by AJ Adaire
“And were you convinced?”
“I'm not sure I'm quite there yet about thinking your lifestyle is something I will ever support. I will admit that it has given me a lot to think about. I mean I'm glad I came and spent some time with you. I imagine you'll find it hard to believe when I tell you I've missed you.”
“I know this will sound mean, Spencer. I'm glad you missed me. It was hurtful when you and our folks banished me from your lives. It was hurtful when you cut me off from the kids.” Using the information Spencer had just explained to her, Amanda pushed, slapping him with her words. “All that because you disapprove of less than one percent of my life.”
“I know. Please, give me a break here. I'm trying. Really, I am.”
“Let's go back to the beginning of this conversation, shall we? I'm curious, Spencer. What makes you think Justine is a lesbian?”
“It's just a feeling. She had this girlfriend about a year ago. They were really tight. What I mean is that Tina was always at our house or Justine was at her place. They were inseparable. If not together in person, they were on the phone or texting. Then, about six months ago, bang, cold turkey. No Tina, no texts, no calls. Nothing. When we asked where Tina was, she'd either say 'busy,' or just head for her room. On her best days, she sulked. On the worst she'd hole up in her room and ignore us as much as possible. My wife tried to talk to her. She told me Justine wouldn't tell her anything, either. Sometimes, we'd hear her crying in her room. It just felt like a bad break up to me. Wouldn't you agree?”
“I'm not going there, Spencer. I won't theorize about my niece's sexual preference with you. If it really matters to you, then you need to find a way to talk to her, to ask her. Otherwise, maybe it's best for you to work on being a bit more broadminded and welcoming and wait for her to come to you.”
“I don't know what to do, Amanda.”
“The best advice I can give you is to just love her. Just talk to her Spencer. Let her know you love her and there is nothing in this world that will change that. She’ll see you're making an effort with me, with all of us. Maybe that’ll help.”
Amanda glanced out the window. It was nearly dark and the fireworks would be starting soon. “We need to get outside. The show should get underway shortly. I do have two more things. First, a bit of advice. You found that talking to Anna was helpful. Why don't you talk to the other men? Speak to Jo and Stacy's fathers. They might have some advice for you, especially Stacy's dad. I mean, Stacy and Jo's relationship is relatively new, and he just learned that his daughter was involved with a woman. It would give you a different perspective, a male point of view.”
“That's a great suggestion, Amanda. I’m going fishing with Mallory, Jo, Stacy, and their dads first thing tomorrow morning. Maybe the Doc will help me bring up the subject. I don't know how I could just ask them out of the blue.”
Amanda suddenly felt nervous about the news she was about to tell Spencer. Okay, no time like the present. “Maybe the information I want to share with you will make it easier for you to broach the subject. Anyway, I wanted you to hear it from me first before we announce it to the others. I know you believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not. New York State just legalized gay marriage, and I’m planning to marry Mallory this fall. We want you to come. I'll let you think about this next statement. I'd like you to stand up with me. If you can't, I'll understand. But it would mean the world to me if you would do that for me.”
“Can I think about it, Amanda?”
Amanda nodded.
A loud boom sounded overhead, causing them both to startle.
“Come on, Spencer, we're missing the fireworks.”
Following the fireworks display, with their family and friends gathered around, Amanda joined hands with Mallory. Standing with Nic and Dana, she cleared her throat. “We have an announcement to make. We plan to get married in September and hope you will all be able to attend. Following the wedding, Ren and Lindy have invited all of us to spend a week at their Inn in Maine. We hope you will all join us there, as well. We'll arrange transportation, so it’s our hope you'll all come.” Spencer remained a bit reserved. Everyone else gathered there warmly received the news, congratulating the couples.
Everyone concurred that the Fourth of July weekend had proven to be a successful family gathering and lamented that the next day would be the last at the cabin. Those who’d spent the majority of their time on the lake fishing declared that it was Nirvana to have someone to share their favorite activity with them during their vacation.
The next afternoon, just before everyone left, Anna Bianchi joked with her daughter that if Spencer came for the next family gathering, by the time it was over, she'd have him enrolled in PFLAG. Even Spencer laughed when they explained to him that PFLAG stood for Parents, Friends, and Family of Lesbians and Gays.
***
On the Labor Day weekend, close friends and family gathered at Amanda and Mallory's house for the small, early, private ceremony uniting Amanda and Mallory, and Nic and Dana in marriage. Nic wore a black silk pants suit with a beautiful cream-colored fitted blouse. Dana wore a white knee-length dress with a short-sleeved lace covered jacket made from the same material as Nic’s blouse. Amanda and Mallory dressed in matching suits of pale sea foam blue with cream-colored blouses. Flowers decorated the back yard and the path the couples walked up to join the minister for the ceremony.
“Family and friends, we are gathered today to unite these two couples in matrimony.” Addressing the couples directly, the officiate asked, “Dana, Nic, Amanda and Mallory, you have expressed that you wish to be united by law as life partners. Will you love and respect your partner? Will you be honest with her always? Will you stand united through whatever may come?
Each answered in turn, “I will.”
