A Midnight Rain Cassmas (Patreon)

Exactly as the title says!

Still to come in the next couple of days, the poll winning (naughty) WYLEI Cassmas :)

When it comes to this story... who doesn't love a slightly family-emotionally fraught holiday afternoon?

Also - merry Christmas Eve to all who celebrate!

------------- Cassmas-----------

Charlotte had an atypical holiday-festive pep in her step today.

First, because it was only a few days until Christmas.

Second, because it was her first Christmas fully at the Foundation, and she really felt like she had everything figured out.

Though she’d taken more of a role here over the last few years, once she’d settled into the idea that this would be her next step post-politics, she hadn’t taken over. And even though Charlotte loved to believe herself capable of just about anything, the stark reality was that working in politics had been her entire life; she didn’t have occupational experience anywhere else.

So, she’d done something different than her usual, and she’d taken a slower approach after officially leaving office last January. She’d taken several weeks working side by side with Lily, reviewing all of her grandmother’s notes and files.

And that was after she’d fully taken two weeks off from doing anything, and had simply indulged being with Sutton, until Georgetown’s winter break ended.

She wanted to do good here. And not just in terms of charity, but also for her employees. The reality was that she had more than enough money, herself; doing this job wasn’t about her financial future. But what she could do was give all of employees of the Foundation an additional paid week off at the end of December. For the handful of people like herself – work obsessed – who wanted to finish everything by the end of the year, they were being paid double-time.

She was one of the only people in the building today, and it was only because she felt so listless at her empty home. Sutton had administered all of her finals last week and finished everything at her day job, but had left last night, taking the train to Manhattan, for a working brunch with her publisher.

Which led her to the third reason she had that extra bounce in her step –

Because Sutton would soon be getting back on the train to return to D.C., so they would be together tonight.

Tonight, which would jumpstart their celebration of the holidays. Before Sutton, and Lucy, that really didn’t mean anything to her. The holidays were… days. Days that she usually felt restless during, frankly.

But now, five years into their relationship, everything was different. Different in ways she’d never imagined for herself.

When her phone vibrated on her desk, she glanced down, another jolt of excitement thrumming through her veins.

She’d received the news from Sutton that her meeting had gone “very well” regarding her upcoming book tour – for the following summer, when classes were done.

And the thing she’d unexpectedly learned about Sutton in the last couple of years, since Sutton had dipped her toes into publishing her romance novels, was that her wife was very… excited after a successful meeting.

Horny. She was very horny after.

Charlotte could have had no way to know that, of course, but she fucking loved it. And it had produced some sort of insane pavlovian response in her: when Sutton had publishing meetings, Charlotte was on-edge all day.

Because she knew that when they saw one another, Sutton was going to be all over her.

Sutton – 11:29A.M.

When she opened the message and saw the photo Sutton had sent, her throat ran dry, heat lacing through her veins.

It was nothing truly indecent; given Charlotte’s visibility in the public eye, they were both always very cautious around sending risqué photos.

This one, though, was absolutely perfect for Charlotte, tailored specifically for her.

The only part of Sutton’s face that was visible was her mouth, her perfect lips plump and slightly open, damp either from a light sheen of gloss or recently having been licked, and either way, they had Charlotte’s attention.

She ran her eyes down Sutton’s neck and her chest. The button-up shirt she was wearing was open as far as Charlotte could see, putting her breasts on display, showcased in one of Sutton’s understatedly sexy black bras. Truly, not inappropriate in terms of nudity.

But it worked very well for Charlotte.

Obviously, she fucking loved Sutton with nothing on. But she also loved this. The hinting, the suggestion.

And –

Charlotte – 11:30A.M.Is that my shirt?

Charlotte had so many shirts in this style for work, so she definitely hadn’t noticed one was missing when she’d gotten dressed this morning.

Sutton, too, had her own selection.

But she recognized the mossy green shade, one that she liked to wear when she was working to bring out certain hues in her eyes. She also recognized that while she and Sutton could wear one another’s clothing, Charlotte had all of her shirts tailored to her body. And thus, her chest was larger than Sutton’s. The way the fabric opened over Sutton’s chest with the buttons that were undone was…

She imagined when Sutton had it styled up for brunch, she looked very in, a designer shirt that was fitted and well-paired with understated jewelry, but slightly oversized.

Open as it was, Charlotte just imagined grabbing it and yanking Sutton to her.

There really was something so… exhilarating about Sutton wearing her clothing. Something so fucking sexy. And that feeling didn’t fade, even as their relationship aged.

It was like Sutton was claiming her, or… she was claiming Sutton? In a silent, understated way that Charlotte hadn’t been able to do for most of her life.

Not that she’d wanted to, with anyone else, but still.

