Chapter Text
The sun is starting to set over the mountains in the distance and Beatrice is still sweating. She just finished up some of the last repairs on the boys cabin for the summer — might need to make some patches here and there as the summer moves on, but it would do for now. The late May heat lingers far longer than she’d like even when the sun goes down, but she loves it here.
Beatrice is riding her horse, Romeo, around the perimeter of the property taking in the quiet evening, or well — quiet for the South.
She hears the cicadas in the trees screaming out for love, the crickets in the grass filling in the rest of the chorus, and she is starting to see the dotting of fireflies along the tree line. The wisteria climbs different sections to add some color to the green. It’s invasive, and she knows she’ll end up pulling it out soon, but she likes to see it bloom. The lightning bugs, as some of the townfolks called them, were one of her favorite things when she first moved out here. She’d heard about them growing up, seen them in movies but never gotten the chance to see them until she started working here.
Beatrice has slowed to a stop taking it all in when the dinner bell outside the main house begins ringing — signaling that Camila wants her Sunday night drinks to begin. Beatrice chuckles as Romeo huffs and begins the walk back.
As she approaches the main house her anxiety for the coming day sets back into her bones. Mother Superion and Mary see something in her, something she struggles to see in herself, but she trusts them, so she’s going to do her best to not disappoint them. She’s stepping up this summer to be more hands on — guiding the kids and counselors, in the past she’s gotten to slip past and only interact when needed. Offering to take the labor off others hands so they can focus on the kids more.
How hard could it possibly be?
She drops Romeo off at the stable, and bids the rest of the horses a good night before walking towards the house.
Her phone rumbles in her pocket, a text from Camila:
hurry up! Or we’ll start without you!
Beatrice doesn’t reply and shakes her head because she knows they won’t. Mary, Camila, and Lilith always make sure to make her feel included — even if she wasn’t always the most receptive to it all this time. She’s trying her best to remember the fact that they want her here, that she's welcome here.
She can hear the three of them arguing while she hangs her hat and keys on her hook inside the door. She even uses the “boot beetle” Camila insisted on buying for Christmas this past winter.
“You’re both just jealous! I knew what I wanted last summer and I took a chance! And guess what! She said yes!” Followed by collective gasps.
“Oh my god that’s so not fair! Shannon was practically falling all over you! You’re a buff cowboy, who wouldn’t!”
A scoff, “Oh, Cam, please don’t give her a bigger head than she already has, it’s a miracle we can find her a hat that fits!”
“How dare you! You’re just projecting because Chanel barely looked your way last summer!”
There’s choked laughter followed by a scuffle that is surely Lilith launching herself at Mary.
Mary and Lilith are indeed wrestling on the floor — and honestly it seems like a pretty even fight to Beatrice. Camila just beams at her while thrusting a cider into her hand. “Hi, we were waiting for you! Come on you two, get up! Time to cheers!” Lilith huffs and Mary continues to laugh as they get up off the ground.
Beatrice furrows her brow, “and what are we celebrat—“
“To a great summer!” Mary practically yells. They clink their bottles together before taking a sip, and Beatrice feels the nerves melt away at the familiarity of it all.
They make their way to the spacious living area, where there are couches, chairs, coffee tables strewn about. Mary pulls a chair over, and Beatrice drops into her favorite chair. An old worn recliner that someone had stitched vines into to cover up some tears in the fabric. They stretched from all over the chair, perhaps from a cat at some point, to the arm and she’s able to run her fingers over the stitching. Plus, it was where she sat the very first time she ever came into this house, only a few years ago, but felt like forever now.
“Now back to our conversation, Beatrice are you excited for anyone in particular to come back?” Camila asks as she waggles her eyebrows and settles into the couch across from her.
“Oh, I bet she’s super excited for her buddy JC to be back this year!” Mary chimes in.
