Chapter Text
Dawn was breaking on the horizon, its warmth creeping gently over the New York skyline. Gina Linetti lay on her couch; her belongings surrounding her in boxes. She heard the beginnings of toddler-speak in the next room and smiled wearily to herself.
“Mommy.... Horsie.... Mommy.... Akey.... MOMMY!”
Gina launched herself off the couch at Iggy’s final yell. Anything louder, and the terrifying executives they called neighbors would be nearly kicking down the door with noise complaints. Rushing into Iggy’s room, she tickled the toddler and kissed her forehead.
“Good morning Igglepiggles! Are you... ready to get going?!” Iggy smiled and laughed at Gina.
“MOMMY I GO DADDY HOUSE TODAY!” Gina smiled and scooped Iggy up, still wrapped in her duvet.
“Yes, you do! Why don’t we get some breakfast, and then we can get ready for daddy’s house?”
Iggy giggled and clapped. “I see horsies! I see daddy and horsies and cow!”
Gina chuckled to herself and started fixing Iggy a small fruit salad.
“That’s right! Do you think daddy’s farm has got any new horsies since last time?”
Gina knew for a fact he had, but hyped the tiny human sitting on the bench anyways. She’d received an excited call a week earlier that Milton had found a tiny pony at an auction. Gina was excited for Enigma; she knew that their decision to respectfully co-parent her between Manhattan’s upper-middle, and her ex’s dairy farm in the scenic Finger Lakes region, was the right one. Iggy was always thrilled to spend a week or two with her dad, and it gave Gina time to catch up on her growing to-do lists. This time around, it was so Gina could pack and prepare to relocate to somewhere a little less pricey.
As she washed Iggy’s breakfast bowl, the sight of her email app dinging for the fifth time that morning made her heart drop. She knew it was financial; that’s all she ever got emails about these days. Trying to look past it, she cleaned the babbling toddler’s face with a soft cloth and helped her pick out an outfit. Whilst searching for Iggy’s tiny Wellington boots, she heard her phone buzz repeatedly.
“Mommy, bzzzzz bzzzzz! Like bee!”
Gina laughed. “Yes Igglesaurus! The phone goes bzzzz like a bee!” She bundled her now-dressed daughter into her arms and plopped down with her onto the tiny toddler bed.
“Mommy is going to miss you so much! You’re going to have a fantastic time with daddy. Can you draw me a picture of the horsies while you’re there and bring it home?”
Iggy smiled infectiously and clapped her hands. “HORSIES! HORSIES! HORSIES!” Gina laughed and gave her daughter one last snuggle, before taking her hand and heading for the door.
After making the long drive out of the city, Gina was fully prepared to crash on her sofa for the rest of the day. Packing could wait; besides, she was almost done save for produce, a few items of furniture, and the remainder of Iggy’s bedroom. She opened Instagram and flopped backwards into the most worn and comfortable armchair.
After about an hour of app surfing, a sharp buzzing notification alerted her to the fact someone was attempting to access her apartment from ground floor. Confused and not expecting any visitors, she bought up the camera vision. Gina was even more surprised when she saw a party of four waiting, and that they all wore NYPD uniforms. Initially, she thought it might have been old friends from the 99th Precinct; but these officers were unfamiliar and didn’t seem amused. She pressed the button that allowed the small entourage to come up. Within minutes she heard a knock at the door, and a sterile voice.
“Is this the apartment of Regina Linetti?”
Gina walked up to the door, and opened it. “Can I help you?”
The officer that had spoke stepped forward, and gestured to the other officers.
“Regina Linetti, you are under arrest on charges of criminal conspiracy, taxation fraud, and attempted money laundering.”
The moment those words left the officer’s lips, Gina felt her blood run cold. Her precious phone, usually sacred to her, fell to the floor as the officers recited her rights. Within a minute, she was cuffed and on her way to god-knows-where. Whist being marched along the hallway of her floor, she spotted neighbors poking their heads out from behind half-closed doors. She felt hot tears pool in her eyes, as she stepped into the elevator. She took one last look across the floor; there was no way she could return to this place that had just started to feel like home.