Are We All We Are?

Chapter 7

2013

•••••

Peggy woke to the sound of rain against the window, soft singing from somewhere else in the apartment, and the clinking of dishes.

With a soft sigh, she stretched. Despite the emptiness of the bed, it was still pleasantly warm. She glanced to the clock on the bedside table and considered. It was later than she usually preferred to wake, but her mornings had become a bit more lazy than they once were, with fewer expectations and rigid schedules that she, admittedly, placed on herself. She still preferred to have her day planned out, but her girlfriend's steady reassurance and ability to, as she had put it before, "roll with the punches" helped her handle the unexpected a little better.

Speaking of, Peggy sat up and pulled the blanket off of her. She blinked a few times as the room sharpened. Next came her phone. There were several new emails and other messages, but none seemed work-related. Many were from her coworkers and friends, however. Perhaps another one of those silly group chat messengers that Angie so liked to add everyone to.

For now, she left them unread.

The floor was cold against her feet before she found her slippers. She used the restroom quickly and slipped into a warm robe to keep away the morning chill.

Peggy made her way from the bedroom toward the kitchen, and the source of the singing and the dishes. She paused in the doorway to smile fondly; Dottie was standing at the stove with her headphones in, still wearing her pajamas, swaying her hips to the beat as she sang and cooked something that smelled sweet. Peggy didn't recognize the song; it sounded like it was in French, which she didn't completely understand, but it sounded upbeat, much like Dottie herself.

Dottie shimmied her shoulders and did a little spin to the song, only to stop dead and look with wide eyes at Peggy watching her. Dottie flushed and a sheepish grin spread over her face. With the hand not holding a wooden spoon covered in some sort of reddish syrup, Dottie tugged one earphone out.

"Good morning." She said.

"Good morning." Peggy replied. "You look like you are having fun. Don't let me stop you."

Dottie laughed and paused her music. "It's fine. A little energy boost while making breakfast. Which is almost ready, by the way."

Peggy nodded. "I'll get dishes. Plates?"

"Yep." Dottie said. "And forks."

Peggy did so, setting them neatly at the table. She poured a mug with hot water to let some tea steep for a few minutes as she waited.

"Sorry it's a bit non-traditional." Dottie said. "But I remembered how much you liked strawberries, so I thought that you would like this."

Dottie presented a stack of pancakes topped with sliced strawberries in thick red syrup. In another pan Peggy saw a few links of sausage sizzling; Dottie had kept them away from the pancakes themselves.

Peggy smiled at her. "They smell wonderful."

Dottie set the dish of pancakes and another bowl of the strawberries on the table. As she passed Peggy to get whipped cream from the refrigerator, she stopped to cup her face with one hand and press a kiss to her forehead. Peggy brushed her fingers on Dottie's wrist with a soft smile.

The two sat down to eat, their legs tangling casually under the table. Peggy hummed softly at the first bite; Dottie's cooking was getting better and better, despite her claims that she'd only learned a bit in her youth before joining Leviathan.

"How did you sleep, darling?" Dottie asked.

Peggy swallowed a bite of strawberry. "Very well, thank you. Though it was cold when I woke up."

"It's supposed to be chilly and rainy for a while," Dottie said with a small frown at the window. "I guess Melbourne's version of winter isn't over yet."

Peggy nodded. "Do you think we may get snow?"

Dottie shook her head. "We live in Australia, Peg. It's also April. There better not be any snow or I'm declaring the end of the world."

Peggy chuckled and sipped her tea.

Dottie watched her with a small, fond smile. The rain pattered against the window, a gentle white noise to accompany the clinking of silverware against ceramic.

As they finished eating in companionable quiet, Dottie spoke again. "Do you want to do anything today?"

Peggy considered. "I didn't really have any plans today. Strange, I know."

Dottie smiled. "I mean, to celebrate. Dinner? A movie? I think our options are limited by the rain...."

"Celebrate?"

Dottie blinked. "Your birthday. It's today, Peggy. The 9th?"

Peggy sat up straight and looked again at her phone. "Oh."

Dottie laughed. "Oh, Peg! You forgot your own birthday?"

"That.... would explain all of the emails, then...."

"Of course everyone would blow up your phone." Dottie said with a shake of her head. "And I know you don't like surprises, so I think.... they'll be mad at me for telling you, but they're planning on throwing you a party this weekend."

Peggy looked up at her. "Really? For me?"

Dottie nodded. "They wanted it to be a surprise party, but Jeeves and I both argued that you should know, so I'm telling you anyway."

Peggy sat still.

Dottie reached over the table to take her hand. "They're all very excited, you know. They care about you a lot. I know it's hard sometimes.... but we've got a lot of friends now, Peggy. We all love you."

Peggy swallowed her uncertainty and nodded. She squeezed Dottie's hand gently. "You are all so wonderful to me."

"You deserve it." Dottie said. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you."

"Now. Anything special you want to do?" Dottie looked excited.

Peggy reached over to hold her hand in both of her own. "If I may be honest? A day with you is more than enough of a special day for me."

The starry-eyed look and soft gasp from her girlfriend was perhaps better than any present anyone could have given her.

"A lazy day with the most exquisite person I have ever laid eyes on sounds like the perfect way to spend a birthday." Peggy said with a slow smile.

"I— I—" Dottie was charmingly flustered, her cheeks hued with roses and a smile clinging to her lips, which Peggy desperately wanted to kiss. "We can— yes, we can do that."

Peggy could hold back no longer, and stood. Dottie started to slide her chair back, as though to get up as well, but Peggy stopped her with two fingers against her sternum. She sat on Dottie's lap and laced her fingers in her hair to pull her in for a kiss.

Dottie tasted of strawberries and coffee.

"I don't think I will ever tire of kissing you." Dottie purred into her lips.

"Mm. A shared feeling." Peggy replied. Dottie's hands were warm on her waist, sliding under her robe, but staying above her tank top. "There is the plan for the day, then."

"I'll be more than happy to oblige."