Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They have been borrowed for entertainment purposes only without any commercial gain.
Mine
The Epilogue
"Forever and a Day"
~Twenty Years Later…~
He liked staying just a tad longer. But invariably, it proved a bad move when –just seconds before opening the door and disappearing into the hall- the girl would turn around and catch him staring stupidly a her.
"And that's when I usually drop something…I'm such a dork…She probably hates me…"-said the young man despondently kicking the sand underneath his feet.
"Does she see you dropping stuff to the floor..?"
"Mom…-he whined-…you're missing the point! Whether she sees me or not doesn't matter! I'm still a dork…"
The blonde pulled her son to her and he leaned to her. "Maybe…but you're my dork…"
The young man looked upward and his bright, blue eyes smiled at his mother's. "Yeah…"
Iker and Ander Calligari-Legaspi were home for the Christmas break. The twins were 19 years of age, in university and by now, quite used to the rigorous schedule of studying. Iker was studying Biology in his mother's old Alma Mater, the University of Chicago whereas Ander was pursuing a Bachelor of Music from the prestigious Juilliard School in Manhattan.
"Hey guys…"-said Lorraine as she sat next to her wife and her son, Iker.
"Hi honey…"-answered Kim pecking Lorraine on the lips.
"Ciao Mamma…"-whispered the shy young man who quickly stood up and headed for the house.
"Did I do something bad..? I just said hello…"
Kim laced her left arm on Lorraine's right and appeased her, "No…it's not you amore…girl problems…"
"Oh…and he went to you..?"
"Nope…I just pushed…"
"Hmmm…I bet he loved that…"
"Of course he didn't…just like you don't…You need to talk to him though…we are in the 'I'm such a dork' phase…"
"Again?"
"Again…"
Lorraine sighed deeply and pondered how such an intelligent, capable and good looking man like her son could possibly regard himself in such mistaken manner. She sighed again, looking at the ocean in front of them with its constant crashing waves.
"He inherited that from you…"-said the blonde casually as she kissed her lover's cheek.
"Oh yes…That's why we have one sensible child and another who thinks he is God's gift to women…"
"Well, but…-chuckled Kim-…of course! I was God's gift to women! It's only logical that at least one of our sons would inherit that trait…remember Mendel?"
"Yes Kimberly Patricia…-said the brunette who stood up and leant over her wife of 21 years-…I do remember Gregor Mendel and his principles of genetics and his laws of inheritance…I am more than a gifted musician, you know..?"
The blonde smiled broadly, laced her arms and hands around her lover's neck and craned her body to kiss the brunette. "Oh…I know you are a lot more than a gifted musician, you need not to remind me…I had a great reminder this morning…"-added the psychiatrist pulling Lorraine for a kiss.
"You are terrible…"-whispered the New Yorker when they parted moments later.
"I know…but you love me…and you still need to speak to our son…"
"Yes, I'll take him shopping later…I still have to get your Christmas present…"
Kim pulled Lorraine again for another deep kiss. "Yeah…just remember diamonds are a girl's best friend…"-said the blonde when they parted.
"Yeah…thank god you are not a girl anymore, isn't it…"-and she left laughing.
The clock on the wall marked 9 o'clock. Daniella felt nervous, impatient. She paced the room one more time and for the eleventh time in the last 10 minutes, she stopped and checked herself in the mirror. She looked good enough, she thought. She breathed in deeply once again and checked the window.
Nothing.
One more pace and one more mirror check.
Still nothing.
She shook her hands in the hopes of getting rid of her anxiety but her palms felt cold and clammy. She went inside the bathroom and ran some cold water on them. Finally, she felt her cell buzz inside the pocket of her jeans.
"Shit!"
She quickly dried up her hands and grabbed the phone that had kept vibrating inside her pants.
"Hello?"
"Hi…"
She smiled instinctively. Jennifer's voice always had that effect on her. "Hi yourself…"-she answered, keeping her cool.
"You ready? I'm going around the block and I cannot seem to be able to find a spot to park…"
"I'll come down, just drive around…"
"Okay…"
She hung up and flipped off the light in the bathroom.
"You ready?"
"Shit Ma! You scared the living lights out of me!"-answered Daniella as she grabbed her purse.
"Sorry honey, didn't mean to…"
The young woman towered in front of her mother. "How do I look? Do I look okay?"
"You look gorgeous…"
The young woman laced her arms around her mother's neck and hugged her. "I love you Ma…"
The redhead sighed and closed her eyes, hugging her oldest daughter. "Are we meeting this girl tonight..?"
Daniella separated from her mother, "you want to..?"
"Well yeah…why not? I know you guys are not an item…yet…-Kerry smiled, cheekily-…but yes, your mother and I would like to meet this Jennifer woman…"
"Okay…wait by the door then… She can't find a parking place so I'm going to open the gate for her…"
As her daughter ran down the stairs, Kerry went into her bedroom where Abby flipped through TV channels.
"Wanna meet the Jennifer woman..?"
Abigail looked up, her eye brows arched up. "Are we meeting the Jennifer woman?"
