Chapter Text
Sabrina Harrington was a lot of things: a fantastic fucking lawyer, valedictorian of her high school who then worked her ass off getting her law degree summa cum laude in college, a dedicated wife, a pillar of the community — known for her volunteer work, attendance and drive in local politics, and her all around loving and giving nature…
But even after four years, she did not feel like she knew how to be a mother, and it was beginning to take its toll.
“Charlie, I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Sabrina sighed, dropping her head into her arms; so comfortable in her best friend’s kitchen that she didn’t care if her hair was mussed or if her makeup wasn’t perfect. It didn’t matter - Charlotte Buckley knew her inside and out, and it didn’t matter that they hadn’t seen each other since before Steven was born. They were still attached at the hip, and as Charlotte’s hand ran soothing circles across her back, she knew she’d made the right choice in reconnecting the moment they were able to take the time to visit Hawkins again after so many years all but isolating in Indy. “I’ve tried so hard, and Steven is such a good kid, but I… I don’t think I was ever meant to be a mother.”
“Oh, Sabbie, don’t say that.” Charlotte cooed, intertwining their fingers as she scooted closer. “You’re doing your best! Steven is so loved; you’ve got him in the best pre-school possible and have everything set up for a wonderful education beyond it, and he’s such a sweet boy — you can feel the love you and Sebastian have for him coming off of him in waves. What more could you ask for?”
She glanced over, watching as her Steven sat, nodding profusely with big, wide eyes, as Charlotte’s own daughter, Robin, rambled something in barely there toddler chatter - waving her hands as she did. “I want to go back to work, Charlotte.” Sabrina confessed quietly; trying and failing to hide the devastation in her voice, “How does it not make me an awful mother to prefer being around stuffy, backstabbing lawyers and potential criminals more than my own child?” Her voice broke and she tried to retreat further into herself, but oh no — Charlie wasn’t going to have that, was she?
“Sabrina Meredith Huntington-Harrington.” Charlotte’s voice went steady and low, finally shifting enough to pull Sabrina’s head off of the table and force her to look her in the eye, “Do you think we’re bad parents for having a kid we knew couldn’t afford? Do you think James and I are failures or awful for living with his mother because of it instead of pushing through and keeping our apartment when Robin was born?”
“What? No!”
“Exactly. So why are you punching yourself down? So you want to go back to work. You love your job, and let’s face it, most people don’t have the option — sorry, no, the privilege — to take almost half a decade off of work to focus on their kid, but you did and that is a wonderful thing. You’ve always been a workaholic, and I say this as lovingly as possible — I’m surprised you managed to hold off this long.”
Sabrina chuckled, wiggling her face in Charlotte’s grip. “I mean, rude, but accurate.”
“So cut yourself a break, okay?” She squeezed Sabrina’s chin, pausing to speak again when a mischievous giggle rang out through the dining room - sending Charlie up and out of her chair and toward the kids in the blink of an eye, “Oh! Robin, sweetie no we don’t bite, my darling little songbird! We’ve talked about this!”
Robin made a muffled noise, teeth still firmly chomped down on Steven’s elbow, but he didn’t make a noise back beyond a small, almost questioning ‘ow’ as he continued watching her curiously. No real reaction to the feeling of toddler teeth sinking into his flesh or to the trickle of blood oozing from his arm.
Shaking off her melancholy, Sabrina stood as well, “Steven, what do we ask for when people hurt us?”
“Doesn’t hurt, Mama. Her teef ‘re so small.” Her sweet boy looked up at her, all wild chestnut hair and big hazel eyes; eyebrows furrowed just a little bit as his lips pursed in thought as Charlotte slowly coaxed Robin’s mouth open to release him, “She’s jus’ a baby, she can’t help it. I don’ want her to be in twoble.”
