Gift for margaux_margo
Title: Facing the Truth
Rating: K
Author: afrakaday
Gift for: margaux_margo
Note: Just a bit of meta-ish internal monologue inspired by the recent holiday episode. I owe you some icons, too!!!
Sharon had anticipated that it might take a few days for her children -- all three of them, finally together in one place -- to reach some level of familial familiarity.
She hadn't expected Emily and Ricky to immediately treat Rusty as one of their own and enlist him in their feeble attempts to shield her from painful realities.
They were all too old to be playing that tired game, "Dad's Fine." The three of them had played at it for years, and it was even more pointless now that the divorce was finalized. Whatever she might have done years ago, her kids were grown now, and were free to have whatever kind of relationship they wanted with Jack.
What upset her more than Emily and Ricky's puerile prevarications in and of themselves was their attempt to bring Rusty into the scheme. He'd come so far in being able to trust her, and she was proud of the level of open and easy communication they'd been able to engage in lately. Rusty had opened up to her about his friend Jeff, and hadn't lashed out at all when she expressed a measure of motherly concern about the difference in their ages. The fact that he felt comfortable talking to her about it meant as much to her as the fact that he'd reached the decision on his own to start college in the spring.
As Sharon looked around the garishly decorated murder room, her tired team all around instead of at her home as planned, she realized that she was just as guilty of withholding the truth as her n'er-do-well children.
While she was surrounded by many people she cared about, there was one person she was aching to see, to speak with outside the context of plea bargains and prosecution theories. To introduce to her children, even.
But Andrea Hobbs had left as soon as the case was over and she had the murdering tiger mom's signed statement of facts in hand. She'd scurried off with an apologetic look at Sharon while gesturing to her briefcase.
And that, Sharon thought ruefully, was a big part of why, despite feeling like a hypocrite, she didn't actually have much to tell her three children about her relationship with Andrea Hobbs.
A sliver of determination rose from within her, causing her to duck away from the party and back into her office. A short time later, she emerged again, joining Emily, Ricky, and Rusty, who all stopped talking as soon as she was within earshot.
They all had things to celebrate. Emily's principal dancer status, Rusty's wrap-up at Badge of Courage, even Ricky's successful relocation of Christmas Pinecone Village. Sharon had cracked a case, and she wanted to share all of this with a certain sardonic blond lawyer she felt sure her kids would like.
"Thanks for bringing the party to us tonight," she said. "But my friend Andrea couldn't make it, so she's going to come over for drinks later."
Rating: K
Author: afrakaday
Gift for: margaux_margo
Note: Just a bit of meta-ish internal monologue inspired by the recent holiday episode. I owe you some icons, too!!!
Sharon had anticipated that it might take a few days for her children -- all three of them, finally together in one place -- to reach some level of familial familiarity.
She hadn't expected Emily and Ricky to immediately treat Rusty as one of their own and enlist him in their feeble attempts to shield her from painful realities.
They were all too old to be playing that tired game, "Dad's Fine." The three of them had played at it for years, and it was even more pointless now that the divorce was finalized. Whatever she might have done years ago, her kids were grown now, and were free to have whatever kind of relationship they wanted with Jack.
What upset her more than Emily and Ricky's puerile prevarications in and of themselves was their attempt to bring Rusty into the scheme. He'd come so far in being able to trust her, and she was proud of the level of open and easy communication they'd been able to engage in lately. Rusty had opened up to her about his friend Jeff, and hadn't lashed out at all when she expressed a measure of motherly concern about the difference in their ages. The fact that he felt comfortable talking to her about it meant as much to her as the fact that he'd reached the decision on his own to start college in the spring.
As Sharon looked around the garishly decorated murder room, her tired team all around instead of at her home as planned, she realized that she was just as guilty of withholding the truth as her n'er-do-well children.
While she was surrounded by many people she cared about, there was one person she was aching to see, to speak with outside the context of plea bargains and prosecution theories. To introduce to her children, even.
But Andrea Hobbs had left as soon as the case was over and she had the murdering tiger mom's signed statement of facts in hand. She'd scurried off with an apologetic look at Sharon while gesturing to her briefcase.
And that, Sharon thought ruefully, was a big part of why, despite feeling like a hypocrite, she didn't actually have much to tell her three children about her relationship with Andrea Hobbs.
A sliver of determination rose from within her, causing her to duck away from the party and back into her office. A short time later, she emerged again, joining Emily, Ricky, and Rusty, who all stopped talking as soon as she was within earshot.
They all had things to celebrate. Emily's principal dancer status, Rusty's wrap-up at Badge of Courage, even Ricky's successful relocation of Christmas Pinecone Village. Sharon had cracked a case, and she wanted to share all of this with a certain sardonic blond lawyer she felt sure her kids would like.
"Thanks for bringing the party to us tonight," she said. "But my friend Andrea couldn't make it, so she's going to come over for drinks later."