"Yes, we are…"
"Wow…this must be a serious thing then…"
"Yes, apparently…come on…we have been instructed to wait by the door…"
So together, hand in hand, Abby and Kerry waited by the main door of their home. Two minutes later their daughter walked to them accompanied by a freckled face, grey eyed woman with really short hair red hair and a captivating smile.
"Ma, Mom…this is Jennifer Pennington…Jen, these are my mothers, Dr. Kerry Weaver and Dr. Abigail Lockhart…"
"Nice to meet you Dr. Weaver, Dr. Lockhart…"-said the young woman extending her hand to the doctors.
"It's our pleasure Jennifer…"-said Kerry kindly.
"Nice to meet you…"-added Abby, dryly.
After a few seconds when no one knew exactly what to say, Abby felt how Kerry elbowed her to say something. "So…that's your jeep, uh? Cool…"
Daniella rolled her eyes. "We ready Jen..?"
The younger redhead smiled. "I think that means she's embarrassed enough and wants us to go…"-added Jennifer cheekily while Kerry chuckled.
"Funny you two…"-said Daniella, clearly mortified while the brunette kept a straight face.
Kerry extended her arms and hugged the newcomer. "Nice meeting you Jennifer…I trust you'll take good care of her..?"
"I will Dr. Weaver…"
"Good night Jennifer…bring her back by 2 am, okay..?"-said Abby extending her hand for a handshake.
"Yes, Dr. Lockhart…"
And the younger women turned to the jeep.
"By the way, Jennifer…-asked Abby-…what is it that you do, for a living I mean..?"
"I'm a detective Ma'am, with the Chicago Police Department…"
"You're a cop?"-asked Abby quite surprised.
"Yes Ma'am…"
"Uh Jennifer? –interrupted the redhead- You may bring our daughter at whatever time you wish…just take good care of her, okay? –interrupted Kerry.
"But Ker..?" –asked Abby turning around in shock.
Kerry just laced her arm around her wife's waist and pulled her to her side. "Just…let it go my love…she'll be fine…just wave and smile…"
Mother and son roamed lazily around the ground floor of Macy's, looking for a new fragrance Iker wanted to get his mother for Christmas. The mall was busy but not yet packed with Christmas shoppers so they had enough time. After breakfast, the pair had left the house in search for Kim's present and some clothes they needed to get for themselves. Very often, Lorraine would take Iker shopping whereas Kim would often go out with Ander. "A matter of personality synchronization…" had said Patricia once and it was true. Lorraine shared with Ander their immense musical talents; together they could play against angels but in every other aspect, Lorraine felt at odds with the long haired, much too cocky, somewhat self-centered young man Ander had become. In all fairness both men were kind, witty, funny and good hearted but Ander was just a bit too full of himself and that bothered Lorraine.
"Mom…what do you think about this one..?" –asked Iker passing the paper strip to his mother for her to take a whiff.
"Hmmm…that one is nice…which one is it..?"
"Chanel…'Chance' is called…"
Lorraine inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. "Oh yeah Ik…Mommy would love that one…"
The young man smiled, "I think is funny the way you still call her 'mommy' after all these years…"
"She's still your mommy…"-she said a bit embarrassed.
"Yeah…"-answered the young man, smiling.
Moments later, Lorraine saw him looking around some more. "Aren't you going to get your girl something..?"
Iker kept on looking. "She's not my girl…"-added with some pain in his voice.
"Why not? Is she not interested or is she dating someone else..?"
"She's probably just not interested…"
"Why do you say that?"-asked Lorraine with concern in her voice.
"I dunno…she's just…so pretty…she can have anyone she wants…"-said the boy with sadness.
"Hmmm…doesn't that include you too..?"
Iker didn't say much more after that. He bent forward and picked up the shopping bags he had been carrying. "You ready to go Mom..?"
Lorraine smiled and nodded. Half hugging her son, she pulled him to her. "You tell me when you re ready, okay..?
"Okay…"- and together, mother and son, went to pay for the perfume at the till.
Ten minutes later as they approached the parking lot, Iker placed the bags in the trunk of the car and got inside while Lorraine turned the engine over.
"Her name is Katherine…"
The brunette smiled, happy to see her son opening up to her one more time.
"Excellent…"-she said.
"I dunno…maybe she likes me…a bit..? I dunno…At least she hasn't laughed at me or anything…"
Lorraine turned, faced her son and kissed him on the cheek, "Of course she does…why wouldn't she like you..?"
"Because I'm a dork…"
"Well Ik, I don't know honey…I'm a dork…I was always a dork…but hey, look what I landed…"-added Lorraine wiggling her right eyebrow.
"Mom!
"What?"
"This is my mother you're talking about..!"
"Yeah…And she is a babe!"
"Oh Lord…"-said the young man clearly mortified. "Just drive mother…"
And Lorraine laughed some more, kissed him again and set on to go home.
"I can't believe you just let her go with a complete stranger simply because she said she was a cop!"
"Abby..."
"No Abby me, Kerry! This is our daughter we're talking about!"
Kerry was on the verge of laughing but decided not to; Abigail rarely became furious but when she did, she was a force not to be reckoned with. Not even by Kerry.
"Sweetheart…"
"I cannot believe you! Danie is barely 20 years old!"
