Paris / Ted Lasso

68. Mother

Poppy and her mother never got along, they were very different but Rebecca and Poppy had many similarities, like wanting to succeed on their own merit. Their mother was glad to have their fathers money and be his arm candy for years. 

"So, I looked him in the eye and I said, "Paul, I'm leaving you. I'm gonna live my best life now, for as long as I can, until I die. Or until I'm murdered". Deborah remarked. "And then I stood up, I flushed the toilet, I pulled up my trousers, and walked straight out of there."

" That's incredible. Inspiring." Ted offered.

"Mmm. Yeah." Rebecca mused. Poppy rolled her eyes looking to birdie as she stood on a stool to play pin ball. 

"You should do a TED Talk." Ted mused. "Yeah, 'cause right now you're getting a whole heap of "Ted listen"." Ted so easily made Poppy's anxiety and stress fade when her mother made her blood pressure rise. Poppy leaned into Ted, of course her mother would spend the whole lunch blabbering about herself and not ask about her only granddaughter or her daughters life because her mother didnt care.

"And can I just say, as someone that's recently been divorced, the best piece of advice that I received was to leave people well." Ted offered. "And find someone better." He added smiling into Poppy. She kissed his cheek. 

" Oh, yeah. I completely agree. Yeah." Deborah agreed.

"Mmm. Yeah. It's slightly different in this case because I'm the one doing the leaving. And as I understand it, your wife left you?" she added. There was a sharp inhale from Rebecca and a groan from Poppy. 

"Mother." Poppy barked. 

"No, that is correct. Big difference there, yeah." Ted agreed his hand found poppys and he stroked over the top of her hand as their hands rested on her thigh. 

"That's terrible!" Jeremy shouted.

"What is that?" Baz agreed.

"Could you tell them to stop shouting at the football?" Deborah demanded. Poppy hadnt even noticed, this was a pub, there was always shouting at the television. She glanced towards the boys that loved to torment Ted. 

"What football? They're watching last night's Bake Off." Mae countered.

"Look at that sponge!"

"That's rubbish!" Jeremy went on. "Temper your chocolate, you twat!" The phone rang and deborah pulled it out of her purse.

"I'm sorry, would you excuse me? This is my psychic. She said she'd call me exactly when I needed her." She remarked. " That's incredible, isn't it?"

"Whew." Ted agreed.

"Yeah. Wow." Rebecca murmured.

"Amazing." Poppy agreed dully. 

"Hello, Tish. This is extraordinary."

"What a brave thing for a woman of her age to do." Ted remarked softly as Deborah headed off. 

"Is she gonna move in with you?" Keeley questioned. 

"Please. Forget every word she just said." Poppy countered. 

"What do you mean?" Ted countered. 

"They do this every couple of years. My dad acts up, then she leaves him. Then they "move on". Then he buys her some expensive, environmentally conscious gift and they'll be back together in a week. But, hey-ho, she'll be paying the bill, so do enjoy your free lunch." Rebecca added. 

"Well, I mean, maybe it's different this time, you know?" Keeley suggested.

"People can change." Ted agreed.

"Some can. She can't." The sisters agreed. 

"Hey Birdie boo, come eat something." Poppy requested. "Mae can we get a few orders of chips to go too?"

"I'm not hungry, one more game!" Birdie begged. 

"One more then we are off." Poppy agreed. Birdie smiled jumping back up. "Can i take this to go too?" 

Poppy didnt want to talk about her mother and Ted was okay with that. 

He knew what poppy just needed to eat some greasy food and cuddle on the couch, he was glad for that. He wasnt good about talking about his parents and understood that her mother angered her easily. The one comment Deborah made about Birdie was thank God she doesnt look like her father, she is a little Poppy. Ted knew from poppys pursed lips that was a sensitive subject, Ted knew that. He knew that Rumlow the man that drugged her and raped her, her old coach was a monster that Poppy didnt bring up. Didnt talk about. So knowing that her mother just spoke so breezily about it, ted knew he needed to just hold onto poppy and let her feel whatever she was feeling until she was ready to talk if ever.