Work Text:
The sun was in the sky, sitting steady as countless clouds floated by in the midst of the summer heat. Birds chirped, grass shifted in the breeze, and a house near the back of the neighborhood sat as it always did. Its paint had dulled over the long years, its garden in desperate need of weeding, but it still was the same house the family had come to know and love as their home. The same sedan pulled up into the driveway, the garage door groaning open with the click of a button. The wife was home from work, just like every weekday.
“I’m home!” Fareeha called out as she entered the house, the door to the garage swinging closed behind her. One hand set down a briefcase as the other undid her tie, the security guard making a beeline for the fridge in search of alcoholic relief from the stress of the workday.
“Welcome home!” Another voice called from the living room. Smooth, melodic, loving. A tinge of sadism. Angela’s voice. “How was work?”
“Same as always. Work is work.” Fareeha twisted the cap off a bottle of beer, releasing a slight hiss as she made her way to the living room. “What’ve you been up to?” She took a swig.
“Reminiscing.” Angela was sitting on the couch, holding a large binder in her lap as she cuddled their rabbit in her arms. Dieter’s nose always seemed to twitch faster when Fareeha was in the room. “You were right, scrapbooking isn’t a bad hobby.” Words followed by one of her legendarily genuine smiles. Fareeha felt her chest twinge, once again feeling like she had been blessed with the best wife in the entire world, heartwarming smile and all. That made for three times that day. “Come and sit down with me.”
“What are you looking at?” Fareeha plopped onto the couch with a satisfying yawn, enjoying her booze after her long day of sitting at a desk. Angela absentmindedly cuddled close, perfectly settling inside the crook of Fareeha’s side.
“Pictures we took over the last few years. I figured it would make a good present to give Hana at her graduation next year.”
“Oh yeah...She’s going to be going to college soon…” Fareeha zoned out staring at the ceiling, idly thinking about how fast time had gone by. Her little bird was already an adult. “....Wow.” Fareeha gently scooped up Dieter, still dazed, wanting something soft to hold in this trying time of realization. A squeeze from Angela pulled her back to reality, a hand placed lovingly on her thigh.
“Let me know what you think.” Angela gave her wife another heart-warming smile, smoothly flipping the book back to the first page full of colorful photos. Fareeha scanned the first page before a smirk crossed her face.
“That was the time we played Mario Party with Hana!” She stuck a finger at a picture of Fareeha and Hana screaming at the television. “One of the first times Hana’s father had me babysit her. It was a good time, bless his soul.”
“Until you broke the TV.” Angela muttered under her breath, her motherly smile vanishing for a moment under a dreadful grimace.
“What was that?”
“I said look at this one!” Angela stammered to point at a dark picture of what looked like the kitchen, two figures dancing in the moonlight.
“You took a picture of the time we danced to Gruezi Wohl in the kitchen? Seriously?” Fareeha was equal parts nostalgic and slightly confused at the mildly blurry photograph. “Well, it was a wonderful night. Except for when you stole my gelato.”
“You didn’t need it.” Angela glanced at Fareeha as she made a quick pass on Fareeha’s stomach, feeling her abs before returning her hand back to Fareeha’s thigh.
“Yeah, yeah. Turn the page.” Fareeha gestured at the book as Angela slowly turned the thick page, revealing a new set of pictures and trinkets. Fareeha lightly traced a pressed flower with her fingertips. “This is from-”
“The other summer. Remember? We planted flowers. They really did turn out quite beautifully.” Angela had a fond look on her face as she set her hand on Fareeha’s, remembering that warm summer day.
“Y-yeah! And this picture of us at the beach!” Fareeha cleared her throat, trying and failing not to blush at Angela’s soft touch. “That was also from that summer!” The picture was of Fareeha and Angela dressed for the beach, smiling and flirty. Except Fareeha knew how Angela had been feeling on the inside that day. She shivered. “Uh...Moving on.” She shifted the attention to a picture of a bundled up Fareeha nestled firmly in a snowbank. Hat, gloves, coat, looking like a toddler at the ice park. “......Moving on further .”
“We can’t skip your first winter, silly!” Angela laughed teasingly. “Remember? You wanted to fight the snow. You were so funny. Look at you!” Fareeha pursed her lips, reaching over and flipping the page as Angela entered a fit of giggles. “Now THAT was a day to remember.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Fareeha was willing to brush it off until she reached the next page, several photographs of herself and Angela playing in the snow. Snow angels. Selfies of them with a snowman. A picture of Fareeha stuck in a snowbank next to a sled. Fareeha’s face was a deep purple by the time she finished processing the information.
“This sure was one hell of a first winter, wasn’t it sweetheart?”
“You’re planning on giving THIS to Hana?!” Fareeha brought Dieter to her face. Muffled screaming ensued. Angela tried not to show how much she was enjoying the whole thing, sitting there comfortably as she turned the page.
“Now, now. There was more to winter than just funny pictures of you, although I’ll admit that was my favorite part.” Angela laughed as she pointed at a picture of the two of them, Angela wearing a bright smile as she held a small white hare in front of a disgruntled Fareeha. “We found Dieter around that time, too.”
“Found? Or plucked from the wild like prey?” Fareeha absentmindedly ran her hand through Dieter’s fur, for as much shit as she talked about the rabbit, she was still surprisingly fond of the thing. Angela didn’t respond, instead slowly placing her hand on a picture of Ana. “It was also the time we heard the news about your mother, wasn’t it?.”