The other three start laughing and Beatrice won’t admit it to them, but she actually liked JC. He knew how to put pretty much everyone at ease. Sure, he was a little self centered and stayed shirtless to show off to anyone who would look all summer long, but it felt like he was feeding into this expectation of him. Plus, he was a hard worker. Together they had built a new chicken coop basically just them when the kids assigned chose swimming over helping because of how hot it was that day. He volunteered and she knew he would rather be swimming but they found common ground in working out, so she didn’t mind going on runs and lifting with him. She was actually kind of looking forward to that part of the summer. Plus, she didn’t feel the need to fill the space talking, they could just hang out and that was enough.
Beatrice just shrugs a little in response before Lilith adds, “No no, come on, she’s got to be most excited to see Crimson!” Beatrice shudders at the thought of having to see her again this year. Crimson had been lined up to join Cat’s Cradle as a farm hand/chef, but Camilla had arrived shortly after and well, they both wanted it so Mother Superion had decided to do a bit of an interview process, and well, apparently, Crimson had found out that Beatrice was the swing vote. So, she has hated Beatrice and Camilla ever since.
Thankfully, Camila chimes in to save Beatrice from having to say much, “All she does is complain, no wonder I got this spot over her, plus she’s no real threat.”
Beatrice nods in agreement, before smiling slyly, “So Cam, excited to see Todd again this year?”
Mary and Lilith roar in laughter, Lillith shoving playfully at Camila’s shoulder.
Camila starts sputtering, “and to think I tried to help you out! Thrown under the bus, I will remember this!” But the red on her cheeks gives her away. She and Todd had flirted all of last summer. It was so obvious, but summer doesn’t last as long as you think it will, nothing ever really does.
The other three chat while Beatrice listens and nods and adds in her comments when asked. She stares at the framed map on the wall of the ranch.
This summer will be 4 years since she got here, 6 years since she last saw her parents, and 7 since she was shipped off to boarding school in the Swiss Alps. Her parents came to see her the first year, and while she thought she was improving — getting better, apparently it wasn’t enough for them. It’s been nearly 4 years since she last sent them any communication.
An email —
Could I have ever been enough?
-Beatrice
It’s half past 10 when they all start saying they need to head to bed, and Beatrice feels the nerves about tomorrow creep back into her body.
As they make the short walk toward their cabins, Camila and Lilith break off toward their houses with sleep well’s thrown over their shoulders and Mary stays walking next to Beatrice. “You okay, kid? You were a little quiet tonight.” Mary tries to slyly glance at Beatrice’s face while she replies.
“Yes, I am fine.” But Beatrice balls her fists in her jean pockets tight enough that her nails will probably leave marks on her palm.
“Alright, well, you know you can talk to me if you decide you aren’t, right?”
“Yes, Mary, thank you,” but she can’t bring herself to look Mary in the eye.
Mary gives her a clap on the shoulder and parts with, “try to get some sleep, you’ll be great tomorrow, and even if you aren’t, the world will keep moving, and you’ll keep getting better, and you’ll have us.”
Beatrice nods numbly at the sentiment because while well meaning, she knows that Mary is lying. Beatrice cannot fail.
She walks up to her house, it has a dark green door, it was something Mother Superion had encouraged her to do — to make it her own, so she had painted it her favorite color. When she walks onto her porch she sees there’s an envelope sticking out of her mailbox and when she grabs it, it’s heavy. She toes her boots, and unlocks her door so she can flick the light on inside.
She places her hat on its hook before shrugging her shirt off her shoulders. She sits on the edge of her bed staring at her name written beautifully on the outside, so she carefully opens the envelope.
A small coin that can fit in her palm slides out, etched on one side is what looks like a sunrise, or perhaps it’s a sunset, over a mountain, reading Cat’s Cradle Ranch, SS, it’s beautiful. She flips it over to an etching of a horseshoe and small print, beginnings and endings, hard to tell in the moment, but beautiful all the same. Beatrice squeezes the coin in her hand and unfolds the letter.
Beatrice,
I thought this could be a helpful reminder of the team you have behind you and the progress you’ve made. Keep your head up in the coming weeks.
