by E L Bossert
Breakfast included discussion of the planned trip as well as some of the upcoming events Jamie and her family had planned. Jamie made it clear that María and Isabella were welcome in her home at any time. “Without even a moment’s notice,” Jamie added with a wink.
After breakfast, María asked Max for help loading the bags and cooler in the car, giving Jamie and Boo a final moment alone together.
“I will be back.” Boo tenderly pulled Jamie into an embrace, speaking directly into Jamie’s ear, “I promise.”
Jamie closed her eyes tight to prevent tears from spilling out. Releasing their hold on each other, they stoically walked outside. Boo hugged Max, leaving him with the same message of promised return.
As María drove along the driveway toward the highway, she glanced at Boo. Boo’s eyes were not filled with tears as she expected. The golden brown eyes of her friend, and soon to be ex-spouse, were resolute, focused, and clear.
The drive to María and Isabella’s house was long, giving Boo and María hours to talk. Boo asked questions and María told all of the stories she could remember about Boo’s past. After their years together, María knew almost all there was to know about Boo’s life. The stories helped to restore many memories as recognition led to recall, and recall led to connections to other memories.
“Did we ever want to have kids?” Boo wondered if her attachment to Max was a long time desire or something new.
“We talked about it. But with us both working and trying to bring my family here, it just never became a part of our plan.”
“I can see having a family with Jamie. I hope I would be a good parent. I expect to be around for you and Isabella’s kids.”
“You’ll be a great parent, and a great godmother,” María assured Boo.
Boo drove for a couple of hours, giving María a break. Her driving skills were rusty, but quickly refreshed on the relatively quiet interstate. The duo passed the time by checking in with Isabella and Jamie, texting amusing pictures from the car.
“So, how was it...last night?” María had waited as long as she could possibly stand before asking directly.
“It’s a little weird telling my wife about sleeping with another woman.” Boo ducked the question without expecting the dodge to work. After all, she now remembered that María had not been reticent about sharing details when she and Isabella started their relationship.
“Oh, get over yourself,” María chided Boo.
“It was wonderful. Intense. Will it offend you if I say it was the best sex I’ve ever had? But it wasn’t just sex, it was way more.”
“I’ll try to console myself by pretending you just don’t remember the fabulous sex we had.” María’s exaggerated attempt to appear offended dissolved into a guffaw. “I’m happy for you. Really, truly happy. You deserve to find someone. I like Jamie, and Max, and the rest of the family. It’s obvious how much they adore you. That makes me happy.”
PART OF JAMIE WANTED to do nothing except curl up on the bed and wallow in self-pity. Instead, she packed a lunch for herself and Max, and drove to town. She called her mother and father, asking if she and Max could join them for the day. She would work in the garden at the shelter house, fix bicycles, whatever they had planned. She needed the company of family, distraction, movement, activity—anything to keep her mind off Boo’s leaving. She wanted someplace to hide from missing Boo and the fear she would never see Boo again.
Jamie found Philip at the shelter working in the garden with several of the women who were staying there. Max joined the other children at the small adjacent playground, while Jamie pulled weeds and staked tomato cages.
The women in the garden recognized Jamie. Their initial greeting was stand-offish, suspicious that her appearance among them was a publicity stunt. Their eyes roamed the surroundings searching for photographers or video cameras. When they realized this was not a photo op, and Jamie was just as sweaty and dirty as they were, they relaxed and included her in the conversation.
During lunch break, Jamie took a short walk, texting Boo, Working in the garden with Dad and several wonderful women. Missing you a lot. Hope the trip is going well. Talk soon. Hard physical work was good for ignoring the excitement in her body leftover from the previous night’s activities, but she could not shake the wistful feelings Boo’s absence created in her life.
After a long day laboring in the shelter garden, Jamie and Max joined her parents for dinner. She had little desire to go home to the empty guest room, the empty chair at the table, and the empty spot next to her in bed.
