Thank you for beta'ing, A Star In My Universe! Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day at Litchfield is supposed to be fun, filled with love and laughter. It's the only day where the inmates can go outside and spend time with their mothers or kids, or both. While everyone is playing under the sun, Nicky goes to find Red, as she wants to hang out with her prison mother. The only thing is, she's not sure if Red really thinks of her as a daughter. Nicky looks through the window and sees that Red's biological sons are visiting her anyway. She already has children.

Nicky goes back to her cube and waits to see if Red will seek her out. She finds a notepad and pencil and starts doodling. Thinking back to the card she made for Marka, she scoffs. She had thought she'd done a great job on it, but Marka didn't deserve her love-Red does. It's why Nicky draws Red a picture of the two of them side-by-side, with Red holding Nicky. It's not colorful, but it'll have to do. This is prison, after all. She scribbles Happy Mother's Day, Red! I know we're not related, but you've acted like a mom to me since I first got here, so thanks. Love, Nicky. She starts to write Nichols, but decides not to, because she and Red are closer than just calling each other by their last names. She stays there and falls asleep because she's literally the only one in the entire prison who doesn't have a visitor, and she's bored out of her mind.

A while later, she feels someone running their fingers through her curls and then a light kiss on her cheek. "Nicky," Red coos, and she smiles at the older woman's voice. "Wake up, sweetheart, you're missing a lovely day!"

"No, I'm not," Nicky mutters while rubbing her eyes open. "No mom, no kids..." She realizes she'd never told Red about Marka. "Uh...so, Mother's Day really sucks, alright? My mom never appreciated me." She gives Red her card. "Here...you don't have to look at it or anything, I'm not that great of an artist, but-"

Red is already opening it and tears form in her eyes. "Oh, Nicky...thank you, honey. I love it so much!" She wraps Nicky in a hug and kisses her temple.

"Really? Aw, don't get sappy on me, Red!"

"I'm sorry, I can't help it," Red murmurs through a light chuckle. "My sweet girl...I love you."

"I love you too, Mommy," Nicky responds softly, afraid of sounding so childish when she's almost thirty. Red doesn't seem to care, though. Red strokes her hair and rocks her, and Nicky smiles at the affection. She chokes up through a giggle. "I apologize...I'm not used to this shit."

Red cups Nicky's cheeks and swipes her tears away with the pads of her thumbs. "Well, kid, you're my little girl, and it's my duty to dote on you every time I can. So, from here on out, get accustomed to it. Oh, look at us, we're messes!"

Nicky and Red laugh in unison. "Yeah..."

It's the best Mother's Day that Nicky has ever had.