Miranda and Lilian hadn't had a proper date night in ages, it felt like, and she was excited to do just that. Standing in front of the vanity mirror of their bedroom, Miranda finished applying her eye makeup before turning her attention to her lipstick, and then began brushing her hair. Lilian got out from the bathroom in the hall and entered the bedroom, leaning down behind Miranda and pressing her lips against her neck and making her blush and laugh. Lilian then went to get dressed herself, as Miranda finished up. They had called Vera and asked if she wouldn't mind babysitting, and she said she'd be more than happy to, so Maddie was packing an overnight bag in her bedroom as the girls prepared for their night out.
Before they knew it, they were already at Vera's. Miranda waited in the car, while Lilian took Maddie inside and up to Vera's comfortable loft apartment. However, when the door was opened, she was surprised to, instead of Vera, find Tyler there. He smiled at them and invited them in, which they graciously accepted. "Didn't know you were gonna be here," Lilian said. "Almost always am these days. Getting to the point where I'm wondering why I'm even renting my own place anymore," Tyler said, heading back into the kitchen as Vera came out from the hallway and smiled. "Hi guys!" she said cheerfully. This was the happiest Lilian had seen Vera in....months? Years? Hell, it was hard to know. Ever since taking over the company it seemed like Vera's attitude had taken a perpetual plunge into uncertainty most days. But regardless, it was nice seeing her smiling again. Maddie approached Vera, putting her overnight bag down and hugging her, Vera patting her back. "Thanks so much for doing this," Lilian said. "John not available?" Vera asked. "Actually he was who I called first," Lilian said, "but no, he said he already had plans. Anyway we both really appreciate it. I'll be by sometime in the early afternoon to pick her up." "Take your time," Vera said, as Maddie headed into the kitchen to see what Tyler was doing; Vera approached Lilian and lowered her voice, taking Lilian a bit away from the living room area and said, "actually, I'm glad we were the ones able to do this, because...well..." Vera glanced back at Tyler and sighed. "...we've talked about having a family," Vera said. "You're not even married," Lilian replied. "Gee, look at Miss Tradition over here," Vera remarked, making Lilian laugh as she continued, adding, "no, we know that and we don't have real interest in getting married honestly. It's just...it's not for us. But we have talked at length about having a family, and this will be a good instance for us to see how we'd handle that sort of lifestyle." "Well then, I'm glad to be of service," Lilian said, before giving Vera a little hug and saying goodbye to all three before heading back to the car. As she climbed in and shut the door, she suddenly felt Miranda grabbing her and turning her to face her, pressing her lips against Lilians, making Lilian laugh as they kissed. This was going to be a good night for a change, which was something they all really needed. *** John, as it turned out, actually did had plans. That wasn't just an excuse. A few times a month, he was able to take Star to his place for a few days for some private bonding time, and the date that night just so happened to coincide with that current visit. At that moment, John was preparing dinner as Star sat on the floor, cross legged, watching a TV show clearly aimed at preschoolers. As he heard her laugh joyfully, he looked up and smiled. He was just happy to have her in his presence, even if she wasn't on the same intellectual level as he was. He didn't care. Star was his daughter, and he loved her to hell and back. A knock came at the door, and for a brief moment, he considered the fact that it might be someone from the trailer park looking to converse, but upon pulling the door open, instead he was greeted by another face on the opposite side of the screen. Geena, Alexis's sister. "Oh," he said, "hey, hi, uh...do you...do you wanna come in, or?" "No, that's okay, if you have company," Geena said, waving her hand. "It's just my daughter, please, come in, she's watching TV, she won't bother us," John said, stepping aside as Geena pulled the screen door towards her, smiling and heading into the trailer. She saw immediately the grown woman John had referred to as his daughter, and got curious, but figured she'd better save her inquisition for later on. She followed him back to the kitchen area. "What are you making?" "I am cooking steaks," John said, "what are you even doin' here? How'd you even find me?" "Yeah, no, that's a fair question," Geena said, chuckling, "um, it's because the hospital has you listed as Alexis's primary caregiver. That includes your address." "And they just give that information out to people?" John asked, sounding incredulous, "that's absurd." "Well, you know, I'm actually her sister, so," Geena replied, "anyway I'm not mad, I just wanted to talk to you about her." "Is everything okay?" John asked as he flipped the steaks over in the pan and looked at Geena. "Well, I just...I guess I don't understand, and I'd like to understand," Geena said, "and please don't take this as me not being appreciative of what you've done, and been doing, because I really genuinely am, as I'm sure she is as well, but I guess I just need clarification and context and...some other synonym that starts with a C. Because, near as I can figure, you're taking care of her for the sake of taking care of her and that...that's just....decency I'm unfamiliar with." At this John finally cracked up, which made Geena feel embarrassed. He put his utensils on the counter and approached her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't mean to, uh, make fun of you or anything, that really isn't my intent," he said, "please