How 'bout today? on At Home

Mary Brooding-Hawthorne

April 27, 2020 10:19 PM

How 'bout today? by Mary Brooding-Hawthorne

We are writing to inform you of the passing of Mr. Brandon Smith and Mrs. Michelle Smith due to a faulty Portkey accident, and the subsequent estate distribution. Our deepest condolences in this time of loss for you and your family. At the time of their deaths, Mr. and Mrs. Smith had filed their last wills and testaments with the county office and named yourself and any legal spouses as the sole guardians of any offspring Mr. and Mrs. Smith may have had, in addition to any of the child's belongings or family memorials, such as photographs, etc. Monetary elements of the family estate will be put into a trust fund, accessible by Mr. and Mrs. Smith's offspring, to be divided evenly between them upon the majority birthday of the youngest child.

Upon your receipt of this letter, please complete the attached documents and return them to indicate whether or not you accept the terms of a guardianship transfer for their only child, son Zeus Smith. Arrangements can be made when your documents are processed. Mr. and Mrs. Smith made no request for the assessment of a case manager, and none is required at this time.

We look forward to your response, and again offer our sincerest condolences for the loss of what must have been a close friendship.

***

Greece was perfect and beautiful and warm and lovely. In one of her rare displays of skin, Mary was reclining on the beach, enjoying the sun and sand, when an owl arrived, insistently nipping at her until she accepted its letter. It was always a bit funny seeing owls on the beaches of Greece, but not so funny as to be ignored. This could be Professor Skies, or it could be a student, or a parent, or someone from Tabitha's family, although arguably the last of these probably wouldn't have sent the letter to Mary.

Propping herself up on one elbow and twisting herself part way on to her side, Mary smiled apologetically at the owl. "I don't have anything for you," she said. "Bathing suits don't come with pockets for owl treats. Go find Tabitha." She pointed at the house and the owl flew in that direction with a disgruntled hoot.

Mary pulled the envelope open, surprised to find that there were a number of pieces of paper inside, and that they all looked very formal. As she began reading, her heart stopped before returning to movement with a hyper, hysterical rate. For a moment, all Mary could do was stare in shock as she tried to process what had happened. Michelle . . . and . . . what?

A low sobbing moan escaped her chest and she realized she was crying, warm salt water pouring down her cheeks and evaporating in the warm summer air, despite the humidity of the oceanfront. She had to move. She had to find Tabitha. She had to breathe.

One step at a time. She forced herself to her feet. The sand gave way underneath her and she forced her feet to move. She forced herself to breathe.

She didn't know exactly where Tabitha had gone. She forced herself to call her wife's name, but what resulted was a desperate, begging cry. "Tabitha," she shouted as loudly as she could force herself to do. She'd made it nearly back to Darius and Evangeline's house, just a small grassy field away from the beach itself, when she tripped over something and landed hard, scraping bare her knees and elbows. She forced herself to breathe past the sobs that kept coming now.

Fear tinged the grief with a sour note as she realized the deeper implications of the letter she'd received. It had just been an envelope, a regular letter like anything else. But it hadn't been at all. She looked up and realized that Darius and Tabitha had arrived by her side, and Evangeline was watching anxiously from the back door, where she was hugging Louis and Calliope close to her legs. Holding her children. Children. Children with parents.

Tabitha tried to insist on helping her to her feet but Darius was doing the same on the other side and Mary accepted his help as she pushed the letter into Tabitha's hands. Broken pieces of words bubbled out of her mouth but she couldn't quite make any of them into a sentence. A young woman and her long-wanted husband had been taken too young and there was a new little orphan in the world. His life was about to turn upside down, even more so than Mary and Tabitha's. There were few things more tragic than that, even if Mary hadn't known the deceased so personally.

"They're dead," Mary moaned, still crying but finding her footing with Darius' support. "Read it."

22 Mary Brooding-Hawthorne How 'bout today? 1424 Mary Brooding-Hawthorne 1 5

Tabitha Brooding-Hawthorne

April 28, 2020 3:06 AM

Today's not a good day for me. by Tabitha Brooding-Hawthorne

Tabitha had been reluctant to leave Mary sunbathing on the beach for she had been enjoying seeing her wife's normally covered up skin but she was hungry and the sun was hot. She vaguely remembered Darius saying something about how he was going to make them a traditional Greek salad before she and Mary had left for the beach so, by the order of her own stomach, Tabitha made it her mission to go and find out what was happening with that. She pressed a kiss to her wife's cheek with a promise to be back soon with food and maybe a bottle of wine, if she could find one.

