You Again

28th November 2017, 4:46 PM

Nicole slammed the lid of her guitar case down, proceeding to pull it onto her back as the last dribs and drabs of her admiring crowd dispersed. A few of them stopped on their way to compliment her on her performance, but Nicole, who had a tendency to want to crawl into a hole and cry when receiving compliments on her musical ability, tried keep the interactions as brief as possible.

After finally being able to shake off an elderly woman who had managed to keep her trapped in a conversation that somehow progressed from the loveliness of her voice to the proper care and maintenance of Bonsai Trees, Nicole finally managed to pack the rest of her things away and turn her attention back onto the high street, to which she knew she had someone waiting for her.

The girl – Waverly, as it turned out – stood a little ways away, leaning against a streetlight where she stood watching Nicole and obviously waiting patiently for her to finish packing away. Smiling sheepishly, Nicole tugged her beanie a little further down to protect her ears from the November chill, before making her way over. She stopped short so they were stood about a meter apart, tucking her hands away nervously in her hoodie pocket and playing an interesting game that involved not being able maintain eye contact for then more then 2.36 seconds.

“That last one was a kicker.”

“Tends to be.”

“The lady next to me was crying like she was at the opera.”

“Well, I always did have a flare for dramatics.”

Waverly giggled, ducking her head slightly to finally catch Nicole’s eye, and poor Nicole positively felt her entire brain back fire like an – her – old, dying car.

Okay pretty girl laughing at my lame ass jokes…

PrETTy GIRl LauGHInG aT My LameAsS-

“What about you?-“

Nicole heard her imploding thoughts being cut off by her own self-confidence clicking automatically into place.

Be cool Nicole.

“-Were you also overwhelmed by an onslaught of sensational emotion or…?”

For the love of God. You had one job. Why in the absolute hell would you… never mind she’s laughing again.

“Of course,” replied Waverly dramatically, placing a hand over her heart, “I’m surprised I even made it through your performance without keeling over from the sheer vehemence of it all.”

Nicole found herself laughing with Waverly for a moment or so before she remembered where she was, who she was and most importantly who she was talking to and just like that her brain was back to imploding again.

Waverly cleared her throat and smiled.

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

“For the record,” said Waverly sincerely, “You were really good.”

“Oh…err…” mumbled Nicole, rubbing the back of her neck, “Thank you. I figured I must have been doing something right given you’re still here and you don’t seem to have lost your hearing as a consequence, so…”

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

“You’re funny.”

“I try.”

They smiled at each other a moment, and Nicole noticed how Waverly’s eyes crinkled ever so slightly when she smiled, and that she had a small braid hidden amongst her tied back hair and how she-

“I’m Nicole,” she said forcefully, willing her stupid brain to stop its stupid staring at Waverly’s stupendously pretty-

“Waverly.”

“Oh thank god, I got it right,” sighed Nicole in feign relief.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t have been thrilled if you made the song out to a Winifred, or something.”

“Funny, that was the name of the last girl I dedicated a song too.”

“Here I was thinking I was special.”

“You are,” said Nicole, smiling coyly, “You’re the first one to stick around for this long.”

Waverly raised an eyebrow at her, and Nicole felt her attitude crash as though rug had physically just been swept from under her.

“I…erm, thanks again… for that. And there’s no Winifred. I don’t know a Winifred. Well- I mean- there was one at this elderly home I used to volunteer at but she was like eighty nine and in love with Matt LeBlanc anyway so- “

“Not exactly a match made in heaven huh?” asked Waverly, cutting off Nicole from what was sure to be an in depth speech about dear Winifred’s past, present and future.

“Not by a long shot, nope.”

It was at that moment Nicole’s phone buzzed in her back pocket. She ignored it at first, intending to ask Waverly why on earth she had stuck around in the first place and why she hadn’t run, screaming for the hills, however it continued to buzz stubbornly three consecutive times. Nicole had the strong urge to throw it on the ground and stamp on it just to shut it up.

“You gonna get that?” asked Waverly, smiling slightly.

Nicole shrugged, hoping to come off as nonchalant, until it buzzed again causing her to yank it out of her pocket, with her teeth practically bared.