“Would you two like to stay here tonight? We can watch a movie? Eat ice cream?” Lessa’s eyes made contact with her daughter’s as if she could read her mind.
“That would be nice, Mom, but aren’t you tired and busy?” Jamie was aware of her mother’s real motivations.
“We’re all tired, right Max?” Lessa pulled Max into the conversation, counting on her grandson to take her side.
Max looked at his mom with long lashes framing soft brown eyes.
“Okay, we’ll stay.” Jamie snuggled Max on one side of her on the couch as her mother sat close on the other side. “Thanks, Mom.”
AS THEY NEARED THEIR destination, Boo asked if she could spend the night with María and Isabella.
“I don’t think I can face my place yet. Not alone.” Boo was scared to enter her condo, not remembering anything about how it felt to be there. She was also afraid of falling back into old habits, forgetting Jamie and Max.
They parked and practically ran up the steps to the house. Isabella greeted Boo at the door as if she were a long lost puppy who journeyed thousands of miles to return home.
“Boo, I’m glad you’re okay. You had us worried. Well, a lot of things had us worried, but mostly you.” Isabella combed her fingers through Boo’s short hair looking for the new scar.
“Thank you for supporting the rescue mission.” Boo gave Isabella a wet kiss on the cheek to show her appreciation.
“From what I hear, you hardly needed rescue. More like...reminding. And you found someone special?” Isabella had heard all about Jamie and Boo’s budding romance from María and could hear the excitement in Boo’s voice on the phone when she talked about Jamie and Max.
“Yes, she is special,” Boo cheeks burned red. “And Max, too.” This was all Boo could say without prompting tearful eyes. She missed them already, causing renewed determination to put her life in order before returning to Crestwood.
“What can we do to help with your re-entry?”
“María has been telling me stories for the last couple of days. I may need you to provide a reality check. I suspect she may have exaggerated a little here and there for her own benefit.” Boo winked at Isabella. “Seriously, would you two mind going with me to my place tomorrow? I can’t do it alone right now.”
Having never seen their friend feeling this vulnerable, María and Isabella nodded their agreement. Over dinner, plans for the next day were made.
“I missed you two. I was searching for you in my dreams.” Boo spent an hour on the couch scratching Roxie and Zoe’s heads, listening to them purr.
After Boo retired to the guest room, exhausted from the emotional stress of the journey, María and Isabella closed the door to their bedroom to process.
“She is obviously in love,” Isabella observed. “The way she talked about Jamie during dinner...mmmm, mmm. How are we going to get those two together?”
“First, we will finalize the divorce. Then, we’re packing up her condo, which should not be difficult because she has barely unpacked anything since she moved in. Then, we are driving her to Crestwood. She can sit in the front seat like a big girl, or we can box her up, too.”
“Seems simple.” Isabella smiled at how María’s straightforward approach actually seemed to be the most sensible. “Any idea if she’ll go along willingly?”
“That’s not my problem.” María laughed as she settled under the sheets, wrapping her soon-to-be wife in h
er arms.
JAMIE AWOKE EARLY FROM a restless sleep. She found her father sitting on the back porch, deep in his own thoughts.
“Morning, Dad. Thanks for letting me crash the garden party yesterday. Is there something I can help with today?”
“I was happy to have you. I think the women really enjoyed it too, once they started to trust you. It’s hard for them to trust someone new.” Philip worked hard to recognize his position around the women at the shelter and appreciate the difficult journey the women there were on.
Jamie often thought about how privileged her life was and what responsibilities came with that. The lessons she learned from her father and mother informed the way she raised Max. Those lessons were also influencing her plans for future work and family, which she hoped included Boo.
“Would you like to help with the Bikes-for-Kids rollout? We are planning a party to present the children with their new bikes weekend after next. We have a load of bikes to take to Fairfield to the shops and bring back the ones they have already repaired and reconditioned. Would you mind making the trip? Later, maybe you could help me with the party planning?” Philip proposed.
