Home
Title: Home
Fandom: Original Fic
Series: Original Fic: Alphabet Soup
Characters: Liz, Molly, Lizzie
Word Count: 1,318
Rating: Gen
Orientation: Het
Notes: for origficalphabet
Prompt: The letter “H”
Synopsis: Home is where your heart isn’t broken.
The radio was playing softly in the background as Liz sat on the kitchen floor in front of the open cabinet doors. She had two stacks, one to the side of either knee. One was what she planned to take, the other, what she planned to leave behind.
She pulled a Superware bowl and lid from the shelf, turning it over in her hands. The red lid had “Rob” in fat, black sharpie scrawled across it. She smiled as she remembered him telling her how he’d needed to do that because someone kept eating his chili. He always liked to take leftover chili to work in this container. With a sad smile, she dropped it back on the shelf. She would leave it.
With a critical eye, she gazed at the remainder of the cabinet contents. She would not need any of the small handheld appliances, her mother already had them. There was no sense in taking them now. She could replace them later, if she ever needed to, but for now, she knew she could use her mother’s at home.
Home. She had seen some bumper sticker philosophy defining it as ‘the place they had to take you when you showed up’ - wasn’t that the truth?
She closed the door, she had what she wanted, she picked up her pie taker, a few other cherished items that had been her grandmother’s, and left the kitchen. Robert could have it all now.
Liz put the items into a box sitting open on the floor in the entry hall. She had measured what would fit into her car; she could only take what fit into these boxes. She would not return here again.
She went through the living room next, gathering odds and ends that she had not picked up during that first panicked run through the house, when she had left, the first time. Her most precious belongings had been flung into the luggage she and Robbie… no he was Robert now, not her Robbie anymore... into the luggage they had purchased for the honeymoon three years ago. She had taken that stuff with her when she had run the six hours home to her mother.
Three days she spent crying her heart out, refusing to tell her family the horrible thing that he had done. She couldn’t share that shame, not yet. Her mother had finally put her foot down, threatened to send her brother to get the rest of her things and ‘teach that no good Robert a lesson.’ They didn’t know what he had done, but everyone at home was immediately in her corner, backing her up. It reminded her why she ran home in the first place.
There was a knock on the door and Liz froze where she was, a china figurine in her hand. Shaking off the momentary fear, this was still her house; after all, she went to the door. A young woman with pale blonde hair and a small tow-headed little girl hiding behind her hip stood on the porch. “May I help you?”
“Hi, the real estate company sent me. They said they’d be in touch, my name is Molly Flynn?”
She’d forgotten, in all the confusion of the past few days, Liz had completely forgotten about the guest house. “Right, of course. Just a moment, I’ll get the key and take you back.”
She went to the hook beside the back door and retrieved the key and then pushed open the screen door to join Molly and her daughter on the porch. She smiled down at the little girl. “I’m Liz.”
The girl stared up in fascination. “Me too! I’m Lizzie!”
Leading them down the steps, Liz replied, “I was Lizzie too, until I went to high school. You’ll be able to park in this side driveway; Robert uses the back one by the garage.” She pointed off towards the garage, Robert’s domain.
The path wound down away from the main house, behind trees and a garden of wildflowers and a butterfly bush that gave each residence a bit of privacy from the other. She went to the door and unlocked it, stepping into the bright yellow kitchen she had painted in hopes of making a cheery little nest for a couple or a single person. She’d been feathering her own nest at the time. She shook her head, clearing away the troubling thoughts that would only bring her down and into pain. She couldn’t go there today; she had a six hour drive home ahead of her.
“There’s only the one bedroom, but the couch folds out.” Liz pointed. “That’s the bathroom. There’s a small cellar for storage, I wouldn’t put anything down there in cardboard, it seems damp.”
“This will be wonderful, just think, Lizzie, a brand new home! I have the first and last month’s check here.” Molly began to dig in her purse.
Liz held her hands up in refusal of the check. “No, you hold onto it for now. Give it to Robert; he’ll be your landlord. I’m leaving; I won’t be here after today. Robert and I are getting divorced.”
