Who: Emma and Sarah plus NPC Kira When: Mid March Where: Coffee shop and park What: Meeting up Rating/Warnings: Low/None Status: Complete
Sarah was looking forward to meeting Emma, she was hoping the woman would be one of the first proper friends she made while out here. She adored her brother but it would be nice to have someone to get coffee or just chat about random stuff with. And Emma seemed nice, even if she did think she was terrible with kids. Kira would help with that.
She was waiting in the coffee shop they’d agreed to meet at and Kira was choosing a cake after telling her mum she wanted an apple juice.
So far Orange County was being pretty good for Emma. She wasn’t sure if it was the sun, the sand or the sea that did it, but she felt more relaxed, laid back and settled there. Like she was meant to be there. It made branching out a lot easier, and things she might’ve shied away from she was more motivated to push forward for.
Things like coffee’s with new people and eight year old girls.
She wasn’t the sort of person that made children weep or anything, things just got awkward fast when Emma was left around them, awkward enough that it was something she tried to avoid at all costs. But if Sarah wanted to give it a go, if Kira was possibly a little more resilient of a child, then Emma’d give it a try for the sake of new friends. And coffee. Always for the coffee.
Arriving at the agreed place, Emma was just a little frazzled, having taken public transport for the first time in the OC just to get the hang of it and ending up just a little bit late. Managing to not stumble into the coffee shop, Emma took her quick look around to spot Sarah and presumably Kira considering the current occupants of the place. “Hi.” The smile came naturally, something she was noticing more, while she managed a small wave to accompany it.
“Hi” Sarah replied, not minding the lateness after all she’d only made it here early because her brother had dropped her off. “I’m considering all the different coffees while Kira choses her treat” she informed her new friend with a grin. Hearing her name Kira turned and came skipping over, “Hi, I’m Kira” she said holding out her hand for Emma to shake, then using it to tug her towards the display case of goodies. “You can help me pick” she informed Emma while Sarah shrugged and followed too.
Treats were actually something Emma was good at, her sweet tooth was something she’d never really tried to curb at all, so the pull towards the baked goods wasn’t something she bothered too much about, a small laugh to go with the girls instance, “I’m Emma,” so far no awkwardness, awesome! “I like the strawberry ones,” pretty much the only ones that Emma didn’t like were the cream filled ones.
“And can I have a caramel latte please,” Emma aimed that towards one of the barista’s, glancing back at Sarah while Kira held her hand hostage and scanned the goodies.
“There’s one there with strawberry jam in the middle” Kira pointed out, “You should have that one. My mum will get it for you” she told her new friend Emma while Sarah simply grinned, “I’m having the one with chocolate in it”
Sarah stepped forward, “Oh are you now?” Kira looked up at her mum with a grin, “Please mum?” she said sweetly.
Emma just laughed, indicating to add the strawberry filled treat to her order and handing over some money before Sarah could, mostly insistent that she pay for herself. “I remember those ‘pleases’.” Emma tucked her hands in her pockets, facing Sarah and a beaming Kira, remembering using the same tone on her mom she wanted things.
“At least it’s not a pony.” Then again, there was time for that, wasn’t there.
“I know right and she knows I struggle to say No, don’t you monkey” she said, ruffling Kira’s hair as the little girl simply grinned and wrapped herself around her mums leg. Sarah rolled her eyes and placed their order, “I’m going to draw the line at any kind of live animal though” she said as they moved to wait for their drinks and things.
“For the best,” she’d used to whine for a puppy, but Emma knew her attention span as a kid would’ve just meant her dad was taking care of that. And with what eventually happened, there was no way she’d have been in any condition to take care of anyone. “So, are you settling in alright?” The question was aimed mostly at Sarah, but she figured Kira could interject with anything too.
“Yeah not too bad” Sarah answered, “Just trying to sort out work for me and school for this one” she indicated Kira, “But I’m already happier being closer to Fe and I know Kira is” Kira smiled at them and nodded, “Uncle Felix is funny, he makes me laugh a lot” she informed Emma.