[16:50]Jeremy 🤓:hey do you have my flash cards on ophthalmic surgery procedures?

[16:50]Jeremy 🤓:exam time tomorrow! Cant afford any last minute slip ups or anything.

[16:50]Jeremy 🤓:seriously though, I cant find them.

[16:50]Jeremy 🤓:Also do you think its worth making some last minute notes on cataract surgery especially? Professor Daniels dropped some MAJOR hints that it would come up.

[16:51]Jeremy 🤓:Nicoleeeee?

Sighing, and feeling her annoyance ebb away at the sight of Jeremy’s obvious pre-exam panic, Nicole typed out a response.

[16:51]Nicole 🌈:Flash cards should be on top of the fridge in my apartment I think. I’m not home so you’ll have to use your key. 

[16:51] Nicole 🌈:Also I wouldn’t take anything Daniels says that seriously. I saw him eat a piece of chalk last week.

[16:51]Jeremy 🤓:On top of your fridge?

[16:51]Nicole 🌈: It was a long night Jeremy. 

“More adoring fans?”  asked Waverly as Nicole slipped her phone back into her pocket.

“Not exactly,” Nicole replied with a breathy chuckle, “Just my friend Jeremy asking about flash cards.”

“Ah,” said Waverly, “Do you go to school in the city?”

“Yeah, Veterinary Medicine.”

Waverly raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Wow, that sounds really cool.”

“It is,” Nicole said with a smile, “I mean I haven’t slept in two years but yeah, its pretty awesome.” She scuffed some non-existent dirt off her shoe with her other foot. “What about you?”

Shaking her head, Waverly replied, “No I’m just visiting on err, business? I’m from out of town.”

“Oh really? Where are you from?”

“Alberta.”

“Wow, long way out of town.”

Waverly nodded, suddenly becoming extremely fascinated with the buttons on her jacket.

“You, err… wouldn’t want to get a coffee or anything tomorrow would you? Tell me more about some cool vet stuff?”

Nicole opened her mouth to respond... then promptly closed it again.

She had two very nasty and very important exams the next day so safe to say she wasn’t exactly free.

But then again, did she really need that thirty percent of her final grade?-

Haught.

“I’m really sorry,” said Nicole,  casting her eyes down, “I can’t tomorrow… any chance you’re around later this week?”

Waverly shook her head sadly, fiddling with the small rainbow necklace which hung around her neck.

“I’m leaving in a couple of days.”

Nicole pulled off her beanie, pushing her hand through her hair as she tried to think about any solution to this fairly fruitless situation.

She did technically have some time now, but with the exams tomorrow she should most definitely go and study with Jeremy…right? That would be the smart, sensible thing to do. She would be prepared and would take a lot of the pressure off of tomorrow-

Waverly, obviously a little defeated, smiled sadly at her.

“I’m free now! I mean, if you are?,” asked Nicole suddenly.

Welp. Guess that clears up that then.

Waverly beamed brightly, and all thoughts about the impending assessment she would most likely tank, belly-flopped ceremoniously out of the window.

“Yeah, I’m free now- “ said Waverly, pulling her phone out of her jacket, “I should just text my sister, let her know where I am.”

“I’m not stealing you away, am I?”

Waverly snorted as she tapped away on the screen.

“Trust me, she’s probably been stolen away  by a bottle of whiskey by now.”

“At five in the afternoon?”

“I wouldn’t put it past her.”

Waverly put her phone away and then looked back at Nicole who smiled. They stood in a strange, comfortable silence for a moment as they continued to stare at each other.

Nicole was the first to come to her senses, clearing her throat awkwardly and pulling her beanie back on head.

“Coffee?”

“Coffee.” 

Nicole began to lead them towards the nearest coffee shop she and Jeremy had deemed substantial during their time of scouring for every source of caffeine in the city.

“Waverly, can I be completely honest with you?”

“Sure?”

“I have no idea what the word vehemence means.”

Waverly stumbled over a crack in the street as she snorted with laughter.

