Arms Hotel, Saturday Morning

[spin_kick_snap]

Okay, so for all the complaining about having to get up early - especially after a night chock-full of pollen - this was Kathy's favorite weekend of the year. Surrounded by kids who called her mom, arguing over breakfast, listening to them babble on about their likes and interests and hopes, singing them to sleep at night. Even with as a late an evening as they'd had, she was still up, bright and early, humming around the public room of the suite, readying it for tiny visitors.

A hotel room meant that she had to rely on room service for breakfast, but she made due, making sure to order plenty of fruit (heavy on the strawberries), and juice, and more bacon and sausage than any one room really ought to have.

Now to wait for folks to start showing up!

[Open for all tiny children and their parents, whether related or not!]

Comments

[rebelseekskimchi]

"Dad says I don't have to," Evie said primly.

[rebelseekspizza]

"I mean, why be polite to people who are being assholes?" Dante said.

[spin_kick_snap]

"It's not assholish to ask for manners," Kathy said, frowning in truth now. "It's assholish to be in someone's house and not use them. Especially when they're being polite to you."

[rebelseekskimchi]

"They are polite, but they're mean polite," Evie said, "And they keep telling Laqua she can't play outside or have fun until she does all of her homework, but they're lying, because there's always more homework."

She sounded awfully vehement.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Oh," Kathy said. That...yeah, that sounded familiar. "Are we worried about Laqua? I mean, your parents at home."

[rebelseekskimchi]

Evie shrugged one of her shoulders. "I don't think it's fair," she said.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante let out a soft sigh and slid out of his chair to pad over to the g--- to Evie. "Did you tell us about it?" he asked, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

[rebelseekskimchi]

"'m gonna," Evie mumbled.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Do you wanna practice on us?" Kathy suggested, voice gentle. "Get an idea of how to bring it up with us when you go home?"

She didn't wanna crowd Evie, not yet, so she just watched from the chair, hands clasped tight. "We'll always be here for you to talk about this kind of important thing."

[rebelseekskimchi]

"It's just-- sometimes you and dad talk about how mean granddad could be, and I worry..."

Evie pulled a face. She reached up, rubbed at it with her elbow, and tried to straighten out her expression. "Whatever."

[spin_kick_snap]

"My dad - my real dad, could be very mean," Kathy admitted. "And I didn't realize how bad it was. Even now, I'm still learning all the different ways that the things he said and did affected me. It wasn't until my friends and people I trusted started pointing out all the bad things he did that I started realizing it at all. So I think if you're seeing things that are making you uncomfortable or worried, you should listen to those feelings."

[rebelseekspizza]

"You seem like a smart kid," Dante said. "You've probably got good instincts, too."

Fuck it. Was it okay for him to pull her into a hug? ... He was pulling her into a hug.

[rebelseekskimchi]

"Ugh, you're always so huggy," Evie complained.

Even as she clung to him.

[spin_kick_snap]

"You're just lucky he's not picking you up to bring you over here so I can hug you, too!" Kathy declared, trying not to let the sudden lump in her throat Evie's complaint affect her ability to speak.

[rebelseekspizza]

"You should come over here anyway," Dante called. "I've got her now!"

[rebelseekskimchi]

"Heyyyyy!" Evie complained, giving him a push as she wriggled her way out.

Somehow the surly couldn't quite kill the giggle that escaped from her mouth.

[spin_kick_snap]

By the time she was free, Kathy had darted over to them, grabbing her back and enveloping her in a big, squeezy hug of her own. "Oh no, trapped again!"

[rebelseekskimchi]

"NomomI'mokayseriously!" Evie squeaked.

Unfortunately, her mom was about as fast as she was, and inescapable.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Who says this is for you?" Kathy asked. "Maybe I just needed to give my daughter a giant hug for my health. You ever think of that, huh?"

[rebelseekskimchi]

"I think you're lying," Evie muttered mulishly against Kathy's shoulder.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I think you're vastly underestimating just how much I love hugs," Kathy murmured to her.

Still, she let her go a minute later, because she didn't want Evie to think that the girl didn't have a right to bodily autonomy. Or that she couldn't deny someone hugs, even her own (tiny version) mom.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Yeah, you seriously are," Dante said, coming up behind them, hands in his pockets, an easy smile in his face. "Cut us some slack, kid. We'll have your back if you tell us."

[rebelseekskimchi]

Evie blew air into her cheeks so her face puffed up. "You think you'll be okay if I tell you?" she said. "Other you."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Darling, I think we'd want to know," Kathy said, seriously. "Anything that has you worried is important to us. We might even know something is wrong and are just waiting for you to feel comfortable enough to tell us."

She reached for Evie's hand. "But I can't imagine ever getting upset with you for telling us something like this. Whether you felt better coming to any one of us or all of us together, we just want you to feel like you could always talk to us about anything."

[rebelseekspizza]

"I mean, future us are parents. We're supposed to ride in, fix everything, and then be just doofy enough that you can write it all off as just us being dumb if you wanna," Dante said, grinning.