Chapter Text
In the busy and hurried New York City streets, the holidays had arrived, the red and green ornaments on the stores’ showcases sparkled that delicious and magic Christmas feeling; they aroused the greatest consumerists and reminded the sluggishers that time was ticking.
After three and a half years, Karen was still getting used to the hastiness of the city as a whole, as she dodged the mass of people walking towards her. The task became even more complicated with having to hold on to a 8 year-old, with small hands and short legs that desperately tried to pick up the pace of her tall aunt and her long steps.
“Are we there, yet?” The kid had a slight high-pitched voice and a posh accent which brought Karen back to her roots.
“Not yet, love” Karen replied patiently, with all the care in the world, it was the second time she’d asked since they left the apartment building.
“Is it too far?”
“Not so much,” soon Karen heard the little one sighing beneath her in tiredness. “But I promise you aunt Martha’s sugar cookies will be worth all the trouble. Believe me.”
That answer felt enough for the babbling kid, who always seemed to have questions resting on the tip of her tongue.
As she went on, a few broad shouldered men and some rushed clumsy moms bumped into her in the way, and, being the polite English girl she’d always been, she’d mumble a few ‘Sorry’s’ along the way, even if it wasn’t exactly her fault.
“Carol, let’s pick up the pace, okay? There’s a big snowfall coming and we don’t want you to burn your cheeks.” It only took a few more steps for Karen to realize the grasp on her hand was now inexistent.
As she looked back, the big hazel eyes widened, going from one place to another, looking for the brunette little girl, dressed in a wool yellow overcoat she’d probably grow into eventually. “Caroline? Caroline!” Yelling out her name in that crowd did nothing but attract a few side-looks from fellow New Yorkers.
As Karen followed the crowd she was walking against just fifteen seconds ago, her breathing became slightly uneven as her heart pounded against her ribcage at the thought of losing the girl she was put in charge of just a couple hours prior. “Caroline?” Her height was often a big help, as she stretched her long figure in the middle of that multitude, trying to find the damn yellow overcoat. In the meantime, she saw a little girl, mindlessly attracted by some toys displayed at a store, with her forehead and nose casually resting against the freezing glass. “Carol!”
Luckily, the child was so drawn that she barely moved, neither did she listen to her aunt’s voice dissipating in the middle of the noisy New York City. The little one suddenly felt a tender but steady grip on her left wrist, meeting her aunt’s worried face. “Oh, darling, there you are!” She ran her freezing fingers through her niece’s soft features. “Don’t you give me another heart attack like this, okay? If I don’t die from it your mother will kill me with her bare hands.”
“Look at this doll, auntie Karen! Isn’t it pretty?” She changed the subject, not minding a bit about Karen’s state. With a wonderstruck expression, Caroline pointed at a delicate porcelain doll on display, dressed in pink Victorian clothes.
“Bright Betty,” Karen read it on the plaque, along with the price. “She’s really lovely…”
“Isn’t she?” Wright noticed the blue orbs sparkling at the toy, which slightly reminded her of the old days. “Do you think I’ll get her for Christmas? I’ve been writing a lot to Santa this month.”
“Well, I’m sure he’ll manage, dear. He's Santa after all…” Rising from her aching knees, Karen placed both hands on the kid’s shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. Caroline looked up at her aunt behind her, showing her a lovely smile, with a missing tooth on the front. “Now come on dear, let’s not keep aunt Martha waiting.”
Grocery shopping without another adult by her side was always a challenge, since she’d always lose herself among the endless aisles, would always forget something from the list, and, thanks to her sweet tooth, always wanted to take home the entire candy session, even though money remained short.
A kid didn’t make anything easier. Karen found herself having to run after the energetic child, who hid away in the middle of the sections, giving her some other minor heart attacks, almost close to the earlier one she had today.
As Caroline paced through the long dairy aisle, she’d mindlessly push the cart while doing her best to read Martha’s incredibly messy and poor handwriting. “It’s surprising you used to be a teacher Martha, very surprising indeed.” She mumbled to herself, while squinting her eyes to read. “Carol, will you come here a second?” The girl, who wasn’t so far away, came running in her black boots, and Karen made sure to bend down and show her the crumpled piece of paper. “Does this seem like an F to you?”
“I guess,” she shrugged, holding a lovely pout on her lips.
Soon enough, Karen seemed to give up as she folded the very brief grocery list back. “Well, let’s pray this says flour, or else, no cookies.” Karen pushed the almost empty cart along the aisle again, surprised to find Carol walking by her side, too tired to run around. The thoughtful look on the soft features intrigued the former teacher.
She watched her niece in awe, admiring how beautiful, polite and sassy she was. Definitely a Wright, despite the last name. Realizing time has passed and things had taken different turns would always bring her the deepest thoughts.
Of how she grew up with demanding parents and did all she could to follow her big sister’s steps on the path to perfection, but lived in her shadow for eighteen years; Of how she eventually lost hopes in trying to be the favorite child of three, for always falling behind on her parents’ expectations; Of how her dreams of being a wife and a mother became impossible by an awful lie, that ended up resulting in a groundbreaking discovery of her being madly in love with her best-friend after all these years.
She now settled on living a secret and repressed life in New York with Martha and couldn’t be happier.
Her lifestyle was definitely unlike her sisters’, but it was how things eventually worked out. If asked about her future, the younger Karen definitely could not imagine her life would take such a turn; Having at least two kids and a husband to come home to were things she’d always expected for herself, but one thing she’s learned is that fate holds the biggest unpredictions that eventually bring happiness.
