Scömìche One Shots

Playground

Scott plops down on the bench, unable to keep up with the little redhead sprinting toward the monkey bars.

"Don't fall." he murmurs, running a hand wearily over his face, tipping his head back and peering up at the perfectly blue sky. He silently wonders if the little girl's mother can see them from up there, if she is watching with a hand clutched tightly to her heart the way she always did. A small high pitched shriek draws his attention back to the playground spread before him and his eyes scan the structures and bars and ropes for his daughter and he finds her swinging proudly down the monkey bars, grinning at him. He returns the smile as wholly as he can but he is tired, too tired to do more than barely raise the corners of his lips in a hope that she won't be disappointed. She remains unfazed, though, as she hops down from the last bar and skips over to a slide, peering up it intently. Scott chuckles at her curiosity and glances around just in time to see a man step onto the mulch, a little girl propped on one hip and a baby carrier held tightly in the opposite hand while another little girl with tight blond pigtails and a wide grin bounces a foot ahead of him, turning back and speaking to him every so often. He takes in the man's tired expression, the smile he forces when Pigtails talks to him. He says something to her and she runs off toward the swingset, hopping onto it happily while the man comes and sits next to Scott with a sigh, pulling the other girl, who is sleeping, onto his lap. Scott wants to say something, anything to keep the situation from turning awkward. He runs over a few lines in his head, even parts his lips to say one, but he is cut off by a voice to his side.

"Excuse me." He turns and looks at the man, the exhaustion in his features even more prominent up close. Scott smiles as much as he can, quickly getting lost in the darkness of the other's eyes.

"Hi."

"Hello. Can I ask you about something? I'm new here."

"Sure, ask away."

"Do you know of any, um-" he cuts himself off with a deep yawn, apologizing immediately after. "Do you know of any elementary schools around here? Any good ones?" Scott pauses, purses his lips in a pre-apology before he can even say the words.

"I actually homeschool my daughter, so I'm not entirely sure." He instantly wants to take the words back, to comfort the man next to him who looks as though he could break in half when he hears this. "I'm sorry." He feels the need to plea that he really truly is sorry because when tears spring into the latter's eyes and he looks away, absentmindedly rubbing a hand up and down the sleep little girl's back, he feels so genuinely apologetic, as if this making this man cry is the worst crime he could have ever committed in his life. Still, he isn't sure what to say next, completely unwilling to make the situation worse, so he just clamps his mouth shut and sits still. The little girl springs awake, immediately calling attention to her father's tears with a small, "What's wrong?"

"Go play with your sister." he whispers, setting her on the ground.

"Daddy, what's wrong?"

"Kat, please." She nods once and runs toward Pigtails as if she has no cares in the world. In a heartbeat, the baby next to him begins to wail, only causing the tears to stream faster down his cheeks as he lifts her from her carrier and holds her tight to his chest, whispering, "I know, baby, I know," to her and rocking her slowly.

"Are you alright?" Scott dares to ask, knowing immediately that it is a stupid question and this man would not be crying if he was alright. But he still feels obliged to ask and listen.

"I just don't know what I'm going to do. I moved here two weeks ago, I've been searching for an elementary school and a nursery since before I even got here and I've found nothing. There's no available jobs, and-" He stops himself before he blurts out his living situation to this total stranger. "There's just a lot going on right now. I'm sorry for bothering you." Scott worries that he will try to leave, but he just turns forward and closes his eyes.

"You're not bothering me, I promise. I actually do know of a reputable nursery, not far from here." He launches into loads of details about the place, even taking out his phone and finding the nursery's website and showing the page to the other man. He finishes with the address and phone number.

"Thank you, so much." He looks as if he is about to cry again. "I'm Mitch, by the way." He removes one hand from the baby's back and extends it. Scott shakes it carefully and retracts his own introducing himself as well, and turning toward the tall wooden structure to search for his daughter again. He locates her and relaxes once more. Mitch does the same, find the two little girls with ease and turning his attention back to the baby. Scott tries to keep a conversation going, worrying that Mitch will break down again.

"You said you just moved here?" Mitch nods, turning back toward him. "What brought you here?"

"I had to bring my girls somewhere where they couldn't associate with bad things." he says quietly, regretting the information he may have just given away. Scott inquires.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My spouse just passed away. Those two were very upset, and the house wasn't helping. The four of us lived there together for years. The five of us weren't there for long, but this little one is too young to remember." He pats the baby's back for emphasis.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Scott nearly launches into his own story, but stops himself and says, "What was her name?"

"His name." Mitch corrects gently, as if he's used to the misgendering of his beloved spouse by now. "His name was Benjamin." Scott opens his mouth just slightly at another attempt at condolences, but his own daughter bounces up to him and says, "Come play with me." He sighs softly, terrified to hurt her feelings but too exhausted to do anything but watch the ball of energy from afar.

"I'm really tired, honey. Why don't you just have enough fun for both of us?" She shrugs slightly.

"Okay." She is gone again before Scott can get another word out.

"She's very excited." Mitch says quietly.

"Always has been. Just like her mommy." His smile falls and he remembers so many things all at once that he is forced to shut his eyes just to remember the little girl's mother.

"Your wife?" Mitch asks. Scott bites his lip hesitantly, afraid to face judgement for his answer.

"No. My best friend. We were never actually romantically involved." Mitch tilts his head, intrigued, and Scott is pleased to find no judgement of any kind in his features. "She had an illness, and she was told that it was going to get worse so if she wanted to have any kids, she better do it before her body couldn't handle it. I was just...helping a friend out, let's say. So now our little gem is mine. She doesn't even remember her mother."

"Did she pass away?" Scott nods, fixing his gaze on a sun-bleached piece of mulch at his feet. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I have my little girl to remember her by, that's all that matters." They both open their mouths at the same time, giggles pouring from two sets of lips into the open air as they see the other poised to speak and Scott says, "You first."

"I was just wondering if you come here often. To the playground I mean."

"I bring my daughter every day until we start the school year again. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious to know if I'd see you again. It's nice to talk to someone who isn't a lawyer or a crazy in-law who's convinced that I killed him with my attitude." Mitch huffs forcefully, the baby's little hair blowing back and causing a string of giggles to fall from her mouth. "I don't know anyone here. I mean anyone. I haven't spoken to someone casually in weeks."

"Well, I'd be glad to be your guy. I'm always open to talk. You seem pretty enjoyable to talk to, too." Scott glances down at his watch and says, "I have to get home. See you tomorrow? Same time, same place?" Mitch nods, a small glimmer of hope in his eyes as Scott stands with a small wave and goes to find his little girl.

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