Work Text:
Seven months of overtime. Seven months of tag-teaming childcare between Lisa, Benson, Randy, and their moms, never seeing any of them as often as he'd like.
Seven months watching Lisa squeeze in extra shifts at the hospital around her classes. Randy still has no idea when she managed to sleep, but somehow she stayed on top of it all. Dinner, groceries, her share of the housework, homework - both her own and what Seraphina brought home from kindergarten. Mom of the year, he swears. He's never felt so lucky to have her as his co-parent and housemate.
Seven months watching Benson stomp around BBB on autopilot, bleary eyed and irritable, the toll of picking up a second job at a construction site one town over. Randy knows damn well he was really only sleeping in short bursts in his car between jobs and home, most certainly not staying on top of things but ready to swing if anyone mentioned it. He keyed Chris' truck for making a PMS joke during a shift where Benson was particularly testy. Hardy tried to pull him into his office to talk about his attitude; Randy still doesn't know what was said, but Hardy came out looking like he'd had a near-death experience and didn't say a word to Benson for a week.
Seven months of feet so sore Randy could barely walk when he got up in the morning. Of meltdowns out back behind the dumpster when the noise and the customers and the texture of his work shirt became too much. He slept when Sera slept, because Benson and Lisa both knew Randy was the most likely of the three to completely break down under sleep deprivation on top of the stress. He picked up slack where he could instead, dishes and playdates, cigarette runs for Benson's Ma, anything to take something off his partners' plates.
Seven months of hell.
And it was all worth it to sit here now, splitting a clementine with Seraphina on the front step, watching Lisa and Benson argue about who gets to drive.
"It's my car!" Lisa keeps saying, hands on her hips. It's a good point, but Benson won't accept it.
"I've been drivin' since y'all were in diapers. You're barely even legal, you're a liability."
"Oh, I'm the liability? I've seen you drive. Is your license even active?"
"Wh- of course it fuckin' is!"
It isn't, Randy knows it isn't. He doesn't say anything, peeling another wedge of fruit off to hand to Seraphina. She takes it with sticky little fingers, fighting to keep her eyes open. They're up before the sun, trying to get an early start on the ten hour drive ahead of them. At this rate, maybe Randy and Sera ought to head back to bed. Get a few more hours of sleep in while Benson tries (and fails) to make his case. He's losing and he knows it, Randy sees it written all over his face.
"Give me one good reason why I can't drive, and I'll shut the hell up about it."
Lisa leans forward, ticking the words off on her fingers as she loudly replies, "It's! My! Car!"
"I said a good reason."
"How is that not a good reason?!"
They've been circling the same argument for nearly twenty minutes now, and Randy's pretty tired of it. He's antsy to hit the road. The bags are packed tightly into the trunk, thanks to Randy's knack for spatial tasks. Luggage tetris, he calls it. Sera's carseat is secure, her backpack filled with snacks and activities tucked neatly on the floor with her pillow and blanket. The printed MapQuest directions, some grown-up snacks, and the handful of Benson's cassettes that narrowly gained Lisa's stamp of approval sit on the passenger seat. Everything is ready to go, triple-checked by Randy personally. They just have to get in the car. The car that's right there.
"I could drive," he pipes up, even though he really doesn't want to drive.
He gets a simultaneous "Absolutely not" and "Fuck no" in return and sighs. Ganging up on Randy seems to be the only surefire way for those two to get along. Admitting immediate defeat, he goes to hand the last of the clementine to Seraphina only to find she's not sitting there anymore. She marches her little behind over to Benson and takes him by the hand, shutting him up mid-sentence. Pointing at the back door, she waits patiently for him to get with the program and open it. She crawls in, pulling him behind her by the hem of his shirt. He grumbles and gripes, but in he goes; she's got him wrapped around her finger and everyone knows it. He shuts the door behind them, and that's that.
"Remind me again why I agreed to this," Lisa sighs, rubbing her eyes.
Randy pulls her into a side hug. "Because Sera deserves the best sixth birthday ever."
"Oh, yeah. That was it."
She leans her head on his shoulder. They stand like that for a moment, swaying gently, just enjoying a quiet moment before the long day ahead. Benson cracks his door.
"Are y'all gonna stand there all day, or can we get a fuckin' move on?"
