Post by Miranda Ducharme on Oct 4, 2010 0:29:36 GMT -5
"Come with me."
"Sweetheart, I can't..." Miranda sat parked infront of the school, hands loosely holding on to the steering wheel. Shifting her body, she faced the pouting five year old in the car seat in the back. Juliet crossed her arms awkwardly over her chest, briefly catching one on the seatbelt that went across her chest. Bowing her head, her braided pigtails fell over her shoulders.
"Juliet.....Juliet look at mommy..." But the gentle pleading didn't work. The child shut her eyes tightly and tightened her arms. For a moment, the only sounds coming through the speakers was the softly playing 'Wiggles' CD that'd been playing to amuse the child. After a few seconds, there was a sudden weighted sigh as Miranda unbuckled her seatbelt and took her keys out of the ignition. Mumbling about breaking her neck, she twisted and turned her body to fit between the passenger and driver seat. Eventually, after much contorting, she squeezed into the back seat of the car, next to her daughter. The slightest giggle slipped out from the child's lips as she opened up one eye to peek at her mom through a tuft of red bangs.
"Hey," Miranda moved, wrapping her arms around the little girl. Unbuckling the seatbelt, one fluid motion pulled the child into her lap, securing her tightly in place with a bear hug despite the squirming that immediately started. Propping her chin ontop of Juliet's head, Miranda shut her eyes and smirked.
"If mommy went to school with you, Dax would want to go too...And then he'll eat everyone's lunches. And then y'know what we'll have to do?"
Silence followed for a couple of seconds before Juliet let out a little grunt of a response, still pouting and squirming in the hold of her mom.
"Then I'd have to cook for everyone....And y'know what I'd make? Broccoli!"
"Ew!" Juliet squealed, squirming more frantically. Her disapproving squeal eventually turned into a fit of giggles as Miranda's fingertips traveled over her sides, picking just the right ticklish spots. When she finally calmed down, the red-head reached for her tiny backpack. "Gotta go..."
"Mhm...." Miranda nodded, reaching over to open up the back door so the two of them could get out. Walking the child up to the front doors of the building, where a teacher assistant stood patiently, Miranda kneeled before the child.
"I'll make it up to you, 'kay? How about....Dax and I take you to school in the cop car? I'll let you turn on the lights..."
Well that was all she needed to hear! Instantly, Juliet's face lit up. Her arms wrapped tightly around Miranda's neck, squeezing for a few seconds. Pulling away, she bolted instantly towards the teacher's assistant, being lead to class shortly after, Miranda's voice following after her.
"No giving away your snack!"
That was an hour ago. Now, Miranda bounced around in the training room on her heels. She liked coming in after she dropped Juliet off at school, it was usually dead. At home, she could wear shorts with her only worry being Juliet asking about the discolored scar that branded her leg from thigh to knee. Here, she prevented the question from strangers by wearing capris that hit right at either knee. She'd started out in a sports jacket, zipped all the way up. Now, as she unleashed all hell on the defenseless punching bag before her, Miranda had long lost the jacket. Once it was shed, a dark racerback-styled sports bra contrasted against her pale skin.
Short black hair was clipped back in a butterfly clip, though some lone strands fell loose and framed her face. Streaming down her side, starting as just below the top and ending just about at her hip, black cursive stood out. 'Screw your courage to a sticking place and we'll not fail,' it read. About six inches above the small of her back, directly over her spine, a pink ribbon sat with a small pair of white wings expanding from either side. The third bout of ink rested on her waist, opposite the quote. The firefighter maltese cross, heavy with shading and vibrant in red and orange. To top off the modification on the toned form, a small silver barbell sat through the top part of her navel. Oh, the things people did when they were younger.
Short huffs of breath, laced with outcries of vented frustration, filled the air around her while she threw a constant array of punches into the flesh of the bag. For a few moments, she was lost in her own world, eventually stopping when her lungs and legs screamed for a break. Catching the bag, Miranda held it for a second to steady it. Finally, she pulled away, walking to the bottle of water she'd placed a few feet away and scooping it up quickly. Glancing around for any new faces, she paused before opening up the bottle and swallowing half of it in only a couple deep gulps.
