Crashing Through Fences In Your Name (Part 3)
“Lizzie, Mae, shoes on, let’s go.”
Socked little feet pad across the floor and towards where Anne stands by the door, checking the details that Cathy had given her on her phone. Elizabeth puts on her trainers quickly before squatting down and helping Mae with the velcro straps on hers.
“Where are you guys off to?” Katherine asks from the living room, and Anne kneels down first to button Mae’s cardigan.
“Just to the library, we’ll be back right after.” Anne answers, and she looks at Mae with a mischievous glint in her eye. “And maybe get some cookies while we’re at it.”
Elizabeth catches the second part, her head whipping towards her mother. She mouths a ‘really?’ and Anne just nods with a small smile. Elizabeth squeals happily as she wraps her arms around Mae.
“You need to come with us more often.” Elizabeth grins, releasing her from the hug but taking her hand instead. Anne shakes her head and looks over Katherine, staring at her with pleading eyes.
“You know I’ve never come home without bringing you one, right?” Anne laughs, opening the door to let Elizabeth and Mae walk ahead. “We’ll see you in a bit!”
They walk a few blocks to the nearest station and take the tube going into the city, making sure that she has a girl holding on to each hand. Thankfully the carriage they got on wasn’t completely crowded, allowing them to take their seats.
“I don’t like the tube,” Mae expresses quietly, trying to sit as close to Anne as possible as she looks at her surroundings warily. Anne puts an arm around her, squeezing her shoulder lightly.
“It’s a bit overwhelming, isn’t it? I didn’t like it the first time, but it’s the fastest way to get around,” Anne offers, acknowledging her discomfort. Meanwhile, Elizabeth opted to stand in front of the two of them, holding on to the middle post for balance.
They make it to their stop and Anne stands up immediately, leading the girls out before they get closed in. The trio walks the short distance from the station to the library, arriving just a few minutes before scheduled.
Anne quickly brings them to the children’s section of the library, allowing them to choose a spot for the storytelling. Elizabeth claims a large beanbag and Mae giggles as she rushes to sit next to her. Anne sits on the floor next to the girls, and Mae quietly transfers herself on to her lap.
“I sit like this with Mama,” Mae clarifies in a whisper, and when Anne doesn’t catch her words, she quickly doubts her forwardness and makes a motion to stand. Anne shakes her head and coaxes her back down to her lap, wrapping her arms around her middle.
“I’m sorry, darling. Got lost for a minute there,” Anne chides herself for not paying attention. “You can sit with me like this, no worries.”
Elizabeth, seeing the pair, scoots over to the edge of the beanbag and leans her body against her mother’s shoulder, and Anne turns her head with a smile, kissing her cheek.
“Squeeze in here, let’s send a picture to Cathy,” Anne grins, taking her phone out from her pocket and snapping a quick selfie of the three of them. She sends it to Cathy through a text.
Anne keeps her phone perched on her thigh. The storytelling session starts on time, and a few moments later, she sees the screen light up with a notification. She unlocks her phone and chuckles at Cathy’s response, which was a photo of her lying down on the bed with an exaggerated pout.
Wish I was there. Give them kisses for me. Have fun!
Seeing the girls still paying attention to the storyteller, she manages a response, sending a short video of her with Mae staring straight on and pans to her left with Elizabeth bouncing on the beanbag.
Let’s go back with the girls. And I will, I’ll even save some for ya. ;) Love you hope you’re resting x
Cathy’s reply comes instantly.
Yes please. I love you too xxx
With a giddy smile, she puts away her phone and listens along to the story teller, playing along and noticing how her daughter enthusiastically participates in the interactive bits of the story while Mae remained on her lap, choosing to listen from where she was sitting.
Anne feels her throat close up at the story being read aloud—titled Mama, Do You Love Me?, which was rather appropriate, actually—and doesn’t realize that she’s already been crying at the message of the story until she feels Elizabeth reaching out to give her a hug.
“Oh, sorry, love,” Anne wipes at her tears, nuzzling her nose against her daughter’s cheek.
“…because you are my Dear One. The end! If you’ve got your mummies around, could you go to them and let them know that you love them?” The storyteller ends, prompting the children to disperse and go to their respective mothers. Elizabeth wraps her arms around Anne’s shoulders tighter while Mae stands up from her place on her lap and hugs her from the other side, kissing her cheek.
“I love you, Mummy,” Elizabeth whispers, and Anne’s heart grips, she hasn’t heard her call her that for the longest time. She manages to wrap her arms around the both of them, hugging them closer.
“I love you too, darling,” Anne smiles, peppering her face with kisses. Mae, despite clinging to Anne, looks on shyly before burying her face in her shoulder. “And how could I forget about you, little one? I love you.”
Mae looks up with a shy smile, her voice barely above a whisper. “I love you too, Mummy.”
Anne manages to keep herself from bursting into tears, smiling genuinely and making sure that Mae knows that she’ll accept whatever she ends up calling her. They stay together for a few more moments before standing up and stretching her legs.
“Come on, let’s go home,” Anne says, holding her hands out for each girl to grab. They swing their arms as they exit the library, and Elizabeth quickly stops in her tracks before they could go any closer to the station.
