#interaction.alicia

The children's play zone in the shopping center was the saving grace of chilly winter days when all a parent wanted to do was grab a warm coffee and catch up with an old friend while their kid climbed and tumbled and ran out some much needed energy. With school in session, the area wasn't incredibly crowded and geared more toward toddlers anyway, leaving Maggie and Hazel with enough freedom to bounce about as they pleased over the soft tumbling wedges and through the tunnels and down the slides while she and Alicia watched on, taking the opportunity to catch up during a break in their shopping adventure.

"So what's up with you and Ben lately?" Sage questioned, taking a pause to sip on the coffee in her hands before continuing with a waggle of her eyebrows, "Any spicy Valentine's Day plans yet?"

“You’re absolutely amazing for meeting me for lunch,” Sage started as soon as she saw Alicia approach the table she had saved for them right outside of Lunch Box. The little girl growing inside of her had caused a craving for a good deli sandwich that just wouldn’t go away and despite having spent a lot of time recently hanging out with her wife (or soon to be ex-wife? maybe?), the blonde thought that day would be a good time to catch up with her friend outside of the bar where she worked. There was something about being caught out and about with Vivienne that felt risky to Sage, so the bonus to asking Alicia out for lunch was definitely the avoidance of any unwanted questions or awkward interactions being thrown her way if someone were to question why she was spending time casually with the woman she was supposed to be divorcing. That thought alone caused her to wonder if the woman who had just joined her had spoken to Vivienne since she sauntered back into town, but part of her was scared to know just how close the two had remained. “So I ordered us waters, but I told the waiter we’d need a few minutes for the menu, even though this little one already decided last night she was craving a deli panini and a pickle,” Sage chuckled softly, hand patting her stomach slightly as she joked. “How have you been, though? The bar is always so crazy, I feel like it definitely wasn’t the best time to catch up.”

It was rare for the two of them to have a moment together without their daughters, who were admittedly the best of friends due to their ages and usually it just made sense to plan seeing each other around them. But, Sage didn't always have Maggie, something that she held just a little bit of jealous of Alicia because of, and she'd invited the other out on a child-free night, for a longing sense of normalcy in a world where nothing felt normal. The venue of the night was a quaint bar owned by a friend, her choices being limited between her own bar and one that belonged to Nathan Crane, both of which were locations she wanted to stay far away from on a good night out, making Holy Spirits the best spot for a good cocktail and catching up with a friend. "Do you think we should take a shot every time we mention one of our kids?" Sage chuckled, amused with the fact that it was almost impossible to go a second without talking about her daughter.

Magicians seemed to do the trick when it came to keeping two toddlers entertained, eyes trained on the man on the stage pulling scarves out of hats and cutting his assistant in two — thankfully a novel concept that didn't seem so gruesome to Hazel and Maggie. It allowed the two adults some time to catch up, talking in low whispers as to not disturb the crowd around them as they were captivated by the performance. "So how are you and Ben doing? Hopefully working yourselves just a little less now that it's so nice outside," Sage pointed out, knowing just how busy their careers could get. "Sometimes I miss the rush of a three-day shift, but there's something about being your own boss that's just really nice sometimes."

Opting to let Maggie alternate between walking and being carried would probably be a mistake, she mused as the blonde toddled along beside her, barely wanting to hold her hand as her unsteady feet fumbled over rocks and concrete, but it was good practice for someone who wanted to be so independent as of lately. And if all else fails and they both ended up tired, she would simply send a text asking Atlas to grab the stroller from her car on his way in before they met up. "As a doctor, how many parents do you see come in for back problems because their toddler is too stubborn to sit in a stroller? Just curious." The question wasn't serious and her following chuckle showed just that, glancing at the Alicia and Hazel walking beside her. "How have you guys been? Remind me to send Ben a strongly worded text later about bailing on us again, I feel like I hardly see him anymore."

“Hey, thanks for coming out with us today,” Sage started as they followed their barely stabled toddlers around the soft toddler zone of the science museum. The museum was always one of Maggie’s favorite places and although at their age the two toddlers didn’t quite have the development to know how to play with each other, she liked to think the smaller blonde was having a good time playing and learning alongside her friend anyway. “I know it’s your day off and you probably have a million and one things to do outside of hanging with me, but... it’s just really nice to get out of the house and not be inside of a bar for a change.” Plus, she was really craving the company of a friend after her run in with Yasemin and the night that followed a few days after. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to bare all of her secrets about the woman to Alicia, especially since it was a small circle before it could potentially get back to Asher, but the distraction was good. 

“I’m telling you, I feel like I’ve looked everywhere for a holiday dress for Maggie and they just aren’t as cute as they used to be.” Sage expressed, mocking frustration with a teasing huff of air blown from her lips as she pushed the smaller blonde in the stroller in front of her, matching Alicia’s speed beside her, happy to spend the day with her friend even if the outcome wasn’t in her favor. “Maybe I’m biased because it’s been ten years since I’ve had to look for a dress like this for a baby, but now everything is so... gaudy? Like they’re supposed to be teenagers before they’ve even started to grow. Where are the frills and ruffles and lace?” She plucked the iced coffee from the cupholder in the stroller and took a much needed sip, contemplating the idea of just using her own Christmas dress from when she was a baby or, possible, one of Ruby’s old dresses. But she decided against it after a second of thought. She wanted Maggie to be her own person, to have her own memories. “Have you found anything for Hazel yet?”

“You must be the bride... again,” Cora teased as she approached the woman near the bar, the other clearly taking a break as her husband entertained the guests on the dance floor. Accepting a glass of wine from the bartender as she dropped a fifty into the tip jar, she gazed into the reception area, spotting her own partner in crime for the night before her attention slid back to Alicia. “I’m, uh, Markus’ date. I think he might work with her husband.” It was vague, but to be honest, she and Markus hadn’t really talked about what he actually did for work or how he knew the groom in depth. “The ceremony was gorgeous. I’m actually friends with your wedding planner, Dilan, and she does amazing work, but nothing can beat what you and your husband brought to the table. You guys almost made me believe in love today.”