"I want to know about that even less," Annabel quipped back, "save those stories for Uncle Ol." His smile brought more of one out of her, the relief she felt at finally being back with him had never really run out. Not being able to see her son every day, it was an extra punishment added to her sentence. They'd stolen her life out of nothing but blind hatred, but she had one now. The rest of her life with her son, and she didn't intend to waste a second of it. "Got a few connections of my own," she teased, "that aren't Party City." Finding Oliver in the crowd before she muttered, "it builds character...and more importantly, it's funny." Busted, Annabel offered a slight smirk before feigning her innocence, "you'd think a place like this wouldn't run low. I bet that's driving the hosts crazy. I'm not sure I'd even know what fancy bourbon looked like." With a wink, she gave him a look that promised she'd share.
She knew the blanket statement was unfair, but she did see them all as culpable to some degree. "I remember," she assured, having taken her issue with his girlfriend's involvement but it had become easier in the last year to see puppet from puppeteer. Yet, the burden his devotion left on his shoulders had still not settled well. "This healing has to be her own," she explained, though it would not be the answer he wanted, "there will always be things you cannot fix for other people. I know you wish you could. You've always been a fixer. Love is wonderful, and it helps, it supports, it's endlessly patient. It doesn't make wounds go away. She didn't make everything go away for you either, though it might feel like it when you're focused on taking care of her. Those are battles you support each other through, but have to fight yourselves." She knew he'd defend his friend and by extension, his friend's uncle, and the loyalty to his self-made pack brought a renewed smile. "I don't know that I trust what Klaus is gonna do, but I do believe Briggs wouldn't screw you over." Bringing her hand to her son's face, she met his gaze, "it's my turn to take care of you now, kiddo. Time for you to get a deep breath. You might be an adult now, but I'm still your mother. Let the weight of the world go. Maybe Klaus, as looney as he is, has an idea. The kids aren't going to be at the forefront of the battle this time."
The thought of the Mikaelsons at a Crescent party was an image. "They'd be knocked on their asses, something I'd actually like to see," she joked. Hey, they judged her as trailer trash, so she could take a little joy in those elitists making fools of themselves in the bayou. "Like old times, I do like how that sounds." Her smile was quick to falter at his self-deprecating comment, a signal she'd not be listening to that nonsense. "Siblings say shit they don't mean," she reminded him, "especially when they fight. It doesn't make any of it true." There was a softer smile as he mentioned her being smart, "I think we gotta thank the prison library and daytime television for that." It was a sad thing to have lost all those years, but it didn't have to be a sad thing. Things only had the power you gave them. Right now, she had her child back within reaching distance, sharing in his problems, reminding him how much he was loved. That was all she needed. From the second she had that positive test in her hand, she knew she'd found her greatest peace in this life. "I love you, sweet boy." Finally fixing his hair if he wasn't going to do it, she shook her head. "It does matter. You're gonna have to apologize and so is she. You did it for them, and I know that because you're doing the same thing for Marni. You've put all the padding down so she never has to hit the ground too hard. I'm sure it made you feel better, gave you a sense of stability you could control--which should have been your dad's job. I think both things can be true, and neither have to be bad. You were dealt a pretty shitty hand by this life between your dad and me, and you did your best with what you knew. You're a kid, even now, at 25, technically an adult, you're still a kid." She didn't always feel like having her for a mother made her kid lucky, but her heart filled to the brim to hear him say it. "I'm the lucky one, I got you. I'm so proud of you, I will always be proud of you. We're gonna have fun tonight, alright? We're partying on the Mikaelson dime, I think that means go nuts."