82. More Than Meets the Eye
When Nicole got home, she blew a heavy breath as she set down her keys, finally feeling the physical and emotional exhaustion from her day with Alice.
“Baby? Is that you?” Waverly called from upstairs, and Nicole couldn’t help but smile.
“Yeah love, it’s me,” she called back while toeing off her shoes.
“Hurry up. Baby and I want to be snuggled.”
Nicole’s smile transformed into a grin as she quickly made her way up the stairs and to the bedroom, removing her clothes along the way before sliding underneath the covers. As soon as she pressed the front of her body up against the back of Waverly’s, they both let out a sigh and Waverly immediately placed her hand on top of Nicole’s that was rubbing her small baby bump. Anytime Nicole had her hand on Waverly’s stomach she could tell it put the redhead into a state of relaxation, which was the cutest thing ever.
“How was your day? Did you have fun with Alice?”
“Yeah, for the most part. We went to the arcade.”
“The one we used to go to all the time?”
“Yep.” Nicole nodded.
“Remember that one time when that guy got upset that we were holding hands?”
“And then he ended up being asked to leave while the manager gave us a gift card?” Nicole laughed and Waverly joined in as she nodded.
“He deserved that.”
“He really did,” Nicole replied as their laughter began to die down, and she slowly exhaled. “Alice said she hated me today. I made her put on her seatbelt and she got so angry.”
Waverly turned around so that she was facing Nicole and she held Nicole’s hand between their chests. “I’m sure she didn’t mean it, baby.”
“I know she didn’t, but I was just so unprepared for it. She’s never said that to me before.”
“Hey, you know she loves you. And she absolutely adores you. I can tell she looks up to you a lot.”
“You really think so?”
“Definitely.” Waverly nodded and kissed the knuckles of Nicole’s hand. She could tell exactly what Nicole was thinking. “I know that sometimes I’m not the easiest person to handle right now, especially with my mood swings, but you’re always so patient with me. You take such good care of me and I appreciate you so much. You’re an amazing wife and I know you’re going to be an amazing mom too. You already are. Don’t let small setbacks like this make you doubt that.”
Nicole beamed as she leaned a little closer and rested her forehead against Waverly’s while slightly wiggling her fingers in Waverly’s hand. “With a pep talk like that how could I ever?” She pressed her lips against the brunette’s for a few seconds. “How was your night with Chrissy and Rosita?”
Waverly lowered her head and widened her eyes. “Oh my god, it was wild.”
“Oh?” Nicole raised her eyebrows, feeling intrigued but also a little worried. Wild wasn’t the word she was expecting Waverly to use to define a cozy night in at her friends’ house.
“Well it wasn’t all wild. The night itself was good. We ended up going to the bar and dancing.”
“Waverly,” Nicole said in slight disappointment.
“What?”
“You have to be careful with the baby being in an environment like that.”
Waverly rolled her eyes. “It’s okay for me to dance while I’m pregnant.”
“But around drunk people? What if someone had stumbled and knocked you onto the floor, or a brawl had broken out? Both of which has happened before.”
“I know, but you have to trust that I’m being careful and am constantly on high alert.”
Nicole sighed and nodded. “Okay, you’re right. I do trust you, I just get worried.”
“And I love that you do. It’s absolutely adorable.” She smiled at her wife, and Nicole smiled back.
“So what was the wild part?”
Waverly’s smile turned into a small laugh as she shook her head, still in slight disbelief of the whole situation. “Rosita and Chrissy are hooking up.”
Nicole creased her eyebrows. “Hooking up like...sleeping together?”
“Mhm,” Waverly hummed as she nodded her head. “Sexually.”
Nicole took a moment to wrap her head around the whole thing. “So, are they together?”
“No, they’re just roommates with benefits according to them. Chrissy says she enjoys it but can only see herself being romantically with a man. But Rosita has feelings for Chrissy and wants to be more, but Chrissy doesn’t know that.”
“Wow.” Nicole’s eyes were slightly wide. “That all sounds like something that would be written in a fanfic.”
“Right?” Waverly nodded in agreement.
“Bet you wish you had your hot wife there with you to make you feel like less of a third wheel, huh?” Nicole wiggled her eyebrows teasingly, eliciting a grin from Waverly.
“I always want my hot wife with me.”
“Good, because you’re stuck with me forever.” Nicole leaned in and hovered her lips over Waverly’s.
“Darn,” Waverly whispered sarcastically with a small smile before leaning in and capturing Nicole’s lips in a kiss.
---
Nicole heard a small knock on her opened office door that Monday, and she looked up from her desk to see Dolls standing there smiling at her.
