When Nicky woke up the next day it took her a few minutes before she felt ready to open her eyes. For a moment she had forgotten why she felt so terrible, but then the memories of running into her father at work came rushing back and she understood why her stomach was in knots. Nicky sat up and bundled up the blanket in her arms for comfort. The light streamed through the open windows and across the bed where she was alone. The alarm clock on the dresser told her that it was nearing eleven. She had slept late, and Red must have left for work hours ago. Nicky looked around the room and frowned at the evident absence of the two dogs who rarely left her side during the day when she was the only one home. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and noted her red blotchy eyes and nose. First thing she needed to do when she got out of bed was splash some cold water on her face. She looked terrible.
"Ahem," Nicky cleared her dry throat, but chuckled lightly when she spotted the glass filled with water on the bedside table for her. Red must have known that she would need a drink the second she got up. It had been a long night. She had lain awake for hours listening to the reassuring sound of Red's steady breathing before she had finally relaxed enough to surrender to the night herself.
Nicky lifted the glass to her lips and took a long refreshing gulp. The cool liquid slid soothingly down her dry throat while she reached for the cell phone that Red had set beside the water glass where it couldn't be missed. Nicky let out a low groan when she saw the three missed calls and several text messages from Brooke. She supposed it would not have killed her to let the girl know that she wasn't going to be able to make it after work, but the last thing she had felt like doing then was talking to somebody. She supposed she better phone Brooke now and explain. Nicky pursed her lips as she reluctantly made the call.
"Hello," Brooke's voice said when she answered.
"It's me," Nicky said unnecessarily.
"Oh," Brooke said coldly.
"I know you're mad," Nicky sighed, squeezing the comforter that was clenched in her fist, "and I'm sorry. I should have called and let you know that I wasn't able to meet you."
"Or you could have not blown me off in the first place," Brooke said, "this isn't the first time you've stood me up, although usually you at least call."
"I was sick," Nicky told her, "I had to get Piper to cover for me so I could leave work a little early. I went straight home and fell asleep before I could call you."
"Are you sure you were sick?" asked Brooke suspiciously, "or is there something else you're not telling me?" Nicky rolled her eyes as she listened to the accusatory note in Brooke's voice. Not that she hadn't been shady in the past. She would often cancel their ready-made plans when she was feeling too lazy or tired to follow through with them, and she would bail on Brooke if she got a better offer, namely from Lorna.
"Yes, I was," Nicky said truthfully, emotionally ill did count, "Ask Piper if you don't believe me." She clicked her tongue impatiently. Sometimes Brooke could just seem so clingy and immature, which Nicky knew was pretty rich coming from her.
"I believe you," Brooke said, easing up, "I just miss you when you're not around."
"I'll make it up to you," Nicky said brusquely, "maybe we can go out to dinner before class tomorrow or something?"
"That would be nice," Brooke said more warmly. "I just wish you would have called me. Don't forget about me again, alright?"
"Uh huh," Nicky said, and she took another long sip of water. Nicky knew she probably could be a little nicer, but she had never given Brooke any inclination that things were exclusive between them. She'd always maintained that they were friends, just friends who liked to hook up every now and then.
"I'm just getting tired of feeling like things are never going to move forward with you," Brooke sighed.
Nicky reached her hand down the back of her nightshirt so that she could scratch an itch on her shoulder blade. "I wasn't planning on them moving anywhere, though," she said nonchalantly, "I thought I made that very clear."
"I thought you just wanted to start slow," Brooke replied, "because you have a fear of commitment…"
"It's not a fear of commitment," Nicky said quickly, "I just don't want a commitment."
"Ever?" Brooke pressed.
"Possibly," Nicky said shortly.
"Oh," Brooke said softly.
"Just don't worry about it," Nicky tried to sound reassuring, "we'll go out tomorrow and it will be great."
"Sure," Brooke said awkwardly, "I guess so."
"I'll talk to you later, alright?" Nicky said, "I just got up and I want to go find something to eat."
"Okay," said Brooke uncertainly, "Bye." Nicky ended the call and then rubbed her temple where she could feel a headache coming on. She was hungry though. So, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, leaving the comforter to fall to the floor, and went in search of food. She could probably just warm up the supper that Red had left for her yesterday that she hadn't eaten. She paused in the bathroom to splash some cold water on her blotchy face, and then proceeded to the kitchen.