It was a short trek back to the house and the back door was wide open, left for Mary and Tabitha to come and go as they pleased. It was warded, of course, so that the young twins didn't venture outside.

Tabitha found Darius in the kitchen who, she was pleased to note, appeared to putting the finishing touches on what looked like some delicious looking salads.

"Make sure to put plenty of dressing on for me, Darius," she told him, leaning against one of the countertops and grinning.

Darius shot her an annoyed look. "Too much dressing and you'll ruin the delicate balance of flavours that I have created!"

Tabitha shrugged, "You'll live, I'm sure."

The arrival of an owl through the back door surprised Tabitha and it landed next to her, giving an impatient hoot, Darius making sure to shield his culinary creations from any stray feathers. There was no letter in its beak so Tabitha was momentarily confused before realising that whatever it had delivered must've been for Mary and she had sent it up to the house for treats. Tabitha gave the owl a stroke while she gave her wand a flick, summoning her bag of owl treats from upstairs. Upon receipt of three of the treats, the owl hooted twice (Tabitha hoped it was a thank you) and flew off out the way it came.

"Any idea what's arrived?" Darius asked her.

"I haven't a clue," Tabitha admitted, turning her wand in her hand idly. "It could be Selina, I suppose. I hope it isn't some sort of summons, I was planning on swimming today."

Suddenly, she could hear Mary's voice and Tabitha grew alarmed. It didn't sound right. It didn't sound like Mary. It sounded fearful, hurt and she was shouting for her wife. Darius was now looking towards the back door with concern which gave Tabitha all the indication she needed that she wasn't imagining it and she dashed out through the door, wand drawn. She would hex whoever was hurting her wife into next year. Nobody made Mary cry.

When she and Darius found Mary, she was alone and alarmingly, on her knees. Tabitha looked round and even to the sky (she knew of many flying creatures that were dangerous and it was always a good idea to be vigilant), finding no immediate threat. She fluttered around Mary, making soothing noises and trying to help her to her feet. Tabitha's gut twisted. Whatever had happened, Mary was more than upset, she was distraught. That meant bad things. That meant really bad things.

Suddenly, paper was pushed into her hands and Darius was holding Mary, cradling the small woman to his chest. Tabitha didn't read the letter at first. Mainly because she was trying to make out what Mary was saying and also because whatever was in this letter had made her wife cry and Tabitha was unsure if she was prepared to find out what it was.

When Mary finally said death, Tabitha grew scared. Mary had no family, apart from those currently standing around her. As horrible as it sounded, there was nobody left that could die. Tabitha was, of course, still alive and well and both Darius and Evangeline were still standing. Tabitha's thoughts wandered to her own family, her own parents and couldn't help but wonder if it was one of their names listed in its pages. That wouldn't be right though. If that was the case, the letter would've been delivered to Tabitha, not Mary.

Faced with no other choice but to read it as her wife was in no state to explain, Tabitha read the letter.

...Mr. Brandon Smith and Mrs. Michelle Smith...

...faulty portkey accident...

...named yourself and any legal spouses as the sole guardians of any offspring...

...only child, son Zeus Smith...

Tabitha's head was spinning. This couldn't be right. There had to be some sort of mistake. Portkey accidents happened. There were risks with that kind of travel but this couldn't be right. Tabitha knew of Michelle but very little. She had never met the woman and had never had any intentions to. Tabitha hadn't wanted to ask questions about Mary's past relationship and she had been content to live this way. Now she and, apparently, her husband were dead and some official letter was clutched in Tabitha's hands declaring them as the new guardians of... Zeus Smith? What sort of a name was that anyway?

Anger bubbled inside Tabitha. She couldn't help but let it. This stupid letter had upset her wife, had upset herself and ruined the balance of their lives, like too much dressing on one of Darius' salads. This wasn't how she wanted to become a parent. Michelle and Brandon hadn't wanted to leave their child, clearly. She didn't want to look after a child who would always compare her to the parents that they once had. A child who had already been raised through the first stages of their life. That child wouldn't be hers and Mary's. Tabitha didn't want to share or compete.

She asked the only question that was currently coming to mind.

"Why us?"

