InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Once. You."

cowarrington (cowarrington) wrote in strugglewithin,
@ 2009-01-21 19:54:00

Entry tags:

*complete, caleb warrington, october 1997, verity de luca

RP: An unexpected visitor
Date: 21 October 1997
Characters: Caleb Warrington, Verity de Luca
Location: Caleb's flat
Status: Private
Summary: Verity has a small announcement
Completion: Complete

It had been a quiet day - the first one he'd had in quite a while. He'd even gotten home early and had spent a quiet late afternoon reading on his rickety couch, playing with Thief and generally relaxing. He'd been contemplating floo-ordering something to eat when a knock sounded at his door.

Hauling himself reluctantly out of his comfortable hollow in the cushions, he padded barefoot to the door, idly scratching his chest through his worn Slytherin Quidditch jersey. He opened the door to reveal a familiar face.

"Verity?"

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	veritas_amor 2009-01-21 09:37 pm UTC (link)
	Verity sighed, looking at him for a moment as she fiddled with a stray curl, twirling it around her finger. "I don't have a clue. Mick and I are moving out of my parents'- I found a flat in Whimsic, we move in at the beginning of next week." She looked up at him hopefully. "D'you- maybe want to meet her?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cowarrington
2009-01-21 09:52 pm UTC (link)

"I, I," he waffled. Meeting the little girl (his little girl?!) would make all of this far too real, but what option did he have? He couldn't imagine turning away from her.

God, he had an illegitimate child. His parents were going to flip when they found out. He didn't plan to tell them any time soon, but eventually they were going to notice. He was surprised that the family tapestry hadn't updated itself.

"I would like that," he said finally. He worried his hands back and forth restlessly. "Have you told her? Is she old enough to understand?"

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veritas_amor
2009-01-21 09:57 pm UTC (link)

Verity shook her head, chuckling. "She's two, Cale. She sort of gets it, but no, I've not talked to her. Besides, you've met her once before at the shop. So really, this is just- seeing her for the first time since you found out. That's all."

She hesitated a moment and then reached out, covering one of his hands with hers. "I really am sorry that I kept this from you. And, well- everyone, really. But I had to decide this and do it now, because I don't want her to grow up thinking that I was ashamed of her."

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cowarrington
2009-01-21 10:07 pm UTC (link)

He wrapped his hand around hers, glad on some level for the simple human contact. "I know nothing about children. I mean, I get along with my sisters, but I was at school while they were little. Hell, they are still little."

He sighed heavily. "I know you're sorry, Ver. This is just, well, earth-shattering." He watched her for a long moment from the corner of his eye. "I'm not ashamed of either of you. I want you to know that. Anything you need, if it's within my power, I'll get it for you."

That feeling of foggy reality wasn't really going away. He had a feeling it would linger for more than a few minutes.

And he wanted a drink. A great big one. Or maybe just a bottle. With a straw.

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veritas_amor
2009-01-22 06:36 pm UTC (link)

Squeezing his hand, she shrugged. "I've always had help with her, so I'm really still learning the day-to-day things. I'll never forgive myself for missing that first year of her life when I went back to school."

She smiled at him, nodding. "I get it now- I knew that you wouldn't be when I came over here to tell you, or I wouldn't have come. And I think we're going to do all right, but one she does need is to know her father. I just hate that it's taken me this long to realize it, and admit it to myself."

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cowarrington
2009-01-22 06:57 pm UTC (link)

Yep. Definitely need to go with the bottle and straw option. Once she was gone, he was seriously planning on getting messily drunk and brooding.

He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. It was easier, somehow, to talk to her with an excuse for not meeting her eyes. He hated the thought of anyone reading his emotional turmoil in his eyes. "We'll just have to make up for lost time, then." It was an innane thing to say, but the strangest thing was that he meant it.

Family was too important to mess around with - even the unexpected variety.

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