"I was beginning to think you were never going to wake up," Red said. She was sitting with her legs propped up on the couch reading a book and was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a white cardigan. Both dogs were curled up on the couch beside her.
"What are you doing here?" asked Nicky, pausing with her hand on the refrigerator door, "you're supposed to be at work."
"I called in today," Red answered simply, marking her page and placing the book on the coffee table. "Lourdes didn't care. I've covered for her so much that she was grateful for the extra shift. I thought we could spend the day together." She stretched her arms and looked expectantly at Nicky's face, apparently trying to decipher her current mood.
"Really?" Nicky asked with a yawn. She pulled the tin foil off of the plate that Red had set aside for her the night before and placed it in the microwave.
"Yes," Red nodded, sitting up straighter and resting her arms on the back of the sofa. "Although with how late you slept, I could have done at least half a day's work without you even noticing."
"Don't act like you didn't love reading in peace all morning," Nicky replied, crossing her arms as she leaned with her back to the counter, "you probably wish I had slept even longer."
"Not at all, darling," Red answered, "I missed you. What would you like to do today?"
"Wallow in self pity? Drown myself in a puddle of my own tears?" Nicky suggested vulgarly.
"Keep up that attitude and I'll make you use that puddle of tears to scrub this apartment floor on your hands and knees," Red told her uncaringly.
"That's a little harsh don't you think?" Nicky replied, "you should be a bit nicer to somebody whose father basically ripped out her heart and stomped all over it mere hours ago."
Red cocked her head to the side as she surveyed Nicky, "I just don't think you should let that man eat up anymore of your time and thoughts. He's not worth it and it won't accomplish anything."
"Says the woman who still mutters insults about her ex-husband under her breath whenever something crops up that reminds you of him," Nicky rolled her eyes, "I'm not sure you're in a position to be telling me to just let it go."
"I'm not saying just let it go," Red pressed, "I'm saying that you have a mother sitting right in front of you who loves you and that you should focus on her instead of on a father who never deserved you in the first place."
"Are you craving my attention or something?" Nicky smirked, "this is an interesting role-reversal." Red's cheeks pinked slightly at Nicky's words.
"We could go shopping?" Red suggested, "to pick out that dress I apparently need. Or the movies like you wanted? I'm up for anything." Nicky couldn't help but smile at her mother's earnestness. She turned to take her plate out of the microwave.
"I have a headache," Nicky told her lamely, "you sure you wouldn't be content to just lie on the couch and binge a tv show together?"
"Not in the least," Red replied, "we both need to get out and do something. Once you're finished eating I want you to go get dressed. I'll go and get you a Tylenol."
"Piper asked me to meet her and Alex this afternoon so that we can look at wedding cakes," Nicky told her, after she had taken a bite of food, "She said they won't be able to decide without a mediator, which I already was for the last cake we decided on. I'm not sure I want to go though."
"Well, that sounds horrible," Red said, as she got off of the couch and was on her way to get the Tylenol for Nicky's headache, "but I'll go with you if you like."
"We'll see," Nicky sighed, "I might just blow them off."
"I'm fine with that, also," Red smirked. She was about to walk down the hall but instead she paused and came to stand beside Nicky at the kitchen counter. "Listen, I know you don't really want to talk about it and maybe it's too soon, but I can't stop thinking about that other girl. Your sister."
"What about her?" Nicky mumbled with her mouth full of food.
"Well, aren't you curious?" asked Red, "I am. Maybe meeting her is something you can consider"
"No," Nicky said immediately, "I'm not curious. It's enough that she exists and apparently is pretty close with my Dad still, judging by the recent picture in his wallet and the way he spoke about her. I don't need to know anymore than that. I'd rather just forget about it."
"Alright," Red breathed deeply, "I'll go get you a Tylenol."