"She will be 21 in two months…"
"Whatever!"
The redhead decided to put an end to this before it escalated and years of experience have taught her that when in distraught, her wife needed to be grounded. She walked closer to the smaller woman and held her from behind, firmly.
"Angel…calm down…"
The brunette stopped her pacing and sighed deeply, closing her eyes.
"In all the years you've known me which are…"-said Kerry, quietly.
"Thirty…"
"Yes…thirty…In all those thirty years my angel…Have you ever seen me put the life of anyone in danger…knowingly, I mean..?"
"No…"-whispered Abby, eyes shut.
"Since our girls were born…have you ever seen me make a decision that would knowingly put them in any kind of risk..?"-asked Kerry, very gently.
"No, of course not…"
"Okay so…will you quit worrying..?"
"But…"
"Abigail Marjorie Lockhart…stop...Danie will be fine…"
"How do you know...?"
"I just know…"
"You cannot just know…"
Kerry smiled against her wife shoulder imagining the brunette's pout and knowing she was winning this encounter. "Oh but I do…"-she added as she kissed Abby's shoulder blade through her dark turtleneck sweater and turned her around so they could face each other. "I do know…"
"I just worry…horrible things happen every day…"
"Yes my love, they do…but they won't happen tonight…okay..? Tonight we are together, all of us…You and I, Danie and Kathy…and we are fine…"
The brunette smiled shyly. "She's still asleep..?"
"Like a log…"
"Remember when we use to sit on the floor and watch them sleep..?"-asked Abby.
"Uh huh…"
"We were kinda weird, weren't we..?"
"Uh…yeah…a bit…"-answered the redhead with a smile as she ran her thumb over Abby's left cheekbone.
"Wanna watch her again..?"-asked the brunette.
"Thought you'd never ask…"
The two lay on the king-sized bed watching the football game. They watched the games quite often when they were together although they really did not consider themselves die-hard football fans. On their stomachs, mother and son leaned on their elbows and cupped their heads with their hands.
"Oh come on! I mean, really now! That wasn't even two yards, you moronic twerp!"
-yelled Kim to the football player who of course, stayed completely unaffected by her heated insults.
"Mom…he can't hear you…calm down…"-said the young man repressing a loud laughter he knew his mother would not appreciate.
"Helloooooo..!"-yelled Loraine as she walked through the kitchen and the family room, on her way upstairs.
"In here honey..!"-answered Kim as she sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed.
"Well hello, you two…-said the brunette as she leaned down, kissed her son's head right before cupping Kim's face with her hands and giving her a soft kiss-…e comme esta il mio cuore, bene..?"
Kimberly still shivered when Lorraine spoke to her with such intensity, forgetting any Italian she had managed to learn in the many years together. "Good my darling…-she paused, inhaling-…except for that idiotic quarterback that refuses to do what he's supposed to…"
Lorraine chuckled, searched for her son's face as he rolled his blue eyes just as she thought he would and kissed her wife again. "You're right amore mio, he's shit…"
"Mom, he isn't shit! Mommy just wants the guy to do –I dunno- miracles..!"-added the boy in a contained whine.
"And my son?" –asked Kim.
"Hello! I'm here!"-added Ander trying to be funny.
"My OTHER son..? Remember you have a twin brother?"-snapped Kim sticking her tongue out.
"Oh right…him…"-added the boy cheekily.
"His room, I guess..?"-answered Lorraine as she kicked her shoes on her side of the ample bed.
"Is he okay..?"
"Yeah, yeah…he's fine…"-added Lorraine as she unbuttoned her blouse.
"Fine..? And what about that other…matter..?"
"Right you two…like I don't know you're talking about Iker's girlfriend…"
Kim's eyes popped out. "You know something about her..?"
"Maybe…"-added the youngster with a mischievous smile.
"Spill it Ander Anselmo…come on…now…"-said Kimberly, quite seriously.
The boy turned to lie on his back, crossing his hands behind his head. "And what will I get if I do spill the beans..?"
"A punch in the face…"-answered another voice coming from the entrance of the room.
Kim looked up and felt incredibly embarrassed by her own behaviour. This was, after all, her son's private life and if she really wanted to know something about it, she should either ask Iker or wait for the boy to open up for her. "I'm sorry honey…I should have never really asked your brother for something that clearly is a private matter…I'm really sorry…"
The young man looked hurt but he understood his mother's motives behind asking his brother. He nodded and waved a hand at her, silently telling her not to worry; that things between them were fine. He turned around and immediately he heard his mother's steps behind him.
"Honey…"-whispered Kim.
Iker turned around, "Yes, Mom..?"
"I am really, really sorry my love…"-whispered the blonde bringing her right hand to his left cheek, locking her blue eyes to his.
"It's okay…no damage done…What do you want to know..?"
Kim swallowed hard; this child of hers had always managed to disarm her. "I just want to make sure you're happy…Are you? Happy?"
Iker Fabrizzio pursed his lips and smiled coyly. In silence he closed the gap between himself and his mother and wrapped his strong arms around her lean frame hoping the gesture would let his mother know how much he loved her and how happy he really was. "I'm okay Mom…I'll be happier when she pays attention to me…but I'm fine…"
Kim closed her eyes and tightened the embrace suddenly remembering how this young man used to cling to her so much when both twins were just toddlers. "Maite zaitut nire maite…"-whispered the blonde.
