"Do you think she'll notice if we bring this stuff into the house?"
Charlie's worried voice seemingly sails over Darcy's ears as she drags him through Marks & Spencer, their arms already full from going to Tesco 20 minutes before. They've been at this for hours, ever since Darcy dragged him into an empty laneway when school got out and told him of her plan, which he was all for in the beginning, but now was questioning if they could even pull it off.
Sarah Nelson, other than being a saint, was punctual as hell and if they messed up by even a second, he was sure Sarah would get home before they could even try and somehow hide everything. That would end with some really awkward explaining and while he knew Sarah would be okay with it, touched even, he didn't exactly want to mess up everything.
Darcy, however, seemingly thinks that they'll be fine, as evidenced by the look on her face as she turns to Charlie. It too, has the same anxiety he's feeling, but it's tinged with determination and longing that Charlie has sparks of from a few years ago when he first met Sarah, but nothing too grand to talk about as Darcy speaks. "I just want to show her how thankful I am to her, for taking me in."
Charlie knows Darcy's always had to prove herself. With her Dad long gone and her Mum being completely toxic and grossly inadequate as a parent (Sarah's words, not his), Darcy had always struggled behind the scenes of their friend group with the concept of family and love and caring.
Then both Tara and Nick came into her life and along with him, despite all the love she gained from Tara in spades, he'd brought his Mum and like Charlie, Darcy had found herself more loved and doted on than she had ever in her life. So much so that when her Mum and her had their big blowouts, Nick's house (or really, Sarah's house, since Nick had graduated and was attending uni 4 hours away) became a safe haven for her and all the emotional baggage that came with her. Nick, in the periods he was home for the weekend, became a very close friend in those dark times and Sarah was a light that surrounded them both and Charlie when he was in attendance as well.
(In actual fact, it was around everyone who met her that felt that light, but Darcy swore there was a certain shade of it only her, Nick and Charlie could see.)
Eventually, however, that light can't fix everything and the day Darcy turns up at Higgs with a black eye and hurried excuses about the bruises on her cheek, Tara immediately embraces her and calls Charlie, who shows up and uncharacteristically holds her like Nick would have if he was here while she falls apart in her girlfriend's arms.
After a lunch break spent making several phone calls, some hurried checking of Child Safety Laws in the UK on Google and the confirmation Darcy is 17 and can make her own decisions legally, everyone that is still in school with her in her friend group shows up en masse at Darcy's former front door to clean her room out.
Her "mother" was at work, so she had no idea she's left her until she comes home to a silent house and an even more echoing room that swallows Darcy's name sneering from her mouth, stripped of anything that had shown Darcy's personality and left as bare bones, the bed and other large furniture being the only thing still remaining. She, of course, bombards Darcy's phone with numerous texts, demanding an explanation, demanding she come back home and whatever she's up to, she stops right now this instant and grows up. Darcy's phone is commandeered by Tara however at the moment due to Issac, Charlie and her setting up her belongings in his spare bedroom as quickly as possible with Nick talking over them on Charlie's phone. Against Darcy's protests, she sends the nastiest, hate filled text she can muster and the phone suddenly goes quiet.
Thankfully, so far, it's stayed that way.
Now, a couple of weeks later since everything went down, it's Mother's Day. Nick's unable to make it due to mid-semester exams and David's been avoiding both his mother and Nick due to Tori being the best big sister ever to Charlie - leaving Darcy who has been living under Sarah's roof for almost 2 months hellbent on making sure she has the best Mother's Day ever. Ever, ever, if she gets her way.
That means planning and that means roping in Charlie, leading to the situation they're in right now, looking for some candles to put on the dining room table at Sarah's place. Charlie's pretty certain that while originally he was going to get Sarah a card and some flowers anyway (and that Nick will send something in the coming days), he gets it. Darcy wants to show Sarah how much she means to her and he's not going to stop her whatsoever.
Even if his arms feel like they're about to fall off. Maybe.
Sarah Nelson wakes up on Mother's Day and treats it as if it's any other day in the calendar so far. Of course, it most definitely isn't, but it's easier to pretend it is than to let the hurt seeping in from her heart make her ache all over. It's not like she's hurting for bad reasons (because she isn't), she just feels a little lonely this time. It's different now, with Nick gone.
