Topic: Motherly Advice

Bethany Daly

Date: 2013-07-16 07:48 EST
Manhattan was full of little cafes and places to meet, places where the curious might not go looking for certain known faces in the fashion world. It was at one of these that Bethany had decided she was going to talk to her mother, trusting to the public meeting place to keep Miranda from freaking out too much at what she was about to tell her. And it had to be today, Monday, because Beth had a feeling that after tonight, it was going to be virtually impossible to keep Miranda and Jason from crossing paths through her life. A little warning went a long way. So there she was, tucked into a deep sofa just inside a floor length glass window, sipping coffee and waiting patiently for her mother to wander by.

Miranda came breezing into the cafe, looking as put together as she always did, even if it was just to meet her daughter for a casual lunch date. She was excited and overflowing with things she wanted to tell her, mostly about Piper and Desmond's wedding, but about the babies, too, including Gabi's twins. She'd just spent the weekend in Rhy'Din and was simply bubbling over with news. She was dressed in a floral print sundress and sandals, her hair pulled up off her neck, bangle bracelets adorning one arm, a purse hanging off the other. "Bethany!" she exclaimed as she spied her daughter on the sofa, leaning over to kiss both her cheeks merrily. She reached over to fuss with her hair, the way mothers do, clucking her tongue at her daughter's choice of very casual apparel.

Who could miss that entrance" Just as well, really - Beth was half off the sofa to greet her mother by the time Miranda swept down on her, laughing at the affectionate kisses, as well as the fussing with her hair. "Hey, Mom," she chuckled, pushing herself onto her feet to hug her mother warmly. "You look great! Did you have a good weekend?"

"I had a lovely weekend! I have so much to tell you! You should see the twins. They're getting so big. They're just adorable!" She gushed as she returned her daughter's hug, pausing a moment to take a good look at her. "You look tired, Beth. Have you been getting enough rest' Are you working too hard?"

The gushing was always rather adorable, even if it did come with the inevitable comment on her appearance. Beth always looked tired to Miranda, but she didn't mind being told. It was good to know her mom noticed and cared enough to worry. "I'm sure I will see the twins at some point," she laughed at the enthusiasm, thumping down onto the sofa once again. "I ordered you a coffee, hope you don't mind. And I'm fine, Mom, I promise. Two long days at work leaves me a bit frazzled, that's all." A thought occurred to her, and a worried frown crossed her brow. "Why, do I look really tired" I don't feel tired, but I've got a date tonight. I can't really look tired on our third date, it'd look bad."

Miranda dropped her purse on the sofa and took a seat beside her daughter, crossing her legs demurely, a reassuring smile on her face. "You look as lovely as always. I just think you work too hard is all." They'd been over this before - Bethany's desire to work for a living and provide for herself and Miranda's insistence that it really wasn't necessary for her daughter to work so hard. She arched a brow momentarily, a particular word giving her pause. "A date" A third date?" she echoed. "Sounds serious. Who is he" A doctor?" She waved a hand at the wait staff to get their attention so she could place her order.

"No, Mom, he's not a doctor." Bethany paused a moment to let her giggles run their course. She had no idea why her mom was so fixated on her dating a doctor, but it was getting funnier every time Miranda mentioned it. "He's a cop. And yeah, it's a third date. I like him." Her smile faded for a moment, turning small and secretive as she looked down into her coffee, biting her lip. "I like him a lot. I like him so much, I'm cooking tonight."

Miranda blinked, lowering her hand as a particular word caught her attention again. This time the word was "cop". She frowned in concern at her daughter. She had dated at least one cop in her own past, and it had not turned out so well, though it was no fault of his own really. "A cop?" she echoed again. "Is this someone you met at the hospital?" The city was full of policemen; there was no reason to think her daughter was treading the same ground. "Cooking?" Miranda chuckled as this bit of news got juicier and juicier. "Beth, you don't cook."

Beth laughed again, a little indignant at her mother's chuckling reaction to that piece of news. "I can cook! Okay, so I can't cook much, but I can cook," she protested with a grin, waving her hand as she shook her head. "That-that's not the important thing here. You've gotta promise me you're not gonna freak out, okay' Because I really like him." Her expression had turned earnest as she looked into Miranda's eyes, needing her mother to see what she was feeling before she told her who she was feeling it for. "I really do. He's amazing, and-and I think he likes me just as much."