He shuts the door again without waiting for a response.
Lisa takes a deep, deep breath. "I don't think he's gonna survive the drive, Randy. I feel a violent accident coming on."
Randy knocks his head against hers and laughs.
☆☆☆
None of the adults are hungry for the first few hours, put off the idea of food simply by how stupid early it is. Lisa makes good time following the directions that Randy printed days ago and reads out diligently. Sera falls right back asleep as soon as they hit the highway. Benson loses the fight to stay awake shortly after, head tilted to rest on her carseat and one hand extended awkwardly where she still clings to two of his fingers. Randy thinks he might die on the spot, his heart full to bursting, and he uses one of the five disposable cameras he packed to snap a picture. Gesturing at them excitedly, he finds Lisa far less enamored with the scene, though she does smile fondly at whatever his face is doing about it.
Eventually they have to stop for breakfast and coffees, and Sera announces she needs to pee. They stop at a diner in Mobile at Benson's request. Something about avoiding the "overpriced touristy crap" in Pensacola.
"Come on, baby," Lisa coos, taking Sera's hand. "Look both ways before we cross."
"Yeah, look both ways, baby," Benson teases Randy, taking his hand, too.
"Ha, ha. Hilarious."
They get a booth by the window while they wait for the girls. Benson's groggy, soft with sleep; Randy can tell by the way he cozies up close and wraps an arm around his waist. When he sighs, it's heavy - like an old dog. Randy presses a kiss to Benson's temple.
"You doing okay?"
"Mm."
The server arrives before the girls get back, so they order three coffees and an apple juice. When Sera skips up to the table, Randy's rubbing his fingers through the buzzed hair behind Benson's ear. She wastes no time climbing up onto the seat to do the same.
"Fuzzy!" she giggles. "Fuzzy, fuzzy! Fuzzy buzzy Benny!"
"Alright, alright. Jesus. Hands to yourself, the both of ya."
Randy splits hashbrowns with Benson, pancakes with Lisa. Sera gets a little bit of everything, even Benson's omelette despite his warning that she won't like it - she doesn't. But she tries it, which is a win. Slowly but surely expanding her diet, mostly thanks to Benson. Where Randy will only eat certain things - a curse he passed on to his daughter, apparently - and Lisa eats what Randy eats out of convenience, Benson isn't picky at all. He'll eat anything, and he's surprisingly great at piquing Sera's curiosity.
When they pile into the car again, Benson calls shotgun so he can fuck with the music. Since he doesn't mind either way, Randy folds his long legs up in the back so Benson can spread out the way he likes. He and Sera color pages from her Barbie book until she's bored of it. The scenery flying by catches her interest; she spends a good half hour just looking out at treetops and clouds. She still has no idea where they're going - Randy and Lisa decided it might overwhelm her if she had to anticipate it - but she's happy to be along for the ride all the same.
They stop for lunch in Tallahassee, much to Benson's annoyance. It's too big, too loud, too many cars on the highway. Makes him anxious, not that he'd ever outright admit it. He tries to suggest a drive-thru - and Randy agrees - but Lisa is adamant they are not eating in the car. Besides, Sera needs the bathroom again. They compromise with some local fried chicken chain where they can get in, eat, and get back on the road as quickly as possible. This time, Benson crowds Randy over on the backseat.
"Why do I have to be in the middle?" Randy complains, tucking his arms out of the way while Benson gets his seatbelt situated.
"Because you're a little twig, look at ya. Skinny fuck. Surprised you ain't blown away in the wind yet."
"Daddy's a twig!"
It's shrill - they all wince.
"Inside voice, Seraphina, please!" Lisa rubs at her temples before twisting to shoot the boys a look. "Since when am I a chauffeur?"
"Since right now." Benson grins. "Giddyup, woman."
Lisa lunges over the center console at Benson, yanking his baseball cap off to swat at him with it.
He cackles and throws his arms up to block the barrage. "Oh, shit! Fuck! Crazy lady on the loose!"
"Whoop his ass, Lis."
"That's harsh, Randy. Just tell me you don't love me."
Lisa hurls the hat to the floor of the passenger seat, far out of reach, and Benson pouts about it. He leans all his weight on Randy with big ol' puppy dog eyes. Randy's not buying it.