Work was usually the hardest thing to get nailed down, even more so if you had a profession to actually get back into, since Emma just took whatever she could wherever she could, whereas Sarah had a previous career to pick up. “I’m sure something’ll come up.” School would likely be easier for Kira to find. “Are you excited to go back to school?” Even though the process would likely be a little terrifying, but then some kids adapted to change quicker, didn’t they?
“I’m hopeful, until then I’ll just keep leeching off my brother” Sarah joked, before looking at Kira who nodded, “I like school even if this one will be different” Then she was given her treat and drink and became occupied with those. “She’s a little worried that the other kids might tease her about her accent” because it was a fairly obvious common London one just like Sarah’s.
Emma just smirked at the leeching comment, taking her own order and adding a little sugar to her drink, “I hear that’s what brothers are for.” Presumably family in general, “I mean, there’s usually something that comes up for counselling.” Kid or not, most people were in need of it.
As to the accents, well, “They’ll probably be more interested than teasing,” Emma just shrugged, “I mean, kids can be kids, but American accents are pretty similar unless you hit the high north and low south.” Some nice twanging accents here and there, but Emma barely noticed them really unless it was more pronounced, “And I’m sure they’ll like yours.” New always got some attention, until the next new thing came along. But Emma didn’t think telling Kira she’d be a novelty would be a good idea.
Sarah nodded, “Apparently so. He’s not complained so far but we’ll see how long that lasts. I’m sure he’ll be ringing Mrs S begging her to take me back to the UK soon” she grinned. “But yeah I’m hopeful, I’m putting together an outline for the county office explaining the set up I had in the UK so we’ll see how that goes”
She smiled, “I’m sure she’ll be fine. I have to admit it’s been quite nice to hear the accents so far. I notice them a bit but then I don’t really think I have one. I guess you never really think about your own though”
Emma couldn’t imagine crossing a country, moving an entire life across the ocean and starting new, building upwards. Emma hadn’t gone that far, but she’d never had something to move for. She was running away, not traveling towards something. “Well, I’m sure you’ll get there. There’s options, and… well good luck really?” Was that the right sentiment?
“Like hearing your voice on a recording, right?” Sipping at her drink, Emma could understand that, she never thought she had an accent either. “It never really sounds like what you think it sounds like.” Heading outside of the coffee shop, Emma glanced around, “So, where’s this park?”
Sarah had never been one to back down from any kind of challenge, growing up in foster care for the first few years of her life had led to being fairly adaptable. Luckily she’d ended up with Mrs S and Felix and things had settled for a while. She’d travel anywhere to keep their little family together. Her, Kira and Felix, that’s how it was. How it should be. “Thanks” she smiled with a nod.
“Yeah exactly” she said, taking Kira’s hand as they moved outside. “I think it’s just down this way” she said pointing in the direction Felix had indicated earlier, “So Emma tell me about you? What do you do?”
Wandering through the OC was really rather nice, something Emma had figured wouldn’t suck if she did need to leave her car for times or anything, it was partly why she’d gone by public transport that day, especially if they were heading to the park. No point in having car parking to pay for. “Oh, you know. This and that.” That was the easy way of saying ‘I have no legitimate qualifications to my name’, wasn’t it? She was more inclined towards easily picked up jobs to make her budget last until the next time she moved.
“I’ve tried my hand at a few things, waitressing, valeting, wildlife conservation, secretary and admin stuff.” She just shrugged while picking at her pastry. “Simple stuff really.”
It really was a nice county from what Sarah had seen so far, and of course the weather was great. Much warmer generally than the UK and she knew it would be good for them. She’d need to decide about driving sooner or later but for now public transport and her brother was the way to go.
“Sometimes simple is the best way to go” Sarah said, after all she’d done similar before Kira had come along. “And it gives you a pretty wide range of skills too”
None of her jobs had required her to really interact a lot, Emma didn’t need to make close friends, or even real friends wherever she went. Most of the time she wasn’t terribly bothered with it either way. Friends were for people who intended to spend a long stretch of time in one place, Emma hadn’t been in one place longer than two years, and that was almost ten years ago. Skills, she had. None of them were entirely well documented, or even all that unique, but they were transferable, which was always good to have.