“These two couples have written vows they wish to exchange with each other, and we will take each in turn. Nic and Dana, please face your partner. Nic, please repeat your vow after me. I, Nicolina Bianchi, call upon our families and friends gathered here to witness that I love you. I am committed to our marriage.”
After Nic repeated the words to Dana, the minister continued. “I promise to be your lover, companion and friend, your ally in conflict, your student and teacher, your comrade in adventure, your consolation in disappointment, your accomplice in mischief, and your strength in your need.”
Nic smiled at Dana and squeezed her hand as she repeated the minister’s words. The minister then continued. “I seek to share with you a relationship of love, honor, and tenderness. I will always be open and honest with you. I will share my life and my worldly possessions, my thoughts and my feelings with you. I will help you fulfill your needs. I will allow you to be yourself. I will rejoice in your growth. I will stand by you through our futures together respecting you, supporting you, loving and enjoying you.”
Nic finished reciting her vows and it was Dana’s turn. They repeated the vows for each partner. At the conclusion of the citing of the vows, as was traditional, each couple exchanged rings and were pronounced married in the eyes of the State of New York. “You may now celebrate the conclusion of this ceremony with a kiss.”
The two couples kissed each other first, then exchanged hugs all around as the friends and family surrounded the happy couples offering their congratulations.
Following the wedding was a short reception where everyone had an opportunity to eat something before boarding the bus for the trip to Sunset Island in Maine. The celebration continued for the family and friends who were traveling to the Inn on Ren and Lindy's private island.
Justine had stood with her aunt in lieu of Spencer who did attend the ceremony. However, although he was glad that she was happy, he still did not accept her marriage as a ‘true marriage.’
Inspired by her friends' weddings, after the ceremony, Jo took the opportunity to quietly speak to Stacy's parents shortly after their arrival at the Inn, as they sat on the porch together ad
miring the view. “Lovely facility, isn’t it, and what a view. What did you think of the ceremony?”
Stacy’s parents nodded in unison. “Both were lovely,” replied her mother.
“I want the same thing for Stacy and myself. I want to ask her to marry me. Before I do, I want to be sure that I have your blessing.”
Reaching for Jo’s hand, Stacy’s mother looked first at her husband for his agreement then replied, “We give you our blessing and know you two will be very happy.”
“While I may not be getting a son-in-law,” Stacy's father replied, smiling as he shook Jo's hand, “at least I'm gaining a fishing buddy.”
“I guess that'll have to do as a yes.” Jo grinned happily.
“Will you ask her soon?” Stacy’s mother asked.
“Yes, as soon as I can figure out how to do it. I think maybe after we get home. This time belongs to our friends.”
***
The following weekend, Jo took Stacy out for dinner before they went dancing. When they got home, they snuggled after they made love.
“That was fun,” Stacy murmured.
“Marry me, Stacy. I love you and want us to spend the rest of our lives together.”
“Anything your heart desires, Jo. Anything. For now and forever.”
Epilogue
THREE YEARS AFTER THE women's business opened, the leather store beneath Stacy's old apartment closed. The building was put up for sale. Amanda and Mallory, along with Dana and Nic, signed their names to the paper the lawyer slid across the table to them which transferred the property into the name of their company, Oui, Madame. The first floor area, formerly the leather shop, was remodeled to accommodate their business. They broke the space up into a lobby, two good-sized classrooms for group instruction, and three smaller areas suitable for tutoring.
The income from the apartment above their shop's new location, formerly Stacy's apartment, helped pay the mortgage on the property. The end-result was that, for less money than they were previously paying in rent, the business was building equity in a property they owned.
The women had all worked hard to make their business successful. When Jo became certified, they hired their friend Jean as a full-time Office Manager. This freed up more of Nic, Dana, and Jo's time to do translating and teaching.
Nic, Dana, and Jo limited both their tutoring and class instruction times to Tuesday through Thursday, which enabled them to be free to work from home or from the cabin on the remaining days.
Jo and Stacy, who ended up living in Jo's house, bought the log cabin in Edinborough from Jo's parents at a very reasonable price, since Jo’s parents said they planned to leave the cabin to her, anyway. Unbeknownst to her, they put the money she insisted on paying them into a trust for her. Nic and Dana took a long-term lease on the apartment above the boathouse.
Amanda and Mallory purchased the neighbor's property next door to Jo and Stacy’s cabin when it became available. This guaranteed a location for the extended family gatherings in Edinborough that they held annually on the Fourth of July holiday.
Jo and Stacy became good friends with Lindy and Ren during the time when Jo functioned as a background resource for the lesbian detective novel that Lindy wrote. When the couples visited each other, Lindy and Stacy often toyed with the idea of writing a novel together. So far, that was a project still in the talking stages and not yet realized.
Stacy did finish her novel. As it turned out, in her story, her victim did end up being a lesbian. Stacy didn't use the blackmail angle nor did she use the fact that her victim was a lesbian as the motive. Her main character, the one who died, ended up being a victim of mistaken identity, not the intended victim after all, and killed quite by accident. In the end, the fact that she was a lesbian proved inconsequential to the plot, a fact that pleased Nic immensely.
