Daisy Dale was working at the laundromat and it was a hot as well day. The air conditioner was on the fritz again and the dryers were making the laundromat a veritable inferno. Her makeup was running all down her face from sweating and her hair was frizzed. Daisy ahd also been partying, a lot. She was pretty much constantly hungover at work and the had recessed dark circles under her eyes that she tried to cover with cover up but in the heat it just caked and looked like wet chalk dust. She was dressed lightly in a red tank top and her usual short cut off jean shorts but the back of the tank and the underarm area was wet with sweat and her shorts felt positively sticky. She bought herself a Coke from the vending machine and rolled it across her face and then the back of her neck closing her eyes. When she opened them she noticed a group of people talking outside the window. She scowled and looked like an angry clown with her running makeup. It was Seamus, Iris, the small daughter he had been sent from that jockface slut Sam and Noelle with Blaze, and to her horror Olivia. Her daughter socializing with Seamus and his right outside her work place. Noelle often walked the kids down to meet Chris if his end of the day coincided with before supper. Police officers and firefighters in uniform were always exciting to those two little siblings. And as she suspected, up walked Chris.
Chris squatted down and opened his arms to Blaze and both he and Olivia rushed him and he picked them up together like a pro. “My two favourite munchkins!” He called out and then bent forward to kiss Noelle “And my favourite lady…..in the whole world…”
Daisy looked away. Chris and Noelle ahd something so pure she couldn’t even relate. And her daughter seemed to be lapping it up. Maybe they’d be better parents to her, stability….love. Daisy had never known it. She thought she had with Seamus but then that glasses wearing black haired library bitch came along and ruined it. Now the skank was holding up his daughter to high five her little friends, her daughter among them.
She saw Seamus get in on the high fives too and then low and behold Olivia reached for him from Chris’s arm and leaned over until Seamus caught her in his.
Daisy snapped and stormed out of the laundromat like a wild animal charging “EXCUSE ME! You put my daughter down this fucking minute Seamus! She’s not yours to carry around!” She marched up to them and reached to try and physically take Olivia from him but Olivia shrank from her into Seamus and began to cry.
Iris felt Katie jump a bit and tense up and walked further down the sidewalk from Daisy, turning Katie protectively so she didn’t have to look at Daisy. Daisy was scaring the children and frankly, Daisy was just scary looking right now.
Noelle had kissed Chris and was smiling with pure joy. Then Daisy stormed out of the launtrymat both looking and sounding craised. Olivia was clinging to Seamus and crying. She stepped between Daisy and Seamus and glared at Daisy. “What the … Daisy.” she tried not to snap. “You’re scaring the kids. All of them.” she arched her brows, knowing Katies triggers now … at least the ones Seamus and Iris knew. “He’s not hurting her and you know he never would. What is your problem?”
Seamus hugged Olivia. She really was a good little girl and he’d always adored her. Then Daisy came storming out of the laundromat looking like she’d been to all seven levels of hell demanding that he put Olivia down and that she wasn’t his. Olivia clung tightly to him and began to cry. He stroked her hair and turned so that the side opposite Olivia faced Daisy. “Calm down, Daisy. You’re scaring her.” he tried to calm the scared little girl. This was a Daisy he didn’t see much and now that he did, could not stand. He took a step back when Noelle got between he and Daisy.
Daisy went from zero to sixty with decibels of shrill “Give me back my DAUGHTER!” She shrieked “She’s not yours…..you don’t need her anymore. You never loved us…...OLIVIA!” She wails and sort of claws at Seamus.
Chris steps forward now and tries to pass Blaze to Noelle “Daisy...stop…..I will arrest you for harassment and assault if you don’t take your hands off him right now!” He’s still in uniform with his duty belt on. He takes the gun and taser off it at the end of the day now since he’s been mostly living in a household with toddlers and he puts the belt at the top of the closet when he gets home. But he has his cuffs available.
Daisy backs up now and gestures wildly with her arms “Fine…..fine just fuckin fine….” She starts to cry hysterically “Olivia, mommy loves you…”
Chris looks around at the other adults and gestures to the children held in arms “Take them home….please….” He’s thumbing his radio but hasn’t turned it on yet “Daisy….I think you need some help….I want to help you get that ok?”
Iris is out of the way with Katie but looking terrified for Seamus and Olivia. Chris seems to be stepping in officially now and she exhales.
