Girl Talk: Gwen and Solange

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

OoC: For Lori! BiC:

Gwendoline Fontaine

The floor beneath her feet was cold this morning as Gwen stretched in all directions and the pace beside her was empty, the crumpled form of a sleeping Torben still pressed into the sheets. She touched the spot lovingly, but it, too, was cold like the floor so she stood. The air conditioner kicked on and she cursed as she rubbed her bare shoulders. Who decided it was a good idea to turn the air on this early on an April morning?

Slowly, groggily, she pulled on clothes for the day and trudged out into the light of the apartment. She was met with the giggling screams of Leopold, who ran around Torben’s feet in the living room, spouting out sentences so ridiculous Gwen couldn’t tell if they were intentional nonsense or not.

Torben looked up with a wider smile than she had seen in a week. “It’s almost one o’clock. But you were so deeply asleep, I didn’t want to wake you.” He pulled her into a kiss, which tasted of his rancid coffee, but still, Gwen melted into it. How could she not when Torben had stood by her side during last week’s Clomid fiasco? When he stepped up and acted as a single parent for just over seven days? When last night was so nearly perfect?

“It’s one o’clock?” she asked, glancing around for a clock, finding one on Torben’s wrist. “Has everyone eaten?”

Torben looked away, but Leopold leapt up and said, “Chop sticks!” which Gwen took to mean that Torben had ordered delivery Chinese food from his favourite, low-quality restaurant.

“Like I said, you were sleeping so soundly. I didn’t want to wake you.”

It was sweet, yes, for Torben to let her rest after what had been a draining week, but Gwen’s hands itched to cook. Though her family had their bellies full, she could think of one person who didn’t: Tristan. She hadn’t heard from him since she fell ill, hadn’t seen him, and worried that the next time she did, it would be in his embalming room as he plied her with makeup.

So two courses later, Gwen was on the subway, making her way towards Tristan’s apartment. She looked a mess, even for Gwen. No amount of makeup and sleep could cover the bags that had formed underneath her eyes, and she still wore her hospital bracelets like a red flag for disaster. And the noise on the subway sent her mind wheeling. In the space between the track and the train formed a mantra in tempo with the ride: barren woman, barren woman, barren woman. And she leapt off the train at the next possible stop and walked the remainder of the way.

She found Tristan’s hallway to be safe, and slumped against the wall for a moment, food in hand, catching her breath before ringing the doorbell.

God, how she missed Tristan.

[blueeyeddevil]

Solange de Grace

Lately she had found herself spending more and more time over at Tristan's apartment. She was at the point of feeling comfortable enough to go around barefoot now which she did now, dressed in a sweatshirt and the same torn up jeans she'd worn on one of their first dates that were splattered with red and green paint. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, making her look closer to her actual age of 22 (23 next month) than she usually did and relaxed there in his apartment.

It was another date night for the two of them. Well, currently he wasn't there actually. The two of them had been going on and on about how badly they wanted coffee, but Tristan had failed to stock up. They'd had a big rock-paper-scissors war, which Tristan had lost. He'd been sent to the local coffee shop in order to get some for two of them. She was currently going through his unopened DVDs for something for the two of them to watch. Maybe they'd actually get to watch it this time.

As much as she'd enjoyed being able to talk to him about her past, she'd rather not delve into it again. The point was they knew they could talk to each other about those issues if the need arose. It didn't mean that had talk about it all the time.

The doorbell rang suddenly. It had only been a few minutes since Tristan had left. She smiled to herself. He'd probably left his keys behind and had to come all the way back up here and get them.
She was surprised when she opened the door to a very worn out looking Gwendoline.

"Gwendoline! Hi!" she said with surprise, certain the other woman was just as surprised by slender little her opening the door instead of her tall, broad shouldered boyfriend. "Tristan just left to get coffee for us. Come on in! Anything I can help you carry?" She reached to take a container of food from the other woman, trying to help best she could.

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

Gwendoline Fontaine

The door opened just a sliver and Gwendoline could see just a splinter of Tristan’s apartment. The door opened wider, and her eyes flooded with the site of the untidiness and endearing cumbersome mess she had helped move her friend into. But the person she faced before her was not Tristan. Instead, his girlfriend smiled at Gwen politely.

A grin broke onto Gwendoline’s face as Solange said her name and greeted her kindly. There were a million reasons why Solange could have been here—professional reasons, movie afternoon, serious business. But Gwen knew that if she were to take the news of Solange’s presence back to Torben, there would only be one explanation he’d be interested in.

