#also Farah’s a Capricorn change my mind | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

evebestt · 2 years

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Hi! alright? First I would like to say that I love reading all your fics. They're all amazing! Could you write some fic about a relationship between the reader and Farah where reader is a teacher and has a daughter and that daughter loves Farah's company and that makes the reader incredibly even more in love with Farah. Given this situation, she makes a surprise or something for Farah, I'm not sure... I don't know what else to say, sorry! I hope you understand hahahaha Thank you for your attention!

Hi hon! Thank you so so much for this prompt, I am absolutely enamored with it. I’ve always been such a sucker for kid fics, and then one with Farah too? Absolutely feral over it

I will say though, this one got long — as I haven’t done a kid fic for Farah yet I went a lot little overboard, both in length and the sheer amount of fluff in it. So if that’s right up your alley, then enjoy 🖤

Read here on AO3 or below. As always, send me an ask or a message to submit a prompt

Mothers and Daughter (1/3)

It had been love at first sight for Farah and Lucy.

You’d realized you needed a new job only weeks after your darling baby had been born, when your current job tried to wheedle you into cutting your maternity leave by almost half. After that particular meeting had ended, you called up your friend who worked at Alfea and asked (as she’d tried to recruit you before) if there were still any positions available.

Lucky for you, there were, and even luckier, you were hired on quickly by one Headmistress Dowling.

She’d been accommodating about your schedule once you told her you had a newborn, and so even though you were barely working part time (with an agreement to bump up to full time when your daughter was older), you were still given a faculty suite and full benefits, as well as free tuition for Lucy should you still be employed at Alfea at that time.

You got along nicely with the rest of the staff and quickly gained a good repertoire with your students, so when your three month review with Farah came around, you felt very confident it would go well.

Until the woman who was supposed to babysit Lucy that day called and canceled, leaving you with no other option than to bring her with you to your very important meeting with Farah Dowling.

Little did you know just how that would change everything.

You opted to carry her in your arms, knowing you could soothe her easier should she become fussy, and with one last silent plea that this go smoothly, you stepped up to Farah’s office.

“I’m sorry, Farah,” you said after you’d knocked quietly on her door jam. “Our meeting has been booked for weeks, but my friend who was supposed to babysit had something come up. I know it’s unprofessional of me to bring her with me, but—”

“Nonsense,” she interrupted, waving her hand to dismiss your apologies as she stood from her desk. “You’re a mother, I would never hold that against you.”

Surprise and relief flowed through you at her nonchalance, leaving you a bit numb as you stepped into her office, Farah closing the door behind you. When she faced you again, she smiled softly down at Lucy, asleep in your arms. “May I see?”

You nodded, always happy to show off your girl. You slowly adjusted Lucy so that her face could be seen, and then watched in awe as Farah’s face relaxed into a brilliant smile, any lines or tension in her face draining away in a moment.

“She’s precious,” she murmured, and reached out almost on instinct to brush the back of her finger over Lucy’s cheek, lighter than a feather.

Lucy opened her eyes, despite the light touch, and you braced yourself for the cries of a baby cranky from being woken, but to your amazement she was quiet, staring up at Farah as she blinked somewhat owlishly.

Farah hadn’t asked, and yet you felt that it was right. You shifted her in your arms to hold her out to Farah, and she accepted without a word, carefully taking her into her arms and settling her onto her shoulder.

She gave a low, cooing hum when Lucy continued to stare up at her. “Hello, little one,” she murmured, rubbing her fingertips in slow circles along Lucy’s back.

You watched them in awe for a minute, smiling to yourself when Farah began to gently sway. “She’s going through a phase where she gets a bit fussy when someone she doesn’t know holds her,” you told her, still staring in amazement. “She must be enamored with you.”

Farah chuckled lightly, still gazing at Lucy as though she was unable to take her eyes off her. “I do believe the feeling is mutual, little one.” She stared a moment longer, and then managed to glance up at you. “What is her name? I don’t think I know.”

“Lucy. Or, Lucille is her full name, but I mostly call her Lucy.”

“Lucille,” Farah murmured, reaching up to brush her finger over her cheek again. “A beautiful name for a sweet girl.”

She swayed and hummed for a few moments longer, and then shook her head a bit, chuckling. “As much as I believe I could stand here with her for the rest of the day, I suppose we should get to our meeting.”

You laughed and held your arms out for Lucy. “It is hard to get work done when there’s a baby around.”

