Apartment Above Luke's, Tuesday

[spin_kick_snap]

It was Tuesday. Kathy knew she was supposed to be getting to work sometime this afternoon, doing stock or cleaning or trying to find people to come work for her or any number of countless, pointless projects. She had a routine and routines were important, at least according to what little poking around she'd done on the computer for Helpful tips when you're a basket case. But she couldn't summon the energy to get up off the couch today. Hell, getting out of bed had been a titanic struggle and the only reason she'd managed a shower at all was because she'd sat on the floor of the tub and just let the water run over her for most of it.

It sucked. She'd really thought she was doing better. She'd been okay for a few days there, genuinely happy and smiling and laughing. The kids had been great distractions while they'd been there, but they were gone now, leaving a hole in Kathy's heart and the promise of a future that seemed further away than ever, today. From 'okay' to 'utter distaster' in just twelve hours, only this time she didn't even have the outlet of fighting in Baltimore to try to channel some of this bullshit into. All she had was Hulu and about a million seasons of Hades' Kitchen to get through while she tried very hard not to think about what Saturday had been or her alternate reality daughter with her dead sister's name.

"You're never going to impress him with that mess," she informed the TV from inside her comfy cocoon of blanket. "It looks like you threw up on a plate. Way to just hand the victory to the blue team, ladies, jeez."

[Open, though I'll be off to bed soon.]

Comments

[vdistinctive]

PROM was your warning You might've missed this last year, Kathy, but you'd been a student at Fandom for too long not to have at least known about this happening before. grandkids are not standard postprom events!

[spin_kick_snap]

If prom is my warning, shouldn't it have been yours, too? Kathy sent, smiling despite herself. Their relationship was built on trolling. What did you think would happen if I had kids?

[vdistinctive]

Eliot scowled at his phone. Because the answer to that was either YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE THEM RIGHT NOW or OBVIOUSLY I DIDN'T THINK THAT PART THROUGH and neither really was going to work here.

hardison almost fell out of his booth he said instead, because when in doubt, shift the teasing over to Hardison.

[spin_kick_snap]

I bet he LOVES that they call him Uncle Hardison and not grandpa, huh? she returned. I hope he doesn't mind, it's just...he's not my dad.
He's cool and I like him, but...

For one thing, he was only about ten years older than she was. He was more like a big brother or a really cool younger uncle or something.

Is that ok?

[vdistinctive]

Eliot hadn't actually checked in with Hardison on the whole 'Uncle Hardison' thing yet. He was 99% sure he was just fine, though. hardison was a foster kid, he replied. he gets it dont worry about him

[spin_kick_snap]

She'd been wondering if Eliot was okay with Kathy not thinking of his partner in any kind of parental way, but if Eliot hadn't even thought of it that way, then it was probably okay.

The girls also said they missed their cousins, she warned. So, uhh, FYI about that.

[vdistinctive]

they can have all the cousins they want their cousins aint gonna show up and yell GRANPA at me without warning

Grump, grump, harrumph

[spin_kick_snap]

Well, no, they wouldn't be calling him Grandpa.

Pretty sure they meant your kids, gramps.

[vdistinctive]

Pfft. Eliot was used to the idea of having kids by now.

no they meant my kids' kids

your nieces

or nephews

Revenge!

[spin_kick_snap]

Think about it, Kathy sent, a gleeful smile on her face. I'll probably start having kids in...what? Eight, nine years? You think your kids are gonna be having kids by then?

Kathy you were the worst to your poor dad.