"Tristan just left to get coffee for us. Come on in! Anything I can help you carry?"

“No, no!” Gwen said, shaking her sleeve over her hospital bracelet that had been chewed and gnawed and twisted in a recent night of utter grief. “I have it. Thank you, dear. It’s just a bit of food. I thought you and Tristan might get hungry and I haven’t seen you two in a while.”

And whose fault is that? she reminded herself, her hands grey with guilt.

“Speaking of Tristan, I hope I’m not…” she looked around for signs of intimacy, a rumbled sheet, perhaps, a topsy-turvy dining table, but the mess looked so commonplace in Tristan’s apartment (because he was so rarely home to clean it), that any hint of interrupted romance was indecipherable. “…Interrupting anything, am I?” Gwen asked, a wink hanging to her every word. “Because I can most certainly come back later…”

Gwen suddenly felt like an interloper, a heightened sense of intrusion overcoming her. She supposed, perhaps, it was Gwen’s way of making up for Gabriel’s lack of boundaries and incessant habit of coming in, looking for some lost tie or misplaced shoe in the middle of Gwen and Torben’s foreplay. Their walls were thin and their doors didn’t lock. Maybe it really was time to move.

[blueeyeddevil]

Solange de Grace

As Gwendoline ushered in with the covered containers of food, waving off the offer of help,Solange found herself oddly reminded of her grandmother. It was clear that Jaqui de Grace had next to nothing in common with the pixie like and vibrant woman in front of Solange now aside from one thing. Both of them had this endearing need to single handedly feed and care for all of those associated with them. That nurturing streak shone so brightly in both of them and explained Solange's almost instant fondness for Gwendoline.

And when Gwendoline said ,“I have it. Thank you, dear. It’s just a bit of food. I thought you and Tristan might get hungry and I haven’t seen you two in a while,” Solange found herself smiling.

"That's really sweet of Gwendoline. Thank you," she said warmly. "And I'm sure Tristan will be so thrilled to see you! He's been missing you a great deal." A flicker of concern lit Solange's eyes as she looked at the older woman. It wasn't like her to stay away for as long as she had. "I...hope everything is all right with you," she said softly.

“Speaking of Tristan, I hope I’m not…” Gwendoline said a moment later, glancing around the apartment curiously. “…Interrupting anything, am I? Because I can most certainly come back later…”

Solange's eyes widen and her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink at the other woman's insinuation. She had been raised by her grandparents. She was old fashion...she couldn't help it. There wasn't anything really to say on that subject. Still it was more than a little embarrassing to have your boyfriend's friend come looking around the apartment, obviously expecting to find some kind of sign you'd been intimate.

"No! It's fine! We weren't, umm...we were just about to watch a movie," she said a little hurriedly. "We decided coffee sounded good but apparently he doesn't keep any on hand. You should get on to him about that. Maybe he'll listen to you." She gave Gwendoline a small, conspiratorial grin.

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

Gwendoline Fontaine

"No! It's fine! We weren't, umm...” Solange stammered and Gwen couldn’t tell if she was looking for her next words or an escape route. ”… We were just about to watch a movie." Gwen nodded skeptically, but said nothing. Best not to ask questions. Though Gwen made her own sex life everyone’s business, that didn’t mean she had to make other peoples’ hers.

"We decided coffee sounded good but apparently he doesn't keep any on hand. You should get on to him about that. Maybe he'll listen to you."

Gwen laughed her wicked laugh. “Oh, no. I never keep coffee in the house. Or try not to, anyway. Torben will think it’s his prerogative to make it and his coffee leads to an early death, I’m sure.” She made her way further into the apartment, slower than she usually was. Each step made her feel tired and winded, but she smiled as she put the food on the counter. “You should eat that before it cold or something.”

She sat on the couch, laying heavily into the pillows for support. She patted the space beside her with a welcoming smile and waited for Solange to take a seat. “Now, Solange. I realize we’ve never had a real opportunity to have a chat, just you and me. Tell me, how are things with you and Tristan?”

[blueeyeddevil]

Solange de Grace

The flicker of concern filled her again as she watched Gwendoline move around the apartment. She seemed so tired and worn out. She definitely was not acting like the Gwendoline she'd met before. Solange debated if it would be rude to ask outright if she was okay. She thought she caught the edge of what looked like a hospital bracelet peeking out from under Gwendoline's sleeve but she was sure it was just her mind playing tricks on her.

