Late arrival (rp thread for knowthenbreak & gothams_dent)

[take_mychances]

It was after dark -- nearly 9:00PM -- when the Mayor's town car pulled up to the Dent residence in one of Gotham's more suburban neighborhoods. Andrew Stephens wasn't entirely surprised to find that Dalia still lived with her parents, and while he did wonder how that affected her social life, he kept it to himself

Comments

[knowthenbreak]

Nadine had waited, getting more restless with every hour. She sat by the phone, tapping her fingernails against the table until a look from her husband had made her fold her hands in her lap. Then she'd started pacing.

Every time she heard a car, she went to the window, only to see it drive by. Finally, though, she saw headlights from the driveway and heard a car pausing. She went again to the window and sighed with relief at seeing the girl approaching the house.

In a matter of moments, she turned on the porch lights and was waiting for the door to open. She immediately hugged her daughter, saying, "There you are. Are you okay?" Nadine stepped back without giving Dalia time to reply, looking her over. "Are you hurt? Where have you been? God, we've been worried sick. You should have called." And yet, she wasn't scolding her. She was too relieved to see her home for that.

[take_mychances]

Dalia had been prepared to tell Nadine just how perfectly fine and a-okay she was, but her mother's blathering stopped her.

"And that wife of his...they're both fucking insane..."

James' words echoed in her head once again and instead of immediately saying anything, Dalia stepped toward Nadine and gave her hug, holding on tight and not letting go for a long moment.

[knowthenbreak]

Nadine held her daughter close, rubbing the girl's back slightly. "Sweetheart," she whispered. Although it was taking time, she was steadily calming down. Having Dalia here, seeing her without cuts or bruises or other signs of damage made her fears of the worse disappear.

[take_mychances]

Dalia didn't cry, but it was with effort. "I should've called. I'm sorry I didn't," she said quietly, still holding onto her mother.

Harvey got up from his position on the couch and went over, concerned for both his wife and daughter. He put a hand on Dalia's back. "But you're all right? Physically?"

Dalia nodded, going from her mother to hugging her father, still not elaborating on anything.

Her father wanted to ask a million different things but he knew that Dalia would give them some sort of explanation shortly. She had to know that he'd grill her until she did, anyway. For the time being, he hugged his daughter back.