Food Cravings (Sean)

[Kateri Rivera]

First it had been sugar. Kateri had never really had a lot of issues with sugar. She hadn’t really liked it, preferring alcohol and coffee as her evils of choice. But with those restricted to her now—something which made her more irritable than the hormones—she had found herself craving sugar. Never had she been more grateful for Valentine ’s Day, where parents and kids presented sweets to each other and, thank goodness, to teachers. As she’d never had a stock of sugar herself, it had helped quite a bit. But that had only been in the beginning. Now she was craving watermelon. And she couldn’t help feeling, looking over at the window covered in snow, that it wasn’t going to happen. She sighed and sank down lower in her chair, swishing the water around in her mug and wishing that it would turn into coffee. Or beer. Or watermelon.

And she had five more months to go. She had no idea how she was going to survive this. Especially since an inquiry with the restaurant had already determined that there were no watermelons in the restaurant. They did, however, have eggs and spinach. That’d be good enough for now.

She’d called to invite Sean out for lunch because she liked his company. Because he came from a similar heritage as she did, and because he was friendly, had a nice laugh, easy to talk to, and wasn’t hard on the eyes. She invited him out fairly often for a Sunday brunch when he wasn’t busy with Josh. But it was very, very rare for her to end up being there first. Or eating already, although it was just chips she was munching on. What could she say? These days she was ALWAYS hungry.

“Hey!” she greeted as he came in, standing to give him an impromptu hug. "Nice to see you, as always. How is Josh? I keep meaning to say that you should really invite him along, you know. He's always welcome."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean had always been fond of Kateri. Both when she had been a student and then as his coworker. They spent time together when they could, and their excursions often took the form of visiting different restaurants. They were fortunate that Pilot Ridge had as vibrant a culinary culture as it did, as that allowed them with a variety of options.

Now, of course, it was also all the more important for Kateri to eat what she needed. Sean had been aware of the pregnancy since soon after Kateri had become aware; that was the effect of living in a small town, working at the same school, and the psychiatrist’s formidable telepathic range. His younger friend appeared to be coping with the pregnancy well enough, although appearances could be deceiving.

It was something they could discuss over lunch.

The telepath was always aware that Kateri had developed a sweet tooth as a result of her pregnancy. As such, he had stopped off to buy her some candy before arriving at the restaurant. He found her easily and went over to her, arms open to return the embrace with which she had greeted him.

“It’s nice to see you too,” he assured her. “And Josh is fine. He’s out with some of his friends right now, but I’ll be sure to pass along the invitation next time.”

With that, Sean held out the box of candy, one that billed itself as being representative of 1980s nostalgia. “I got this for you, to help with the cravings.”

[Kateri Rivera]

Sometimes, Kateri decided, it was really, really nice to be working with a telepath. Even though he might know all the sordid details—um, maybe not sordid. Another word there…yes, that’d be a good idea. But anyways, even though he knew all the details, he always knew exactly what was on your mind.

Poor Sean. Especially due to the fact that her thoughts had been ranging toward strangling Terrowin as of late… “Thank you,” she said, quite fervently as she took the candy. “Oh, that’s wonderful! I haven’t seen these in…I can’t even remember. Thank you!” She beamed at him and resisted the urge to open it and eat it right then. She would at least wait until the end of dinner and make sure she shared some with him. It was the least that she could do. “You’re a lifesaver,” she added. “I don’t know how to make anything sweet and I have never tried buying candy for myself. I was at a loss. Well, I’m glad Josh is out.” Friends. She hadn’t seen a few friends in quite a while, and she still hadn’t had the nerve to tell Janice that she was…anyways. “I also appreciate the lack of child-raising pamphlets,” she added. “When I told my brother, that was the first thing he shipped here. I wanted to kill him, but as I want to kill almost everyone these days, I told him not to take that personally.” She sighed. “Anyways. Students. Do Vincent and Sam have any chance of graduating this year?”

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Knowing what other people thought was a fringe benefit of telepathy as a psychiatrist. It was also the double-edged sword of telepathy outside of his profession. There were many advantages to often (but not always) knowing what another person thought, in terms of making conversation, offering comfort and advice, and otherwise playing the role of the Wizard of Oz. It also sculpted and shaped Sean’s desire to help other and his already over-developed sense of responsibility.

Learning when to speak and when to listen had been the second-most important lesson of his childhood, trumped only by learning how to construct mental shields.

