Participants:
featuring
| Scene Title | Babies Are Hard |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | A meeting at a drug store prompts a mom and a mom-to-be to discuss babies. Babies are hard. (Especially Walter) |
| Date | August 1, 2011 |
A drug store, Eltingville Blocks
There is a restlessness with which Delilah carries herself today, in contrast to the usual bubbly front, and the mostly rested look that she gets all the time. She is in the pharmacy queue at the drugstore, Walter in his small stroller with her, and her purse being dug through while perched on the handlebar. The line is fairly short, and in a moment she is passing on the prescription for the counter. Like many others, some of her medicine is negation drugs- which she is refilling, though the other note is for an antibiotic. Come to think of it, Walter seems a bit out of it there in his seat, his face wrinkled up unhappily, arms around his stuffed fox, a sucker in his mouth.
"Poor little guy has an ear infection?" The pharmacist coos down over the counter, looking sympathetic. She has a ring and is middle aged, she may have done this herself, once. "Give me ten minutes or so, then We'll be good."
"Yeah. Been keeping him up all night. You know. I need some things, take your time." Delilah rubs at her cheek, and the bags under her eyes. With that, she edges away so the line can move, and squints around to get her shopping bearings.
The adjustment to Eltingville hasn't been easy for Nadira. The first few days she holed herself up alone in her residence. After that, the young woman reluctantly pried herself from the relative safety of her 'home' to carefully explore her surroundings like some kind of wounded deer. It reminded her of when she had first arrived in the U.S., bewildered by New York City and everything that meant, and how small and insignificant she seemed.
Now, she was alone again in a new place and she had an entirely different burden to bear—one that occasionally decided to give her heartburn, which is exactly why she had pried herself outside and down to the drug store. Hand resting on her stomach, an almost instinctive gesture now, her other hand moves along the shelves of the over-the-counter relief, trying to decide between brands and making a note on the other things she needs.
Especially since there was no one to send to pick up necessities while she rested, now.
Relief is exactly what Delilah needs, so when she finds someone else in the same aisle, she is not surprised. They all need it. What does surprise her is that the person is pregnant, and vaguely familiar. It doesn't phase much, as she pushes Walter along the aisle nearer to Nadira. "Tell you what, I don't miss it." She exclaims, more chipper, offering the woman a small smile as she parks herself and the stroller nearby so she can scan the shelves.
"Summer was the worst. I got real fat real quick, but at least it was downhill from there." If Dee remembers the woman's face or name, she doesn't say- in truth, she feels as if she should, but it isn't coming back to her.
A vaguely familiar face is all Nadira needs to look relieved. Whatever weight she was carrying on her back seems to be forgotten in light of a friendly voice sharing similar experiences. "It isn't particularly nice, gaining weight in the heat. It's a little frustrating having to put that extra effort into moving around when it's already hot and I do not want to move," she agrees, offering a smile as she peeks into the stroller at the grumpy Walter.
"It's nice to know it gets better, though. I suppose I'm grateful to be in this stage, though. Somehow, it seems a little easier right now. I guess it's because I'm not quite ready, but they say you're never ready anyways…" She glances between two heartburn medications, throwing one into the red plastic shopping basket on her arm.
Walter does not want to deal with people today. He has his grumpy days even without the earache, but they are rare. He lets out a fussing huff of air, looking from Nadira to his hands, and the stuffed vulpine. "That's a good one, I took lots of that for a couple months, it died down after a while." Delilah smooths her skirt with one hand, gesturing to the basket after.
"You'll get so you feel like a whale, but it'll be worth it. Even if whatever pops out will be a grumpy gus sometimes." The redhead peers down to the stroller at Walter, blissfully unaware he is being taunted. "If you need any clothes I still have some around. Been keeping them in case some friends need them, I've given out some around here too. I can resize some of your clothes too, if you need a tailor. We need to kinda stick together, so consider it an offer."
"R-Really?" The Egyptian woman wasn't expecting her throat to tighten up and tears to start welling in her eyes. It's likely from the offer of help with clothing and not at the idea of amazing heartburn relief. Nadira quickly looks away, struggling to keep her composure. One hand delicately rubs around her eyes before she looks back.
"It's very much appreciated, I mean, I haven't been in here long and I'm not sure what I'll do about getting everything I need and I don't really have—" Nadira cuts herself off, letting out a deeply held breath of air. "Sorry, I just don't know anyone here."
"I know I know you, and I forgot your name-" Delilah practically melts at that reaction from Nadira, reaching out with both hands to put them on the woman's arms. "-but even if I didn't, I try to just be a kind person. It's no trouble, and I want to help." She sounds a bit sheepish for making her almost cry, but hey. She smiles brightly. "My name is Delilah. This little grouch is Walter. He's got an ear infection, he isn't usually like this."
One hand drops, the other stays. "It wasn't that long ago that I felt the same way. I had friends, but sometimes I did feel alone. It's rough." It gets better, yes. "If you are living out here, God knows you could use someone nice around, right?"
