Chapter Text
i am caught off guard by you
like a wave i’m pulled into
it’s a feeling i can’t fight
like a wildfire deep inside
Tim Bradford felt completely drained and irritated. After spending the past few weeks in Colorado with his twin girls, visiting his sister and nephews, he was craving a long break. A break from the endless whirlwind of parenting two energetic toddlers.
So, when he received the news that their flight home was canceled, his frustration only deepened. All he had hoped for was a smooth return trip — a flight where his three-year-old twins would hopefully sleep for most of the ride and be on their best behavior.
Instead, the situation unfolded in a completely different direction.
At the airport gate, his girls were running around in circles, laughing loudly, their hair wild and untamed.
The dark, curly hair belonged to Marlowe, the quieter of the two. She had always been a thoughtful child, someone who loved drawing, observing animals, and spending time outside in the dirt. Though she was wise beyond her years, and often more reserved, Marlowe had a deep understanding of how to adapt to a situation. She was always well-behaved when it counted.
On the other hand, June’s straight blonde hair framed her face as she dashed about with boundless energy, completely fearless. June was the more outspoken one, full of curiosity, ready to tell you elaborate stories from her imaginative world. She loved jumping from high places, often scaring her father half to death, and she always tested how far she could push his patience.
Though they were twins, the differences between the two girls were undeniable. Yet, right now, both of them were a chaotic bundle of energy, their hair unkempt and their hands sticky from the donuts they’d just eaten, which had also left a small stain on one of their sweaters.
Normally, Tim would’ve urged his daughters to clean up and settle down, but today, he didn’t have the energy for any of that. He wasn’t in the mood to enforce the usual rules about quieting down.
He knew that it wasn’t entirely their fault. While he could feel his own irritation with the flight cancellation building, his girls seemed to be experiencing a rare moment of freedom. They’d been strapped into their strollers for hours that morning — from the drive to the airport to getting through security. Now, they had the chance to finally stretch their legs.
If they wanted to run around and burn off some energy, he wasn’t about to stop them. And if anyone had an issue with it, they could approach him directly, and he’d politely ask them to mind their own business.
As Tim watched his daughters play, lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the woman who had taken a seat next to him until she spoke.
‘It’s refreshing to see little kids so carefree. If only the world were a bit more like that,’ she said softly.
Tim quickly turned his head, startled. He was immediately struck by the woman sitting next to him. She had hazel eyes that twinkled with amusement and mischief, and her brown curls framed her face in a way that made her look effortlessly beautiful. Her lips curved into a slight smile as she looked at him.
It took Tim a moment to gather his thoughts, and when he finally managed to speak, he replied, ‘It is. Though I’m hoping they calm down a little before we leave. I don’t think the other passengers would appreciate two wild toddlers running around.’
They both laughed, their gazes drifting toward the girls.
‘They’re adorable,’ the woman remarked softly, watching as the twins sprinted back toward their father. The blonde one hopped onto his lap and stared at the woman intently, while the darker-haired one took a more cautious, appraising look.
The blonde girl tilted her head. ‘Who are you?’
‘I’m Lucy. Who are you?’ she asked with a warm smile, glancing from the girls to Tim.
‘I’m June,’ the little girl answered, holding up three fingers. ‘I’m thwee!’
‘Oh, so you’re a big girl then?’ Lucy said with a teasing grin, before turning her attention to the quieter twin, leaning forward a little to be more on her level. ‘And who are you?’
Unlike June, Marlowe hesitated, her gaze shifting between her father and the stranger. She only spoke when Tim gave her a subtle nod of encouragement.
‘I’m Marlowe,’ she said softly, then climbed into her father’s lap. ‘I’m also three.’
Lucy chuckled. ‘So, you’re twins, huh? That must be a lot of fun.’
June gave a quick nod before she darted off again, her energy relentless. Marlowe stayed close to Tim, content in his lap.
‘It’s a lot of fun, until you’re stuck at an airport alone with them and no help,’ Tim said with a rueful laugh, absentmindedly running his fingers through Marlowe’s hair. ‘It’s just me today, and usually, I can handle them just fine, but this is a bit more than I bargained for.’
As Tim spoke, he found himself wondering why he was opening up to a total stranger. She hadn’t asked, but he felt compelled to explain.
Lucy studied him for a moment, then gave him a small, reassuring smile. ‘I think you’re doing great. They seem happy and at ease, they’re brave enough to talk to strangers — that’s a big deal at their age. They look like they’re enjoying themselves.’