"Oh, no. I never keep coffee in the house. Or try not to, anyway. Torben will think it’s his prerogative to make it and his coffee leads to an early death, I’m sure.” Gwendoline said with a laugh. “You should eat that before it cold or something.”

Solange laughed along as she began to set the food onto plates, setting one aside for Tristan when he returned. Men always seemed to think that their way was besteven if it made the coffee all but undrinkable.

"When Tristan makes the coffee at work, it's pretty good actually," she admitted and then gave a wry grin. "Though I did post the step by step instructions right next to the coffee maker."

She picked up two of the plates and brought them over to where Gwendoline was sitting on the couch. Solange handed her a plate and took the seat next to her as Gwen gave it a pat.

“Now, Solange. I realize we’ve never had a real opportunity to have a chat, just you and me. Gwendoline pointed out. "Tell me, how are things with you and Tristan?”

Solange smiled fondly as she thought about her relationship with Tristan. She was happier than she had been in a long time...since before her grandmother had passed away and maybe even since before her grandfather had died. Being with Tristan made her feel lighter; mader her laugh more.

"Things are really wonderful, actually," she told the other woman. "In a way he is kind of everything I didn't know I needed. It sounds really corny, but it's true." She smiled at Gwendoline. "What about you, Gwen? How are things with your family? How is Leopold?"

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

Gwendoline Fontaine

"Things are really wonderful, actually," Solange said, and Gwen wasn’t sure why she sounded so surprised. Had things not been wonderful before? What was with the ‘actually’? Gwen took a breath. She was over-thinking this and she knew it was from the medication. She refocused on Solange, who continued talking to Gwen’s delight. "In a way he is kind of everything I didn't know I needed. It sounds really corny, but it's true."

Gwen smiled. She felt the same about Torben, but didn’t often think about it. But he was. It was as if they had been two halves of a person, not fully in existence until the other one had fitted themselves into the other one’s heart. It was a sweet sentiment and Gwen’s heart gushed like Niagra Falls at Solange’s words. “No, no!” Gwen protested. “It’s so sweet.”

"What about you, Gwen? How are things with your family? How is Leopold?"

Gwen moved her mouth to speak, but stopped. She wanted to say that her family and Leopold were relatively unscathed from last week’s events. A little bruised and worse for wear, but they were still held together by an unbreakable love that would transcend any illness. Instead, Gwen simply said “great,” and folded her hands in her lap until the bracelets pressed hard into her skin. “He misses coming to the funeral home, though. And Torben’s doing really well. And Gabriel, too.”

She skated around mentioning how she was. What would she say? That she just got out of the hospital for a negative reaction to fertility drugs? No thank you. Besides, she didn’t want to lie to Solange. That wouldn’t exactly win her points with her best friend’s girlfriend. “We’ve all missed you two, though. It’s been a very busy few weeks to say the least and we were hoping you two hadn’t forgotten us…?”

[blueeyeddevil]

Solange de Grace

Solange still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Gwendoline. Normally the other woman was so vibrant and full of life, all over the place and laughing. But here at the apartment she seemed so tired and worn out. But it was more than that. Solange had never seen Gwendoline anything less than beamingly happy. But along with the exhaustion, a note of somberness reached the older woman's eyes . Solange inquired about her family, half wondering if Leopold was sick or Torben was upset over a review or something.

Instead she said. "Great" when she asked about the little boy they hoped to officially adopt in a few months. “He misses coming to the funeral home, though. And Torben’s doing really well. And Gabriel, too.”

Solange smiled and nodded but couldn't help but notice that Gwendoline hadn't said anything about herself. She didn't want to be pushy though. She didn't think that would endear her to her boyfriend's closet friend. Instead she stayed on a safer topic.

"I'm glad everyone is doing well," she said. "And believe me, Leopold is welcome to stop by the funeral home any time. He just has such a sweet heart. The first time he was there, he made this poor widow smile just by patting her hand and giving her a rock. You have a wonderful boy Gwendoline."

“We’ve all missed you two, though. It’s been a very busy few weeks to say the least and we were hoping you two hadn’t forgotten us…?” Gwendoline said.

Solange smiled warmly and shook her head. "Of course not! We've missed you guys too," she assured the other woman. "We should make plans to all have dinner together or something and catch up."

