Work Text:
She’s in that office Monday to Friday, nine to five.
Her job isn’t the most exciting thing in the world, but it’s stable and pays well. Enough to give her and her son Nicky a good living.
She had Nicky with her ex wife eight years ago after they thought a child would fix their marriage, which of course… it did not.
But it gave Agatha the best thing in her life.
Nicky.
From the moment she held him in her arms, she knew she didn’t need to fix her relationship anymore.
Nicky was all the love she needed in her life and more.
He became her everything.
So she got a divorce and from then on out just kept her head down, focused on her work as the best and toughest lawyer in town, determined to give Nicky the best life he could ever ask for.
Meanwhile, her ex did what she did best.
Leave.
The occasional Christmas or birthday gift still arrived in the mail, but Nicky never cared for them.
Agatha always told him who they were from, but he would just shrug and move on.
To him, there had only ever been one parent.
And even though Agatha spent much of her time buried in work, she gave Nicky all her love whenever she had the chance.
Every chance.
And here she was, going about her daily tasks, checking emails, writing case files, when she saw her.
It was a woman.
Dangling outside her office glass windows, a harness holding her weight as she sprayed the cleaner and dragged her squeegee down in steady, practiced strokes.
She had tanned skin that looked soft to the touch, dark hair pulled back into a bun.
Strong arms, no doubt from the work she did every day. And such beautiful, striking features, unique enough that Agatha found herself unable to look away.
Agatha’s office was the corner one on the fiftieth floor, glass on all sides. So there was plenty of window to be cleaned.
It takes a few minutes before their eyes meet though.
When the glass clears, the woman notices Agatha staring. She lifts her eyebrows, a teasing smirk tugging at her mouth.
Heat rushes to Agatha’s face. She jerks her gaze down to her laptop, pretending to type as if she hadn’t been caught watching.
She doesn’t see the woman’s reaction, but she feels her presence as the squeegee keeps moving.
The window cleaner shifts from her left, edging toward the corner of the building, then slips out of sight behind her, which makes her feel very vulnerable.. But she then reappears on her right.
Agatha turns her head just as the woman disappears onto the next office’s windows.
On the glass, left behind in a quick swipe of soap, is a stick figure waving at her.
Childish. So childish.
And yet… Agatha finds herself chuckling softly, a smile tugging at her lips before she can stop it.
She doesn’t see her again until the next Monday.
Though she lies to herself all week, pretending she isn’t intrigued by the window cleaner and doesn't hope to see her again.
This time, when she walks into her office, the woman has already started.
She looks right at Agatha, smiles, and lifts one hand in a casual wave.
Agatha doesn’t smile back, but she does nod in acknowledgment. Then she sits at her desk again, typing away while the woman works across her windows.
She can’t help but notice… it feels like this woman is taking longer than last time.
Agatha pushes the thought away and forces herself to focus on her work.
Don’t look. Don’t look. Don’t look. She repeats it over and over in her head.
But she slips. A few times.
And one of those times, when she finally looks again, she realizes the woman is already watching her.
The window cleaner sets her squeegee down, then uses her finger to scrawl something across the glass.
Rio
"Rio?" Agatha thinks, blinking at the letters. What does that—
The woman points to herself, then to the word.
Oh. Her name.
Agatha gives her half a smile, grabs one of the documents on her desk, stands, and presses it up against the glass.
Rio leans closer, reading her name printed across the file. Her grin spreads wide as she looks back at Agatha.
Then she writes again.
Nice 2 meet U Agatha
Cute.
Agatha chuckles under her breath, rolling her eyes as she heads back to her desk.
Rio takes that as her cue to finish up, and within minutes, she’s gone, slipped into the next office, out of Agatha’s line of sight.
This routine continues for three more weeks.
Rio shows up, cleans her office windows, and scrawls childish doodles across the glass that make Agatha smile despite herself.
One day it’s a cup of coffee. Another, a winky face. Sometimes, it’s different types of flowers.