Sutton – 11:30A.M.It is. I thought you’d want to know that even though I didn’t get to see you this morning, you were still with me

And there was the sweetness that Sutton brought to everything she did.

Sutton – 11:31A.M.I also thought you’d like to know how much I’ve thought about you today, getting ready for my meetings…

Desire slid right through Charlotte, and she glanced up to the glass outside of her doors, just to double-check that no one remotely near her office was in for the day. As she’d already known, they weren’t.

Charlotte – 11:31A.M.Oh? Thought about me in what way, darling?

As she waited for the answer, she clenched her thighs together. Thinking about how Sutton often enjoyed riling her up before her meetings, in preparation for the “after.”

God, she wished she could have been with her today.

Sutton – 11:32A.M.In all of my favorite ways to have you. Imagining waking up in the morning and reaching over, running my hands over your body while we’re both still relaxed and waking up. Imagining how easy it would be to make you so wet for me…

Yes, it was easy indeed. She could already feel it starting, building.

This was precisely the post-meeting confident-Sutton that had Charlotte aching.

She didn’t think too much of it when Sutton didn’t text again for a few minutes, even though she was on the edge of her seat. She knew they wouldn’t be able to actually do anything, because Sutton had to leave the hotel momentarily to catch her train back to Charlotte, so she could be home in the early evening.

But that didn’t dampen her enjoyment of the build up.

And when Sutton called her, she picked up before the first ring was over.

“You certainly know how to build tension for a woman,” she murmured.

“I’m so sorry,” Sutton’s earnest apology cut into the heat that had started to simmer inside of her.

She frowned. “It’s okay? I know you’re busy right now, and when given the choice between sexting or making sure that you get on the train in time to come home to me as soon as possible, I’ll choose the train.”

Sutton sighed, and she could hear simply from that sound that the apology wasn’t about the time since her previous message. “No, that’s… something happened with Lucy.”

Charlotte sat straight up, immediately on high-alert. “What is it? Is everything okay?”

“Yes – or, I think so? Kind of?” Sutton sighed again, this time half-groaning. “As soon as I messaged you, I got a text from Principal O’Neil. Apparently there was some kind of… sabotage? At one of the booths at the winter carnival at her school today.”

Given that today was the last day of school before the holiday break, Lucy’s school was having an all-day winter “carnival” spread across their auditorium, gymnasium, and little events in different classrooms. While parent volunteers and local businesses had sponsored several of the bigger activities that required more money and construction, the students had also come together in small groups and built small games. Lucy had been working on hers for the last two months.

Already on the defensive, Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “Who sabotaged her project?”

Sutton was quiet for a beat, before she said, “No one. She sabotaged someone else’s.”

Surprised filtered through Charlotte. “Oh.” It was all she could manage, needing to re-configure the gears turning in her mind. “Who’s? Why?”

“I don’t know. Anything, really,” Sutton admitted, blowing out a deep breath. “But she needs to be picked up from school now, and isn’t allowed to continue attending the carnival.”

“Ah.”

“And Layla, apparently, didn’t answer Principal O’Neil’s call–”

“Shocker,” Charlotte couldn’t contain her dour reply.

“Mhmm,” Sutton hummed. “I am so sorry,” she repeated from the start of the call. “To ask you this. But can you go and pick her up?”

“Darling, don’t apologize for that,” she gently reprimanded. “We’re in this this together. And, frankly, if you apologize again, I’ll be a little offended.”

And she wasn’t joking.

She and Sutton were married. She’d been in Lucy’s life for years. She didn’t want to hear a single “sorry” from Sutton when it came to handling something with Lucy, when she’d chosen to take her on as her step-daughter. And Charlotte didn’t take any of her responsibilities lightly.

“I know. And I love you, so much. I just also know she’s been… difficult, lately. And today seems to be shaping up to be unideal,” the exasperation and concern was apparent in her voice.

Charlotte was already standing up and grabbing her jacket. “I can manage difficult. I’m on my way, and I love you, too.”

***

Charlotte closed the door behind her as she exited Principal O’Neil’s office, keeping a measured expression on her face as she looked down at Lucy, who was sitting in one of the chairs against the wall, her head bowed down, a deep frown on her face.

Charlotte liked and respected the middle school principal. She was very intelligent, personable, and respectable, she held multiple PhD’s in child psychology and development, before she’d moved into the education field.

She also prided herself on being someone who could deal with the facts, and didn’t ever want to jump to be on one side of any contention.

… she’d found that was difficult when it came to Sutton and Lucy. People that she wanted, deeply and emotionally, to defend and be on their side, no matter what.

So, it hadn’t been easy for her to listen about how Lucy was being ejected from the school for the day and would have this as a letter in her file, possibly acting as a deterrent should they go the route of private high schools.

