"How do I look?" Piper asked. She was nervous, shuffling her feet and playing with her fingers.
Holly's breath caught in her throat when she turned to see her daughter in uniform. Piper was the spitting image of her wife. Her chest caved in, her eyes began to sting with the threat of tears. She smiled weakly, her daughter was nervous after all, she couldn't just stand there and gape.
"What's wrong? Is my tie not straight? Did I put my badge on the wrong side?" The blonde fretted, panicked. It was her first day and she didn't want to look like a fool, she had a name to uphold, a reputation to keep.
Holly took the few steps forward and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. She gave the blonde an encouraging smile. "You did it all perfectly, not a thing out of its place."
"Then why are you looking at me like that?"
"You look-" she took a shuttering breath, but her lip and tried again. "You look just like your mom when we met."
Piper didn't hesitate to envelope her mom in a crushing embrace.
She'd seen pictures of her mom in uniform, memorized the way she wore every price, was inspired by the strong confidence she embodied, it played a big part in her want to continue the Peck police line. So she recognized the dark blue in contrast to pale skin and ice blue eyes as she tied her hair back like her moms was in her favourite picture. She took comfort in how closely she resembled the noble Gail Peck. But she hadn't thought how that would affect her mom, the one who it would affect the hardest.
"Wasn't moms hair short though?" She tried to ease the tension. She didn't have many memories of her mom, glimpses of her voice when she sang, her smile, the way she could make her mom laugh like no one else. She remembers the person her mom had been, the loving and caring mother, the love struck wife, the detective people would be lucky to be half of. She remembers that she smelled of coconut lotion and berry shampoo. And she remembers short hair that would frustrate her because she could never properly play hairdresser.
"Not when we met. I was actually the one who cut her hair." Holly chuckled lightly at the memory. Gail, drunk and sitting in her bathtub, cute as ever groaning about life. Then made even cuter with a soft, bashful, smile. Life sure as hell wasn't a fairytale. She pulled back from the hug and caught her daughters eyes, scared but bright with life and excitement. But it was still beautiful. "She'd be a mess right now. Worrying over you patrolling the streets with everything that's out there, about who you would get as an S.O. and if they were good enough to teach you. But she'd be proud. So very proud."
Piper set her jaw and willed herself not to let the tears fall. "I wish she was here."
"Me too." Holly whispered. She'd already lost the fight and the traitor tears rolled down her cheeks. Gail would have given everything to watch their daughter walk out to her first patrol, to see her grown and strong and happy and nervous, to see the first step in the next chapter of her life.
Piper wiped away her mothers tears with care, a smile much like Gail used to wear on her lips, shining in her blues. "Wish me luck."
"You don't need luck, your your mothers daughter." Holly grinned proudly, her voice sure. Piper turned on her heel after a wink and opened the front door. "We love you."
Piper spun around, "love you too."
"Stay safe and come home." Holly instructed the blonde like she did every morning her wife would leave for work.