Terri sits down heavily on a stool by the counter. She surveys the room, everything looks halfway done, nothing looks finished, even though she’s been working on it for weeks. Sometimes she thinks it’ll never be finished. Sometimes she thinks she should never have started.
It was a dream she’d always had; to be her own boss, doing something she loved. At Emma’s urging, she started to view it less as a dream, and more like a real possibility. She’d taken some college classes at night in small business management. And, again with Emma’s support and encouragement, she’d decided to go for it. She’d bought a small unit with a view to turning it into an arts & crafts supply store, with space for her to run little taster sessions and classes.
It had seemed so possible then. Now, it doesn’t. She’s still working full time, and trying to get the store to a point where it’s workable. Everything costs money, everything takes time...
She sighs and stands back up, rubbing the back of her neck. Her phone starts ringing and she digs it out of her pocket, glancing at her watch and cringing.
“Hey sweetie,” she says, surprised at the weariness evident in her voice. “I’m sorry, I’ll be home soon.”
“Mmmhmmm,” Emma says. “Open the door.”
Terri’s brow creases in confusion in her tired state.
“Huh?” she says, moving to do as she’s told anyhow.
She opens the door to reveal Emma standing with her phone pressed to her ear and a bag dangling from her hand.
“Surprise,” Emma says into the phone, smiling softly.
Terri’s heart melts. She hangs up and slips the phone back into her pocket, watching Emma do the same. Terri steps aside to let Emma into the store and closes the door afterward, locking it. She turns and leans back against the door, watching as Emma places the bag on the counter and takes off her jacket, looking around the space as she does so, a smile growing on her face.
“Wow! The place is really coming together,” she enthuses.
Terri snorts.
“Yeah, sure it is,” she says, her eyes finding every imperfection possible as she glances around. “At this rate, it’ll never be ready.”
“Hey,” Emma scolds, approaching Terri where she’s still leaning against the door. “Of course it will. Honestly. I mean, I was only here a couple of days ago and I can see all the progress you’ve made.”
Terri shrugs, her eyes on the floor. Emma stops directly in front of her and gently tips her chin up.
“You can do this,” Emma says, looking directly into Terri’s eyes. “You know you can do this.”
Terri looks at her for a long moment.
“No, I don’t, not right now,” she says. “But it means the world to me that you know I can.”
Emma shakes her head and leans in to kiss Terri, her hands going to her hips.
“Don’t,” Terri protests, turning her head away. “I’m all dirty and gross.”
Emma smiles against Terri’s cheek, slipping her arms around her waist and squeezing.
“Yeah, you are,” she agrees, wrinkling her nose. “But I don’t care.”
And it’s the truth. Emma’s still not great with messes. But Terri could be covered from head to foot in grime and Emma wouldn’t care. She presses her face into Terri’s neck and inhales the scent of a genuine hard day’s work mixed in with the comforting smell that’s simply Terri. She lifts her head and seeks out Terri’s lips again, and this time Terri acquiesces. The kiss is slow, languid; a kiss between two people who aren’t in a hurry, who know they have all the time in the world to enjoy each other.
Terri’s stomach growls, interrupting the tender moment. Terri pulls away from the kiss and scowls in the general direction of the noise, while Emma unsuccessfully stifles a giggle behind her hand. Terri shifts her scowl to Emma and she relents, bringing her hand down to rub Terri’s belly gently.
“My poor, hungry baby,” she murmurs. “You’ve been working so hard.”
“I have,” Terri agrees, her lower lip starting to protrude.
“You really have,” Emma says, rubbing her nose against Terri’s. “And I miss you. We haven’t eaten dinner together all week.”
“I know, sweetie,” Terri says, her thumbs stroking Emma’s hips through her jeans. “And I know I said I’d be home earlier tonight…I just…”
Glee (Glitterverse), Emma/Terri, Terri's starting her own business
It was a dream she’d always had; to be her own boss, doing something she loved. At Emma’s urging, she started to view it less as a dream, and more like a real possibility. She’d taken some college classes at night in small business management. And, again with Emma’s support and encouragement, she’d decided to go for it. She’d bought a small unit with a view to turning it into an arts & crafts supply store, with space for her to run little taster sessions and classes.
It had seemed so possible then. Now, it doesn’t. She’s still working full time, and trying to get the store to a point where it’s workable. Everything costs money, everything takes time...
She sighs and stands back up, rubbing the back of her neck. Her phone starts ringing and she digs it out of her pocket, glancing at her watch and cringing.
“Hey sweetie,” she says, surprised at the weariness evident in her voice. “I’m sorry, I’ll be home soon.”
“Mmmhmmm,” Emma says. “Open the door.”
Terri’s brow creases in confusion in her tired state.
“Huh?” she says, moving to do as she’s told anyhow.
She opens the door to reveal Emma standing with her phone pressed to her ear and a bag dangling from her hand.
“Surprise,” Emma says into the phone, smiling softly.
Terri’s heart melts. She hangs up and slips the phone back into her pocket, watching Emma do the same. Terri steps aside to let Emma into the store and closes the door afterward, locking it. She turns and leans back against the door, watching as Emma places the bag on the counter and takes off her jacket, looking around the space as she does so, a smile growing on her face.
“Wow! The place is really coming together,” she enthuses.
Terri snorts.
“Yeah, sure it is,” she says, her eyes finding every imperfection possible as she glances around. “At this rate, it’ll never be ready.”
“Hey,” Emma scolds, approaching Terri where she’s still leaning against the door. “Of course it will. Honestly. I mean, I was only here a couple of days ago and I can see all the progress you’ve made.”
Terri shrugs, her eyes on the floor. Emma stops directly in front of her and gently tips her chin up.
“You can do this,” Emma says, looking directly into Terri’s eyes. “You know you can do this.”
Terri looks at her for a long moment.
“No, I don’t, not right now,” she says. “But it means the world to me that you know I can.”
Emma shakes her head and leans in to kiss Terri, her hands going to her hips.
“Don’t,” Terri protests, turning her head away. “I’m all dirty and gross.”
Emma smiles against Terri’s cheek, slipping her arms around her waist and squeezing.
“Yeah, you are,” she agrees, wrinkling her nose. “But I don’t care.”
And it’s the truth. Emma’s still not great with messes. But Terri could be covered from head to foot in grime and Emma wouldn’t care. She presses her face into Terri’s neck and inhales the scent of a genuine hard day’s work mixed in with the comforting smell that’s simply Terri. She lifts her head and seeks out Terri’s lips again, and this time Terri acquiesces. The kiss is slow, languid; a kiss between two people who aren’t in a hurry, who know they have all the time in the world to enjoy each other.
Terri’s stomach growls, interrupting the tender moment. Terri pulls away from the kiss and scowls in the general direction of the noise, while Emma unsuccessfully stifles a giggle behind her hand. Terri shifts her scowl to Emma and she relents, bringing her hand down to rub Terri’s belly gently.
“My poor, hungry baby,” she murmurs. “You’ve been working so hard.”
“I have,” Terri agrees, her lower lip starting to protrude.
“You really have,” Emma says, rubbing her nose against Terri’s. “And I miss you. We haven’t eaten dinner together all week.”
“I know, sweetie,” Terri says, her thumbs stroking Emma’s hips through her jeans. “And I know I said I’d be home earlier tonight…I just…”