Mitchell Residence, Memphis - Evening
It had been a while since Cameron had experienced the full on Mitchell experience. While he still enjoyed every minute of it, the living room was getting a little bit too crowded. Besides, he swore he saw his mother sneak into the kitchen.
"I told you I'd help you with those," he chided as he entered the kitchen, Ray padding in after him. The dog hadn't left Cameron out of his sight since he got home.
Mary smiled at him from where she was filling up the sink. "I don't like to keep them standing around until tomorrow."
"I know," Cameron assured her as he grabbed a towel and leaned against the counter.
Mary turned off the tap and regarded her son for a long moment.
"What?" he asked with a bemused look, feeling almost self-conscious.
"You've grown up a lot," she told him.
Cameron looked up as if he could measure his own height like that. "Not that much," he grinned.
Shaking her head, Mary started putting the glasses into the hot water. "Not like that."
"Oh," he frowned and fidgetted with the towel. Ray lay down under the table where he could easily keep an eye on Cameron.
"It's like every time we see come back from that school, you've changed a little more," she said in a tone of voice that sounded like she wasn't really talking about him.
"It's an interesting place," he replied, even if she didn't have any idea just how interesting it was.
"So I gathered," she put the first glass down and gave him another look. "You're a lot calmer than you were in May."
Cameron concentrated on drying off the glass. He was hoping that Mary would continue talking, but clearly she was waiting for some sort of explanation. Which of course, she didn't. Sighing, he pulled open the cupboard and put the glass away before picking up the next one. "I know, there was just a whole lot going on then. It's better now."
Mary hummed in acknowledgement, but he somehow doubted that she believed him. "And things are better now since you've been with this Veronica?"
Okay, he knew she didn't believe him. "Veronica's great."
"You thought Vala was great, too," Mary pointed out and Cameron quickly put the glass into the cupboard so she couldn't see his reaction.
"That's a while ago now, mom," he pointed out.
"It was," Mary agreed and she went quiet again for a while as the continued doing the dishes.
They'd moved on to the plates already when Mary spoke up again. "The whole family will be having Christmas here as well," she informed Cameron.
"That should be nice," Cameron remarked as he picked up the stack of plates to put them away.
"Yes, it will be," Mary agreed. "You should bring Veronica."
Cameron congratulated himself for not letting the plates go crashing to the ground. He remembered all too well what had happened last year and he had no intention whatsoever to repeat it. He needed to think quickly. "I can't."
"You can't? Mary raised an eyebrow.
"No, because..." he needed to think faster. "I've already accepted Angel's invite to spend Christmas with him in Los Angeles." Which wasn't a lie, but he had meant to come home for Christmas and then go to Angel's.
Mary blinked. "And you only tell me this now?"
Cameron gave her a sheepish look. "Sorry, I forgot."
"You forgot you're spending Christmas elsewhere?" she didn't look to pleased.
"I'm sorry," he apologised quickly. "Angel invited a whole lot of people around. So it's a sort of school thing." Lame.
"Hrmph," Mary started scrubbing the plates with more vigor.
"I'll talk to Veronica about her visiting during a break or something," he tried.
"Sure," she said shortly, clearly still not pleased.
Cameron leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I'm sorry I forgot. I do miss you all."
"I know," Mary sighed and patted Cameron on the cheek, leaving suds behind. "Now finish those dishes."
Cameron grinned and gave her a salute. "Yes, ma'am," he said as he picked up the next couple of plates to dry off.
"I told you I'd help you with those," he chided as he entered the kitchen, Ray padding in after him. The dog hadn't left Cameron out of his sight since he got home.
Mary smiled at him from where she was filling up the sink. "I don't like to keep them standing around until tomorrow."
"I know," Cameron assured her as he grabbed a towel and leaned against the counter.
Mary turned off the tap and regarded her son for a long moment.
"What?" he asked with a bemused look, feeling almost self-conscious.
"You've grown up a lot," she told him.
Cameron looked up as if he could measure his own height like that. "Not that much," he grinned.
Shaking her head, Mary started putting the glasses into the hot water. "Not like that."
"Oh," he frowned and fidgetted with the towel. Ray lay down under the table where he could easily keep an eye on Cameron.
"It's like every time we see come back from that school, you've changed a little more," she said in a tone of voice that sounded like she wasn't really talking about him.
"It's an interesting place," he replied, even if she didn't have any idea just how interesting it was.
"So I gathered," she put the first glass down and gave him another look. "You're a lot calmer than you were in May."
Cameron concentrated on drying off the glass. He was hoping that Mary would continue talking, but clearly she was waiting for some sort of explanation. Which of course, she didn't. Sighing, he pulled open the cupboard and put the glass away before picking up the next one. "I know, there was just a whole lot going on then. It's better now."
Mary hummed in acknowledgement, but he somehow doubted that she believed him. "And things are better now since you've been with this Veronica?"
Okay, he knew she didn't believe him. "Veronica's great."
"You thought Vala was great, too," Mary pointed out and Cameron quickly put the glass into the cupboard so she couldn't see his reaction.
"That's a while ago now, mom," he pointed out.
"It was," Mary agreed and she went quiet again for a while as the continued doing the dishes.
They'd moved on to the plates already when Mary spoke up again. "The whole family will be having Christmas here as well," she informed Cameron.
"That should be nice," Cameron remarked as he picked up the stack of plates to put them away.
"Yes, it will be," Mary agreed. "You should bring Veronica."
Cameron congratulated himself for not letting the plates go crashing to the ground. He remembered all too well what had happened last year and he had no intention whatsoever to repeat it. He needed to think quickly. "I can't."
"You can't? Mary raised an eyebrow.
"No, because..." he needed to think faster. "I've already accepted Angel's invite to spend Christmas with him in Los Angeles." Which wasn't a lie, but he had meant to come home for Christmas and then go to Angel's.
Mary blinked. "And you only tell me this now?"
Cameron gave her a sheepish look. "Sorry, I forgot."
"You forgot you're spending Christmas elsewhere?" she didn't look to pleased.
"I'm sorry," he apologised quickly. "Angel invited a whole lot of people around. So it's a sort of school thing." Lame.
"Hrmph," Mary started scrubbing the plates with more vigor.
"I'll talk to Veronica about her visiting during a break or something," he tried.
"Sure," she said shortly, clearly still not pleased.
Cameron leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I'm sorry I forgot. I do miss you all."
"I know," Mary sighed and patted Cameron on the cheek, leaving suds behind. "Now finish those dishes."
Cameron grinned and gave her a salute. "Yes, ma'am," he said as he picked up the next couple of plates to dry off.