“You’re welcome,” he said to Kateri, returning her smile. It was the least that he could do, since he knew that she craved sugar, and pregnancy was never easy. Even if the child was wanted and planned, the expecting parents had a wide support network and the pregnancy was without additional complications. Offering her sugar was easy for him to do.

“I thought they might give you some nostalgia,” he explained further, which had been his reasoning behind the purchase. Given her response, this had been well-worth the effort and the money. “You know, I always have leftover dessert at my house; I can bring you some in the mornings.”

That, too, was hardly any trouble.

The telepath nodded in agreement; he was glad Josh was out as well. As much as he wanted to spend time with his partner, they each had their own social networks, and it was important for them to maintain friendships.

He offered her a sympathetic smile. “You’re a grown woman; you’re more mature than the students, and it would be insulting to treat you like a teenager. If you ask me for help, then I’m happy to give it, but otherwise, it isn’t my place.” He wasn’t the father, and she wasn’t his sister or daughter.

Then, at the question, he chuckled, shaking his head slowly in denial. “Of course not. Even if Sam made grades, his power control is abysmal. And Vincent is in no danger of passing the ninth grade within the next decade.” Which was unfortunate, since his teachers tried so hard.

[Kateri Rivera]

“Mm, nostalgia.” Kateri wrinkled her nose and laughed. “You know, when I was a girl I used to always want to be older.” Although not in the typical way. Kateri, in spite of her early marriage, hadn’t dreamed of getting married and owning a house and raising a family. She’d wanted to be a pirate captain and go swashbuckling on the open ocean, which she’d loved ever since her father had rented a boat and took her and her brother out for a day. She’d disregarded most things, like barbies and stuffed animals, in return for a wooden sword and a bicycle so she could go ride around with the local boys. “Now I wonder what in the world I was thinking. Children have everything. Why are you always so eager to grow up?” Well, she’d taken over ten years to get to the “parent” stage, so she figured she’d taken her childhood later. When she was still working. Oh well. You got what you could. “But thank you. And thanks for the offer, but I can’t do that. I’d be depriving you of dessert. Besides, I should eventually learn to cook, um, something.” She glanced ruefully at the menu. “Unless I just want to feed the child takeout all the time.”

She could cook fairly well. But only for one person, and nothing elaborate or that children normally liked. This was going to take some work.

Kateri’s lips quirked into a more serious smile at the statement, and she nodded to him in thanks. “Well don’t be too fast to offer that. I might make you pick out names with me. Terrowin’s been bloody useless, Jesus.” She sighed. “I keep telling him I want something that I can pronounce. And my father is pushing for a long Spanish name and my mother for a stout Irish name, and all I can think is that I wish everyone wasn’t so opinionated about the whole thing.” She didn’t have a list. Every time she thought about it, she panicked and had to go clean something or write math problems on the board, something she hadn’t done since her college years. But she was glad for the distraction of students.

“Poor things,” she said. “Actually, not Vincent. That boy deserves everything he gets. But I do feel sorry for Sam. Maybe I could find a pyro to give him some tutoring on the side. I had someone in my year…” She waved it off. “Any other lifers on the list? I want a warning in advance, you know, if I have to have them sit through algebra two for five years.”

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean nodded sympathetically, because he knew precisely what Kateri described. He had sensed it so many times over the years, had spoken of it to others, had experienced it for himself in some ways. While he had enjoyed his childhood, there had been the desire to grow up, although much of that had been the result of the telepathy and his interactions with others. “The irony of it all is that children are too young and don’t know enough of the adult world to truly know what awaits them when they grow up.”

He chuckled at the remark, simply because he knew the truth in that. Not everyone could cook, although most people adapted when they had children. They might not turn into a gourmet chef, but a few recipes tended to find their way into parents’ repertoires. “That, I can help with,” he pointed out. Sean had cooked for himself since graduating high school, and he had improved with time. He wasn’t Riley, but he could manage; he was more than capable of teaching that much to willing students, regardless of age.

The telepath then shook his head as she updated him regarding the naming situation. “This is something that I can’t say in the context of work, but I recommend ignoring your parents in this.” Sean had never had to select names for a child, and he had also gotten on well with his parents before they had passed away. However, neither of those undermined the reasons behind his advice. “At the end of the day, the child is yours, and that has to supersede. But I would be happy to help you with that, if that’s what you want.” Sean had no intention of forcing anything on her.