"I don't know why you say things you know are gonna piss her off."
"It's fun. We're having fun. Ain't that right, Simpson?"
"Oooooh! Mommy did the swear finger!"
"She sure did, huh. Must've missed that chapter in the parenting book."
"Shut up before she smacks you for real."
☆☆☆
The entire trip almost comes to a horrible end when they hit standstill traffic just outside of Orlando. Everyone's sick of the car, though some of them are more vocal about it than others. Poor Seraphina's been on the verge of a meltdown for an hour - Randy's trying his best to stave it off with games and snacks, but his options and his patience are wearing thin. She whines, wordless and high pitched, kicking her feet against the back of Lisa's seat. They all love her to absolute pieces, but it's driving them over the edge.
Benson in particular seems like he's ready to crawl out of his skin. He's got less experience with this, sure, but it's also that he's hit his limit for being touched. Pressed to Randy's side in the back, he's starting to feel trapped. The way he's muttering to himself makes Randy want to scream.
"Sera, honey?" Lisa's voice is strained. Her patience is wearing thin, too. She drums on the steering wheel as traffic inches forward. "I really need you to stop kicking, please."
"I wanna get out!" Sera yells, straining against the buckle of her carseat.
"We're almost there, I promise, we just -"
"No! Out! Out, out, out!"
She scrabbles at her buckle and somehow manages to pop it open, forcing Randy to wrestle her back into her seat.
"Seraphina Grace! Sit down, we do not unbuckle while we're driving!"
"I wanna get out! I hate this car! I hate it!"
"Randy, do you -"
"Yeah, yes, I've got her, just -"
"Out! Out! Ouch, Daddy! Let me go!"
"You have to be buckled, getting out is not an option!"
Randy leans back to avoid tiny flailing fists, on the brink of tears, and Benson shoves him away. Hard. They stare at each other, Randy looking hurt and Benson crumpling under guilt.
"Shit, Randy, I'm s-" he starts before he chokes on the apology, glancing over to where Lisa is glaring at him in the rearview mirror. He reaches, then snatches his hand back. "FUCK!"
Fighting with the lock, he flings off his seatbelt, gets out of the car, and slams the door so hard it's a miracle the glass doesn't break.
It stuns everyone into silence.
Benson starts walking along the dotted line between the cars, ignoring the honking that follows him. Lisa eases forward, but she can only get so close.
"Randy -"
"Yeah. God dammit." He clambers out, waving apologetically to the cars around them. "Benson! What the hell are you doing?"
Benson shrugs but doesn't stop.
"Come back, get in the car. This is dangerous."
Another shrug, another few steps, and Randy has had it.
"Benson Dubois, you are scaring the girls. You're scaring me. Get in the fucking car!"
That does the trick; Randy never yells like this, hates doing it even now. Benson shuffles back, tail between his legs, and slides into the passenger seat. Randy waits until his door is shut to follow. They're just in time; traffic picks up not three minutes later, and soon they're back up to highway speed.
"That was really not okay," Lisa says quietly.
Randy touches her shoulder. "Lisa."
She gets the message: not now. She grips the steering wheel tight and sighs through her nose, but she lets it go.
Sera sniffles miserably, subdued.
Benson crowds up against the window and tugs at his hair.
Randy wonders if this was a mistake.
☆☆☆
When they finally check in to their motel in Orlando, things are still tense. Conversations need to be had, but nobody seems ready to have them. Lisa takes Seraphina to the pool, an apology for ten hours stuck in the car. The boys stay behind. Benson locks himself in the bathroom without a word, so Randy unloads the car by himself. When that's done, he orders pizza from one of the laminated menus by the motel phone, sits on the bed, and waits.
After maybe half an hour, the bathroom door creaks open. Randy doesn't look away from the TV, just waits for Benson to come to him. When he does, he stays just out of reach, and Randy lets him.
"'m sorry," he mumbles.
He rests his hand on the bed, palm up. An offering. Randy takes it.
"I know."
They sit quietly, pretending to watch TV until Benson relaxes. Scoots closer, puts his head on Randy's shoulder. Clings to his hand like a lifeline. Randy hums fondly and rubs his thumb across the back of Benson's hand. Soothing, especially when the door opens and Sera bounces in.
