Constance and Moira: A History Lesson

Truth-Tellers

'Did you hear?' Constance sniffed, stumbling through the kitchen door, sipping dark liquor from a glass she'd brought with her.

'Hmm. Did she make it to the house?' Moira asked, setting down the dishcloth and offering a chair. Constance shook her head, regretfully, looking down at the floor as she stumbled into her seat. 'How many's that now?' The blonde looked up, dolefully, with swollen eyes and glared at the redhead.

'Four,' she drawled, taking another sip. Moira sat beside her.

'Well thanks to you, I'll never know the pain you're going through.'

'Moira, just once, just this one goddamn time, could you not make this about the fact that I killed you. Just once?' Moira smiled, modestly, accepting and Constance sighed, bringing the glass to her mouth.

'What're you doing here?'

'What do you mean 'what am I doing here'? My child has just died, splayed out in the middle of the street. You want me to go back to an empty house, listen to all the creaks and silences that scream at me how I'm going to die alone?' Constance cried, the alcohol running through her making sure she felt no shame. Moira put a hand on her shoulder.

'If you want me to comfort you, you've come to the wrong person,' she said honestly but not unkindly.

'I don't want comfort, I want company.'

'Isn't that what your boy toy's for?' Constance coughed a laugh from her throat, rolling her eyes.

'Yeah, I'm sure Ben Ten will be great company for a grieving mother.' She waved her hand dismissively, staring into the contents of her glass, as though it held all the answers. 'He's not going to stay.'

'How do you know?'

Constance sighed. 'I think half the reason he stayed with me anyway was to be around Addie. Now I'm just a childless old widow, with a drinking problem and no money. Where's the attraction?' She played with the blonde locks that dangled round her neck.

'Well there is none,' the maid said plainly. 'But to be honest, I was wondering what he was doing with you in the first place. I've always wondered how you've ended up with the men that you did. But then I remember, you're a first class bitch. That's where the lack of attraction is, Constance. Not in your inability to sustain children.' Constance met the redhead's eyes, smirking, drunkenly and bleary-eyed.

'You're not going to give me a pass? Even tonight?' Moira smiled, taking the glass from Constance's grip and having a mouthful before squinting as it burnt her chest.

'When did you ever give me one?' she coughed. Constance shrugged agreeably, taking back the glass. 'We're truth-tellers, Constance. Except, of course, when we're lying.' Constance wiped her eyes and nodded, quietly to herself as the maid stood, putting a gentle hand on the blonde's shoulder as she left the room.