🦄

20th July 2020, 6:21 PM

They stared at each other in a strange, very uncomfortable silence as Nicole’s useless brain tripped over itself to run and catch up with what was actually unfolding in front of her eyes. Waverly – Earp, apparently- stood before her, mouth agape and what was once obviously some sort of pie dropped sorrowfully at her feet. 

Nearly three years of hopeless pining and the constant question of what if  hanging over her head had all been leading to this moment. In all honesty Nicole had assumed it was a moment that would never actually come. Yet here she stood, in the open door way of her new house… barn… thing, slack jawed and still wearing the same mother fucking shirt covered in car shit she hadn’t changed out of yet-

“What are you are you… how are you…” said Waverly, shaking her head in utter bewilderment “You’re the new vet?”

Nicole continued to stare at Waverly as if she was the ghost of Christmas Past knocking on her door as it obviously would in mid-July. Waverly was gazing at her with such a force that Nicole felt like she was being x-rayed. She should probably be responding right about now.

“Waverly.” 

Well done genius. I think we’ve already established that is indeed her name.

 Waverly puffed out her cheeks and pushed a distraught hand through her hair.

“I’ll take that as a yes then,” she breathed, finally breaking away from Nicole’s gawking stare and looking pointedly at the floor, to where she caught sight of the shattered plate caught doing an odd limbo half way through the door way, “Shit! Sorry… I’ll just- “

Waverly stooped down and quickly set about gathering up the larger shards of china. Nicole, ever the useful entity, continued to stare dumbly as Waverly carefully avoided stepping on the very much deceased pie. Clutching the remains of the plate in her hands, Waverly got to her feet and cleared her throat.

“Erm… can I just…”

“Right… get past. You do that. Right.”

Explicitly avoiding eye contact, Waverly shuffled past Nicole and into the barn. Nicole simply rotated at a ninety-degree angle, and continued to gape at her as she made her way into the kitchen unit and dropped the plate into the bin. Waverly, obviously perfectly familiar with her surroundings, then retrieved a dustpan and brush from a cabinet. She then turned to Nicole, looking at her expectantly. 

“Nicole?”

“Waver-“

“A hand?”

Finally, finally, snapping out of her comatose like trance, Nicole came to as though she were starting from a deep sleep. She glanced at the floor, at the brush in Waverly’s hand and to Waverly herself who now had an eyebrow raised, and quite literally proceeded to stumble into action.

“Yes. Yep. I can help… right,” said Nicole flinging herself out of the way so that Waverly could clean up the rest of the smaller shards.

“Could you get a cloth? There should be one hanging above the sink,” asked Waverly.

“Above the sink. Excellent.”

Having snatched said cloth from above said sink, Nicole hurried back over to the confectionary crime scene where Waverly had finished clearing up the shattered plate. The two of them stood in a few moments of even more awkward silence.

“Could you maybe…” said Waverly, gesturing to the lowly pile of splattered pie.

“Of course,” replied Nicole, already on her hands and knees and wiping up the mess only this kind of mutual gay-induced shock could cause. Waverly, having dispensed the contents of the pan in the trash, stalked back over with the bin in hand so Nicole could easily transfer the pie to its untimely grave.

Pastry disaster dealt with, Nicole closed the door and let herself be consumed by one of the most suffocating silences she had ever had the misfortune to endure, (and bear in mind she had once had to tell Jeremy she had accidentally dropped his Gameboy off the balcony.)

“So…” said Waverly, hugging her arms around herself and bouncing on the balls of her feet, “Been a while.”

Nicole nodded nervously.

“I’m sorry about your pie,” she said feebly, to which Waverly offered a small shrug.

“It’s okay. I mean I made it for you anyway…”

“For me?”

“Well,” said Waverly, uncrossing her arms, “I made it for Doc’s new vet, which I’m assuming you are otherwise you’ve got some explaining to do for how you ended up in my barn, so…”

“N-No, I’m the new vet,” Nicole said hastily, “I didn’t break in or anything, your sister gave me the key. Waverly, I swear I had no idea-“

“Nicole,” Waverly interjected, “I believe you, don’t worry.”

Nicole took a deep breath in attempt to calm down her traitorous heart hammering stubbornly in her chest.

