I'm going to be a honest woman. Maybe...(Kat)

[Professor Carina Erikson]

Not needed at the school, Carina had spend most of the day at Timothy's shop, cleaning and filling mail orders. She loved him dearly, but he was still a messy guy sometimes. To be honest, she was mostly only killing time. Some of her friends didn't have the summers off, so she had to wait the long hours until Kat was off. The clock struck five and Carina grabbed her bag, locking up as fast as she could. She had a date after all. But the afternoon was so pretty. Strolling slowly, she enjoyed the sights and sounds, the sun on her face.

All too soon, she reached the lounge. Should have walked slower. Still a few minutes before Kat would be able to get there. Enough time to get drinks, she thought, making her way to the bar to order. A Bellini for each of them. She wasn't sure if Kat would drink it, but surely she could suck down one for a friend. Sighing happily, Carina settled in the booth. The last few years had been good to Carina, she had to admit. Teaching, helping the kids, trips with Timothy. Kinda digging the tan from said trips too. One might say she was happy as a clam, but that was such a stupid expression. How would someone know when a clam was happy. A lark maybe. Yes, happy as a lark. That was better.

She only hoped that Kat was excited as she was. Hoped she'd like the dress. Carina hoped so many things at the moment. The purple dress was something she had agonized over until she was sure she had made the right choice. There were a couple more that had to be ordered, but in her mind Kat's had to be first. The first to know, of their friends, of her engagement. Just had to get the right size. The simple ring worn on her left hand might break the news before she could, but that was all right too. Perhaps Kat could meet her with the kids one day. She had a dress for Scarlett and little suits for the boys as well as she was hoping for a flower girl and a pair of ring bearers. With a smile on her face, Carina sat back and pulled the pictures out of her bag, flipping through her choices one last time.

[Kat Samuels]

She was going to be late. Scarlett had chucked a fit that rivalled her own when she was her daughters age, wanting to come see Aunty Carina because she 'bought pretty dresses' but Kat had had to wave her daughter off this time. It had been forever since she had had a moment to see Carina on her own and as much as she loved her children, she was desperately looking forward to a moment where she could let her hair down with her oldest friend again, if only for one evening. So she had left a pouting Scarlett with Queety and apologised profusely, promising she'd take her daughter on a shopping trip later that week when Frankie was free, because Frankie was 'cool', whatever that meant in this day and age anyway.

So she was late. She slipped inside the Red Star Lounge a little out of breath fifteen minutes later than when she had planned to meet Carina with a slightly irritated expression on her face. It disappeared quickly however as she scanned the room and saw Carina sitting in one of the far booths. Crossing the room quickly, she stopped by Carina, gibing her a one armed hug and a kiss on the cheek before settling in the booth across from her. "I am so so sorry I'm late, Scarlett wanted to come with me, and I think she could give 5yr old me a run for my money when it comes to tantrums. That girl will do anything to get what she wants I tell you." She chuckled then, relaxing back into the booth and picking up the drink Carina has so thoughtfully ordered for her. "God I need this right now. And you. How are you 'Rina?" And with that Kat let the days stress of working and mothering, girlfriending and ex-wifing disappear as time slipped away, as it always did with Carina. The pair were notoriously bad at catching up, which she wouldn't hesitate to take complete blame for, but when they did it was as though the distance between them were never there, and she was so thankful for her ever-presence in Kat's life. Some things you just don't outgrow.

[Professor Carina Erikson]

Returning the hug and kiss, Carina shaking her her head. "No, you're fine. I just got here myself. Now who was it that said she hoped you had kids just like you? Ah, yes, that was me. Your welcome." she said, a cheeky grin replacing the happy smile. "That girl's going to be a Slytherin, mark my words. I bought her a dress, she hasn't seen it yet, nor does she know what it's for, but that hasn't stopped her from trying to con me into giving it to her now." Here she paused, just looking at her pretty blonde friend. She had known Kat would ask how she was and had a whole little speech in her head about how she had her job, Timothy, her friends, the family she always wanted. What came out instead, though, was a bit less elegant. "I'm bloody fantastic, dear. If I was ever happier than I am right now, I wouldn't be able to handle it." Again, Carina paused, tilting her head to the side. "Speaking of happy, when am I going to meet this Frankie person I've been hearing rumors about."

"Um so anyways, I bought Joshie and Spaiden suits as well." The nervousness set in again, twisting her ring round and round her finger under the table, breathing in and out, in and out, she calmed herself. She slid two of the pictures she was holding over to Kat. "That's the dress I bought Scarlett and the suit I bought for Josh and Spaiden." Pushing a breath out, Carina slid the third and last picture over. "And, um, that's the dress I'm hoping to buy you. I'd like for you to wear it in a few months and be my maid of honor."

There, it was all out now and Carina felt considerably better about the whole thing. Well, she thought she was better. Her mouth opened and more words came tumbling out before she could stop them. "I've just been picking out stuff I liked so...I mean, if you don't like it, we can find something else. Or someone else if you don't want to do it...But you just have to, Kat, I can't do it without you and it just wouldn't be right if you weren't there." Well, she had a feeling she had certainly embarrassed  herself. Rolling her eyes at her run on mouth, Carina sipped at her drink waiting for Kat to say something.