A waiter came by and dropped off two menus, giving the women time to decide, sensing they were in the middle of a conversation that threatened to get serious. Miranda drew a deep sigh as she sensed her daughter's exuberance about this new boyfriend, frowning in concern. "Good grief, Bethany, you're not in love with him already, are you?" she asked, as her daughter gushed over a man who had not yet been given the seal of motherly approval.

Beth snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes as she took the menu from the table. "No, I'm not in love with him." Not yet. But it could happen, pretty soon. "But I could be. He'd be ....he'd be really easy to love. He's a lot like me, we seemed to like a lot of the same things, and he understands that my job isn't a problem or something I do because I have to, without being told." She drew in a deep breath, sitting forward to take her mother's hand, holding Miranda's gaze solemnly. "It's Jason, Mom. I'm seeing Jason Daly."

Miranda softened, recognizing the longing for approval in her daughter's eyes, that and the desire to find and fall in love with Mr. Right, whoever that might be. Her expression softened, brown eyes warm with motherly affection for the one person she loved more than any other in the entire universe. She listened intently and sympathetically, realizing this was far more serious than anticipated. Right up until her daughter mentioned a familiar name, her face turning pale. "You're not. Tell me you're not, Beth."

Bethany Daly

Date: 2013-07-16 07:50 EST
Miranda had nothing against Jason precisely, but it was a little strange to think her daughter might be falling for one of her cast offs, a man who Miranda had purposely broken things off with, in part because of his friendship with Des and for other reasons that were too personal to reveal.

Seeing the blood drain out of your mother's face when you mention the name of the man you're seeing is not a pleasant experience. Beth bit her lip hard, worry dominant in her gaze as she watched her mother carefully. "Why would I lie about it?" she asked gently. "It's not like I went looking for him specifically so I could ask him out." She sighed softly, seeing this was going to take some explaining. "He came by your condo on Friday morning, and we talked. He took me to breakfast, and then we went to Coney Island in the evening. If it helps, he's a little freaked out that I'm your daughter."

The initial shock over, the color slowly returned to Miranda's face. Whatever had passed between herself and Jason Daly was in the past, and being the loving mother she was, she could never deny her daughter anything; save one thing and that was contact with her father, but she was even starting to waver in that regard. Gods, I'm getting soft in my old age, she thought to herself with a sigh. "He left me a message, several actually," she admitted. "Inquiring about Des mostly. Those two are thicker than thieves, you know."

Oh, thank God. We're doing hyperactive and reasonable today. Beth let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, relief coloring her expression as her mother spoke. "It's about the case, I think," she offered, shrugging lightly. "He didn't tell me and I didn't ask. But it goes deeper. He misses his friend, Mom. Maybe ....maybe you could arrange for him to visit Rhy'Din sometime?"

"Well, of course, he does. They're like brothers. Didn't he tell you?" She seemed surprised that she knew that much more about the elusive Jason Daly than her daughter, who was obviously smitten with the man. Well, who could blame her really' He was handsome....and tall....and strong....and smart....and funny....and sensitive....and as she recalled, he was a good kisser. He was all the things a woman wanted in a man, but he wasn't the one man Miranda had always wanted. She sighed again, tapping a manicured fingernail against the table as she considered. No matter what she said or wanted, Bethany was going to get her way in this, Miranda was sure. And he was a good man. If it wasn't for the fact that she'd slept with him herself, she might have arranged for such a meeting between her daughter and the good detective herself.

"He hinted at it," Beth admitted quietly, studying her mother as the silence lengthened. "He's a guy; they don't tend to open up about actually liking each other all that often, and ....Well, we've only known each other a few days." She chewed on her lip as she watched Miranda, wondering if she could have broken the news in a better way. Too late now. "I didn't intentionally keep it from you," she said softly, apologetic for not having told her mother straightaway. "But you were so excited about your trip to Rhy'Din and seeing Uncle Gordon and the twins, and Des ....I just forgot. I'm sorry, Mom."