"Maite zaitut Maita…maite zaitut…"-answered back her son.
The pancakes sizzled on the pan and smallish hands made their best effort to flip them over and not burn them. The scrambled eggs had been sprinkled with some fresh grounded pepper and salt and adorned with a bit of parsley on the side, "Like the chefs do…" had said the youngster.
The music blasted from the iPod docking station and both young women danced around the kitchen island table as they finished the last touches to the food they were making.
"Is that music I hear..?"-asked sweat-covered Abigail, flat on her back, chest heaving.
"Nope…The orgasms I give you are soooo good, I can make you hear music…"-said Kerry smiling broadly as her breathing struggled to go back to normal.
The brunette chuckled. Turning to her wife, draping an arm over the redhead's bare torso and feeling perk nipples underneath her skin, Abigail kissed Kerry on the temple. "You are the best lover I ever had but that wubber...that is music…"
"God…I love you…"-said Kerry taking a hold of Abby and pulling her towards herself until the smaller brunette was completely on top of her body. Lacing her arms around her neck Kerry brought Abby's face to hers for a deep kiss.
"Oh god, Ker…"-whispered the younger woman feeling how her wife of so many years pulled her downwards making sure their naked bodies were as close as possible, "You're going to make me horny again…"
"And that is a problem…why..?"
A loud knock on their door served as the perfect answer. "Because I knew it couldn't happen…I did say I had heard music…"-whispered a smiling Abby before kissing the redhead and shouting, "Hold on kids, we'll be right out!"
"Oh God…I think we…"-whispered their oldest daughter on the other side of the door.
"What? Were they like…doing it for real? Oh my God!"
"Kathy!"
"Eeeeewwww…"
The door opened and the girls looked at each other not knowing what to say. It was their mothers' wedding anniversary and every year the girls made a point to make them breakfast and give them a small gift. Daniella came to the rescue.
"Good morning Mom! Happy Anniversary!"-she shouted as she leaned down and hugged her mother.
"Morning…thank you…"-answered Abigail who smiled broadly and wrapped her arms around her daughter.
Katherine leaned in and kissed her mother too but did not linger, turning to the stairs. "Come on you guys! It's gonna get cold!"-shouted the teenager as she ran down the stairs.
Daniella broke the embrace and smiled, "Ma's in the bathroom, right?"
"Uh huhm…"-answered the brunette distracted as she pulled her hair into a bun.
"Sorry for interrupting…your…uhm…"
Abigail's eyebrows shot upwards disclosing a pair of very wide eyes, "You heard us?"
Daniella had to feel pity; perhaps she should not have said anything. "No Mom, no…but it is not that difficult to imagine what was going on when you guys are still in bed after 9 am with the door shut, no less…"
"Crap…your sister knows..?"-asked Abigail agitated silently hoping for a negative answer.
The twenty year old woman could have again told the truth but decided not to; her mother was mortified enough. "No Mom…no worries…she doesn't know…"-answered Daniella knowing full well her little sister would never either make a comment nor acknowledged she knew their mothers had been making love.
The bathroom door opened and Kerry emerged, "Morning Danie girl…"
"Happy Anniversary, Ma…"-said the young woman, kissing her mother.
"Thank you my darling…"-said Kerry hugging her first-born. "And my baby?"
"She ran downstairs…hunger is a force that knows no limitations…"-added Abby.
"We're ready, then?"-asked the redhead heading towards the door.
As they started walking, Abigail took a hold of her daughter's arm and glanced at her.
"Don't worry Mom…your secret is safe with me…"-whispered the young woman who winked at her mother and smiled.
The upbeat poured out of the speakers as the three figures danced in front of the fire casting black shadows against an orange backdrop. The young men smiled broadly and in one swift move, one of them picked up in the slim woman dancing with them.
"Put me down child!"-yelled Patricia losing her straw hat in the process.
"Come on Tata live it up a little!"-said one of the boys smiling.
"Come on guys...put your grandmother on the floor...let her be..."
The twins laughed a bit more at their grandmother's protests and Ander finally eased her down to her feet. Iker picked up her hat which she took in one fluid motion and hit them both with it. "You! Horrible children!"-she wailed while they laughed even harder.
When the banter had quieted down, they all sat on the lounger chairs and shared in some drinks and light conversation. From inside the house Patricia, Kim and the twins could hear Lorraine at the piano playing some unknown piece.
"That's new..."-said Ander who immediately got up and went inside.
"Pretty too..."-added Patricia, "...very gentle...like the kind of melodies she used to write when you boys were babies..."
Iker smiled while Kim sat next to him. "How you are big guy..?"
He smiled directly to her. "I'm good Mom...Did I tell you her name is Katherine..?"
Kim laced her lean arms around her blue-eyed son and kissed him on the temple. "Katherine huh..? Nice name...How old is she?"
"Eighteen..."
"Pretty..?"
"I think she is..."
"Have a picture..?"
"No...remember we're not really friends-friends...yet...but we will be..."
"Right..."