“Oh, I do agree,” Farah said on a laugh before she handed Lucy back to you, but not before she cupped the back of her head one last time with such tenderness that it made your heart swell in sudden affection for her.

The meeting went well, though Lucy squirmed so much to get a look at Farah that you had to turn her to face Farah halfway through, something that made her laugh and lose her train of thought.

You both rose when it ended, and Farah came around her desk to shake your hand. Lucy still stared at her, so Farah ran her thumb down her cheek as a sort of goodbye before she looked back at you. “You said you had a sudden cancellation for your childcare today, yes?”

You gave a regretful nod. “Yes, unfortunately.”

“Does that happen often?”

You felt your heart jump into your throat, wondering if this would be the courteous yet firm request to make sure that didn’t happen again. “Uhm, no, I wouldn’t say often, but on occasion it does.”

She smiled kindly at you, shaking her head as she held out a comforting hand. “I don’t mean to worry you, no, I’m not upset that it does. Just…” an odd, sort of bashful look came over her features for a moment, and then she continued. “Just that I don’t want worry or stress about care for your little one to ever be a problem for you. So, should that happen again and you need a replacement, you’re always welcome to ask me.”

You nearly felt your jaw drop. “I—really?”

She nodded, and a bit of that bashful look came back again. “I wouldn’t mind watching her. I can’t always guarantee that I’ll be available, but if I am, I’m more than willing.”

You were still more than stunned by such a generous offer from the Headmistress of the school, but you managed to nod at her. “That’s—thank you, Farah, that’s a really wonderful offer. I might need that some day.”

Her features melted into a smile, and she gave you a nod. “Good. Don’t be afraid to ask.”

For the rest of the day, you thought about Farah. At first just about her offer, but soon your thoughts strayed into how good she’d been with Lucy, and then eventually (and more embarrassingly), they strayed into how good she looked, not just with Lucy but on her own, too, with her fine, regal structure and her small but gentle smile.

And by the end of the day, no matter what you did, your heart did a double beat every time you thought of Farah Dowling.

~~~~~~~~~

The next month went by as smoothly as it could when you worked with teenagers, and every day you found yourself more and more grateful that you’d decided to come to Alfea.

And then came the day when your babysitter had canceled two hours before you had to teach a class, your backup babysitter unable to make it, and none of your friends available for that hour.

Twenty minutes before the start, you finally started considering your option of Farah Dowling.

She had offered, and had seemed entirely sincere and willing. But that had been over a month ago, and you hadn’t really talked to her since, except for staff meetings and the occasional small talk in the hallway. Not to mention there was still a chance that she wouldn’t be able to, and there was still the little problem of the flutter your heart did every time you thought of her.

But it was either that or take Lucy to class with you, and while you weren’t against that in principle, you did have a fair number of fire fairies on your roster. Not that you didn’t trust them, but you had seen teenage magic in action before, and would rather not take the chance.

So with ten minutes to spare, you gathered up Lucy and her bag and started for Farah’s office.

Her door was open and she was at her desk — a good sign, so you stepped up and knocked on the door frame.

She looked up and smiled at you, which widened when she saw Lucy asleep in the carrier you held. “Someone’s tired — what can I help you with?”

“Ah, well,” you took a step into her office and gestured down to Lucy. “I have a class to teach in ten minutes and my babysitter canceled today. No one else has been able to cover, so if you’re not too busy, I was going to take you up on your offer. If you’re not, though, that’s alright—”

“I’m free,” Farah said simply, cutting off all of your placations. “I’m happy to watch her.”

The tension you hadn’t realized you’d been holding left you in a sigh, and you gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you so much, that’s such a huge help right now.”

She smiled, standing from her desk to come around and get a closer look at Lucy. “I have to admit I’m not entirely selfless in my offer — I think I could stare at her all day.”

You laughed. “And now you understand the plight of a working mother.”

You held the carrier out for Farah to take, and then set the bag down on her guest chair. “She’s been fed and changed, so she should just sleep through the hour, but if you need anything it’s in this bag. And as my boss you probably don’t want to hear this, but should anything happen I have no qualms about canceling my class in the middle if you need me here.”

Farah laughed and shook her head as she glanced between you and Lucy. “I would never hold that against you when it comes to your daughter. But we’ll be alright, and we’ll be right here when you’re done.”

You nodded, and swallowed past the familiar lump in your throat that came every time you had to leave her. “Okay, I’ll be back soon,” you said to Lucy as much to Farah, and then turned to leave, looking back one last time to see Farah staring fondly down at Lucy.

Your class went blissfully smooth, and though you knew Lucy was in good, safe hands, you couldn’t stop yourself from hurrying back to Farah’s office when the hour was up. And though you were going fast enough to nearly run straight inside, the sight you found had you stopping in your tracks.

Farah stood with her back to you in the middle of her office, Lucy fast asleep on her shoulder as she slowly rocked side to side, one hand cradling her close and the other holding the file she skimmed. You thought you heard her hum under her breath, a slow tune you could only catch snatches of, and that sent your heart fluttering in your chest, affection and warmth swelling in your chest until you thought it might burst.

You might have made a noise, for Farah turned suddenly, smiling reassuringly when she saw you at the door. “She’s alright, she was just a bit fussy in her seat. Just needed to be held, that’s all.”

You laughed, steadying yourself from another wave of affection with a hand on the door jam. “She’s quite happy right there.”

Farah chuckled too and looked down at Lucy, still asleep. “She is, isn’t she? I’ve never seen a baby so clearly just want to be held, nothing else. To wake up from sleep and not need food or a change, but just to have someone hold her while she falls back asleep.”

“She is a little cuddler.” You took one last moment to commit the scene before you to memory before you gently took Lucy from Farah, settling her comfortably into the carrier before you took the bag Farah handed you.

“I just wanted to thank you again for watching her.” When Farah tried to wave off your gratitude, you pushed on. “No, really. You’ve been so kind to me — to us, since the minute I arrived, and now with babysitting today, you’ve truly gone above and beyond what any other boss would do.”

The skin high on her cheekbones flushed lightly in pleasure, and the sight of it made you grin. “So as a thank you, can I make you dinner some night?”