"Stop apologizing, Bethany. You were bound to run into him sooner or later. I should have seen it coming. I just wish..." She frowned again, her worries following in kind with Jason's. Part of her wished she hadn't slept with him, and yet, she didn't really regret it either. What was done was done. All they could do was act like mature adults and move on. At least, the man seemed to be over her. She wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or insulted. In the end, all that mattered really was her daughter's happiness.

"What do you wish?" Despite her worry that Miranda might not be entirely pleased with this particular development, Bethany was more concerned about her mother than with her own happiness. "Mom, if this is too weird for you, if you're not ....not comfortable with it, I ..." No. I can't even say it. I don't want to give him up.

Miranda looked back at her daughter, seeing the worry in her eyes and the longing, the loneliness, the desire. She'd had boyfriends before, but nothing serious. How ironic was it that every pairing Miranda had tried to make for her hadn't worked out, until she met the one man in all of creation Miranda wished her daughter would never meet. But only because she herself had slept with him. Once, only once. She remembered more of that night that she cared to let on, but it would have been cruel to lead him on, to let him think she would give him her heart when her heart had and would always belong to another.

That night had been a mistake, but this....She recognized her daughter's too ready eagerness to sacrifice her own happiness to please her mother, and it made her heart ache with a strange mix of happiness and sorrow. Tears stung her eyes as she reached out to touch the cheek of her beloved daughter's face - the only thing she had left of that one true love that had escaped her. "Don't be ridiculous, Beth. We're all adults. If you like him that much, you have my blessing," she said, a soft smile on her face.

The hope that filled Beth's eyes was warming to see, her worried expression melting into a smile that only her mother ever saw, or ever would see. It was the little girl smile that always preceded a display of affection no one could match. "Really?" Letting out a soft laugh of relief, Beth lurched forward, wrapping her arms around Miranda lovingly, closing her eyes as she breathed in the familiar mix of her mother's perfume and shampoo. "Thank you."

Miranda smiled through her tears, happy to have pleased her daughter, but a little bit worried about her, as well. She knew she had to let go sometime, to let the girl find her own way. She knew, too, that someday her Bethany would meet someone special and fall in love, and she would have to share her little girl with that special someone for the rest of her days, but whether Jason was that special someone or not, Miranda couldn't say. "You know I can deny you nothing," she said as he returned her daughter's hug, breathing in the familiar scent of her, closing her eyes as she remembered when she was little. Had it been so long ago really"

Bethany Daly

Date: 2013-07-16 07:51 EST
After a long moment, Beth released her, leaning back to share her rather delighted smile with her mother. It wasn't that she didn't see the tears in Miranda's eyes so much as she didn't want to point them out and make her mom feel self-conscious of them, moving on with the conversation on the next logical step. "Well, that's good, because I need your advice," she smiled warmly, glancing up as the waitress came over to them to take their order. "Oh, uh ....tuna melt pannini, please. Mom?"

"Make it two," Miranda replied, dabbing at her tears with a finger, hoping she wouldn't smudge her mascara. Her little girl was growing up - no, was grown up. It was enough to make a mother cry with mingled joy and sadness. "Oh, gods, Bethany....I am not telling you what he was like in bed!" she exclaimed, jumping to conclusions.

"No - oh God, no, I don't want to hear about that!" Laughing, Beth leaned back, her expression mockingly horrified by the prospect of even hinting toward that side of any relationship with her mother, much less a new relationship with one of her mother's exes. "No, what I need to know is really simple, and it's supposed to be your area of expertise."

Miranda studied her daughter a moment. Her area of expertise was not necessarily sex, nor was it cooking. There could only be one thing her daughter wanted to know, and that brought a warm smile to Miranda's lips. "You want to know what to wear." It was not a question.

Beth fidgeted awkwardly, looking for a moment as though she was having a tooth pulled before her smile reappeared, wry and a little embarrassed. "Yeah," she admitted with a half-shrug. "I mean, I'm already cooking, so ....should I wear a dress, or would that look like I'm trying too hard" You know I'm not exactly the snappiest dresser, and I don't want to present him with someone I'm not. If that makes any sense."

"Beth, you have more fashion sense than you give yourself credit for, and if I know Jason Daly the way I think I do, you could wear a potato sack and he'd still find you attractive. Just be yourself." She reached for her cup and took a sip of her coffee, which Bethany had already sweetened to her liking. "Tell me this....What are you making for dinner" What kind of atmosphere are you hoping to create" Casual" Formal" Romantic?"