Seamus keeps comforting Olivia, but hears Daisy and closes his eyes. She's half right, anyway. As she claws at him, he tries to move Olivia out of her reach. Chris steps in and he nods and turns in the direction of 1st and Noelle's place. He moves closer to Iris and Katie and looks at them both, trying to assure himself that they are safe.
Noelle takes Blaze and begins to move. Seamus is near her and she hugs her son to her. “Let’s go, kids.” she keeps her voice calm and heads to her apartment, not stopping until the door is open and the six of them are inside. She sets Blaze down, then stands, not entirely sure what to do at this point.
Iris hugs Katie and when she can be sure she’s ok enough, she puts her down with Blaze and looks at Noelle and Seamus. She gestures to the kitchen area as the kids begin to interact and play. They’re safe and they’re kids so as soon as they feel comfortable and Blaze opens a big bin of trains they get distracted. Iris lowers her voice in the kitchen “What do we do? Do we just let them play or address it?”
Seamus sets Olivia down and soon she is playing. He smiles at all of the kids and then joins the adults in the kitchen. “If they want to talk, I think they will.” he bites his lip. “It might be best to wait until Chris comes back to talk to them, unless one of the kids starts asking questions.” he leans against the wall and covers his face with his hand. “Jesus…” he breaths, his voice beginning to shake.
Noelle nods. “Let them play if they want .. we’ll wait for Chris.” she looks at Seamus. “You ok, Seamus?”
Iris moves closer to Seamus and pulls him into her arms if she can. “That’s probably the best plan. I’m glad Chris was there…” She exhales slowly.
Seamus pulls Iris close and hugs her tightly. He’s shaking slightly. “I’m … I don't know. Um .. do you have some water or something.” he asks Noelle.
Noelle nods and quickly gets a glass, filling it from a pitcher in the refrigerator filled with water and mint leaves. “It’s good and one of the only ways I can get the kids to drink straight up water.”
Iris backs off a bit so Seamus can drink but keeps on hand on his lower back in support. That had been scary to watch. Seh can only imagine how he feels. “Seamus…” She slides the hand up his back and runs it through his hair like she’s prone to do when offering comfort.
Seamus takes the glass, which has leaves in it. “Thanks, Noelle.” he drinks it dry and then chews on the leaves as Iris comforts him. She speaks his name and he blows out a breath. “I …. “ he swallows and just shakes his head. “I don’t even know right now.” he shakes his head and moves forward, sitting at the small dining table.
Iris just nods and looks at Noelle gratefully about the water and her getting them back here. She walks past Seamus and rubs his back as she pases and then tries to take one of his hands as she sits down too “You don’t have to know.” She looks up at Noelle “Is this recent or has she been like this? I mean the last time we saw her she was odd…..but today….” She exhales.
Seamus puts his elbows on the table and buries his face in one hand, squeezing Iris’s with the other. “I heard she was … Fiona called her Lavender Brown … because she’d … I don’t know why exactly. I never saw any of it. Or I was blind to it after O was born.”
Noelle shrugs. “Daisy … well lately she’s been pretty bad.” she admits. “I’ve heard her crying a lot. Snapping at Olivia. That’s why I’ve offered to take her so much.” she looks at Seamus but doesn’t out and ut say it all started after he broke it off with Daisy.
Iris lets out a huge sigh “God poor…” she drops her voice again “Olivia…” She whispers “I’m so glad you and Chris are here to take her. So not new….I actually feel kinda bad for hitting her with that book. I mean if she’s like….unwell….maybe she couldn’t help some of it.”
Seamus shakes his head. “I’m glad you were able to take her.” he takes Iris’s hand and kisses it. “Yea, well … I wouldn’t .. but I heard what she said to you and I can’t honestly blame you.”
Noelle looks over Seamus’s shoulder into the living room at the kids. “Well, Olivia and Blaze are siblings and I wanted them to be close. Daisy didn’t always ake it easy but…” she shrugs and looks at Iris. “What DID she say to you, anyway?” she clouds curious.
Iris looks sweetly at Seamus when he kisses her hand and then sighs at Noelle “She came at me about Seamus after storytime one day. Thankfully no kids in range. Basically implying Seamus was just using me to get to her and then he’d come crawling back...that he was like her and she in not so many words called him unintelligent. Suggesting I’d get bored with him and could never love him….oh I let her get under my skin that day and then I told her off after slapping her with a book. It was a soft cover in my defense….but she was desperate then...not making total sense when I think back about that too.”
