Team Catradora

8- Mothers

Happy thanksgiving! 💕
Originally this chapter was going to be twice as long, but I decided to split it into two parts
Judging by the title I think you can guess that this chapter is going to have a little angst...
Slowly but surely the plot is progressing
Anyway, enjoy!

"So tell me about Catra."

Adora had been in the living room, working on her calculus homework. She barely heard Angella, she was so engrossed in her work. A moment passed before she realized Angela had spoken. She blinked, suddenly aware of her surroundings.

It was like she had just woken up from a dream.

Adora frowned. "Pardon?"

"I've noticed you had someone in your room the other day, so I asked Glimmer, and she said you'd made a friend," Angela said. There was an antique chaise across from Adora, satin with dark wood for legs. Angela sat, resting on the armrests like a queen on a throne.

She looked so regal. In another life, Angela could have been royalty. There was something in her stare, something about the way she commanded attention, that screamed "your majesty."

When Adora didn't answer, Angela raised an eyebrow. "What's Catra like?"

"Oh, she's Catra. She likes stuff and things." Adora's cheeks heated. Catra was just...Catra. What more could she say?

Angela kept waiting.

"We play laser tag together. And video games."

"Oh, that's nice." She smiled. "Why don't you invite her over for dinner? I'd love to get to know her.

🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

"Absolutely not."

They were at the mall, ready to play laser tag. Today, they had to wait, and so they were outside, sitting on the park bench. It was late fall, so they both wore heavy coats, stuffing their hands into their pockets. They butted shoulders as they sat, squished on a bench that was really made for children.

The Toys R Us behind them had quite a few benches, all plastic and colourful. It was highly contrasted with the dead trees in the background.

The trees matched the perfect tone for this conversation, considering Catra's reaction. Minus the fact that kids were walking by and yelling in the background, and it'd be like the setup for a movie.

Adora shrugged. "Why? You've seen my house before. It's like any other time, except you'd meet my mother."

"Your mother? I can't meet a mother." Catra examined Adora's face, as if that would change her word choice. "I didn't know you guys were so close. How long have you lived with them?"

"Since...I left you."

Catra exhaled. "Oh. So they're the reason you left."

"You said you didn't care," Adora said. "Are you okay?"

"It's fine. But I'm not having dinner." Catra stiffened, crunching dead leaves with her studded boots. They were everywhere, and you could break handfuls just by walking on the sidewalk."I don't do the whole 'meet the parents'  thing. You won't ever meet mine, so who cares-"

"Catra." Adora placed an arm on her shoulder. "Is this about your mom?"

"No. Pfft." Catra shook her head. She grabbed Adora's hand, sighing. "You're reading too much into this."

"We can talk, you know..."

"We are talking, right now," Catra said, sliding her hand back into her pockets. Adora pulled away, slumping over the seat.

"My mother isn't a part of this conversation," Catra said. "She's out of my life, for good. Why would I waste time worrying about her?"

Catra couldn't meet Adora's gaze, instead staring at the dead tree ahead.

Adora wasn't sure what to say-or do, for that matter. She was afraid that if she did the wrong thing, Catra would freak out.

Maybe it was already too late, and Adora should have never asked Catra to come to dinner.

Adora was a failure. What was she doing here? She didn't deserve Catra. All she did was remind her of her past. Adora stood. "Maybe we...should do this another day."

"What?"

"I messed up-"

"Oh, stop." Catra sighed. "I'm mad, but not at you. Of course your mom would want to meet me. Sparkles probably blabbed. What an idiot."

"Hey, she's my sister."

"I know." Catra grimaced. She hesitated before asking, "what's that like, having a sister?"

Adora balked. "What?"

"Annoying, I assume. I mean, she probably can't get out of your business, and shit." Catra paced around the bench. "You saw her when I came over that first time. Never leaving us alone..."

"Glimmer's the best." Adora grinned. "When I moved here, she and I snuck out to the playground, and we spent all night on this tire swing. We were in so much trouble the next day!"

"I bet."

"Glimmer has a way of cheering me up, especially when I first moved in." Adora sighed. "I was very lonely back then."

"Oh?"

"Well..." Fuck it, Adora was going to be honest. "For one, leaving you behind made me lonely, and Glimmer was willing to be my friend. It made the adoption more easy-"

"Oh, so she replaced me. Good to know you think of me as a sister."

"Not true." Adora lightly punched her arm. "You're not my sister."

"So I'm just your friend?"

Adora sighed. Now it was her turn to check out the tree. Dead leaves were scattered along the sidewalk, and Adora crunched a few of them while talking. "I thought you didn't want labels."

"I don't."

"Okay, then." Adora reached out, so she could hold Catra's. Catra gave a squeeze, momentarily done walking, which made Adora's heart melt. "Glimmer can't replace you, Catra."

"I-I see..."

"You okay?"

"Uh..." Catra frowned. "What was the other reason?"

"What?"

"You said that 'for one', she made it easier."

"Oh." Adora let Catra go. Instantly Catra's hands were back in her pockets.

"I needed a mom," she said. "And a family who supported me."

"Lucky you," Catra said, and they both went inside to play laser tag.