"Sort of ....casual-comfortable?" Beth shrugged, chuckling at her own vague answer. "I don't want it to be too expectant, either, but he's gonna get lucky. You know I'm not a great cook, so I, uh ....I'm going to do a stir fry, and I made that chocolate cheesecake I made for your birthday. And before you ask, I already cleaned my apartment, so he's not going to be sharing the table with textbooks open to diagrams of female genitalia."

Miranda's mouth dropped open a little at the sudden flood of information from her daughter. More information than she needed or wanted really. "Beth, I asked what kind of atmosphere you're trying to set, not whether or not you were planning on screwing him." She sighed in slight exasperation.

Beth's grin was utterly unrepentant. It had been a long time since she'd been this invested in any kind of date, and Miranda was always her go-to-girl for this kind of thing. "Isn't that part of the atmosphere" "Here, have some food, and by the way, if you don't stay over, I'll have to spend some quality time with my Rabbit?"" She snickered wickedly, bumping her mother's arm. "I take it this time around you don't want all the sexy details, huh?"

"You don't have a Rabbit," Miranda helpfully pointed out, scowling a little as she got her arm bumped. "Do you?" she countered, threatening to tell her daughter all the gory little details about her own tangle in the sheets with the handsome detective.

Beth rolled her eyes, flicking a stray hair out of her eyes as she snorted with laughter. "Since when do you know about the contents of my nightstand?" she asked cheerfully, glancing up with a smile as the waiter brought over two plates for them, setting down cutlery and napkins before stepping away again. "Thank you ....And no, I really don't want to know. Might spoil the surprise."

"You don't want to know about his birthmark then," Miranda said with a completely straight face as she turned her attention to sandwich, lifting a corner of the bread to examine the contents, as if to make sure they got it right. Maybe she was teasing, maybe she wasn't. It was hard to tell just then.

Unlike her mother, Beth didn't check the contents of her pannini, wielding her knife to cut it in half before raising one half to her mouth to take a bite. She wasn't the sort of person who quibbled too much over what she ate, although Miranda probably didn't think she ate enough to keep up with her working hours. "No, I'd like to discover any birthmarks for myself," she informed her mom with a smile, remembering to chew and swallow before going on. "So ....help! Do I wear a dress or a skirt, or hell, open the door in my pajamas?"

"It's quite a mark. Especially considering where it's located," she said, continuing to eye her sandwich because she knew if she looked over at her daughter, she'd more than likely lose it. In all honestly, the good detective had no birthmark or any other physical flaws, as far as Miranda could recall, but it was too tempting to resist teasing her daughter a little.

"Mom!" Was she blushing" Yes, Beth was blushing, and it was entirely her mother's fault. She wouldn't be imagining certain things about Jason's anatomy without that bit of prodding, and wonder of wonders, she'd embarrassed herself thinking about it. "You're awful!"

"What' I was talking about his back. What did you think I meant?" she replied, looking back at her daughter with a mischievous smirk on her face. Bethany would find out soon enough whether or not he really had a birthmark on her own. She leaned closer, that smirk still apparent. "I should warn you though. His upper right thigh is very ticklish."

Bethany Daly

Date: 2013-07-16 07:54 EST
"Okay, you need to stop before I strangle you with your own bag," Beth laughed, taking a sip of her coffee. "I do not need sex tips from my mom, especially with a guy I haven't slept with yet!" She shook her head, giggling over her lunch. "Do I need to beg for advice, is that what I need to do now?"

Miranda laughed, obviously amused that she'd managed to turn the tables on her daughter and shock her a little for a change. Payback was a wonderful thing, especially among family members. After a moment, she turned serious, though her mood had obviously changed from shocked and upset to thoroughly amused by the situation. "Bethany, you do not need my advice on what to do or what to wear on a date. If I know Jason Daly the way I think I do, he's not dating you for your wardrobe. He's dating you because he likes you. Just be yourself and wear something attractive but comfortable. It's not like you're going to the Ritz."

"Attractive but comfortable," Bethany repeated, one brow arched over her wry smile. "Look at me, this is comfortable, but I can't see a guy finding it attractive over dinner." Not that she looked bad exactly, but shorts, sneakers, and her hair scraped back into a rough ponytail was not the best she could do.