Jo never lost her limp entirely. She did, through her daily exercise regimen, build enough strength in her leg to enjoy biking again, although she was limited to shorter rides than she would have preferred. Jo and Stacy discovered a new love of kayaking that they could enjoy together, and that activity soon took the place of biking in Jo's heart.
Although Jo never saw Meg again, through Jean, she was relieved to learn that Meg ended up serving no jail time. However, she was hospitalized for the better part of a year after the incident where she held Jo captive. Jean reported that Meg had moved back with her parents in central Pennsylvania. There she’d opened her own gardening business. Meg sent word, via Jean, about how sorry she was. Although Jo felt sad about losing Meg's friendship, she was relieved at the same time, to know that Meg was at least a whole state away. Jo never gave up the habit of scanning her surroundings every time she left her home or her office. The lesson Meg taught her was that there was no such thing as being too vigilant.
Justine finally admitted her sexuality to her father, grateful for the fact that he had mellowed over the past several years of association with her aunt and her group of friends. Unfortunately, proud member of PFLAG and the term avid supporter of gay and lesbian rights would never be applied to Spencer. To his credit, his comfort level and degree of tolerance towards gays and lesbians evolved over time, and he had come a long way towards acceptance.
As for Jean and Maria, they’re still trying to prove that long distance relationships can work out.
The End
About AJ Adaire
If you had told me, when I was struggling to write a one page story for my high school writing composition class, that I would one day write seven novels, I would have bet everything that would never happen. No one, especially me, ever considered it a remote possibility. Thirty years later, during a blizzard, having read all the lesbian fiction books I had in the house, I declared to my surprised partner, “I think I could write one of these.” So you see, I wrote my first book just to see if I could do it. The completed novel occupied space on my bookshelf, untouched for many years. One day while in a cleaning frenzy, I considered disposing of the neatly stacked and now age-yellowed pages. As I began to read the long forgotten work, I was surprised to discover that the story was enjoyable. Editing and retyping the first book provided a new sense of accomplishment and additional tales followed.
Now retired, I live on the east coast with my partner of twenty-nine years. Because we love a challenge we provide a loving home for two spoiled cats instead of a dog. In addition to writing, any spare time is devoted to editing, reading, mastering new computer programs, and socializing with friends.
My published romance novels include books one and two of the Friends Series: Sunset Island (September 2013) and Awaiting My Assignment (November 2013). The Interim, a novelette that provides additional details about the life of Sunset Island's Ren Madison, was released in November 2013. I have four other novels in process.
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Desert Palm Press
Sneak Peek
ONE DAY LONGER THAN FOREVER
“THE ADVERTISEMENT READ: Berkshire Mountain Retreat, Log Cabin, 1BR, Water View, Pet Friendly, Reasonable. I was wondering if it’s available.”
In response to the question Dr. Kate Martin asked, the rental agent responded, “Oh yes, I know that property. It's lovely—small, though.”
“I can do small. It'll only be me and my dog,” the woman with the soothing voice replied. “The ad said pet friendly. I hope he won't be a problem.”
“Let me check the pet policy.” Missy, the congested agent with a terrible cold sniffed repeatedly as she shuffled through a stack of papers. “Oh, here it is. Small dogs allowed.”
Between bouts of sniffling, nose blowing, and what sounded like lung-shredding fits of coughing Missy managed to ascertain that Kate’s dog fit the size limits and that the cabin was available on her specified date. Missy managed to record all the required information onto the tablet she kept next to the phone. In exchange for her credit card and other personal information t
he caller received the combination and instructions on how to open the lock box on the door to get the keys to the cabin.
Missy sent an email that same afternoon, minutes after she hung up, confirming the booking.
Mary Blackwell and Missy Green shared a small workspace in the real estate office that, in addition to selling properties, managed a large number of cabins. Missy Green was harried the day a woman from Pennsylvania with the soothing voice called to book their Shaw Creek cabin currently featured on their website. With Mary out for the afternoon to meet with her daughter's teacher, a number of circumstances combined to create 'the perfect storm scenario' for what would probably be the most life-altering booking error ever, just because she failed to enter the Kate’s reservation into the database indicating the confirmed rental of the property. It wasn't until she was on her way home that she realized her oversight. She knew she should return to the office to fix her error. She just felt too lousy. Unable to muster the energy to drive back, a promise she made to herself that she would correct her oversight first thing in the morning the next day appeased her. It was unfortunate that her cold worsened overnight causing her to miss the next four days of work and, subsequently, to forget her failure to log in the Shaw Creek cabin reservation upon her return to the office.
The next morning, when Senior Agent Mary Blackwell checked her messages and learned that Missy was home sick, she exhaled a long breath blowing her bangs up off her forehead. It was always stressful when she was the only one staffing the office, especially during the busiest time of year when they were booking for ski season rentals.
Shortly after she sat at her desk, Lee Foster called to inquire about renting a small cabin over the holidays. “It’ll just be for me. I’m driving over from Connecticut. I saw this ad on the Internet. It reads '1BR, water view'.”