um, you're just so forward. No, you're not wrong, I am just doing it because it's the right thing to do. My family was torn apart by addiction, and so I...I know what it's like to come out the other side of that. After hearing about her own adolescence, I guess it's just hard for me to reconcile with the fact that your parents just don't give a shit about her." "To be fair, they don't really give a shit about anybody," Geena said, "they're pretty self absorbed." "Right," John replied, nodding, leaning on the countertop across from Geena, scratching the back of his head and adding, "and I don't think that's okay. I think...I think everyone needs a parental figure in their life, of one variety or another. Found family, blood family, whatever it is...you need that. Mentor. Etc. The world shouldn't feel so small and scary to people trying to navigate it for the first time, regardless of age. So I took it upon myself to be that for your sister, partially because I've been where she's been on both ends. I had addictions, and I lost people to addictions. It's...it's just the right thing to do. Do you want a steak?" Geena smiled, and nodded slowly. Why not have a little dinner? She'd made the trip here. *** Bernard's, a lovely bistro in the heart of downtown, was where Lilian had set her eyes for their date that night, and it was easy for Miranda to understand why once they were there. The place was quiet, with dim lighting and soft music. The exact kind of place one would expect a romantic evening to unfurl. Sitting at their table, looking around at the paintings and photos on the surrounding walls, Miranda couldn't help but feel like a very lucky lady. "It's weird when they name a restaurant after a person," Lilian finally said, interrupting Miranda's thought process, and making her chuckle as well. "It is, I agree," Miranda replied, "like, is Bernard cooking the food, or are we eating Bernard? Which one is it?" "I bet Bernard is chewy," Lilian said, "though, perhaps dinner isn't the best place to discuss the ins and outs of a topic such as cannibalism." "When would be?" Miranda remarked, the both of them laughing. "You look beautiful," Lilian said, taking Miranda by surprise, making her blush; Lilian continued, "like, I don't think I compliment you often enough, and I feel like I should do it more, because you really do look beautiful. I know it's a lot of effort, moreso in your case obviously, but...it's paid off. You've changed so much since we met, and...and I just...you're beautiful." Miranda blushed deeper, averting her eyes, feeling like she was going to start crying if she continued to look at Lilian's face. Lilian reached across the table and touched her face gently with her knuckles, making Miranda sniffle. "This used to be my fantasy, you know?" Miranda said quietly, almost a whisper, "like...how boring, right? Just being a girl, being out with a girl, being in love with said girl as a girl. It's...sad, really. To have such mundane fantasies. But I used to just lay in bed after lights out as a kid and think about this sort of thing. I didn't even want the exciting romantic stuff, like, where you come to terms with your feelings for one another or maybe a love triangle, no I just...I just wanted the already committed relationship." "Well then," Lilian said, "I'm glad I can give that to you. Everyone deserves to have at least one dream come true." Lilian then leaned forward and pressed her lips against Miranda's, and after the kiss ended, both felt giddy. Each, for whatever varying reasons, had never really had much lucky with romance, so it was nice to find that comfort with one another. They just needed to make sure they had more regularly scheduled date nights from now on. Much as each enjoyed playing parenthood, it was important for them to have nights to themselves as well. Which was funny, because that was the exact opposite thing Vera was discovering that night. *** Vera and Maddie were seated at the kitchen table, as Tyler finished cooking and set their plates in front of them before going back for his own. Maddie picked up her fork and dug in, as Vera started pouring herself a glass of wine. As she did, she watched Maddie, looking to see if she could spot any kind of uncomfort or anything in her. After a few minutes, Tyler finally returned to the table and sat down as well. "Do you think you could teach me how to cook?" Maddie asked, looking at Tyler. "Yeah! For sure," Tyler replied, "absolutely, if you wanna come on over like once a week for lessons, I'd be more than happy to help you with that!" "Does Lilian not cook?" Vera asked, taking a sip from her wine glass. "Eh, Miranda does, but I don't think she's as good at it as you are," Maddie said, and Tyler laughed. "Well thank you, I appreciate that," Tyler said, "and my mother told me home ec wasn't for boys, take that mom." All three of them laughed, as they continued to eat in silence. It was weird, for as much as Maddie loved Lilian and Miranda, and wouldn't change anything about her life right now, this was the sort of thing they didn't do. Dinner was often a solitary experience in that household, and she missed having dinner with people. Then again, it wasn't like her own parents had ever done it either, not in this sense. They'd done it, but it was always awkward and stiff and uncomfortable. This...this felt natural. This was the sort of family dinner Maddie had always wished she could have. And Vera? Vera was so happy. All she wanted anymore was a family. She was so sick of leading the company, and the bullshit that that entailed, and all she really wanted was to raise a family and be with Tyler. So cliche, she knew. She felt kind of like a sellout of her gender for her generation, wanting something so traditional, but Tyler had reassured her numerous times that it was okay that she wanted that. She wasn't by any