20 Tabitha Brooding-Hawthorne Today's not a good day for me. 1417 Tabitha Brooding-Hawthorne 0 5

Mary Brooding-Hawthorne

April 28, 2020 10:32 AM

This isn't about you . . . by Mary Brooding-Hawthorne

Mary was surprised to find that the throbbing ache in her chest had room to grow and it did so in order to encompass her wife. Tabitha wasn't one to mince words and she was a bit more prone to jealousy than Mary was. Besides, Tabitha didn't know Michelle. To be receiving life-changing news in the face of her sobbing wife . . . well, Mary would probably be upset too. She forced her sobs to stop, and sniffled as she leaned away from Darius, keeping one hand on him for stability.

"Neither of them had any other family," Mary said, remembering the little bit about Brandon that Michelle had told her all those years ago. Her eyes lost focus for a minute as she thought about everything that had changed. "She always wanted a baby. . ."

It sort of sucked a lot. Mary and Tabitha, the wife she loved so dearly and the woman she'd met after reeling from Michelle leaving, would be raising the child Michelle left Mary for. She wouldn't want that part to change; Tabitha was the love of her life. And Tabitha knew that Mary's heart was full of too many people not to cry over one of their deaths, right? She knew that's all it was?

She looked back up at Tabitha, searching her face for . . . what? "I'm so sorry, Tabby," she murmured, letting go of Darius and wrapping her arms around Tabitha. She held her own weight and didn't lean on the woman who was feeling nearly as much of the crushing weight of this letter as Mary was herself.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Darius look up at his wife and their children. His expression was unreadable but he only hesitated a moment before crossing the yard slowly and taking his small family in his arms.

"Will you do this with me?" Mary asked quietly against Tabitha's shoulder. "This isn't a decision I can make on my own. You know what my answer is already. But I love you so so much and I can't do this without you."

22 Mary Brooding-Hawthorne This isn't about you . . . 1424 0 5

Tabitha Brooding-Hawthorne

April 28, 2020 1:05 PM

No, it's about us and I am a part of that. by Tabitha Brooding-Hawthorne

Tabitha felt hot all over as her anger simmered within her. She couldn't stop it, control it. There was nothing that she felt would put it out. How was this happening? Who were the people that had written this letter? Did they know that they had just changed two women's lives forever? Where had Michelle and Brandon been going when they had died? Portkeys were required for long-distance travel. She and Mary had used several to get to Greece, then Lebanon and back again. They were likely to use another to return to America. Tabitha knew that it probably wasn't right to be angry at two recently dead people but she couldn't help herself. In less than five minutes, her entire life had been turned upside down.

She looked away from Mary and Darius and over to Evangeline who had a very worried look on her face, the twins cuddling her legs. Tabitha's eyes took in the confused faces of Louis and Calliope and she tried to imagine what Zeus would look like. It was an impossible feat, given that she had no idea what Michelle or Brandon had looked like themselves. Children, though, always seemed to have some kind of cuteness and she knew that Michelle had been a veela. The child was sure to have inherited any beauty that the woman had.

She always wanted a baby...

Tabitha looked back at Mary, taking her in. There was that to think about too. Michelle had been with Mary. Mary had undoubtedly loved her because that was what Mary did and Tabitha highly doubted that her wife would've entered into a relationship without feeling that love. It caused Tabitha to wonder about Mary's current feelings. Did she still feel something for the now-dead veela? Had they only broken up because Mary hadn't been able to give the Michelle the one thing that she had always wanted? How would Tabitha be able to raise the child of Mary's former lover?

Then, in a surprise turn, Tabitha's thoughts turned to her parents. How would Elijah and Cassandra react to the news? They had written many letters to their daughter, wanting to know about the future of the Hawthorne line and Tabitha had been dodging the subject in her replies or downright ignoring some letters altogether. There would be no biological Hawthorne children (not unless she and Mary decided on the other option of having children which involved a donor but that seemed unlikely) and Tabitha was worried about having to explain their decision to adopt. To include with that explanation the fact that they were now legal guardians of the child of Mary's now dead ex-girlfriend? Tabitha tried to picture her father's face and none of the expressions she saw in her mind were good.

Her long trail of questions and thoughts were interrupted by Mary's apology (why was she apologising? She hadn't killed Brandon and Michelle) and her wife's arms snaking around her. The reaction to return the hug was an automatic one as Tabitha held her wife tightly, trying to make her mind to come to some sort of concrete decision on the matter but this was massive. The decision felt like an impossible one.