Kateri’s description of Vincent summed up many of the faculty members’ sentiments about the boy. While Hammel had more than its fair share of troublemakers and difficult students over the years, most staff members, if asked to identify only one, would name Vincent Verax as the bane of their existence. He was vain, rude, troublesome, had no respect for other people’s boundaries, and he was one of the least curious and inquisitive people that Sean had encountered in his five and a half decades of life. “At the moment not, thankfully. And Sam is going to graduate from academic classes someday. Which is something.”

[Kateri Rivera]

“I know,” Kateri groaned. “There should be some kind of class when you’re a kid that teaches you all the things you have to do as adults—like…bill paying. Now there would be something that would keep kids as kids for about…I don’t know…forever.” Her lips twitched into a wry smile, and she shook her head. “Although I’ll spare my children from that treatment. I guess. It’s…a very strange thought to be having kids, Sean. You know, I always had thoughts about what would happen if I had kids—when I had kids—but now that I’m actually having them I feel like I want to bubble-wrap my entire house. And Janice might kill me for that.”

Speaking of which, she was going to have to figure out how she was going to manage having a kid with living with a roommate. Janice was wonderful, but she wasn’t sure she wanted a screaming baby hanging around.

Kateri seemed surprised at the suggestion, and she grinned. “Well, thank you for agreeing with everything I’ve ever said in my life to my parents. Although I’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate it. But I’m not sure I’m qualified to think of a name for a child anyways.” The mere thought had her reaching for the drink, making her wish she could have something stronger. But no. Well, she’d get used to it eventually. She sipped at it, then put it down. “But be warned. I’ll probably be emailing you and Josh with random suggestions. When the hormones take over, you’d better warn me away from anything like…like…Rhapsody. Please, for my sake and the child’s.”

Although why any sane person would name her child Rhapsody was an entirely different matter.

“Some day.” Her lips twitched up. “Yeah, right. No, Sam’s a good boy, which is more than I can say for Vincent. Good. I’m glad we don’t have any other lifers. And I’m also glad Josh has started interviewing his interns.” She shook her head, then eyed the candy he’d brought. She wasn’t sure self-control was going to win out in this case. “Sean, I know we haven’t gotten our food yet, but would you like to share some candy with me anyways? Just so I don’t feel like a pig?”

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“That was the original goal of home economics,” Sean replied. “The class was originally conceived of to teach teenagers how to cope with adulthood and how to run a household, including a budget. Then the class was watered down and gender-coded until it became mostly about baking. An alternative to shop, used primarily to teach girls how to bake.” The telepath valued baking as a skill, and in fact had several that were coded female, but it was a shame that two classes that had been intended to prepare teenagers for adulthood had been rebranded as they had been.

As for the comment on baby-proofing the house, the telepath smiled and shook his head. “There are pamphlets for that and some basics. You don’t even have to do it while pregnant, because newborns aren’t mobile.” Other plans would have to be made, such as buying items for a nursery and preparing herself physically and mentally for parenthood, but baby-proofing was something that she could address with Janice at a later date.

Sean raised one hand, a mock vow that he would warn against a poor name choice. “Should you suggest ‘Rhapsody,’ I’ll send you articles about child perception of names. But otherwise, if you find yourself at odds with your parents because they want to have vicarious control, you have every right to ignore their opinions.”

The telepath nodded, quite glad that, at present, they didn’t have anyone else in danger of becoming a permanent student fixture. “We can keep our fingers crossed for Hammel’s future. As for Josh, it is. They learned a valuable lesson, even if the rest of the internship was an unmitigated disaster.” Which it was; there was nothing to be gained from trying to look on the bright side of that mistake.

At the request, he nodded a single time, offering her a smile. “I would be happy to. Pass me anything that isn’t a jawbreaker.”

[Kateri Rivera]

Kateri’s brows climbed. “Is that so? Well then, I almost propose we should bring it back. As it is I try to teach an accounting section in my algebra class, but Jesus knows if any of them actually pay attention.” She’d suspected the answer was no even though she tried to bribe them with candy. That only worked for the younger grades in any case. She kept working on it in attempting to prove that it was possible to teach young adults how to manage money. So far, however, she was failing. “I’d love to know how it got recoded,” she added. “So to speak. Just shifting to a more male-dominated societies, or different ideals, or what?” She shrugged. “It’s interesting.” Even if she was more of a math person, she was also interested in that kind of thing. Mostly because she might’ve been hiding a bit of a feminist side.