Tim couldn’t help but blush at her kind words. ‘I try,’ he mumbled.
He watched the girls for a moment, noting that they were probably getting hungry again.
‘I should probably get them some food,’ he muttered to himself, barely noticing that Lucy was still listening. ‘But how am I supposed to get them to the other side of this endless hallway without losing all our stuff?’
He was lost in thought when Lucy spoke again.
‘If… if you don’t mind, I could watch them for you while you grab something to eat,’ she offered cautiously, her voice soft but sincere.
Tim blinked, surprised. Under normal circumstances, he would never let a stranger take charge of his daughters, but for some reason, he trusted her. She gave off a calm, warm energy that put him at ease.
‘You’d do that? You’d watch these little tornadoes so I can get some food?’ Tim asked, his voice filled with disbelief and a small grin tugging at his lips.
Lucy chuckled. ‘You don’t think I’m up to the task?’
‘No, no! I mean, yes, I think you can handle it. It’s just really kind of you to offer.’
Lucy shrugged. ‘I don’t mind. They’ll be fine. You go get something to eat.’
Tim hesitated for just a second longer before calling over his daughters. He told them to stay with Lucy while he went to grab them some food. Both girls smiled at Lucy, then resumed their playing.
‘Thank you again,’ Tim said, his voice sincere. ‘Can I get you anything? My treat, for looking after the girls.’
Lucy waved it off. ‘You don’t have to, I’m good.’
But Tim wasn’t going to let it slide that easily. ‘You’ve been here just as long as we have. You’ve got to be hungry. Let me get you something.’
Lucy finally relented with a smile. ‘Okay, some fries and a drink would be nice.’
With that, Tim headed off to get the food, feeling a little lighter than before.
———
By the time Tim returned, 21 minutes later, his daughters had clearly warmed to Lucy.
Marlowe was curled up on Lucy’s lap, her head resting against her shoulder, while June was showing off her latest dance moves, full of energy and animated excitement.
Tim was stunned. His girls had always been cautious around strangers, and never bonded this quickly with someone outside of their close family. To see them interact so easily with Lucy was a complete surprise — and a welcome one.
His daughters had seen too much pain in their short life. Most of it was brought on by their own mother, Isabel.
It had started during the pregnancy, during which she still got high and disappeared for days or even weeks on end, causing Tim to find out when Isabel was already 5 months along.
He had begged her to go to a doctor with him, to check up on their baby, only to find out it was twins which send Isabel spiraling; she had been denying the pregnancy as much as she could, but now that she knew there were 2 babies growing inside her, it became harder to do so.
She didn’t want to become a mom, she had dreams and wanted to be free.
The complete opposite of what she once was and what Tim was longing for, too.
She had ended up delivering early, and the girls were admitted to the NICU immediately. They had shown signs of withdrawal, were too small and not as healthy as they should be.
Isabel was in and out of their lives, Tim the only stable factor. And after one year of back and forth about being a part of their lives, Isabel signed away her parental rights and moved to another country without telling Tim, or anybody, really.
The amount of trauma their mom inflicted on the two little girls was enormous, leaving them with separation anxiety, general anxiety, a fear of bonding and a fear of abandonment.
Tim wasn’t quite sure if his girls would ever be able to overcome it, but when he sees the sight in front of them, the girls laughing with Lucy and being comfortable around her, there might just be a chance.
When he approached, he couldn’t help but smile at the scene before him.
‘Did you two behave for Lucy?’ he asked, a small grin playing on his lips.
Both girls nodded eagerly, their eyes fixed on the food he had brought.
‘Yes!’ Marlowe said, still sitting on Lucy’s lap. ‘Can we have food now, please?’
Tim chuckled and quickly served everyone their meals: fries, veggie burgers, and a vanilla milkshake for Lucy.
‘I hope you like the veggie burger,’ he said, offering the meal with a nervous smile.
Lucy’s eyes sparkled with genuine surprise. ‘Well, you must have a sixth sense because veggie burgers are my favorite. Thank you, Tim,’ she said, her voice full of warmth.
Tim grinned, feeling the heat in his cheeks. He quickly scooped up June and settled her in his lap before they all dug into their food.
They ate together, hungry and content, with Marlowe even asking Lucy for a little help as she fumbled with her food, and she did with such care and kindness it had warmed Tims heart.
Marlowe had been unable to open her barbecue sauce, even though she was hyper focused, the tip of her tongue between her lips as she had tried. When she realized she probably wouldn’t succeed on her own, she had turned to Lucy, and looked at her for a moment before she asked her to help.