“Don’t remind me.” Fareeha still considered the day bittersweet, still holding a bit of resentment for the day her mother had showed up at her door, unannounced. She was grateful she seemed back for good.
“And just a few months later, we had another new family member.” Angela smiled fondly as she turned the page, revealing a slightly frayed picture of herself, Fareeha, Hana, and Reinhardt standing on the courthouse steps. “Who knew Reinhardt would become such an important part of our lives. Or at least your mother’s.”
Fareeha cleared her throat, wanting to get off the subject of her mother. A picture of themselves and Hana sitting at the dinner table, their daughter wearing a grumpy expression. “She always did just want to stay in her room, didn’t she?”
“You were a fine mother. She trusts you.” Angela set a reassuring arm around Fareeha’s shoulders, pulling her ever closer as they both smiled at the pictures. “She’s grown.”
“I hate to spoil the good mood, but...Uh..” Fareeha frowned slightly as she pointed at a blurry photo of Angela and Reinhardt flung about in some dark place. “What’s..this?”
“Oh, that’s the bar Reinhardt and I drink at.”
“Why do you both look like you’re about to fall over?”
“When we drink, we drink. You know me.” Angela chuckled slightly as she turned the page. “It’s a European thing. Oh look at this!” She gestured at a picture of Lucio Correia dos Santos, the lone musician sitting on the park fountain with a flock of pigeons at his side as he strummed a guitar. “I’m really glad he let me take this picture. It’s quite lovely.”
“I still don’t know much about that guy.” Fareeha squinted at the charming face, Lucio’s innocent smile captured perfectly in the photograph.
“Anyone who can attract animals with music is a good person, you know.” Angela wagged a finger, withholding the fact her only basis for that statement was every Disney movie.
“If you say so. That ones from when we went camping, right?” Fareeha jabbed a finger at a picture on the other page, the both of them huddled in the sedan, surrounded by camping equipment. “We never did take Hana camping….”
“It was still a good summer.” The pair continued to flip through the pages, more pictures of Lucio and the park, pictures of Angela and Fareeha working at a food stall, another photo of Reinhardt physically close to Ana. “These are all so nostalgic. Look! Here’s pictures I took of the Halloween party!”
“I don’t see any pictures of your...special...pumpkin.”
“Someone stole it during the night. I’m honestly not sure how.” Angela and Fareeha both shuddered at the flashback of Angela’s safety hazard of a pumpkin, full of knives. But Fareeha had to admit, besides that one exceptionally large detail, the party had been a blast.
“Yeah, that’s weird….” Fareeha glanced over the pages one last time as Angela slowly began to flip to the next page. “Wait, WHAT?” She grabbed Angela’s wrist.
“What?!”
“You put a picture of David’s funeral in there? Why?!”
“I figured...I figured it was important?” Angela raised a brow as Fareeha reached over, shaking her head as she removed the photograph from the binder.
“Too soon. Way too soon.That’s….That’s honestly not okay. Even I’m not over that. Give it ten years.”
Angela didn’t say anything as she flipped to the next page, knowing that the photo being slipping inside Fareeha’s pocket was more than likely going to find its way to a picture frame on the mantle.
“See? Christmas. That’s much better.” Fareeha’s smile returned slowly as they looked at the pictures of Christmas trees and hearty food, the entire family coming together for a feast. “That second winter was a lot nicer than the first. “And there’s Valentine’s day! Good stuff.”
“Personally I like this picture.” Angela tsked before smiling at a picture of a Faberge egg behind a glass case. And nothing else.
“Why do you have a picture of your Faberge egg behind a glass case? And nothing else?” Yes, and entire page had been dedicated to the one single picture of Angela’s expensive bauble. Fareeha could already feel the headache of frustration taking hold. Easter, more pictures of Ana and Reinhardt from a recent vacation, and finally, Angela had a nice professional photo of the three of them, Angela in a nice suit, Fareeha in her old military uniform, and Hana in the middle, stubbornly wearing her pink hoodie with a smile.
“I think this will be a great graduation present. At least, alongside a sports car.” Angela continued to list possible gift ideas until she was interrupted by the ringing phone.
“Hold on.” Fareeha got up, dumping Dieter into her wife’s lap as she retrieved the phone. “It’s mom.” She pressed the speaker button. “Hello?”
“Oh, hi, darling. Just wanted to say hello!”
“Hello!” Angela responded happily, scratching Dieter behind the ears. “How have you been?”
“Well, we’re going pretty great, except-” Ana’s voice was interrupted as iconic laughter grew louder and louder in the background.
“We are going to marry! Glorious day!” Reinhardt’s words thundered over the speaker, followed by his laughter growing quiet as he apparently ran into the other room.
“You’re getting married?!” Fareeha’s eyes grew wide as she sat back down next to Angela.
“Yes, we are, dear.” Ana sounded a bit peeved that Reinhardt had ruined the surprise. “I was wondering if we could plan it alongside Hana’s graduation, family reunion style.”
“Of course!” Fareeha clapped, Angela joining in on the planning for the coming occasion. And life went on like that. The marriage bells rung as Ana and Reinhardt were married, Hana went on to drop out of college to continue her celebrity career, Lucio continued his promising music and stayed as a staple family friend of everyone, and Angela and Fareeha continued to live in their house near the back of the neighborhood, talking walks and enjoying the other’s company as the camera slowly panned away from the old home to turn towards the sky, fading to black as credits rolled across the screen.
The End.