“Absolutely. Sounds like a plan. Time for breakfast and let’s get this day started.”
MARÍA AND ISABELLA slept in an hour later than usual. When they came down the stairs, Boo was in the kitchen cooking breakfast.
“Excuse me? What have you done with my Jirafa?...What?...You say she’s been replaced by someone named Boo who can actually cook?” Isabella teased. “Well, I’ll be...I like this new person.”
“Seems I may have picked up a new skill or two,” Boo was pleased with herself. The cats had been fed and Boo was enjoying being among friends who could help her remember her past, although cooking breakfast reminded her of mornings with Jamie and Max. Her heart ached as she thought about how much she missed them.
After breakfast, María and Isabella drove Boo to her condo. The short commute across town allowed Boo to recognize places along the way, although given the recent move, there was not much to remember.
Walking into the living room, as María predicted, was like walking into a storage unit. Boxes were stacked against the walls. The same was true of all the other rooms. The furniture, what little there was, sat where the movers had put it down. Clothes were still in bags and boxes, opened enough to find what Boo needed, but no more.
“Okay, this is rather depressing, but it will make it easier when we move you.” María put her plan in motion.
“Move? Move where? I just got here,” Boo protested.
“That’s right. Don’t get too comfortable. You are headed back to Crestwood as soon as we can hire a moving truck.”
“What will I do there? I can’t move in with Jamie. We don’t even...” Boo realized she didn’t know what was unknown.
“Blah, blah, blah. You own your own business, you can do your job from anywhere. Check. You have no ties here except me and Isabella and the cats. You’ll visit us, we’ll visit you. We’ll send you pictures of the cats. La marca. You don’t have to live with her. You have the money from selling the house. We’ll find you a place. Check. You love this woman. You love her kid. You love her family. They love you. Check, check, la marca.” María was on a roll. “Any questions?”
“Just one—how can you be certain she wants me to move there? It might be too soon.” Boo wanted to take her relationship with Jamie seriously, making such a move seem presumptuous.
“Really? If it doesn’t work out, what have you lost?” María pretended to wait for Boo to answer. “And if it does work out, then you’ll thank us later, at the wedding. Your wedding.”
“Whoa, that’s way too fast,” Boo resisted although was surprised to realize she did not find the idea as scary as she might think she would. “You’re right. I don’t have anything to lose, and I have everything to gain. Would you two please help me figure this out?”
Isabella was impressed by how María brought Boo around in a matter of minutes. She enjoyed watching her soon-to-be wife use her powers for the forces of good. Now, if they could just keep Boo on track.
Chapter Twenty-seven
BOO SUBCONTRACTED ONE of her pending jobs and rescheduled the other for the following week. She needed to return to work to reestablish a sense of control over her life. She would have to take it slow for a while to avoid any reoccurring side effects of her concussion, but familiar activity would be comforting and restore a sense of normality.
Boo and María made the trip to the courthouse on Thursday morning to sign and file final paperwork for their divorce. To celebrate, Boo treated María and Isabella to dinner that evening.
“Now, you two crazy kids have to promise me you will not run off and get married without me. I have to give away at least one of the brides,” Boo proclaimed.
“We promise, but you better have a plus one for the wedding. Kids allowed, so that’s plus two,” Isabella replied.
“We promise, no wedding without you. Have you talked to Shon about a finding a place in Crestwood?” María’s task oriented nature surfaced.
“I can’t think about it yet. It’s just too soon in the relationship for such a big move. If there is a relationship,” Boo talked herself into a spiral of doubt again.
“Nope, not going to happen. You will not let this one slip away.” María had no intention of letting Boo undermine her master plan. “You love her, she loves you—”
“But she doesn’t know the real me. What if she doesn’t like this me? She’s a big star. I’m sure there are lots of people she could have a relationship with. I’m just...me.”
