Chapter Text
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PROMPT: ASHLEY RETURNS
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Ashley steps into the sunshine in a huff. “Who brings young kids to a fancy restaurant on Mother’s Day?” She thinks to herself. To her it doesn’t matter that the kids - or child singular in this case - are well behaved and that the parents smiled and were friendly with everyone, or that no one else seemed to mind.
SHE has never seen the value or felt the need to have babies. They are messy, demanding, chaotic, in the way, and most importantly divert attention, affection and love away from her. Yuck. No thank you.
Her body does one last unconscious full-body shudder to remove the memory from her mind as she looks around trying to remember where she parked.
Not finding it instantly, she digs into her bag for the fob and a shoe catches her eye. She knows that shoe. A pair of those shoes had rested by her front door for months. That shoe was worn by her ridiculously hot boyfriend, the guy she walked away from after realizing he was never going to retire and more importantly he was never going to put her first.
Ashley turns towards the owner of the shoe and sees Tim on the phone, leaning up against the building wearing dark slacks, a bright blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing his muscular forearms, and several buttons unbuttoned. His hair is longer, but still short. His scruff is more noticeable as if he was growing a beard. His skin is tan, but his face looks relaxed - Tim looks young, like he’s gone back in time instead of forward. Everything about this version of Tim screams relaxed and happy. Happy is not a word she’d ever put with Tim - but he’s laughing on the phone, behind his sunglasses she imagines his blue eyes are sparking.
Ashley decides in that moment to approach him, you know, to say hello. To see if anything can be rekindled.
As her body is changing thought into action, in that split second moment, a blond little girl, about 3 or 4, dressed in a pink fairy dress, with butterfly wings and a bedazzled tiara and little kid sandals comes running out of the building. Her face and front of her dress are covered in berry juice and chocolate frosting smears and she’s laughing. Peals of delighted laughter ring out as the little girl stops, starts to hunch down like she’s hiding and a young woman with long, wavy chestnut hair with arms outstretched and hands making grabbing motions rushes forward saying, “I’m gonna get you Diana, I’m gonna get you!”
“Mama! Mama mama! “ and more laughter come out of the girl as the woman, wearing a beautiful knee-length sleeveless navy wrap dress covered in sunflowers bends down and scoops up the girl, simultaneously tickling her and covering her messy (and Ashley assumes sticky) face with kisses. The woman effortlessly holds the little girl on her hip and starts swaying back and forth. Then she turns and looks at Tim.
Something about the way Tim reacts when the woman looks at him stops Ashley in her tracks. Tim immediately gets off the phone and steps forward to the two females and first leans down to kiss the sunflower clad woman deeply - like “get a room, there are children here” deeply - and then grabs the little girl who says “kiss, kiss” to him. Tim bends down then quickly comes up and tosses the little girl straight up by at least a foot above him - she looks like she’s flying - and her expression of awe and wonder and joy reminds Ashley of Lucy. Tim catches her effortlessly and kisses her messy face. “I love my berry filled, chocolate covered girls!”
Ashley realizes in that moment that Tim and Lucy are together and the messy hellion is their daughter.
Ashley, frozen in place, heart falling through the sidewalk listens to Lucy tell Tim that “someone had to thank the pastry chef for making the chocolate cake and of course invite half the kitchen to her next tea party.” She watches Tim hug his little girl and grab Lucy’s hand as they walk away, talking about picking up their son down at the pier post surf lesson and then heading off for a Mother’s Day extravaganza elsewhere.
Just before the little family turns the corner to step out onto the Santa Monica promenade, Tim turns back to Ashley and nods and smiles in her direction, then lifts up Lucy’s left hand and kisses it, causing the diamond ring to catch the sunlight and sparkle. He’s just acknowledged that he knows that Ashley now knows he is married to Lucy and is insanely happy as a husband and Dad.
Ashley finds her fob, gets in her car, and drives home. Her thoughts refusing to leave the happy family. She thinks “I could have had that.” Then gags, and remembers that no, she never wanted that, she only wanted him.