~~~~~~~~~

You decided on that Friday, which luckily gave you some time to clean up your suite and go to the store. That didn’t mean you had to spend much of Friday after your class cleaning up the mess that had somehow accumulated between then and now, but you appreciated the theoretical head start.

Just before Farah was due to arrive, you did one last look through your suite, pleased that everything had managed to stay mostly tidy. With that, you picked up Lucy from her blanket on the floor and tucked the blanket away, then went about your sweep, murmuring to her along the way.

“I think we’re right on track here — the pasta’s almost done, and— oh, sweetie.” You looked down when you felt wetness on the front of your shirt to see Lucy spit up, staining your shirt and a bit of your hair. You cooed over her for a moment, reassuring yourself it was just a bit of upset stomach and not something worse, and then debated whether you should just use one of the kitchen towels to clean up or risk the time to go back and change.

And then came the knock at the door.

“Damn,” you muttered. Looked at the clock — six on the dot, of course she was punctual, and then down at Lucy. “I gotta hand it to you kid, you have impeccable timing.”

Resigned, you turned to the door and opened it to Farah, giving her a sheepish smile when her eyes first widened in surprise and then crinkled in sympathy at the sight. “Hi, Farah — I’m sorry, a bit of a situation came up just as you knocked. Uhm,” you looked behind you, took a step back, then looked back at her, flustered. “Come in, come in of course, I won’t make you wait out there.”

You waved her in as you shifted Lucy more securely in your arms. “Is everything alright?” she asked, looking concerned, and that same flutter you’d felt in her office rose up again.

“Yes, she’s alright, just unfortunate timing. Please, make yourself at home, there’s glasses and various drinks in the kitchen. I just need a few minutes to clean us both up.”

“If you’d like,” she said before you could turn away, “rather, if you’re alright with it, I can clean up Lucille so you can wash up.”

You paused, amazed that she’d offered. “I—really?”

She nodded, giving you a small smile. “I don’t mind. Just show me where the nursery is.”

Still a bit stunned, you showed her down the hall. “Her onesies are in here,” you said, opening the top drawer of a small, lilac dresser, “and wipes are over here by the table. I think that should be all you need? But if you can’t find anything just holler, my room’s right next door.”

“I think we’ll be alright,” she reassured, and held her arms out for Lucy when you shifted her.

She held her so easily, like she’d been doing it since the minute she was born, that you had to stop and marvel at it, watching Farah smile when Lucy reached out to grab at her necklace. She looked at you then, smile still in place, and nodded towards the door. “Go change. We’ll be alright.”

