Chapter Text
August 4, 1959 Reno, Nevada.
Cay stood there for a minute after Frances sped off in her wagon.
“Hey.” She jumped as Vivian came up behind her. “Are you okay?” Vivian placed her hand on her back, causing a tingle that went up and down Cay’s spine. Cay smiled at her and held out her bouquet of flowers.
“I am now. Here, these are for you.” Vivian blushed and looked down at Cay’s hand, smiling softly as she took the flowers from her.
“Thank you.” She whispered. Cay grinned and placed her hand on the small of Vivian’s back, leading her to the parking lot where her car had been dropped off earlier.
“You’re welcome. Um……sorry about that, by the way.”
“Hmm?”
“Frances. I know she brushed you off. That wasn’t very nice of her.” Vivian shrugged and brought the bouquet up to her nose to smell the fresh scent of the white roses.
“It is what it is, Cay. She’s made up her mind about me. But I’m glad you two talked and you seem good now.” Cay sighed and opened the passenger door for her date, looking down to admire her beautiful legs as Vivian settled into her seat. She ran around to the other side and, after taking her shoes off, jumped in without opening her door. “Cay!”
“What?”
“You’re in a dress!” Cay laughed and tossed her shoes and her maiden hat onto the charred cave of her back seat.
“There’s no one here! Everyone took off. Besides, you’ve seen it all, anyways.” Vivian rolled her eyes and shook her head but Cay caught her smiling from the corner of her eye. She grinned before throwing the car in reverse and gunning it out of the lot way faster than she should have.
“Slow down!” Cay laughed again and looked over at the love of her life, taking in every bit of her sunshine while she could. Suddenly she felt a strong pain in her chest. The thought she had been avoiding like the plague was not only here , it was now boring a hole through her brain and her heart.
Vivian was leaving the day after tomorrow .
She gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles turned white. She clenched her whole body as she tried to ward off the lump that was forming in her throat. Seeing The Riverside coming up on their right, finally, she quickly turned down the ramp and slid into the first available spot.
That’s when the panic attack began.
She turned off the engine, trying her hardest to steady her breathing and avoid alerting the woman next to her. Which of course was impossible, as Vivian’s eyes had been laser focused on her since the day they met.
“Cay? Hey…..hey, sweetheart. What’s wrong?”
“N…nothing. I’m just…I just need a second.” Vivian nodded and looked at her with deep concern, reaching out and rubbing her back gently. Cay closed her eyes and focused on the feel of Vivian’s touch and only her touch.
“Shhhh…..that’s it. Good girl. Breathe.” Feeling her pulse beginning to slow down, she slowly opened her eyes back up and looked over at her love. Feeling embarrassed, she gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged.
“That was weird.” She chuckled and looked down at her keys as she took them out of the ignition. Vivian reached out and took her hand.
“You were having a panic attack. I get those too, sometimes.”
“Oh, um. Yeah. I guess I was.” She cleared her throat and started to get out of the car, not even bothering to take her shoes. Vivian grabbed her arm to stop her.
“Hey! Wait a minute. You don’t have to rush off. Sit! Come on, now. Let’s talk.” Cay sighed and braced herself for the inevitable conversation they were about to have. She closed her eyes and prayed to anyone up there that would listen.
Please. I can’t do this right now. It hurts too much.
“I know what’s bothering you.”
“......You do?”
“Of course! It’s bothering me too! But, um…..well. I don’t wanna spend the rest of our time together crying. I’m not ready to be sad yet. Do….do you know what I’m trying to say?” Cay nodded emphatically and grabbed her, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“Thank you.” She whispered in her ear as she blinked back her tears. Vivian chuckled and rubbed her back.
“For what?” Cay laughed now too, pulling away to dab at the moisture under her eyes.
“For being the only person in the history of this universe who understands me!!” Vivian giggled, showing off her beautiful dimples and the bright sparkle of her eyes. When she stopped, she bit her lip and looked Cay’s body up and down, seductively.
“Let’s go upstairs.” Cay grinned back at her.
“I’ll race ya.”
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August 6, 1959. Reno, Nevada. Parker Ranch.
Walter practically inhaled his dinner, with Frances looking at him in disgust.