Every now and then, Agatha even catches her talking to the pigeons perched on the ledge while she works.
It’s stupid. Ridiculous, really.
But Agatha can’t help finding it endearing.
What changes everything is the next Monday.
Bring Your Kid to Work Day.
Nicky had been buzzing with excitement since the night before, thrilled to join his mama at work.
He walked beside her the entire way, his small hand clutched in hers from home, to the car, all the way up to Agatha’s office.
“Mama, did we bring any snacks? I’m hungry,” he groaned, sprawled upside down on her office couch after some time had passed with Agatha buried in her work.
She’d suspected this would happen. To him, her job sounded glamorous, constant courtrooms, defending the innocent, but in reality, most of it was paperwork and entire days spent on her desk.
“We brought crackers and sliced fruit in your bag, honey,” she said, pointing to the backpack on the chair in the corner.
Nicky scrambled up, grabbed his snacks, and munched happily for a few seconds.
Then—
“OH MY GOD, MAMA LOOK! SOMEONE'S FLYING!”
Agatha looks up quickly, heart skipping, worried for a second that he’d seen a crime or something.
But no.
It was Rio.
“Oh. That’s Rio, sweetie. She cleans the building’s windows every week. That’s her job.”
“WOOOW! That’s such a cool job. It’s like being a superhero person!” he says, bouncing on his feet and waving enthusiastically.
Rio instantly waves back.
Then she glances at Agatha, pointing first to her, then to him, asking silently if that’s her kid.
Agatha gives a small nod.
Rio’s grin widens. She immediately launches into silly faces, puffed cheeks, crossed eyes, even sticking her tongue out, which makes Nicky double over in laughter.
For the next hour he just follows her from pane to pane as she works, giggling louder each time she adds a doodle just for him.
And through it all, Agatha feels a surprising warmth blooming in her chest.
Rio’s good with kids. Huh..
Nicky’s instantly smitten with the Superman like window cleaning lady.
At the last pane, Rio gives him a final wave.
His little shoulders slump, a pout forming on his face as he waves back.
Seeing this, Rio quickly draws a heart on the glass just for him.
“I want to see Ms. Rio again, Mama,” he says, turning to her with big hopeful eyes.
“I’m sorry, honey, but she only comes in every Monday. I promise, the next chance you get a free day, you can come with me and see if she’s here,” she answers gently, pulling him onto her lap.
“Okay…” he mumbles, still sad.
Luckily, kids distract quickly. Agatha hands him a piece of paper and tells him to draw whatever he loves.
Almost instantly, he brightens, grabbing his crayons and sprawling on the ground beside her.
A while later, Agatha glances down, and pauses.
Her son has drawn Rio.
She cannot seem to escape goddamn Rio the past few weeks..
She’s even on her own mind..
“What do you have there?” she asks curiously.
“It’s Ms. Rio, Mama.” He beams proudly. “Her job is so cool. I wanna be like her when I grow up too.”
He looks up at her, hands her his drawing with a grin.
“That’s lovely, hon. Hey, how about we head down in a few and get a cupcake from the cafe on the ground floor and a chocolatey drink for you?” she suggests.
Nicky’s eyes light up. He instantly jumps to his feet. “Yes, yes, yes!” he shouts, quickly stuffing his crayons back into his backpack and slipping it onto his shoulders.
Agatha chuckles. “Just ten more minutes, baby. I just need to finish this, and then we’ll go.”
He nods, plopping down in his seat like the well behaved angel he can be, waiting patiently for her to finish.
Soon enough, they walk hand in hand to the elevator, Nicky rambling the whole way about which cupcake he wants, how big it should be, and how hungry he suddenly is again.
The minute they walk into the cafe, Agatha collides full on with someone.
She looks up.. and gasps.
It’s Rio.
“So sorry—oh! Hey, it’s you!” Rio starts, a grin breaking across her face.
Agatha stands frozen for a few seconds, words stuck in her throat. Before she can speak, her son beats her to it.