"Straight to the shower," Lisa says absently, already digging in a suitcase for the kid's pajamas.
Sera doesn't listen, instead marching right up to Benson with her hands on her hips. She looks so much like Lisa that Randy has to bite his lip to stifle a laugh. Benson sits at attention, eyes wide.
"You scared me," she says matter-of-factly.
"I know, kid. I'm sorry."
"You shouldn't yell. And you're s'posed to stay buckled when we're driving."
Tiny little hypocrite.
He nods solemnly. "You're right. That was pretty fuckin' dumb of me, huh?"
"Yeah." She purses her lips, forehead creased in thought.
"You better stop thinkin' so hard, I think I see smoke comin' outta your ears."
He tickles at her neck, switching sides each time she scrunches up. She giggles until she's out of breath. It brightens the whole room.
"Stop it! This is serious business!"
"Oh, right, right. Sorry, ma'am."
She seems to consider her next words as carefully as a five-year-old can. "Sometimes when I get over, um…whelmed?" - she looks to Randy for confirmation, and he nods - "Overwhelmed. Daddy tells me to count to ten and tap my fingers. Like this."
She takes Benson's hand and touches his thumb to his index finger, then the middle, and so on. When she lets go he practices it, much to her delight.
"So maybe try that. Don't yell no more."
"It's 'don't yell any more', and you're supposed to be in the shower." Lisa shoos her toward the bathroom, shooting Benson a look that says she's coming right back to yell at him.
Randy picks at a spot on the bedspread, pointedly avoiding eye contact. Don't laugh, don't laugh. "So, how's it feel to be called out by a five-year-old?"
"Shut the fuck up, Randy."
The shower cuts on, and Lisa comes back to make good on her promise. Benson crosses his arms, ready to meet her head-on, but instead she just…sighs. And flops down on the bed beside him, dropping her head into Randy's lap. He smoothes a hand down her braid.
"Listen." She smacks Benson's shoulder with the back of her hand. "I'm not gonna yell. You look like you feel bad enough. Just don't do it again. Okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Hear ya loud and clear." He rubs at the back of his neck and sighs. "I'll do better."
"Mommy! I'm ready to get out!"
"Already? Did you wash your hair?"
"I don't wanna!"
"You gotta!"
"You do it!"
Randy mouths it at the same time Sera says it, an argument they've all had with her a million times. Benson snorts.
"You're a big girl!" he calls. "You can wash your own hair!"
"Noooo! I want Mommy to do it! Mommy do it! Pleeease!"
Lisa groans, heaving herself up. "That pizza better be here when I get back, or I might have to set something on fire."
☆☆☆
The girls head to bed shortly after eating, and nobody can blame them. It's been a long day. Outside, Randy leans against the car and drinks in the sunset while Benson savors a cigarette. They don't talk, but they don't need to. It's one of their favorite things about each other: the way they can simply exist together. Randy would go so far as to call it intimate. Benson would call him a sap.
When the cigarette burns down almost to the filter, Benson offers it to Randy, who considers it. Fuck it. They're on vacation. He can indulge. Sucking smoke into his lungs is always risky business, he's never been very good at it, but he manages without coughing for once. He blows it out slow, catches Benson staring at his lips, and smiles coyly.
"See something you like?"
"Maybe I do. What about it?"
Randy taps his lips and leans forward so Benson can kiss him.
"Y'know, Rand…" he says against Randy's mouth, mustache tickling at his upper lip. Randy snorts and pushes him away, scrubbing at the residual itch. "You've gotten a lot more confident in the last year. What gives? Kinda miss when you were all blushin' bride."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Good to know you still can't tell when I'm teasing."
Randy sticks his tongue out. "Good to know you're still a dick."
Cackling, Benson sidles up behind him to nose at the sensitive spot beneath his ear. "You love it."
"Yeah," Randy sighs, leaning into it. "I do."
☆☆☆
After a continental breakfast that only Sera and Benson seem impressed with - "Check this shit out, the waffle maker flips." "Whoooa!" - they pile back into the car for a much shorter drive. Benson's in charge of the directions this time. He's bad at it, and Lisa makes sure he knows it, but soon enough the sign comes into view.
