Blueprint for Romance

by Shannon M Harris

  He didn’t seem fazed in the bit by the animals when he handed her the other controller. Sometimes a cuddle was the best medicine.

  “I hope you’re ready to lose,” Evan said.

  “Bring. It. On.”

  Three hours later, Kat and Evan looked at each other when they heard the truck pull into the driveway. Wordlessly, they both turned off the game and headed for the door. All three pets were curled up in the corner of the room in Jackson’s bed, fast asleep. Evan led the way out of the apartment door, making sure to shut it behind them, and they both creeped around the corner of the house.

  Briley was grinning at a stoic Leah and gesturing to the truck, where large pieces of Christmas decorations packed the bed. “Shit,” Kat said quietly.

  “I’m telling you, Aunt Kat, she’s been a bit off since you almost beat her in the Christmas decorating competition last year,” Evan said. “It’s like not everything is firing up there.” He tapped his right temple. “Sometimes I’ll come upstairs at night, she’ll be at the kitchen table scribbling stuff down, when she catches sight of me, she would look so pleased with herself. It was cute and creepy at the same time. One time, Mom caught her, and kissed her on the cheek, then walked out of the room.”

  She rested her head on Evan’s back and tried not to giggle. “She’s crazy.”

  “True, but she’s our crazy.”

  “You’re right. Let’s go see what she’s got, then I’m going to have to head out.”

  Briley was crazy about decorating for Christmas, and now that she’d moved in with Leah, Kat knew she didn’t stand a chance at winning the Christmas decorating competition, but she’d have fun making Briley sweat.

  “Sounds good to me. I can watch Stripes for you.”

  “Sure. His minced beef is in the fridge.” She was glad she could be there for Evan but was looking forward to her coffee with Dylan.

  Dylan took a deep breath before pushing open the door and entering Brew and Bake. Emma had insisted that she meet with Kat and that she’d be fine. With a nervous wipe of her palms on her pants, she scanned the area, stopping when she saw Kat wave.

  What was she doing? This was crazy and absurd, so why did it feel so right? Things were complicated, and they hadn’t even started yet.

  Kat stood and waited until Dylan sat before she retook her seat. “I’m glad you could make it.”

  “I almost didn’t, but Emma practically shoved me out the door.”

  “I’m glad. What do you want? I’ll get it.”

  Dylan sat and watched Kat approach the counter and banter with the employee. She always seemed so at ease around people. She wished she could harvest some of Kat’s energy. A few minutes later, Kat was back, depositing their drinks and two muffins on the table.

  “Here’s your banana muffin.”

  “Thank you.”

  “My lady.” Kat slid the muffin toward her. “So, let’s start off with some easy friend questions. Do you have a hobby?”

  “I knit.”

  “Why knitting?” Kat asked.

  This she could do. “It relaxes me. I try and make a new scarf for everyone for Christmas.”

  “Everyone needs a hobby.”

  “What do you do for fun?”

  “I like to exercise. To relax, I do yoga and meditate. For fun, my sister and I cosplay and go to conventions. I collect superhero figurines and comic books.”

  “You might have more in common with my daughter than me.” It was a sobering fact. She wasn’t into any of those things.

  “Don’t sell yourself short. We don’t have to like the same things to be friends.”

  “I know, but it doesn’t hurt.”

  “Now, we can’t let our likes and dislikes divide us before this is even started.” Kat gestured to a bookshelf on the far wall of the cafe. “What’s your favorite book?”

  Dylan relaxed as they discussed different genres and the different authors they liked. Being with Kat was easy and scary at the same time. Kat made her feel so comfortable.

  After a lull in conversation, Dylan knew it was time to talk about Emma. “When I found out I was pregnant, I was scared. Ian and I hadn’t been married that long, but he was excited. He was a fantastic dad.”

  “You don’t have to…”

  Dylan held her hand up. “I don’t mind. Emma was our entire life from the moment we found out about her. Ian and I had a solid relationship and baby made three. Emma was two. We had run out of milk and Ian was going to the grocery store to pick some up and a few more items. Emma threw a fit to go with him. I don’t remember how long after they left when the first phone call came. Looking back, it seemed close to three hours. I didn’t have any reason to worry, though, he would never intentionally let anything happen to her.” She shook her head. “We buried Ian on a Thursday, and straight from there I went back to the hospital where Emma was scheduled for another surgery. Over the years, she’s had six.” Dylan remained still when Kat picked up and cradled Dylan’s hand within hers.