"Children! Dinner is served!"
Kimberly stood up and extended her hand for Iker to grab it. He did and together they walked to the kitchen. "We'll talk some more later, okay?"-she whispered to her son.
"Anytime Mom..."
That evening, the four women gathered on the family room to watch some TV together. Kerry turned off the overhead light and turned on the two floor lamps and the small table lamp between the two sofas.
"Ma..?"
"Uhm..?"-answered Kerry absentmindedly.
"Who fell in love first, you or Mom..?"
Kerry almost choked on her soda while Abby and Daniella looked at each other cocking an eyebrow in expectation and understanding.
"Uh…I think…uh…me..?"
Abby interrupted without taking her eyes from the screen, "Nope, it was me…"
Kerry turned around with a look of hesitation on her features, "you sure my angel..?"
"Yup…I couldn't resist your charm and fell in love with you like an idiot…"-added Abigail with a sly smile while Kerry smiled tenderly.
"Mom..?-asked Katherine-…How did you know you'd fallen in love with Ma..?"
Abigail's brow arched upwards as if preparing for a long answer. She wasn't expecting such a question. She obviously knew that this line of questioning could only have one motive as its fuel; that boy she'd mentioned to her friend last night on the phone. She had not meant to hear but it had been hard not to when Katherine yelled excitedly on the line.
She breathed in and paused. Smiling she put down the remote, turned around to face Katherine and extended her hands, silently motioning her daughter to sit by her. The petite eighteen year old stood up from where she had been sitting next to Kerry and moved to sit next to Abby.
"So…what was your question again..?"-asked the brunette as Katherine nestled next to her mother.
"How did you know you'd fallen in love with Ma…"
"Right…uh…hmmm…I dunno! I just did!"
"Lame Mom…"-said Daniella, smiling.
"Yeah…-added the redhead faking annoyance-…lame…you better start talking or you'll be sleeping somewhere else tonight, Dr. Lockhart…"
"Okay, okay…truth is Kath, I knew I had fallen in love one day your mother didn't go to work…"
"Huh..?"
"Don't look at me like I'm growing two heads…yes so I was very un-cool but you asked so…I'm answering…"
Daniella did find the story endearing, especially coming from Abby who was less prone to share emotionally charged information or partake in sappy conversation. Closing her laptop, she placed it on the wall unit close to the TV set and took a seat next to Kerry. "So Mom…when was did…tell us…"
Abigail smiled as she caressed her youngest daughter hair. "Uh…wow…after the Caribbean vacation for sure…I just can't remember how long after though…"
"Okay so…what happened..?"-insisted the young woman.
"Well nothing much really...at the time Kerry had to travel a lot and one day she left and for some reason I felt really...lost...like a puppy...I couldn't wait for her to come back..."
"How long were you gone for, Ma..?
"Oh I dunno...two days?"-answered Kerry.
"Aaaaawww Mom..."
"No really, I did…I felt stupid believe me...that was... so unlike me..."
"It's true kids…your mother was…something…"-interrupted the redhead with a hint of pride in her voice.
"So..?"
"So nothing…I felt lonely without her and when she came back I realized that being with her made me…happy…"
Katherine, who had been listening attentively, intervened. "So that's it? You felt happy and that's how you knew..?"
"Well that and how jealous I was back then too…"
Daniella and Katherine both sat straight in their seats, mouths hanging open. "You were jealous..? Is this true Ma..?"
Kerry grinned wickedly. Abby glared at her as if forewarning her wife who simply chuckled and shook her head. "I'm not saying anything…you walked into that one all by yourself…you walk out, Lockhart…"
"Yeah Ma…come on…tell us..."
"Fine…There was one time we went out, the two of us…"
"Were you dating..?"
"No, not yet Kath…we were just friends back then…I got here a bit late…"
"Yeah, like twenty minutes late…"-interrupted the redhead whose eyes never left the paper in front of her.
"You never told me at what time I was supposed to be here, Ker…"-rebuked the brunette.
"You were late, angel…end of story…"
"Anyway…so we went out to this gay club…"
"But you said you were not together yet...?"-interrupted Katherine.
"And who cares Kathy? Straight people can go to gay clubs…bi-curious people can go to gay clubs…right Mom?" –said Daniella with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Funny Danie…okay, the three of you stop…you wanna hear the rest of the story, yes or no?"
"Of course Mom…"-said Katherine who laced her arms around Abigail's neck and kissed her mother loudly on the cheek.
"So, like I said, we went to this club and all was fine…we danced..."
"You danced..? Cool..."
"Oh yes…I love dancing with your mother…"-sighed the redhead.
"So…it happens she started eyeing all the women…"
"Abigail Lockhart! I wasn't 'eyeing' all the women..! Maybe…one…or two…"
"Yeah…one specifically, by the bar…"
"And?"
"And? You want to know? Your mother…that one over there…-said Kerry pointing to Abby-…all cool and collected as you see her in there..?"
"Yeah..?"
"Well…she caught me…apparently looking at this woman for a second more than she would have it so she suddenly got up, threw a $ 20 bill on the table and told me she was leaving..!"
"Mom???"