So you did, as quickly as you could, first rinsing out your hair and restyling as best you could before stripping out of your blouse. You told yourself you chose your new shirt because it was the first one in your closet and not because it was a bit more low cut than the old one, but whatever the reason, it looked good when you pulled it on. You gave yourself one last once over, and satisfied, you went back to the nursery.

You found Farah bent over the changing table, Lucy — now in a giraffe onesie — on her back and babbling while Farah rubbed her belly. She spoke in a slightly higher pitch, what you figured was her baby voice, but she seemed to hold a complete conversation with Lucy, which made you bite back a laugh.

“She likes that,” you said after you’d watched them for a minute. “She’s very relaxed.”

Farah looked at you and smiled, then picked up Lucy and walked over to you. “When the children were this young, I know rubbing their bellies helped when they were sick.”

“It helps her, too,” you said nodding, and took Lucy from her arms when Farah shifted. “The children, do you mean…?”

“Sam, Terra, and Sky. I didn’t see much of Sam and Sky when they were this age, but when Terra was born,” an odd, melancholic look crossed her face, but she shook her head as though to clear it before you could study it. “Things changed, then. I ended up helping to take care of her much more than the others.”

You wondered what had changed, but didn’t want to push it, and instead said, “I knew you had to get your skills from somewhere. You’re amazing with her.”

She grinned then, a look you were realizing was rare for her, and gazed down at Lucy. “She’s also a very agreeable baby. I’ve rarely seen one happier than her.”

“Not with everyone,” you said before you could stop yourself. When Farah looked up at you curiously, you continued. “She’s happy, yeah, but not quite like this.” When Farah’s eyes softened and she looked back down at Lucy, your heart swelled. “I said it before, but it bears repeating: she’s enamored with you.”

Farah didn’t have to say anything — the gentle caress she gave to Lucy’s head said it all.

Before your eyes could well, you hoisted Lucy further into your arms. “Come on; if I haven’t completely ruined the pasta, dinner will be ready soon. Then I’ll feed her and put her down, and then we can open a bottle of wine.”

The pasta was only slightly overcooked and the chicken wasn’t burned, so you considered that a success, especially as you got to watch Farah bounce Lucy in her arms while you put dinner on the table. An even greater success was when Lucy ate easily and went down without a fuss, and when you came back to the kitchen, Farah had just piled the dishes in the sink, then turned and asked where your wine glasses were.

Your conversation flowed easily, even without a child at the center of it, and for that you were grateful. Lucy was your world, but sometimes it felt like people had to struggle to fit around what your life had become, and at times you felt guilty for that. But with Farah, it all just fit; everything from babysitting to the conversation you could hold over a glass of wine, it all felt perfect, and you realized that having her here left you feeling more content than you had in years.

“It’s nice having someone around,” you murmured at a lull in the conversation, then blinked, realizing you’d said that out loud. You hadn’t had wine in more than a year and it had gone straight to your head. “I mean, that is, it’s not that I don’t have anyone, I do.”

You tried to backtrack while Farah looked amused, which almost made it worse. “But it’s different that just having a friend around — not to say that you’re not a friend, you are, at least I assume you are, but even when I’m here you still help with Lucy — not to say my friends don’t help with Lucy, they do, but it’s different—”

You finally managed to shut your mouth before you said anything else embarrassing could come out, but you felt like the flush on your cheeks would be there permanently, especially when you thought you saw Farah stifle a laugh out of the corner of your eye. But then she reached out and covered your hand with hers, her thumb slowly stroking along the back of your wrist.

“I think I understand what you mean.”

Your head shot up at her words, and the look you saw in her eyes made your chest swell — there was affection, warmth, attraction, interest in her eyes, everything that you knew was mirrored in your own.

“I’m happy to be around, in whatever capacity you should need or want,” she murmured, her thumb still stroking your wrist. “Lucille is a darling, and I enjoy looking after her. And I’m rather fond of your company, too.”

Her words were light, but what she was offering, the sincerity of her feelings, made your heart melt. Before you could doubt yourself, you took her hand between both of yours and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles, lingering there for as long as you could. When you opened your eyes, her gaze was warm and soft, and something passed between you — a tentative wish, a tender hope, a promise, true and sincere.

And so Farah, slowly but surely, became a fixture in both of your lives. She hadn’t been there for Lucy’s first word, but had been there for her first steps, a wobbly walk towards you as she clung to Farah’s fingers while you’d both cheered and laughed. She’d been there through ear infections and fevers, helping to rock, soothe, and comfort, and the first time your little girl had uttered a jumbled “Farah”, you thought she just might cry.