Nicky knew she shouldn't be tired after sleeping as much as she had, but she felt completely exhausted as she walked through the doors of the shopping mall with her hands stuffed into the pockets of her navy blue hoodie. They had already been to the bank, the post office, and had stopped in to visit Maxim at work for a few minutes. Red was doing everything she could think of to keep them busy and Nicky distracted from thoughts about her father. She walked briskly beside Nicky keeping up a steady flow of one-sided conversation about how she wished Yuri would get out and find himself a nice girl, instead of spending all his time at work or in front of the television. Although she appreciated her efforts, Nicky found she could only half listen to her mother's monologue. Her mind was still intently rehashing her encounter with Hayden Nichols last night, and all of the things she wished she had said to the man but hadn't thought of at the time.
Nicky had never been a recreational shopper in the least. She was good at spending money, Marka had always provided her with a healthy allowance that ensured that Nicky had never really wanted for anything. Working for a living now helped put things in better perspective, but Nicky still didn't have enough appreciation for material things to really understand how people could get so much joy out of shopping. Buying things and accumulating stuff had just always been what she did. Nicky's childhood playroom could have rivaled any toy store, she'd worn designer clothes, went on amazing trips, and had her own private swimming pool, but it was all meaningless. When you have everything, stuff just becomes boring.
Red on the other hand had always delighted in the thrill of hunting for good deals and checking out the blowout sales. She had always worked hard to provide her sons with everything they needed but it had never been easy. She had loved the occasions when she would take them shopping for back to school clothes or to the toy store just because. The way their little faces would light up had always delighted their mother, and she had always gone overboard at Christmas and Birthdays. However, she had a harder time spending money on herself. She had often gone without.
"Carters is having a sale," Red said, pointing in the direction of the children's store, "I wonder if Lida knows about it?"
"We're not shopping for the little critters today," Nicky reminded Red in a bored voice. She linked their arms and steered Red away from the kid's store, "we're here to shop for you. Remember?"
"Well, we can do both," Red insisted, "and I don't have to buy a dress today, anyways. The wedding isn't for weeks. I just wanted to get out of the house." Mindlessly, she checked the small gold watch that she had worn all the time in her pre-prison days and had reclaimed after her release. It had actually been a gift from Dmitri for her thirty-fifth birthday, but she didn't feel any qualms about wearing it again, no matter how negative her thoughts about her former husband were. The watch had been packed away in the same box that held the rest of her jewellery, including the pieces that she had inherited from her mother, and the simple engagement ring Dmitri had bought her after she agreed to marry him. Red had been allowed to keep her wedding band in prison. She had stopped wearing it after the divorce but had taken precautions to keep it safe, and now stored it away with the rest of her jewellery. Someday she would divvy up her small but sentimental collection between her two granddaughters, Ivanna and Vera.
"You can be responsible and plan ahead," Nicky grinned slightly, leading Red into the first clothing store that caught her eye, "it's a dress. It won't go bad."
"Alright," Red pursed her lips as she glanced around the store that was filled with a vast array of dresses, "let's see what they have." They walked towards the dresses and Nicky began perusing the racks while Red wandered around aimlessly.
"What about this one?" Red asked after a few minutes, pointing at a simple black shift dress.
"I think we can do better," Nicky said honestly, "and it's a June wedding, let's try and steer away from the black."
"Fine," Red sighed, as she ran her fingers over some colourful cocktail dresses. "This one is adorable," she mused, pulling out a peach taffeta, "not for me," she added quickly, "for somebody younger. It would look nice on either you or Lida with your fair hair."
"I wouldn't be caught dead in that," Nicky laughed, "it's a bit too girly for my taste. I bet Lida would wear it though."
"We should send her a picture," Red said, "maybe she'd like me to pick it up for her. I don't know if she's figured out what she is wearing yet."
"She's already torn between three different dresses that she already owns," Nicky reminded her, "remember how she modelled them for us last week when we were over there for dinner? I don't think adding another dress to the equation is going to help things."
"I guess you're right," Red replied, putting it back, "I'm very glad she and Piper hit it off, though. Even if I still don't really see the connection there."
"That's what happens when you get drunk and spend the whole night wanting to love on everybody," Nicky snorted, "people become close friends really fast."
"Well, I'm glad Piper invited her and Vasily to the wedding," Red said, "especially since you'll be too busy doing bridesmaid duties to sit with me."
"I'm just happy that you and Vasily will be the ones responsible for her if she decides to get drunk again," Nicky snickered, "babysitting her on New Year's Eve was exhausting."