Something in Sabrina’s chest ached, listening to her not-even-five year old son already attempting to speak like an adult. He’d been around no one but herself and Sebastian his entire life — both sets of grandparent’s passed before he was born, no siblings, no cousins — and neither of them had ever been one for babytalk, “She won’t be in trouble, but she does need to learn. She might not have hurt you, but what if she accidentally hurts someone else?” Charlotte quietly explained, looking up at Sabrina in a way that begged a question she didn’t need to verbalize. She nodded back and Charlotte chuckled - holding the same elbow out for Steve, “Now I wouldn’t normally recommend this, but why don’t you give her a taste of her own medicine, huh?”
Sabrina watched, enraptured, as Charlotte smiled and wiggled Robin’s chubby little toddler arm toward her son’s mouth — eyes sparkling and dusty blonde hair hanging in her face. She hadn’t changed, really, in their lifetime knowing each other… she was still so bright and kind and full of so much love and sweetness that it just oozed out of her.
With the most cautious little shift in movement, she watched Steven bite down on Robin’s elbow - and instead of screaming or crying, she giggled like it was the most amusing thing she’d ever experienced.
And suddenly, like a flash of lightning, it occurred to her that she could fix both their problems. Sure, it would also assuage some of her guilt, but… it could work.
“Charlie?” Sabrina muttered, just loud enough for her to hear her as she pulled James’ overly complicated kit from under the sink — which, made sense to have, James being just shy of a doctor and all — and cleaned up the two children, humming in acknowledgment as she finished up, “…Come work for me. We… Well, the house Sebastian and I bought outside of Indy is way too big anyway, and… you know, there’s a guest house, more of a mother-in-law suite in a way, on the property. I can go back to work, and you can… You’re family, I couldn’t ask for someone better to care for Steven when we can’t be around.”
They’d bought the house, originally, for Sebastian’s own aging parents, but they’d passed just weeks before Steven was born, so it sat empty — clean, of course, but empty. “Sabbie, no, I can watch him, but I can’t just let you pay me for something I’d do for—”
“Please, Charlie? At least… let me just… come stay in the suite — what am I going to do with an extra three bedroom place when I’ve already got a house anyways?” She sunk to the floor and grabbed hold of her dearest friend’s hands, more than willing to beg if she needed, “It will get you and James and Robin out of here. If you won’t let me pay you, at least live in the house and let me pay for Robin’s schooling. We can be neighbors again…”
“Sabrina. I’m not… This feels like a handout.” The income disparity between their two families had always been glaringly obvious to the people around then, but it hadn’t mattered to them as kids, and in Sabrina’s mind, it shouldn’t matter now. So much money went to causes and people she was happy to help but would never meet — why couldn’t she use it to not only help her friend, but be a little selfish too?
“C’mon! Don’t you want to get out of Hawkins? James could make so much more at one of the hospitals in Indy, and you’d have your own space. Plus… look at them, Charlie.” Sabrina nodded toward the children, curled together and fast asleep — hand in hand, bandaged elbows pressed together, “We got to grow up together…. Wouldn’t it be so amazing for our kids to be able to do the same — Steven’s birthday is late enough and Robin’s is early enough, we might even be able to get them into the same grade! And Charlie… you know how much I’d love to be able to have you closer, right? We’re not that far away from Hawkins, so it’s not like James’ mother couldn’t visit or vice versa. Now… what do you say? Give it a chance at least? Worst case scenario, you hate it and you two can come right back here.”
Charlotte stared down at the kids, the gears in her mind turning as she considered, and Sabrina couldn’t help but perk up as Charlotte’s hands squeezed hers back, “…I have to talk to James first, but…”
“…But?”
“If he agrees, then my answer is yes. We’re a team, and you know I can’t make the decision without him.” She said sternly, but the way her eyes crinkled — almost completely closed with the sheer force of her smile? Well….
Winning a case was nothing compared to the sheer triumph and joy she felt, knowing that not only would her friend be closer, but Steve’s would too.