Matt simply listened, not offering commentary as Kate felt her way through her thoughts on the subject. "She didn't go into a lot of detail on how she thought she might help, because I told her right off the bat that it was up to you whether it would even be possible," he shared honestly. "I know that she wasn't planning on donning a costume and going out to do fisticuffs, so it would be financial. The finer points of what that means..." he gave a small shrug. "I said the one thing we could agree on is how much you matter, and that for me, that meant this being your choice. That quieted her because I wasn't willing to go further without your input at the table. So you can hear her out, or not. You can see her, or never answer the phone again. It's up to you."
He gave her hand a squeeze. There wasn't any right or wrong now in his book. Kate didn't owe her mother a relationship. If what she needed was time and space, he'd support that. If she wanted to hear her out, he'd support that, too. Hell, his own relationship with his mother wasn't one where he called her Mom, and that was after years of being reacquainted. Families were individual roadmaps and he just cared that Kate got what she needed and wasn't hurt in the process.
"Extra sleep? Lame," he teased her. "I guess this is the wrong time to say that I start talking before I've even had coffee. I don't know if that makes me a morning person but it does make me someone who doesn't understand the value of brain fog and staring in the distance for half an hour." He couldn't stare, anyway.
Quiet, Kate tried to picture both Matt and her mother in Claire's kitchen. The one place that had worked as some sort of an oasis in a very scary morning. Matt had pulled Kate aside, giving her a hug as they both finally seemed to be able to take a breath from everything that they went through. Not so unlike this last night.
Matt was like a lifeline sometimes. He was proof of the real value of having a good partner. They could get through anything together, she firmly believe in that now.
"... You think she was trying to manipulate you?" It was hard to know. Maybe Eleanor wanted Matt to be on her good side. Buy him. Because that was how Eleanor Bishop solved things: with money. Get others to do the dirty work. Kill a man or buy the one that might sweeten the deal to her daughter. "You know. Convince you with giving you enough money to solve our worries or whatever. Getting you on her side."
That's what this turned into? Sides? Teams? Kate realized, she still didn't trust her mom. As happy as she'd been when she got to see her again,
The noddles were clearly boiling now and judging the smell filling the kitchen now, they were getting overcooked. "Shit!" Startled, Kate remembered them and disentangled herself from Matt, going to check on them.
"I think she genuinely wanted to thank me for being there for you. And to find out about the people who were spending so much time with her daughter. Beyond that... I don't know, Kate. I don't know her well enough to know if there were ulterior motives. It's possible that she does just want to help, because you matter to her. What that might look like again is up to you. If she does end up lying in front of me I'll know. She wasn't lying that day." If anything, Eleanor had been very up front about where her priorities laid. She was there for Kate.
His brow furrowed until he heard her at the stove. He knew better than to move towards a hot stove that he wasn't overly familiar with, so he stayed by the counter. "Are the noodles okay? Did we ruin them? How are the pizza rolls doing?"
Hearing the magic word, remembering how much love Matt had showered him with the last time he did this trick, Lucky barked at the word pizza. Matt had to chuckle and reached out a hand. Lucky came over with his toy to receive pets as Matt did reassure him, "Yes, you're a very clever boy. The rolls aren't good for dogs, though. We'll have to leave it up to your mom if you get one or a more proper dog treat."
It was a shadow that had taken over her heart, that bitterness that sometimes replaced the pain and bled even more profusely. That is the thing about trust when you're deeply wounded. Kate's love for her mother screamed for second chances, but in her mind Kate couldn't help but question every word, every action, from the small to the big gestures.
She looked up at Matt, the worried creases on her face vanishing as he mentioned he didn't sense her mother had been lying. It took a moment of processing his words, how he believed Eleanor truly wanted nothing but to do things right by her daughter. Could her mom actually help somehow? What if she ends up locked up and in danger again? "... Sorry you got caught up in the middle of this." A messenger of sorts.
In a hurry to pour the noddles into bolws, Kate almost forgot about the pizza rolls. "Shit,"she hissed, splashing a little broth around before she rushed to check the rolls and get them out of the oven. "Huh... They're kind of on the crispy side." She confessed with clear disappointment.
Great. She wanted to give Matt a fun junk-food meal. Instead, she was giving him overcooked noodles and toasted pizza rolls.
At least Lucky seemed excited. "Sorry, bud. You heard the vet. Dog treats for you." Sighing as she was definitely disappointed with herself, Kate found the bag of treats and came to Matt, taking his hand and handing them to him. She reached in a cabinet and took out some dishes, ready to plate the rolls.
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streetlevel) wrote2024-12-23 08:39 pm
no subject
He gave her hand a squeeze. There wasn't any right or wrong now in his book. Kate didn't owe her mother a relationship. If what she needed was time and space, he'd support that. If she wanted to hear her out, he'd support that, too. Hell, his own relationship with his mother wasn't one where he called her Mom, and that was after years of being reacquainted. Families were individual roadmaps and he just cared that Kate got what she needed and wasn't hurt in the process.
"Extra sleep? Lame," he teased her. "I guess this is the wrong time to say that I start talking before I've even had coffee. I don't know if that makes me a morning person but it does make me someone who doesn't understand the value of brain fog and staring in the distance for half an hour." He couldn't stare, anyway.
no subject
Matt was like a lifeline sometimes. He was proof of the real value of having a good partner. They could get through anything together, she firmly believe in that now.
"... You think she was trying to manipulate you?" It was hard to know. Maybe Eleanor wanted Matt to be on her good side. Buy him. Because that was how Eleanor Bishop solved things: with money. Get others to do the dirty work. Kill a man or buy the one that might sweeten the deal to her daughter. "You know. Convince you with giving you enough money to solve our worries or whatever. Getting you on her side."
That's what this turned into? Sides? Teams? Kate realized, she still didn't trust her mom. As happy as she'd been when she got to see her again,
The noddles were clearly boiling now and judging the smell filling the kitchen now, they were getting overcooked. "Shit!" Startled, Kate remembered them and disentangled herself from Matt, going to check on them.
no subject
His brow furrowed until he heard her at the stove. He knew better than to move towards a hot stove that he wasn't overly familiar with, so he stayed by the counter. "Are the noodles okay? Did we ruin them? How are the pizza rolls doing?"
Hearing the magic word, remembering how much love Matt had showered him with the last time he did this trick, Lucky barked at the word pizza. Matt had to chuckle and reached out a hand. Lucky came over with his toy to receive pets as Matt did reassure him, "Yes, you're a very clever boy. The rolls aren't good for dogs, though. We'll have to leave it up to your mom if you get one or a more proper dog treat."
no subject
She looked up at Matt, the worried creases on her face vanishing as he mentioned he didn't sense her mother had been lying. It took a moment of processing his words, how he believed Eleanor truly wanted nothing but to do things right by her daughter. Could her mom actually help somehow? What if she ends up locked up and in danger again? "... Sorry you got caught up in the middle of this." A messenger of sorts.
In a hurry to pour the noddles into bolws, Kate almost forgot about the pizza rolls. "Shit,"she hissed, splashing a little broth around before she rushed to check the rolls and get them out of the oven. "Huh... They're kind of on the crispy side." She confessed with clear disappointment.
Great. She wanted to give Matt a fun junk-food meal. Instead, she was giving him overcooked noodles and toasted pizza rolls.
At least Lucky seemed excited. "Sorry, bud. You heard the vet. Dog treats for you." Sighing as she was definitely disappointed with herself, Kate found the bag of treats and came to Matt, taking his hand and handing them to him. She reached in a cabinet and took out some dishes, ready to plate the rolls.