Okay, not hiding it. Not hiding it at all, but she also didn’t scream it from the ramparts.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Kateri sighed. “It’s bad that I haven’t actually spent that much time with newborns, isn’t it? I don’t think I’ll know what to do. I guess I’ll enroll in all those classes and see if I can drag someone along to help. How enjoyable.” Baby-proofing was actually the least of her concerns, she decided. She had to make it through labor. She shuddered at the thought, then eyed him, surprised at his statement. “Well thank you. That’s incredibly polite of you. And I’ll…I’ll think about it. I love my family and I don’t want to hurt them either.” Besides, they weren’t ever that insistent. And eventually they got over themselves.

This other topic was good. Much more professional, and she smiled. “Oh, yes. And I’m glad he learned a good lesson. I hope it didn’t kill him too much. If he needs any help cleaning up, I know some nice, normal students who would be happy to give him a hand.”

“You’re the best, Sean.” She grinned now and fetched out some nerds, offering them to him and grabbing—actually, she didn’t care, because it was sweet and right now that was all she wanted from life.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean nodded in affirmation and then a second time in agreement. Affirmation that home economics as originally conceived bore little resemblance to its present incarnation, and agreement with the idea that they should revert the class to its original intention. He would support such an effort, either as a state-wide (or nationwide) movement, or an effort confined merely to Hammel. However, as he wasn’t an academic administrator or a teacher, he had no control over curriculum, apart from his sexual education seminar. “We were already a male dominant society, but we began to put more emphasis on spheres of influence for more than the upper middle classes. As with many aspects of American life, we can blame the post-War period.”

The telepath had grown up during the post-War period. He lacked the nostalgia that some others in his age group had for that era.

Sean shrugged slightly, shaking his head. “A lot of new parents don’t have prior experience with children. You’ll be fine, and I’m given to believe that Lamaze classes or parenting classes are helpful.” From all of the parents he knew who had attended them, the telepath had formed that opinion. He then added, “If you need someone to come with you, I’m available.”

That was a no pressure offer. Should she want someone and was unable to find another person, the telepath was available to accompany her. However, it was a matter of her comfort; she owed him nothing.

Sean reached for the nerds, examining them for a brief moment. They weren’t his typical candy fare, but he had promised to eat with her. And strawberry was a benign flavor.

Tearing open the little box, he poured some into his hand and then brought it to his mouth. Not bad.

[Kateri Rivera]

Kateri crossed her ankles under the chair—as her feet never quite hit the ground, it was easy for her to do and didn’t actually make much of a difference—and leaned forward, propping up her chin on her folded hands. As she was a teacher, she could and would suggest curriculum changes. Politely. While she could be incredibly insistent and stubborn, she wasn’t sure how she felt about Yvette yet. Better to be polite. At least as a semi-private institute they didn’t have to follow all state regulations and could have a little leeway. “Always,” she agreed. “Although I don’t know too much on that. My studies never included American history. But it’s certainly interesting.”

Kateri wasn’t sure how she felt about taking classes for parenting, but she knew it was a necessary step. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. “School for parents. A good idea, but definitely tests how much can be done through education.” She looked up at his next statement, brows climbing. “Did you actually just…offer to attend those crazy breathing classes with me? Sean.” She grinned at him. “You are really far too nice. Josh is a lucky man.” She didn’t mean anything by it, but it was fun to flatter him. Besides, it really was incredibly nice of him.

Kateri was eating something—she didn’t actually know what it was, but it was incredibly sweet and she loved it. But she was distracted long enough from her food to watch the process of Sean eating Nerds. If she was depressed, it would be a great way to cheer herself up. “I’m guessing you don’t have sugar much either, do you?”

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“I have a book recommendation then,” Sean offered, becoming thoughtful for a moment. “The Way We Never Were. I have it in my library, but it’s about how the 1950s were an anomaly despite how people of my generation pretend it was the rule. I can bring it to Hammel on Monday for you.” It would be easy for him to dig out for her, and it was related to the topic at hand.

“Most parenting classes are like First Aid classes – they won’t make you a doctor, but they’ll give you enough of the basics to deal with most of what you’ll encounter on a day-to-day basis.” From what he understood of parenting classes, they taught proper feeding, proper changing, how to hold a baby, certain medical tips, tips on how to sleep and put the baby on a schedule, information about milestones...enough to help new parents feel less overwhelmed by the sudden responsibilities of caring for a completely helpless newborn life.