WALT DISNEY WORLD
Where Dreams Come True
Randy sees the exact moment Sera spots the Minnie and Mickey cutouts, watches her put the pieces together, and plugs his ears in anticipation.
"DISNEY WORLD?!" she shrieks, and then she positively screams with joy.
Lisa braces like she also saw it coming, but Benson startles like he's been shot. He breathes through it, though. Randy even sees him tapping his fingers together, just like Sera showed him. He's proud, honestly. A year ago, that would have triggered a wildly different reaction in the man.
Seraphina continues to squeal and flap her hands a mile a minute, wiggling around in her seat like a kid possessed. It's infectious; Randy finds himself mirroring her, smiling so hard it hurts.
Lisa keeps chanting, "Disney World! Disney World! Disney World!"
Even Benson can't help from grinning, shaking his head like he's trying to shake it right off his lips. Randy grabs his shoulders and tips him back and forth in time with Lisa's chant, forced participation in the best way.
The good vibes follow them across the parking lot, where Benson snatches Sera up and onto his shoulders to avoid cars, and through the long line leading up to the gate. Randy has the tickets, he printed them out with the directions. Security does a quick search of their bag, and suddenly they find themselves on Main Street.
Sera immediately tries to take off in several directions at once, spinning herself in a circle with excited little jerky motions. "Let's go! Let's go, let's go, let's go!"
"Where do you want to go, honey?" Lisa scoops her up to spin her around.
"Oh!" Randy digs in the bag, "I grabbed a map on the way in, let me -"
Benson snatches the map and shoves it into his pocket. Randy whines and grabs for it; Benson pushes him away with a hand on his face. "No maps. Let the little lady explore."
It's the right call, even if it spikes Randy's anxiety to not have a concrete plan. Immediately drunk with power, Sera demands to be put down and orders everyone to follow her. Dutifully, they fall in line behind their girl.
Main Street doesn't hold her attention for long, which isn't all that surprising. It's mostly restaurants and shopping, neither of which she cares about. She cycles rapidly between joy and a shy sort of nervousness when they spot Mickey Mouse posing for pictures with a line of visitors. When Lisa asks if she'd like to meet him, she shakes her head emphatically and drags her mom away by the hand before anyone can get any funny ideas.
Following Sera's lead, they take a sharp left into Adventureland, which is just as well. Randy knows by heart where the actor playing Ariel hangs out, and he also knows that Sera's overwhelming excitement at meeting her favorite character ever will probably be the end of their visit. This route will take them through most of the park first - at least, the parts Sera will care about.
As hard as they'd worked their asses off, they still could only afford one day at the park. They had to make it count. With every ounce of her Mom Magic, Lisa manages to gently steer Sera in the direction of the attractions she'll like the most. Randy and Benson are just along for the ride. Randy keeps everyone fed and hydrated; Benson keeps Randy out of his head.
They're both painfully aware of how odd their family unit must appear, and it shows in the way they mostly avoid each other. Randy gravitates toward Lisa while Benson keeps most of his attention on the kid, pointing out different characters and listening dutifully to her rambling stories. He does make sure Randy doesn't feel forgotten with a periodic hand on his neck, squeezing in that way he always does.
And of course, he goes out of his way to annoy Lisa every chance he gets.
By the afternoon, everyone's a little cranky. It's hot, they've walked more than anyone's even remotely used to, and it's been a long time since breakfast. Lunch is the one meal they planned to splurge on, so they do. It's good, but not good enough to justify the number at the bottom of the receipt. Benson bitches loudly about it; Randy and Lisa exchange a look but more or less ignore him. They're used to his anti-capitalism rants by now, though Lisa does pull him aside to threaten him with a violent death if he doesn't stop in front of Sera. The last thing she needs is to feel anything at all about the price tag of her special trip. To his credit, he sheepishly agrees.
When Sera falls asleep at the table halfway through her chicken nuggets, Lisa pulls out a book and waves the boys off. "I'll hang out. She could use the nap."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, Rand." She smiles fondly and pinches his cheek. He swats at her. "Go ride a big boy ride."
"Don't call it that," he complains, but Benson's already dragging him away by the elbow. He seems to have a destination in mind. "Where are we going?"
Benson looks back and grins. "Space Mountain, baby!"