"Well, looking after a wayward daughter-in-law will give me something to do," Red answered, "especially since Gloria doesn't get to come."
"Consider it a chance to let loose and enjoy yourself before she gets home," Nicky said, as she perused another rack of dresses, "and a night out wouldn't kill you. Who have you hung out with in the past year besides Lourdes, your kids, and grandkids?"
"I've been out for coffee with Piper several times," Red retorted, "I'm not completely isolated from the world if that is what you are implying."
"Exactly," Nicky laughed easily, "so you should be happy to get dressed up and celebrate her day of happiness." She pulled a green cocktail dress that came paired with a light bejeweled short sleeve jacket off of the rack. "Do you like it?" Nicky asked, honestly believing she had nailed it with this selection.
"It's pretty," Red admitted, walking over and pulling out the tag. Her eyes widened when she spotted the price. "I'm not spending that much money, though," she told Nicky in outrage.
"Okay, first of all," Nicky rolled her eyes, "this dress costs nothing compared to all the money you blew at Cosco last week with Lida. Don't go cheap on me now."
"I was stocking up," Red replied, "do you realize how much money you save if you buy items in bulk?"
"Well hopefully the savings were astronomical, considering you're now forcing me to hoard jumbo cases of paper towels, toilet paper, and Kleenex under my bed." said Nicky. "It will take us all year to use up all that stuff. You're always buying boring necessities and things for everybody else. When was the last time you bought yourself a new dress? I don't think you've actually bought any new clothes for yourself since you got out. You're still wearing the same wardrobe Lida bought you."
"I didn't need any more than what she had already got me," Red replied, "and I did buy new shoes and clothes once the weather began to get warmer. I just would prefer to spend money on something more versatile than a fancy dress that can't be worn anywhere else," Red said crisply.
"You buy impractical dresses for Vera all the time considering she outgrows them in about two seconds," Nicky stated, "and this is actually very practical. Think of all the nights out with Gloria you could wear this on, nice dinners, Julio's high school graduation, et cetera. It will get lots of use."
Red smiled tightly with her lips still firmly pressed together. "Fine," she relented, and her mouth slackened into a look of genuine happiness. "Let's go buy it."
"We'll you have to try it on first," Nicky insisted. She ushered Red into a change room despite her insistence that she could tell it was the right size just by looking at it. Nicky chuckled to herself as she waited outside the door. She enjoyed the drama that was shopping with her mother. Red could be so excessive, to the point of going overboard, when it came to spending money on kitchen supplies and other people, but ask her to splurge a little on something nice for herself and she suddenly became intensely frugal.
"I like it," Red said suddenly, emerging from the dressing room. "We can go pay."
"You didn't even let me see it on you," Nicky protested, "don't you want a second opinion?"
"No thanks," Red said dryly.
"You know, you really suck at this Girls Day stuff," Nicky said as she followed Red out of the store a few minutes later, "you're supposed to welcome my valuable input, and we should have gone to a few different stores before you decided."
"That seems like a waste of time," Red replied, "I already found a nice one."
"That's a waste of time?" Nicky raised her eyebrows, "you spend hours every week at the market trying to choose between two identical pieces of fruit, and taking more than five minutes to buy a dress is what seems silly to you?"
"That took longer than five minutes," Red retorted.
"Yeah, okay," Nicky shook her head.
"So, what are you thinking now?" Red asked as she glanced down at her watch for the time, "if you still want to meet Piper and Alex for the cake picking than we should get going."
"I already texted them and said I couldn't come," Nicky replied, "Once was bad enough, and I'm not in the right state of mind to deal with cake drama today. I just want to hang out with you. I'll even go look at clothes for the kids if you like."
"Maybe some other time," Red replied, "I think I'm done with shopping for now."
"Do you want to head home then?" asked Nicky.
"Go home and let the dogs out, and then maybe we could go out for an early dinner?" Red suggested, "Maybe that new Italian restaurant that you mentioned wanting to try."
"You are loving me today," Nicky grinned, "I should get figuratively stabbed in the heart by my estranged father more often. Do you promise to leave out the comments about how your pasta would have been better?"
"You know mine would be better," Red scoffed, "but I've decided to take the night off anyway."