“Sorry…” she sighed, pushing her hair out of her face, “This is just… this is crazy! I mean… I never…”

“Never thought you’d see me again?” Waverly asked, a slight edge ebbing its way into her voice, “Yeah, I figured.”

“No! Waverly, not like that… I just” spluttered Nicole, taking a step towards her as she tried to think of anything that might even begin to explain herself, “What I mean is… its really good to see you again,” She chanced a glance at Waverly’s steely expression that wavered just a fraction. “Like… really good.”

Waverly sighed, her resolve seeming to break as she glanced around at Nicole’s belongings strewn across the space.

“Can’t say this isn’t a turn up for the books,” she said, and Nicole was relieved that her tone sounded somewhat less irritable, although she knew she ultimately deserved it.

Nicole laughed lightly.

“Nope. Definitely can’t say that.”

This drew a slight smile from Waverly, who once again seemed to be hit with the whole preposterousness of this situation.

“I mean,” Waverly said, gesturing around wildly. Nicole was reminded rather randomly of a beautiful hummingbird in distress, “How the hell are you here?”

“I drove.”

“God, I forgot how much of an idiot you were.”

“I thought that was ‘all part of my charm.’”

“Do you really  want to be a smartass with me right now?”

“Nope,” said Nicole quickly, “I definitely do not.”

Waverly rolled her eyes, as Nicole fixed her with a sheepish smile before saying “I found Doc’s Ad when I was looking for jobs after graduation and just… applied. Guess I just really needed to get away from Vancouver. I had no idea your ranch was near Purgatory though.”

“Right, well… now your living on it.”

“In a house you converted…” Nicole said warily, “Waverly I can find somewhere else. I’d never expect you to put up with me being here.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, its fine,” said Waverly, shaking her head, “I offered it in the first place. Anyway at least I know it’s going to someone who won’t wreck it or anything.”

“Are you sure- “

“I’m sure.”

“-Because I can always- “

“Nicole.”

“Okay…” Nicole conceded, smiling a little “Thank you. It’s really incredible actually, I had no idea that you were into that sort of thing.”

“Well, you wouldn’t,” said Waverly blatantly causing Nicole to fiddle with the collar of her shirt in a manner that looked like the Tumblr confirmed depiction of a guilty conscience, before she added “But thanks.”

With yet another excruciatingly awkward lap in the conversation, Nicole took the opportunity to notice the little things that might have changed about Waverly since the last time she saw her, as though it could make up for everything she missed out on because of her outrageous stupidity.

 Her hair was down and maybe a little shorter than before, and the burley summer had made the skin across her cheeks break out in a small smattering of freckles. Other than that, and the fact she was no longer sporting the attire fit for a classic Canadian winter, it seemed she was still the same angelic Waverly, who in Nicole’s completely unbiased opinion, was the most beautiful creature to ever grace God’s green earth.

And this… did absolutely nothing to help.

“I suppose, I should be offering my congratulations though,” said Waverly, saving Nicole from slipping into yet another besotted stupor.

“Thank you,” she replied automatically, before adding helpfully “Err… what for exactly?”

For the first time, Waverly giggled ever so slightly, and Nicole felt the sudden urge to check her own pulse just to ensure there was still something there.

“You graduated and got a job.”

“Oh right. I guess I did do that.”

“You’re a fully-fledged Vet and everything,” said Waverly quietly “You did the dream.”

Nicole felt her stomach twist unpleasantly, gazing at Waverly as if she were the rarest piece of art in existence. Intricate, and beautiful and a million years out of reach. Waverly stared back as though she was trying to figure out a puzzle.

Nicole figured she was pretty easy puzzle to complete in that moment. Completely and utterly smitten with a dash of life’s biggest regret. 

Yup. Pretty much covered it.

“You never called,” said Waverly in a small voice, looking down at her shoes like she was sinking into the floor, “I waited… you just… didn’t.”

She didn’t sound angry or even outright upset, more just completely defeated as though the matter was a hardship she had been forced to accept many moons ago. Nicole would have honestly preferred it if Waverly yelled at her.

“Waverly…”

“It’s fine,” Waverly said softly, offering an attempt at a shrug, “I get it. The distance and everything.”

