Nudged into action.

[brokendoors]

It's been an interesting few weeks. Far more interesting than usual, and Ivy finally gets a moment to sit down.
But once she's on her butt, she can't sit still.

Caleb's spending the Thanksgiving weekend with his grandparents and isn't due until Monday afternoon, and she's lonely. This why she gets the urge to pull out her cell phone, and scrolls through the list of names.

And stares, bites her lip, and begins texting a message.

Hi, Casper. I doubt you remember me. Ivy, from the Nexus. Got a little boy with asthma. If you do, I was wondering if you were busy? Maybe get a coffee or something.

He probably doesn't remember her, and it's been so long that she's had an actual friend so she'll be really pathetically awkward.

Comments

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

"Spoiling him doesn't have to involve toys and other things that require money, though. Time, attention and first of all love doesn't cost anything."

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

She nods knowingly. "Oh, I know. And that's more important than toys. But it doesn't stop me from wishing, y'know? I wish I could stay home all day and color with him, too. Or take him on a picnic more often." Ivy really likes picnics, and Caleb likes playing on the playgrounds.

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

The waitress arrives with their orders, and Casper is happy to pick up his small cup and deeply breathe in the scent. Mmmh, coffee...

"Here's what I think," he starts, and pauses to take a first sip of glorious black goodness. "He knows this. And that makes all the difference."

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

And while Casper is talking, Ivy happily sips her own and nibbles her gingersnaps. "Oh, gosh. This is fantastic." She's pretty sure this is what Heaven tastes like: sweetened coffee and gingersnaps.

"You're right. He's a smart kid, and he knows I'd do anything for him. And he's a good kid. Living in a hotel room, with Dylan and Cole as 'role models'" and she does look pained here "he's got a lot of opportunity to run wild. And he doesn't."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

"Told you this was a good place." Being a coffee fanatic, he knows to pick his hang-outs.

"Kids are pretty adaptable. While raising a child is hard work, their needs are still fairly simple." Which makes it all the more sad how many children there's out there who doesn't have their needs met. Casper is a good example of this, and could tell horror stories straight from him own life. But at least it turned out well for him in the end. "So who's Dylan and Cole?" That pained look of hers does beg the question.

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

She nods exuberantly. "Want a taste of these gingersnaps? Before I decide to hog them."

"Dylan and Cole Sprouse. They star on the Disney Channel about twin boys that live in a hotel. They're much older than he is, but the jokes are pretty dumbed down."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

He accepts that offer and breaks off a small piece of the gingersnaps, and nods his approval after tasting it.

"Ah. I've never bothered with the Disney Channel. I don't like TV much in general. Too easy to get stuck with." He does like Disney, though, but he keeps to the movies. He has no problem curling up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn to watch The Emperor's new groove or The Lion King.

Then, on a whim, he bites his tiny little macaron in two and offers her the remaining half.

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

"I prefer old-school Nick. Hey Arnold and the like." She doesn't watch a lot of TV. Doesn't get to DVR anything, but she has a pretty intensive TV list, most of which includes Good Eats and, more recently, anything on the paranormal she can find.

She smiles at him and takes the macaron. "Thank you."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

"I'm sadly way out off the loop, myself. Sort of stuck in the eighties and early nineties, particularly since Seph don't watch too much TV either. He seems to prefer to beat my ass in various videogames."

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

"Ah. I .. think the last video game I played was Super Mario Brothers, way back in the day. Super NES."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

"Those were the days. Games were simpler, and yet somehow harder back then." And of course, now he has the idea to challenge Ivy to a match in Super Smash Bros, or something like that. Or maybe a nostalgic night hanging over his old but still functioning classic NES. Yes, he's a geek.

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

"Can you believe I never actually finished the game? Don't remember why, but I think I'd get cranky that I couldn't beat one of the levels."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

"...would you like to beat it?" Yup, here it comes. "Because I do have it."

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

"If you promise not to laugh at me if I die like.. a billion times."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

"I can promise to just laugh a little bit." He grins over the rim of his coffee cup. But then he goes on after a sip. "Or you could borrow my console if you'd like to play it with Caleb. Or you could bring him along so he can laugh at you as well."

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

"Oh thanks." she says dryly, though she's smiling. She takes another sip of her own coffee, making a happy sound before she says, "Condoning five year olds laughing at their mom, are you? He'd like that. We might have to treat him to a Happy Meal before hand though. Or pizza." It doesn't even occur to her that she should've said "I" instead of "we".

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

"Of course I condone kids laughing at their moms. Dads too. And I not only condone it; I encourage it!" It's simply more fun that way. "And for your information, I make a mean pizza. So food wouldn't be a problem."

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

((...That icon makes me laugh...))

"And since we'll be gaming, I'll bring the Mountain Dew. And dessert."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

((Sort of the point. And I have worse!))

"You know, I think I'm starting to like this plan." It's not all that often that he gets company over.

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

((It can get worse!?))

"Me too! You never know. I might surprise you." It's rare that Ivy gets to go out, period. She's not exactly shut in, or completely friendless, but opportunity is slim. Most of her friends are childless, and just don't understand.

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

((With this PB? Oh yes. He seems to be the master of strange expressions.))

"Oh? How so? With culinary dessert-skills, or gaming skills?" In Casper's case it's a matter of him not having many friends. But the ones he's had has been very good friends, so he's never had a reason to complain.

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

((I've seen him in videos before, but the result of me drooling in my chair is probably because of the cellos. I'm not familiar with him being goofy.))

"Probably not culinary. I make a mean can of spaghettios, and I can follow a recipe."

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

((There's a lot of behind the scenes type of stuff in both video and text that's absolutely hilarious.))

"I'm very thankful for my mom insisting that I learn to cook and cook well before I moved out. She did not want to have me living on noodles and junk food during my college days."

[ivyandcaleb.livejournal.com]

Ivy nods. "Yeah, it helps. I just haven't had a lot of ability to." But if those apartments are still available.. oh yes.

[watchingsparrow.livejournal.com]

"Hmm, yeah. Living in a hotel room, I can see why." She'd better prod him about that, because he's too into thoughts of food, coffee and videogames to remember right now.