"That's a first," Nicky grinned, "but it sounds good to me." They walked out the front doors of the mall and began heading down the sidewalk towards the street their apartment was on. Nicky had to admit she was feeling in infinitely better spirits. Her father and his betrayal were still weighing heavy on her mind, but it was hurting a bit less now that she was allowing Red to remind her about all the people that were blessings in her life. The good did outweigh the bad.
"Are Piper and Alex going to be upset with you?" Red asked conversationally after they had gotten home and leashed up the two dogs for a quick walk around the block.
"Piper's probably a little irritated," Nicky shrugged indifferently, "but she'll get over it, I gave her one hundred dollars last night to soften the blow since I was pretty sure I was going to bail."
"What one hundred dollars?" asked Red.
"The hundred dollars that my Dad gave me to make up for the years of abandonment," Nicky rolled her eyes, "cheapskate. I deserved more than that."
"You deserve what no amount of money could ever buy," Red told her.
"Uh huh," Nicky mumbled. "But the point is that I deserve a day to myself, and Piper and Alex are just going to have to deal with it."
"I'm sure they will," said Red.
"They want to move soon too," Nicky snickered, "Piper's still freaked out about their apartment needing to be fumigated last month. She wants to move somewhere cleaner and asked me to go house hunting with them."
"That reminds me," Red said, "I was told the apartment beside us is going to become available in a few weeks."
"What about it?" asked Nicky.
"It's a bit bigger and has a third bedroom," Red said, sounding a bit nervous, "I need to talk to Gloria next Saturday and see what she thinks."
"I guess we will be needing some more space pretty soon, huh?" Nicky said quietly, "I don't know how to really feel about that. You think the boys are going to be fine with leaving their aunt? They've spent more of their life with her than with Gloria, you realize."
"They'll still get to see her all the time," Red shrugged, "and I know Lourdes is going to be happy to have more time to herself."
"And they both get along really well with you now," Nicky said flatly, "which is a good thing, I guess. Are they going with you to visitation next Saturday?"
"Not this Saturday," Red said, "they are leaving for that overnight school trip this Friday."
"Oh, right," Nicky nodded. She remembered it being a big thing a few weeks ago when Lourdes had discovered the crumpled permission form that had fallen out of Benny's backpack. He had never intended for her to see it. The boys knew well enough not to ask for expensive extras like field trips because their aunt simply could not afford them. Red couldn't really either, but together the two women had managed to scrape together enough money to send both boys on the school trip with their friends.
"Speaking of them," Red said, checking her watch as they reached the steps of their apartment, "I just want to check in before we go out to supper since Lourdes won't be there when they get home. They're getting out of school now."
"You realize they aren't babies, right?" Nicky said in annoyance. She brushed past Red to head up the steps ahead of her, "they're more than capable of looking after themselves and fixing their own supper while their aunt is at work. They did it for years before you came into the picture."
"I just don't feel like they should have to, now that it can be helped," Red answered, already in the process of typing up a text with one hand, while she loosely held her dog's leash with the other.
"Jesus Christ," Nicky rolled her eyes, "if you're that concerned about two teenagers fending for themselves for a few hours, then why don't you just invite them out to the restaurant with us?"
"Really?" asked Red, and her face broke into a smile. She started walking up the stairs behind Nicky. "Do you want me to?" she asked, sounding more eager than she intended.
"If you want to," Nicky shrugged, "I guess, it's okay." It was obvious how happy she had made Red by giving her consent.
"I'll ask them then," Red said, who stopped on the porch to type out another message. Nicky bit the inside of her cheek when she caught sight of the smile on Red's face. She knew she had done the right thing. Red had been so happy ever since Benny had come to accept her. She had fallen into something of a co-parenting relationship with Lourdes in the last while, stepping up to help care for them in Gloria's absence. Benny had willingly begun spending time with Red's family again, whom he had always enjoyed in the past. All that was missing was Gloria, but she wouldn't be gone for much longer.
The boys were already waiting outside of the restaurant when Red and Nicky arrived. Leaning against a pillar as they watched the traffic go by, they both smiled and greeted them warmly as Red ushered them inside.
"Can we get a booth instead of a table?" Benny asked.
