She still doesn’t know how to respond to any of this. And how’s she supposed to, anyway? Lou’s so patient and Tammy’s so warm and Debbie reminds her of Willy Wonka, honestly, ‘cause she’s always so-- a lot. A lot? But a good kind of a lot. It’s a happy a lot. It makes Trish thing the Willy Wonka things she used to dream about were real, like the chocolate fountains or the rivers of-- was it sodapop? She can’t remember. But all the kids who took all those things were bad, and Willy Wonka was, like, mad and punished them for it, but she doesn’t think she’s ever seen Debbie get mad. Does Debbie get mad? She’s loud a lot, Trish notices, but it isn’t mad-loud, it’s happy-loud. Like a dog with a tail that wags really fast.

Tammy’s almost a lot. She’s so warm and so soft, like hot blankets out of the dryer whenever she used to get to wrap herself up in them. Tammy’s lots like that, and at first, she thought (and knew) she was scared Tammy would be mad. She knew by the way Debbie and Lou were talking Tammy didn’t know they wanted to take her away from mother. And when she’s something people don’t know about, she knows she’s in trouble. It’s happened before with guys mother likes. They always get big mad at her.

Tammy doesn’t get mad. She doesn’t even get sad. She doesn’t yell. She gets down really low and talks to Trish, who can’t do a lot more than look at her while she’s still holding Lou’s hand real tight. And both of them tell her this is Tammy, sweetheart, you don’t have to be scared. And she’s still scared, anyway.

There’s a record. She likes records! Movies call them vinyls, and she likes that word, too, and the record’s The Beatles, and she’s listening and humming along, counting her steps in time to the rhythm before the little steps she takes with her eyes on her feet bump her-- right into Tammy. Who smiles at her, that Tammy-smile, and says we’re alike. I knew we would be. And Trish fidgets, a little shyly, when she looks up. Her hands twist round and round and round.

NON - SEXUAL   ACTS   OF   DOMINANCE | GO AHEAD.

[ laces ] your muse lacing , tying , or zipping something for mine , such as shoes , a dress , or a jacket , etc .

The fight with the zipper lasts all of thirty seconds before the zipper claims victory. She’s an actress, not a contortionist. And the fact of the matter is that she’s in a house full of women. Well, maybe not full today. But she’s still never seen a man in the place. (It’s one of the best features). More to the point, anyone should be so lucky to catch a glimpse of her bare back. And someone will be so lucky, because this zipper isn’t going up by itself. But it can wait while Daphne slips into her heels. Accessorizes.

At least she thinks it can wait.

There are about four different reasons she doesn’t drop the person the gentle hands at her waist belong to. Namely that her meter is set to flirt not fight. It doesn’t hurt that there’s a mirror she only has to give a cursory glance to see she’s in good hands.

Cue blonde Aussie dropping next to Tammy on the couch, carelessly, like there’s no one sitting on it who will protest at the cushions bouncing a couple of times. It’s a movement carefully planned, designed to bring attention to Lou without her having to demand it ━ even if it’s just one of the Mom looks Tammy throws around every now and then. That is enough now, and Lou turns her head to look at her in return, elbow resting over the back of the couch, temple resting on closed fist. Lou doesn’t apologise ━ why should she? Tammy and her have known each other for a while, too, so she probably isn’t surprised by her manners ━ and instead, the blonde tilts her head upwards, letting the silence exist for a second more before speaking.

“Well,” Lou finally says, one of her eyebrows arching slightly during the brief pause she allows herself between words. “How’s everything going?” An innocent question? Perhaps. Tammy can answer it however she chooses to, talk about whatever she wants to. Lou’s no gossip, but just in case Tammy needs to talk about something she can’t share with everyone else, just in case Tammy needs to say something out loud to someone neutral, the question is thrown out there. If not, she can always talk about her kids ━ God knows Lou will have to listen now if that happens.