Epilogue
The peculiar couple, now a familiar sight in these parts, wandered down a small street they checked up on from time to time, happily wandering up the lane. The little lane was filled with shops just about anything you could need could be found in. It had a certain air about it, almost mystical.
In the distance could be heard the muffled sounds of traffic, sound of and a set of speakers exhaustedly rambled off the same advertising slogan it had hundreds of times already.
The cold air not bothering the pair, as the smaller, more bundled up girl waddled along beside a larger Red Panda woman. Every so often the woman would look down to the girl and ask her a question, of which the answer was usually “Not yet”.
The shops themselves were different from the last time they had checked, almost a week ago. A few remained, and a few had returned - some popped up more frequent than others. They had explored several, and enjoyed themselves while doing it, but hadn’t quite found what they wanted.
Not before today, that is.
Stopping outside of a dusty old shop, the Red Panda woman lifted the smaller one, dressed up with a larger red panda tail, and read out the name to her. The little girl repeated the name back, then nodded, and the pair headed inside.
The store was full of tall shelves, which reached to the sky. That’s what the smaller of the pair though. The larger regarded them fondly, familiarity with the place reminding her how far she had come. The lights may as well not have been on, with how dim they were, but there was a certain warmth to the place.
Kneeling in the entryway, the larger one turned the small one to face away from her. “You’re confident this is the place, Nessa?”
“Iunno if I’d say I’m confident, but I am sure! Super sure, Claire!”
“Good enough for me, cuddlebug.” Claire unzipped the dragon-shaped plush bag on her back, and pulled a few things out of it. A few little knick-nacks, a couple old toys, and an envelope. Handing the envelope to Nessa, Claire put the rest of the stuff into the pouch on her apron.
“Thanks. I’m really glad we got this chance.” Nessa said clutching the envelope to her chest.
While she was kneeling, Claire took the opportunity to reach under Nessa’s soft, slightly sparkly skirt, and cup between the girl’s legs. Grinning at what she felt and sticking a finger past the legs of the completely seamless, snug onesie, and into the leakguard of the girl’s padding. Her body soon took on a steady glow, brightening their dim surroundings.
“Claaaiiiirrrreee!”
“Year dear?”
“Why you godda do that here? What if someone sees?”
“Then they’ll know you’re my special little girl.”
Seemingly satisfied, Nessa smiled at it. “I’ll allow it!”, and began moving the envelope about at the front of her top.
Before she stood up, she helped push the envelope gently into the large pouch on the front of Nessa’s hoodie.
Briefly browsing, Claire’s smile only grew wider still when she came to realize that every last shelf was covered in dust and grime. Not a single one seemed to have any reason to be regarded with much care.
The pair walked to the back where the old clothes were listed, and went through them. Nessa giggled as Claire went through them all. “These were all here last time!”
“Yeah, the stuff that can’t reach out tends to stick around longer.” Claire said, patting the girl’s head. “C’est la vie.”
“Lavey!” Nessa chirped.
“Heh, can’t tell if you’re being cheeky or cute, at this point.”
“What’s the diffrens?”
“You got me there.”
The pair then walked their way towards the back of the store, where the checkout counter sat. Claire lifted Nessa and sat her on the counter, holding her steady and allowing her to ring the bell. After a couple tries, she hit it dead on and with enough force for it to ring out, wiggling her little paws afterwards.
A tall blonde woman emerged from the back. “Hello, and welcome to- oh goodness, do my eyes betray me, or is that Claire standing before me?”
“Hi, Serena. Long time no see!”
“Hi, Serena! Long time no see!” Nessa parroted.
Grinning at the pair of them, Serena placed her hand on her hip and sized up the smaller one. “And who might this little dear be?”
“That’s Nessa, though I’m not surprised you recognized her. She’s about… fourteen years off when you first met her.”
“Fourteen years? It’s been that long since I saw you?”
“Oh, goodness no, it was just took a lot of work to get her to a place where she really felt comfortable.”
Nessa sat there, nodding along silently, chewing on the soft tip of her bib.
Claire did some quick mental calculations, and then shook her head. “Oh, wait, this is the, uh, that girl that brought you home then?”
“The one and only!”
“That makes sense then! Wonderful, but isn’t she a bit old for…” Serena started, waving her hands faintly in the girl’s general direction. “This whole toddler get-up?”
“She is, isn’t it lovely? I’ve finally sound someone who can go my speed.”
“Lovely, indeed, I’m so happy for you two!”
“Now, we’ve got some things for you.” Claire said, lifting various objects out from the pouch in her apron, setting them down on the counter.
Serena briefly waved her hands over them, picking out a few well-worn toys, and set them aside. “These will do wonderfully, thanks. You can keep the rest, I can tell your little one has been champing at the bit to do something, I’m sure she probably wants the rest back.”
Nessa shook her head at this, and started struggling with her hoodie to put her paws in the pockets. Claire, taking over, slipped a paw in and pushed the envelope out the other side, Nessa then grabbing it up in her two, rounded, soft padded paws, and holding it out towards Serena.
“My oh my, and what might this be?”
“Made it. For you!”
“Well thank you so very much,” Serena said, carefully opening the envelope so as not to ruin the drawings that adorned it. Lifting out a piece of card and opening it, she, too, had joined the pair in their smiling. “I love it, very much. I think I’m going to put it up right here, where everyone that walks in can see it.”
As she said that, she turned around and placed the large card onto a large, mostly empty section of the wall behind her, with a faint glimmer surrounding her hand.
“Say, I happen to have someone I think you two would get along really well with. His little girl is in a similar situation, and while they were looking for a babysitter,” Serena said, looking at Nessa, “I’m sure a playdate would work well for them.”
“I know she might not look it now, but some days Nessa can be very responsible if she wants to… if I let her. We’d be happy to get to know them!”
After taking down the details, and sharing their own, the two gave thanks again, and the pair bid farewell to the woman behind the desk. Claire lifted Nessa, and the two hurried out the store to get home while it was still light out.
Before long, no real trace they had ever been there to begin with remained, barring a card lovingly detailed with crayons and glitter, a drawing of a rat and a red panda holding paws, and proudly displaying the words “Thanks for helping me meet Mommy ♥”