“Would you like to give me your side of the story?” She asked, keeping her tone light and open. Inviting.

Charlotte knew how to schmooze, even if it was to an eleven – almost twelve – year old.

Lucy glanced up at her, and – ah, there was no mistaking the stormy upset in her eyes. Something Charlotte was becoming increasingly familiar with in the last few months.

“Not really,” Lucy muttered, before looking back down at her lap.

She had her backpack situated there, her arms around it, hugging it, as she buried her chin at the top of the bag.

Charlotte took in a long, deep breath, before she sat in the chair next to Lucy’s. Even though it was difficult, she didn’t say anything else.

She’d learned that silence was a very effective way to get people to talk to her.

She’d also found that when Lucy was in a mood, it was the best way to get her to come around… ish.

After a minute, Lucy finally broke.

“I didn’t know you were going to come,” she grumbled, sounding like she wasn’t sure if she was more pissed off or hurt by Charlotte’s presence.

She accepted the comment with a small, short nod. “Yes, well, your mom is in New York, as you know. So, here I am.”

She gestured at herself, arching an eyebrow at Lucy. She knew Lucy obviously had known this, given that Charlotte had been the one to drive Lucy to school this morning. It was why she hadn’t been able to go to Manhattan with Sutton.

It was also why Sutton had only left with just enough time to go to this brunch, and not spend any other time in the city. Because Charlotte being the only one at home with Lucy for a long time might not be the best idea.

Example: as soon as Sutton had left last night – despite the fact that it was a school night and well after dinnertime – Lucy had moodily asked Charlotte to take her to stay the night with Regan and Emma.

She hadn’t outright stated that it was because she didn’t want to be at home with Charlotte, but the pre-teen wasn’t very subtle, and Charlotte was very astute.

And, yes, letting Lucy be with Regan and Emma and avoiding spending one-on-one time with her would, actually, be easier for Charlotte in a technical sense.

But… she loved Lucy. In a way she’d never known she’d be able to love a child, like she was her own.

Even though it hurt to be singled out as the target of Lucy’s attitude, Charlotte didn’t back down from things that were important to her. Charlotte had grown up with the most emotionally withholding parents she could imagine, she’d been molded by Elizabeth Thompson, she’d been in politics for over a decade – she was well-versed in understanding a battle of wills.

Lucy didn’t yet understand that even though she did hurt Charlotte, she wasn’t going to back down.

Lucy set her jaw, her eyebrows furrowing, but didn’t say anything else, preferring to simply stare straight ahead in silence.

Charlotte allowed it for another minute, before she suggested, “Shall we head home?”

“What if I said no?” Lucy asked, tilting her head to look at her out of the corner of her eyes.

She shrugged, readjusting her own bag over her lap as she leaned back in the chair. “I’m certainly not going to drag you out. We can wait as long as you’d like.”

Again, if it was a battle of wills – Charlotte would not be losing.

She saw the way Lucy grinded her jaw back and forth, before she sighed. “Fine, we can go. But can you just bring me to Aunt Regan and Emma’s? And my mom can just pick me up when she comes home later?”

“Not going to happen. But, thank you for letting me know you’re ready to leave.” With that, Charlotte stood up, sliding the strap of her purse over her shoulder. She offered a hand down to Lucy. “Would you like me to take your backpack?”

Lucy’s blue eyes glittered up at her. “No,” she huffed out, standing up and walking past Charlotte. “I’m not a little kid.”

“Oookay,” Charlotte whispered under her breath, rolling her shoulders back like she was preparing for a difficult meeting, as she followed Lucy out the door.

***

The ride home was dead silent, as Charlotte suspected it would be.

It wasn’t until they walked through the door that Lucy paused and looked up at her, an unexpected break in her open hostility in her eyes. “Do you think – will I still be able to go to Liz’s party tonight?”

It was difficult, really. Because she knew that if she said yes, Lucy would be happy, and they would be able to have a positive afternoon together. And Charlotte deeply – nearly desperately – wanted that.

Though they’d done all of the typical holiday traditions throughout the month – set up the tree, put up the decorations, watch holiday movies, gone on a drive to see beautiful light displays – it had been fraught.

Charlotte had learned to love these activities, and she’d loved to do them not only with Sutton, but Lucy. And, in the past, Lucy had loved to do them with her, too.

This year… had been different.

Lucy hadn’t been moody or out-right angry toward Sutton at all. In fact, when Sutton swooped into the conversation, Lucy’s demeanor softened immediately. And she wasn’t upset with Charlotte all of the time. But it was enough to put a strain between them.