"Sure," Red said easily, and Benny grinned when he heard her repeat his request to the hostess upon arrival. They were led to a half moon booth and they all slid in, the boys in the middle with Nicky and Red on either end. They opened their menus hesitantly and Red told them that they could order an appetizer if they wanted. They brightened at that. Eating out was quite the luxury for them.
"They should give us something to colour or crossword puzzles to do while we wait for our food," Benny said, after they had placed their orders.
"Aren't you a little old for that?" Red asked him with a smirk.
"Well, you told us we couldn't use our cell phones at the table," Benny told her, "what else are we supposed to do?"
"Talk to each other?" Nicky laughed, "I'll start. How was school today?"
"Boring," Benny said flatly.
"Care to elaborate?" Julio asked teasingly.
"Nope," Benny replied.
"At least I know you went to school then," Red said.
"You know I went to school today," Benny told her, looking slightly affronted, "I haven't missed one day this month."
"Yes, I do. I'm very proud of you," Red said, taking a sip of her water. "How did you do on that essay you were working on last week?"
"Alright," Benny mumbled.
"He did better than alright," Julio spoke up, "It was the best in his class. He's even getting a prize for it at the Creative Arts Night at school."
"Really?" Red exclaimed, looking at Benny in astonishment, "why didn't you tell me that?"
"Because it's stupid," Benny said, and his ears reddened in embarrassment. He looked over at his brother, "I'm going to kill you!"
"I didn't know it was a secret," Julio said, "I don't know why you're so embarrassed about doing well at something."
"I'm not embarrassed," Benny shot back.
"Can I come?" asked Red.
"Where?" asked Benny blankly.
"To this Arts Night, or whatever it's called," Red specified.
"There is no Arts Night," Benny told her, "Julio just got confused." Nicky snorted, and Benny shot her a dirty look.
"Why won't you tell me?" asked Red, "I'd love to go."
"Really?" Benny said skeptically. She nodded and he sighed. "Well, if you're looking for something to do…it's on Wednesday, May 3rd. A week from tomorrow."
"I'll be there," Red told him.
"Don't stress if you can't make it for some reason at the last minute," Benny replied, struggling and failing to wipe the genuine smile that appeared on his face, "it's probably going to be really boring."
"Nonsense," Red scoffed and Benny blushed and looked down at his hands.
"Do you want more bread?" Red asked him to change the subject. She could tell how happy it had made him to know how proud she was of him, and that she would be there for his event, but she didn't want to draw too much attention to it and make him uncomfortable. Benny nodded, and Red sliced a piece from the loaf and buttered it caringly before placing it in front of him. "How about you, Julio?" Red asked.
"Yes, please," Julio answered.
"Ugh," Nicky groaned.
"Hey, no cell phones at the table," Julio complained, "why are you allowed?"
"I'm all grown up," Nicky told him, "nobody can stop me."
"You don't act like it," Benny said with a mouthful of bread.
"What's wrong?" Red frowned across the table at Nicky.
"I told Brooke I'd meet up with her tomorrow before class," Nicky said, "but she's asking if we can hang out tonight too."
"Tell her no," Julio said matter-of-factly, "it's family time tonight," he joked.
"I'm thinking of telling her no for good, actually," Nicky replied, "she's becoming a bit too high maintenance for me."
"High maintenance, needy girls are the worst," Julio said.
"What would you know about that?" Red turned to look at him.
"I've dated," Julio told her defensively.
"Already?" asked Red.
"I'm seventeen," Julio reminded her.
"My sons didn't have girlfriends at seventeen," Red said.
"They probably just didn't bring them around you because you'd have embarrassed them," Benny said with a smirk, "but don't worry. I'd probably let you meet my girlfriend, when I get one. You could cook us dinner and save me some money."
"Why, because you're too cheap to spend money on a date?" Nicky asked him.
"I'm not going to waste money before I know if the girl is worth it," Benny told her.
"Nice attitude," Nicky rolled her eyes, "this is probably why you don't have a girlfriend already." Red bit her lip while Julio laughed loudly at the banter. Just then the server returned with their food.
"You boys aren't going to be able to sleep tonight after all that caffeine," Red said, as she unrolled her napkin of cutlery. The server had just left to get Julio and Benny free refills of soda.