Now Martha was the one she happily returned home to.
“What’s on your mind, dear?” the brunette tossed away the silence between them, as she looked down at the little girl with a sympathetic grin. “You seem to have a lot of troubles for an 8 year-old.”
“Did you want sisters, aunt Karen?”
The question was nothing she’d expected, Karen took her time to think. “Well, I’m the middle child, but I can’t say I was happy with your mother’s arrival in the family…” Caroline remained thoughtful, frowning her eyebrows trying to find a solution in her child brain. “Why the question?”
“Mom and dad asked me if I wanted a little brother or sister…”
“And how does this idea sound?”
“Terrible! I’d have to share my bedroom, my toys… A baby would just bring trouble.”
“It’s not so bad, dear. Having a sibling means you’ll always have each other’s backs.”
“Mother says you used to fight all the time, and aunt Kate too. She calls you a troublemaker.” Carol caught Karen off guard with such a remark, causing her to giggle briefly.
“Well, yes, but still. Fighting is a completely normal thing to do,” Continuing grocery shopping, Karen grabbed a packet of butter as she advised the troubled child, “that doesn’t mean we love each other any less.”
Caroline seemed to think for a brief second, Karen glanced at her from the side, studying her thinking features. She would dare saying she was able to hear her niece’s brain gears working tirelessly to come up with a plan.
“You do want babies, don’t you auntie Karen?”
That question seemed tricky this time, Karen squinted the hazel eyes at the little girl, trying to figure out what was going to be her next move. “I– I do… I think.”
“What if the stork takes the baby to your house?” The kid’s body language suddenly changed, as if she was a villainess with a master plan. The teacher couldn’t help but laugh at the idea, finding marvelous how imaginative her niece’s mind was. “Oh, no… But you don’t have a husband…”
Soon enough the little girl’s face exhaled disappointment, figuring out her plan wouldn’t probably work out as she wished. Silence settled for more five seconds or so, until Karen widened the hazel orbs at the innocent remark: “But you have Martha.”
“Oh darling, that’s–”
“No, aunt Karen that can be done, I’m sure the storks would understand.”
The idea certainly warmed her heart, and it would be great if life was easier. She can’t say that the idea of raising a child with Martha hadn’t crossed her mind, it remained at the top of her wishlist, just waiting to be arranged somehow.
It’s a great shame that the world wouldn’t allow it.
“I suppose…” The former teacher brushed it off as they walked along those aisles, helplessly ending on the candy section. There was an old couple looking at some chocolate bars for purchase not very far, their cart was certainly fuller than Karen’s.
Carol’s eagle eyes spotted the undeniable yellow packages she could barely reach. “Lemonheads!” As she ran towards it, she raised her arms trying to grasp it, but her height didn’t help. Luckily, the old man next to her grabbed her a package.
“There you go, kid,” he said with a raspy voice, as she looked up at him with her thankful big blue eyes.
“Thank you, sir!” The polite English girl smiled back, then met her aunt walking towards her. “Can I please have this? Please, please?”
Judging by the fact that Caroline was as much of a sweet tooth as she was, she couldn’t say no. Many were the days where she was denied to eat sweets as a kid, so sneaking into the upper kitchen cabinets late at night was the only way she found her path of happiness. Kathleen probably didn’t allow her to eat much candy at home, so she had to put on her fun aunt’s shoes and intervene.
“Okay, but that’ll be our little secret. Deal?” She led her forefinger close to her lips and gave the child a wink, ending with a smile. Karen hadn’t seen Carol look so happy that morning.
“Your daughter is adorable, you look so much alike… Except for the eyes of course…” The woman with gray strands said it out loud, while standing a few meters away, after witnessing the adorable interaction between the two.
Karen let out a little giggle, as she approached the couple with the cart. “Oh, no she’s not–” The tall old man cut her off.
“And she’s polite too… Unlike the New York kids. You and your husband raised her well,” the well-spoken man added.
The brunette let out an awkward laugh and decided to go along with it. “Well, thank you, I’ll make sure to tell Martin that!” Karen reached for her niece and hugged her by the side, the little girl remained confused at the conversation and being the little tattletale she was, of course she wouldn’t let her aunt get away with it.
“But I’m not her d–” Karen shut her up by placing her hand on her lips, earning a strange look from the fellow couple.
“Judging by the accents, you mustn’t be from around here.”
“No, but we’ve been living here for three years or so…”
“New York doesn’t have much to offer, eh?” The old man joked.
As his wife laughed along, Karen thought it would be a nice response to just do the same.
“Anyhow, enjoy them while they’re at this age, it doesn’t get any better,” the gray-haired woman advised.
“Lucky for us we have grandchildren to spoil,” the husband continued.
“Oh, that’s wonderful!”
“Maybe someday, dear!” the old woman let out an adorable sympathetic look.
“Yes, maybe…” that came out probably more discouraged than she intended. “Well, we have to get going, right darling?” She looked down at her so-called daughter, with both hands placed on her shoulders. Carol looked up at her, with a clear judgy stare. “It was lovely to talk to you. Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas!” They said in unison.
Caroline made sure to look back with lovely eyes and wave the couple goodbye as they walked away.
“Liar, liar, pants on fire…” The 8 year-old hummed to her aunt, who rolled her eyes in response. “I thought adults couldn’t lie.”
“Only when we have to.”
“What was that for?”
“Just out of fun.”
“Golly, you really are a troublemaker!”