Seamus takes the hand with Iris’s and rests his forehead against it. “Yea, well … Daisy wasn’t interested in my brain. No one was.”
Noelle sighs deeply and looks at Seamus. “Well most of the idios girls you were with wanted to be with the star center. Or were just that stupid that they wound up with you as their math tutor.” she snorts. “None of them seemed to get that the star center knew so much math he was tutoring people three and four years older than he was. Sixteen and seventeen year olds.”
Iris sighed “I love your brain and I almost didn’t give you the time of day because you didn’t reveal it immediately. As soon as you did I wanted to jump you in that bookstore.” She holds up a hand at Noelle “Sorry TMI…..” She brings it back to Daisy “Daisy isn’t smart so I guess in a way she has to think maybe seamus isn’t too so she can fabricate some kind of common ground? I know that’s a mean way to say it. Top it with some mental illness and yeah recipe for what we just saw?”
Seamus chuckles slightly. “Yea … and me and Noelle … nothing ever happened. She wasn’t attracted to me, and I wasn’t attracted to her .. and then I found out she was pregnant . but way later than with Daisy.” he smiles at ris. “You were interested in my brain and … yea … TMI.” he actually laughs a bit.
Noelle shrugs. “I didn’t want you or anyone else after Joey. And now I have Blaze .. and Chris.”
Iris chuckled and was about to say something in response when she looks towards the door and hesitates, hearing the sound of someone coming in.
Chris can be heard coming up the stairs and then his key in the lock before the door opens. He sees the kids playing and the adults at the table recovering.
Blaze runs to him with a train in his hand mid game “Daddy!”
Chris picks him up “Oooh...who’ve you got there bud...Percy? Nice.” Blaze wriggles and he sets him back down.
Olivia looks at Chris with a frightened expression. Chris walks over to her and kisses her on the top of the head “Hey….your mom’s ok Olivia. Nice people are helping her get better.” He sits down on the floor and Olvia climbs into his lap holding two little trains and just leans on him. Chris doesn't say anything more, just lets her lean against him and thoughtfully watch while the other two play. He looks up at Noelle, Seamus and Iris with an I’ll tell you later look.
Katie is building an epic track layout. She loves any kind of building toy. Blaze keeps trying to drive on it while it’s still being clicked together and every now and then she stops and looks at him until he picks up his train again and lets her keep going, clicking track into place.
Seamus turns when Chris enters and nods. He’d had his back turned because he was at such a loss about what happened he didn’t want to scare the kids with his reaction. Now he sees the kids and in particular what Katie is building and he can’t help but grin.
Noelle sees Chris come in and smiles. Watching him with Blaze never got old. Same thing with Olivia. But there were waves in her family and she was a little out of sorts, especially since Daisy was … had been … a friend.
Finally Olivia gets too tempted by the game as the track is done and Katie joins back in. The other two are just having too much fun to resist. She rolls off Chris and crawls to drive her trains to follow Katie’s. Blaze let’s his train fall off a bridge and onto the carpet and then goes to get the crane. It’s a rescue scene!
Chris eases himself back to standing and walks to the kitchen and over to kiss Noelle hello again, because he feels like the last one was marred by what came after. Then he sits down at the table too after unstrapping and moving one of the kid’s booster seats. He looks specifically at Seamus “Hey, they’re helping her. Those newer EMTs are taking her to the clinic….she went willingly without being sedated or restrained. Munroe and Roberts just talked to her and convinced her to go. It was as good as could be.”
Iris watches Chris come towards them and just holds Seamus’s hand. She’s relieved the kids are all still playing and happy with each other at least. Chris dealt with Olivia really well she thought. Now she just listens as Chris explains how it went and looks at Seamus.
Seamus blows out a breath as Chris explains what happened and that Daisy is headed for the clinic. “Good.” he pauses a moment and glances back at the kids before looking at Chris again. “Maybe it’s part of the insensitive bastard in me, but I’ve been thinking about Christine Agnor more than Daisy.” he realizes they might not know that name. “She’s Katie’s therapist. I mean I know it’s important for Daisy to get help, but I’m more worried at this point about O.” he shakes his head. “I’m not her Dad, but I’ve been there all her life and I love her. Fuck … what’s going to happen to O at this point? Is Daisy staying at the clinic … “ he makes a frustrated noise and bites his lip. He’s feeling he missed so much. And that Olivia paid for it.