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

Gwendoline Fontaine

Gwen had forgotten a lot of things this week. She forgot to wake up a few times, forgot to brush her teeth, forgot what the sun felt like. But she had also forgotten just how sweet Solange was. But she offered her a sweet smile that was so pure and genuine. Unlike the ones Gabriel and Torben had given her these past few weeks, which were filled with pity and laced with sadness, Solange’s smile an actual kindly beam. "I'm glad everyone is doing well. "And believe me, Leopold is welcome to stop by the funeral home any time. He just has such a sweet heart. The first time he was there, he made this poor widow smile just by patting her hand and giving her a rock. You have a wonderful boy Gwendoline."

Gwen glowed with a smile. She really did have a wonderful. An argument could be made for the best boy, even. He brought an extra shimmer of light into her and Torben’s life. He showed them the pure joy of what they had been missing and he fell into perfect place in their souls. They were raising a happy, healthy, honest boy with more creativity and curiosity than could be contained. And it was great to know that Solange saw that in him, too. Leopold wanted to be everyone’s friend, which made Torben want to swaddle him in bubble wrap. Usually, Gwen hated the idea of hiding her son from the horrors of the world. He was going to learn eventually, and letting him experience them now, form his own view on them at three, and grow from when he still had growing to do had worked for her and Gabriel. But if it hadn’t been for Torben’s over-protective streak, Leopold wouldn’t be the only one completely unscathed from the past weeks’ events. Leopold was empathetic and sensitive and would have cracked like a potting plant at the sight of his Daddy in bed, sick and motionless. He truly was a gift.

“We've missed you guys too. We should make plans to all have dinner together or something and catch up."

“Oh we would love that. Truly. Torben would love this so much that his little shipping heart would go crazy! How about you two come over? That way Leopold can see you guys and Torben won’t have to leave the house.”

[blueeyeddevil]

Solange de Grace

She knew that Tristan had been missing his closest friends. It had been a while since they'd heard from Gwen or Torben. She knew that they idea of a double date would and spending some time with them again would make him very happy. She couldn't wait to tell him when he got back with the coffee. In fact she couldn't wait for him to get back and see Gwen sitting there on on his couch. He'd be so thrilled to see her again! Solange felt herself smiling happily just thinking about it.

“Oh we would love that. Truly. Torben would love this so much that his little shipping heart would go crazy! How about you two come over? That way Leopold can see you guys and Torben won’t have to leave the house.” Gwen said when Solange suggested the idea of them getting dinner together.

Solange smiled, but blushed a little at the reminder of how much Torben had been pulling for her and Tristan to get together. She'd heard about it often from Tristan.

"That sounds wonderful! What day would be good for you," she asked. "Tristan and I are free most any Friday or Saturday night. Just let us know and we'll be more than happy to come and see you guys!"

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

Gwendoline Fontaine

Gwen watched Solange’s cheeks redden, but from what, she couldn’t tell. Her cheery voice betrayed her embarrassment when she cried out with glee, "That sounds wonderful!” Solange’s smile was infectious the way it met her eyes so eagerly and she grinned toothily, welcoming Gwen’s attention in. ”What day would be good for you? Tristan and I are free most any Friday or Saturday night. Just let us know and we'll be more than happy to come and see you guys!"

Gwen found herself playing with some statuette man with pliable parts on the table next to her. Torben had one of these and Leopold often stole it to play with ‘Mama’s doll’ and hide it amongst his own toy collection. Not that Torben needed the bendy wooden man—his work was now known for its lack of structure and consideration for the proportionate, natural human shape.

She moved his arms and legs playfully as if he was dancing to invisible music. She looked up, realizing she hadn’t answered the question, too absorbed in the hilarity of a man with a metal pole up his *ss and no defining features who would do whatever you willed him to. Gwen was, in this moment, a miniature god.

“Oh. Right,” she said at last, placing the man in her lap, perfectly still. “Just come over anytime. We love surprises. Chances are, I will be cooking dinner anyway.”

She checked her watch. “How long was Tristan supposed to take? He was just picking up coffee, right?”

She resumed playing with the Anything Man. “At least he goes out and buys you coffee like a good boyfriend. My man fancies himself a good barista… he’s not. When we were first dating, I thought he was trying to poison me with his coffee concoction. Let’s hope Tristan doesn’t do that.”

