Coming Home

4

"I know what I'll do Vee, I finally thought of a perfect idea." Cheryl paces around the empty floor of her work, holding a sleeping toddler in her arms.

"What's the plan, Cheryl?" Betty squeals on the line.

"Didn't realize Cooper was eavesdropping...anyway, next time we all are together I'll bring a date, so I won't use Toni as a distraction, and it'll probably piss her off too."

"Oh that might work..." Veronica tries to sound enthusiastic, but in reality her and Betty share a look on the other side of the line.

"Perfect, right!" Cheryl smiles to herself at her plan.

"Yup!" Betty forces out, "that'll definitely work Cheryl."

"Knew it. Thanks Cooper." Cheryl stops pacing and looks over some papers in front of her. 

"Cheryl, you know my last name isn't Cooper anymore right."

"Duh. Gotta go guys." Cheryl taps her bluetooth and ends the call. 

It's extra early in the workday, and Cheryl got called in to handle a poor orphaned toddler, the one sleeping in her arms. She has to find her a foster home by the end of the day, and she's already looking through local ones she trusts. 

Hannah, who sometimes ditches her foster home for Cheryl's couch stays with a very trustworthy family, and Cheryl is hoping to put this sweet girl with them. This poor kid has been through a lot, and she knows they are equipped to handle her baggage because of how well they help Hannah. 

She hops on some calls, and tucks the little girl into a crib when she needs to.

"Anne, how are you! I have a 3 year old girl here, Olivia. She's super sweet and she needs a foster home for a month or two. How does that sound to you." Cheryl reaches into the crib and pulls the blanket over her.

Once she's finalized the foster papers she runs her bag and laptop out to her car and makes sure she has a carseat for Olivia, she runs back in to get Olivia and her things. It is a kind of long drive to Anne's place, but she's happy to see Hannah and help Olivia settle in-  after coffee of course. 

Cheryl pulls into her favorite coffee place, and feels so terrible waking Olivia up to bring her inside, but she can't leave her in the car. 

Olivia's head lulls on her shoulder, and she hopes it stays that way. And it almost does- until Cheryl gets to the front of the line and is about to order, then she decides to start crying and whining. Cheryl is trying to handle it when she hears a soft, "I got her." and of course, there's Toni behind her in line.

"-if you want, I mean. I could hold her for a second." Toni shrugs and holds her hands out.

Cheryl is frazzled, "I- ugh" but Olivia is still crying and she's holding up the line "Fine- for a second."

Toni smiles and takes Olivia swiftly, "hi baby" Cheryl hears Toni babble to Olivia and she stops crying shockingly fast. Annoyingly fast, really. 

Cheryl steps to the side to wait for her baby- who is resting on Toni's hip peacefully while she orders her coffee. 

Once Toni is done and steps over to the pick-up spot too, she reaches out. "Give me the baby back."

Toni turns away, "No, she's cute." she spins around and Olivia giggles. Cheryl rolls her eyes- this baby is a traitor. 

"Toni"

"She's kind of mean to me, isn't she?" Toni talks in a baby voice to Olivia, and tickles her chin, getting a smile out of her.