Lucy’s best friend of the last two years, Liz, had a holiday party every year on the last day of school. It was going to be a big slumber party, all of the girls were going to be in holiday-themed pajamas, they’d be doing festive activities throughout the evening.

Sutton had finagled Lucy’s schedule to allow her to be able to attend the slumber party, even though Lucy was also leaving tomorrow with Layla to go to Disneyworld for the next week, spending Christmas there. Layla had been against the party, given that they were leaving to go to the airport at seven in the morning, and Sutton – knowing how much it meant to Lucy to be there with her friends – had arranged to pick Lucy up at six a.m. and bring her to Layla’s.

So it was extremely difficult for Charlotte to look her in the eye, and gently, but firmly, say, “Do you think it makes sense for you to go to the party when you were caught messing up one of your classmates’ booths at the carnival? When you got kicked out of school today?”

Instantly, she could see the emotion flash over Lucy’s face. The indignation, the fury. “That – it has nothing to do with Liz’s party! And I didn’t even get kicked out of school, I got kicked out of a freaking carnival! That’s not fair!”

“I, actually, think it’s very fair. Unfortunately, actions have consequences. I don’t enjoy this any more than you do, Lucy.”

She really, truly, didn’t.

“Yeah, right,” Lucy scoffed, folding her arms tightly over her chest. “You aren’t even my mom – you can’t tell me I can’t go!”

She nodded. “All right. Do you think your mom is going to let you go to Liz’s tonight?”

Because they both knew she was doing exactly what Sutton would do.

And because they both knew that, Lucy didn’t say anything back to her. Instead, she looked like she wanted to breathe fire and burn Charlotte alive, before she turned on her heel and stomped down the hallway, going up the stairs, and to her room. The door slammed as if on a timer.

Charlotte released a low, calming breath.

Only a few hours until Sutton returned home, at the very least.

***

An hour later, she was doing quite a serviceable job cutting out shapes in the sugar cookie dough that Sutton and Lucy had made yesterday before Sutton had left.

The plan had been to decorate cookies today before Lucy went to Liz’s party, so she could bring the cookies with her. She figured she’d still get the cookies baked; no sense in wasting the dough.

She’d gone to Lucy’s room to offer the olive branch fifteen minutes ago.

Lucy had firmly told her she had no interest in decorating cookies with her.

So, ouch, but Charlotte would continue on as planned. It was all she could do, really.

She heard Lucy’s soft footsteps on the stairs, her ears pricking up, as she placed the cookies on the baking sheet, ready to pull the first batch out of the oven. And she knew Lucy was in the doorway watching her, even without looking up at her.

She went about her business, waiting…

“Charlotte?” Lucy asked, tentatively. Her voice quiet and soft in a way it hadn’t been yet today.

She placed the baking sheet on top of the stove, looking over at Lucy. “Lucy?”

Lucy’s hands were entangled in front of her, as she stepped into the kitchen, her movements hesitant. “I… I did break all of the rings for Kelsi’s ring toss game.”

Charlotte quirked the side of her lips into a small, accepting smile. “I know. There are many things you can pretend you didn’t do, but being caught red-handed is difficult to deny.”

And Ludy had been caught in the act of snapping the delicately hand-crafted wooden rings, that had obviously been painstakingly made with the help of someone’s parent.

Lucy nodded, casting her gaze down. “But I only did it because Kelsi posted a video last night, where she made a list of kids in our grade, and ranked them as the top ten “undesirables.” And she listed all of the reasons they were weird, and it was really, really mean. She deserved it!”

And things started to become a little clearer. Because though Lucy had copped an attitude toward Charlotte – and Layla and Arianne – she hadn’t acted out at school in any way. So, there had to have been some reason.

“I really appreciate you telling me that. And you’re right in that what Kelsi did wasn’t right. Were you on the list?”

“No.” Lucy sniffed. “But, like, I don’t have to be on the list to think what she did was totally bitchy.”

“Language, please.” Not that Charlotte disagreed, but Sutton felt strongly about Lucy swearing.

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Totally rude.”

“Luce, I don’t disagree with you. Like I said, it wasn’t okay for her to do that. But… did you tell anyone about it? Did you think that, maybe, you should talk to anyone else instead of jumping right to vigilante justice?”

“Who should I tell? Kelsi gets away with everything, all of the time.”

Charlotte slowly arched an eyebrow at her, pointing at herself. “Uh, me? For one?”

Lucy’s dubious expression was, objectively, hilarious. “What could you do?”

Charlotte placed a hand over her chest, only needing to half-feign insult. “I realize I’m out of the political game, but I can hold a great court in the room with teachers and principals.”

Lucy rolled her eyes, but there was a slight smile on her lips, even as she shrugged. “So… can I go to Liz’s party?”