“Hi, Ms. Rio! You’re so cool! You’re like Superman! Oh, me and Mama are getting a cupcake. Do you like cupcakes?” he blurts, his voice carrying far too loudly in the dull corporate cafe.
Rio chuckles warmly at the little boy. “As it happens, I was actually grabbing my own cupcake just now. And thank you very much. I love my job. Makes me super strong and brave.”
“Can you teach me how you do it? Please?” he presses, bouncing on his toes.
Agatha finally snaps out of her stunned silence.
“Nicky, Ms. Rio may be busy. We shouldn’t—”
“Oh no, I’m free as a bird. Just finished for the day, no worries.” Her eyes slide back to Agatha as she says it, savoring the chance to finally speak her name out loud. “Agatha.”
Hearing her name in Rio’s voice makes Agatha’s stomach flip.
“It’s lovely to meet you officially, by the way.” Rio adds with a wink, leaving Agatha to chuckle nervously in return and look away from a second to collect herself.
Rio shifts her attention back to Nicky.
“And I’d love to tell you all about my job, Nicky. If your mom is okay with it that is…” she gestures toward a nearby table, “we could sit down together. I already have a spot right there.”
Then she looks back at Agatha, eyebrows raised, the invitation placed firmly in her hands.
Agatha sighs softly, then relents.
“Yeah, sure. We’d love to join you.”
As she steps a little closer to Rio, she lowers her voice, just enough so Nicky, now distracted by the cupcake display, can’t hear.
“Fair warning, though. He gets a bit too excited with questions and won’t end the conversation. Let me know when you need to leave, and I’ll step in to distract him.”
Rio chuckles, the sound low and warm.
“I don’t mind,” she says, leaning in slightly. “Especially since I get to be in the company of a beautiful woman while talking about my job that I love.”
Her eyes lock onto Agatha’s, unflinching.
Daring her to look away.
Agatha feels her chest tighten at the intensity, the very connection they’ve both been feeling for weeks, finally right here, without the glass between them.
Agatha fake coughs the tension away and turns to Nicky.
“So, which cupcake are you choosing sweetheart?”
After paying for their order, Rio gestures them towards her table. Nicky skips ahead and plops down right beside her.
“So, Ms. Rio—” Nicky starts.
“Just Rio, little man. I’m not that old,” she says with a teasing smile.
Agatha chuckles at that.
“Sorry,” he mumbles, then barrels right into his questions. “So are you like spiderman or superman? How do you get that high without being afraid? Can you fly?”
Rio laughs softly. “Well, I gotta let you in on a secret, Nicky.” She leans closer, lowering her voice like she’s telling him classified intel. “I’m being held up with a rope and harness. I’m not actually flying.”
Nicky gasps, scandalized.
“You just killed it for him,” Agatha says, smirking into her coffee.
Rio shrugs, grinning. “It’s a dangerous job that takes a lot of bravery. I can’t have him thinking he can climb up there without the right precautions.”
“I CAN GO UP WITH YOU?” Nicky blurts, way too loudly again.
“Nuh uh! Absolutely not, mister,” Agatha cuts in immediately.
“But Mama—”
“Your mother’s right, Nicky,” Rio says gently. “My job takes a lot of training and practice before anyone can do it.” She pauses then, deliberately.
“…But maybe…”
Rio crouches down to Nicky’s level, ruffling his hair. “I could pull some strings for you, kid. Not all the way up, your mom would kill me, but maybe just one or two floors. Let you feel what it’s like to fly without actually scaring her to death.” She shoots Agatha a wicked smirk, daring her to object.
“CAN I, MAMA? PLEASE? CAN I?” Nicky turns to her, practically vibrating with excitement.
Agatha’s eyes snap to Rio, her voice sharp. “And that’s completely safe?”
The pointed look makes Rio sit up a little straighter.
“Oh yes, for sure. I’ll hold him against me the entire time and only take him up one floor. Scouts honor.” She raises her hand in mock solemnity.
