alwaysroomforhope | (no subject)

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The living room of 132 is empty, as are both bedrooms. The suite is painfully clean, apart from the dumbbells in the middle of the living room and the handful of sweaty workout clothes tossed on the floor.

The entire bathroom is filled with suds, white and opaque. From within the foam there is the occasional vague watery noise, as of someone fairly small lolling about in an oversized spa.

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Goldy breathes a sigh of relief.

"I thought you'd never ask."

And with that she whirls around and starts heading for the main door.

"I'll be back to pick her up in the morning."

It should be noted that Goldy has not brought a diaper bag with her, or any other necessary baby-sitting supplies. Maybe she assumes that Steph has plenty of such things on-hand because of all the other child-minding she does, or maybe she's just a terribly thoughtless mother.

"Excuse me?"

Not that Steph objects to babysitting, because eeee adorable little girl!, but it wouldn't do to let Goldy know that.

"I believe you forgot something." She nods her head at Eleanor, now happily playing with vibrator and bubbles.

Goldy pulls up short of the exit. She was so close!

"What?"

Her voice is already loaded with exasperation.

"Oh come on, Sweetcheeks," she then wails. "I've had her for two hours straight! You know you want to get to know my baby a little better, and spend some quality one-on-one time with her."

"First I want to spend some quality time with you!" Steph points out. "C'mon, G, you can't information-dump like that and then go out to get pissed with someone else. Pleeeease?"

Goldy's shoulders slump in defeat.

"We can't get wasted in front of the baby though," she whines. "I'd be a terribly irresponsible mother if I did that."

A glimmer of hope creeps into her follow up question.

"Wouldn't I?"

It's hope for an answer in the negative.

"Yes," Steph says firmly, "you would."

She exchanges grins with Eleanor. Almost as if they're both amused by this.

"You may have a single glass of wine, and you have to sip it slowly."

Unbending a little: "But I'll get you chocolate cake to go with. After all, you're a mom now. You can let your figure go."

"That's not in the slightest bit funny."

Goldy throws Steph a nasty scowl.

"Some friend you are. You offered me an opportunity to get drunk, and then totally rescinded it. That's just fucking mean, baiting me like that."

"And you," she says, pointing at Eleanor in a very accusatory fashion, "you quit looking so happy about it all. Mommy's the only one who's allowed to take delight in other people's misfortunes. Unless it's daddy who's the butt of the joke, in which case we mock him together. Remember?"

Steph and Eleanor both giggle.

BFFS.

"You shouldn't use language like that in front of her," Steph says cheerfully. "She'll pick up bad habits."

"I try not to," Goldy retorts, her temper not improving in the light of the conspiratorial mirth. "I've been very good about not cussing in her presence so far. You could try the patience of a saint though."

Huffing loudly, she makes another move towards the front door.

"I've got a delightful Riesling on ice in my room. If you're only allowing me one glass, at least let me get a decent bottle of wine..."

It's a blatant secondary escape attempt, but maybe Steph will fall for it.

"Uh-uh," Steph says firmly. "Not unless you're going to drop Princess Nameless Baby off with someone else and then come back here with the wine."

"Damnit Steph!"

Goldy pulls up again, grimacing this time.

"It's Eleanor. I told you that already, dumbass!"

"And she's not and never will be a princess. Not if I have anything to do with it."

"I was kind of distracted by you randomly having a daughter," Steph protests, cuddling the daughter in question. "Okay, no princesses. What do you think, El?"

"Ewanor," said daughter enunciates, very carefully. Get it right, Auntie Swee'cheese. She looks vaguely reproachful, then laughs and slaps Steph's bare arm with a pudgy little hand.

"Dumbass!"

Goldy looks on with an approving smile. "That's my girl."

Steph would be offended but she's way too busy laughing near-hysterically.

"Ewanor, got it," she promises, when she can speak. "You're definitely G's daughter, aren't you."

Eleanor giggles and bashes the Squeakins into Steph's knee. There's no admonishment behind that move, she just likes hitting stuff.

"Buzzz-quack!"

Meanwhile, Goldy slinks off into the kitchen while Steph and Eleanor are bonding. Glasses are procured, and wine is sought for. Without much success.

"Box wine?" she hollers. "Are you kidding me?"

"Please tell me that you've got a secret stash of actual bottled wine somewhere around here."

"Definitely," Steph calls back, taking a moment away from the giggling and bonding. "I keep it down the hall in room 111."

The Fable face-palms hopelessly.

"But you don't trust me to go there and get one!" she whines.

"I thought we'd already established that you're not drinking," Steph confirms happily. "Make yourself a lemonade!"

"You said one glass!" Goldy counters, clinging to that tiny concession as if it were the last morsel of food on a desert island.

"But... box wine isn't actually wine," she adds, her nose wrinkling in disgust. "I'm pretty sure its chemical composition is closer to urine than anything made from fermented grapes."

Steph smirks. "That's not an excuse, G. I guess I could go get you a bottle... but that would involve letting you out of my sight, which would be risky."

Goldy makes with the puppy eyes and the pathetically pleading tone.

"Please, Steph."

"I'll be good. And it's not like I can take off or get up to any mischief if you leave Eleanor with me."

Steph pretends to consider this, very thoughtful.

"Hmm. What's in it for me?"

"Well, for one, good wine. You can keep the rest of the bottle."

"Annnnnd," she looks around for something else to bargain with, and notes an excess of dirty plates and cups in the sink. "I'll fill the dishwasher for you while you're gone."

Steph should realize that in Goldilocks terms, that offer is quite a big deal. She'll do her own chores, and very fastidiously at that. But she's not much for doing other people's.

Ever.

This does, in fact, give Steph pause. Apparently this is serious.

"... that's not really necessary, G." She looks up from playing with Eleanor to regard her friend critically. "I'll get the wine. And some lasagne from Bar. You just ... I dunno, do motherly stuff and don't let the baby play with my batarangs, I'll be right back."

Goldy looks very relieved.

"Thanks, Sweetcheeks. You're a life saver."

She treks over to the sofa and flops down on it. Then, almost as an afterthought, she starts patting the next free cushion in an attempt to coax her child over.

"Come on, Short Stuff. Come and sit with mommy for a bit. Auntie Steph has to run a very important errand. She'll be back soon."

Eleanor responds by shaking her head vehemently and grabbing onto Steph's leg.

Let the clinging commence!