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fandomweekly2023-01-12 09:18 am
iluvroadrunner6) wrote in fandomweekly2023-01-12 09:18 am
Entry tags:
[#163] You Say It's Your Birthday (Original)
Theme Prompt: #163 - Gift
Title: You Say it’s Your Birthday
Fandom: Original
Rating/Warnings: PG-13
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 655
Summary: Jaqueline plays hardball with the local difficult mom.
“Mom! Mom! Look what Sierra got me!”
Holland holds up the collection of lip glosses in their tiny round tubs, the smile on her little face so bright that Jaqueline can’t help but smile. There’s always something special about the enthusiasm of a child when you get them the perfect gift.
There’s also the lick of satisfaction when you know it’s going to get under her mother’s skin.
It’s not that Jaqueline doesn’t like Monica. She’s tried very hard to like her, actually. But when a mother insists on putting herself above all other mothers simply because she had the ability to stay at home and prides herself on being the most conscious of chemicals and toxins that could impact her poor sweet babies. There had been an extensive list of things that would not be allowed in terms of presents, and make up was definitely on it.
Fortunately for Holland, Jaqueline knows how to play ball. She leans back against the wall behind her, nursing her paper cup of home made soda and watches as the look on Monica’s face fades from tepid interest to slack shock. Jaqueline knows that the grenade she lobs is likely to get her banned from all future parties where gifts are involved, but it seems worth it to make a child happy and also get under Monica’s skin at the same time.
“Jaqueline. You really shouldn’t have.” Monica murmurs through gritted teeth. “Lip gloss?”
“Oh, I know it was on the list but I don’t know if you know this, but I have my own holistic makeup business.” She thinks that Monica doesn’t. She tends to look down on any mother with a job, let alone her own business, so she’s willing to bet that Monica tunes that part out when they do speak. “They’re all made with all-natural ingredients so nothing objectionable in there. And Sierra told me how much Holland likes experimenting with her look.”
“Her look?” Monica’s voice raises. “Really?”
“She’s eleven. She’s at that stage.” Jaqueline takes another pointed sip of her soda, staring the other woman down. “It’s not as though I got her a full face of make up, it’s just a little lip gloss.”
All of the other moms have gone silent, watching this lobbing of back and forth between the two women. Holland already looks disappointed, hugging the box of tubs to her chest as she waits for them to be inevitably taken away, and for that, Jaqueline does feel terrible. Monica seems to sense that as well, before taking a breath and regaining her composure.
“What ingredients do you use?”
“They’re on the box.” Jaqueline gestures with her hand. “Grapeseed oil, coconut oil, it’s all there.”
Monica gently takes the box from her daughter and reads them over, shoulders relaxing some when it is as Jaqueline claimed. Then she sighs and releases it back to her daughter with a nod. “Alright, fine. Thank you. This is very generous of you.”
“You’re welcome.”
The rest of the room releases a breath, and the party resumes. Janet, one of the other moms, leans in closer and whispers. “You are playing with fire.”
“Oh, heaven forbid I get a gift the child actually likes.”
Janet gives her a look at that, and Jaqueline knows she’s not wrong. But she happens to think that Holland’s happiness is the thing that matters, and it’s not as though she got her something garish. Sierra looks back at her mother and raises an eyebrow, almost as though she knows what she’s up to, but Jaqueline just smiles back at her, encouraging her to enjoy the party.
When your little girl is best friends with the most difficult mom in school, you do what you have to do. And if those lip gloss wind up in the trash later, unused, then Holland can just come and play at her house.
What Monica doesn’t know won’t hurt her.
Title: You Say it’s Your Birthday
Fandom: Original
Rating/Warnings: PG-13
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 655
Summary: Jaqueline plays hardball with the local difficult mom.
“Mom! Mom! Look what Sierra got me!”
Holland holds up the collection of lip glosses in their tiny round tubs, the smile on her little face so bright that Jaqueline can’t help but smile. There’s always something special about the enthusiasm of a child when you get them the perfect gift.
There’s also the lick of satisfaction when you know it’s going to get under her mother’s skin.
It’s not that Jaqueline doesn’t like Monica. She’s tried very hard to like her, actually. But when a mother insists on putting herself above all other mothers simply because she had the ability to stay at home and prides herself on being the most conscious of chemicals and toxins that could impact her poor sweet babies. There had been an extensive list of things that would not be allowed in terms of presents, and make up was definitely on it.
Fortunately for Holland, Jaqueline knows how to play ball. She leans back against the wall behind her, nursing her paper cup of home made soda and watches as the look on Monica’s face fades from tepid interest to slack shock. Jaqueline knows that the grenade she lobs is likely to get her banned from all future parties where gifts are involved, but it seems worth it to make a child happy and also get under Monica’s skin at the same time.
“Jaqueline. You really shouldn’t have.” Monica murmurs through gritted teeth. “Lip gloss?”
“Oh, I know it was on the list but I don’t know if you know this, but I have my own holistic makeup business.” She thinks that Monica doesn’t. She tends to look down on any mother with a job, let alone her own business, so she’s willing to bet that Monica tunes that part out when they do speak. “They’re all made with all-natural ingredients so nothing objectionable in there. And Sierra told me how much Holland likes experimenting with her look.”
“Her look?” Monica’s voice raises. “Really?”
“She’s eleven. She’s at that stage.” Jaqueline takes another pointed sip of her soda, staring the other woman down. “It’s not as though I got her a full face of make up, it’s just a little lip gloss.”
All of the other moms have gone silent, watching this lobbing of back and forth between the two women. Holland already looks disappointed, hugging the box of tubs to her chest as she waits for them to be inevitably taken away, and for that, Jaqueline does feel terrible. Monica seems to sense that as well, before taking a breath and regaining her composure.
“What ingredients do you use?”
“They’re on the box.” Jaqueline gestures with her hand. “Grapeseed oil, coconut oil, it’s all there.”
Monica gently takes the box from her daughter and reads them over, shoulders relaxing some when it is as Jaqueline claimed. Then she sighs and releases it back to her daughter with a nod. “Alright, fine. Thank you. This is very generous of you.”
“You’re welcome.”
The rest of the room releases a breath, and the party resumes. Janet, one of the other moms, leans in closer and whispers. “You are playing with fire.”
“Oh, heaven forbid I get a gift the child actually likes.”
Janet gives her a look at that, and Jaqueline knows she’s not wrong. But she happens to think that Holland’s happiness is the thing that matters, and it’s not as though she got her something garish. Sierra looks back at her mother and raises an eyebrow, almost as though she knows what she’s up to, but Jaqueline just smiles back at her, encouraging her to enjoy the party.
When your little girl is best friends with the most difficult mom in school, you do what you have to do. And if those lip gloss wind up in the trash later, unused, then Holland can just come and play at her house.
What Monica doesn’t know won’t hurt her.
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Chef’s kiss.
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