Abby smiled and blushed at the same time. "And your mommy kept asking me 'what did I do? What did I do?' and I was such a dork...I couldn't say anything..."
"Really Mom?"
"I am not proud...it was one of the most un-coolest moments of my life but…what can I say? I couldn't stand it…"
'Wow...Mom..."-added Daniella.
"I'm not ashamed and...it did help to perhaps move things along. The next morning she went to my apartment with this giant cup of coffee as a peace offering..." The brunette smiled at her wife with pride. Her eyes beamed, her heart pumped a bit faster. Carefully, she removed Katherine's head from her lap, stood up and closed the short gap between herself and Kerry. Taking her wife's face in her hands, she smiled broadly, leaned in and kissed her gently. "I'm sorry for being so stupid Wubber...I was never very good dealing with the idea of you with anyone else but me…I don't think I ever apologized for it…"
"It's okay my angel…at the time I thought it was the cutest show of affection I had ever seen…"
"I love you Kerry Marie Weaver…always have…always will…"
"I love you too Abigail Marjorie Lockhart Wyczenski almost Carter almost Kovac…"
"What the he..???"-asked a bewildered Abby as she jokingly punched Kerry on the arm. "And what about you Kerry Weaver almost Lopez almost Legaspi almost West???"
"Legaspi?"-asked Katherine in a rather timid voice.
"Yeah Kath…remember Kim from California..? Remember that vacation we went to San Francisco?"-asked Daniella, still laughing at their parents.
The young woman sat perplexed in the sofa. The laughter around her died as they came to realize that Katherine while not upset, was not laughing either. Kerry was the first one to intervene. "Honey, is something the matter?"
"Uh…no…not exactly just…it's probably just a coincidence…"
"What's a coincidence, babe..?"-asked Abby.
"Uh…there's this guy…"
"The reason why you asked about us being in love and how did we know and all that, right?"
"Uh…yeah…you're not angry, right..?"
"No, not at all…it's been fun to draw blood out of your Mother's veins…"-added Kerry with healthy sarcasm.
"Hey! Watch it, Weaver!"-interrupted Abigail who was sitting in Kerry's lap by now.
Katherine smiled.
"So Kath…what's on your mind..? What does the last name Legaspi have to do with you?"
"That's his last name…Well...one of his last names..."
Abigail almost fell off Kerry's lap at the piece of news. She laughed nervously; completely convinced that the young man in question was in fact, one of Kim's sons. Kerry on the other hand, was too surprised to react. The only faint feeling she remembered experiencing at the moment was one of slight fear she could not explain. Daniella was not sure how to read their mothers' odd behaviours, so she went on.
"Kath...does he have a twin brother..?"
Katherine's face lit up. "Yeah Danie...how did you know?"
Daniella smiled and leaned back on the ample sofa. Abby –somewhat serious now after her nervous laughter had died out- stood up, shook her head in measured disbelief and sat on the reclining chair opposite to everyone else. "Yes, it's him...wow...what are the chances of this..?"
"Okay you guys...Am I missing something..? The chances of what?"-asked the young girl clearly confused.
Kerry, Daniella and Abigail exchanged glances. Katherine caught their subtle exchange. "Mom..? The chances of what..?"
The brunette sighed deeply feeling a small trace of the anguish of so many years past. Still, she smiled. Her beautiful daughter stared at her perfectly serious and with an earnest look of concentration on her delicate and freckled face. 'God, I love this child...'-she thought.
"The chances of another Legaspi chasing after another Weaver..."
"Another..? But...who else was..?"
"Me..."-answered Kerry dryly.
Daniella decided it was time to excuse herself; this was potentially difficult territory and she did not want to be involved. She grabbed her laptop and left the room. Abigail noticed and understood and while no other separations had occurred, no real threats to their relationship had ensued; their oldest daughter knew –instinctively- that it was a delicate subject.
"You Ma..?"
"Yes...-Kerry paused raking her thin fingers through her fine red hair-...before I got together with your mother I...uh...I had a relationship with your friend's mother, Kimberly Legaspi...Kim..."
Abby stood up and headed to the kitchen, lips pouting. Kerry noticed the tale-tell sign but decided to deal with that later; her daughter needed answers now. "We were together for about seven months..."
"Oh okay...wow...yeah...after all these years..."
"What's the boy's full name..?"-asked Kerry hesitantly.
"Iker Calligari-Legaspi...a mouthful..."
"Yes, Kim's father was from the Basque country and his name, 'Iker' is a very common Basque name. The Calligari comes from Lorraine, his other mother, Kim's wife..."-said Kerry leaning back on the sofa and hoping her words had been delivered as devoid of feeling as possible.
"Wow...And was she a doctor at the hospital..?"
"Yes, she's a Psychiatrist and we became friends when I was the Chief of the ER...a long time ago..."
"Probably that's why he's in PreMed..."
"Probably...-whispered Kerry-...Do you like this young man?"
Katherine's smile became even larger. "Yeah...I do...I just...I'm nervous, he's so..."
"Intense?"
"Yeah...intense...like his heart is about to explode out of his chest or something..."
Kerry chuckled as she remembered thinking exactly the same thing about Kim. "Yes...I guess he takes that after his mother...I felt the same way when it came to her..."