Charlotte winced, inwardly and outwardly. “I understand why you chose to do that. And you should stick up for people. But… it doesn’t make what you did okay. For starters, Kelsi wasn’t the only person that spent two months making that game.”

Lucy’s jaw had set once more, her shoulders drawing up tight. “Whatever,” she muttered, spinning on her heel and exiting the kitchen.

One step forward, two steps back: the parenting story.

Fortunately for Charlotte, it was also the politics story.

Unfortunately for her, when her job didn’t go her way – well, she wasn’t happy, but it also didn’t play into her feelings. She’d never wanted the approval of an eleven-almost-twelve-year-old so badly, even when she’d been that age.

Granted, she’d cared so much more about what she was doing when she was younger, she didn’t give much credence to other people. Which, in turn, had given had an admittedly “popular” air.

But, as she’d really learned over the last several months, she couldn’t try to chase Lucy in times like this. She had to let Lucy come to her. They’d not only discussed this with a family therapist, but learned it the hard way. Because the first few times Lucy had given Charlotte such an attitude, she’d been shocked, and had believed she could easily smooth it over.

As it, was, she drew in a long, deep breath through her nose… held it… and slowly released through her mouth. And continued on with baking.

Which, she had to give herself credit for – she was doing a killer job. Granted, she was sure that if it was up to her to have made and refrigerated the dough, they likely wouldn’t be coming out so well. But rolling it out? Perfection. She couldn’t wait to show her success to Sutton.

If she thought about it too much, it made her feel like some sort of… pet, wanting to parade their achievements to an owner.

And if she thought about that too much, the reality was she did feel owned, body and soul, by Sutton. So, it made sense.

The next time Lucy walked into the kitchen, another forty minutes later, she didn’t pause in the doorway. Rather, she plunked herself heavily down at the table, propping her chin up on her hand, as she stared at the cookies Charlotte had arranged on racks to cool.

“Charlotte?” Lucy asked, quietly.

Every time Lucy approached her with that quiet, earnest tone these days it was like a balm.

Remaining cool about it, she took the final batch of cookies out of the over, and turned to look at her, echoing, “Lucy?”

Lucy didn’t look back at her. Instead, she reached out and started kneading the bags of colored frostings. Charlotte might be a newfound wunderkind at baking, but she was not even attempting her own frostings.

“Do you remember the first Christmas I knew you? And… you told me about your family? How your parents didn’t really spend Christmas with you?”

Oh. Charlotte certainly hadn’t seen this coming.

She walked over to the chair next to Lucy’s, sensing this was a sit-down kind of conversation. Hoping it was, even.

“Yes, I recall.” Not only because it was, well, her life. But also because that first Christmas Eve/Christmas that she’d spent reunited with Sutton would be burned into her mind forever.

“How did that,” Lucy cut herself off, frowning down at the frosting, though her hands had stilled. “How did you stop… being…”

“Hurt by them?” Charlotte gently supplied.

Lucy finally blinked up at her, finally, and, ugh, the look in those bright blue eyes dug right into Charlotte’s chest. “I guess.” Lucy bit at her bottom lip, looking away from Charlotte again, as she pouted down at the cookies. “Did you ever, like, break rings at a ring toss game?”

She thought back, working through the details of her own childhood. “No,” she answered, dragging the word out slowly, consideringly. “Because my parents were hardly ever around, and I knew the way everything would play out, even before I could act out.”

This was all an assumption, really, because Charlotte couldn’t quite recall her thought process from back then. But she knew that even before she’d been a teenager, her parents wouldn’t have concerned themselves with her day to day behavior in school.

“Which was what?”

“That my being angry and lashing out at someone, especially someone who wasn’t them, wouldn’t change anything. Because… they wouldn’t care. Other than being mad at me for doing something out of turn,” she responded, honestly. Making sure to keep it about her, because she could very clearly sense where this was going.

Lucy nodded, going quiet for a few long moments. She reached out and started organizing the cooled cookies by shape, before she finally admitted, “I just – I thought that, since my mom was busy, that my other mom would come and pick me up today.”

“I see,” Charlotte murmured, as if she hadn’t put that together.

But knowing that what she’d been doing was transparent to Charlotte – to someone who knew her – was far from what Lucy needed.

“And it doesn’t even make sense, you know?” The heated derision was right back in Lucy’s tone, the tension visibly working through her. “Because, like, I don’t even really want to spend time with her. With her or Arianne or Leo,” she dropped the names of her other stepmother and half-brother like they were acid on her tongue. “I definitely don’t want to go to freaking Disneyworld with them for Christmas. What the heck is the point of even bringing Leo to Disney? He’s not even two, he’s not going to remember it.”