Then, she heard her wife's muffled question and she felt guilt twist in her gut. She felt weak for not being able to make a snap decision. She felt weak for being scared of the responsibility of taking care of somebody else's child (not that, admittedly, Michelle would be around to judge Tabitha's parenting skills). She felt weak for giving in to her anger and her insecurities. For Mary to declare that she wouldn't be able to do this without Tabitha seemed absurd. Mary was the kindest, most-giving and loving person that Tabitha had ever met. If anybody was capable and deserving of a child, it was Mary. If there was anybody who wasn't, Tabitha felt that it was herself.

"I don't know what the right answer is here, Mary," Tabitha's voice trembled as she spoke to her wife. The letter was still clutched in one of her hands. Her eyes focused on the child's name, Zeus Smith. "I don't know if I'm capable of loving that child."

20 Tabitha Brooding-Hawthorne No, it's about us and I am a part of that. 1417 0 5

Mary Brooding-Hawthorne

April 28, 2020 3:24 PM

Exactly. "Us" is just growing earlier than expected. by Mary Brooding-Hawthorne

"I know," Mary replied softly. For all that she had a wild streak, Tabitha was the responsible, sensible one. Mary was the one who dove head first into every opportunity to love someone or to experience something. It was ironic in a way since so much of Mary's expertise was about slow, calculated movements, sometimes over months, while Tabitha's was much more about the on-the-spot response. It was clear that Tabitha was doing her prep work right now; she was thinking through every angle of the problem, every piece of knowledge she had going into this, and every possible option she had. It was a process that Mary usually respected, even admired, but that wouldn't be fast enough this time.

"My love," Mary said, her eyes dry although her face wasn't yet. She took Tabitha's face in her hands as if she were holding the most precious thing, which she was. "There is a little boy out there who has just lost his parents in a terrible accident, and has the opportunity to avoid a terrible, flawed foster system in the home of people who can take care of him and love him. You can love him because you love me and you love Darius and you love dragons." She smiled a little, surprised that humor was crossing her mind at all. "Darius is much harder to love than a little boy. You're always talking about the mythos of people who have come before us, and how perfect is it that Zeus would be the start of our family. It's not what we wanted," she acknowledged, aware that starting the process of adoption and suddenly being forced into it were different. "But it's what that little boy needs. This is not about Michelle. You can tell the world we just adopted him as usual if it makes you more comfortable. But all of this," she took the letter back from Tabitha, "this about a little boy who needs you to teach him how to be brave again."

She thought about all of it at once then. Long-winded as Mary tended to be, it wasn't because she was talking more than thinking. They would need to write to Selina, Mary could already think of a dozen questions for Isis and Nathan, Dorian would be excited and scared and sad, Mary would need to change the way potions were stored in their shared rooms at the school, and so much more. At some point, between soothing her scared wife and adopting a little boy who needed a home, Mary knew she would need to grieve. Michelle's death was a hard blow, and it confirmed for Mary that a love was never lost, only changed; she didn't need to grieve a life that they might have had, because they had each had a much better one and Mary had known a wonderful woman, even if they weren't a good fit for each other. Mary was not unaccustomed to death, but it had been a long time since she'd lost someone that close to her, and she felt nauseous.

She blinked to clear her eyes as tears came back and her voice became thick. "I really can't do this without you, my love."

22 Mary Brooding-Hawthorne Exactly. "Us" is just growing earlier than expected. 1424 0 5

Tabitha Brooding-Hawthorne

April 30, 2020 3:34 PM

I'll allow this to happen but only because of you. by Tabitha Brooding-Hawthorne

If there was one thing that Tabitha had learned during her marriage to Mary, it was that Mary was often right about things. That didn't mean that Tabitha was wrong. It was just that Mary was able to point things out from a different perspective and make logical arguments. It was something that Tabitha liked about her wife (after all, they had had many wonderful debates) but at this moment in time, she rather wished that her wife was wrong.

Having never - mercifully - been in the foster system herself, Tabitha knew next to nothing about it in detail. She had never had to research it so her knowledge was limited. She did know, however, that the general feeling about the system was a negative one. Even in the Wizarding World, stories spread about poor, abandoned children who had been placed with awful families and scarred by horrific experiences. That was one of the reasons why Tabitha had suggested adoption originally. There were, unfortunately, more than a few children with no family and she and Mary were in a good position to provide a good home. Yet, here was a child who needed them and who needed them now. They needed looking after, a safe place to be in order to grow and flourish and yet, here was Tabitha, hesitating.