Noelle accepts the kiss and listens to it all. She gets where Seamus is coming from and does look curious about the therapists name. If Daisy is on the way to seeking help, Olivia should be as well.
Chris nods “Yeah I’ve been thinking about that kinda stuff too on my walk home.” He takes out his phone and puts the name in his notes “Christine Agnor? I think they still live down the street from my folks...or up the street since they’re about to move.” As an aside to Noelle he says “They bought that house by the school. Sorry we’ve been busy with the kids and I almost forgot.” He laughs a bit and then sighs and speaks quietly “I don’t want to throw Daisy under the bus. I’m sure this sucks for her. But she shouldn’t be parenting Olivia if she can’t even cope with herself. Maybe it’s time to call that social worker? We could apply to be foster parents for Olivia officially. Then if things change with Daisy we can still help them…”
Iris nods along with Seamus about the therapist “Christine is really good with Katie.” She gives Seamus’s hand a little squeeze again when he talks about his worries about Olivia. “Congratulations to your parents? Interesting to move on the same street though. Just wanted a smaller house?” She doesn’t dwell on the topic since it’s a lesser one to her than Daisy and Olivia. “That would be a good plan.” She says about the fostering.
Seamus nods and chuckles a little bit. “Small towns.” he keeps nodding when the subject turns to fostering. “That does sound like a good plan. Blaze and Olivia being siblings, they should be kept together, right?” he looks between Chris and Noelle.
Noelle watches Chris put the name in his phone and when he mentions the social worker and that they … they … could apply as foster parents she turns her head and looks at him with wide eyes. She opens her mouth and it just sort of hangs there. It would be a huge step and her old insecurities float up. Maybe she just heard him wrong. Maybe he meant her but used the word we…
Chris nods, looking between Seamus and Iris and then sees Noelle’s look and takes her hand “Sorry, no pressure. Probably a bigger conversation for us in private if I’m freaking you out. I’d have to move in here officially…and maybe even…..” He hesitates waiting to see if Noelle is just too overwhelmed. He knows what he wants and looks at her with love.
Iris looks between Noelle and Chris and then blinks looking a little awkwardly at Seamus. They were suddenly in a thing. She was happy for them and hopeful but she understood the big feelings thing and it looked like they were dealing with some level of that.
Seamus watches what’s going on between Noelle and Chris and then looks at Iris, who looks a little awkward. He kisses her hand and shrugs. “What? He’s right.” he looks at them. “He’d have to move in and the way the foster system is … maybe more…” he’s poking a bit, but that is sometimes how things went with him.
Noelle shakes her head at Chris. “No .. it's not .. no pressure.” she replies awkwardly. “You’d …” and then he stops speaking in the middle of a sentence. “Maybe even…” she swallows and then Seamus speaks and she looks between them. “More?” she almost whispers. She’s thought about ‘more’. She knew that Blaze thought about ‘more’. But … was Chris talking about ‘more’? SHe blinks away a hopeful tear.
Chris chuckles awkwardly and then his hand moves to her face and he caresses her cheek below the tear if he can “You’re going to make me be terribly unromantic about it in front of our friends? “ He nods at Seamus and Iris “It’s true.” and then he looks back at Noelle “We’d have a better chance if we got married. I could also then apply to….adopt Blaze. I want that, all of it. I’ll ask on one knee if it makes a difference but we’ve always been more the talk it through approach…”
Now Iris grins at them and then at Seamus. It was sweet as well as practical.
Seamus grins at them and once Chris speaks he rests his chin on the hand that isn’t holding Iris’s and widens his eyes, looking like a character of someone watching and waiting.
Noelle feels his hand catch her tear and begins to nod when he states he is going to be horribly unromantic. She hitches in a breath when he talks about adopting Blaze and a small squeak comes from her. Then she begins nodding. “It’s true … she manages. “And … you could …. And … it won’t make a difference … I mean not if you’re …” and she gulps. For the moment, Iris and Seamus aren’t there. The kids aren’t there. Only Chris is there.
Chris bites his lip. She hadn’t said yes or no. He smiles sheepishly and stands up and then drops to one knee in front of Noelle “Just so we can be clear on your answer…” He reaches to take her hand “Noelle Snow….will you marry me?”
