Elayne
Elayne's reflection stared at her, with a grimace of ridicule. Her heeled shoes were a half a size too small, skin ballooning over the top like a pair of ugly beige cupcakes. The buttons of her jacket and shirt strained the cloth, pulling the garments a bit too tight, both constricting her breathing and accentuating the pounds she had gained recently. The pencil skirt which flattered her curves so well only barely hid the stretch marks now covering her thighs. Her hair, tied back in a prim bun, refused to stay put, blonde curls coming loose in scores, so much that half her hairstyle felt glued on, uselessly so. As a final nail in the coffin, though her makeup had been applied with care, she still could see the wrinkles beneath, the spots of age shining through, mocking her efforts.
Taking a deep breath in, she smiled, putting on the mask that she hoped no one would notice. A cry echoing from the hall broke her concentration, and she raced out of the bathroom in a haste.
In the living room, her mother and stepfather sat together, each holding a baby. Morgase seemed to have no qualms with the child she held, as it was quiet and calm in her arms. Martyn, on the other hand, held his as far away from his body as he could, as the child had just retched up its breakfast on his nice red jacket. A disgruntled look marred his face, though he appeared more annoyed at his wife than disgusted at the child, as Morgase's shoulders bounced with silent laughter.
"Not too comfortable with kids, are you, Tallanvor?" Elayne smirked, and took the baby from him. The baby Gawyn let out a soft whine, and she rocked him gently to calm him down.
Martyn tried to smile, but did not suppress a glare towards Morgase. "I've asked you to call me Martyn, Elayne. I did take your mom's name." He held out his arms, and took the child back from Elayne, and tried holding him close. Receiving no negative response, he let out a sigh of relief. "I'm just not familiar with them. Morgase will you stop?"
Morgase grinned, and shook her head. "Sorry, it's just fun to watch you flail sometimes." She leaned over, and kissed Martyn on the cheek, being sure not to disturb either child. His cheeks flushed, whether from embarrassment or love, Elayne could not be sure. Either way, it brought a much more genuine smile to her face.
"Mom, you know where the diapers are, right? And Gawyn's pacifiers? And the phone number of my office?" Elayne hurried over to her mother's side, and took a temporary seat. Bending over her legs, she adjusted her shoes slightly. Before sitting up, though, she leaned towards the little Birgitte in her mother's arms, and brushed a blonde curl out of the way, to kiss her daughter on the forehead.
Morgase put a hand on Elayne's shoulder, and helped her sit up. "Honey, I've done this several times. Yes, we've gone over everything, several times. And I used to work there, remember?" A chuckle, and she continued softly. "Everything will be fine, darling. You need not worry." Lifting the hand from Elayne's shoulder to her temple, she brushed back a few of the stray strands, and smiled reassuringly.
"Right." Elayne threw back her head, and looked up at the ceiling with a smile. Her mother's hand fell away from her face. Clearing her throat, she straightened her back and head, and stood. "I'm just nervous, mom. Thanks for your help."
Morgase shook her head, and waved a hand dismissively. "You too, Martyn." Martyn's smile twitched a bit wider, and his eyes followed Elayne out the door.
"Darling, there's a surprise waiting for you in the driveway!" Morgase's voice faded as Elayne walked outside.
An old car sat in the drive, bits of rust crawling up its edges. The formerly red paint had faded to a light brown, peeling slightly in some places. A Chevy Corvette from the 60's, it was a hallmark car, if for more than just that reason. The sentiment, however, gave the vehicle so much more value.
Upon seeing Bela- as Rand used to call her- Elayne's hands shot up to her face, to cover her mouth. A look of glee crossed her face, and she raced over to the car with a new spring in her step. Opening the car door, she was immediately met with its all too familiar musky stench, and she plopped into the seat with a grin, discarding her jacket in the passenger's seat. Finding the keys in the cupholder, Elayne hesitated before turning the ignition.
Funnily, it had probably been several years since Rand had actually driven his car. He kept loaning Bela out to people all the time, letting her get passed around all over the place. Yet, somehow, Bela still smelled a little bit like him, bringing back fond memories of old times.
Starting the car, Elayne marveled at the sputter of the engine, and backed out of the drive, reveling in the sound of the tires bumping along the rocky pavement surrounding her little house. Even on the newly paved road, though, the car initially had a rough time, having been out of use for a while since Rand's death. However, after just a few minutes, the old girl drove smoothly.
The path to the governor's office at City Hall was familiar to Elayne, as she had driven there with her mother nearly every business day as a child, meaning to eventually follow in her footsteps. Here she was, surprisingly, ready to take on the role. On autopilot, she took the usual route without missing a beat, despite there being detours in multiple places along the way, for reasons she disregarded. There were more important things to worry about.
The roads were more bumpy the closer to City Hall she got, as they grew older and older, eventually becoming cobblestone streets, of narrow, winding paths. Finally, she found the building, in the center of the downtown area. Circling the block a few times to look for a parking spot, it took Elayne several minutes to remember that she had a designated spot in front of the building. It was odd, parking Rand's car in her mother's parking space.
Sitting back in the car, Elayne shut her eyes. Breathing deeply, she put on the smile and her jacket, and pocketed her keys in her skirt. Pockets are important, and she refused to wear anything without them.
After a full minute of preparing herself for the onslaught of the outside world, Elayne opened the door, and stood. The smoky smell of the city skies filled her with a sense of familiarity and comfort, which immediately relaxed some of the tension she did not know she held in her muscles. Sounds of bustling people ready for work, of cars whirring past, dogs barking at the wind, all of it contributed to an atmosphere in which she felt the most comfort. The mask she wore, that fake smile, became real in that moment, as she realized that she wanted to go to work.
A tall, brooding man stood by the door to the building, his back perfectly straight and his face perfectly stern. However, upon seeing Elayne, that glare burst into a grin. "Miss Trakand! It feels like I haven't seen you in years! Is your mother well? And congratulations on the kids!" His voice boomed, just as familiar as all of the other sounds and smells surrounding her.
"Yes, she's doing well. And thank you." With a nod, the doorman buzzed her into the building.
With each step further into the corridor, Elayne breathed a little easier, her anxiety and nervousness melting away. At the top of the stairs at the end of the hall, she came upon her destination, her new office. Big wooden doors blocked the way.
A janitor passed by her, and offered a toothy smile. "You going in there? It's been locked for- Oh, Miss Trakand! It's good to see you!"
It was only then that Elayne realized she had forgotten to retrieve the keys from her desk.