To Do List (gretson)

Reflecting light

...

Greta's batting was so damn sexy. The ball made a curve, falling still on the infield, and Greta cursed under her breath, making the whole situation even sexier for Carson who was watching her so intently she didn't notice Joey approaching her and giving her the bat.

"Go on, girl, your turn".

Carson had her mind so focused on Greta that she was sure she would make a fool of herself by batting in those conditions, but she couldn't back down now.

"Be nice", she asked Lu.

"I'm always nice", he said, but his expression showed he was ready to strike her out.

Carson was aware of Greta's eyes on her, it made her skin burn. So she breathed in, swinging the bat, trying to focus on the ball. It had been quite some time since she'd last played ball with a pitcher like Lu, after Max, only for her father, and he was no Max and certainly no Lu. But Carson felt the bat vibrate in her hands, the muscle memory so strong, she just had to let it guide her.

Lu pitched and Carson watched the ball coming toward her like it was in slow motion, she hit it with the bat, so strong, right in the middle of it, and then it was gone, bye-bye, a home run.

"Damn", Greta mumbled, but Carson didn't hear it, feeling ecstatic about winning.

"Idaho girl can bat!" Joey said, "eat it up, Gill!" They teased their friend and Greta pinched them in the arm, "ouch!".

Carson got back to the present, laughing. She turned to Greta, silently asking, did you see that? And Greta just shook her head, smiling at her, loving the cocky grin on Carson's face.

"Dad, dad, momma said I can play again now. I've had my snack, all of it".

"Oh, yeah? What did you have, baby?".

"Apples and bananas, and a cookie".

"All of that? You must be really strong now", Joey touched the baby's bicep, "wow, really strong. What do you want to play?".

"Aunt Carson is helping me pitch".

Carson smiled and helped the boy again to toss the ball and Joey caught it, then Greta caught it, then Maybelle caught it, then Esti caught it, and they were all tired of catching the ball and throwing it back to the boy, but Leo was just fine, totally energized by being able to actually toss the ball far enough for a real game of catch.

Greta walked towards Carson and Leo, knowing she had to convince the boy it was time to stop, 'cause Carson was certainly not doing it.

"Baby turtle, we gotta stop playing now, me and your dada have to go back home, we're playing tonight at Dove's".

The boy pondered what Greta had said for a little while until he decided he'd go with it.

"It's ok, aunt Carson, we'll play in our backyard", he said to Carson.

"I'm sure we will", Carson said and the boy smiled before walking away to his mother.

"He's sweet", Carson mentioned, still smiling, her eyes now on Greta.

"You're really good with kids", Greta said back.

"I have two six-year-old nephews. Benjamin and Thomas. They stay with me at least once a week, their mother's always finding a reason to drop them at my place".

"And you love it?", Greta asked, not really sure how Carson felt about it, she wasn't smiling anymore.

"I love them", Carson said, her voice so sure, but so broken, "but I hate she thinks that because I don't have kids or because I work part-time, I have to stay with them all the time, every time she needs it... and she's always pointing out all my flaws, and telling me she's worried about me 'cause I haven't settled properly, 'cause I don't have any kids, because I insist on working even though I don't make that much money, but, well, she's ok with all my problems if I'm there to babysit", Carson rolled her eyes, but she didn't seem angry or exasperated, she just seemed... sad. "Sometimes I just wish she'd get them a sitter... mostly I just feel like an unpaid worker, you know? But then, they're there, and they're sweet, and they're calling me aunt Carse, and I just let it go and enjoy".

Greta tried to speak, but Carson interrupted her first.

"I'm sorry, I'm always oversharing, I'm sorry", Carson said.

"Why do you always think you're talking too much? It's fine, Carson. Really", Carson bit her lower lip, it had been quite some time since somebody had actually listened to her, "and I think you should tell her how you feel, tell her you love them and want to spend time with them, but not all the time, not when she needs you to, you know?".

"I'm afraid she'll tell them something, and they'll think I don't love them. It feels like something Meg would do, you know? Try to hurt me 'cause I'm not doing what she wants me to do exactly how she wants me to do it".

"That's awful", Greta reached for Carson's hand, caressing its palm, "but if she's willing to hurt her children only to hurt you too, one more reason for you to speak up, she's the one with a problem, not you".

Carson gave her a tight-lipped smile and let Greta's caress on her hand ease her and calm her racing thoughts. The warm and soft touch silenced the world around her but raced her heartbeat.

The moon was up and Greta's eyes reflected its light. It was just beautiful. Carson silently wished for a world where that could be her daily view.

"You're beautiful".

Carson didn't realize she'd said out loud until Greta smirked and got even closer to her. She didn't let go of her hand, but with her free hand, she touched her chin, her thumb and forefinger lifting Carson's head.

"You think so?" Greta asked, the smirk on her face turning into a soft smile.

Carson forgot how to put the words together.

They were so close.

Everyone else seemed so far away.

Yes, we were somewhere else.

"Gill always gets to the girls first", Lu said to Joey, but Carson and Greta were definitely not listening to them, they weren't even aware the others were actually watching them.

"This is something... more," Joey explained and decided it was time to let the girls know they weren't alone, "Greta, Carson, time to go!".

They had been so close, one more second and it would have happened, they wanted it so bad. But it wasn't the right moment. Greta and Carson broke apart, the first smiling openly, the other blushing profusely. Greta didn't let go of Carson's hand, and this one let herself be guided out of the field and into the parking lot. It felt good her hand on Greta's. It felt right.

...