“Hey.” He waved and entered the office.
“Hey,” she smiled back as she stood up and gave him a hug before they both sat down. “What are you doing here?”
“I was in town for business and figured I’d stop by.”
Nicole’s smile slowly dropped and she swallowed. “Everything okay?” She hadn’t heard from Sam lately and wondered if they’d had the conversation yet.
“Yeah, everything is fine. I just wanted to see my old partner.” He grinned. “How are things going around here?”
“They’re going really well actually. I just promoted Marsh to deputy and he’s been stepping it up a lot.”
“Good for him.” Dolls nodded proudly. “And Parker?”
“They’re doing well too. Very eager to learn.” A small smile spread across her face. “They kind of remind me of myself when I was just starting out.”
“I’m glad they don’t have to deal with the douchebags you did.”
“Me too.” Nicole shook her head. “Those assholes would eat them alive.”
“Well, you’re a great sheriff. And dare I say, a great friend too.” He smiled at her, and suddenly Nicole felt a little guilty for the secret she had been keeping from him. But she knew it wasn’t her place to tell.
“So, how are things with Sam going?” She asked.
“They’re good, but she’s been a little distant lately. I don’t know if it’s something with work or what, but she hasn’t been talking to me much. In fact, it almost feels like she’s avoiding me.”
“Just give her some time and she’ll open up.”
He looked at Nicole curiously. “Is something going on that I don’t know about?”
“I…” She shook her head. She didn’t want to lie, but she didn’t want to say any more. It didn’t help that her silence was speaking pretty loudly, according to the look of worry that was now on Dolls’ face.
“Nicole, what’s going on?”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell you.”
“Did something happen to her?”
“Dolls, I really can’t tell you. It’s not my place to say anything.”
He was now getting frustrated. “Is it something bad?”
Nicole sighed. “I don’t know how to answer that.”
“That’s not helpful, Nicole.”
“Look, just wait for her to come to you. She will, just be patient with it. She’s okay, she’s not hurt or anything. She’s just scared.”
He drew his eyebrows together. “Scared…of me?”
“Scared of telling you what’s going on. I’m sorry, but I really can’t tell you any more than that. My hands are tied.”
He deflated in his chair dejectedly as he nodded his head. He knew that whenever Nicole said her hands were tied, that was the signal that she wasn’t going to give anything up and to stop pushing it. He forced a smile onto his face as he stood up from the chair. “Well, I better get back to work. It was good seeing you.”
“Yeah, you too.” She smiled back, feeling a little awkward as he walked out of her office. She blew out a deep breath and shook her head. She had a feeling this whole situation wasn’t going to end well, but she just hoped that Dolls was able to be understanding. She didn’t want to have to pick sides, but knew that if she had to, she’d pick Sam’s.
---
Waverly sat in her office grading some papers when she saw someone standing at the door out of her peripheral vision. She looked up and noticed a little girl holding a stuffed elephant under one arm while looking at Waverly in curiosity. Waverly set down her pen and smiled at the girl. “Hello,” she said sweetly.
“Hi.” The girl waved back.
“What’s your name?”
“Sophie,” she said shyly.
“Sophie. That’s a pretty name. I’m Waverly.” She smiled as Sophie waved again. “Do you want to come in?”
The girl paused for a moment and then nodded before entering the room and walking up to Waverly, and Waverly turned her desk chair to face her before leaning forward.
“How old are you Sophie?”
The girl held up four fingers.
“Four?”
Sophie nodded as she quickly brought her hand back down to hug her elephant.
“You’re the same age as my niece.”
Sophie stood there quietly looking over Waverly’s features while Waverly just continued to smile. “You’re really pretty.”
Waverly could feel herself starting to blush. “Thank you. You’re pretty too. In fact, you’re actually prettier.”
The little girl grinned and shyly hid her smile behind her elephant.
“And who’s this little guy?”
“Toby.”
“Is Toby a good elephant?”
The girl nodded. “He helps me sleep.”
“Oh, I like him already.” She winked.
“Do you have a stuffed animal?” Sophie asked
“I don’t,” Waverly shook her head. “But I have a wife, and she helps me sleep.”
“Is she pretty too?”
“Yes,” Waverly nodded as she let out a small laugh. “She’s very pretty.”
Sophie looked at Waverly, as if she was trying to figure something out. “You look like my mom.”
“Well I’d love to meet her.” Waverly smiled. “Is she here with you?”
The girl shook her head. “She died.”
Waverly’s smile quickly dropped, and she felt her eyes begin to water as her heart ached for this little girl.
