[FFRP] A Woman's Point of View

[muffinstud]

Emily swiped the key from the other woman. "I'm not going to forget her. Just because you've tossed away my old life doesn't mean I've gotten forgetful all of a sudden." She locked the apartment door behind her and headed down the stairs to the car. "But did you really have to get it in pink? Seriously..." She sighed at the car and got herself in. "So, what besides art supplies will I need?"

[Harri-chan]

"You never know, pregnancy does odd things to your mind as well as your body, little sister", she explains as she climbs into the passenger seat of the pink car, setting her purse on her lap, and checking her make-up in the rear-view mirror. "Whatever you think you need, dear. No doubt you'll find more things you want after a few days. You know how it is, popping next door to ask if you can borrow some sugar because you're out of it".

[muffinstud]

Emily's face darkened. "I wouldn't have that issue if someone had just divorced me, like a normal person." She started the car and drove to the same grocery store they had been in the night before. "If I'm going to be cooking, I will need supplies though. How much food did you put into the cupboards? It'd be kind of nice to know what I need while we're here." She looked at the doors and frowned in thought. If she was on her own cooking later that night, she'd need to do something simple.

[Harri-chan]

"I can't hold your hand all the time, sweetie, you need to learn to start taking some more responsibility. Buy what you need for this evening's meal, and then perhaps tonight you can sit down and make yourself a shopping list to come again tomorrow. It's not like you have a job to go to or anything now, is it?", she smiled before stepping out of the car.

[muffinstud]

"Once again, whose fault is that?" Emily stepped out of the car and headed to the store. She grabbed a cart and started walking down the aisles. With how Kathy's tastes had been earlier, and with how the girl was very likely to still be quite childish, she figured she'd go easy on herself and make some chili mac. Even when she was Richard, it didn't seem that hard to make. She went through the store, picking out the ingredients and looking to see if there's something else that could prove to be tasty. She was mostly quiet, and tried not to really talk to Susan.

[Harri-chan]

A little blonde girl that looked about ten almost ran into Emily. Her hair was in pigtails with red ribbons, and she was wearing a red t-shirt and a little white ruffled skirt that went to her knees, along with ruffled ankle socks and red mary janes. Oddly, she reminded Emily of Kathy...

"Katie!", came a woman's voice.

A woman with red hair that looked a little older than Emily pushed her cart hurriedly up behind the little girl. She was about Emily's height, with a similar curved figure, and had pale, freckled skin, and wore glasses. She was wearing a white cotton skirt to her ankles, and a yellow vest top, her breasts seeming a size smaller than Emily. "I'm so sorry about that. I said she could have candy if she came shopping, but now she's full of energy", she said to the pregnant girl, and then frowned down at the ten year old. "What do you say to the lady, Katie?".

The little girl blushed, pulling her arms behind her back and nudging a toe of one shoe against the floor, "Sorry, Miss... ".

[muffinstud]

Emily smiled down at the girl. Normally, Richard would have just told the girl to watch where she was going. But Emily saw a little of Kathy in the girl, and it made her wonder how she would be at that age. "It's okay. Accidents happen." She turned from the girl to the woman who was obviously her mother. Oddly, she found herself comparing her figure to the woman. If she didn't have the tummy, they'd look rather similar. "Does she always have this much energy?"

[Harri-chan]

"Normally she's as timid as a mouse", said the woman, a smile coming back to her lips as she looked down at her daughter, and reached out to stroke her fingers through her blonde hair. "Hey, aren't you the one that moved in on the top floor of the apartments? I'm Louise... we live on the first floor... ", she smiled. Her eyes looked towards Emily's tummy and nodded, "Your first child?".

[muffinstud]

"Well," Emily pondered, looking down at her tummy. It would be her first child, but with Kathy in the picture... "No. But it does feel like it." She returned the woman's smile. "It's nice to meet you. For a while I was wondering if I was the only person who lived there." She grinned and gave Susan a look. "I'm Emily. And you?"

[Harri-chan]

"This is Katie, and I'm Louise", she smiled, her head tilting to one side. "You have other children? How old?", she asked. "There's nobody in that building for Katie to play with. She has friends over from school now and then, but she'd love having a little buddy that was always about". The little girl looked hopefully up at Emily with a sweet smile.

[muffinstud]

"Just one. Her name is Kathy. And..." Emily almost told her Kathy was 18, but even she couldn't believe that from what she had seen the night before. And if those diapers Susan had bought at the baby store were any kind of indication, things would only get worse for the girl. "And she's a little young to play with Katie. Sorry." She looked down and gave the girl a little smile.

[Harri-chan]

Susan smirked as she overhead Emily telling the other women that Kathy was too young to play with the ten year old, and couldn't help but chuckle to herself at the thought of that attractive young woman she'd caught on her couch with her husband. Stepping up behind the pregnant woman, she smiled at Louise, "Young? Don't you mean old, dear?", she winked at Emily, and then reached a hand out to Louise. "Please forgive my sister, she's getting a little scatter-brained during her pregnancy... I'm Susan. Kathy is fourteen, but I'm sure she'd love to spend time playing with Katie".

The little girl's face lit up again, and she beamed at Susan. "Oh, that's great!", said Louise before Emily had a chance to respond.

[muffinstud]

Emily glared at Susan, her eye twitching a bit. "Susan..." She shook her head and put on a small smile. "I...I guess I still see her as my little baby. You know how it is." She gulped and crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping that Louise would overlook the discrepancy. She also hoped that Susan wouldn't put her through any more similarly uncomfortable situations, but she sighed as she figured that just wouldn't happen.

[Harri-chan]

"Maybe she could come down to our apartment and play tomorrow. How about I come up and see you later, we can swap phone numbers and have more of a chat. I'd love to stop, but we've got to go take Grandma her groceries, don't we, Katie?". The little girl nodded, and took her Mother's hand.

"See you later, Emily. Nice meeting you, Susan", said Louise as she and her daughter wandered off. Susan grinned at Emily and reached out to rub her tummy. "Well that wasn't part of the plan, but it's perfect. The woman can help you act more like a Mom, and hanging out with a ten year old will only make Kathy's next change smoother".

[muffinstud]

Emily stepped back from the woman's touch. "Perfect? And what about after, hmm? What about your little plan to put Kathy back in diapers?" Emily's voice hissed in a hoarse whisper. "Not everyone gets a few years younger every couple of days. They'll find out about what you've done, and I'll get the blame for it." She pointed a finger and jabbed Susan's collarbone. "Is that part of the plan?"