 

[Kat Samuels]

"Oh shush you", she teased with a smile at Carina's I told you so. "We all know when you have kids they'll be a hundred times worse, especially with my coaching!" It was an empty threat, she would never actually coax Carina's hypothetical children into being terrors. Chastising them however? That was a completely different story. She couldn't help but agree though at Carina's mention of Slytherin, that daughter of hers was definitely headed that way, not that there was anything wrong with that. It was in the Samuels blood after all, just not the Buckett, but Josh would have that covered more than well enough to keep Straw happen. It was her strangely beautiful Spaiden she couldn't quite get a handle on. Which probably means he would take after his godmother Queety and be a Mihael. Funny that they all seemed to take after their godmothers best.

Her thoughts running wild, she didn't even process the information about Scarlett's dress, however her smile split wide at the mention of how well Carina was doing. There were very few things Kat wished for in this world, but her friends endless happiness was one of those things, and to hear Carina speak so openly of it made her heart swell. She almost choked on her drink at the mention of Frankie however, rumours did spread quickly around town, she should know that better than anyone. "Oh I am so so glad you're happy darling, and of course you will meet Frankie soon. You know me, I'm a selfish creature, I've been keeping her all to myself so you can't all tell her embarrassing stories and make her come to her senses. Other than the children she may be the best thing to ever happen to me..." She was gushing, in a way she was not used to after months of secrecy and it felt slightly odd on her tongue. She wasn't entirely certain she was altogether ready for this bubble to break.

As Carina mentioned suits however, her attention sharpened and her eyes narrowed curiously as she studied her friend. Carina was nervous in a way she had not seen before, and she had seen Carina in practically every way. Her questions were answered quickly however as pictured were passed over and the full meaning behind Carina's words finally penetrated Kat's dense skull. She was silent for a moment as she looked over each picture, her eyes slowly filling with water as she did so. Carina kept rambling while Kat sat there all overwhelmed and silly before she finally tore her eyes away from the pictures and looked up at her friend with a crap-eating grin on her face. "For Merlin's sake Carina, I wouldn't give this honour up for the world. I... You're getting married! Oh my gosh! MARRIED?" She was in a small amount of shock as she leapt across the table, practically knocking over her drink as she did so and wrapped her arms around her friend. "That dress is amazing as well, when did you get such good taste?" Squeezing her friend tight enough to make a spectacle of herself in the busy bar Kat finally relaxed her arms and climbed back to her side of the table attempting to look as dignified as one could after such an outburst."Married...." she said again, as if to clarify the situation. Her day, no, year was made with this news.

[Professor Carina Erikson]

“Haha, keep talking like that and you won’t see them till their seventeen.” Like Kat’s, it was an empty threat. Truth be told, Kat would probably be the first person, save the parents, to see any kids she had. If she had any. She and Tim hadn’t really talked about that yet and she wasn’t so sure. Carina had never really seen herself as mother material. Personally, she didn’t think she’d be any good at it. The only children she truly enjoyed and cared for were the triplets. “Besides, I’m not entirely sure there will even be children for you to corrupt. I’m not really the mother type, you know. The only example I really had was Derek, and well, just no.” She laughed a little, sipping her drink. “I have your kids to enjoy, though, I’m not sure anyone is pleased with my unlimited sugarquill supply.”

Her? Had Carina heard a rumor about that? No, she didn’t think so. She had never thought of Kat going that way, but as Carina thought about it, it didn’t matter. Actually, she was the last person that could say anything. Carina was just a bit more discrete about such matters in school, besides, she rarely thought about things like that anymore. She could see how happy Kat was and smiled brightly at her. “Well, right back at you. You look very happy yourself.” Her smile took on a cheeky look. “I swear I won’t tell any embarrassing stories…I’ll just break out the photo albums and let her see for herself.

Carina bit her lip nervously at the silence. Silence was never a good thing. Then she saw tears in Kat’s eyes. Oh God. “No no no. Don’t cry, you don’t have to. I can change…” Here, she was interrupted by Kat’s grin. “I don’t know. I just saw it and thought it would look good on you.” Worry was quickly replaced by relief and shock. Hm, she hadn’t realized her friend could move so fast. Crushed in a hug, Carina hugged back, laughing and crying all at the same time. Going back across the table, Kat made it back to her side of the booth and Carina just laughed harder and cried more. “Yes, married. To Timothy, in case you wondered.” Thank God for friends. She had needed this, the laughter to push the scared away.

[Kat Samuels]

"As if!" she teased, "they will know I'm the cool auntie and hang with me all the time". As she could see the thoughts ticking through Carina's mind and when she finally spoke, Kat couldn't help but scowl slightly. Between the two of them they could write the book on bad parents, but that didn't mean they wouldn't be good parents themselves. Kat may not have the greatest track record herself, but she'd set her kids up with the best support system possible and that was the best she could offer at this time and place. She wasn't going to argue with Carina on this one though. Her friend had her hands full helping to raise a school full of witches and wizards, and putting Kat's kids into sugar comas. "The kids sure are pleased. You're Josh' favourite auntie now, good work!."

Kat groaned at the mention of photo albums. "Oh don't you dare. I have more than enough evidence on you to scare Timothy away entirely. You're only allowed to show Frankie the flattering pictures. None of my fat day photos or you're dead to me!". Empty threat after empty threat but thats what friendship was for.

"To Timothy? Oh right I think I've heard you mention him once or twice..." She was teasing again as she took another sip of her drink. "Well I'm glad its him and not some other secret boyfriend. I don't think the world could handle two secret relationship reveals in one go. They're just not ready for that". She was smiling now, unable to wipe the grin from her face. "So have you set a date yet? Have you picked your own dress? Oh my god there is so much to organise!"