‘Of course, sweetheart’ she had said, and opened the sauce for Marlowe, and then handed her the nuggets one by one, forgoing her own food until Marlowe had been full.
She had taken her and her sister to the bathroom to clean their hands and face, and when they had come back, she could see from the longing look in Marlowes eyes she wanted to be back in her lap.
She had extended her arms, picking the little girl up and placing her comfortably in her lap, letting her snuggle into her, just like June was doing on her dads lap.
Before long, both girls were sound asleep in their laps, completely worn out from the excitement of the day.
Tim sat back, staring at the sight in front of him, his heart full of both happiness and amazement. He couldn’t believe how easily Lucy had won over his daughters, especially Marlowe, who rarely trusted anyone outside their family.
Lucy must have noticed his lingering gaze, because she gently brushed a strand of hair from Marlowe’s face and looked up at him. ‘Are you okay?’
Tim took a deep breath, then replied, ‘Yeah, it’s just… it amazes me how quickly they’ve taken to you. Marlowe especially. She’s usually so wary of strangers, and yet, here she is, sleeping in your lap.’
Lucy’s voice softened. ‘It’s amazing, isn’t it? Kids can seem so carefree, but they know who they can trust and who they can’t.’
‘You seem to know a lot about that,’ Tim observed. ‘Do you have kids?’
Lucy shook her head, smiling a little. ‘Not yet. I have a degree in psychology, specifically in child development.’
‘Ah, that makes sense,’ Tim said, impressed. ‘So, you’re a therapist or something?’
Lucy’s smile faltered slightly, and Tim immediately picked up on it. ‘I’m not, actually. Maybe someday, but for now, I’m working in a different field.’
She knew she wouldn’t go back into the field, not if she had a choice. It would remind her too much of her parents, who were nothing but manipulative, obeying and cold.
Lucy had never been very familiar with the concept of parental love, and while she thought she might be able to enjoy it through seeing it in the families she was helping, it turned out to be too much of a confrontation, and just made her feel incredibly sad.
Being a police officer fit her way better, and she was glad that she had made that choice for herself, and for once not let her parents dictate her life. And while she felt proud of herself, she also felt sad she couldn’t share that with her parents.
Tim saw the sadness flicker in her eyes but didn’t press further. Instead, he changed the topic. ‘What brought you to Colorado?’
‘Meeting up with my best friend for the holidays,’ Lucy explained. ‘We’ve both just gotten out of relationships, so we figured we’d spend the holidays together.’
‘That sounds nice,’ Tim said, though he stumbled over his words. ‘Not the breakup part, of course, but… spending time with your friend. That sounds good.’
Lucy laughed. ‘Yeah, it was a lot of fun. What about you? Why were you here?’
Tim shrugged. ‘Visiting family. My sister and her kids. It’s usually the other way around, but I thought the girls might enjoy some snow. Plus, I needed a break from LA. And I couldn’t keep avoiding flying alone with them.’
They spent the next few hours talking, sharing small anecdotes, until they were interrupted by another announcement about their delayed flight.
———
Hours later, as the flight was delayed again, Tim muttered under his breath, ‘Shit.’
His low exclamation caught June’s attention, and she immediately woke up, rubbing her eyes.
‘Bad wojd, daddy,’ she murmured sleepily.
Tim and Lucy laughed, the sound of it waking Marlowe.
‘Plane?’ Marlowe asked, glancing between Tim and Lucy.
Tim shook his head. ‘Not yet, sweetheart. We have to go to a hotel tonight because the flight won’t leave until tomorrow.’
Marlowe snuggled back into Lucy’s arms. ‘Are you coming to the hotel with us, Lucy?’ she asked, her voice full of hope.
‘I don’t know,’ Lucy replied softly. ‘But I’d like to. You and June are pretty cool, and I guess your dad is okay too.’
Tim raised an eyebrow, feigning indignation. ‘Just okay?’
‘Okay, okay. You’re cool too, Tim,’ Lucy teased, her voice warm.
As the group prepared to head to the hotel, it turned out that Lucy was indeed staying at the same hotel as Tim and the girls.
Tim couldn’t help but marvel at the sight of Marlowe walking alongside Lucy, her hand tightly holding Lucy’s as they made their way out of the airport.
He still didn’t fully understand how Lucy had managed to break down the walls Marlowe had built up, but for now, he was just grateful for the connection she’d made with his daughters.
And as they boarded the shuttle to the hotel, Tim and Lucy exchanged a quiet smile, unaware of the future that lay ahead.