When she was younger, as was Nick and David and this was also when she was still married mind you, she'd woken up to grand breakfasts and school made cards painted or written with kind little words, the big smiles she absorbed from both her boys making her heart sing with joy. Of course, as they got older and she and Stéphane separated, David stopped giving her what he termed as "frilly" gifts and only gave her flowers or sent a text even when he was in the next room over. Nick, on the other hand, continued with all that fuss. It earnt him teasing from the former, but for those last few years where it was just the two of them in the house, it was lovely to wake up to Nick's face smiling at her as if she's done something worthy of it and not just been his mother.
He'd called that afternoon, while she was leaving work and they'd had a lovely little chat as she drove home. He'd sounded so tired, but he assured her he was okay. That was the main thing. David hadn't texted obviously, but she knew that it was because he was sulking somewhere back in his university dorm after the disastrous stay and vitriol he'd swung onto both Nick and Charlie which she didn't condone. She also had sweet Darcy preoccupining her mind, trying to make her as comfortable as possible as she didn't suddenly expect to have a third child (because she is still one, the poor darling) living with her.
It was just a lot of things at once and that meant Mother's Day could take a backseat for as long as needed. She didn't need the celebration. She was content in just having at least one of her children telling her they loved her and that would spur her on for months. Phone on her shoulder, she's ruffling though her purse for her keys as Nick talks in her ear about his last rugby game (which he won, of course) when the door opens and Charlie's standing behind it, nervously. "Hi Sarah."
"Charlie my love!" It's not like she's not excited to see her son's boyfriend, she's always happy to see him when he comes over, both unexpectedly and with notice now he has his own keys (a birthday gift from Nick). He's always welcome after all, especially since he and Darcy's other friends as well as her girlfriend are usually somewhere inside after school on most days when she gets home anyway. She however does sense his nervousness this time and her expression falls to concerned sterness as she watches him attempting not to fidget under her gaze. "What's happened? Are you alright? Is Darcy alright?"
"I'm fine, we're fine." Charlie hastily corrects her and that doesn't help the situation at all as Charlie wasn't the kind of boy to hide things from her. At least, not anymore. Nick seemingly also seems confused as he's trying to ask questions on the phone, but Sarah hushes him as Charlie holds out a hand towards her. "I've got something to show you, though. If that's okay. I know I should have told you I was coming over, but I needed to make sure that-"
"Make sure that what, Charlie Spring?" Sarah arches an eyebrow as she takes the boy's hand and he guides her towards the kitchen past the living room towards the conservatory with a slightly rushed pace.
"I needed to make sure you wouldn't ruin the surprise." Charlie laughed as he suddenly moves out of her way, opening the glass doors with a flourish, but Sarah didn't really care as she gasps, seeing a sight before her that brings her to conservatory has been decorated within an inch of it's life, twinkling fairy lights brought from a very last minute stop at Debenhams adorning the tops of windows and the doors, making the ceiling look like the night sky that starting to creep over the sunset outside, the light bouncing off of them adding to that effect.
In the middle of the room, one of the sidetables Sarah uses for scrapbooking and craft projects is covered with more than likely a sheet from her linen cupboard, wrapped in those same lights with some slightly damaged pink roses in a clear vase perched in the middle along with several envelopes as 4 chairs sit around it, one adorned with a stack of items to make the seat taller, a tablet holder sitting on top ready to receive someone's cellular device.
Last of all, but certainly not least, Darcy stands off to the side, shyly waiting as Sarah takes everything in, Nick exclaiming to Charlie (whose taken Sarah's belongings from her at this point so she didn't drop and damage them) about how much he loves him as she suddenly speaks, rather choked up. "Happy Mother's Day, Mum."
"Oh, sweetheart." Tears streaking down her face, Sarah immediately embraces Darcy as her face hides itself away in Sarah's coat, letting go only after a moment to ksis the girl's forehead and blonde hair. "Thankyou so much, my darling girl."
Darcy's cheeks hurt, but her grin reminds Sarah almost of the ones she got when she was younger and that sense of joy is slowly filling her back up again as Charlie sets Nick up precariously on the stack of objects (back on video of course) and Darcy dashes back into the kitchen to grab their food which she swears her and Charlie didn't burn.
Charlie pulls her seat out for her and she settles in to eat, Darcy and Charlie joining her and Nick as he mutters how unfair it is has has microwave ramen and they get to have a fancy meal. It sets them off laughing and gives Charlie ammo to rib Nick about visiting more often, which sets off them poking their tongues out at the other and play arguing, both her and Darcy looking at eachother and rolling their eyes with a smile.
Sarah Nelson didn't expect anything for Mother's Day, but the most unexpected thing was that she did get was the one thing she hoped for one day, but never dreamed would happen. Sarah Nelson got a daughter.
It truly was the best Mother's Day ever, ever.