☆☆☆
Space Mountain rocks. There's hardly any line - they came during the off season for a reason - so they ride it twice. Benson hoots and hollers the whole time, dramatic as hell. The kid behind them mimics him, much to the annoyance of her mother. They get a nice older couple to take their picture in front of the sign, and Benson smiles nice for once. On their way back, he drags Randy behind a small cluster of trees to kiss him breathless against a light pole. It's great.
By the time they get back, Seraphina is picking groggily at the rest of her lunch. Lisa gives Randy that look, the one that says Sera's reaching her limit.
"Hey, baby," he says, crouching down to her level. She reaches for him, clings to his shirt. "Think you're up for one more super special thing?"
"How special?"
"Super duper special."
"Super duper, super duper." She thinks hard and then nods firmly. "Yes!"
The walk to Ariel's Grotto isn't that long. Everyone seems refreshed after lunch, so they make pretty good time. Or, they do until Randy turns to say something to Benson and he isn't there. Randy stops short, looking around.
"Lisa, hold on a second."
"What's up?" She takes Sera's hand to keep her from wandering off and backtracks. "Wha- Where did that idiot go?"
"I don't know! I turned around and he was just gone!"
"This is why you really should keep him on a leash."
"Oh, my god, stop."
"Benny!" Sera points.
Benson jogs toward them, clutching a Disney branded plastic bag. Lisa eyes it suspiciously.
"What's that?"
"It's a big ol' bag of nunya. They were having a fuckin' sale, ain't that neat?"
Rolling her eyes, Lisa mutters something under her breath that Randy's pretty sure isn't Disney friendly. Benson ignores her and takes Sera's other hand.
"C'mon, princess. I think I see a spot over there for cool kids only. Mommy and Daddy aren't invited. They're not cool."
Sera giggles. "You're not cool, either!"
Lisa full-on laughs, the kind that makes her snort like Randy loves.
"What? He's not! He's silly! Sometimes the truth is mean, Mommy. That's not my fault!"
Clutching at Randy for support, Lisa laughs herself to tears while Benson leads Sera around the corner toward a quiet alcove, grumbling all the way. Randy tilts his camera her way and snaps what he hopes will be a good candid. He really does love her, thinks he always will. When the flash goes off, she checks him with her hip, but it's affectionate. It always is.
His Lisa. Her Randy. And their little girl.
Their little girl who comes bounding back decked out head to toe in Little Mermaid merch, face lit up like the sun.
"Mommy, Daddy, look! Look, look, look! I'm a princess!" She twirls, hands flapping, grinning gleefully.
The dress flares out at the end like a mermaid tail, green and glittery. The top is satiny purple with straps that only look a little silly over her t-shirt. Perched on top of her head is a pair of Little Mermaid themed Minnie Mouse ears, covered in sequins that sparkle as she moves.
It's stinkin' adorable. It's perfect.
It looks expensive.
While Lisa gushes over Sera, Randy rests his chin on Benson's shoulder. "How much did that cost?"
"Don't worry about it."
"Mmm, I'm a little worried about it."
"You wanna tell me how to spend my money? That's sugar daddy behavior, and you ain't got sugar daddy money, baby."
"Gross."
"…A lot. It cost a lot. Why the fuck is all this shit so expensive?"
Randy pulls back to frown at him. "Benson, you didn't have to do that."
"Yeah, obviously. But look at her. Little fuckin' princess." They watch her pull her skirt out to show Lisa how the sequins catch the light. "Worth it."
"Yeah…you're right. Thank you."
"Mhm." Benson shakes the shopping bag, skipping out of reach. "I also got her the doll."
"Wh- Benson!"
☆☆☆
Sera starts to put the pieces together as they navigate the fake rocks into Ariel's Grotto. The music is familiar, a soundtrack she knows by heart from the hundreds of times she's forced Randy to rewatch the movie. The decorations are familiar, too: cartoon fish, coral, seaweed. When the Disney employee scans their passes and asks them to wait at the rope, Randy worries that Sera might implode on the spot.
"Daddy?" is all she can manage, peering up at him with all the hope in the world. He wiggles her where she's holding onto his hand. The employee unlatches the rope and ushers them forward, Lisa and Benson both armed with cameras. Randy's been tasked with managing whatever reaction Sera gives; they're honestly not sure what to expect.