"We were thirsty," said Julio, "and you need to drink pop when you have pizza."
"I can't believe with all the exciting entrees you can get here, you guys settled for pizza," Nicky rolled her eyes, as she twirled some spaghetti around her fork.
"Pizza's delicious," Julio said, taking a big bite of his first slice.
"It's also boring," Nicky replied, "you guys eat pizza like three times a week. This was your chance to try something new."
"That does look pretty good though," Benny said, pointing at Red's dish, "how come you didn't tell me that was an option?"
"Did you not read the same menu the rest of us did?" Red asked him.
"I must have missed that page," Benny replied, "you should let me have a bite."
"Go ahead," Red gave in, and Benny happily took a large forkful off of her plate.
"That's pretty good," he said licking his lips, "I bet you could make it even better though"
"You just beat Red to her own line," Nicky said, "I was waiting for her to say she could make all of these meals herself and save a lot of money doing so." She winked across the table at her mother and then took another bite of her dinner. She was glad that she had told Brooke she was busy, there was no where she'd rather be right now and she wasn't about to rush it to meet her. It amazed her how at home she was feeling, as though Gloria's sons, and especially Red, were always meant to be there. She felt a smidgeon of pride at how well everybody was getting along. She certainly didn't deserve all, or even most, of the credit, but Nicky knew that she did have a hand in bringing them all together. It was nice to understand that she could be useful, instead of just destructive.
"Do you want half?" Red asked him, "give me one of your slices of pizza and we'll call it even." Benny nodded happily and Red served him half of the dish. It was incredible the difference that a few months could make. Before, Red had not even really believed that Gloria's youngest child was capable of smiling, and to see the tension and animosity gradually leaving him was a remarkable thing. Julio and Benny reminded Red of her own sons in so many ways. It wasn't lost on her that they were almost the same ages that Maxim and Vasily had been when she had been taken away. In many ways, having a place in their lives felt like getting back some of the time that had been taken from her and her own children, and, as much as she loved them for their own sakes, they were also her redemption.
As they ate their dessert, Benny pulled out his cell phone and showed Red something on it that made her face soften. Nicky noticed but did not comment, instead choosing to nab the last apple cinnamon pastry from the dish they were all sharing. After Red had paid the bill, they began walking down the street in the direction of Julio and Benny's apartment. It wasn't that far out of the way for Nicky to object to, and the boys didn't even waste breath complaining that they were more than capable of getting themselves home safely. They chatted easily as they enjoyed the twinkling city lights that were cascading against the setting sun. Nicky sighed contentedly feeling much better than she had that morning. Red had been right to insist they get out and do something that day. Keeping busy hadn't kept Nicky from thinking about her father or feeling hurt, but it had helped her refocus on what was important. She smiled as she listed to Red checking to make sure that everything was in order for their weekend school trip and that they knew what they needed to make. Red could be such a mom, but it was the title that she wore best.
They said goodbye outside and both Julio and Benny thanked Red profusely for taking them out to dinner. Acts of generosity that had once been regarded with suspicion, they both now took to be genuine acts of caring. It felt good to be included. Nicky and Red waited for the boys to let themselves through the door of their apartment before they turned and headed for their own home.
"I'm thinking moving into that three-bedroom sooner rather than later would probably be a good idea," Nicky said to Red as they walked.
"Things feel like they are going to be okay," Red smiled, "they're both doing so good."
"What did Benny show you on his phone back at the restaurant?" asked Nicky curiously.
Red's mouth twisted for a brief second before she responded. "He has this, what do you call it? An app? On his phone. He set up a countdown to when his mother gets home."
"How much longer is it exactly?" asked Nicky.
"Six weeks and six days," Red said automatically, "and nine days after the wedding, I might add." Nicky rolled her eyes at that.
"Well, that's not so bad," Nicky said, sounding upbeat, "she's almost there."
"It's just so sad, the idea of a child needing to have an app on his phone to countdown how much longer his mother is serving time in prison for." Red shook her head wearily, "they don't deserve that, and neither does Gloria. What kind of world are we living in?"
"A pretty shitty one," Nicky replied, "but it has its moments. Don't dwell in the past though, things are going to be so good very soon. She's almost home."