“Sophie!” A man called out from a little further down the hallway. “Sophie?” He said again, and as he passed Waverly’s office he turned his head and saw his daughter standing with Waverly. “Sophie, there you are.”
Waverly watched in confusion as Scott walked inside and scooped up the little girl, who wrapped her arm around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. “Honey, what have I told you about running off?”
The girl just turned her head so that nobody could see her face.
“Sorry about that, she gets curious and likes to explore.” He smiled apologetically.
Waverly continued to look at him in surprise. “It’s okay. I didn’t know you had a daughter.”
“Yeah,” he nodded as he exhaled slowly. “My babysitter canceled on me last minute so it ended up being take your daughter to work day.” He chuckled lightly as he looked down at the floor.
Waverly could tell that he was looking a little stressed out. “When is your class?”
“In about 10 minutes.”
“I’ve got office hours until three o’clock. I can watch her if you want.”
His eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Yeah, it’s not a problem. I’ve got a four-year-old niece so I’m pretty much a pro.” She smiled proudly.
“Well, thank you. I really appreciate it. I owe you one.”
“How about you stop hitting on me and we’ll call it even?” She gave him a knowing look, and he nodded as he smiled awkwardly.
“Yeah, I kind of came on a little strong, didn’t I.”
“Dude, you were coming at me full force.”
He laughed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry about that. I haven’t been in the dating scene for a while and as it turns out, my old techniques that used to work back in college don’t quite work any more.”
“No, they really don’t.” She said teasingly.
“Well would it make you feel any better if I told you that a woman threw her drink in my face yesterday when I approached her with what I thought was a good pickup line?”
“Actually, yes. That makes me feel a lot better.” She grinned and rested her chin on top of the back of her clasped hands.
“I guess I should thank you for not throwing a drink in my face.”
“Oh, if I had one in my hand, I would have.” She laughed, and he joined in.
“Yeah, I don’t blame you. I guess I have a lot to learn.” He sighed. “I guess it’s pretty apparent now that I was embellishing when I said I was a ladies’ man. My wife was always the smooth talker. Anytime we went out anywhere she would always say, ‘Scott keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking. You just stand there and look pretty.’” He laughed as he shook his head, and Waverly just looked at him with a sad smile. She couldn’t imagine losing Nicole, especially after having a child together. She didn’t even want to think about it.
“I miss mommy,” Sophie said as she continued to hug his neck.
“I know you do sweetheart. I miss her too.” He squeezed his arms around her a little tighter as he kissed the top of her head before lifting his wrist up to check his watch. “I better get going.” He set his daughter down and kneeled in front of her as he fixed the bottom of her princess dress that she begged to wear this morning. “Are you going to be okay here with Waverly?”
She nodded.
“Okay. I’ll come get you when I’m out of class then we can go get some ice cream. How does that sound?”
A wide grin spread across her face as she eagerly nodded.
“Okay, it’s a plan then,” Scott said with a breathy laugh before giving her a quick goodbye kiss and standing up. “Thanks again Waverly.”
“It’s no problem.” She smiled as he rushed out of the office. She then looked at Sophie, who was standing there shyly. “Sophie, do you like coloring books?”
The girl nodded, and Waverly pulled out a brand new book along with an unused pack of crayons that she had bought in case Alice ever came to the office. “I think there might be a couple of elephants in this one.” She winked, and Sophie gave a small gasp as she took the items and sat on the floor, flipping through the pages until she found one with some elephants on it. Waverly smiled and sat back down at her desk while looking at the girl. Someone who was that good of a father couldn’t be that bad of a guy, could he? Perhaps Scott wasn’t entirely the type of man Waverly had presumed him to be.
---
When Waverly got home after work, she pulled out some ingredients to make dinner and after slipping into her apron — which was adorned with cartoon cats — she turned on her favorite music playlist and instantly began singing along while chopping up some vegetables…
“Yellow diamonds in the light, and we’re standing side by side…” She held the knife up to her face pretending that it was microphone before quickly realizing how dangerous that probably was and dropped it back down to continue cutting the potato in front of her.
About five songs in, the music abruptly stopped and her phone began ringing. She wiped her hands on the apron and pressed the answer button before putting it on speaker.
“Hey Chrissy, what’s up?”
“Hey, nothing much. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight?”
Waverly briefly glanced at the phone while throwing the last bit of chopped carrots into the giant pot and covering it with a lid. “I’m just making some vegan stew. Want to come over for dinner and hang out with us? I’m by myself at the moment but Nicole will be home around ten. She’s working late.”
