Who: Padmé and Laurel What: Old friends catching up When: Today Where: Undisclosed coffee location Status: Complete Rating: Green
Sometimes, all you wanted was a cup of tea and quiet.
Today, Padmé would get that drink but it was questionable if she’d get the quiet. The coffeeshop she usually loved was packed. Probably something to do with the recently acquired wi-fi, which made sitting down a problem. Because she’d been busy on her phone with some scheduling, she’d ordered to stay and now, had to determine if she wanted to ask the barista to actually give her a to-go cup. With a sigh, she scanned the room. There were a few tables with extra chairs, but most of the people were in groups. And then she caught a familiar blonde face.
Why the woman looked familiar, Padmé wasn’t 100% sure, but it was enough to boost Padmé’s confidence. When she got close enough, she finally realized why she knew her. While Padmé had always been more a student, stay on the right side of the tracks, kind of girl, she would have her rare bursts of rebellion where she would head over to one of the many high school parties in the OC. Go to a few of them, and you’d learn to recognize figures. The blonde had never been in her age group, but had always been nice enough to talk to. “Hey! Laurel, right? Wow, it’s been years! Mind if I sit here?”
-
Laurel had been relaxing, sure the place was busy, but being with a toddler, you learn to tune out the noise. She had a large latte with a book, she barely had a lot of time to read at home with the kid and work, so she took this moment to read for a bit as she sipped her drink. When someone said her name, she looked up, blinking at the younger woman who was talking to her….she had seen her before, Padmé? It had been years.
“Hello, Padmé,” she said with a smile and nodded her head, “Sure, have a seat,” she moved a bookmark in her book, “How are you?”
-
“Good, good, keeping busy. I have my own business now. I plan weddings mainly but do the odd events. “ Padme gestured to the seat across for Laurel. “Mind if I sit?”
It was nice not to be on her feet. She’d picked the wrong shoes for today. “I really needed this London Fog,” she sighed, inhaling the delicious smells of bergamot and vanilla. “My bride today, super nice actually, was getting dressed down by her mother-in-law. I mean, I know that the dress rehearsal can be scarier than the wedding sometimes, but honestly. She did not deserve to be yelled at for tripping on your way to the altar. And then because the mother-in-law is the one that actually hired me, she expected me to be on her side. I couldn’t do that, so then I got fired. Which I’m okay with.” Padme smiled widely.
“I mean, I do get a deposit for a reason. Just feel bad for the bride. This weekend is going to be stressful for her. And wow, I just talked your ear off,” she laughed. “How are you? What have you been up to?”
-
Laurel waved her hand dismissively, “it’s fine, talk away. It’s nice to have an adult conversation,” she smiled apologetically thought since she mentioned being fired from the job. “I’m a cop now, actually detective. I got promoted,” she wasn’t really sure if her partner liked her, but he promised to contact her for the next case, so perhaps just timing of her being promoted or whatever.
“I have a little girl, which is why I made the remark of an adult conversation,” she chuckled, “my day consist of dirty bums,” Laurel joked softly. “How cool is it that you have your own job and planning parties! You have card? Plan kids parties?” she asked sincerely.
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“Aww,” Padme responded, smiling. “You have a picture?” Which was a dumb question, because of course Laurel would have a million and one pictures of her daughter, but Padme liked to ask. People sometimes felt too shy to show their pride and joy off, so she liked to give them that opportunity. Plus, kids were really cute. “I don’t have any kids yet, I wouldn’t even know how to fit them into my tiny apartment,” she laughed. “Which, to answer your question in a round-about way, is probably why I don’t do too many children parties but I did meet a lovely woman recently who is an Ariel and a Merida….so yeah, think of me when it comes to your little one’s birthday. What’s her name?”
-
She chuckled to her apartment joke, “Olivia,” Laurel said proudly as she pulled out her phone to pull up a picture, she smiled as she handed the phone over to her, “get me a card and I’ll see what we can do, Don’t worry no matter where you live, with a kid, there never seems to be a lot of space.” She looked over at the phone, “She’s really into my little pony right now,” Laurel shook her head, “and pretending she is one,” Laurel laughed.
“If you swipe, you’ll see,” she offered as she picked up her drink taking a sip of it, “obsessed is more like it.”
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Padme took the offered phone and set down her own drink to scroll. She couldn’t help the ‘awww’ that escaped her lips. That was one adorable little cherub. Blonde hair, blue eyes, chubby cheeks, mischievous smile -- oh yeah, Laurel would definitely have her hands full. “That is a lot of My Little Pony,” Padme said, looking at a picture of Olivia’s room. “How does she sleep with all those eyes on her? Those are a lot of posters.” She swiped one more and laughed out loud. “Oh wow! I didn’t know you could get pony headbands! Those ears are too much!” She giggled again and handed the phone back to Laurel. “What a cutie! She must keep you busy, and you have such a busy job, how do you find the time?”