means expected to live by the same morals or ethics others her age demanded she live by. She wanted to be a mom, and she was sick of hiding that and feeling ashamed of it. And all Tyler really wanted was much the same, but to see Vera be happy in the process. While Vera and Tyler discussed things regarding the company, and then a bit about the apartment - whether Tyler should move in or they should get a new place all their own - Maddie just ate in silence and watched, listening, smiling. It was nice to be around adults for a change and not be expected to be one as well. Bit by bit, she was eeking back her adolescence. *** "Oh, thank you," Geena said as John handed her a drink as they sat outside in lawn chairs, watching Star catch fireflies in the early evening sunset. "You told me Alexis almost drowned when you were kids, you remember that? Told me that that day in the hospital when we met," John said, sitting down and sipping his own drink before adding, "you told me that you watched a teenage lifeguard give her mouth to mouth, bring her in from the waves and save her life." "Mhm," Geena replied, nodding as she sipped her own drink, "yep, and that was a very formative thing for both of us." "So why do you care about her when it seems the rest of your family doesn't? Trying to earn some brownie points with the big man upstairs or just trying to make yourself look better or trying to maybe gain a sense of moral superiority or what? None of these are what I think of you, for the record, they're just reasons people do these kinds of things more often than not. I'm just curious where your thoughts lie." Geena smirked. She liked John's sense of earnest bluntness. "Well," she said, clearing her throat and stirring her drink with a straw, "it's a double edged sword, really, isn't it? Cause you live in a world of what if's, you know? What would it have been like had she died, would our parents have cared? They didn't seem all that plussed that she was still around after the fact, to be honest. I think it fucked her up though, more than she's willing to admit. I care because..." A pause, as John watched her, sipping from his straw, an eyebrow raised. "Fuck," she whispered, "someone has to, right?" Now THAT was an answer John wasn't expecting. "I mean, that's kind of my viewpoint, yeah," John said, as they both turned their gaze towards Star, "the world is full of people who don't care. About themselves, about one another, about anything. Even the ones who swear up and dow have only so much to give in the end, and don't care as much as they thought they did. People will abandon you in a heartbeat, use you for validation, hurt you without thinking twice. I guess I just prefer to be the exception rather than the rule." Geena smiled again, nodding slowly. She could see why Alexis had attached so hard to John, and their relationship as a whole was starting to make sense again now. Geena stirred her drink with her straw again and exhaled. "I bought a boat," she said. "Yeah?" John asked, sounding surprised, looking back at her, "you lose a bet or something?" "No," Geena replied, chuckling, "no, I...I..." Geena and John locked eyes and she sighed again. "I wanna take her out on a boat, and I need your help," she said. *** Miranda was lying on the couch back at the apartment, Lilian atop her, kissing up and down her neck, making her squirm. Miranda smiled and blushed, feeling Lilian kiss down her tummy and stop at her thighs, pushing her dress up. Miranda giggled. "I have to say," Miranda said quietly, "and this isn't saying women can't be the dominant one but...my whole life, being in bed with someone, I always felt so performative and hated being expected to be the one to make any moves. I always wanted it to be the other way around. So having you here, on top of me, doing all the work....selfish, maybe, but I like it." Lilian laughed and kissed back up, putting her hands on Miranda's shoulders and mounting her. "You have the right to be selfish after what you've lived through," Lilian said, "you've earned it, and I'm more than happy to be in charge. Honestly, I'm the opposite. The men I used to hook up with at parties while in costume always wanted me to be sweet and submissive, so actually being with not just a woman but a woman who doesn't mind if I take the lead...yeah...it's kind of perfect." Miranda held onto Lilian's hips as she started to grind on her, both girls panting, breathing hard. "I think I fell in love with you the minute you walked into my hospital room." Miranda said. "Yeah?" Lilian asked. "Yeah," Miranda replied, "I...I just saw you, and it was like I could instantly see the future. I'd always had trouble seeing a future of any kind for myself until that point. Part of that could be attributed to not having lived authentically until now but...but with you, it was all so clear." "That's, like, the most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me," Lilian said, the both of them laughing as she leaned down and kissed Miranda, breathing into her mouth. "Do you wanna be my wife?" Miranda asked, and Lilian opened her eyes, staring at her. "What?" "I'm sorry, shit, that...that was way too forward and way too soon and I..." "...why don't we talk about it more, tomorrow, and tonight we just...enjoy what we have," Lilian said, making Miranda blush as she added, softly, "now turn off that lamp." Miranda reached behind her, to the lamp on the table by the couch, and did as she was told. She could wait a while for an answer. After all, she'd already waited her whole life to be herself. Miranda had gotten really good at waiting.
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A young woman named Lilian Phillips, who plays a princess at birthday parties, befriends a little girl who had a child die at her own birthday party. Archives
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