Iris shifts her sit so she can see Chris better because wow wha ta show. She can’t help but be touched to happen to be there for this and is hoping to god Noelle says yes to him after the drop to his knee.
The kids have been playing nonstop but as Chris ends up on one knee in front of Noelle three pairs of little eyes are suddenly watching. Blaze and Olivia look at one another and back to the grown ups.
Seamus watches with a grin. This was not exactly where he expected the afternoon to go.
Noelle looks up when Chris stands and begins to cry when he lowers himself to one knee and asks her to marry him. She begins to nod and smile and then bursts out with “Yes!” she sniffs and blinks and notices they have an audience. “Oh … Blaze. Blaze baby … is it okay if I marry Chris?” he knew what marriage was at least a little bit.
Chris gets a little teary eyed when Noelle starts to cry and then lets out an almost sob of relief when she finally says yes. He’s about to stand but Blaze flies into his arms for a hug before he can move.
“Yes yes….Mommy and Daddy get married!” He jumps into Chris’s arms and Chris then stands up holding Blaze between he and Noelle.
“We’re allowed to.” Chris jokes a little and then smiles, leans his head around Blaze and kisses her sweetly. Blaze just grins down at Olivia and Katie like he’s won a big prize.
Iris wipes a tear from her own eye after watching that and laughs “Congrats.”
Olivia wanders up to the hugging and now partially kissing trio and looks at them like she wants to be included.
Katie, left by her friends, wanders over to her daddy with a little train in her hand and climbs into his lap if she can.
Seamus watches and, when Katie climbs up, he helps her, giving her a little hug and kiss on her head. But … he is still Seamus.. “Isn’t that sweet, Katie? Noelle and Chris are going to get married like grandma and grandpa are.” he looks innocent but there is a teasing glint in his eye.
Noelle is laughing and crying and expects perhaps confusing the kids. “Yes, we got the most important permission.” Then Seamus speaks and she gapes at him. “You are so bad, Seamus!” she huffs and sniffs.
Chris passes Blaze to Noelle if he can and reaches for Olivia, to include her “Come on up…” She scoops her up and looks at Seamus “Are you calling us middle aged for our old fashioned choice?” He laughs “Deal. We’re doing it. We’ll have a tupperware party as a shower and serve some vegan agar mold salads.”
Iris gives Seamus a playful little swat and laughs “Oh come on they’re happy about it. Don’t make it weird.” Then she makes a face at Chris “Ok that sounds worse that regular jelly salads….bleh…” She ruffles Katie’s hair.
Katie looks a little confused by the jokes. She notices all the grown ups find them funny though and tried to work it out “Grandma and Grandpa are married.” She looks at Chris and Noelle “Married…” Then she looks between Daddy and Iris “Are you married?” Katie isn’t really sure what it all means to the grown ups.
Seamus smirks. “Actually I was calling you old, but middle aged works, too.” he sort of winces at the idea of the vegan agar mold. Then his daughter asks if he and Iris are married. He looks at her and then at Iris and then back to Katie. “No. I’m not old enough to get married yet…” he tells her. “Two more years, baby.”
Noelle takes and hugs Blaze as she laughs and smiles watching Katie puts the pieces together. Seamus’s reply reminds her how much younger he is than she. When he counts the years, she looks at Iris with a grin and curious look.
Chris sort of dances Olivia side to side and then looks past her head at sEamus when Katie fires off her question and whispers “Payback.” But he seems unphased by the question and his answer makes him look at Noelle and then curiously at Iris.
Katie takes the answer in stride and then just spins the wheels of the little train in her hands and enjoys the sound.
Iris blinks at Katie’s question and has to laugh a bit. She watches Seamus to see his reply and meets his gaze when he looks at her. “Two years.” she confirms back. It doesn’t scare her and with Katie in their lives it seems like even more of a natural thought progression, She smiles thoughtfully.
“Well then..” Chris says, chuckling. “Unusual day but not all bad.”
Seamus looks at Chris and sticks his tongue out like a little kid. Then looks at Iris and winks. Two years, indeed. He watches Katie playing and wonders a bit about Olivia, who seems so happy in Chris’s arms.
Noelle looks around the room and grins a bit at Iris. She tries to spare a thought for Daisy, but right now she is so happy about her new family. They will get Olivia in therapy and she will heal. She has good friends, even one who was also in therapy. Noelle knew that she and Chris would do everything they could to give Olivia a wonderful life.
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