With love,
Suzanne
Her heart lurches in her chest, and she fights back tears as she stares down at this gift. This place saved her. Beatrice presses the coin into her hand hard, to try and see what they see in her. She presses a soft kiss to it as she gets on her knees to pray, she’s not sure exactly what she believes anymore, but she wants to say thank you to whomever guided her here.
She thinks of how terrified she was when she arrived in the United States with a name and a phone number. She still doesn’t know how Mother Superion had found her but she did. She was only at the OCS for a month before she had moved into the head-house on the ranch. Beatrice was sad and angry, and the manual labor really did her some good. She owed everything in her to be perfect and good to those around her now. Beatrice owed them.
Her eyes are wet when she lifts her head up to take in her space. This is hers. The paintings on the walls done by herself, her team, a few kids from summers prior. The small friendship bracelet she pinned up in the colors of the lesbian flag, that a boy had made her last summer after she had shyly said she liked girls when questioned around a campfire. She splays her fingers out on her green quilt — she will need to take it off before she tries to sleep tonight.
She looks out the window next to her bed, it’s cracked open to allow the breeze to flow. She can see a few fireflies still hanging around the edge of the pines. Beatrice stands and stretches her back as she glances at the clock, 11:30pm, and she decides she probably won’t sleep much anyhow.
She grabs a journal and opens it the last page she was on:
They all tell me I’m great, but I can’t see it
I had deceived my parents into thinking I was acceptable for many years before they learned the truth
What if I’m doing the same to them?
What if I am always meant to fail?
Beatrice grabs a pen and on the next page she writes:
What if it goes well?
What if I succeed?
What if
What if
What if
I have to try, don’t I?
I owe them that much
She doesn’t recall falling asleep, but wakes to Halo, the rooster that apparently will live forever, screaming, before the sun actually crests. She’s not sure how, but she swears he knows Shannon will be here today. His favorite person. Well, one of.
She and Mother Superion are the only ones that can get close. They both can pick him up and he falls asleep in their arms, but when Beatrice or Lilith try to do their jobs and collect eggs? That’s an issue bordering on absurd for Halo. She really hopes he won’t be too upset when he finds out Shannon won’t be staying the whole summer like usual.
She pulls her boots on and pulls her hat from its hook by the door, she hesitates for a moment then grabs her coin from her bedside table and slides it into her pocket before striding outside.
Lilith and Mary are making their way towards the main house and she tips her hat in greeting to both of them.
“That damn rooster, I swear he knows that Shannon is coming today, and trust me, I’m excited about it too, but waking us early is cruel.” Mary says as she presses her hat on.
Lilith simply huffs in reply. Cam is probably already baking because they can see lights in the house shining through the windows.
The smell of bread wafts out onto the porch as they step inside, “Your coffee’s are all ready, Mary, red thermos, Lilith, black, and Beatrice you get green. I’ll have pretty much everything done once y’all are back here. Lil, can you bring me about a dozen eggs before you drop the rest off? Thank you.” And they all grumble out thank you’s and yes ma’am’s as they grab their respective cups and head back out the door.
It’s Monday, so Beatrice is feeding horses and pigs, while Lilith feeds the chickens and goats, and Mary is going out to check on all the cows. “Good morning everyone,” she says softly as she flicks the lights in the stable on. Lilith announces she’s walking, because she doesn't want to deal with Vincent’s temper this morning, while Mary laughs and saddles her horse, Shotgun, and is waving as she goes.
She twists the dial on the radio, “So, what are we feeling this morning everyone? Classical? Country? Romeo, perhaps some pop?” She chuckles to herself and tunes it to an oldies station she likes and begins the ritual she knows every part of. Beatrice likes this part of the morning, she can shut her brain off and put her body to work.
The pigs seem extra loud this morning, the sun is cresting the horizon and Beatrice is pouring the produce they didn’t sell Saturday into the trough.
