Chapter Nine: A day Spent with You

"A day spent with you is my favourite day. So today is my new favourite day."

A.A. Milne

Donna Smoak is not going to lie.

She's had her fair share of bad relationships, some worse than others, and is more than aware of what it takes for a relationship to not work out. This doesn't mean that she's given up on them.

Donna is nothing if not a hopeless romantic at heart, a hopeless romantic who unabashedly enjoys men.

The same cannot be said for her daughter.

Felicity is many things. She's brilliant, beautiful, and brave. She's also funny, occasionally neurotic and the strongest person Donna has ever met. It amazes Donna when she looks at her daughter that she did something so right in her life to have ended up with Felicity.

She does not, however, share the romantic streak that is so prevalent in Donna's life. In terms of romance, her daughter is cautious where Donna is fearless; a practical streak runs through Felicity that stamps out any romance she might have inherited from Donna and it frustrates Donna.

Her beautiful girl has always deserved far more than what Donna thought she was settling for and Donna had bitten her tongue for so long about it because she didn't think it was worth alienating Felicity anymore than she already had.

Then entered Oliver Queen.

When Donna had imagined the type of man she'd thought Felicity deserved, Oliver Queen wasn't even close to what she'd envisioned.

(Ray Palmer was a little closer but even then, there was something not quite right about him. He didn't look at Felicity quite the right way and her baby girl didn't look back at him, either.)

Don't get her wrong, Donna has eyes and Oliver Queen is a very fine example of the male species but Donna's sure he has more baggage than anyone she's ever been with and Donna isn't sure that's a good thing. Especially given that Donna had always thought Felicity would end up with someone who didn't carry around baggage that was the equivalent of a cargo plane.

Then she'd seen the way Oliver looked at her daughter and the way Felicity looked back and she hadn't cared.

Donna didn't care that the man she'd envisioned for Felicity had nothing in common with Oliver Queen because if he continued to look at her daughter like Felicity was all his favorite things rolled into one, then Donna has no complaints.

He also struck her as somewhat steady in his affection and, Donna knows, that's important to Felicity.

She doesn't know what happened between Felicity and Oliver after she left Starling City and she's fairly certain she's better off not knowing but still, Donna doesn't expect for them to show up on her doorstep a few months later looking deliriously happy.

But they do and Donna can't remember the last time she'd seen Felicity smile quite like that.

In fact, Donna thinks as she observes Felicity duck away from Oliver's outstretched hands, shrieking with laughter as he tries to rub his sweaty face against her, she's never seen Felicity smile like this.

"Gross, Oliver! Go and shower!" Felicity exclaims as Oliver finally catches her around the waist and rubs his face on her neck.

It's a lovely scene to come home to after a night shift and Donna doesn't make a sound as she leans against the door jam leading into the living room to watch the scene contently. There's a glow to the two of them as they flirt, Donna observes and isn't that lovely?

She doesn't know Oliver very well but Donna can see shadows haunt him sometimes and god knows, Felicity's had her own demons but when she looks at the two of them, laughing in her living room, Donna can only see unadulterated happiness.

Felicity's laughing and squirming as Oliver continues to rub his face into her neck, her hands have latched on his forearm and Oliver lets out a low laugh as she struggles.

"You're sweaty now, too. Come join me." He suggests lowly and Felicity laughs loudly at the invitation.

"How about no. Mom's going to be home any minute and she really doesn't need to come home and wonder where we are."

Oliver buries his face in her neck again. "But we're going to spend all day with her. Fifteen minutes, Felicity."

Oliver's joking but Donna notices Felicity's happiness dim slightly at his words and she thinks about speaking up now, to continue the joke when her daughter speaks.

"Do – do you not want to spend the day with me and Mom?" The waver in Felicity's voice is only detectable to those who know her well and Donna suddenly sees that her daughter has insecurities of her own about this happiness she's found.

It makes her more determined to step in when Oliver's own grin dims and she realizes that he's heard the waver too.

"Of course I do." Oliver says tenderly, turning Felicity in his arms so he can look down at her properly. "Felicity, I want to spend every day with you. I haven't had a lot of favorite days in the past couple of years. But every favorite day I've had, I've had it with you."

Donna's hand has gone to her throat and, oh, she doesn't think she's ever heard anyone say something so romantic and the fact that he's saying to her bay girl has her choking up. Because Oliver so obviously means it and isn't that the most wonderful thing, ever?

"So, you do want to spend the day with us? 'Cause it might be a lot of waiting around in shops or being bored while we get her nails done." Felicity recovers far quicker than Donna does and she's smiling back up at Oliver, as if completely reassured by his words.

Oliver lets out a low laugh. "Of course. Any day with you is my favorite day, so todays just going to be my new favorite day. Even if I can't tell the difference between the four pairs of shoes you try in that are exactly the same."

Donna doesn't want to cry, she really doesn't but the way Oliver's looking at Felicity and the way her daughters looking back at him and there's obviously a story there about shoes, is it any wonder tears start to fall.

"They were all different and you know it!" Felicity exclaims with a grin before kissing Oliver quickly. "Go shower."

Oliver dips his head to kiss Felicity again, a little longer than her quick peck and then he lets her go.

"Yes, ma'am," he agrees good-humoredly. Oliver then throws a glance in Donna's direction. "Hey, Donna."

Oliver's out of the room when Felicity turns around and her face is a little red. "Mom? How long have you been standing there?"

Donna doesn't reply, exactly. Instead she rushes over to Felicity and catches her in a hug so tight, she's sure it feels like she's trying to strangle Felicity.

"Oh, honey, I'm so happy for you. I'm so happy for you." Donna expresses, fumbling a little as Felicity's arms come around her because she's crying.

Donna doesn't know what she expected from Felicity's partner but she's so happy he's someone who looks at Felicity like she's the shining light in his life, and says romantic things so matter-of-factly her analytical daughter can only believe him.

She's just so happy.