She knew it was her jealousy getting in the way. At the moment, she saw the child as nothing more than a constant reminder that Mary had loved before her. That Mary had had a romance before, that another woman had existed. That, once, Tabitha hadn't been Mary's one-and-only. Tabitha hated herself for thinking so selfishly. After all, Mary hadn't always been there either. Tabitha had also had her share of romance before Mary. There was a big element of hypocrisy here too and then Tabitha began to wonder if the child really would be safe under her care or would her negativity create a bad environment? She was so focused on her internal thoughts, she missed Mary's joke.

Then, Mary mentioned the word 'teach' and Tabitha mulled it over in her mind. Maybe that was how she dealt with this. Not by looking at the child as needing a parent, but needing a teacher. Tabitha liked her students and she certainly didn't wish to see them harmed but she did not have a close relationship with them and socialising was definitely not her forte, if it was outside of conversation about studies, her subject or potential career paths. Mary was much more capable of such things. So, maybe that's how Tabitha dealt with this. She would be Zeus' teacher. Not his parent.

Finally, Tabitha sighed. In the end, she knew that she would do anything to make her wife happy and this child was important to Mary.

"If this is what you really want to do, Mary, I suppose we had better start filling out the paperwork."

20 Tabitha Brooding-Hawthorne I'll allow this to happen but only because of you. 1417 0 5

Mary Brooding-Hawthorne

April 30, 2020 4:35 PM

Not for me. For Zeus. by Mary Brooding-Hawthorne

CW: Homophobia.

The day on the beach in Greece was, undoubtedly, the first of many conversations Tabitha and Mary would have about parenting and adoption and paperwork and their new life. Mary was worried for a number of reasons, but she could only do her best. Once Tabitha was willing to sign the paperwork and that part of the process was done and sent off, Mary couldn't help wondering whether it was fair of her to pressure Tabitha like this. At the same time, she suspected that the reasons Tabitha was hesitating were things she would be glad she'd put aside in years to come.

Things were tense at Darius' and Evangeline's for the next few days while Mary and Tabitha got their things together and were ready to leave at any moment. Louis and Calliope could sense something was different, but weren't old enough to understand even if anyone had explained it. Evangeline lent her support to Mary and Darius to Tabitha, and then sometimes they'd switch, until Mary realized they were maybe being babysat themselves.

Mary did take the time to pen a letter to the Deputy Headmistress to give the woman some heads up before they arrived, and give herself a chance to put everything into words that she could think about and draft before having to express. She showed it to Tabitha for confirmation and then sent it off.

Dear Headmistress Skies,

I am writing to inform you of an unexpected change in our lives that will necessarily impact our living arrangements at Sonora, and to inquire about how we should best proceed. Due to a tragedy which has befallen an old friend of mine, Tabitha and I will be adopting a young boy before the end of summer. We are both eager to continue teaching, and have looked into various options for day time care for him, but we wanted to get in touch with you to ask about housing accommodations, whether there were any particular requirements to purchase food for the child and how that ought to happen, etc.

We look forward to seeing you again in the Fall, and, I'm sure, meeting with you to discuss these things further.

Yours,
Mary Brooding-Hawthorne

After all was said and done, they waited. And they waited. The first letter back from the county came just two days after Mary and Tabitha had filled out and sent their paperwork in. It confirmed a time and date to meet and pick up their new ward one week afterwards. It was the longest week of Mary's life, and also felt entirely too fast. The morning of The Day, Mary rolled over early and watched Tabitha sleeping for a moment, wishing it would be a hundred more. She wanted a child, and she wanted to care for this last piece of a woman she'd loved once, but she also couldn't help being a little bitter that Michelle had once again turned her life upside down and these warm mornings in bed with Tabitha were fleeting now. Or had fleeted already. Fleeted? Was that a word?

Eventually, Mary and Tabitha woke, dressed, and said their goodbyes. They'd be back soon, as they didn't have anywhere else to stay at the moment, but it would be very different then. Finally, they arrived. Mary couldn't help searching behind the legs of all nearby adults, wondering who could be hiding a small child. Zeus couldn't be older than about five, assuming Michelle hadn't actually been pregnant when she'd left Mary, and was probably younger than that. The veela had been pregnant just a few months before Mary's appointment at Sonora after all.