"What do you think a guy would find attractive?" Miranda countered, picking up half of her tuna pannini and taking a bite. While she was the fashion expert in the family, she wanted her daughter to answer her own question and find her own sense of fashion, though she would agree that she could do a little better than her current outfit.

"You're asking me to make a guess at what a guy, this guy, finds attractive?" Beth looked absolutely aghast for a moment, offering up one reason, perhaps, why she didn't do very well dating on the whole. "I don't know, Mom! I wore jeans and boots to Coney Island and he seemed to like that. And, you know, he liked your shirt at breakfast, but ..." She paused, actually thinking about the question for a moment. "Okay. You know my blue dress" Tie-neck, little bit loose, half-sleeve ....crochet hem ....I was thinking of wearing that. But that might be too casual - you see my problem' I'm over-thinking clothes!"

"Oh, that one," Miranda replied, knowing precisely which dress her daughter had in mind. She considered a moment. It was a cute dress, but was that the image Beth was trying to convey' Still, it was better than cut-off shorts and a t-shirt, and she had a feeling Jason would find her daughter adorable in just about anything she wore, short of potato sack. "With what kind of shoes?" she asked, needing to know the whole picture before she could come to a verdict.

Beth's face fell. "I have to wear shoes in my own apartment?" she asked a little glumly. The first thing she did when she got home was take off her shoes and go barefoot; she'd avoid shoes altogether if she thought she could trust the streets not to give her a few unpleasant surprises. "You don't think just wearing a dress and cooking will cut it?"

"Why don't you just cook for him in your underwear?" Miranda asked, trying to make a point. As much as she thought Detective Daly would find her daughter attractive in her bare feet, what was the point of dressing up at all if she wasn't going to wear shoes" "All right. I'll compromise." She stuck out a foot to show her daughter the flat strappy blue sandals she had on her feet that were almost as good as wearing nothing at all. "How do you like these" I've only worn them once. You can borrow them for the night."

Of course, had Miranda put that question to her daughter, Beth would have had an answer. The whole point of the dress was easy access; you didn't want to have to struggle with pants or fastenings on the first night. But then ....this wasn't something she really wanted to share with her mother. "Why don't I just lie on the table completely naked, huh?" she chuckled at the point her mom made, shaking her head. "Okay, okay, I get it. Those are cute. But you're wearing them."

"So, we'll switch. But not until after lunch. Those sneakers will look ridiculous with this dress." She took another bite of her pannini, satisfied her daughter's wardrobe problem was solved, at least for now. "How's your supply of whipped cream?" she asked, feigning innocence again.

At least Beth hadn't asked for a suggestion as to what in her lingerie draw she should wear - she was fairly confident in her ability to pick underwear. Miranda's next comment, however, had her choking on her melt, coughing to clear her throat as she laughed. "I'm good, thank you," she assured her mother, and sprung for a change in topic. "So how're things in Rhy'Din" You get your chance to kidnap the twins for an afternoon yet?"

Miranda smirked at the obvious topic change. "Not so fast, Speedy. You said this is the third date. Tell me about the other two." Now that she was over the initial shock that her daughter was dating a man she'd once dated, she wanted to know everything.

And that was how a lunch was supposed to go. With the potentially dangerous news out of the way, Beth fell to filling her mother in on all the details, everything from her almost accident with the towel on Friday morning, to the fight that could have happened at Coney Island, and the kisses. She was more animated than Miranda had seen her before about a man, laughter and sincerity shared with easy good humor over coffee and sandwiches. This was why she loved her mom so much. She could tell her anything.

Miranda listened to her daughter with an open mind and an open heart. As much as she wished her daughter had set her sights on someone she herself hadn't slept with, she knew Jason well enough to know he'd treat her well. In fact, she couldn't think of anyone who treat her better, and she had to admit that the two of them did have a lot in common. She wished she could take back what had happened between them, but what was done was done. If this was the man that would make her daughter happy, then that was all Miranda needed to know. In the end, she'd given Bethany her blessing; it was up to Jason and Bethany now to make this thing work.

((I love this mother/daughter dynamic - loads of fun to play them off each other! Uberliciously massivioso thanks to Miranda's player for this scene!))