𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭, charlie conway

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 | mothers always know

DONNA WAS WATCHING CHARLIE and Crystal at the kitchen table, washing dishes with Carrie, and Chris catching the latest episode of Friends on the Thursday night before a long weekend. She was happy to have her house full of her children enjoying themselves, and was anticipating a weekend spent with them. The scene was much like the old days, what she called five years ago or so. Charlie would often come over and spend hours with Crystal while Carrie and Chris did their own thing.

Donna was more than happy that Charlie had decided to start coming around again. She had known Charlie since he was born (frankly, even before) and loved his mother, Casey. And though she would always be upset that he beat up her son — what she was led to believe — she was glad to see his repentance had led him back to them. More importantly, it made Crystal happy.

Both Casey and Donna were put in similar situations when they were pregnant with Charlie and Crystal. While Donna was abandoned with two kids and a third on the way, Casey was being strung along by a dead beat dad who got her pregnant in her senior year of high school. Though Donna was a few years older (three to be exact) and a little more prepared to make things work, they were both marooned with no way to make an effective income.

They met in a single mom's support group, a specific one for those who were still pregnant. Casey actually went up to Donna first, noticing she had Carrie and Chris with her already. By that point, the twins were nearly two, which meant they were running all over the place while she was getting to be too pregnant to be chasing them down. Casey helped her out, and the rest was history.

The two of them shared an excitement that they would have kids only a month apart, Crystal due in May and Charlie in June. Casey helped out Donna a lot despite being seven months pregnant herself, being her support in labor and watching the twins while she recovered — Donna returned the favor, even helping her learn how to get Charlie to sleep. They were really the best friends either of them could ask for, and that continued for nearly eleven years.

Continued until Crystal's cancer and Charlie's meltdown.

Donna didn't blame Charlie or Casey at all. It wasn't exactly easy to hear your best friend had cancer, let alone that she has amnesia and only seemed to forget you. Casey still kept in touch, but their families couldn't be together as much anymore — it upset Charlie more than it was worth. Then the splitting became natural, as Charlie started pursuing hockey more seriously the next year and was occupied from there.

It was hard for Donna to think about the time surrounding when she had Crystal. She was so young and was in such a bad place, trying to take care of her kids, work, and being forced move back in with her parents when she had been entirely independent before. But seeing how Crystal had blossomed into an amazing young lady and Charlie a young man had made it all worth it in her mind.

Just like it was obvious to Chris and Carrie that Charlie and Crystal were in love and had been for years, Donna knew too. In fact, Donna knew when they were six that they were going to be together someday. There was this time where Charlie and Crystal were playing at the park and Crystal skinned her knees. She was trying hard not to cry and walk it off in her usual headstrong manner, but Charlie told her it was okay if she needed to cry, not to mention he walked her over to their mothers for help. The way he watched her be patched up was how she knew — intently, when he was an otherwise impatient child; wanting to know she was completely alright before he could smile again.

Of course Donna carries concern about Crystal and Charlie being in love, but she was mostly happy for them finding each other again. Every time Crystal saw him her face lit up, he could get her out of any confusion or sadness just by showing up.

At the kitchen table, Crystal and Charlie were avidly working on his page for her book. Chris had finally suggested he have a page in her daily book so she wouldn't be confused when he arrived — it had been two months of him visiting two or more times a week, so it was about time.