Yellow Dress//Bill Denbrough

T w e n t y - F o u r

no rights

"This is it. I can't believe this is it."

Carn heaves the last of the boxes onto the moving truck, wiping her hands on her jeans. A pair of warm arms wraps around her, and she smiles sadly.

"I'm really gonna miss you, Carnival."

"I'll miss you too, Bev. But we'll visit each other, yeah?"

"Always."

She grins at her best friend, whose blue eyes were filling with tears.

"Don't you dare start crying because then-" Carnation's voice breaks. "Damn it, Beverly!"

They both laugh, tears spilling down their cheeks, and hug each other tightly.

"Oh, fuck," Clara and Richie sigh in unison, starting to choke up.

"Come here, guys," Carn holds out her hand, and they join the hug, along with the rest of the weeping group. About thirty seconds later, Bill walks out with Claire strapped to his chest in a carrier.

"I f-f-feel so ex-excluded," he pouts.

"Come on, Big Bill!"

He chuckles and joins everyone. "Th-thanks for being m-m-my family for f-f-forever, really."

"Don't get all sappy on us now," Mike scolds.

"Sorry."

"Hey, Bill? It's eight. We should probably go."

He nods. "We l-l-love you guys."

"We love you too!" Bev squeezes the life out of him and Carn.

"Have a safe journey to Paris, love," Carn beams, cupping her face. "And Clara, Richie- have fun in California. Mike, protect Derry for us."

"Anything for you, Carnation."

"Good luck to all of you."

"No, best of luck to you two," Bev tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"See ya, Bev. Clara."

"Later, Carn."

She and Bill give everyone one last hug, and everyone gives little Claire a kiss. Then the three pack into Bill's car and the magic of childhood is over.

*******************************

Two years later

"Mommy!!" the tiny blonde waddles across the hardwood floor and leaps onto her mother.

"Hi, baby!" she beams. "How was your day?"

"I can sound like a car! Beep beep!"

"That's a lovely car sound."

"D-d-don't you love i-it?" Bill asks, coming from the kitchen.

"Absolutely," Carn replies, kissing him hello.

"Not to br-brag, buh-but I taught h-h-her."

"Oh, really? And... who was it that taught her the animal sounds?"

"M-me?"

"You wish, Denbrough."

"H-how was w-w-work?"

"Fine. Other than our boss being a total you know what. How was your Saturday with Claire?"

"Fun! Sh-she had her fuh-first B-B-Ben and Jerry's, and we w-walked to Block-Blockbuster."

"First of all, she had her first Ben and Jerry's without me?? Despicable. And second of all... ooh, what movie did you get?"

"D-Dirty Dancing."

"Because that's really appropriate to show our two year old."

"Sh-she'll be a-asleep. Maybe w-we can do o-o-other thuh-things too," he winks.

"No, no time for cooking tonight!"

(Cooking is their code word around Claire).

"B-b-but we ha-haven't, uh...
c-cooked in ages."

"Bill, we go to two different schools by weekdays and work alternating shifts at Starbucks by weekends, and we're parenting full time. Plus we have to get up early for church tomorrow morning."

"F-fair enough."

"I'm going to go change into my pajamas. Can you give mommy a kiss?" she crouches down to her daughter, playing with some plushies. She grins and gives Carn a quick peck.

Bill follows his girlfriend to their cramped room (it's an New York City apartment, every room is cramped, really), and stands in the doorway. "C-Carn?"

"Yes?" she pulls her hip length hair out of a ponytail and puts the scrunchie around her wrist.

"I j-just, uh-" he scratches his neck. "I l-love you so m-m-much."

"I love you too, Bill," she half-laughs, folding up her black shirt and pants and pulling out one of his oversized t-shirts.

"L-let's go to the b-b-boardwalk next weekend."

"The boardwalk?"

"Y-yeah. It's r-r-really cl-close, and Cuh-Claire would h-have m-m-much more fun th-this year."

"Okay."

"O-o-okay?"

"I mean, why not?"

"Yes!" Bill jumps into the air, pumping his fist in celebration.

"Someone's excited for the roller coaster," Carn giggles. "Now come on, let's go play with our baby."