OOM: All Hallows' Eve, New York, with Tommy Gavin pt. 3
[following this:]
We aren't saying Lou's a spy, but he does have this uncanny way of getting you to talk.
Perhaps it's because he's so gentle-natured, or perhaps it's because he's so often accompanied by the comforting smells of baked goods. There's just something about that mustached-grin that puts you at ease. He ain't as - what's the phrase? - 'high-maintenance' as Tommy, happy to pontificate on chocolate for whole conversations, or to not say anything at all.
While he has the day off, he and Kate whip up batches of buttermilk biscuits and peach cobbler for the girls. They'll be here tomorrow, and baking helps calm Kate's nerves.
For the most part, they don't talk about much of anything; however, there is a point in the afternoon while they're cutting out biscuits when he looks at her from the corner of his eye, and clears his throat.
"So. Is-- everything going okay? You know, with your trip... Michael... Tommy?"
It's such an innocent question for how much it gets her to talk. She hears the stifled curiosity on the last name, of course - as if Tommy isn't his whole reason for asking - and it's easy to side-eye him right back and tell him everything is fine, that she's enjoying herself, that Michael has been a perfect gentleman and she and Tommy couldn't be better. She doesn't know what he says to get her talking, but before she knows it she's shrugging and admitting:
"I do wish he would'a taken me somewhere we could'a been alone, like a real holiday. But it ain't that I don't love seein' you an' Michael."
He nods. "Sure, sure. You just seem like you've had a lot on your mind."
Her lips twitch.
"All Hallows' is a complicated time for me. It ain't about the holiday, really; s'jus' that - I have these dreams sometimes, an' they unsettle me. I've been thinking a lot about it."
Lou watches her sidelong again, lining the biscuits up in a frying pan. He doesn't say anything for a time.
"So you're excited to meet the girls?"
Kate looks at him, a little at a loss. She laughs helplessly, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her face and leaving a smudge of flour behind. She figures he'll know she ain't telling the whole truth if she says yes, but she doesn't want to say no.
"The youngest's name is Katy."
"Yeah?"
" ... S'what my daddy used t'call me."
"--Ah."
Kate wipes her hands on a dishtowel and loads the biscuit pan into the oven, trying to collect her thoughts.
"S'not - that is, I ain't - ah. I know it means a lot t'Tommy. Please don't tell 'im I've said any of this. S'jus' that the dreams I've been havin' - well, they're about my daddy. An' I get t'thinkin' about the mistakes I've made, an' - then I get t'thinkin' about the life I've chose, an' how it ain't really proper for young children, an' I-"
She shakes her head. She's making an utter hash outta this, but somehow Lou follows along.
"You're freaking out."
She chokes on a laugh. Goddammit, she's not gonna cry.
"Yes, I s'pose I am."
"So... instead of distracting you from what's going on back at Milliways, Tommy's delightfully stumbled upon the one thing that keeps reminding you of it."
She holds out her hands with another hapless headshake. He's hit the nail on the head, but what recourse was there? She couldn't very well tell him no after agreeing to come. She couldn't ask not to meet his daughters after already chickening out on him once. Lou chuckles, rubbing his mustache.
"That sounds like our Tommy."
"S'not that I don't wanna meet his girls-"
"No, no, no. I understand. Impressing a teenager is difficult enough when you're on top of your game. Tommy, though-- I don't think he's thought about how intimidating it can be. I mean, does he know about your dad?"
Kate takes a seat at the kitchen table, dabbing at the corners of her eyes.
"He does, but we don't talk 'bout it much. I mean, he knows that's why I didn't wanna be in the bar, but - I dunno. I know he's jus' tryin' t'help."
Lou lays a hand on her shoulder.
"Go easy on him, okay? Tommy doesn't, how do you say, live in the real world with the rest of us. And don't worry about the girls. Remember, Tommy's their dad, so they're way past the stage of being around proper adults."
She chuckles. It's not much comfort, really, but just talking about it makes her feel better. She really would like to make a good impression on the girls, but she don't see how she can. Not just being that she's got some things to work out, but she can't imagine them being friendly to somebody who's been seeing their dad. She don't belong in this world, and she certainly don't belong in this family.
"I'm sure they're lovely."
"Go easy on yourself. You're not so bad, either."
She smiles at Lou and lets him go on a bit longer, as he seems to think telling her all about Colleen and Katy will help. And it certainly doesn't hurt. Tommy isn't always the most communicative, and every little thing she can do to make them more comfortable will make her feel more at ease as well. She's here for the duration, and she's going to make the best of it.
She just hopes they like peach cobbler.
Seems as good a place as any to start.
This entry was originally posted at http://ikissdhimbck.dreamwidth.org/35795.html. Comment || Read
comment(s).