The sympathy from the strange young woman almost undid Liz. “Oh. I’m sorry. I hope things work out for you.”
She gave her a wavering smile, “I’m sure they will. I’m going home; it will all be fine, eventually.”
“Thank you for this.” Molly waved at the little kitchen.
“No problem. When you thinking of moving in? I’ll leave a note for Robert.”
“How soon could we? We’ve been living out of our car; I’d like Lizzie to be in a real bed again as soon as possible.” Molly nervously pushed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. And Liz noticed a purple bruise on her neck and cheek.
This woman seemed to be running too. Everyone didn’t have the army of support like Liz did to back her up. Some people had to muck it out on their own, as best they could. Feeling sympathy for the young woman, Liz said impulsively, “Today, now. I’ll help you bring your things in.”
The smile she received made it worth it. “In fact, there’s a few things I was going to sell at a garage sale, let me get them out, if you need any of it, you’re welcome to it.”
If Molly recognized the charity for what it was, she was too proud or too needful to mention it. She simply nodded and followed Liz back to the front of the house. She and little Lizzie went to the battered old car at the curb and started pulling their belongings out.
In the kitchen, Liz did a quick reassessment of what Robert, the low down dirty skunk, would need and started throwing other stuff into a box that she had set aside because it wouldn’t fit in her car. She stripped the linen closet of all but two clean towels. Robert and the whore could buy their own damned sheets.
She finished packing her own things and took the boxes to the car.
Liz felt lighter in spirit as she brought the things to the guest house. She knocked and Lizzie opened it with a wide smile. “Hi!”
“Hi! Here’s that stuff I told your mommy about.” She set the box inside the door. Molly appeared behind her daughter. “I have to leave now. Take care of yourselves. Enjoy your new home.”
“We will. Thanks so much for everything.” Molly raised her hand and waved through the screen as Liz set off down the path.
She had once thought this house would be her home. She got to the car and paused before she got in; looking once more at the house she had once had such dreams for. It wasn’t home. Not anymore. Home was where the people she could trust lived.
Liz never looked back, not once.
On Dreamwidth
Fandom: Original Fic
Series: Original Fic: Alphabet Soup
Characters: Liz, Molly, Lizzie
Word Count: 1,318
Rating: Gen
Orientation: Het
Notes: for origficalphabet
Prompt: The letter “H”
Synopsis: Home is where your heart isn’t broken.
The radio was playing softly in the background as Liz sat on the kitchen floor in front of the open cabinet doors. She had two stacks, one to the side of either knee. One was what she planned to take, the other, what she planned to leave behind.
She pulled a Superware bowl and lid from the shelf, turning it over in her hands. The red lid had “Rob” in fat, black sharpie scrawled across it. She smiled as she remembered him telling her how he’d needed to do that because someone kept eating his chili. He always liked to take leftover chili to work in this container. With a sad smile, she dropped it back on the shelf. She would leave it.
With a critical eye, she gazed at the remainder of the cabinet contents. She would not need any of the small handheld appliances, her mother already had them. There was no sense in taking them now. She could replace them later, if she ever needed to, but for now, she knew she could use her mother’s at home.
Home. She had seen some bumper sticker philosophy defining it as ‘the place they had to take you when you showed up’ - wasn’t that the truth?
She closed the door, she had what she wanted, she picked up her pie taker, a few other cherished items that had been her grandmother’s, and left the kitchen. Robert could have it all now.
Liz put the items into a box sitting open on the floor in the entry hall. She had measured what would fit into her car; she could only take what fit into these boxes. She would not return here again.
She went through the living room next, gathering odds and ends that she had not picked up during that first panicked run through the house, when she had left, the first time. Her most precious belongings had been flung into the luggage she and Robbie… no he was Robert now, not her Robbie anymore... into the luggage they had purchased for the honeymoon three years ago. She had taken that stuff with her when she had run the six hours home to her mother.
Three days she spent crying her heart out, refusing to tell her family the horrible thing that he had done. She couldn’t share that shame, not yet. Her mother had finally put her foot down, threatened to send her brother to get the rest of her things and ‘teach that no good Robert a lesson.’ They didn’t know what he had done, but everyone at home was immediately in her corner, backing her up. It reminded her why she ran home in the first place.