“Boo—and I will continue to call you Boo until you get the point—it doesn’t matter what your name is or what you do for a living, it’s you Jamie wants. This is you—kind, loyal, thoughtful, caring. Really, I just divorced you, are you going to make me go on and on about how wonderful you are?” María was prepared to do so, but hoped Boo would give in sooner rather than later.
“Boo, for once I agree with María’s tactics.” Isabella smiled at her soon-to-be wife’s persistence. “You need to breathe and take a leap. From what I hear, you’re willing to jump in front of a truck and off a cliff into a den of snakes. Moving to be with the woman you love has to be a lot less dangerous.”
“You two make me sound wonderful, but I already screwed up my first marriage. That’s what we’re here celebrating, remember?” Despite being over the breakup and feeling great happiness for María and Isabella, Boo told herself that the end of the marriage was largely her fault.
“Boo, you are absolved. Don’t make me talk about all of my faults in front of the woman who is about to take a leap of faith and marry me.” María’s patience was wearing thin. “No one is perfect. Except Isabella.” María made adoring eyes at her flawless partner.
“Don’t worry, sweetie, I am already well aware of your imperfections. It’s part of what I love about you.” Isabella took María’s hand. “Boo, you’ve said before this is what you want—a family. I have never seen you to shy away from a challenge or run away from something because you’re scared. Do you really want to start now?”
“You’re both right.” Boo, lost in thought, sat for a moment before continuing. “I need a plan. Otherwise I’ll get comfortable here and tell myself my time with Jamie was a fairy tale that was too good to be true.”
“Do you promise you’ll talk to Shon? Better yet, text them right now. If you don’t, I will,” María’s directive was more promise than idle threat, indicating her intention to closely monitor Boo’s progress.
“Have you talked to Jamie? What does she say?” Isabella tried to moderate the conversation.
“I talk to her every day,” Boo responded. “She wants a date when I’ll be back, but she’s obviously trying not to pressure me into anything.”
“I’m driving. When do we pack and leave?” María wanted a timeline, too.
“Sweetie, chill a bit,” Isabella reined in María’s runaway train atti
tude. She reached across the table for Boo’s hand. “When you met Jamie, you didn’t know who she is or what her job is. You saw the person in front of you and you fell for her. She did the same thing. So, please, put your doubts aside. You are enough. She is enough. You have to give this love a chance.”
“I appreciate your support. It means a lot to me.” Boo pulled her shoulders back, sitting up tall. “I would like to be back in Crestwood within two weeks. First, I need to finish a job. I’ll be gone for a couple of days.”
“I’m putting a GPS tracker on you this time.” María was taking no chances on losing Boo this time.
JAMIE SCHEDULED A TRIP to New York City. Max could spend a couple of days with Sarah and Bryan and his cousins while she was away. Time in the city and work would take her mind off missing Boo. Jamie contemplated hiring a car and driving to Boo’s home to surprise her, but resisted the urge. She wanted Boo to return of her own accord, without pressure. Jamie needed to be certain that returning to Crestwood was what Boo wanted. Besides, Boo had informed Jamie she would be out of touch for a couple of days while she finished a job in the field, leaving Jamie nervous and hoping this was not Boo’s way of letting her down easy, breaking ties, and moving on.
When Jamie arrived at Gabriela’s early in the week, they ordered delivery from their favorite pizza place and opened a bottle of wine.
“Remind me why we’re sitting here instead of being on our way to find your one true love?” Gabriela was impatient with Jamie’s equivocating.
“Because it needs to be Boo’s choice.”
“You think you have some magical power, if you just show up on her doorstep, she’ll enter a trance and not be able to resist following you home? No free will at all? That sounds like a bad movie script to me. Hey, didn’t you—” Gabriela began to tease Jamie about one of her less than stellar movie choices, but was cut off by Jamie’s defense.
“Okay, no, I can’t cast some magical spell over her. She obviously has her own mind. But what if she’s decided it would be too much to live life under a microscope. Obviously it’s not the life she’s chosen.”