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[new_ophelia]

Kate realized the other day that it's officially been four years. Honestly it's not really a date she pays much attention to. It feels like longer and every day of the past nine months have been some sort of sickening blend of too fast and too slow. Sam growing up way too fast and each day full of too many lulls and silence and the pressing grind

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[polly_okeefe]

Carrying Sam, I'd been heading back to the rendez-vous point with Kate. I frowned when I heard a loud splash coming from the waterfall, and I ran as quickly as I could, with Sam hoisted in my arms, and crashed right into the chest of drawers that was blocking the path. I let out a strangled croak as the edge buried itself in my stomach, but I kept hold of Sam, who ended up sitting comfortably on the top.

I stared wide-eyed over the chest of drawers as Kate struggled to the surface. "Kate! My God! Are you okay?" I wheezed. "What the heck is this thing?"

[new_ophelia]

She waves her hand at Polly, still coughing up water as she rolls around trying to get her feet underneath her.

"From home," she manages, wiping the water from her face. "It's my drawers..."

She trails off, realizing that if it's from when she left, she knows what's in there. "Shit."

[polly_okeefe]

I looked down at the chest of drawers, frowning. This was worse than when Kate's underwear appeared scattered all over the trees. "What are you going to do with..." I waved my hand at the thing. "...this?"

[new_ophelia]

"God," she sighs, shooting a glance over at Sam as she bites back a few choice words about this situation. "It's from home," she mutters, pushing out of the water. "It's both our stuff."

It probably still smells like Jack, she thinks, fingers twitching towards his drawer.

[polly_okeefe]

Oh... dear. So, worse than the time Kate's undies appeared in the trees, then.

"Okay," I said, hoisting Sam up. and squeezing past the chest of drawers to offer a hand to Kate. "First, I'm getting you some dry clothes -- not those clothes -- and then we'll figure out what to do with Sam, and then we'll figure out what to do with this." I indicated the chest of drawers with a jerk of my head.

[new_ophelia]

"I can't leave it here," she says, shaking her head as she pulls it open. She can't just leave it. it could disappear just as quickly. It's the same messy pile of shirts and jeans that it had been four years ago. She can already smell that mix of Jack's deodorant and cologne. "God, I had forgotten that smell."

[polly_okeefe]

"Kate," I said. I was worried that we were approaching a major freak-out. A justified major freak-out, but one that perhaps should not happen with water around, or Sam nearby. "Kate, we've got Sam here, and you're dripping wet. You can't haul this back alone, and do you really want him standing around while we move furniture?" It was as close as I could come to 'get a hold of yourself' just now, but I was ready to go there if need be. I reached out with my free hand and gripped her shoulder.

[new_ophelia]

"Give me a second," she says, snapping a little as she tries to just keep her shit together. "Just...Polly you have to give me a second. It's Jack's. I need a second."

[polly_okeefe]

"I know," I said and, still holding Sam, I came forward and hugged her.

[new_ophelia]

She can't help but stiffen up, trying to keep from melting down in front of Sam and it's just not helping.

"Come here," she murmurs, shifting Sam around into her arms, setting down Jack's soft shirt. "Hey kid. Were you good, today for Miss Polly?"

[polly_okeefe]

"He was a very good boy," I said, giving Sam a big smile. I turned back to Kate. "Do you want me to take him to your place, maybe?" The unwritten question in my voice was, 'should I leave you here alone, even for a moment'?

I couldn't help it. The situation was awkward enough, and having a kid around made it even moreso.