Though you couldn’t deny your feelings for Farah, nor hers for you, you were reluctant to give into them fully. She’d become such an integral part of Lucy’s life, and should something go wrong between the two of you, what would happen? And what kind of mother would you be if you were nursing a broken heart? It all scared you too much to think about, and so you did your best to keep yours and Farah’s relationship platonic as the months went by.

And then one day, after a week of grading midterms and nursing Lucy through a nasty cold, you came home with plans to cook a small dinner for you, Lucy, and Farah (as she ate dinner with you more often than not), and then go straight to bed.

You hadn’t meant to fall asleep on the couch — just meant to sit and rest for a minute. But your eyelids were too heavy, and your body too sore, and within a minute, you were out.

But instead of waking to a burning stove and a crying child, you woke to dinner neatly wrapped in the fridge, Lucy bathed and tucked into bed, and the mountain of laundry, which you’d been ignoring for some time, clean on the ottoman in front of you, half of it folded by the woman who sat across from you.

You blinked blearily, trying to gauge the time while Farah folded another shirt. “You did laundry?” you said, and cleared your throat when it came out a rasp.

She smiled at you, placing the shirt on the pile before picking up another one. “You’ve had a stressful week. I figured it was the least I could do while I watched Lucille.”

This woman, you thought as you swallowed past the lump in your throat, this utterly perfect woman.

She’d come expecting dinner, and instead had stepped up and taken care of everything while she let you rest. Emotion swelled in your chest, but this time you couldn’t just ignore it, couldn’t just let it go by with nothing more than a meaningful look.

Standing from your spot, you skirted the ottoman to sit next to Farah, merely taking the shirt from her hands, and when she gave you a curious look, you cupped her cheek and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

She returned it just as softly, but when you parted your lips for her she deepened it suddenly, a warm hand coming to your waist and pulling you closer. You twined your arms around her neck, pouring everything you felt into the kiss, hoping she’d feel what you felt, that she’d understand a piece of your heart belonged to her, even if it had taken so long.

And she did. In what you thought may have been your own personal miracle, she did.

~~~~~~~~~

“Farah!” Lucy, two years old now, yelled as she toddled over to her desk. The woman in question looked up from her writing and smiled, standing to scoop her up into her arms.

“Hello sweetheart,” she said, her smile growing when Lucy threw her arms around her neck. “And hello to you, too.” She turned to you then, and you greeted her with a small kiss on the corner of her mouth.

“We’re a little early, but someone really wanted to see you.”

“Is that so?” Farah asked, and chuckled when Lucy nodded. “Well, how lucky am I, then?”

You grinned, then shouldered the bag you carried. “I have a couple classes back to back and then some meetings — you’re sure you’re alright to watch her for a few hours?”

She nodded. “Of course. I have a light day today.”

“Alright, then,” you leaned in and pressed a kiss to Lucy’s cheek, “bye, pumpkin.” You turned and pressed a kiss to Farah’s cheek, too. “I’ll see you later.”

Your classes went well, and while the meetings seemed to drag on, they were somewhat productive, and they’d given you the chance to talk to a few of your friends. But nevertheless, you were ready to get back to Lucy, and didn’t linger any longer than you needed to by the time they were done.

Farah was still writing at her desk by the time you returned, but the room seemed suspiciously absent of any signs of a toddler, making you frown and look around. “Where’s Lucy?”

She glanced up at you and nodded to the floor beside her, and you came around her desk to see Lucy sitting on the floor half underneath Farah’s desk, crayons and paper strewn all around her.

“Well, look at you!” you exclaimed, cocking one hip on the desk as she looked up at you, waving briefly before returning to her picture, and you smiled before turning your attention to Farah.

“Who knew Farah Dowling had crayons and paper in her office?”

“The children spent many hours here with their crafts when they were young, I had to be prepared.” she explained as though it was a tactical decision, but then she cracked a smile. “It’s almost a tradition at this point for a child to spend their afternoon coloring at my feet,” she said with a hint of pride, laying a hand affectionately on the top of Lucy’s head.

“Be as that may, and as sweet as that is, it’s been a long time since those kids were young,” you teased her gently, wanting to draw out what you suspected was the truth.

“Well, I may have replenished my stock of crayons and paper when you and I became closer.”

There it is, you thought, and had to stop yourself from swooning at the thought of Farah Dowling buying crayons for your daughter. “I ever tell you you’re perfect?”

“Never,” she said in a faux serious tone, making you laugh and lean down to press a quick kiss to her lips.

“Well, then, you’re pretty perfect,” you murmured, and you felt her smile against your lips.

Straightening, you looked down at Lucy. “Can you start cleaning up the crayons, kiddo?” you asked, and before you could say anything else, Lucy was turning to Farah with stars in her eyes, pulling on the hem of her skirt.

“Do magic, do magic! Please?”

You thought to stop her and insist she help clean up her mess, but the joy and excitement on her face was too infectious to stop, and she had Farah wrapped around her finger, anyway — there was nothing you could say to stop Farah from showing off.

With a barely contained smile, Farah’s eyes began to glow and she raised her hand in a graceful wave. The crayons scattered around the floor were sent floating into the air where they circled Lucy twice, much to her delight, before nearly settling themselves back into their box — organized perfectly by color.

Lucy giggled and clapped, making Farah chuckle, and you took another moment to admire the scene before you nodded at Lucy. “What do you say to Farah?”

“Thank you Farah.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” she responded warmly, and your heart fluttered the same way it had nearly two years ago.

You helped Lucy gather up her pictures before giving them to her to carry, then looked at Farah again. “I’ll see you tonight?”

She nodded. “I’ll be back by dinner.”

With that, you hoisted Lucy into your arms, and giving Farah one last kiss, started for home, Lucy waving bye the whole way out the door.