“Waverly it wasn’t that… I just...”

“Seriously Nicole, it’s fine,” she said again, this time shouldering a small smile and properly meeting Nicole’s pleading gaze, “It was a long time ago anyway. No harm done.”
 
“Please,” Nicole said desperately, and in a move that would no doubt want to make her hit her head against a brick wall the following morning, she reached forward and grasped one of Waverly’s hands, “You deserve an explanation.”

Ironically, it was at that very moment that a phone began to ring. Waverly jumped with a start and fumbled to answer the call. Nicole felt her hand slip from between her own.

Waverly sighed as she looked down at the screen, proceeding to silence the call and replace the phone back in her pocket.

“It’s my boyfriend,” said Waverly, taking a calculated step backwards, “Probably wondering where I am.”

Nicole felt her heart plummet into the depths of her stomach, as if all of her organs were rearranging themselves.

“Right.”

“I should go.”

“Okay… I just…” said Nicole, fully aware she was grasping hopelessly at straws, “I’m so sorry Waverly.”

Shaking her head, Waverly offered Nicole a sad smile as she backed towards the door. Nicole trailed behind like a dejected puppy, stopping short when Waverly had made her way outside. She caught sight of a red jeep parked up a few yards away.

“Good luck at the practice,” said Waverly, “I’m sure you’ll do great.”

“Will I see you around?”

“Purgatory’s a small town.”

“Thank you again… for everything.”

“I’d swear you’d thank the trees for oxygen if you could,” Waverly sighed, “Goodbye Nicole.”                      
 
“Bye…”

Nicole leant against the door frame as Waverly clambered into the jeep and it spluttered into life. She watched it drive away along the gravel track until it disappeared amongst the trees, unable to believe she had just let Waverly Earp flutter out of her life for a second time.

📞

21st July 2020, 8:00 AM

Nicole groaned as her extremely rude alarm sounded at eight o’clock on the dot the follow morning. This was roughly the third and unfortunately final time Nicole had turned it off, and was now fighting off the urge to toss offending source of interruption across the room. She had to admit, resisting throwing objects at walls was becoming a repeating pattern in her everyday life, a habit she should maybe try to break before starting her new job the next week.

Having arrived on a Monday, Doc had kindly insisted that Nicole take a week to settle in before joining him at the practice, as he thought it would be a good idea for her to familiarise herself with the town and, as it turned out, the very ranch she now found herself living on. The previous day, this had sounded pretty idyllic as Nicole had always been one to be prepared as possible, (accept when meeting a pretty girl the night before a couple of life changing exams apparently.) However, now she was aware of who actually lived probably not even ten minutes down the road, Nicole was seriously considering barricading herself into her pleasant new home and living out her days as an old spinster with her mangy excuse for a fur ball for company.

The fact that she was now permanently situated within a two mile radius of Waverly Earp when she had spent the last three years under the impression they were doomed to spend their lives nearly one thousand miles apart, was a slightly daunting prospect. Let’s just say it was the kind of news that would leave you wanting an of extra couple hours in bed in the morning. Hence Nicole’s newly established vendetta with her alarm clock.

Yet, she still managed to crawl out from under the covers and drag herself through a gruelling morning routine that involved rooting through three different boxes to try and find her toothpaste. Doc had rung the night before, approximately seventeen minutes after Waverly had left - not that Nicole was counting - to ask if she would like to join him for breakfast in town before he opened up the practice. With Nicole currently unaware of the contents of her own fridge, and in desperate need of a distraction, she had accepted. Doc had therefore promised to pick her up at around half nine that morning since her own car was ‘so unfortunately indisposed.’

With Calamity fed, (well, a bowl of food left out for when the she finally decided to stop sulking in the pantry) and the barn locked up, Nicole sat on the decking outside as she waited for her new boss to arrive. She didn’t exactly know what kind of car she was looking out for. She assumed that the blue and white pickup that had nearly done her in the day before belonged to Wynonna, as she was the one who drove it home. She thought about what said owner of death-trap-on-wheels had said the day before about how ‘we use horses more then cars here’ and suddenly the option of never leaving the barn again was looking more and more viable by the second.