Agatha looks at Nicky again, his wide eyes, the cutest pout on his little face.
She groans. “Fine! Fine. But only with every single precaution, and one floor only.” She points her finger directly at Rio, who just grins like she’s already won.
“So, what else are you into, little man?” Rio asks, leaning toward Nicky with genuine interest.
“I likeeee drawing… I likeeee superhero movies. I also likeee going to the aquarium with Mama and Aunty Jen and Alice. OH! You should come with us next time, Rio! I can show you my favorite penguin! his name is Victor!” Nicky blurts in one long breath, practically bouncing in his seat.
Rio’s eyes light up. “Oh my god, I actually have a spider called Victoria. That’s such a fun coincidence!”
Nicky gasps, thrilled. “Can I meet her, please? I’ll be very gentle, I promise.”
“Well, that’s up to your mother, kid.” Rio tilts her head toward Agatha with a mischievous glint.
“Maybe one day, hon.” Agatha answers carefully, not sure if Rio is just being polite… or if she actually means it.
Rio slips a hand into her pocket and pulls out a small business card, sliding it across the table toward Agatha. “My personal number is the second one. Give me a call, we can talk about setting something up for Nicky. Whether it’s the safe version of window cleaning or meeting Victoria, he’s very welcome.” Her smile is kind, soft.
Then her gaze lingers on Agatha a beat longer. The corner of her mouth curls.
“And, well… if his beautiful mother ever finds herself bored and wanting to vent to someone, or maybe get something to eat one day, she should use the number too.”
The suggestive smirk makes Agatha start feeling sweaty under her boobs.
But before she has to scramble for a response, Rio spares her the embarrassment, standing up, saying goodbye to Nicky and to her, explaining she has to head out to meet a friend. Then she’s gone.
So…
Rio was hitting on her.
And Rio was good with Nicky.
That’s a bonus.
But still.
Agatha doesn’t know if it’s worth the risk, worth letting Nicky get attached to another adult when she knows the pain of watching someone walk away.
The memory of her ex wife still stings.. the woman who insisted on having Nicky, then abandoned him without hesitation.
Who built her shiny second family without them, without a care.
Rio seems different, though.
But if Agatha’s ever going to even consider this, she’s going to take her sweet time, make sure Rio truly understands what getting involved with a single mother means.
Most people only ever see Nicky’s cute side when she takes him out. They don’t see the many, many nights he breaks down over not getting a cookie before bed, or the tantrums over wanting ice cream before dinner.
And that’s what scares her the most about dating again.
She doesn’t text Rio right away.
Too busy thinking about the complications, the what ifs.
But she sees her the next Monday though, right on the clock.
Rio was nothing if not punctual, Agatha noticed.
This time, when their eyes meet, there’s a flicker of familiarity between them.
Rio grins up at her.
And Agatha, who would usually roll her eyes and bury herself in her laptop, finds herself smiling back. Softly.
Before she can think too much about it, she turns and settles at her desk, a pang of regret tugging at her chest.
She should’ve been braver. Should’ve texted.
The next hour drifts by in quiet routine, emails, files, notes. But it feels different.
She works in the comfort of Rio’s presence just outside her windows.
It’s not the kind of feeling she’s ever had with friends, or even the few women she dated before.
With Rio, it feels… safe. calm.
Even though they’ve shared more moments of silence in each other’s space than words since you know.. There was a glass window between them for weeks..
And Agatha’s had enough of moments of silence
Just before Rio finishes, she turns in her chair and knocks on the glass to get her attention.
Rio startles for a second, then gives Agatha her undivided attention.
Agatha hesitates, three whole seconds of nerves, before she finally pulls out her phone, holds it up for Rio to see, and types out a simple,
Hi.
She hits send.
She already saved Rio’s number into her phone the day she got it.
Rio feels the buzz in her pocket. She pulls her phone out, and the instant smile that spreads across her face makes Agatha smile too.