It wasn’t a bad weekend at the market by any means, but they had a little more than they would have liked left. Adriel’s booth seemed busy the whole time, selling his cure all’s and “medicinal” plants to the townsfolk who don’t really know any better. She was convinced he thought of himself as some kind of savior. But maybe she was scaring people off, if just Camila went maybe they’d have better luck, Beatrice wasn’t very good at talking to customers. She hears the bell, and starts making her way back to the main house.
It was time to eat, and mentally prepare herself for the campers' arrival.
~
Ava is gazing out the window watching pine trees and farm land pass by at a similar rate to her heart thumping in her chest. Running one hand along the worn, cracked leather of the bus seat, the other twirling her headphone cable around her fingers.
“Ava! Ava! Cows!” Diego pulls an earbud out of her ear and is pointing, and a beautiful pasture stretches out in front of them as the bus slows. Ava arches her neck to look past Todd driving to see an arch that reads Cat’s Cradle Ranch. And sure enough, some cute fucking cows staring at the big yellow bus passing by.
“The road is a little bumpy, hang on!” Todd yells over the commotion on the bus, the various excited noises from the kids and maybe a lot of them from Ava herself. But fuck! How could she not be excited! She was going to get to be here all summer! Hanging out with these kids she’s grown fond of the last few months, and yes technically she was a counselor but she wasn’t about to miss out on the camp experience!
Shannon had told her they’ve been coming to Cat’s Cradle for as long as she’s been there, and from what Ava could gather, that had been a while. She was wiggling in her seat with all the anticipation for this place, she had watched so many movies growing up about summer camp and yes, the parent trap might be a huge part of that. She had worn the vhs copy they had in the orphanage out and was devastated when she couldn’t get a replacement. Tie-dye girl was perhaps when she realized she liked girls, boys, whoever, it didn’t really matter to her. She just liked people.
Ava catches JC’s eye as she’s looking around the bus and he waggles his eyebrows at her with a huge grin. “You excited, Aves?” Todd hits a pothole on the dirt road they’re on, sending everyone into a fit of giggles and she just happily nods at JC.
She and JC had flirted a lot when she first arrived at the OCS and perhaps a little more, but she didn’t kiss and tell, just kidding she absolutely would, it was a fun time! Honestly they never stopped with the flirting they did, but they both had decided they worked better as friends. He was one of her best friends and he had hinted at her being in for a show when we met the farm hands today, but he said he “didn’t want to spoil anything” for Ava.
She assumed they’d all be smoke shows anyway considering they all came from the OCS at some point plus JC, Chanel, and Todd. And Shannon, but is that weird to think about your boss? Maybe. Fuck it, she’s only human.
Ava’s eyes land on Crimson who rolls her eyes in response and shifts her body to look out the window. She and Crimson had really gotten off on the wrong foot. Chanel and Ava were kind of best friends instantly, and apparently Crimson had an issue with that because Chanel and her were best friends? Ava’s not super clear on the whole situation and just kind of avoids her when possible. But Ava always tries to be really nice to her, and she’s hoping she’ll eventually be able to turn it around.
“Please put this on, if you get a sunburn on our first day I will make sure everyone makes fun of you,” Chanel says handing Ava a flowy, yellow striped button up and sunscreen.
“But mommmmm, I’m literally fine,” Ava pouts as she pulls the shirt over her black tank top.
Ava refocuses back out the window, and keeps pinching herself making sure it’s all real, only a year ago she was bedridden, unable to move at all, and now here she was. “A wasted miracle,” Sister Francis had told her, but it wasn’t a waste. Ava was living the fuck out of this life. Sure, she was still figuring things out. But she’s made it this far hasn’t she?
Finally, in the distance Ava sees what JC was talking about.
The first one is tall with cheekbones that look like they could cut glass, her long hair done in a braid. The next woman is small, with a bright smile and curls on top of her head. The next is all muscle, tattoos, and braids sticking out of a cowboy hat.
Then standing slightly off to the side is Cowboy Hat 2 with just as many muscles as Cowboy Hat 1 but no tattoos, and she looks almost shy. The first three are waving as the bus rolls to a stop and Cowboy Hat 1 nudges Cowboy Hat 2 who sheepishly waves, and oh, Ava is struck with needing to know everything about that.