"And what happened between you two, then?"-asked Katherine.
The redhead sighed deeply. "Let's get some more tea and I'll tell you the story, okay..?"
And together they headed to the kitchen.
Up on the roof of the ample brownstone, Abby lit up a cigarette, inhaled deeply and let the puff of smoke mingle in the air with her own visible breath. She slouched against the parapet and watched the city lights.
"God...I haven't seen you light up in years..."-said Daniella quite softly not waiting to startle her mother.
"Yeah well..."-coyly said Abigail who seemed unable to complete the sentence.
"I'm sorry Mom..."-Daniella whispered as she slouched herself next to her mother.
Abby smiled and draped her left arm across her daughter's upper back. "You have no reason to apologize Danie, you haven't done anything wrong...this is not even your problem..."
"Is it a problem...still..?"
Daniella was trying to help her mother. She could easily see Abby's sadness in those marvellous brown eyes so much like her own. She pushed herself and instinctively, her mother puller her even closer.
"It's hard to say my love..."
"Please Mom...-said the young woman-...try..."
Another deep drag of the cigarette and Abigail felt just a tad better; good enough to appease her daughter's obvious distress. In one movement, the brunette stamped the cigarette against the parapet. Immediately after, she turned to face her daughter. "Honey...what are you afraid of? Nothing's going to happen..."-muttered the brunette. "You don't need to worry...not even for a second my love...whatever happened, happened a long time ago and it will never happen again, okay..?"
"Okay..."
Abby stared at those brown eyes that looked down on hers. She always thought fascinating that both of her daughters inherited her brown eyes so prevalent in the Wyczenski family. "I love you with all my heart Daniella..."
"I love you too, Mom..."
Kerry sat there for a moment in silence looking at the big, brown eyes of her youngest daughter. How odd it felt to have her youngest daughter asking questions about Kim and about the past that tied them together; a past that –apparently- refused to die.
"I...uh...made a mistake she couldn't forgive...so she left me..."
"Did you love her..?"
"Very much..."-answered Kerry letting her head drop forward.
Katherine nodded and understood. "Does Mommy know?"
Kerry smiled and looked up. "Of course my darling...she knows...all this happened even before she and I fell in love..."
"Why did she make that face and left, then..?"
Kerry had to give the young girl credit; she'd turned out to be more perceptive than she thought. However though, at this very minute, she had hoped her youngest had not noticed Abby's pain.
"Because your mother and I...we uh...sort of...-Kerry cleared her throat-...separated for
a while –not because of Kim directly interfering but- let's say I...went with her and left your mother here..."
Katherine continued without making any sort of judgment. "I guess you had your reasons..?"
"After Kim left our relationship, she disappeared for a very long time...almost five years and then one day, out of the blue, she showed up and your Mom and I...we were perhaps too young or too frightened and...I dunno...I guess we thought we would be better off that way...so I left for California..."
Katherine smiled, leaned forward and kissed the redhead on the left cheek. "But you came back...I guess Mom just had a flashback of that time then..."
Kerry nodded amazed at her daughter's calmness and rationality. "Apparently..."
"Okay so...I guess...yes, it's another Legaspi chasing after another Weaver...kinda cool story, actually..."-said the young girl standing up.
"Yeah...I guess what we the mothers could not do, you the children...hopefully will..."
Katherine pulled her blondish hair into a pony tail and leaned forward to kiss her mother again. "Yup...I guess so...thank you Ma...I'm going to my room...I have about 50 pages to read..."
"Head start for the new semester..?"
"Yeah..."
"I love you, you know that right..?"-asked Kerry.
"I love you too Momma..."
Kerry turned off the TV set, picked up the Sunday paper scattered around and turned off the lights. As almost every night, she checked the front door, made sure it was locked and headed to the kitchen to make tea for both herself and Abby. Once that was done she headed to their bedroom.
Inside she found her wife sitting on the leather armchair, leg dangling in midair, resting on the chair's armrest. Kerry smiled to her wife but Abby cut her eyes away, unable as she was to look at Kerry in the eye.
The redhead frowned as she walked towards one of the night tables to place the cups of hot tea. "It's not my fault those two kids have found each other..."
Abigail's pout became even more pronounced as she sighed deeply.
"You're not talking to me now? How is this my fault, Abby..?"-asked the redhead with an edge of guilt and irritation in her voice.
"That is not your fault...the world is just too small sometimes..."
Kerry walked slowly to where her wife sat. She stopped in front of Abby not really knowing how to make a connection with the brunette. "Honey..."-she muttered.
"What?"
The edge of anger surprised Kerry. Hearing Abigail's voice made her realized that this was a bit more than she had thought. Her heart raised its rhythm and she felt her palms clammy and suddenly, very cold. Her thoughts raced to a place in the past but she quickly disregarded the awful possibility; it couldn't be. Slowly she squatted in front of the sitting figure and placed her right hand on the brunette's knee.
"Please..."
"What do you want from me, Kerry..? Fine, so it is not your fault that Kim's son is after Kathy, okay...What it is your fault though, is that my daughter has to be reassured that her family is not going to fall apart once again..."
Kerry's eyes opened wide in disbelief. "What?"