“Did you even chew that steak?” He chuckled and wiped his mouth with his napkin. Frances noticed him looking down at her own plate, which she had barely touched.
“What’s wrong? Not hungry?” She sighed and pushed the plate towards him.
“Not really.” He pulled her plate towards him and looked back up at her.
“Is it Cay?” She shrugged. Of course it was Cay. It was always about Cay. She hadn’t heard from her since their talk at the chapel. She thought they were alright. But….maybe she was wrong. Wouldn’t be the first time.
Just then, the phone rang, startling the two of them. Frances got up and ran to answer it.
“Parker Ranch, Frances speaking.”
“…….Hi Frances.” She sighed heavily in relief.
“Jesus, Cay! Where in God's name have you been?! Your brother and I—“
“I’m in Salt Lake City.”
“Wha—Salt Lake City?! What the hell are you doing all the way out there?!”
“She’s in Salt Lake City?” Walter asks, before shutting up at his Mother’s glare.
“Um…I’m going to New York, Frances. I’m with Vivian.” Frances sighed and closed her eyes. She knew this would happen. “This is the first long stop in awhile. So I wanted to….to call you. So you wouldn’t worry.” Frances barked out a bitter laugh.
“Oh how very thoughtful of you! So….what? That’s it? You’re running off with her forever? Did you even think this through? I can NOT believe you! What are you thinking?!”
“I love her, Frances! And….and she loves me.” Frances snorted.
“Oh really? She tell you that?”
“Yes!” The two were silent for a beat, both too stubborn to be the first to break it. Finally she heard Cay sigh on the other end. “It’s not….I’m coming back. Okay?”
“Sure you are.”
“I am! She’s just….she wants to show me the city. She wants to show me some art schools. She’s….she wants to help me, Frances.”
“Mmm. I bet she does.” Frances sighed and rubbed her tired eyes.
“It’s only for a few weeks. Alright? I’ll be back. You have my word. I would never just leave you, Frances. Honest.” Frances was fuming. How dare she?! How dare this woman…this stranger! How dare she come around here and break up her family!
“Put her on the phone. I wanna talk to her.”
“………Why?”
“Put her. On. The PHONE.” Cay sighed and mumbled something incoherently.
“Okay. Here she is. BE NICE.” Frances snorted again. Oh, she’ll be nice alright. Nice and threatening.
“Hello Frances.” For some reason….maybe it was her gentle voice. The way she tried to hide her fear. Whatever it was, her anger suddenly vanished. In its place was just resolve. Her voice broke as she spoke her words. The only words she could think of at this moment in time.
“You take care of my girl, ya hear?”
“I will. I promise.” She’s silent, not having anything else to say to the woman. Vivian seemed to pick up on this right away and handed the phone back to Cay.
“I gotta go, Frances. We have to board the train. I….I meant what I said at the chapel. I love you, Frances. Okay?” Frances had tears streaming down her face.
“Okay. You take care of yourself.”
“I will. I’ll talk to you soon. Tell Walter I said hello.”
“Alright.”
“……..Bye.” And that was it. She was gone. Frances hung up the receiver, slowly, and walked back into the dining room, where Walter was standing by the hutch.
“What’s going on?” She looked up at her handsome boy. Her last remnant of Glen. And started to cry harder. Walter sighed and hugged her, rubbing her back to calm her down. “She will come back, Mom. Don’t worry.”
“You don’t know that!” She shouted into his chest. She could feel Walter chuckle.
“No. You’re right, I don’t. But I do know Vivian. And she’s….she’s not the villain you think she is. She will send Cay back. Even if it’s just for a little while. She will send her back. I promise.” Frances sniffled and wiped away at her tears, turning her head to look at the dinner table.
“Jesus Christ! You ate my entire dinner?! On top of your own?!”
“You said you weren’t hungry!” She shook her head and pushed away from him, busying herself with clean up.
“I’m bringing you to the Doctor’s tomorrow. Get you checked for a tapeworm!”
“Neat. I love worms. I’m gonna name him Bob. Bob the tapeworm.” Frances rolled her eyes and walked back into the kitchen.
“ Brother.”