~~~~~~~~~

More nights than not, now, with Lucy’s third birthday just around the corner, you and Farah slept in the same bed. You admitted that you slept better with her around, and when you’d told her such, she’d simply smiled, then packed a bag and filled the drawer and closet you’d cleared out for her. So when you woke to find her side of the bed empty and the sheets nearly cool to the touch, you pulled on a robe and went in search of her.

In the hallway, you heard Farah’s low voice murmuring in the living room, and you crept over to the corner to peer in.

And the love that swelled up at the sight was staggering.

She sat in the plush rocking chair you’d had since the day Lucy was born, the little girl curled up snugly on her lap. She rocked slowly, one hand gently running through Lucy’s curls, and though the girl’s voice was calm and quiet now, you could see the tear stains on her cheeks, her nose still red and runny from crying.

“It was scary,” you heard Lucy whisper, and Farah made a soft noise of sympathy.

“It sounds like it,” she murmured. “But do you know the thing about nightmares?” When Lucy shook her head against Farah’s shoulder, she continued. “They’re not real. They’re always scary in the moment, but when you wake up, you always see that they’re not real, and then you can think about all the nice things in the world—”

“Like horses and cupcakes?” Lucy interrupted, and Farah smiled down at her.

“Yes, like horses, and cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles, and how much your mama loves you, and how much I love you too.”

Tears pricked at your eyes but you blinked them away, not wanting to miss a moment. Lucy rubbed her face against Farah’s shoulder, burrowing closer, and Farah pulled her in, pressing a kiss to her head before her hand resumed its slow, gentle caress through her hair.

You lost yourself in just watching Farah rock, your little girl cradled safely in her arms. But even from there you could see her eyes getting heavy, her fingers losing their grip on the front of Farah’s robe, and she saw it too. Gathering her close, she slowly stood, murmuring something soft to Lucy when she stirred.

She saw you when she stepped towards the hallway, giving you a small smile over Lucy’s head. She murmured something to her again, and then Lucy opened her eyes, looking in the direction Farah nodded.

“Mama,” she cried, reaching out for you, and you took her into your arms, holding her close.

“Did you have a bad dream?” you asked her quietly, and she nodded into your shoulder. “Did Farah make you feel better?” She nodded again, and you pressed a kiss to the top of her head, rubbing her back. “Good.”

Lucy still clung tight to you, and so you took a moment to just hold her, swaying gently as you stepped closer to Farah, smiling when she reached out to rub her back with you.

“Are you ready to go back to your bed?”

Lucy made a noise that wasn’t quite agreement, but not quite refusal either, and you and Farah smiled at each other. “Well,” you started, and with an unspoken agreement you and Farah took a step towards her room. “Why don’t Farah and I tuck you in, and then you can decide?”

