I love you." Miranda said suddenly.
Marissa was surprised but delighted at the abrupt declaration.
"I love you too."
"You make mommy very happy and you being a mommy to me and Gabby makes me happy too."
"Well you make me just as happy in return." said Marissa, unable to stop the wide smile that threatened to split her face. "Now come on lets sample these delicious smelling pies." she said picking up her fork and cutting off a corner from the cherry pie nearest her.
"I'm going to have the chocolate first." said Miranda helping herself to a large forkful.
…
As they slowly demolished the four slices of pie between them, the sweet and silly conversation drifted between schoolwork; Miranda missing her pony; jazz dancing classes; whether Marissa enjoyed being a lawyer and AJ's sailing obsession. Marissa decided this was definitely a better way to spend her morning than shutting herself in the office with the Chandler contracts…
…