❝ would this have been easier if i knew it all before? ❞
In which emotions change and Marcie finds out just how complicated her life can get.
[ heartstopper || season 1 -
extended summary inside
a LOVER'S CHOICE book ]
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When Reggie opens his front door, Marcie is standing on the steps, arms crossed inside her black puffer jacket. They smile at each other, exchanging heys before the door opens wider, Marcie brushing the hair away from her mouth as she steps inside.
"Sorry, I know I'm a little late," Mars apologises as she takes off her coat, placing it on the empty peg.
Reggie opens his mouth to answer, interrupted by his mum as she walks into the hallway, her very appearance gives of stressed single—mum—of—three. She's dressed in a white polo and black trousers, her hair is messily tied up, loose curls framing her face, her sole focus is on searching through the tote bag on her shoulder, giving nothing else any mind. "Hi, Marcie, don't worry about it," Kelly Dawson brushes off, blindly waving her hand dismissively. "Reg, have you seen my keys?"
Reggie turns to the side as he speedily squeezes past Marcie to check the pockets of all the coats. Marcie moves to the stairs, leaning as much as she can against the railing. "Yo, West!" Reggie shouts, his hand digging through the coat pockets. "Are mum's keys up there?"
The chaos isn't anything new to the Dawson household. Kelly Dawson works night shifts for a cleaning service for the past six years ever since the boys' dad left. It pays more than day shifts which allows them to have a little extra cash, even if it means she comes home at one in the morning, getting less than six hours sleep before she has to get up and get Lloyd ready for school.
Marcie's head turns when she hears West's footsteps echo against the floorboards upstairs, the boy speeding down the staircase with the keys in his hand. He's still in his school uniform from Truham —— minus the tie —— his shirt untucked and top button undone. He stretches his arm forward rather than climbing down the last three steps, his mum taking the set of keys from him and sorting through them until she grabs the house key, to lock the door behind her.
Reggie and West both have their own set of keys so they can open the door when they need to or if they get home before Ms Dawson has come back with Lloyd, the youngest. She always locks the door behind her before she goes to work and Reggie always uses his set to open the door so Marcie can get out.
Kelly blows a kiss to her sons, giving goodbyes before she grabs her coat from the peg, throwing it over her arm and leaving the house, the teens hearing the lock twist three times.
Then there's a lull of silence where the chaos secedes and the teenagers stay still. West then trills his lips, blowing out the air from his mouth. "Hey, Mars."