Whatever Nicole was expecting however, it was certainly not the large, outrageously pink vehicle that was now trundling speedily down the track towards her, having emerged from the trees. Nicole's day improved tenfold when a cheery looking Doc brought the car to a screeching halt and climbed out, just as moustachioed and hat-bedecked as the day before.

“Good mornin' Miss Haught,” he said with a smile as Nicole got to her feet. It’s odd what being greeted by a jovial cowboy riding in a cherry pink automobile at 9:34 in the morning can do for ones mental attitude.

“Hi!” Nicole returned, grinning broadly as she sidled over, “how are you?”

“I'm mighty fine, thank you.”

Honestly, the accent would never get old.

“I love the car,” said Nicole sincerely once she was settled in the passenger seat, “it’s honestly improved my morning.”

“I'm very glad to hear it,” Doc chuckled, starting up the engine that roared to life, “I only acquired it recently and at first, I will admit, I was a little opposed to its outward appearance, however-" He patted the dashboard fondly, “My dear Charlene has grown on me.”

And... neither would that.

Now that Nicole was in less of a shell-shocked disposition, it was becoming abundantly clear to her just how much of an actual ranch she was living on. As the car traced the same track that lead through the wide-open meadows they had followed yesterday, she started to notice all the clear-cut signs that probably should have been an indicator in the first place. Like the lone saddle abandoned over a fence post they passed, left out for the whole world to see, or for teensy-tiny fact of the large, wooden sign they drove under as they were apparently leaving the expanse of the ranch’s terrain, which had ‘HOMESTEAD RANCH’ painted on it in large, loopy letters.

The more time Nicole spent with one, John Henry Holliday, the more she found she was becoming fond of him. Without having to cower slightly under the shadow of Wynonna Earp, it turned out that Doc, in a way, was his own force to be reckoned with. A sense of character, – obviously - intensely passionate about animals, theProperty Brothers, and his hat, all the while managing to maintain an air of mystery only a crack-of-the-whip, terrible driver, twenty-first century veterinary cowboy could muster.

The drive was very enjoyable; filled with the kind of conversation and humour only two vets could really enjoy. Nicole even managed to crack a joke concerning Scooby-doo and a stethoscope which hadn’t won anyone over since Jeremy had told her when they first met… well… that and Waverly-

“How was your evenin’?” Doc enquired just as they were bordering on the edge of town, “I trust you found your new residence to your likin’?”

“Oh. Yeah…” Nicole replied, desperately trying not to relive the all too painful memories of the impromptu reunion the night before, “It’s great, thank you.”

“And you settled in without any trouble?”

Nicole nodded, her overenthusiastic voice reaching an octave she didn’t even know she had in her, “Yep! No problems here! No sir-ree!”

“Well I’m mighty glad,” Doc chuckled, looking more than a little bemused to why Nicole suddenly sounded like she was doing an impression of a hyena, “Ah, I believe we have arrived out our destination.” 

The car suddenly jolted to a stop, and Nicole found herself looking out at the parking lot of the diner they had passed by the day before. To her, it looked like the same, stereo typical diner that could be found anywhere across the country, apart from maybe the half-a-dozen horses, most definitely owned by customers, tied up outside the window, supplied with a decent amount of hay and a water trough three times the size of Nicole’s old bathtub. 

“Chrissy’s” said Doc, turning off the engine and throwing the car door open, “Best place in town for your non-alcoholic needs.”

The inside of the diner, however, was a surprise. Nicole thought for a split second that she had accidentally wandered into a Tiki bar. There were bunches of fruit more colourful then the pride flag suspended in every available nook and cranny of the interior, with the breakfast bar and booths decorated in an immense amount of fake, green foliage and large flowers.

What kind of town…

Where in God’s name had she moved too…

…and why did she love it more than life itself.

Doc began to lead them to a booth by the far corner window, where Nicole failed in ducking in time to avoid hitting her head on a particularly low hanging bunch of bananas.

“Not quite what you were expectin'?” chortled Doc as Nicole dropped into the opposite seat, picking a paper leaf out of her hair.

“Well, considering they literally used a horseshoe for the ‘C' on the sign outside...”

