[occhallenge] Gift
"How you doin' with everything?"
Randall looked up from his coffee to Heather and shrugged. "Things have been getting better. Thinking about it all less." He brought his cup to his lips. "Frankie says he's not having nightmares anymore?"
Heather shook her head with a sigh. "He seems to be doin' better with it all, too."
"And you? How are things with your parents?"
She sighed and looked away for awhile, before shrugging and looking back at him. "It's...okay. I'm grateful they're lettin' us live there of course, but..I dunno. I'm ready to be taking care of my own kid again."
"Have you thought about getting back into school? I mean...before you moved out-"
"Yeah, it was easier to go to school then. We had two incomes, Frankie had you there during the day...if I want to save up money to find a place to live..." She shook her head and Randall reached out to give her hand a squeeze. "It's hard, Randy."
"Heath..." he dipped his head slightly as he tried to get eye contact. She looked up at him. "Let me help."
"With what?" A confused look came on her face.
"Paying for school."
Heather shook her head and pulled back, putting her hands in her lap. "No. No, Randall."
"Why not?"
"Because...because I can't ask you to do that. We're not...an us anymore, and...it's not your place to pay for things for me. Frankie is another matter."
"There's always going to be an us in some form," he replied. "And...if helping you finish school gets you into a better future, then that helps Frankie."
"I can't take your money."
"You won't be. The school will take it. Talk to your parents. I'm sure they won't mind taking care of Frankie so you can do night classes."
"Randall..."
"Just accept it," he said, giving her a look.
"I don't want you to feel like you have to-"
"That's not why I'm offering."
Heather watched her hands quietly for awhile, then sighed and looked back up at him. "I'll think about it. But if this happens I'm paying you back one day."
"We'll worry about that one day," he shook his head.
"Why...after everything we've said to each other lately.."
"You're still important to me," he shrugged. "I can't just ignore that. I can't ignore that you're Frankie's mother. We're...still kinda a team, right?"
Heather watched him and sighed with a small smile. "Yeah, we are."
"Good." He nodded and sipped his coffee. Heather drank her own, and they both sat there thinking for awhile. Then Randall cleared his throat. "So...Frankie thinks you have a boyfriend."
Heather's face turned red and she dropped it into her hands. She groaned. "I don't have a boyfriend."
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Randall looked up from his coffee to Heather and shrugged. "Things have been getting better. Thinking about it all less." He brought his cup to his lips. "Frankie says he's not having nightmares anymore?"
Heather shook her head with a sigh. "He seems to be doin' better with it all, too."
"And you? How are things with your parents?"
She sighed and looked away for awhile, before shrugging and looking back at him. "It's...okay. I'm grateful they're lettin' us live there of course, but..I dunno. I'm ready to be taking care of my own kid again."
"Have you thought about getting back into school? I mean...before you moved out-"
"Yeah, it was easier to go to school then. We had two incomes, Frankie had you there during the day...if I want to save up money to find a place to live..." She shook her head and Randall reached out to give her hand a squeeze. "It's hard, Randy."
"Heath..." he dipped his head slightly as he tried to get eye contact. She looked up at him. "Let me help."
"With what?" A confused look came on her face.
"Paying for school."
Heather shook her head and pulled back, putting her hands in her lap. "No. No, Randall."
"Why not?"
"Because...because I can't ask you to do that. We're not...an us anymore, and...it's not your place to pay for things for me. Frankie is another matter."
"There's always going to be an us in some form," he replied. "And...if helping you finish school gets you into a better future, then that helps Frankie."
"I can't take your money."
"You won't be. The school will take it. Talk to your parents. I'm sure they won't mind taking care of Frankie so you can do night classes."
"Randall..."
"Just accept it," he said, giving her a look.
"I don't want you to feel like you have to-"
"That's not why I'm offering."
Heather watched her hands quietly for awhile, then sighed and looked back up at him. "I'll think about it. But if this happens I'm paying you back one day."
"We'll worry about that one day," he shook his head.
"Why...after everything we've said to each other lately.."
"You're still important to me," he shrugged. "I can't just ignore that. I can't ignore that you're Frankie's mother. We're...still kinda a team, right?"
Heather watched him and sighed with a small smile. "Yeah, we are."
"Good." He nodded and sipped his coffee. Heather drank her own, and they both sat there thinking for awhile. Then Randall cleared his throat. "So...Frankie thinks you have a boyfriend."
Heather's face turned red and she dropped it into her hands. She groaned. "I don't have a boyfriend."
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