Rio: Hi to you too, Ms. Harkness.
Agatha blushes.
Rio notices, of course, and winks at her through the glass.
Then Agatha giggles.
And thanks God there’s a window between them so Rio can’t actually hear that sound that she never made in her entire life.
She sends another text.
Agatha: Are you free tonight?
Rio looks down at her phone, then back up at Agatha with raised eyebrows and a playful squint.
Rio: Maybe I am. Depends on the offer… and who it’s from.
Agatha’s pulse stutters. She types quickly.
Agatha: What if I asked?
Rio’s grin spreads instantly.
Rio: Yes.
Rio: Send me the details.
She pockets her phone again, then looks up at Agatha with a bright, unguarded smile.
Agatha ducks her head, a shy smile tugging at her lips.
They go on that date that night.
Agatha takes Rio to her favorite Italian restaurant in the city.
They sit across from each other and talk for six hours straight, stories, laughter, tangents, until a server finally tells them the restaurant is closing.
Both of them laugh, realizing how easily they’d lost track of time.
Before they leave, Rio excuses herself to the restroom.
Agatha later finds out Rio has sneakily paid the bill.
She doesn’t let it go the entire ride home, mock arguing with Rio about it, but she forgets all about it when Rio walks her to her porch, opens her car door for her, takes her hand… and kisses her.
Smooth and deep.
Agatha melts against her.
They stand there kissing, minutes slipping by unnoticed, until a loud knock on the window startles them apart.
Ironic, considering how they met.
Both turn, and there’s Nicky, face smushed against the glass, grinning from ear to ear, while Jen, Agatha’s friend, stands beside him with a smirk and raised brows.
Agatha rolls her eyes, chuckling at the shenanigans.
“Sorry,” she says quickly, embarrassed. “My friend Jen’s babysitting tonight. Apparently they couldn’t let me have one moment.” She raises her voice at the last few words toward the window for Jen to hear, making Rio laugh.
“It’s alright. I understand,” Rio murmurs, still holding her hand. Her eyes flick back down to Agatha’s lips.
Another knock.
Rio turns, and Nicky waves enthusiastically at her.
Rio waves back, laughing. “He’s a sweet kid. You raised an adorably well behaved curious boy.”
“Thank you,” Agatha says softly, her eyes shifting back to Nicky with the same tenderness she’s had since the day he was born. “He’s the best of me.”
Her smile falters as she admits quietly, “He takes up a lot of my life, you know? So… I worry.. The person I date might not be able to handle that.”
Rio squeezes her hand gently, her voice low and steady.
“Agatha, I’m not worried about that at all. I’ve always believed love isn’t finite.
I’ll never demand more from you than what you’re able to give.
All I want is for you to live a comfortable, happy life, and if I can be part of that, even just a little, then I’m lucky.
If all you can give me right now is one day a week, or one phone call, I’ll take it gladly.
And when the time comes, if you’d like me to, I’d be honored to be part of Nicky’s life too, only if you’re comfortable with that though of couerse.”
Agatha responds by cupping Rio’s face in both hands and kissing her deeply for the second time that night, this time with a tear slipping free, caught between their mouths as they collide and everything inside her finally breaking loose.
Next time, Rio takes Agatha out.
And the week after that, they finally spend time together with Nicky at Agatha’s place.
Rio shows up with a plane lego set just for him, and watching them spread out the pieces on the living room rug makes Agatha’s heart glow in the best way.
“Rioooo, you lost the second orange piece! I just saw it under you!” Nicky exclaims, giggling.
“What? No I didn’t!” Rio squeals back defensively, eyes wide.
But when she stands up, the orange piece is, in fact, right beneath her.
“You didn’t feel that?” Agatha teases from her spot on the couch, smirking down at her.
Rio pouts up at her. “Actually, no. I didn’t. Don’t laugh at me.”
Agatha does laugh, though, softly, and reaches down from the couch to run her hand along the back of Rio’s neck, giving a gentle squeeze meant to comfort more than tease.