Nadira's grateful look doesn't fade as she looks between Walter's mother and the baby himself. "It really means a lot, I really thought I'd handle being here better but… I mean, I suppose if I wasn't pregnant I'd be fine but…" She shrugs. "Babies complicate things." A fingertip brushes around her eyes to make sure she's not smearing her makeup.
"I'm just not used to being alone like this. There's always been someone around or I've had the freedom to go and find someone so this is… a little strange," she looks apologetically at Delilah. "I'm sorry, I promise I'm usually not this emotional. Looks like Walter's not the only one having a bad day. I'm Nadira."
"Babies might complicate things, but it gets simple once they come around. You get to devote yourself to that one special thing." Delilah smiles again, this time more fondly. "You can get used to being here. It can get scary, with the guards and knowing you can't properly leave, but that's why we have to stick together."
"Sometimes the hormones get to you, that's part of it. I can give you some managing tips, maybe. Takes a lot of relaxing to be able to be disaffected, but it's possible. I could get pretty- out there-" Delilah recalls some of her more crazy moments with reluctance.
"I don't know. I like it being safe in here," Nadira points out, hand on her stomach. "I'm kind of scared of having it. I wasn't, before, I felt like somehow it'd be okay, but… I'm not so sure." She glances around. "I don't know how I feel about having it here. I just wish…" Whatever it was she was about to say, the thought is left unspoken.
The Egyptian breathes deeply. "Maybe by the time it comes I'll be somewhere else. Or things will be different, at least. I've a few months yet." Unless something goes wrong, but she's not thinking about that right now.
"It's safe here, and it's not. I wished I could have had my son in a normal place too, though." Delilah takes her reservations as meaning something like this. "Then again, I wish I could have had him in a hospital, instead of the back of my friend's SUV." That also. Hopefully Nadira does not need to put up with something of that magnitude.
"I hope that whatever happens, you are both happy and healthy when it passes. I'm sure it will be okay." It could be worse, technically. "You have a roof over your head and you can keep your nose clean." For now, that matters.
"I suppose you are right. I should be grateful I have somewhere to live and that there is relative safety. There's some measure of independence here, and there are some people who stick together…" Nadira agrees, her smile turning to Walter next.
The dark-haired woman moves, eyes scanning over a very grumpy babyginger. "How old is he? Other than the infection, he seems like he's doing alright here. Has… it been hard, living here with him?"
"He'll be eight months old on the eighth." Delilah leans down to brush his hair back; other than his grumpy face, he also seems to be tired. Enough to seem to be debating a quick sleep in the stroller. "This is his first serious illness, I think, unless you count the usual baby …crud." Babies are hard, remember?
"It's really too bad you couldn't meet him on a good day. What a bad first impression." The redhead chuckles, and it gets a bit louder as Walter lifts his handful of stuffed animal to bury his nose in it and let out a great fussing groan, kicking his shoes a bit. NNnnnnnnnn.
"I kind of like him like this. He's rather cute when he's grumpy," Nadira admits, peering at the baby for a moment. "If this is him at his worst, it's not too bad. You're lucky. He seems sweet." The raven-haired woman glances back at the over-the-counter remedies, idly trying to remember if there's something she's missing.
"It's good that he hasn't had anything worse, though. I can't imagine that it's ever pleasant trying to give a baby medicine and keeping them calm when they're sick. You look a little tired yourself."
Delilah seems to read something right, eyes trailing after what Nadira looks at. "If you need any suggestions, or you have some questions? I can give you my address and my number too, hold on." She starts to rummage around in the slingpack over her shoulder for a small notepad and her pen. "I live with my girlfriend right now, her name is Sable, so if you call she might pick up over there." Dee clicks the pen and scribbles out a few lines for Nadira.
"Oh yes. I'd been fortunate til now. I know there will be many more stupid little illnesses though. I couldn't imagine not being able to voice my discomfort… babies can't really tell you what hurts. Kind of like …animals, I guess. Pardon the crude comparison." She holds out the slip of paper for the other woman to take.
"I'd really appreciate that… it's starting to get to the point where everything is starting to act up and I don't have anyone to run out and get me Tums or the foods I'm craving so I'm trying to consolidate my trips out for supplies," Nadira admits, taking the paper. "I understand the comparison, though. They aren't to the point where they can really explain to you so they've just got to make their little noises. Moms are supposed to kind of have some idea with their cries, aren't they?"
"They're all a little different, but the mechanics are similar. I can teach you some of them. If you'd like, maybe you can just come help me with Walter when he's better? He's a pretty social baby." Considering that Dee practically just drops him into the arms of everyone she knows, it is no wonder. "Babies are easy when you get used to them being little humans." Delilah reaches across the shelving to pick up a box of that same stuff that Nadira has picked up.
"I have to do some of my own shopping, and you're welcome to hang with me while we're in here. I have a couple prescriptions coming up, thought I'd restock otherwise."
"I'd love to just come see you with Walter. I think it'd help a lot. And not just in terms of learning… the company'd be nice and it'd be nice to not be so scared of the coming months. I'm… out of my comfort zone and entirely unsure about this whole being a mother thing," Nadira admits. "Thanks… I'd like the company." She nods towards the pharmacy counter, where the pharmacist has returned with the prescriptions.
"After you."