So I was thinking the other day, and I remembered that one of the only things we know about Christina Carpenter is that she travels for work.
I also happened to remember that New York is one of the most popular destinations for people to travel to for business.
I don't think Christina would actively seek out Sam and Tara if she were in New York, and vice versa. But this is also the Carpenters we're talking about, and with Sam and Tara's luck it's almost a guarantee that they would run each other.
Tara runs into her first. At a bar. We're 5-6 months post-6 and Sam's working a last-minute night shift. Tara's not been sleeping well the past few days, a resurgence of nightmares that she's keeping hidden, triggered by the release of a book on the attacks. Not Gale this time, she actually tried to get it blocked, just a rookie police officer who had the fortune to be involved in all the crime scenes. He's making bank on their misfortune.
She needed a drink, and to not be alone. She thought about calling Chad or Mindy, but they're back home for spring break and they've been having a good time, she doesn't want to spoil their mood. She thought about knocking on Danny's door, but couldn't bring herself to do it, it felt too weird. Running to her sister's boyfriend who she barely knows because she's lonely? That's pathetic. Gale, Kirby, Sidney? They're Sam's friends and support system really, and Sam deserves something that's just hers.
So here she is, drinking alone at a bar, when she meets eyes with a very familiar woman across the room. Oh you have got to be kidding me.
Her mother is here. In New York. Drinking. Right Here, Right Now. What are the chances? Tara looks away and hopes she didn't- nope, she's coming over, she saw me. Fuck.
"Darling," she croons. Oh, we're at that level of drunk are we, the part where she pretends she loves me.
"What are you doing here?" Tara doesn't even bother greeting her, her words are sharp and short.
"Can't a mother just come to see her daughter?" The statement is insincere, dripping with falseness. A million things sit on the tip of Tara's tongue, you have two daughters, remember?; you're not a mother; you're parked out at a bar despite knowing where we live; you're not here for us and I know it. In the end she says nothing, downing the remains of her drink and slipping off the barstool.
As she walks away she hears her mother call out to her. "You've always been ungrateful, you can't even spare 5 minutes for your mother?" Tara returns home feeling worse than before.
~
Sam's doing the grocery shopping when she spots her across the aisle. She's staring at the wine like it holds the secrets to the universe. Maybe it does, maybe that's why she's always spent so much time at the bottom of a bottle. Then Sam snaps out of it and remembers she's in New York, not Woodsboro, and that her mother should not be here. She quickly turns and collides with another shopper. She mutters apologies and hopes she escaped notice. She did not.
"Samantha."
You've gotta be kidding me.
Her mother approaches, and Sam sighs, letting out a weary "hello mom, what are you doing here?" Christina tuts, displeased with her words, as usual.
"So rude. Tara was the same. She's really developed an attitude since you came back, she used to be such a good girl." Sam does her best to keep her face blank, to not react to her words. Tara hasn't mentioned anything about their mother recently, let alone speaking to her, then again, she hasn't mentioned much of anything at all. She's been spending spring break moping around the apartment, something that just 6 months ago would have been a relief, for Sam to know where she was all the time. Now it's a concern.
She ignores the dig at herself, but won't let the slight against her sister go uncontested. "Tara is a wonderful person and if she had an attitude with you, I'm sure it was for a good reason."
Her mother scoffs. "Yes, you would say that, wouldn't you. So, aren't you going to invite me around? I would like to see where my wayward daughters are squatting these days."
Sam has the strong urge to tell her mother to fuck off, but bites her tongue instead. She speaks in as polite a tone as possible, "another time maybe. I've got a lot of things to do today."
Christina glances down at the grocery cart, eyes roving over the contents. She hums, picking up the carton of ice cream. "This is what you're feeding your sister is it? No wonder she's getting fat."
Sam snatches it back from her hands and throws it back down into the cart. She snarls out a "goodbye mother" and stalks off before she gives in to the urge to start throwing punches.
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