Wanda/Elizabeth One-Shots

Contrast in Parenting (W.M)

It was a sunny summer morning, and Ethan was driving the family SUV, bouncing in his seat with excitement. "Who's ready for the best camping trip ever?!" he exclaimed.

In the backseat, Lucy and Emilia exchanged worried glances. The teenage sisters had been dreading this family camping getaway for weeks.

"Uh, Dad?" Emilia began hesitantly. "About the camping..." But one look at Ethan's gleeful grin made the words die in her throat.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Oh for god's sake, Emily. Let me handle this." She took a deep breath. "Daddy? We love you, but...well, we really don't want to go camping this summer."

The car fell silent except for the whirring of the engine. Emilia and Lucy held their breath, waiting for their father's response.

"...Dad? You gonna say something?" Lucy prodded.

Ethan sniffed loudly, his voice thick. "It's okay, girls. I-I knew this day would come eventually. My little princesses are all grown up now. They don't need their ol' dad anymore." A single tear rolled down his cheek.

"Dad? Are you...crying?" Emilia asked in alarm.

"What? No! No, I'm not crying, you're crying!" Ethan said unconvincingly, furiously wiping at his eyes.

Lucy's own eyes welled up. "Omg, he's crying! Lucy exclaimed. "Daddy, don't be sad! You'll always be our number one guy!"

"Yeah, you're the best dad ever!" Emilia chimed in. "But don't cry, because if you cry I cry." her voice wobbled as Emilia and Lucy started to cry.

Soon, the entire car was drowning in a loud wails and blubbery crying. "I love you girls so much!" Ethan sobbed, barely keeping his eyes on the road.

"We love you too, Daddy!" The sisters turned into a teary, snotty mess in the backseat.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Wanda was attempting to have a serious conversation with her three rambunctious sons.

"Boys, I understand your father is the 'fun' parent," Wanda began. "But I can be fun too! We should do more mother-son activities together this summer."

Her youngest son Damien, who is playing with his iPad, spoke up bluntly. "But I want dad."

Luke elbowed his little brother hard in the ribs. "Ow! What was that for!" Damien amended with an eye roll.

Wanda sighed heavily. "Just give me a chance, okay? Let me show you how enjoyable my company can be."

"It's alright if you're not fun, Mom," Nathan, the polite oldest brother, tried to reassure her. "That's what we have Dad for, dad is the fun parent but you are kind tho!"

"Yes, but I'm more than just...'kind,' right?" Wanda asked, feeling slightly insulted.

Nathan seemed to think it over before responding carefully, "Well...yes I mean you are an amazing mom."

Wanda opened her mouth to retort, but Damien quickly cut her off. "Don't cry, Mommy! We love you!"

"I am not going to cry," Wanda said, her voice wavering ever so slightly.

Luke threw his arms around her waist. "Mom. You're the most amazing, smartest, most beautiful mother ever. You may not be a dad but you are you mom, that is what makes you special!"

A smile tugged at the corner of Wanda's lips as she blinked back happy tears. "Why thank you, my sweet boy."

Just then, the front door opened as Ethan and girls came in crying. The girls' makeup was runny and disheveled. Wanda's eyebrows raised in concern at the blubbering mess.

"Everything...okay?" she asked hesitantly.

"We're fine!" Ethan, Lucy, and Emilia chorused in high-pitched, unconvincing voices before the three gather and hug each other saying how much they love their father as Ethan returns by saying sweet things to his daughters.

Wanda exchanged a look with her sons, who simply shrugged.