Beyond the Family Ties

Part 37

Their first date was planned for the following Friday and they both danced around the topic all week, their excitement evident in the coy comments, playful looks on their faces, and Becky found herself nervous with anticipation as the night drew closer. It was almost silly to feel nervous, knowing that after everything that had gone wrong between them, things couldn't get worse, but that was the thing; she wanted things to be perfect. After so many hardships and troubles, she wanted to give Freen one night of perfection, so that she'd know just how much she meant to Becky. She supposed that Freen felt the same in some respect.

On the day of their date, they went to the park with Laurel in the morning and had lunch at one of their favourite local spots, before going home to get ready. Taking it in turns to shower, they went to their respective ends of the apartment and spent a good amount of time doing their hair and makeup, making sure that the other didn't see them, and Becky helped Laurel with a puzzle while her daughter kept her company in her bedroom. Hanging on the back of her door was a deep green satin dress, and once she was ready, her hair curled and red lipstick on her lips, she slipped it on and put on a pair of heels.

Angel had offered to take Laurel for the night and Becky still had to drop her off before their date started, as well as make a trip to the florist, and she readied herself with a deep breath, summoning her confidence, before she fetched a thin camel coloured trench coat and put it on, covering her outfit. Ready, she warily made her way down the hallway towards Freen's room and paused outside the closed door of the bathroom, listening to the sounds of Freen moving within it.

She knocked on the door and listened to the sound of things clattering into the sink while Freen softly swore, before raising her voice in a panic. "Don't come in!"

Quietly chuckling, Becky smiled as she rested her hand against the cool wood of the bathroom door. "I'm not. I'm going to drop Laurel off at Angel 's now. I'll be back soon."

"Okay," came the muffled reply.

Grabbing her daughter's bag, stuffed duck and coat, she waited as Laurel put her own shoes on at her insistence, before holding her hand tightly as she stepped outside into the hallway. Riding the elevator down to the underground garage, Becky strapped her daughter in on the booster seat and buckled her own belt up as she made herself comfortable behind the wheel, moving the chair back slightly to accommodate her heels.

The drive across town to Angel 's apartment took a while, with the end of rush hour clogging up the roads, and they listened to the radio, Becky smiling as she listened to her daughter sing along to the songs she knew, and soon enough she was parking outside the familiar building and leading her daughter upstairs.

Knocking on Angel 's door, she waited and listened to the sound of footsteps drifting closer, before the door was jerked open to reveal the distracted looking lawyer, still dressed in her business attire. Beyond her, Becky could see case files stacked on the kitchen table and a leather jacket slung over the arm of the sofa. The sound of someone else inside didn't escape her notice.

"Hey," Angel said with a soft sigh, a smile curling her lips. "You look nice."

"Thank you," Becky said, giving her a shy smile in return as she pulled the backpack off her shoulder and held it out, one hand lingering on Laurel's shoulder. "Thank you for doing this." Angel waved her hand dismissively, reaching out to take the backpack. "Everything she needs is in here, but call me if you need anything else."

"We'll be fine. Maggie's here too; we're going to order pizza, and I've already rented The Lion King, one, two and three. Should be fun, huh?" Angel said, smiling down at Laurel as she beckoned for her to come in.