Author: JustSkipIt
Rating: PG
Feedback: Please leave feedback on the Survivor - Ash Island thread on the Kitten Board.
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters nor do I own Survivor. And believe it or not, I also don't own any small islands. On the other hand, this island is fictional so let's say I own it. I'm making no money from this fiction and intend no copyright infringement.

Willow watched the credits and scenes from next week roll before turning off the television. “Well, that was very interesting, honey,” Sheila said quietly.

“Have um, have you been watching it, mom?” Willow asked.

“I never saw it before but I’ve watched all your shows,” the older woman told her daughter, “I would watch you on a show about foot fungus you know.”

“I think Kelli is more likely to be on a foot fungus show,” Willow joked about her sister. “Um, what have you thought?”

Sheila took a breath before answering, “I guess I thought it was all about survival skills but it seems more about tricks and friendships.”

Willow laughed before answering honestly, “I wouldn’t have done very well on a straight-up survival skills show, mom.”

“I’m not sure you’d do well on a ‘straight’ anything,” Sheila teased her youngest daughter.

“Mom!” Willow exclaimed in mock horror.

“Seriously,” Shelia asked, “what was going on with you and that Tara girl? Did anything happen?”

“Hey, look at that,” the redhead suddenly exclaimed, “I need to go make a phone call.” She got up and left her parents in the room. Once in the hallway, she took the elevator to ground level and went outside to sit in the garden area she had found the day before. She quickly hit the speed dial button and waited.

“Willow?” Tara answered the phone.

“Hey,” the redhead said, “I never knew you’d be so into being tied up.”

“You too,” Tara joked back. “How is your dad?” Tara asked with concern. When Willow had called the day before, Tara had barely been able to understand her words. They had been planning a trip for Willow to come up and spend the weekend with Tara and to get to meet Ariel. However, that had changed when Willow had called Wednesday. It took some time for Tara to understand that Willow was not hurt but that her father was in the hospital in Raleigh. Her plane had been boarding and she couldn’t talk. Tara spent a very upset few hours until Willow called her from the Raleigh airport.

“It was definitely a heart attack but the doctors say he’s very healthy,” Willow explained. “They said he’s got to make some ‘lifestyle changes.’”

“When can he get out of the h-hospital?” Tara asked.

“In a few days,” Willow answered.

“I’m sure he and your mom are glad to have you there,” the blonde told her.

“I guess so,” Willow agreed, suddenly feeling every bit as young as her 21 years and feeling all the fear of the last 36 hours. “He looks so small, Tara,” she said in a tearful whisper.

“He’s going to be fine, baby,” Tara assured her, “I can tell these things.”

“I wish you were here with me,” Willow whined.

“You’re the most intelligent, strong, loving woman I’ve ever met, Willow,” Tara said with more than a hint of tears in her voice, “I’m sure you’re doing fine.”

Willow chuckled: “Sure if I can fend off my mother’s questions about the show and particularly one very gorgeous blonde from the show.”

“Darla huh?” Tara teased.

“No, silly,” Willow joked back, “Buffy.”

“Of course,” Tara said.

“You probably need to get to bed,” Willow said as she realized how late it was.

“You too,” Tara said, “Although you’re used to going out to pick up women after your notoriety.”

“Not anymore, Tara,” Willow said suddenly serious.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Will,” Tara said.

“Sleep well,” the redhead replied before disconnecting.

“Do you want a glass of wine, Tara?” her mother asked as she set the dinner plates on the table.

“I’ll get us each one,” the blonde replied. She returned to the table a few minutes later with their glasses.

“What are Ariel and Kent doing this weekend?” Sarah asked. The two women had a long standing “dinner date” on Friday nights when Kent had his visitation. Although they saw each other nearly every day when Tara picked up Ariel after work, they savored this opportunity to visit as adults.

“I’m not sure,” Tara responded as she began eating, “he mentioned something about the fair.”

“What about you?”

“Probably work on my art,” Tara responded as the phone rang. Sarah got up and answered the phone and was gone a few minutes before she returned. “Telemarketer?” Tara guessed.

“Reporter,” Sarah explained. At Tara’s apology her mother waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it honey, this will die down.”

“I got two calls y-yesterday,” Tara said sadly.

“Didn’t you expect it?”

“No,” Tara explained, “I really didn’t. I mean I’m just me. Boring old, Tara. I can’t imagine why people want to read or hear about my life.”

“You’re a celebrity now, sweetie,” Sarah told her daughter, only half-teasing. “Speaking of celebrities,” Sarah said, “did you know that my bridge club meets at Cappelli’s on Wednesday nights.

“How nice for you,” Tara said with a pretty good idea where this conversation was going.

“And Karri asked me how The Incredibles was,” Sarah said. “It seems that while Ariel and I were at the movies, you had a date with a certain red-headed Willow?”

“You knew I h-had a date, mom,” Tara said as she finished her wine.

“Yes, I did,” Sarah agreed as the two women started to clear the table. “I just didn’t know it was with a ’21 year-old software startup company owner’ from Atlanta.” She put air quotes around the title.

“She um was in t-town on business,” Tara lamely explained.

“Really,” Sarah teased some more, “what a fortunate coincidence. She didn’t have any of this ‘business’ this weekend?” Again she used the air-quotes.

“Her father’s in the hospital in Raleigh,” Tara explained, “he had a heart attack Wednesday.”

“Oh,” Sarah said, becoming serious, “I’m so sorry. Is he going to be ok?”

“He has to make some changes but apparently he’s going to be fine,” Tara explained.

“And the two of you?” Sarah led.

Tara sighed for a moment. “Mom,” she started, “you know that I can’t tell you anything about the show.”

“Yes, baby,” her mother said,”but you can tell me about your life now.” She waited a second and told her, “You know, when you told me about Ariel, I was shocked. I mean here I thought you were gay all those years and then you tell me you’re pregnant at 18. So I thought I was just confused but then you said you were gay.” She laughed a little: “I remember thinking ‘maybe it doesn’t mean what I thought it meant.’”

Tara laughed back. “It means exactly what you thought, Mom.”

“My point, baby girl,” Sarah told her only daughter, “is that I only want what every mother wants for her daughter: for you to be happy.”

“I hear that,” Tara said as she leaned forward and hugged her mom. She sat back and picked up the DVD cases off the coffee table. “Now what movies did you get?”