We aren't saying Lou's a spy, but he does have this uncanny way of getting you to talk.
Perhaps it's because he's so gentle-natured, or perhaps it's because he's so often accompanied by the comforting smells of baked goods. There's just something about that mustached-grin that puts you at ease. He ain't as - what's the phrase? - 'high-maintenance' as Tommy, happy to pontificate on chocolate for whole conversations, or to not say anything at all.
While he has the day off, he and Kate whip up batches of buttermilk biscuits and peach cobbler for the girls. They'll be here tomorrow, and baking helps calm Kate's nerves.
For the most part, they don't talk about much of anything; however, there is a point in the afternoon while they're cutting out biscuits when he looks at her from the corner of his eye, and clears his throat.
"So. Is-- everything going okay? You know, with your trip... Michael... Tommy?"
It's such an innocent question for how much it gets her to talk. She hears the stifled curiosity on the last name, of course - as if Tommy isn't his whole reason for asking - and it's easy to side-eye him right back and tell him everything is fine, that she's enjoying herself, that Michael has been a perfect gentleman and she and Tommy couldn't be better. She doesn't know what he says to get her talking, but before she knows it she's shrugging and admitting:
"I do wish he would'a taken me somewhere we could'a been alone, like a real holiday. But it ain't that I don't love seein' you an' Michael."
He nods. "Sure, sure. You just seem like you've had a lot on your mind."
Her lips twitch.
"All Hallows' is a complicated time for me. It ain't about the holiday, really; s'jus' that - I have these dreams sometimes, an' they unsettle me. I've been thinking a lot about it."
Lou watches her sidelong again, lining the biscuits up in a frying pan. He doesn't say anything for a time.
"So you're excited to meet the girls?"
Kate looks at him, a little at a loss. She laughs helplessly, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her face and leaving a smudge of flour behind. She figures he'll know she ain't telling the whole truth if she says yes, but she doesn't want to say no.
"The youngest's name is Katy."
"Yeah?"
" ... S'what my daddy used t'call me."
"--Ah."
Kate wipes her hands on a dishtowel and loads the biscuit pan into the oven, trying to collect her thoughts.
"S'not - that is, I ain't - ah. I know it means a lot t'Tommy. Please don't tell 'im I've said any of this. S'jus' that the dreams I've been havin' - well, they're about my daddy. An' I get t'thinkin' about the mistakes I've made, an' - then I get t'thinkin' about the life I've chose, an' how it ain't really proper for young children, an' I-"
She shakes her head. She's making an utter hash outta this, but somehow Lou follows along.
"You're freaking out."
She chokes on a laugh. Goddammit, she's not gonna cry.
"Yes, I s'pose I am."
"So... instead of distracting you from what's going on back at Milliways, Tommy's delightfully stumbled upon the one thing that keeps reminding you of it."
She holds out her hands with another hapless headshake. He's hit the nail on the head, but what recourse was there? She couldn't very well tell him no after agreeing to come. She couldn't ask not to meet his daughters after already chickening out on him once. Lou chuckles, rubbing his mustache.
"That sounds like our Tommy."
"S'not that I don't wanna meet his girls-"
"No, no, no. I understand. Impressing a teenager is difficult enough when you're on top of your game. Tommy, though-- I don't think he's thought about how intimidating it can be. I mean, does he know about your dad?"
Kate takes a seat at the kitchen table, dabbing at the corners of her eyes.
"He does, but we don't talk 'bout it much. I mean, he knows that's why I didn't wanna be in the bar, but - I dunno. I know he's jus' tryin' t'help."
Lou lays a hand on her shoulder.
"Go easy on him, okay? Tommy doesn't, how do you say, live in the real world with the rest of us. And don't worry about the girls. Remember, Tommy's their dad, so they're way past the stage of being around proper adults."
She chuckles. It's not much comfort, really, but just talking about it makes her feel better. She really would like to make a good impression on the girls, but she don't see how she can. Not just being that she's got some things to work out, but she can't imagine them being friendly to somebody who's been seeing their dad. She don't belong in this world, and she certainly don't belong in this family.
"I'm sure they're lovely."
"Go easy on yourself. You're not so bad, either."
She smiles at Lou and lets him go on a bit longer, as he seems to think telling her all about Colleen and Katy will help. And it certainly doesn't hurt. Tommy isn't always the most communicative, and every little thing she can do to make them more comfortable will make her feel more at ease as well. She's here for the duration, and she's going to make the best of it.
She just hopes they like peach cobbler.
Seems as good a place as any to start.
This entry was originally posted at http://ikissdhimbck.dreamwidth.org/35795.html. Comment || Read
comment(s).