[blueeyeddevil]

Solange de Grace

Solange watched with interest as Gwendoline messed with the small doll that Tristan sometimes used in sketching. Gwendoline was just playing with the doll, letting it dance around and flail its limbs. In playing, Gwendoline looked happier than Solange had seen her since arriving at the apartment. Solange was content to wait for a response from the other woman to her previous question, not wanting to disturb the little bit of peace that Gwendoline seemed to have found. Though soon enough, the other seemed to realize that she was waiting for an answer.

She laid the doll in her lap. “Just come over anytime. We love surprises. Chances are, I will be cooking dinner anyway.” she said. She glanced down at her watch. “How long was Tristan supposed to take? He was just picking up coffee, right?”

Solange nodded. "Yes, but he only left maybe five minutes before you got here. Its sort of a long walk to the coffee shop too," she admitted. "We played rock-paper-scissors to see who had to go and get it...Tristan lost obviously." A wry smile pulled at the corners of her lips.

“At least he goes out and buys you coffee like a good boyfriend. My man fancies himself a good barista… he’s not. When we were first dating, I thought he was trying to poison me with his coffee concoction. Let’s hope Tristan doesn’t do that.” Gwen said as she kept playing with the doll.

Solange laughed and nodded. "They have the old stereotype of women in the kitchen, but look what happens when we let men in..." she said jokingly. "Tristan isn't that bad, really. He just rarely ever stocks up on coffee...or anything really, aside from art supplies."

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

Gwendoline Fontaine

Solange’s laugh was nice to hear, even as it harshly sliced the silence with clean precision. "They have the old stereotype of women in the kitchen, but look what happens when we let men in..." Solange said, and for the first time in three weeks, Gwen laughed truly and genuinely. Loudly. A copy of her former cackle. If only Torben had been here to hear her laugh.

"Tristan isn't that bad, really. He just rarely ever stocks up on coffee...or anything really, aside from art supplies."

“I know!” Gwen exclaimed. “He didn’t even have a blender when he first moved in! So I bought one for him. But how can someone function without a blender?! How did he not notice something was off?” Gwen laughed, refusing to revisit the conversation that came after her talk about a blender with Tristan. “Torben’s very much the same. No wonder they get along so well. I’ll send him to the store the get cheese and milk and he’ll come back with paint and canvases and a case of seltzer water. And no one in our family even drinks seltzer water…” Gwen sighed with a smile. “Men. They’re great, but we women really need to keep them in line.”

[blueeyeddevil]

Solange de Grace

There was something about Gwen's laugh that made Solange feel warm and happy. It was nice to see her laughing so easily after the way she'd been before. Solange wanted to keep it up and teased about how her boyfriend stocked up more on art supplies than he did on food related items. If anyone could understand it would be Gwen whose boyfriend was an artist as well.

“I know!” she declared. “He didn’t even have a blender when he first moved in! So I bought one for him. But how can someone function without a blender?! How did he not notice something was off?”

Solange laughed and shook her head, placing a hand on Gwen's arm. "You know Tristan. You could put him on deserted island and he'd find things to paint with before he thought to find food." It was probably a slight exaggeration but it probably wasn't stretching the truth too much.

"“Torben’s very much the same. No wonder they get along so well. I’ll send him to the store the get cheese and milk and he’ll come back with paint and canvases and a case of seltzer water. And no one in our family even drinks seltzer water…”

Solange cracked up, covering her eyes before looking at Gwen again with a broad smile. "Tristan has told me a lot of stories like that about Torben," she said. "I don't think I actually believed him until just now."

“Men. They’re great, but we women really need to keep them in line.” Gwen sighed with a smile.

"Where ever would they be without us," Solange agreed with a conspiratorial smile.

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

Gwendoline Fontaine

"Where ever would they be without us?" Solange asked and Gwen laughed. She wondered if they had been the same age and had known each other as teenagers, if they would have sat this way and talked this way into the deep crevices of night when everyone else was sleeping, gushing and having a laugh at their boyfriends’ expense. “Probably trying to find paint on a desert island, I reckon,” Gwen said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

She glanced down at the coffee table at the food, probably too cold to eat and Gwen gasped. “Oh, no! The horror! The tragedy!” She clutched her heart with feigned anguish. “The food is almost inedible it’s been sitting out too long,” she plucked it up and shoved it into Solange’s hands. “Please. Eat. Please? Before I have some sort of conniption?”