Residents: Serena Dercio, Kitty Prescott, Lila Prescott (Proudmoore)
Life in the bachelorette pad was going surprisingly well. Kitty devoted herself entirely to Lila. She was still jobless, but Serena assured her that it wasn’t an issue. Kitty wasn’t entirely sure what Serena did for a living, but she wasn’t going to question a free ride. She intended on getting a job, but Lila needed extra care, being a child with only one parent.
Serena didn’t mind Lila. She was about as active in the small girl’s life as she had been in Rex’s. She just wasn’t much of a kid person. They were cute and fun for five minutes, but then it was on to bigger and better things. Like ‘grown up stuff’. Serena’s devotion to her life goal finally paid off. She accumulated many, many, many dream dates… showing her dating prowess. She was proud as punch. It wasn’t going to stop there, though. She’d date until she was six feet under! It was just too good a life to give up.
Plus, it took her mind of things. Things she’d rather not think about this late in her life. It wasn’t the time to mull over regrets.
With the care of her mother, Lila grew into a lovely little girl. She looked a lot like her father, something that both broke Kitty’s heart and comforted her. There was some worry that her true parentage would be revealed once she started school. Those eyes were a giveaway and now her face… it was just too much to bare. Kitty wished she could just keep her home forever and ever, safe from the world and the truth.
In an effort to better seclude Lila, Kitty invited the headmaster of the academy over. Serena helped with the schmoozing. Everything went well until the headmaster asked after Lila’s father. There was some silence before Serena finally spoke up.
“He’s dead, I’m afraid.”
“Oh, I’m very sorry to hear that.” He replied, though not phased by the response. “However, you must understand… a broken family does not help our reputation…”
Serena quirked a gray eyebrow, “You’re telling me that you’d deny a smart girl like that just ‘cause of some weird politics? Boy, if only you knew whose kid you were talkin’ about… you’d be a singing a whole different tune.”
Kitty shot her aunt a glare before smiling sweetly at the headmaster, “I understand, sir. But I only want the best for my daughter. I don’t think she should be penalized by her father’s death. Hasn’t she suffered enough? She’s quiet, won’t cause a fuss…”
“I will make an exception this one time, Miss. Prescott. Rest assured, however, if any problems arise… I will have to take action.”
The rest of the dinner went well, Lila acting the very picture of a well-behaved young lady.
Even though she was getting older, Lila enjoyed every second spent with her mother. She didn’t care to play with the kids her age or bother with after-school activities. She wanted to come home and be with Kitty. It was sweet and warmed Kitty’s heart to no end, to finally be loved unconditionally. There was nothing that could sever this bond between mother and daughter. Kitty only hoped that Lila’s school years would be kind on her pysche. The academy was filled with superficial children of high stature, though of a lesser density than public school.
When Kitty wasn’t with Lila, she was out with friends. Now that Lila was older, she could finally pursue her dream of being popular. Friends were her second priority next to her daughter, and she had plenty of them. They’d often go out to dinner and then hit a club. Sometimes Kitty wouldn’t get in until late. When this happened, she’d often find Lila curled up in her bed. She felt bad for abandoning her daughter, but eventually, their dependency on one another would have to be broken. Life was cruel in that way.
Then the day that Kitty had been fearing finally came. Lila returned home from school with tears in her eyes. She ran into her bedroom, ripping off her uniform and hurriedly throwing on some normal clothing. When Kitty called after her, Lila ran into her arms, sobbing.
She related the tale of what had happened. Someone had found out that she didn’t have a father and proceeded to pick on her about it. They teased that Marcus hadn’t been her real father and that Kitty was a woman of ‘questionable morals’, only in not-as-nice words. Kitty did her best to comfort her daughter, unable to reassure her that they had been lying.
Instead, Kitty decided to distract Lila by reading her a story. It was Lila’s favorite, a tale of a lovely young lady who rose above the stigma and became a truly memorable hero. Secretly, Kitty also enjoyed the story, too. So anytime Lila asked her to read it, she wasn’t very hesitant.
And so, mother and daughter spent the rest of the evening in a world of their own, safe from the terrible truth that surrounded them. Kitty knew that eventually Lila would find out. Someday… she’d run into a Proudmoore and the truth would hit her like a brickwall. As much as Kitty wanted to protect her from it, she knew that in the end, it was impossible. So for now, she’d do her best to make Lila’s world as perfect as she could manage. It was the least she could do.
Serena Derico fulfilled LTW (50 Dream Dates)