Frankly, Charlotte didn’t disagree with her.

But, vexingly, she’d worked so hard to put up a “united front.” And, the reality was, Layla technically – legally – had custody of Lucy this Christmas.

She bit the inside of her cheek, weighing her options. The united front was important, she knew that. She knew that it wasn’t always the easiest things for Sutton to do, either, but that it was, for the most part, good for Lucy. And she admired Sutton so deeply for being able to do it.

However, Charlotte wasn’t Sutton. And today, right now, it was only her and Lucy here. So, she was going to do the thing she’d always appreciated the most about her grandmother when she’d been young.

“I’m going to give you a very adult truth, Luce, because I think it’s good to be honest,” she chose her words carefully, but channeled her grandmother’s tone. Not placating, but not brutal – simply, neutral.

Lucy turned to look at her, quickly and obviously surprised. “Really? Because I know my mom doesn’t like to tell me stuff super honestly. Like she’s “protecting me” or, whatever.” Lucy used air quotes, accompanied with a deep eye roll.

Charlotte nodded, and couldn’t help but defend Sutton. “Well, your mom loves you so much that it kills her to see you hurting. She’d do anything to stop you from being hurt, even if it means trying to protect you from harsh truths in the world.”

Lucy rolled her eyes again.

“And, to your mom’s credit, having to live with all of the brutal truth in the world… sucks,” she stated, plainly, in a way she usually sugar-coated with Lucy.

Who blinked up at her, surprised, again.

Charlotte really felt like she was doing something right, then.

“And you don’t want to protect me from the truth?” Lucy asked, and it wasn’t a bratty tone, but one that was testing waters.

“I’d love to,” she said, truthfully. “But I think that sometimes, a little hard truth can go a long way.”

Lucy’s eyebrows furrowed deeply as she studied Charlotte. “Okay. So… what’s the hard truth?”

“The truth is… it’s a very normal, very human reaction to want to hurt someone who hurts you.”

And Lucy’s hurt with Layla was layered, complicated. It hadn’t necessarily started when Layla and Arianne had Leo just over a year ago. No, it had started later. When Layla’s maternity leave had ended, and she’d unexpectedly made a huge change by leaving trauma surgery.

Still working as a general surgeon, her shifts were still long and intense, but she had far fewer emergencies.

She was, very obviously, re-wiring her life to be more present for Leo. Including taking time off over the holidays for a family trip to fucking Disneyworld.

And that had been the root of all of this emotional upheaval over the last several months.

While Layla didn’t shirk her parenting duties with Lucy, she also didn’t take the time or care to navigate how difficult this was for her.

And Charlotte detested the woman even more than she had before.

She pursed her lips at the emotion coursing through her, keeping her voice even and measured, “But the hardest thing you’ll have to learn is how to accept the fact that you can’t hurt someone who isn’t being impacted by what you’re doing. And that everything you do in attempting that is just going to hurt yourself more.”

She heard Lucy’s sharp intake of breath.

Tentatively – because Charlotte’s touch hadn’t been something Lucy had been very receptive to in the last few months – she wrapped her arm around her shoulders. She held her breath, feeling the burst of warmth when Lucy didn’t lean away from her or shrug her off.

“And I am not saying that Layla doesn’t love you, because she does.”

“Yeah, right.”

“She does,” Charlotte doubled-down, much to her own frustration.

“You don’t even like her,” Lucy pointed out, glancing up at her.

“… also not untrue,” she dodged, and adored the way Lucy barked out a laugh. “But that makes my comment more legitimate in a way, doesn’t it? I don’t care for her very much on a personal level–”

“Because she cheated on my mom.”

The shock she felt robbed her of whatever she’d been about to say next.

Because no matter what, she knew Sutton never talked poorly about Layla to Lucy, or spilled the nitty-gritty details of her divorce to her. Layla trashed herself when it came to Lucy, all without Sutton’s assistance. Sutton, who – Charlotte knew – had spent so much time trying to run interference so that Lucy didn’t walk away feeling so discarded.

Lucy looked up at her, eyes burning and defiant, and so grown up, in a way Charlotte wasn’t ready for. “I know she did. I’m not stupid. Her and Arianne cheated behind my mom’s back.”

And the fact that Lucy had slotted it all into place didn’t surprise Charlotte, when she thought about it. Because she wasn’t stupid, and the timeline of everything was… suspicious, now that Lucy was old enough to actually think it through.

It also made so much sense, regarding Lucy’s behavior toward Sutton in the last few months.

She’d acted out toward Charlotte, and even more toward Layla and Arianne – but she’d become fiercely defensive over Sutton, continuing to be very attached to her. Protective, even.

