A Day In The Life of Stephanie (Marcelo)

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie hadn't slept the last night, having spent the whole night finishing up both her papers for school and a policy draft for Shaw Industries, both of which had to be finished and sent off to the appropriate recipients by 8:30 am that morning. Stifling a yawn (it'd been three solid days without sleep and she was starting to feel tired), Stephanie went off to classes, picking up some fast food for breakfast along the way. Classes ran from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, including one of the many surprise tests that she was fond of giving. The one half-hour stretch she had consisted of delicately balancing shoving the nearest food at hand into her face and engaging in a frantic phone call with Shaw Industries personnel about yet another crisis.

She was also very nearly caught texting in class. But intead of sexting her boyfriend like half of the other students, she was arranging for food deliveries to the shelter.

Immediately after class was finished, she had to rush over to Bistro Provencal to run a job interview for a sous chef there and shortly thereafter, to La Navarra to have a dinner meeting with city officials regarding her plans for expanding the facilities of the 8th street shelter. Soon after that, she was at Shaw Industries, filing paperwork and making sure that nothing else hideously corrupt or evil had in fact transpired that day. Tuesdays and Thursdays were better days for the Shaw Industries work- she only had morning classes on those days and could put more effort into her primary business holdings.

Shaw Industries work more or less done by 3 am, at which time she finally got home, having to find the list of 24-hour food delivery places because she was desperately underfed. By the time she'd eaten, she realized that she had to be up and about for another day in only four more hours and that there'd be no immediate respite until the next weekend.

Marcelo wasn't home- probably on patrol. And Sancho for his part seemed almost hesitant to come near her, as if frightened she was simply going to disappear again.

There was a desperately sad little meow from her furry baby.

That was when Stephanie broke and began sobbing into the substandard Thai food she'd ordered.

I can't do this anymore. I can't. I don't know how I'm going to do this.

Comments

[vesper_verde]

He kept glancing out of the corner of his eye as he took care of her cut. He expected her to do... something. Maybe shove him away?

"I know, querida. It's okay." He tried gathering her in his arms again. Maybe holding her close would help her. Or maybe just help him.

It was too much of an odd hour of the night for him to even try to figure out if he was just adding a burden to her life. Or her mood was affecting him. "I still love you. I'm not going anywhere."

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie curled up in his arms, desperate for a warmth that she didn't feel like she deserved, but craving it nonetheless, like a drowning man for a lifeline.

"I need to go to bed." She finally managed to half-whisper. "Don't leave me. Please."

[vesper_verde]

He was glad she was curled in so tight. She missed him wincing as she pressed against one of his sore spots.

"Stephanie Isabella Shaw Da Silva, I will never leave you. Ever. I told you that was one of the pitfalls about marrying me. I cling like glue." He wasn't going to trust her to walk all the way across the penthouse to get to bed. She would either stubborn at him or collapse on the way.

So, he scooped her up and carried her.

[pyroprincess]

It was a testament to how exhausted she was, physically, mentally and emotionally that she simply let herself be carried.

"I love you." She managed to murmur, already half-asleep by the time they reached their bedroom. "You're the best part of my life."

[vesper_verde]

That she didn't even remotely put a protest up at being carried worried him a little. Though it made him more resolute to get her tucked into bed and sleeping.

"And I'll still be here in the morning. Lucky you," he teased very gently. He went to her side of the bed and set her down. "Let me help you get more comfortable?"

Though he was eventually going to let a pinch-hitter in to snuggle with her while he cleaned up the mess. Sancho was following in their wake.

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie didn't even bother trying to get out of her clothes, but almost immediately put the covers over herself. She murmured something else almost inaudible before almost immediately falling fast asleep.

Sancho for his part immediately burrowed right into the blanket and started softly purring, ready to snuggle and relax and sleep himself.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo did manage to get her shoes off at least. He wouldn't want to get kicked in the shins by those when he finally crawled back into their bed. The rest, he let be.

He kissed her forehead before going back out into the penthouse to clean up. Sancho was there to protect her. She wouldn't be able to go anywhere with that big cat there.

When he had cleaned up the wall-splatter, picked up the broken pieces of glass and plate, left a note for the maid about re-cleaning the wall, sending a message to their personal chef about making Stephanie's favorites for the next day, and hidden Stephanie's phone, computer, tablets, and other means of communications, it was finally time to crawl into bed. Which he did.

Then he scooted all the way over to Stephanie's side to hold her while she slept. He watched the rise and fall of her rhythmic breathing until he, too, fell asleep.