**Comet's POV**
"I hope you know, Comet, that you're technically in charge, no matter what Taylor tells you," Erika said as she put lasagne in the oven.
"We'll be fine," I repeated for the millionth time, "Don't worry about me, Mom."
Erika put the oven mits on the counter and kissed my forehead, "It's not you I'm worried about."
"You really don't trust her, do you?" I laughed.
Mom rolled her eyes, "Of course I trust her. Her parenting is a little iffy."
"You weren't too confident either in the beginning," I pointed out, going to the door when someone knocked.
Erika joined me in the living room when I let Taylor into the apartment.
"Thanks for coming, Tay," Erika hugged her, "Lasagne is in the oven and will be done in twelve minutes and make sure she's in bed by eleven."
"We'll be fine, Erika," Taylor assured her, "I watched My Babysitter's a Vampire earlier today to prepare. I'm basically a professional."
Erika didn't look convinced, but moved onto me, "If it's chemical fire?"
"Use the fire extinguisher."
"And if it's not?"
"Water."
"Please be safe. I love you."
"I love you, too, Mom."
Erika left and Taylor stared at me, "Now what?" She asked.
"You're the babysitter," I pointed out and Taylor rolled her eyes,
"We both know that your mom put you in charge before I arrived."
It was a mutual decision to play a game and I ended up teaching Taylor how to play mancala. She caught on pretty well, but I was the undefeated champion in all the games I'd played in the library at school and easily beat her.
"Who taught you how to play?" She asked as she took the lasagne out of the oven and put it on the counter and started cutting pieces out of it.
"My brother's friend Carly," I told her, putting forks on the plates, "She would come over almost every day and she taught me when I was four or five-ish. When Maverick was disowned, she continued to visit and play with me every Friday. She helped me get good and now I'm the reigning champion at school."
"Because you have mancala championships at school?"
I took my plate to the dining room and reset the game, "Crazy things happen in Creative Writing," I shrugged, "Especially when we have subs."
Taylor told me stories about her experiences in middle and high school and I told her some of my own. We scoured the depths of YouTube and I eventually dug up a Mean Girls bootleg, which Taylor and I watched. The entire time she was asking me to skip the scenes she was in, but I kept the remote out of her reach.
We feasted on entire pints of ice cream, which I knew Erika wouldn't be pleased with, and had a dance party around the living room that entailed off-key singing into a wisk due to the sugar high.
By eleven o'clock, Taylor and I collapsed onto the couch and I found a channel that was playing Phineas and Ferb, to the joy of both of us.
**Erika's POV**
I came home from the theatre at half-past eleven and hung my coat on the rack, dropping my shoes and purse by the door. I tiptoed into the kitchen first. Two plates and glasses were in the sink and half the lasagne was gone and sitting on the counter. I stretched plastic over it and put the dish into the fridge.
Hearing voices, I went into the living room to find the TV on and two unconscious lumps on the couch curled around each other and wrapped in a blanket. Comet's head lifted off Taylor's chest slightly when I turned off the TV.
"Mom?" She slurred.
"Hey, Meadowlark," I whispered, putting my hand on her head.
"How was the show," she struggled to get her hand out of the blanket burrito and rubbed her eyes.
"It was good," I answered, "How was your night? It looks like you had fun."
"We did," Comet nodded, yawning.
"Come on," I helped her out of the blanket and carried her to her bedroom and lay her down on the mattress. I tucked the covers around my daughter and brushed her hair out of her face, letting it splay out on the pillow behind her. I kissed her forehead and whispered, "I love you, my Meadowlark, see you in the morning."
"Momma..."
I felt a tired hand grab my wrist and I lay down on the bed beside Comet with my arm around her and hugged her close against my chest. I kissed her head and hummed Meadowlark quietly under my breath as I lulled Comet to sleep, eventually knocking myself out as well.