𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘀

𝟎𝟖𝟓

"𝚆𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝙸𝚝?"
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
𝕔𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕤 𝕖𝕧𝕖

     "DON'T TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY," Emily says as she looks towards the road, "But you have to behave."

"I always behave," Noah says as she peers over at her mother with a glare.  She relaxes into the passenger seat of her mother's car, feeling Emily's stare on her as they stop at a red light.

"I try to always behave," Noah rewords and hears Emily giggle.

"Everything is going to be very planned," Emily says, speaking of her mother's plans for their evening, "We'll sit in the sitting room before dinner, have small talk, then sit to eat, have dessert, and then leave."

"I think you're underestimating her," Noah replies.

"Hey, I lived with her for eighteen years," Emily reminds her daughter, "I know how these dinners of hers work."

"Yeah, maybe when you guys had her coworkers over," Noah tuts, "But you're her daughter, don't you think she'll be a little more loose?"

"No," Emily bluntly answers and looks towards the road again as the light turns green.

"Is that why you made me change my shirt?" Noah asks, still annoyed by the situation before they left.

"You can't wear a crop top to dinner with my mother!" Emily exclaims.

"It wasn't a crop top—"

"It was cropped!" Emily says, ending the discussion.

"It was showing a small sliver of stomach," Noah mumbles, "Is she a good cook?"

"There is no way my mother cooked a meal," Emily replies, "She probably had a chef come in or something."

"Well, then it'll be good food, then," Noah replies with a smirk.  She knows Emily is being pessimistic and is only looking for the bad in everything her mother does.  Noah has a different way of seeing Elizabeth.

As they pull into the driveway, Noah hears Emily take a deep breath.  They step out of the car, Emily holding a nice bottle of wine and Noah holding the gift they got for Elizabeth.  They walk up to the front door together and Emily knocks on the door.

"When I'm older, will you make me knock on your door every time I visit you?" Noah asks, finding her mother's knocking ridiculous.

"Shh," Emily quickly hushes her daughter before the door swings open, "Hi, Georgia," The mother says as she sees her mother's assistant.

"Nice to see you, Emily," Georgia replies, "And you too, Noah."

"Hi, Georgia," Noah beams and sees the woman step aside.  The mother and daughter walk inside and towards the main sitting area.

"I'll get Ambassador Prentiss for you," Georgia says and walks out of the room.  Emily stands, peering around the slightly familiar room.  The house was once her home, but she mostly kept to herself in her bedroom.

"Oh, hello, darling," A voice comes from behind the teen.  Noah turns around and smiles at the sight of her grandmother.

"Hi," Noah chimes and hugs Elizabeth.

"How are you, Emily?" The woman asks her daughter as she pulls away from Noah's embrace.

"Good, how are you?" The other mother replies.

"I'm well," Elizabeth mutters, "Come to the kitchen!" She adds and waves for Noah and Emily to follow her.

The mother and daughter look at each other, seeing as Emily's prediction that they would sit before dinner seems to be wrong.  Emily walks with her daughter, her eyes lighting up with awe as she steps into the kitchen.