Ava is torn from her thoughts of the freckles hiding under cowboy hat 2 by Shannon raising her voice, “Alright everyone! You know the drill, and if you don’t find someone who does!”
Then softer, “Ava will you stay behind and check behind everyone to make sure we don’t leave anything?”
Ava does a goofy half salute that makes Shannon giggle, “Sure thing boss!”
She watches as all the kids gather their things and start filing off the bus chatting excitedly with one another. She grins as she begins walking towards the back of the big, yellow bus. Some of their bags are stacked at the very back and she notices something in one of the very back seats sticking out.
As she’s reaching out her foot catches on a seat and she begins to brace herself to hit the bags, but as she reaches it — it flings open. She squeezes her eyes shut and braces herself for contact with the ground as she flies through the air, but it never comes.
She feels strong arms squeezing around her torso and slowly cracks open one eye to come face to face with the most beautiful brown eyes she’s ever seen, they almost glow. Cowboy Hat, who is now definitely Cowboy Hat 1, not Cowboy Hat 2 like she originally had thought, was saying words, and in a British accent? But Ava isn’t catching a single thing she’s saying. She’s way too busy getting lost trying to count Cowboy Hat’s freckles, how are there so many — had she died falling out of the bus?
Ava’s not sure how long passes before she hears an “ahem” behind her that pulls her from her trance. She glances over to Shannon standing a few feet away, arms crossed against her chest, eyebrow quirked. The rest of everybody all staring at her in Cowboy Hat’s strong, capable arms. Ava swears she can hear Chanel and JC laughing somewhere, or fuck maybe that’s god that she was hearing.
She’s standing again in the blink of an eye and she’s not sure if Cowboy Hat pushed her or she got here on her own, but either way she’s standing and looking at everyone gawking at her. Ava brushes herself off to smooth out her clothes and then does what anyone trying to save their dignity would do, she points finger guns at Cowboy Hat who just saved her life literally, and maybe figuratively, only time will tell, “talk about falling head over heels for someone, am I right?” followed by a wink that makes the kids and the counselors all groan and go back to getting everyone’s things sorted out.
Ava’s head tilts back and she lets out a belly laugh before remembering that she is now standing beside her literal savior. She does a quick curtsy, god why, but thankfully Cowboy Hat grins a little with flushed cheeks, “I really am sorry for opening the door like that, Miss—.”
“And miss the opportunity to be caught by a hot cowboy like you? No need to apologize! I’m Ava by the way,” and she extends her hand out.
Cowboy Hat’s cheeks flush the prettiest shade of pink underneath all those freckles and oh god, Ava wants to make that happen as much as possible, as she reaches for Ava’s hand, “Oh— I’m not, uh, I’m Beatrice.”
Ava tries not to blush as Cowboy Ha—Beatrice takes her hand and oh my god her hands are so strong but Beatrice shakes hers so lightly.
“Well, it’s fantastic to meet you, Beatrice!” Letting her hand linger as long as she’ll allow it.
“And you, Ava,” and she pulls her hand from Ava’s and then like a true gentleman and to add the cherry on top of this scene Ava has only seen in movies. Beatrice actually tips her whole hat in Ava’s direction. As if catching Ava from falling to her death hadn’t been enough to make her swoon, well, this, this was going to be playing in her head tonight before bed, that’s for damn sure.
Beatrice turns her attention back to the bags and pulls a bright blue duffle bag with a yellow rubber ducky luggage tag off, and Ava watches her smile as she reads the name tag.
“That would be mine, thank you, when I saw it in the store it made me quack up, oh and next time you totally don’t have to catch me. I’m a little clumsy” and Ava spins on her heel.
Quietly, Beatrice says, “I’ll be sure to duck, next time then.”
Ava spins back around quickly to Beatrice wearing a shy grin, “oh you and me are going to get along, swimmingly, Bea.”