The Parent Trap (Snowbarry)

11. Confession

The next morning, Nora held Cuppy and nervously paced in front of the double doors that lead to her mother's bedroom. Inside, Caitlin was sketching a design of a gown as she talked to someone on the phone. She peeked through the door and stared at her mother. She was in bed with her long hair down and tousled and make up less, having just woke up.

"Just do it sweetheart." Cisco said in her ear, urging her with a little pat on her back which made Nora enter.

Caitlin looked up and smiled at her daughter, patting the empty spot beside her on the bed as she hung up the phone.

"I have to finish this sketch and fax it to Paris, then how about you and I go out to lunch and spend the rest of the day getting lost in Harrods?" Caitlin asked her daughter as she put an arm around her and kissed her cheek.

"I can't, I'm sorry, I have to go out of town today." Nora said, looking down.

"You have to go out of tow today?" Caitlin decided to humour her daughter, "And where, may I ask, are you going?" she asked.

Instead of answering, Nora buried herself underneath the light blue satin sheets of her mother's bed.

"Jocelyn." Caitlin said with a laugh, trying to tickle her into coming out, "Jocelyn!"

"That's where I have to go. I have to go see Jocelyn." Nora said underneath the covers, dropping the English accent. Cisco peeked into the room at the sound of her voice – she wasn't exactly quiet when she said it.

"I see and where might Jocelyn be?" Caitlin asked, still thinking it was a joke.

"In Napa with her father, Barry Allen." Nora answered with a mumble, and this piece of news definitely shocked Caitlin.

Her jaw dropped and she looked at her oldest friend who could only nod in reply. Caitlin's eyes filled with tears and she looked back at the lump in her covers.

"You're not Jocelyn?" Caitlin asked in a raspy whisper, pulling on the sheets while Nora looked at her fearfully (she was never scared; she had no idea what this woman was doing to her) with her big green-hazel eyes, holding her Cuppy close to her.

"That would be correct." Nora mumbled, her eyes wide in worry even though her mother's lips were going up in a smile.

"You're Nora?" Caitlin whispered as a tear slowly slid down her cheeks, smiling in astonishment.

"I am." Nora sighed, sitting up.

Caitlin put a hand on her mouth as tears fell from her eyes as she looked at the daughter she hasn't seen in over fourteen years.

"Jocelyn and I met at camp and we decided to switch places." Nora whispered softly, looking up at her mother. "I'm sorry, but I'd never seen you and I dreamt of meeting you my whole life and Jocelyn felt the exact same way about Dad, so we just sorta switched lives. I hope you're not mad because I love you so much and I just hope one day you can love me as me and not as Jocelyn." She explained as her mother looked at her blankly.

"Oh, honey, I've loved you your whole life." Caitlin cried as she pulled her daughter into her arms. The two looked up to see a sniffling Cisco closing the door.

"I've never felt so happy in my entire life." They heard him bawl and Caitlin turned to her daughter.

"Why didn't you tell me it was you all along?" she asked.

"I was scared." Nora confessed, wiping away the rest of her tears, "So I guess you have to switch us back now, huh?"

"Legally, you belong to your father and Jocelyn belongs to me." Caitlin answered with a sigh, thinking about her ex all over again. She would never admit it, but she missed him.