Who: Harry Dresden and Cora and Elaine Mallory Where: from the Summers house to the Mallory house What: Harry and Elaine pick up Cora after her sleepover and find out new news When: the morning of Thursday, April 25th, after this log Warnings/Rating: PG Status complete
Harry had volunteered to pick up Corazon from Nate’s house this morning, and was driving. Of course, when it turned out that Elaine had no appointments until later, it had become a morning family thing. With their newfound family still aborning, Harry felt odd, but proud to be driving Elaine to pick up their(their!) daughter from a friend’s house, and hoping breakfast out would go well, before school and work for all.
He glanced at Elaine as he drove, nearing Nate’s house. “You look beautiful.”
Elaine smiled, reaching over to give Harry’s arm a squeeze. “Thank you.”
She was really enjoying the time they spent together, doing things not just as a couple, but as a family as well. Harry was taking to fatherhood well, she thought, and she had a feeling things would continue to fall into place, and become more natural for them. She hoped that Cora hadn’t been too out of sorts for the Summers family, but she seemed to be taking it all in stride as well.
“You’re not nervous, are you? About bringing your daughter home for almost the first time?”
"Yes and no. Both. On the one hand, it all feels new. On the other, I feel like it's just more intense not new. " He smiled at Elaine. This was amazing. To be here, driving Elaine to pick up their daughter.
“You know what I think?” she asked, leaning toward him with a dreamy little smile. If they hadn’t been driving, she might have kissed his cheek. “I think you’re a natural.”
Harry blushed and smiled over at her. “You really think so? I feel so clunky most of the time, like I’m a bull in a china shop.” he shrugged a little self-consciously.
Driving toward the Summers home, he felt hope though, and smiled softly, thinking of Corazon.
Cora would be waiting for them with her buggy sunglasses perched precariously on the end of her button nose, the red backpack on her back and the blue one with carebears clutched against her front, and a silly-nervous-happy smile on her face. Nate had helped her not to be scared of the changes that were coming into her life, and she was eager to see her mom and dad, and make sure they knew she was okay.
Harry pulled over and smiled as he stepped out, and swept Cora up in a hug. “Hey there. How are you this morning?” He smiled wider as he set her back down again.
She smiled back, hugging Harry’s neck with one arm, and holding her goggles in place with her other hand. “Super,” she said, peering up at him. “We had shakes, and brownies, and waffles, and puzzles, and a pillow fort. Not in that order.”
Harry eyed the goggles, and grinned. “I daresay those are a new fashion statement.” Why did they look so familiar? He smiled though and led the way back to the car, smiling. “Come on. We have time to go home and get anything you need before you have to go to school.”
“Okay.” She’d already said her see-you-laters (it was always see-you-later, never goodbye) to Nate and family, so she hopped happily after her new-dad and into the vehicle, setting her backpacks on the floor so she could buckle up. “Did I miss anything important?”
“Nah. We just had a nice night in, and talked, and watched a movie. How was your sleepover?” He started the car and sent it arrowing back toward the Mallory residence. His mind toyed with someday moving in here with them, or all of them to a larger place. Someday.
Cora leaned forward, peering between the front seats. "It was awesome. Even if I did have weird dreams." She said it so casually, Elaine almost didn't think anything of it for a couple of heartbeats.
Harry glanced back at Cora. He hesitated, his foot on the gas, and slowed suddenly, then resumed normal driving. “Weird dreams, Cora? Like what?”
“Like I was getting into fights on my first day of high school,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “And I was Puerto Rican. And my dad’s name was Gilberto.” The story came out in random snatches, highlights that had stood out to an eight-year-old’s mind upon waking. “I almost died, but this guy named Miguel saved my life and gave me a secret spider tattoo on my arm.” She stuck her arm out for her mom to see, even though there were no visible markings.
Harry hmmmed. “Ah. And you still remember them vividly?” And it was then he noticed the new backpack. He licked his lips, then glanced at Elaine. “Where did you get the backpack, Cora?”
Elaine glanced over at Harry, wondering if she ought to open up the Sight to look at Cora’s arm, but she figured that could wait. Corazon was continuing her story.
“I still remember. The backpack is just like the one I had in the dream. It has her...my...Araña costume in it.”
Harry quirked an eyebrow upward. “Arana? Costume?” then he blinked. “As in a superhero costume?” He grinned as he drove, glad he was almost there.
“Yeah,” she said. “I mean, it just looks like normal clothes, and these sunglasses. I didn’t find the grappling hook thingies.”
“Maybe another time. Things tend to come through in small numbers. Tell you what. remember what you can and maybe, if your mom is willing, we can sit and talk about it, and you can tell us both more tonight at dinner?” He pulled up to their house and unbuckled, then turned to Cora and kissed her hair. “Nothing will change the fact that we love you and that you are our daughter.” His voice was fierce and gentle, both.
Cora unbuckled and slid forward, hugging Harry around the neck, and then Elaine’s.
“It’ll be okay, honey,” Elaine said, as much for Harry’s benefit as for Cora’s. “We’ll sort things out. Just know that you can tell us anything.”
Corazon smiled. “Thanks mom.” She smiled over at Harry. “Thanks, daddy.”
Harry blushed and smiled, then nodded. “Come on. I’ve got a snack ready for you before you have to go to school. “ He hugged her again and then stepped out of the car, and smiled as he looked at these two women who he was hopelessly hooked too, and happily. His love and his daughter. He was feeling bouncy, indeed.
Corazon tucked the goggles safely into the red backpack, and carried both bags out of the car. Arana’s bag she would put away for now, and re-pack her Carebears so that she’d be ready for school. Things might be upside down and backwards, but she knew that she was right where she belonged, and everything was going to be okay.
Harry followed slower, smiling. “She’s growing up. I was hoping she would be spared being a Dreamer.” But he nodded. “At least we can help her though.” He glanced at Elaine, holding one of her hands.
Elaine slipped her hand into his, lacing their fingers together and walking close beside him. “I know,” she said, “I hoped so, too.” But it didn’t change the way she felt about that sweet, stubborn little girl. “Maybe it’ll be easier, starting early, so she won’t get so much at once like we did.” One could always hope.
Harry smiled at her. “I hope so. And she has us, and Nate, and the Summerses as well. She won’t be alone for this.” He nodded, feeling hope well up in him. This could be good. He hoped. FIN.