Doc opened his mouth to respond when-

“All part of the master plan,” said a voice from above them suddenly, “capable of luring every stuffy hill-billy within a twenty mile radius into a false sense of security.”

For one absurd moment, Nicole thought that Wynonna Earp had seemingly emerged out of nowhere to deliver this punctual statement, however she instead found herself looking up at a young girl who couldn’t have been more then seventeen years old. Given the apron tied haphazardly around her waist and the flowery notepad and pen clutched in one hand, she appeared to be a waitress.

“I personally think that falls under the misdemeanour of false advertisement,” said Doc broodily, fixing the girl with a stern glare.

“Well given Chrissy’s is the only place in within a twenty-mile radius that actually acts as though it’s in the twenty-first century, I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all.”

“I still think this perhaps is a step to far in the other direction,” muttered Doc, picking at the pepper and saltshakers that were also shaped like ornamental fruit, “Trickin’ folk into thinkin’ this is an average diner.”

“Welp, business is good, and lots of peeps come in for breakfast nearly every day,” smirked the girl, raising an eyebrow, “By the way Henry, do you want your usual?”

Nicole stifled a laugh as Doc glowered for a second, and then conceding with a grumpy nod, before muttering “And if you could trouble yourself to fetch a menu for my friend here.”

“No problem, Mr Holliday,” cooed the girl all to sweetly to be perceived as actually serious. She then addressed Nicole, polite bravado dropping in an instant.

“New vet, right?”

“Yep,” said Nicole is slight surprise, glancing at Doc who shrugged, “Nicole Haught.”

“Bet Wynonna’s thrilled about that one,” the girl mumbled, tucking the notepad and pen under one arm before stating boldly “Valdez. Rachel Valdez. Sup.”

“Cool name.”

“Not as cool as yours.”

“Nothing is cool about my name.”

Rachel tilted her head, contemplating Nicole for a second before she broke out into a wry grin.

“You’re alright.”

She then strode away, to hopefully retrieve the menu Doc had so politely requested.

“She’s nice,” said Nicole good humouredly, watching as Doc tried to find something to glare at out of the window. Doc huffed, throwing his hat down dramatically onto the table.

“That child was put on this earth to make my life a livin’-“ 

Rachel chose that exact moment to sidle back over and place a couple of menus down in front of them, as well as brandishing a god forsaken coconut with a straw which was promptly cast directly under Doc’s nose.

“What was that Doc?”

“That you’re a child sent from the very heavens above?”

“Better.”

Rachel plonked the coconut down in front of him, twirled around with a woosh that sent Doc’s hat flying off the table, and walked away.

“Teenagers,” Doc grumbled under his breath. 

Nicole might have felt sympathetic; however, Doc, for all his supposed misgivings about Chrissy’s diner and Rachel Valdez, didn’t think he was doing himself any favours when he got to his feet moments later, complaining about how Rachel gave him a blue straw instead of a red one because ‘it didn’t resonate with the ambience of the beverage.’

She took a deep breath as Doc left, taking a second for all the information she had absorbed in the past twenty-four hours to properly sink in.

Moved to across the country. Check.

Starting her first ever fulltime job working for one of the most wonderfully strange people she had ever met. Check.

Living in the middle of the country in a converted barn that looked like something straight out of her gay-ass cottage core fantasies. Check.

Said barn being located on the ranch of someone whom she’d spent the last three years dreaming of living out all of her gay-ass cottage-core fantasies with. Double check.

Surprise reunion with said someone who- guess what- has a boyfriend now! Double triple infinity check.

Currently sitting in a diner that makes her feel like she’s on an exotic beach, waiting for her new boss to return from complaining about the colour of the swirly straw in his coconut drink. Check.

This was going to be fine. Deep breaths. New beginnings and all tha-

Nicole practically choked on thin air, having glanced down at the specials list only to find the dish, ‘Cock Holliday’ written at the very top. 

Somewhere in the distress of her coughing fit, Nicole heard the bell above the door ring, welcoming the entrance of another customer. She looked up to see two women make their way into the diner.

Said someone now in said diner, with a sister who also had the capacity to kill Nicole with a motorcycle.

Check.