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Laughing she shook her head, she had no idea how her daughter loved them so, but she did and Laurel let her, she didn’t want to stifle her love for anything at such a young age. “Great daycare, babysitters, and Oliver helps out a lot,” Laurel explained as she took another sip of her coffee, somehow it’s all working out. “He gets her when I’m working over and if I catch a case, I’ll call him to pick her up from wherever she’s at when it happens. We are co-parenting pretty easily.”
-
Oliver. The name sounded familiar, but Padmé couldn’t place his face. Well. Maybe she could in the face of Olivia -- ooh! So that’s why her name was Olivia. Cute. “That’s great that you guys can do that. So many people can’t figure out the co-parenting thing. When it’s a little person who had no choice in the matter, you have to suck it up and make it work. Put those egos aside.” Of course, this was all easier said than done, considering she had no children or partner to worry about, ex or otherwise. “Anyways, kudos.” She picked up her drink and smiled. “So detective. That sounds exciting!”
-
Padmé was right though, Laurel had to put her ego to the side for this to work and she was glad she did. When she asked about her job, she nodded her head, “It’s different,” she did agree, “Not sure about exciting, you do get to see a different take on humanity, working in NYC was an eyeopener, here’s not as bad.” She waved her hand dismissing it, “one of the reasons I’m glad I moved back.” She leaned forward, “do you mind if I asked if you have read or watched any good movies lately? I know seems stupid, but life with a toddler, don’t really get to talk about that.”
-
“Honestly, I’m just waiting on April for season 8 of Game of Thrones.” That was a series she loved, had loved since the beginning, and had been hooked on since reading the first book. All the political intrigue, the secrets, the backstabbing… it was addictive. For someone that thought her life was boring and plain, it provided all the extra drama she needed. “It’s my favourite show….but while I wait, I watch trash reality TV. RuPaul’s Drag Race is a personal favourite.”
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Laurel gasped, “I love that show as well,” she smiled, “It felt like we have waited forever for the last season hasn't it?” She smiled at her, then took a another sip of her drink, “Mmm, I have seen a few episodes, but Lifetime Married At First Sight is one thing I keep getting hooked on, but only cause Lifetime seems to marathon it. I don’t think i’ve caught a whole season, like with Real Housewives.”
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Padme shook her head with a smile. “Even the title is scary . Married at First Sight? How can people do that? Don’t they know you have to know the person? Maybe talk about things to ensure you have similar values, or the same views on children or ...I don’t know, that you don’t both sleep on the same side of the bed?” She was being silly, but it was something she wondered.
“How can you just get married ...but maybe that’s just me. I ...do not have the most experience relationship wise,” she laughed. “One long-term high school boyfriend, we broke up when I went to university...and a few guys through that but no one I could see myself being happy with for the rest of my life.” She’d always thought she was a bit too picky. There was nothing wrong with having high standards though.
- “I get it,” Laurel said, “Hell, you think you know someone you’ve been with for years and they do something you would never think they would do and that’s knowing them. It’s pointless drama, but I kinda got sucked into it.” She chuckled as she shook her head, “beats My Little Pony,” she took another sip of her drink.
When Padme mention of the high-school boyfriend, Laurel nodded her head, she and Oliver has been together during that time, she got it, Laurel hadn’t been serious with anyone since than. Honestly, she always saw herself living her life with him, having a family, but it didn’t work out. At least they did have Olivia.
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Padmé gave a little laugh. “Yes, anything could beat My Little Pony...although, I’ll be honest -- I’ve caught an episode or two, channel surfing. It’s got bright colours, happy songs, and cute ponies. I can kinda see the appeal.” She took another sip and sighed. “Yeah, but to get what you said earlier..I had a friend who said you have to date a guy for 7 years before knowing if you’re going to marry him. I always thought that was excessive. And another college friend who married a one-night stand, and they’re still happily together.” She shook her head. “Relationships are hard.”
“When I met Oliver, I instantly loved him, but we were so young, didn’t know what true love was. Suddenly when we got older, I truly did loved him” she shrug “see where we are now.” She chuckled, “not what I pictured back than.” Laurel shook her head, she didn’t want to talk about him, but he had been so great lately and Laurel didn’t have time to even dwell on that. “Anyways, relationship are truly hard, nothing is easy anymore. I didn’t sign up for this when I wanted to grow up.”
-
“I wanted to be a princess when I grew up, so I guess we’re both living with disappointment,” Padme teased in response. Her phone started making noises, and she glanced down. Rolling her eyes, she smiled. “Oh look at that -- I guess I’m re-hired.” Weddings could be so up and down. She shook her head happily. “Going to have to ask for this to-go after all.” Gathering her things together, she gave a genuine smile, eye crinkle and all, to Laurel. “It was really great catching up with you again. Maybe I’ll see you around some time?”
Laurel smiled, nodded her head, “I would like that,” she told her as she leaned back in her chair, fished her card out of her pocket, “here,” she offered, “give me a call, we should get dinner or have a viewing party,” she hadn’t really done things like that since college and it would be nice to reconnect with friends, “I don’t want to keep you. So see you soon.”