As for her question regarding his offer, the telepath nodded a single time. “I did, but it has nothing to do with being far too nice. I don’t think you should have to go to Lamaze classes, or anything else, alone, and friends help friends.” It was that simple to Sean. If Kateri didn’t feel uncomfortable with having someone nearly twice her age there with her (who wasn’t the father or a blood relative), and if she didn’t have someone else she preferred attend with her, then he was happy to fill that role.

At her other question, he chuckled. “I eat plenty of sugar, but not usually as this type of candy.” His love of baked goods was notorious. Holding up the box of Nerds and giving it a shake, he added, “I can’t remember the last time I ate these.” It was probably with his nephew, years ago.

[Kateri Rivera]

Kateri tilted her head to the side. She was not typically a reader. While she did enjoy studying science journals and the like, actual literature had never been her strong suit. But she couldn’t see the harm in picking up a book—especially as she would be having quite a bit of free time in the near future. “I think…I would enjoy that,” she said. “Thank you. At least it would give me something to do.”

Kateri nodded. “At this point, anything would help,” she admitted. “The last time I dealt with a baby was my brother, and that was when I was five. I hardly did much work. But just proper changing…” She exhaled. “I would like that very much at this point.”

How could he think that wasn’t too nice? Kateri was openly staring now and, to her embarrassment, was even a little teary-eyed. Which never happened. Kateri was not the kind of woman who cried very often. But as it was Sean, and he was telepathic and far too sympathetic, she decided not to try and hide it and leaned over to point a finger at him. “That—that is too nice. And proof is you don’t even see it.” She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with the napkin. “And I’m hugging you once we get up,” she added. Because it was Kateri, and she could care less what other people thought. In fact, if they were to attend a class together and anyone did comment on the age gap, she probably would’ve flirted with him outrageously just to prove a point. But that was about as far as she would’ve gone because she knew Josh sometimes had a Thing about that.

“Neither can I.” She sighed. “That’s it. I’m learning how to bake. These things just can’t be good for you.”

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean acknowledged that with a nod. “I’ll have it in your box on Monday,” he promised. It would be easy for him to dig out the book, and then to leave it in her teacher box. That way, even if they couldn’t actually see one another at work that day, she would have the ability to take it home and read immediately, rather than have to wait for their schedules to sync.

“Then consider it done.” Dealing with younger siblings was quite different from dealing with one’s own children, regardless of age gap. That she had been a kindergartener at the time only meant that she had even less experience. Five-year-olds weren’t expected to handle diapers or midnight feedings.

Sean shook his head, steadfastly denying that this was too nice of him. “It isn’t too nice at all. You aren’t a stranger that I followed home to whom I’m offering random favors. You’re a friend in need of something important, and it’s something that I can do with relative ease.” The telepath didn’t find Lamaze classes intimidating. He also only viewed them as intimate as the pregnant person considered them; thus, if she was willing to bring a friend, it wasn’t unduly intimate. It was that simple to him.

Smiling, he remarked, “I won’t turn down a hug when we’re standing.”

Finishing up his Nerds, he set down the empty box on the side of the table. “If you want to learn to bake, I know lots of people who would offer lessons.” Somehow, Sean had acquired a half dozen friends who all knew how to bake and enjoyed teaching others. He was sure that he could arrange lessons on her behalf.

[Kateri Rivera]

Kateri nodded, no doubt in her mind that he would indeed do so. If Sean made a promise, he generally kept to it. It was one of the traits that baffled and pleased the younger woman. People just shouldn’t…be like that. And Kateri generally liked people. She just didn’t think they were very good as a whole. “Thank you. I look forward to reading it.”

Had he just offered to…take care of things for her? Kateri didn’t really seem to know what to think about it, and she blinked for a moment, then shrugged. “All right then. I guess…that’ll be it.” She smiled at him, a little uncertainly. “Parenting classes it is. And I hope they have naming classes too.” She laughed. “It’s just a little challenging to think of a good name.”

“See, the fact that you don’t think it’s too nice indicates just how nice you are.” But Kateri sighed in regret because Sean WASN’T going to agree with her and she wasn’t going to force him into that. “It does show your self-confidence level, though,” she added. “Not many men would volunteer to go to those classes with a friend.”

“Perfect.” She laughed. “It’s a date.” She’d finished her own candy right when the food arrived. She was grateful that, so far, she hadn’t started eating that much. Her appetite wasn’t as small as it normally was, but it wasn’t that bad, either. She’d only put on a little weight. “Oh?” she asked, glancing up. “Who? I know…ah, what’s his name—the tall one, with the beard and the sweetest personality—Riley, right?”