You, Me, Her and Him

[andhiswife]

This, Greta thinks, is probably overdue. Jordan might not be Saoirse's age, but she's about her size, and Greta's fairly certain they'll get on. She's a little less certain about Marvin and Cu. The sheepdog has excellent manners, but there's no getting around the size disparity between him and the little terrier, and Marvin might not like it. Then again, Marvin also might not even show. She'd told Sam that Cu would be here, figuring he'd know best whether his own dog would actually enjoy tagging along.

She's also not entirely certain about the beach as a meeting place. Saoirse loves it, of course, which might be part of the problem. Even without any sign of her coat, Greta can't quite shake the fear that the seals will end up calling her into the water. It's probably paranoid, and even if it isn't, she's heard enough stories about selkies to know she doesn't want to be that person -- the one who so fears losing them that they do something awful just to keep them a little longer. But she's grown desperately fond of the girl, despite knowing what she is, and it's hard not to dread what seems like an inevitable departure.

Not that it'll be today or anything. Jordan and Sam will be distracting enough that Saoirse won't even be tempted to look too long at the waterline, probably.

She's rather looking forward to seeing them, with or without Marvin in tow. They'd checked in during the attack of all those awful little toys, so she'd known they were all right (and vice versa). But it's still reassuring to actually see them, happy and in one piece. If she's being entirely honest with herself, part of the reason she arranged this playdate is so she'd have an excuse to spend time with them without seeming... fretful. Or needy. Or other things she generally isn't.

The private insistence that this isn't all about her might be what prompts her to look down at Saoirse and ask, "Are you excited to meet Sam and Jordan?" They've only just arrived at the beach, and she hasn't spotted the pair yet, but she expects they'll find them soon enough.

Comments

[improvises]

It's something Sam has gotten used to, half-keeping an eye on Jordan while doing something else, his daughter always in his peripheral vision but his focus elsewhere. He's pretty sure, in fact, that it's a necessary skill, but it's a useful one, too. If not for that, he'd never be able to get half as much work done, or bring her with him when he runs any errands, or stop to have a conversation with anyone. Besides, right now, he's hardly worried. With the number of them here, people and dogs alike, it seems unlikely that he would miss any indication of trouble. So he listens carefully to Greta as she speaks, Jordan appeased by finally being able to get back to playing, and nods slowly in response to her question.

"They do," he says, his expression turning a bit sheepish then, "though I'd be lying if I said I remembered much of anything about them." It's just not the sort of thing he'd ever paid that much attention to. He wouldn't have thought he would need to, though he wishes now that he had a few details he could fall back on. "Is she..."

[andhiswife]

"Yes," Greta confirms with a little nod. "Her coat isn't here, though. That's why she can't speak." Or turn into a seal and disappear into the ocean forever, but Greta's not exactly distraught about that part.

"She still does have a bit of magic about her, though." This isn't home, where such a thing would be admitted in hushed tones, and Greta makes an effort -- for Saoirse's sake -- to sound casual. It helps that her magic really does seem harmless. "When she plays her shell, these little fairy lights appear. They don't really seem to do much but look pretty, but they're a bit of a shock if you're not expecting them."

Greta hesitates for a beat, then decides she has to at least touch on the seals. If they do this again, especially once the weather warms, he and Jordan are bound to notice, anyway. "And there are the seals. They seem drawn to her, and she to them, especially if she gets close to the water." She scrapes her hair back, frowning a little in spite of herself. "She knows it's too cold for swimming, but..." she lets out a breath and shrugs uneasily.