“Yeah, just makes deciding what to do with my life a little bit harder.” She’d never really thought about that while she was bopping from job to job.
Sarah wasn’t the sort to have many close friends but she was a fun girl and she liked to have people she could hang out with when being a mum and a grown up got too much. Emma seemed like a pretty decent person to have around to do that with.
“Well I don’t think it’s a bad thing to just try out different things until you hit something that fits you know?” Sarah said, “It’s better to give things a go than starting on a path that you realise isn’t actually right for you”
Unsuitable paths was right, Emma had her share of those, and she really didn’t want to talk about them, least of all considering the delicate nature of her hidden past. “So, how did you know you wanted to go into counselling? Something you always knew or did it happen by chance?” Emma hadn’t been one of those girls in school, knowing exactly what she wanted to do, she’d always thought she had plenty of time to figure it out, that she’d have some guidance when she needed to. She was okay jumping from job to job, it led her to where she was, ready to settle and make something; friends, a life, a career with something. “Is it what you love?”
“I definitely didn’t know” Sarah said, “I was a pretty wild kid. Grew up in foster care, got into drugs, drink, you know the usual kind of story. But when I had Kira, I knew I had to sort myself out you know?” she shrugged, she wasn’t ashamed of her past but she skimmed over the details. Nobody needed to know that. “I got lucky, spoke to a few people and they suggested the counselling. Turns out I’m a pretty good listener”
Sarah thought about the last question, “Actually I do. Now. At first it was hard and I thought about quitting a number of times but I stuck with it and I do love it”
Emma totally knew the story, she’d been the story with the absence of foster care. She supposed children had that effect, didn’t they, making people strive for something better, to be something more. Either for their kid or just because of the kid. “I guess that helps, listening.” Emma wasn’t a talker, she listened okay, but she wasn’t a talker, and advice wasn’t her thing that much.
The park, when they reached it, wasn’t overly busy, which was a blessing really, because super noisy kids were not something Emma had the patience to put up with at all. “Where in the UK are you guys from?”
“Yeah. Sometimes people just need someone to listen to them before you start trying to tell them what to do” Sarah said, different people needed different things. It was part of her job to work out which was best for those she was working with.
“London” Sarah said, “Though our foster mum was from Ireland originally. It wasn’t a bad place to live, busy but you got used to that”
That was the fun thing about ‘issues’, wasn’t it, no two people were identical. Emma assumed that was part of the allure of the job, it wasn’t the same day in and day out, even if it was complicated and draining, probably part of why it was a fulfilling career choice.
“London looks nice, I’ve never really felt the need to go long haul flights, but London looks like it could be worth half a day in a tin can.” Europe in general looked pretty cool, but Emma was fairly sure that her travelling days were coming to an end anyway.
It was definitely part of what attracted Sarah to the job, she wasn’t the sort to get on well in your average 9-5 same thing day in day out job. She needed variety and to feel like she was doing something worthwhile and helping young kids definitely did that.
“It’s a pretty good place to visit, but I’m looking forward to seeing what life brings us out here” she told Emma, watching Kira as she joined a group of kids a little younger than her, helping them up onto the slide. She had a good feeling about this place.
That was the exciting part, wasn’t it. When things were new and fun and everything was different, finding all those really great things to do and throwing yourself into something. Not really missing so much from the last life you had. At least it was for Emma. She liked restarting, it just got a little draining after a while.
“Well, California is pretty great.” Emma had checked on her way here, just what to expect, “so good choice of relocation.” More so than just things for Kira to do too, she was pretty sure that Sarah would like it all in all. “And if you need an adventure buddy, I’m pretty new to the place too, so I’d be up for it.”
“The relocation was a no-brainer since Felix is already out here” Sarah said, “It just took me longer than I had hoped it would to sort everything out” she smiled, “But now we’re here I’m glad, it does seem like a good place”
She nodded, “Great, consider yourself my adventure buddy”