They finish the set together, and Nicky proudly places it on the table near the front door with all his school awards and little achievements.
Agatha beams at the sight of them getting along so well.
When Nicky begs to watch a movie together, she lets Rio pick. Coincidentally, Rio chooses his absolute favorite, Pixar’s Luca.
Soon Nicky is curled on the floor with the popcorn bowl in his lap, while Agatha and Rio sit side by side on the couch… so close that Agatha might as well be in Rio’s lap.
After a while, Nicky is snoring softly on the floor.
“You know…” Agatha hesitates, voice low. “You’re really good with him. Can I ask… have you ever thought about it? Kids, I mean?” It’s a question she’s been holding onto for weeks.
“I have thought about it,” Rio admits honestly. “Not in the sense of a timeline, but… yeah. I always thought i'd love to be a mother one day if possible. I love kids.”
“Really?” Agatha asks, surprise flickering across her face.
Rio nods with a small smile.
Agatha shifts, nervous but pushing through. “I never knew for sure if I’d make a good mom. Mine wasn’t a great example. My ex always said I’d be the strict mom, but Nicky keeps proving her wrong every time he messes up and I let it slide.” She chuckles softly. Rio joins her.
“Your ex sounds like an idiot,” Rio says nodding her head side to side, her tone leaving no room for doubt. “Because it’s clear as day you’re the most loving and sweet mother to Nicky. He adores you.”
Agatha feels her chest tighten at the words, every emotion bubbling up at once. With the movie still playing quietly in the background, she looks down and—
“Seems like he dozed off. Give me a second, I’ll carry him up to bed—” Agatha begins, pushing herself up.
But Rio cuts in gently, leaning forward.
“Oh, can I do it? You cooked all night and set up this great day for us. Let me help.”
“You sure? Kids usually aren’t as lightweight as they look,” Agatha says with a nervous chuckle.
“Hey! Have you seen my biceps?” Rio grins, flexing her arms.
Agatha rolls her eyes.
“I’m tough,” Rio adds, scooping Nicky up with surprising ease.
She moves smoothly and quietly so he doesn’t stir, holding him with a kind of gentle care.
“His room’s the one on the left, up the stairs, the one with the green walls,” Agatha whispers to her, watching as Rio walks up the steps.
This is what she imagined when she first had Nicky.
Except back then, in that dream, her ex wife wasn’t the one she pictured sharing those fun days with him, holding him in their arms, watching movies together.
It was always someone unknown.
A shadow of the woman she hadn’t met yet.
And now… she feels like that’s about to change.
The next chapter in her life is great, strange, but great.
She sees Rio every Monday outside her window, where they flirt and Rio even once flashes her which Agatha turned as white as a ghost because a colleague was so close to witnessing her girlfriend’s boobs.
Then she sees her again at night in her home where they spend time with Nicky, help him with homework then after he goes to bed they also happen to make use of Agatha’s bed for hours and hours.
They spend months getting to know each other.
They go out for ice cream when Nicky has a rough day at school.
Sometimes Rio even hangs out with Nicky alone when Agatha has to work late.
They go to the aquarium with Jen and Alice, who instantly fall in love with Rio too and give Agatha their stamp of approval and she responds by flipping them off.
And one day, Rio fulfills her promise, she takes Nicky up a simple building, just one floor. He gets his own little squeegee, scrubbing the glass while Rio stays close beside him, extra safety railings all around.
From the ground, Agatha watches with her heart pounding, not just from fear of where her son is standing at the moment, but from love.
She loves her.
That night… she tells her.
Rio moves in with them after, along with her spider Victoria who Nicky is obsessed with but Agatha is terrified by and doesn't allow Rio to ever take her out.
They live in their domestic bliss as a happy family from then on.
And she’ll forever be grateful her love story started fifty floors up, with a gorgeous window cleaner who talked to pigeons and loved her son like her own.