Clearing her throat, she gently rubbed up and down Lucy’s arm. “As I was saying, I’m not Layla’s biggest fan, so you can believe me when I tell you that she does love you. Which is another hard truth. Your parents can love you and still not have a single clue how much they’re hurting you. They can love you and not have a single clue about the best way to be a parent to you. My parents love me. But they have zero idea about parenting.”

At the very least, having her background and experience with her own parents could come in useful while talking to Lucy. So, Charlotte supposed, there was an unforeseen positive in her experiences with them while growing up, after all.

“That doesn’t really seem fair,” Lucy muttered, her posture deflating against Charlotte.

“No,” she agreed, letting out a deep sigh. “It isn’t fair at all, actually.”

They sat together for another minute, and Charlotte took more enjoyment from it than she imagined possible. But for the first time in months, Lucy wasn’t shaking her off or pushing her away; in fact, she was leaning into Charlotte. She wasn’t an idiot, and she was positive this wouldn’t be the case forever. Lucy was so young, and she was emotionally dealing with a lot, and everything would come in waves. So, she would ride this one out as long as she could.

“Do…” Lucy trailed off, her eyebrows furrowed, the color high in her cheeks. “Do you care? When… I hurt you?”

“I do,” Charlotte admitted, quietly, holding Lucy’s gaze, tightening her hold around Lucy for a brief moment, before slowly releasing her. Discussing her own feelings was something she fancied herself pretty adept at, these days. After the last several years being a part of this family. But talking about her honest, vulnerable feelings with Sutton was different than sharing them with Lucy.

But, if she wanted Lucy to be open and honest with her, she was willing to do it back.

“I do care. A lot. But I know it’s not necessarily always about me,” she allowed.

Lucy was silent for several moments, as she’d dropped her gaze away again She studied the table and the cookies fastidiously, as she said haltingly, “It’s not. About you. Maren and I talk about it, sometimes,” she referenced the child psychologist she’d been seeing for the last year.

Sutton, in her infinite parenting wisdom, had foreseen some possible issues arising out of Layla’s growing family, and had very casually had Lucy start seeing Maren. Such a highly-rated professional, it had taken a few calls from Charlotte’s office to get in with her.

And the hype was real; Lucy genuinely enjoyed going to her meetings with Maren. Honestly, Charlotte had no idea how difficult the last few months would be for Lucy if she wasn’t working with Maren to develop all of these tools and coping mechanisms, despite having a parent like Sutton, who also worked tirelessly to give Lucy those tools.

“It’s not about you,” Lucy repeated, looking back at Charlotte. Seeming to find the strength inside of herself to face her. “And I, um, I’m sorry. For when I hurt you. I’m not mad at you. I’m really not.” She intertwined her fingers in her lap, tightly. “But sometimes I feel so–” She pursed her lips, huffing out a breath. “It’s just really hard to control, sometimes. I’m working on it.”

“That’s the most I can ask from you,” Charlotte encouraged, feeling this emotion well up in her in a way that only happened with Lucy. Maybe she wasn’t “meant” to be a parent, but she did feel meant to be Lucy’s, if any of that made sense. “I know things are complicated. But I love you, Lucy. And I’ll be here for you.”

Lucy blinked, swallowing heavily, as she nodded. “I… love you, too.”

Words Charlotte hadn’t heard from Lucy in months, and she had to blink back the way tears stung at the backs of her eyes. A true Christmas miracle.

“You know…” Charlotte started, dipping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “If you need me to be there for you when it comes to being the “bad guy” I can be here for that, too.”

Lucy frowned, shifting away from Charlotte so she could fully turn in her chair and look up at her, skepticism etched into her face. “What do you mean?”

“Like… since you were kicked out of school today, not only can you not go to Liz’s party, but, perhaps, you aren’t allowed to go to Disneyworld for Christmas, either,” she offered.

And, really, she felt like that was a very fair punishment.

Lucy’s mouth gaped open, and there was an unmistakably bright hopeful look in her eyes. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. I think a great punishment for you would be having to spend Christmas here, with me and your mom, in all matching pajamas, watching movies. Maybe even having your own holiday sleepover a day or two after Christmas…”

Lucy practically vibrated with excitement. “Oh my god! Yes! Can you – will you tell my other mom?”

“I would love to,” Charlotte agreed, already feeling a vicious, victorious feeling at the thought of being the one to tell Layla this development.

She now needed to tell Sutton as well, which brought about… a different feeling. Less pleasant.

But Lucy gave her a bright grin, something a little devious, which Charlotte returned. Best Christmas gift she could have possibly received today.

***

In preparation for Sutton’s return home, Charlotte had ordered dinner, changed into her set of matching pajamas – Lucy was off doing that now as well – and she’d just cleaned up the kitchen after they’d decorated the cookies.