And so you did — Farah on one side, you on the other as you pulled the blankets up to her chin, murmuring words of love and wishes for sweet dreams. She was half asleep by the time you pressed a kiss to her forehead, and full asleep by the time Farah smoothed her hair back with a sweet smile, leaving you both to tiptoe towards her door, turning out all the lights except for the small lamp on her bedside. When you turned at the door to look back at her, you both paused just to stare at her, this little girl you both loved just so, and you were reminded for the millionth time just how lucky you were that Farah loved your girl, and that Lucy loved her too.

Wanting to memorize this woman beside you, you turned your attention to her, looking at her just in time to see her eyes fade from white back to dark, and you smiled, cocking your head in question. “What was that?”

It was hard to tell in the dim light, but you thought you saw her flush as she glanced from you back to Lucy. “I planted a good dream for her.”

Your smile widened, and you reached down to tangle your fingers with hers. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

“Though I can, I don’t make a habit of manipulating any part of a person’s mind. But… this seemed like a good exception.”

“I think so too.” You leaned into her and pressed a slow kiss to her cheek, nuzzling her with your nose. “You’re so good with her.”

She turned her head to bump her nose with yours affectionately. “I’m glad you think so.”

“I do, and I don’t just think, I know.” You wrapped your arms around her neck, resting your forehead on her shoulder. You’re as much her mama as I am, you thought.

