Travis and Stephanie's first stop on their date was going to get some ice cream. He let her pick out the flavor and payed for both of them himself, which she thought was sweet. Travis and Stephanie now sat in the ice cream parlor and weren't sure exactly what to say to the other first, so Travis picked the most obvious thing he could compliment on.
"I like your dress, it matches your eyes well." Travis complimented. "Oh, thanks. It's a bit of a coincidence but my mom said that same thing. She didn't pay you to tell me that did she?" Stephanie asked raising her eyebrow.
"What?! No, no! I just...I just was trying to say something nice and I thought I'd say something about the dress, because you look lovely in it, and your eyes are lovely and your hair and....uh...." Travis said trying to save face before he noticed Stephanie stifling a giggle.
"Wait, were you just teasing me?"
"Maybe, it's something I picked up from my mom in the last few years." Stephanie said as she continued her ice cream.
"Few years? Haven't they raised you?" Travis asked confused. Stephanie stopped for a moment and looked at her ice cream without licking it.
"Travis, Ann and Jackie, they're not my biological parents. My real parents died a couple of years ago in an accident." Stephanie said with a sigh.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." Travis apologized. "I've lived with death a lot, uh, metaphorically speaking that is. You know cause how my dad works. But you know, sometimes there is beauty in death. You can remember some good moments with them, what were they like?"
"Well, they sent me to the best elementary school, and middle school to get a top notch education." Stephanie listed off as she ate more of her ice cream now.
"See? They did something good for you."
"And I rarely ever saw them because they were way too busy with their own careers. I saw my nanny more than I ever saw them." Stephanie said now as she got to the cone of her ice cream.
"Well, I'm sure they tried to make time for you, right?"
"By making time, you mean coming to see me to ask me which private school I wanted to attend? Sure those times were great. Don't forget about scheduling quality time too. It made me so frustrated how they cared more for their own work and my future, then they cared to just spend a couple of days or a week off work with me." Stephanie said as she was now just left with her ice cream waffle cone.
"So, what about when they died?"
"When they died, I was devastated, yes. My parents were gone and never once told me if they were ever proud of me. My nanny wouldn't be able to really take care of me anymore, and I thought I would be left alone. Until I learned that one of their co-workers, Ann O'Toole, was to be my legal guardian in the event of my parents death." Stephanie explained taking a few bites of her waffle cone now.
"She seems like a good mom to you." Travis pointed out from the brief time he met her.
"Heh, now she is. When we first met, I was 14 and she had no clue how to raise a child, let alone a teenager. She actually tried to do more with me than my own mom ever did, but she was still struggling. This is where Jackie comes into the picture. Jackie met Ann at a party and they hit it off pretty well. The two of them soon learned that they didn't just care for each other as friends, but as lovers." Stephanie said with a smile.
"Well, how did you feel when Jackie entered your life?" Travis asked still curious.
"Ann has always been one for rules, so has Jackie to a slightly lesser extent. The two of them together, almost want to break rules sometimes. Jackie can relate a little more to me because she....remembers high school better than Ann does and is better with giving me advice. Over the last few years, we've done some cool things together, gone to a theme park, a water resort. Also, when I'm asleep and have night terrors about...the past, they come into my bedroom and ask me if I'm okay. They may not have given birth to me. But I see them as my moms now, I still have my real mom in my memories, but Ann and Jackie have made up for my real mom in spades and I can't thank them enough." Stephanie said.
"Wow, I'm sorry you've been through so much, but I'm glad you opened up to me. And on a first date no less." Travis said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, it's weird, I felt great about opening up to you. It must be a talent of yours." Stephanie said blushing.
"Uh, yeah, I kind of get that from my parents. So, do you want to go watch a movie?" Travis asked.
"I'd love to." Stephanie said as Travis stood up to help her out of her seat. Stephanie gave Travis a small kiss on the cheek after she stood up.
"Thanks for listening, you're sweet." Stephanie said with a smile as they left for the movie theater.