Abby stared at her with a knowing look on her sad eyes, "You actually think we're stupid..?"
"What?"-repeated Kerry feeling as if she was having short circuits inside her head.
"You think we don't know what happened five years ago? You think we never found out?"
Kerry's green eyes were pale with panic, shame, guilt. Suddenly she found it hard to breathe overwhelmed by the pounding of her heart on her temples. In shock, she felt as is she was about to lose her balance so holding onto the chair, she stood up. Still her eyes were locked to her wife's.
"So you better go and reassure Daniella that no, you're not going to run away again with Kim...You better go and tell her that the next time you have a medical conference in California you will not take the opportunity to see your girlfriend..! "
"Oh God, Abby..."
"Abby nothing Kerry! I had to learn to live knowing that you will always love Kim! I have had to learn to live with the knowledge that you've gone to her not once, not twice but three times since we've been together!" Her demeanour turned aggressive and her words, caustic. "But don't ask me to pretend that these years with you have been perfect because they haven't!"-she yelled. "And I tell you this Kerry Marie Weaver..."
Kerry's eyes were fixed on Abigail's in fear; suddenly the redhead felt as if her whole life was crumbling before her eyes.
"I better not hear –ever again- that you've had some 'sexual get-together' with Kim and you better not hurt my children any more because I will never, ever forgive you!"
Abby's tears flooded her face. Her pain was so immense that she felt the unusual salivation and the retching that signalled an impending need to vomit. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply but a sob ripped through her. Ashamed of her weakness in front of Kerry, the brunette turned around and went into the bathroom closing the door after herself.
Kerry ran after. "Abby please! I'm sorry!"
Abigail opened the lid of the toilet and leaned forward feeling the horrible sensation take over her. She vomited twice, three, four times in rapid succession; her body rejecting the notion that had lodged inside her heart and her soul.
The notion that her life and the love she had felt for her wife had been nothing.
Through tears that she felt sipping through her closed eye lids, Abigail heard Kerry calling loudly. For an instant she wanted to run over, open the door and begged her to stop shouting; to remind her that their children did not need to know what was going on. But she did nothing. She could not move as another wave of heaves shook her small body. Thankfully Kerry stop banging or shouting. Sobs choked the redhead as she sat on the carpeted floor outside the bathroom door, wrapping her arms around her bent knees. "Please my love..."-she whispered softly.
She heard Kerry implore, once...twice again. Still heaving strongly, still curved up over the toilet, Abigail remembered the day she had gone to pick up Kerry at the airport for the first time, the night they had danced in that stage to Ella's melodies, the first time they made love, their wedding, the moment she saw her when she woke up from the coma after the accident. Daniella's birth, Katherine's birth, their first tooth, their first days in school. The memories came to her unstoppable as she sobbed and slowly realized that her life, while not perfect, it was full; while flawed, it had meaning. It was far from being nothing. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling looking at the pale green stickers resembling the constellations of Scorpio and Capricorn and smiled; "...so you won't forget –Mommy- that you are a Capricorn and that Momma is a Scorpio, okay...?"-had said Katherine when she was five years old and unilaterally had determined that the stickers were absolutely necessary.
Inhaling she closed her eyes and opened them up again, letting her vision focus on a pair of flip-flop sandals that Daniella had left in their bathroom the night before, then to Kerry's old pair of reading glasses she was sure she had lost and finally to her own makeup case Katherine had left open on the counter. Despite her tears, she smiled again. This was her life, she thought, a life that she had built with Kerry and the girls despite Kim, despite Kerry's mistakes, despite her own.
Finally wiping the last tears, Abigail stood up. Before opening the door she remembered that all was really well, that her wife loved her, that the girls were happy and healthy and safe and that she was –despite of it all- still in love with Kerry Weaver.
"I'm sorry... –whispered Kerry-...I'm sorry..."-she said as the door opened and Abby emerged.
The brunette knelt and took her wife in her arms immediately feeling her body tremble as she cried. She felt guilty but remained silent feeling that words alone would not be enough to sooth and heal the panic she was sure, Kerry was feeling. Instead, she sat on the floor and pulled her wife onto herself, engulfing her in a protective embrace that left no doubt about her feelings.
"I'm sorry honey..."-said the redhead between sobs.
"No...it's okay...I'm the one who's sorry...I shouldn't..."
Abigail was unable to finish as her eyes filled with tears once again. She cupped Kerry's face and ran her thumbs across the wet cheeks understanding that they both were humans and that they both had a shared responsibility in what had taken place. "I shouldn't have said anything...if I didn't say anything six years ago; I really should not have said anything now...I'm sorry..."
"I shouldn't have gone to Kim...I'm sorry, really I am...I never did it again..."
Abby brought her lips to Kerry's who moaned at the contact. "I love you Kerry...I love you with all my heart..."
"I love you too Abby...I always have...and always will..."
Abby nodded and kissed her wife once again.
And in a very odd way and despite the pain of years past, she nodded and knew in her heart that Kerry would indeed, always love her.
And that was good enough to make it all worthwhile.
"It's okay Ker...-she cradled her wife-...at the end you made it all...mine..."
THE END
tHEtht