There was a knock on the door and Liz froze where she was, a china figurine in her hand. Shaking off the momentary fear, this was still her house; after all, she went to the door. A young woman with pale blonde hair and a small tow-headed little girl hiding behind her hip stood on the porch. “May I help you?”
“Hi, the real estate company sent me. They said they’d be in touch, my name is Molly Flynn?”
She’d forgotten, in all the confusion of the past few days, Liz had completely forgotten about the guest house. “Right, of course. Just a moment, I’ll get the key and take you back.”
She went to the hook beside the back door and retrieved the key and then pushed open the screen door to join Molly and her daughter on the porch. She smiled down at the little girl. “I’m Liz.”
The girl stared up in fascination. “Me too! I’m Lizzie!”
Leading them down the steps, Liz replied, “I was Lizzie too, until I went to high school. You’ll be able to park in this side driveway; Robert uses the back one by the garage.” She pointed off towards the garage, Robert’s domain.
The path wound down away from the main house, behind trees and a garden of wildflowers and a butterfly bush that gave each residence a bit of privacy from the other. She went to the door and unlocked it, stepping into the bright yellow kitchen she had painted in hopes of making a cheery little nest for a couple or a single person. She’d been feathering her own nest at the time. She shook her head, clearing away the troubling thoughts that would only bring her down and into pain. She couldn’t go there today; she had a six hour drive home ahead of her.
“There’s only the one bedroom, but the couch folds out.” Liz pointed. “That’s the bathroom. There’s a small cellar for storage, I wouldn’t put anything down there in cardboard, it seems damp.”
“This will be wonderful, just think, Lizzie, a brand new home! I have the first and last month’s check here.” Molly began to dig in her purse.
Liz held her hands up in refusal of the check. “No, you hold onto it for now. Give it to Robert; he’ll be your landlord. I’m leaving; I won’t be here after today. Robert and I are getting divorced.”
The sympathy from the strange young woman almost undid Liz. “Oh. I’m sorry. I hope things work out for you.”
She gave her a wavering smile, “I’m sure they will. I’m going home; it will all be fine, eventually.”
“Thank you for this.” Molly waved at the little kitchen.
“No problem. When you thinking of moving in? I’ll leave a note for Robert.”
“How soon could we? We’ve been living out of our car; I’d like Lizzie to be in a real bed again as soon as possible.” Molly nervously pushed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. And Liz noticed a purple bruise on her neck and cheek.
This woman seemed to be running too. Everyone didn’t have the army of support like Liz did to back her up. Some people had to muck it out on their own, as best they could. Feeling sympathy for the young woman, Liz said impulsively, “Today, now. I’ll help you bring your things in.”
The smile she received made it worth it. “In fact, there’s a few things I was going to sell at a garage sale, let me get them out, if you need any of it, you’re welcome to it.”
If Molly recognized the charity for what it was, she was too proud or too needful to mention it. She simply nodded and followed Liz back to the front of the house. She and little Lizzie went to the battered old car at the curb and started pulling their belongings out.
In the kitchen, Liz did a quick reassessment of what Robert, the low down dirty skunk, would need and started throwing other stuff into a box that she had set aside because it wouldn’t fit in her car. She stripped the linen closet of all but two clean towels. Robert and the whore could buy their own damned sheets.
She finished packing her own things and took the boxes to the car.
Liz felt lighter in spirit as she brought the things to the guest house. She knocked and Lizzie opened it with a wide smile. “Hi!”
“Hi! Here’s that stuff I told your mommy about.” She set the box inside the door. Molly appeared behind her daughter. “I have to leave now. Take care of yourselves. Enjoy your new home.”
“We will. Thanks so much for everything.” Molly raised her hand and waved through the screen as Liz set off down the path.
She had once thought this house would be her home. She got to the car and paused before she got in; looking once more at the house she had once had such dreams for. It wasn’t home. Not anymore. Home was where the people she could trust lived.
Liz never looked back, not once.
On Dreamwidth