“Yeah that sounds good. I’m on my way!”
“Alright, see you in a bit.” She hung up the phone and turned her music back on before proceeding to dance around the kitchen. “Hope you’re enjoying this,” she said with a smile as she placed her hands over her belly for a moment before waving them around in the air.
When Chrissy had gotten there, Waverly greeted her with a hug. “Wine?” She knew it was the blonde’s favorite word.
“Yes please,” Chrissy said with a small sigh while kicking her shoes off, and Waverly poured her a glass of wine while serving herself the fruit smoothie she had made and had been craving all day before sitting down on the couch beside Chrissy.
“You alright? You look a little off.”
“Me? I’m good.” She took a big swig of her wine and Waverly instantly knew that she was most definitely not fine. Something was bothering her.
“Where’s Rosita?”
“I don’t know, I think she’s on a date or something.”
The way Chrissy had said it made it sound like it was something she wasn’t too happy about. “Does that bother you?”
Chrissy drew her eyebrows together as she looked at Waverly in confusion. “Why would that bother me?”
“I don’t know,” Waverly shrugged. “You just seem a little bothered by it.”
“Well I’m not. She can do whatever she wants.” She leaned back against the couch with one arm draped across her stomach while the other held her glass of wine and stared at the wall in front of her, trying to push down whatever thoughts were racing through her mind.
“Hey, you know you don’t have to hide whatever you’re feeling for her from me. I know what it’s like to be confused about something like that.”
“I’m not confused. I only like men, I know that for a fact. I’ve never thought about women like that before.”
Waverly shrugged. “I’d never thought about women like that before I met Nicole. Sometimes it just takes one person to bring up buried emotions.”
Chrissy let out a breathy laugh and shook her head. “It’s not the same thing. I’m not gay or bi or anything like that.”
“But What I’m saying is that it’s okay if you are.”
“I know it’s okay, I’m just not.” She sighed and set her glass down on the coffee table before picking up the remote to turn the TV on, making it clear that she was finished with the conversation. “Wanna watch a movie?” Her voice was back to its usual chipper tone.
“Yeah, sure,” Waverly said with a small smile. “You pick something. I’m going to check on the stew.” She stood up and walked towards the kitchen, leaving the blonde to flip through the list of movies on Netflix.
They started with Clueless, followed by Mean Girls, which Nicole had arrived in the middle of. “Aw man, I love this movie,” she said as she placed her keys in the bowl by the door.”
“Hi baby,” Waverly greeted and stood up to kiss her wife, and both of them just laughed when Chrissy mocked them. “Sit down, I’ll get you something to eat.”
“Oh, sitting on the couch when I get home from work while my wife serves me dinner? This all feels strangely heteronormative,” Nicole teased.
“You know you love it,” Chrissy said.
“Only because I truly am exhausted,” Nicole replied with a small smile.
Waverly handed Nicole her bowl of stew before sitting down right between her and Chrissy.
“Thank you love,” Nicole said in appreciation. “Hey, how did your classes go today?”
“They went well. I actually had one hundred percent attendance rate today,” which rarely ever happens.
Nicole raised her eyebrows in excitement. “Baby that’s awesome!”
“I know!” Waverly grinned. “But also, you know that Scott guy I was telling you about?”
“The douchey one?” Nicole asked.
“Yeah. Well, turns out he might not be so douchey? He brought his daughter in with him who is around Alice’s age, and he was really great with her. He actually seems like a pretty decent guy.”
“Didn’t he hit on you though, even after you told him you were married?” Nicole asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yeah, but he just seems totally lost. His wife passed away and he’s just now starting to date again. He apologized for it, which counts for something right?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Nicole nodded. “I’ll give him another chance. But if he continues to flirt with you I’m coming down there myself and kicking him in the family jewels.”
Waverly laughed. “You know, it’s pretty sexy when you’re jealous.”
“So, is this guy hot?” Chrissy asked curiously, interrupting their seductive eye contact, and Waverly turned to look at her with lowered eyebrows.
“What is it with you wanting to get with my coworkers?”
“Okay, Darren was someone I already knew before he was your coworker, thank you very much.”
Waverly just shook her head as she playfully rolled her eyes with an amused smile. She looked over when she heard Nicole’s phone ringing.
“It’s Sam. I’ll be right back.” Nicole hopped off the couch and went to the kitchen to have some privacy. “Hey Sam.”
“I told him,” Sam said, followed by a few sniffles.
Nicole’s stomach dropped. She hoped that whatever had happened, she hadn’t made it worse by talking to Dolls earlier. And considering Sam was crying, she knew it wasn’t good.