What she felt now was a very different anticipation to face Sutton with, than she’d felt earlier.

Despite that, she couldn’t stop the way she melted into a smile at the sight of her wife as she walked into the kitchen. Sutton’s hair was a little wind-blown around her shoulders, and she’d just released the handle of her suitcase, still wearing her jacket.

“Hi, darling,” she greeted.

There was more she planned to say – she had quite a bit to download Sutton about, after all. And it was time sensitive, given that she wasn’t going to call Layla until discussing with Sutton, first.

But none of the comments she’d run through in her mind made it past her lips.

Because Sutton’s lips were there, instead.

Both soft and demanding, her mouth warm but lips slightly chilly from being outside. Delicious and intoxicating, and Charlotte couldn’t help but give in.

At least for a few minutes.

She felt Sutton’s hands on her waist, tugging her in, their bodies aligning so naturally. She sighed into Sutton’s mouth, and Sutton reciprocated with a throaty sound that vibrated through Charlotte’s entire body.

There was truly nothing like this. Nothing in the world felt like kissing Sutton, and it never got old. Charlotte had been through too much agonizing regret and unyielding longing to ever take Sutton’s kiss for granted.

The intensity slowed, leaving Charlotte wanting more, but also loving the softness in Sutton’s touch as she leaned back.

No one had ever touched her with so much devotion, not like Sutton did. She felt it down to her bones.

“Want to know something interesting?” Sutton asked, barely pulling away from their kiss. Just enough that Charlotte could actually hear her words, but not so far that they were no longer touching.

“From you? Always.”

Now, Sutton did lean back. Just a little, enough to put a few more inches between them, so they could lock eyes. “It seems that disabling all of the security measures wasn’t done,” Sutton started, drawling the words out slowly.

Charlotte frowned in thought… and then rolled her eyes at herself. She’d disabled their alarm when coming in, but they also had a camera system inside, that faced the front door – just in case. One that flagged movement and audio, and it was located right up in the far corner opposite the front door, just on the opposite side of the kitchen wall.

They typically always turned it off when they got home with a quick code – re-enabling it when going to bed; as a public figure, she couldn’t really be too safe. Especially not with Sutton and Lucy in the house.

“Ah, you see, right when we got home is when Lucy and I had the first part of a long conversation,” Charlotte acknowledged, rolling her lips in thought. This was probably a good time to confess to Sutton that she’d given Lucy an excuse out of Disneyworld Christmas.

Sutton nodded down at her, sliding the hand she still had settled on Charlotte’s waist up her side and back down, the warm touch comforting and so enticing at the same time. “I’m aware. Naturally, when I was on the train and receiving alerts from our security system, I was intrigued…” She trailed off, slowly raising her eyebrows at Charlotte.

Who easily put together what she was getting at. “And you likely were able to hear our conversations in the kitchen.”

So, Sutton already knew, then.

She nodded. “And it made for quite a riveting travel time back home.”

Charlotte would never hide anything she and Lucy discussed from Sutton, so she didn’t care. But she also searched Sutton’s gaze, knowing she’d leaned a little into her own feelings about Layla with Lucy, more than she typically did.

“While I don’t apologize for anything I discussed with Lucy, I do apologize for handling the situation in a way that you… probably wouldn’t have,” she admitted with a wince.

But the simple reality was that Sutton was better at managing emotionally fraught conversations. She was better at comforting not only Lucy, but people in general. She possessed a skillset that didn’t come naturally to Charlotte, and it was something she always marveled at.

“I probably wouldn’t have done the exact same thing,” Sutton acknowledged, her voice soft, as she brought her other hand up to lightly grasp at a strand of Charlotte’s hair that had fallen out of her ponytail, tucking it back behind her ear. “But I don’t trust you to handle situations with Lucy because I believe you’ll do everything the way I do it. I trust you with Lucy, because I trust you, and your choices.”

Even though Charlotte knew it was true; hell, they were married, so obviously Sutton trusted her and her choices.

But after the tumultuous road they’d taken to get to this point, to be not only building this whole, full life together, but where Sutton trusted Charlotte’s decision-making – the very part of Charlotte that had shattered Sutton’s heart in the past – with the person who meant the most to her…

It never failed to make her feel a little emotional. To re-affirm for Charlotte that even though it had taken her years to find her way back to Sutton, she’d made all of the right choices to get right back here, where she belonged.

In Sutton’s arms, already wearing her own designated set of matching Christmas pajamas…

A far cry from the life she’d been living six years ago. Not that she’d have categorized herself as a grinch or a scrooge, but things like holidays held no significance.

Sutton made meaningless things have meaning. What other gift could anyone possibly want?

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