But when they round the corner and come face to face with Ariel, Sera stops dead in her tracks - and bursts into tears.
The adults exchange glances. That wasn't on any of their bingo cards.
"Seraphina," Randy coos, crouching down to her level.
He's ready to comfort, or pick her up and rush her out, or something, but she sidesteps him and runs towards Ariel.
"You're real!" she shrieks, throwing herself onto Ariel's lap. "You're really real!"
The actress takes it in stride with a light laugh. She probably sees this a dozen times a day. "Of course I'm real, silly! Oh, my goodness, look at your dress! You look like you could be my little sister!"
"It twirls! Watch!"
Ariel watches Sera spin herself dizzy with a delighted smile, one Sera returns despite her wet little cheeks. "Wow! I wish I had…what do you call those?"
Following Ariel's pointing finger, Sera hikes the dress up to her belly - thank god Benson had the foresight to have her put the thing on over her other clothes - and says, "Legs! They're legs!"
"Oh, that's right! Legs! Humans are so fascinating!"
She finally gets Sera to have a seat beside her and they chat for a few minutes while Lisa snaps photos feverishly. She takes over Benson's camera when hers is full, muttering about how he's not fast enough. He lets her have at it, hands raised in surrender.
Ariel signs Sera's Minnie Mouse ears, and the doll Benson digs out of his bag, and gives Sera a big hug. It starts the waterworks again - not just for Sera, but for Lisa and Randy, too - and she delicately maneuvers Sera away from her costume.
"I love you, Ariel!" Sera sobs, letting Lisa lead her away by the hand. "I love you forever!"
"Aw, I love you, too! It was so good to meet you, Seraphina! Goodbye!"
As expected, nobody has it in them to do anything else but beeline for the exit. Sera cries all the way to the car, that little kid sort of cry that shakes her whole body with hiccups. Benson carries her, rubbing soothing circles into her back as she clings to his neck. He has to practically peel her off of him to get her in her carseat.
She's asleep before they make it out of the parking lot. Nobody talks for most of the drive back to the motel, too busy soaking in the peace and quiet they've been missing for the last ten hours. Benson breaks first when a full-body stretch gets him good.
"Fuck. Jesus."
"You can say that again," Lisa sighs.
"…Did you see her fuckin' face when-"
"When she came around the corner? Yes, I thought I was gonna die. I'm so glad we saved two cameras for that!"
Randy perks up. "Did you fill them? Both of them?"
"Uh…I think so? Benson, can you check?"
"Yeah, yeah, hang on…"
The car pulls smoothly into a space near their room as Benson surfaces from the bag juggling the cameras. He squints hard at each one to read the counters, stuffing them back into the bag one by one.
"This one's got one left. That's it."
"Oh! Give it!"
Randy snatches it and scoots up so he can hook an arm around each of their necks. He pulls them close, smushing their cheeks to his, and does his best to angle the camera right.
"Say cheese!"
They're less enthusiastic than Randy about it, but he can feel them both smile, so he snaps the picture. He smacks a wet kiss first to Lisa's cheek and then Benson's; they elbow him away simultaneously, but they're both smiling and Benson's ears are red, so it's fine.
Tonight they'll order pizza again and argue about what cartoon to watch before they all cave to an early bedtime. In the morning they'll eat hotel waffles and pile back into the car for the long drive home. Lisa and Benson will bicker all day, Sera (and quite possibly Randy) will have a meltdown. On Monday Randy and Benson will trudge into BBB and Lisa will drop Sera off at school before heading to the hospital.
Life will carry on, with all the bills and long shifts and frustrations that entails. Ma will need cigarettes, Chris will have something dickish to say, rent will come due. Benson and Randy will fight about something stupid.
But right now, Randy carries his sleepy little girl in from the best day of her life to deposit her on a motel bed. He stands with Benson's hand at his back, watches Lisa smoothe Sera's hair off her face fondly, and marvels at the stars that must've aligned to gift him everything he could have ever asked for in his odd little family.
He almost feels silly for thinking it, until Seraphina sighs with all the happiness her tiny body can hold and says, "That was pretty much magic, huh." And yeah. He has to agree.
That was pretty damn magical.