Chapter Text
Lisbon eyed the grocery list carefully. After years of shopping for herself, she was still adjusting to having another person around, especially one who enjoyed cooking from scratch. He had sent her out in the heat of the day, recognizing her need for a reprise while himself and her brother tackle the electric work.
Austin sat in the midst of an unprecedented heatwave. Something both Lisbon and Jane were no strangers to, but Jimmy complained nonstop until Jane had brought out a case of ice-cold beer. Then, he’d complained far less and apologized to Teresa for being an ass.
“I think we’ll give it a few more hours while we still have daylight.” Jane said, squinting in the direction of the setting sun. Lisbon’s stomach grumbled in response.
“Baby’s’ hungry again.” She lamented. “I want H-E-B tortilla chips.”
“Meaning the baby wants tortilla chips. Hmm. Your brother seems to be on a roll.” A loud crash from behind them made Jane flinch.
“Sorry!” Jimmy called out. Something terribly heavy was scraping along the roof and if Jane turned a fraction of an inch, he would have seen his brother-in-law standing on the support beam with a fist full of wires, an AC box by his feet.
“I need to get out of here.” Said Lisbon, scrubbing a hand across her face. Suddenly, a trip to the local supermarket did not sound so bad.
“I’ll write you a list.”
Teresa made to park near the store’s entrance, giving the designated expecting mothers spot a quick look over but staying away. While Jane may have insisted she take full advantage of such offerings, she’d argue that she like exercise and preferred not drawing any unnecessary attention. Not that her bulging six-month pregnancy stomach counted. That couldn’t be helped.
Taking her time, she perused each aisle, granting herself permission to stop and try samples, enjoying the wonderful AC. Her dark hair fanned out in waves as she stood in the produce section. Long and full and curled toward the ends. Jane thought that the Texas humidity suited her.
She resolved to stop by the ice cream section to see if the Rocky Road was on sale. Turning the corner, she found herself humming along to whatever popular 80’s ballad was playing. Not Bon Jovi, maybe Journey? One of the later albums for sure. She pulled the fridge open.
“Aw hell.” Why did they have to place her favorite brand on the highest shelf? Out of respect for Jane, Lisbon leaned back to scan the area once more, hoping for a tall person to show. Reaching for the top shelf guiltily, she had to grip the steel frame to keep balance. Well, what Jane didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. After this, she’d head for the register and be home in time for dinner.
“Excuse me,” Teresa turned over her shoulder. She must be dreaming. A familiar face. There and not there. Eyes as green as rich and robust as Sacramento’s tree-line streets after rain. The woman was dressed in a modest, but neat pair of scrubs under an emerald wool sweater, that Lisbon remembered trying on. Everyone had said she was her mother’s spitting image. “Teresa.”
“No. No, no, don’t.” She backed up, heel catching on the cart’s wheel.
“My sweet girl.” The woman says, more urgently. Despite her weathered features and unfamiliar wrinkles, she would know this woman anywhere. She hadn’t changed a bit and yet she too, had been touched by the passage of time. Pressure from within threatened to burst out from Teresa’s chest. She blinked frantically to see if she were imagining things. Maybe it was the heat? No, she reasoned, she’d been inside close to an hour and if anything, was beginning to become cold.
“Mom.”
“I’m so glad to see you happy.” Kathleen Lisbon said, her voice soft and sure, full of love. Her crooked smile aimed at Teresa and the child she was growing. Tersea closed her eyes against the onslaught of tears.
“This isn’t real.”
“No. But I knew you needed to see a familiar face.” Everything will work out, Lisbon knew to be the subtext. She knew her mother had been wrong before, but couldn’t be wrong about this. About the baby. About deepening her relationship with the boys and putting down roots with Patrick.
“I wish you were here.” The words fell out with a choked breath. Teresa was suddenly grateful the aisle was empty. You’ll be okay. And, you know I’m always here for you. She hadn’t realized how much she missed having a mom. The other women in their childbirth classes waxed lyric about their own mothers’ involvement in their lives, or that of their in-law’s, older ladies who brought support and the occasional snack. It would be unbearably nice to have her there.
Teresa hadn’t’ mentioned any of this to Patrick.
She blinked and the woman was gone. None too gently, Lisbon pinched her arm and returned to her cart, staring ahead dazedly. She headed for the front of the store without knowing what she was doing. She couldn’t remember how she got to the register or opened her wallet.
“Ma’am? Ma’am, are you okay?” The store attendant asked, slowly setting their hand on her shoulder. On instinct, Tersea glanced towards her stomach, used to Jane and Cho checking in to ensure there were no issues or complications with the pregnancy.
“Yes, yes, fine.” She said after a moment. “Just hungry. My husband is making dinner.” Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to leave this place behind. Once she returned to the car, she’d gain some clarity.
Texas drivers loved to speed. Lisbon couldn’t exactly blame them but the adjustment from the small town of Canon River to Austin’s metropolis, larger and fuller than Sacramento was not without its challenges.
Drivers that sped tended to remind Lisbon of poor drivers, reckless drivers, even.
A familiar wanting came over Lisbon.
Wanting for her mother, ridiculous, she thought, in the sense she hadn’t seen the woman since she was twelve.
She knew intellectually her mother hadn’t been there today. But she hadn’t hallucinated either…had she?