“Mum! I almost forgot, you promised cookies!” Elizabeth gasps, and Mae quickly looks up at Anne with a surprised look on her face.
“Have I? I don’t seem to remember,” Anne jokingly denies, teasing an already exasperated Elizabeth.
“You did! I remember, you told Mae and I asked and you said yes!” Elizabeth insisted, and Anne only laughs, ruffling her hair.
“Of course I remember, silly. I’m not a monster,” Anne says, earning a little giggle from Mae. They make their way to a nearby dessert place and orders a regular chocolate chip cookie for each of them, and another assorted dozen for to go. Elizabeth and Mae sit across her as they devour their treats, and Anne takes a couple photos of the two.
“Smile, girls!” Anne snaps an adorable shot of the two of them grinning from ear to ear with crumbs and melted chocolate smeared around their mouths. Anne sets the photo as her lock screen and sends it to Cathy before passing a small wad of tissues towards them.
Her phone buzzes with a text from Cathy, and another picture of her lying down on the bed, seemingly knocked out.
I’m dead, that’s the sweetest photo. Remind me to print and frame it <3
Anne chuckles and sends a sneaky video of Elizabeth wiping her mouth and then taking another tissue from the table to wipe Mae’s.
Here’s a bit more sweetness for you x
Cathy doesn’t immediately reply, allowing Anne to split her own cookie in half and take a couple bites from it. Elizabeth eyes the other half, and she pushes it forward towards them.
“Share.” Anne instructs, and Elizabeth nods, breaking it further in half and giving one to Mae.
Anne’s phone pings and she opens their chat.
Anne, I can’t stop watching it. It’s just on loop and I’m here smiling like an idiot on my phone
Anne crafts a swift reply before pocketing her phone and helping the girls wipe their hands.
Anne lets Elizabeth bring the box of cookies as they exit the dessert shop, heading towards the station and making their way home. They get back at half past four, which meant that the rest of the queens have already left for the theater to prepare for tonight’s show.
Anne places the cookies on the counter and brings the girls up to her room first to get them changed out of their clothes and into something comfier to settle them down for a nap. She dresses Mae in Elizabeth’s jumper that she’s already grown out of, and tucks them under the covers, pressing a soft kiss on their heads before leaving the room.
She makes her way to Cathy’s room and opens the door to find Cathy lying down on her side, her eyes fluttering open at the sound.
“Sorry if I woke you, just wanted to check in.” Anne says from the door frame, and Cathy uncharacteristically reaches for Anne with grabby hands. The minute Anne lays down on the bed, Cathy immediately snuggles up against her.
“Feeling much better than this morning, fever’s pretty much gone,” Cathy informs her, and she places a hand on her forehead to make sure. “I think I can join dinner downstairs, I need to see the little one before I go mad.”
“She missed you terribly, I’m not going to lie. Pretty much quiet the whole time, but she was an absolute angel to take care of.” Anne lets her know, playing with her hair as Cathy has her head buried in the crook of Anne’s neck. “Also, Cathy. You didn’t warn me about the storytelling session, I had no idea I’d get so emotional over a children’s book.”
Cathy laughs softly, wrapping her arms around Anne’s waist to pull her closer. “Was it that ‘mama, do you love me’ one?”
“Yes! How’d you know? Is that what they read every time?”
“I also cried when I heard that one, I bought the book immediately after and read it more for myself than for Mae. They recycle stories sometimes, but they’re still enjoyable.” Cathy explains, breathing deeply. “I’m glad the girls had fun. I hope you also didn’t have a hard time, I know two can be a bit of a handful.”
“I quite liked it, actually, felt like I had two daughters,” Anne expresses, and she takes a breath, bracing herself for the talk. “She called me Mummy today, after the storytelling session. I just thought that you’d know. I didn’t tell her to call me that and I can ask her to stop if you’re not comfortable but—“
Anne stops at the feeling of Cathy’s lips pressing against her jawline.
“I don’t mind at all. You’ve always mentioned that you love Mae like your own, and I don’t blame her at all for seeing you as her mum,” Cathy smiles. “And, if it ever comes up with Lizzie, I would love her calling me that as well.”
“That went so much better than I thought it would,” Anne exhales, and they laugh a bit before settling into a comfortable silence. They talk a bit more about what they had done today and how Cathy was before they hear a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Cathy calls out, and their girls step in drowsily, clambering up on the bed. Mae, in her sleepy state, snuggles up against Anne instead of Cathy, and Elizabeth shrugs, squeezing herself closer to Cathy.
“Are you okay now, Mama?” Mae yawns, fluttering her eyes open and blushes when she realizes that she’s Anne’s embrace. Anne chuckles softly as she kisses her forehead.
“I’m feeling much better now, baby,” Cathy affirms from where she was before wrapping her arms around Elizabeth, resting her chin on the crown of her head. “What about you, Lizzie? Did you have fun today?”
She feels Elizabeth nod against her chest. She twists her head to look at Anne as if asking for permission, and her encouraging smile was enough to confirm.
“I did, Mama.” Elizabeth whispers, her cheeks flaring red but her smile as bright as day. Cathy exhales the breath she didn’t know she was holding, and a few tears escape from her eyes.
“I’m so glad to hear, love.”
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