And began to wonder just how you could show her that was true.

~~~~~~~~~

You woke to the quiet alarm you’d set, and quickly turned it off before it could wake Farah. When she didn’t stir, the excitement that had been brewing all week flooded through your chest, though it was tinged with a touch of nerves. It was hard to believe the plan you’d had ready for weeks was finally coming to fruition — and should it all come together, be one of the best decisions you’d ever made.

But Farah’s birthday was to start with you and Lucy making her breakfast, and that wouldn’t happen if you didn’t get out of bed.

It was still dark outside, the downside of the winter months, but you pulled yourself up to sit on the edge of the bed, grabbing your robe from the bedpost against the chill. But just as you’d tied the belt around your waist, you heard Farah stir behind you, and you turned to see her blink her eyes open.

It was astounding, sometimes, the love you felt for her — bleary eyed and bare faced, her hair long and loose, and she was the most beautiful woman you’d seen.

“Happy birthday, honey,” you murmured, and leaned down to press a kiss to her brow. “You should go back to sleep.”

She shook her head and stretched her arms above her head. “I can get up with you.”

Damn, you thought, and shook your head back at her. “No, just stay here.”

She furrowed her brows in confusion at your insistence, and taking pity on her, you pressed another kiss to her forehead. “Don’t tell anyone, but we’re making you a birthday breakfast.”

Her face suddenly brightened with a smile. “Are you now?”

“Mhm,” you hummed, and couldn’t help smiling back at her. “And it’s a surprise, so pretend you’re asleep when we come and get you.”

“I think I can do that.”

You gave her another kiss, but before you could stand, she grabbed your arm and pulled you back in, this time pressing a soft kiss to your lips. “I love you.”

Three simple words and you were undone. “I love you, too. Now go back to sleep.”

And grinning at each other, you crept out the door and towards Lucy’s room.

To your surprise, she was awake when you peeked in the door, and sat up bouncing when she saw you. “You said you’d get me when it was time but you were forever — are we gonna make b’eakfast?”

You stifled a laugh and nodded. “Yes, we are, for Farah’s birthday. But remember, we have to be quiet,” you said, putting a finger to your lips, and smiled when Lucy mimed you.

You were as quiet as you could be, which wasn’t terribly when a three year old was involved, but you couldn’t care less, not when you had your determined little helper — cracking eggs, dumping ingredients, and helping you to stir, she took her jobs very seriously.

Finally, when everything was ready and you’d set the table, you took Lucy’s hand and led her towards your bedroom. When you looked in, Farah was on her side facing you, and you bent down to whisper to Lucy. “Can you go wake her up?”

She nodded determinedly, and you watched her crawl up the bed, having to stifle a laugh at the way she draped herself over Farah, who made a valiant effort of pretending to be asleep.

“Farah,” Lucy whispered loudly, gently prodding at her cheek, and Farah cracked an eye, looking at Lucy before glancing over to you.

“There seems to be a possum on my shoulder.”

Lucy giggled, poking at her shoulder. “I’m not a poss’m!”

“No?” Farah asked, suddenly rolling as she scooped the girl up into her arms, her giggles only getting louder. “Then what’re you doing perched on me?”

“We made you b’eakfast!”

Farah gasped theatrically, and you thought your heart might burst. “You did? Why, how thoughtful! But what’s the occasion?”

“It’s your birthday!” she nearly shouted, throwing her arms in the air, and both you and Farah laughed.

“Well, it is indeed. Should we go have breakfast, then?”

Lucy cheered and scrambled off the bed, waiting impatiently as Farah rose. She’d barely tugged on a robe before Lucy grabbed her hand with both of hers, tugging her towards the kitchen. “Come on, come on!”

You were proud of the spread you’d made, but that pride only grew when you saw Farah’s face light up, studying it all with a look of awe. “All of this just for my birthday?”

“Only the best, darling,” you told her, and punctuated it with a kiss on her cheek.

You guided her to sit in her chair, where Lucy promptly crawled into her lap, pointing at the stack of pancakes you uncovered. “Mama cooked them, but I put the b’ueberries in, and, and I made the faces.”

“You did?” Lucy gave a proud nod of her head, and Farah smiled at her. “Well, you did a very good job, they look delicious. Will you share them with me?”

Breakfast was marvelous, not only for the food, but because it was the slow, lazy kind of morning with your family you rarely got to have, and you were going to relish it. Cups of tea sipped over a full plate of breakfast, your daughter and the woman you loved by your side, and nothing to worry about except for whether you should have another slice of toast or not. It was moments like these you knew you would cherish forever, and moments that told you the present you planned to give to Farah was absolutely right.

And you couldn’t wait any longer. As breakfast wound down, you reached out to wipe a bit of jam off of Lucy’s chin. “Why don’t you go get your present for Farah, pumpkin?”

“Okay!” She dashed off, and Farah gave you an amused look.

“I get presents?”

“Of course you do,” you told her, tapping her chin similarly as you had Lucy’s. “It’s your birthday, after all.”

The sound of little feet heralded Lucy’s return, and she crawled into Farah’s lap again before very seriously handing her a folded piece of paper. “I made you a picture.”

Farah melted as she unfolded it, giving Lucy an adoring look. “You did?”

Lucy nodded, then pointed to the figures she’d drawn one by one. “That’s you, that’s me, and that’s mama.”

You’d come to stand behind her chair as Lucy had given her the drawing, and now you bent down, wrapping your arms around her shoulders to give your present to her. “It’s a picture of her and her mamas.”

Farah snapped her head around to look at you, and after a moment her eyes widened in realization of what you were offering. “Really?”

You nodded, the same excitement and nerves from that morning bubbling up again. “If that’s something you would want,” you nodded again, unable to stop the smile spreading across your mouth, “I’m okay with it, and so is Lucy.”

“I…” she trailed off, at a loss for words, and then slowly she began to smile. “Really?”

You nodded again, sniffing as you felt a lump form in your throat, laughter of pure joy bubbling up next to it. “Will you be her mum with me?”

Farah let out a little laugh, her eyes bright with unshed tears as she nodded once, twice, then looked down at Lucy, who’d become preoccupied during all the talk. “Would it be alright if I was one of your mamas?”

“Yeah,” Lucy said, somewhat distractedly as she picked at the hem of her shirt, and then she looked up at Farah and grinned, suddenly wrapping her arms around her neck.

Farah let out a watery chuckle as she hugged her back, lingering a minute before she reached out a hand for you, pulling you closer, one arm still around Lucy. “This is… I—I can’t even begin to tell you.”

“I think I know what you mean,” you murmured, cupping her cheek, and realized she’d said those same words to you so long ago. “You’ve been her mama for a long time, Farah. You’ve been there for me and her since I first came here, and she’s been in love with you since the moment she met you — you’re our family, and you always will be. It was time we made that official.”

Tears fell over her eyelashes, and you tenderly wiped them away, feeling your own prick your eyes. It was more than just the title you knew, though that in and of itself was a momentous gift. It was the significance of it, though, of what it meant to your family, and what it meant for you and her. It was a promise, one guaranteed to last forever — it was an offering of life and love, thick and thin, good or bad, of unity and partnership and parentship.

It was a vow of ‘always’, of love and family for the rest of your days.

No matter what that might bring.

#if you saw a plot hole no you didn’t #also Farah’s a Capricorn change my mind #farah dowling #farah dowling x reader #ftws #fate the winx saga #eve best #i tried to take this in so many different directions it’s a bit of a mess 🙈#but uhh if you look past that it’s still cute?#ftws fanfic

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