Her Treasure

At the ripe age of eight-years-old, little Nicky Nichols realized no matter how much effort she put into making something special for her mother, in leu of Mother's Day, it would never be enough to gain her affection. Mrs. Nichols would never give her the love that her little heart craved for. And each Mother's Day that passed, Nicky continued to find herself being buried deeper and deeper into a dark hole. Marka Nichols was no mother in her eyes—only the vessel that transferred her into the world of the living.

Mother's Day—a once dreaded yearly occurrence—is now one of the few days Nicky Nichols can appreciate so graciously each year. After spending most of her childhood feeling the neglection from her own, biological, mother, she never thought she'd have the chance to enjoy such a holiday. Yet, that all changed when a middle-aged Russian woman walked into her life at the worst possible time. Red Reznikov has changed her life in quite the positive way—years and years of drug abuse landed Nicky directly into the woman's path when their cars collided in a serious crash only five years earlier. And ever since that horrific evening, Red's shown her what it's like to have a real mother in her life.

This Mother's Day is nothing short of a treasurable one, Nicky ecstatically deems as she and her wife walk up the sidewalk to her adoptive mother's house. She carries a pot of freshly bought flowers in one hand and the hand of her lover in the other. A warm grin sits on her face as they wait for the door to be opened. It is only a mere two-seconds before she feels herself being engulfed into Red's strong arms. She squeezes her own tight around her neck, pressing a soft kiss onto her cheek.

"Happy Mother's Day, ma," she smiles brightly, pulling slightly away so that their eyes are looking into one another's. The light blue orbs that peer back only continue to reinforce the contentment she feels. She couldn't be more thankful for having such an amazing woman in her life if she tried. All her life, all she ever craved was to have a mother who loved her—a mother who would acknowledge her existence and show her an ounce of compassion for once. Red did all of that and more. She showed her how to be a good person, how to put those one loves ahead of themselves. Red is her true mother, she knows, regardless of their different genetic make-up. Red is the one who's loved and cared for her the way her own mother had no capacity of knowing how to.

"Thank you, my sweet Nicky," the Russian woman kindly replies, pressing a maternal kiss against her forehead. She smiles lovingly at who she considers her daughter. It doesn't matter if she's only known her five years—the minute she met Nicky, her mothering instincts kicked in full-force. This beautiful young woman was her little girl and there's nothing in the world that she'd trade that for.

Nicky thrillingly gives the pot of flowers—ones she knows Red to prefer over any others—to her and grins sheepishly. "Found these at the store and remember how much ya been looking for some new ones to add to your garden. Oh and there's a card on top—it is kinda cheesy, that's Lorna's fault...ya know how she is! Made me pick it out," she chuckles, yet knows she means every word that's printed on the inside of the folded envelop.

Shaking her head, Lorna lightly nudges her wife on the arm and smirks. "Oh, no, Red, this was all Nicky's doing. Ya know deep down she's a true mush-ball."

With tender hands, Red gratefully takes the flowers and examines them with intent eyes. The smile on her face widens to see the bright-colored Daffodils, her absolute favorite flower. Such a warm gesture brings a fuzzy sensation over her. She carefully sets them on the coffee table before pulling her daughter back in an embrace. A gentle kiss she gives to her head, "Oh, lyubov moya (my love), you are the sweetest daughter in the world. I love these flowers so much, they'll look beautiful in the garden. Yes, she is a mush-ball—too proud to admit it, though."

Playfully rolling her eyes, Nicky laughs and hugs her mother once more. She quickly releases it and grabs hold of Lorna's hand. They briefly share a look, smiles and nods exchanged, before she focuses back on the Russian. "Well, prepare to say the same about my beautiful wife. She's got a gift of her own for ya...well, technically, we both do but she's the one who will being do the majority of the work for it," she huskily starts off, stroking her thumb lightly over the brunette's knuckles as her orbs gaze across into her mother's curious ones.

Red feels her heart skip a beat. Could this be what she's thinking? If it is, she knows it will be the best gift of all. "Hmm, and what might that be, my girls?" She stares suspiciously between the pair of them, eyebrows arched with inquisitiveness.

"Nicky and I are expecting a baby! I just found out last week that I'm pregnant and your daughter thought it would be perfect to wait until Mother's Day to tell ya," Lorna squeals excitedly, eyes beaming with pure joy at the mere thought of having a baby. It's been her dream to be a mother ever since she was a little tot of her own.

Hearing that overwhelms Red with a whirl of emotions; she pulls both of them in for a tight embrace. Joyful tears slowly run down her cheeks as she kisses each of their heads. "Oh, girls, that's the best present I could ever ask for! I'm gonna be a babushka—that's almost as good as being a mom. I can't wait to spoil this little malysh (baby) of yours! Oh, we'll have to go shopping and buy all kinds of stuff for him—I'll make you a list of everything you need. I might even have some things from when my boys were babies," she rambles with excitement, squeezing the two even closer against her. The pure thought of finally having a grandbaby brings a strong pleasure to her heart. She's always adored children—being a mother was a dream come true and now, she can't wait to be a grandmother. It's even more exciting; she can spoil the baby rotten while its moms do the real work, she shakes her head with a light laugh.

"This is the best Mother's Day yet and that's all thanks to my two beautiful daughters. Yes, Lorna, you are my daughter just as much as my Nicky. That's what happens when you marry my little girl, you become family to all of us. I love you girls so much; you've given me the gift of a grandbaby...it is just as precious as motherhood. And I have not a single doubt that you two won't be the best mothers you can be. Thank you," she beams, looking into both sets of brown eyes. This truly is her most treasured Mother's Day ever celebrated. What better way to celebrate being a mother than finding out her own daughters are expecting their first? Nothing, absolutely nothing is better than such, she thinks happily.