They shook hands, made all the proper greetings, and then the world slowed down a little bit when someone - Mary didn't pay attention to who - brought out a tiny little boy. He didn't look a thing like Michelle, which was just as well. Curly blonde hair was tousled atop his head, and bright blue eyes were shining with a mix of curiosity and sadness. Although he may not have understood where his parents had gone, and indeed may eventually forget them altogether, he knew something had happened. Regardless, there was no sense of timidity in those eyes. He even looked up at Tabitha with a sense of strong determination and tenacity. Mary hoped that was for the best.

"This is Zeus," the woman holding his hand said. "He just turned turned four in March." She eyed the two women with some interest and thinly veiled apprehension. "Will the boy's adoptive father be arriving soon?"

Mary bristled, not having dealt with such things for a very long time. "This is my wife, Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Sonora Academy," she replied, raising an eyebrow. "I am the school's Potions Professor. I once knew his mother quite well."

The woman's eyebrows came up in surprise and then, to Mary's relief, she looked mildly ashamed. "My apologies, professors," she said. Mary wasn't about to tell her 'it's fine' and so she didn't, and after a moment, the woman pulled little Zeus toward Mary and Tabitha by the hand while another staff member retrieved a suitcase.

"His other belongings can be sent to you so you don't need to take home a child and boxes. There aren't many yet," he assured them.

Mary crouched, her skirts flopping onto the floor, and she held out a small hand to shake Zeus'. "I'm Mary," she smiled. "Are you ready to come hang out?"

Zeus, for his part, broke into a toothy grin and nodded. "I'm Zeus," he said solemnly. "Can I have goldfish crackers?"

22 Mary Brooding-Hawthorne Not for me. For Zeus. 1424 Mary Brooding-Hawthorne 0 5

Tabitha Brooding-Hawthorne

April 30, 2020 5:06 PM

It's going to take me a while to think like that. by Tabitha Brooding-Hawthorne

Since the child-shaped bombshell had been dropped on Tabitha and Mary, Tabitha had barely spent a day without a headache and sleep was difficult to grasp again. She had stuck to her promise though and had signed on every dotted line she had been presented with and had filled out every last shred of personal information. She felt exposed, open, vulnerable. Somebody somewhere, had read all of that information about her. Information was power and somebody was currently holding a lot of power in their hands.

She had been irritable for most of the week though she tried not to take it out on Mary, reminding herself that her wife's life had also been changed in a huge way. She had grown tired of Darius seemingly always by her side. She understood that he was only being kind and considerate and Darius but it had felt like she hadn't had a moment alone to breathe. As a result, she'd shouted at him using some very colourful words. The next day, Evangeline seemed to be hovering around her instead.

On the day of collection, Tabitha dressed in her best clothes, wanting to make a strong, powerful impression to whoever was handing the child over. She still could not manage to call the little boy by his given name. If she never said his name out loud, then maybe none of this would be happening and she'd wake up, stress-free in the comfort of her wife's arms. It was a foolish fantasy but Tabitha hoped for it nonetheless.

Upon arrival, Tabitha dutifully shook everyone's hands firmly and was respectful. She wanted to get this over and done with as quickly as possible.

When the boy was brought out, Tabitha couldn't stop herself from thinking how cute he was. To force that train of thought to stop, she thought of his veela heritage and concluded that it was only natural that he was cute. He couldn't not be with veela blood coursing through his veins. She certainly didn't think him cute because he was now, technically, her son.

It was a shame that the meeting was coloured by the woman. It was lucky that Mary had said something to her, rather than Tabitha because the same colourful words that the Defence professor had used towards Darius probably would've slipped out and that was no way to start off caring for the little boy. That would not be a good example to set and Tabitha wouldn't have been surprised if they had whisked him away, deeming in a single moment that they were unfit to care for the child.

On second thought, maybe Tabitha should've said something.

Tabitha accepted the suitcase with a simple nod of acknowledgement about the rest of his belongings and a 'thanks'. She tried not to look at the child too much and hadn't even been intending to introduce herself. The kid could've called her 'Professor' and that would've been fine but she caught Mary's eye, her wife giving her a sharp look and a silent, stern message to behave.

She was not as accomodating as Mary, staying at her full height but did introduce herself, "I'm Tabitha."

Tabitha did not know what goldfish crackers were but knew with a certainty that she definitely did not having any (she did have owl treats in one of her pockets, though). She also knew that they were definitely going to find out.

20 Tabitha Brooding-Hawthorne It's going to take me a while to think like that. 1417 0 5