  “You don’t have to go on.”

  “I don’t mind.” She squeezed Kat’s hand, but held tight. “Her right leg was so mangled the doctors said they could try and save it, but Emma’s way of life would be better if it was amputated. She was a champ from the moment she woke up. She gets frustrated a lot but knows how lucky she is to be alive. It’s been tough, but I thank God every day that my baby lived.”

  “I can’t even imagine going through that.” Kat shook her head and squeezed Dylan’s hand.

  “She was two, Kat. The bed swallowed her, and there were so many tubes. I don’t know how I would have made it if something had happened to her too.” She hoped she never felt that kind of pain again.

  Kat’s expression was somber, her eyes reflecting compassion. “I don’t know if I would have been able to survive that.”

  “It’s not something I would wish on my worst enemy. We’ve come a long way, Emma and I.” She closed her eyes, then opened them and stared straight into Kat’s. “I’ve felt guilty over the years because even though I loved Ian, I knew he wasn’t my forever. I can’t even say if we would still be together now, if he had lived. Looking back, I wonder if I held him back from finding his forever, but I’ve let that go. I know he loved me, but Emma was his entire life. I have never seen a man so excited and glowing when he found out about her.”

  “That’s awesome. I had a wonderful dad, so I know what that’s like, but not everyone does. That he loved her that much tells you what kind of man he was. Also, you shouldn’t feel guilty for your feelings. If he was here now, you may not be together, but you would both still be raising an amazing girl. No one knows what the future holds. Briley, once she sorted her feelings for Leah out, there was no stopping her. She went for it and Leah couldn’t help but fall for her charms. My point being is that sometimes your once in a lifetime isn’t who you think it is, or where you think it should be.”

  Dylan pulled her hand from Kat’s, thinking a change of subject was needed, and there was a matter she needed to make clear. “So, I’m sure you have an idea, or maybe you don’t, but I wanted to confirm that I am bisexual. I don’t know if that bothers you, but I hope it doesn’t.”

  “No, it doesn’t, but thank you for telling me. I wanted to ask but didn’t want to sound pushy or nosy.”

  “If you never ask the question, you’ll never get the answer.” Dylan took a sip of her water. “Anything to get off your chest, since I unloaded on you?” She wasn’t used to opening up to a woman she barely knew. This got heavier than she expected for a first non-coffee date.

  “That’s what friends are for,” Kat said. “Let’s see. I’m terrified my business is going to fail. Accounting is something I’m good at. I do enjoy it, but it was so unfulfilling. Tiny houses fascinate me. I like to have a bit more room than that, but for a lot of people they’re the right choice.”

  “Aren’t they a jazzed-up camper?”

  Kat feigned looking offended. “No. At least I don’t think so
. It’s more like a home, even though you can move it around. A camper, to me, always screams temporary or vacation, but a tiny home is just that. A home. Campers are nice, but if I was choosing one, I would go with a tiny house.”

  “I’ve watched some of the shows on TV and some are expensive. The prices are comparable to buying a house.”

  “Some are, but we do a lot of our stuff in-house. I have two employees. Reeva is a licensed plumber, and Kyle has a knack for building custom cabinets and inserts. The only thing I have to contract out for is the electrical and I’m working on my certification for that right now. We’ve completed a handful of tiny houses, ranging from twenty-five to seventy-five thousand. The more high-end someone wants it the higher the cost, but we worked with all our clients to give them all that they can for the money they have. A lot of people want that freedom to travel around with their home and not worry about a mortgage or the added cost of want entails with owning a house.”

  That made complete sense. “I get that. I’ve thought about buying a camper, so Emma and I can go on vacation. She enjoys camping and fishing, but I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

  “I would be happy to help you look for a camper and if you want, we could work on it together.”

  “Together?”

  Kat fidgeted, but soon gained her confidence. “Me, you for now, maybe Emma in the future. A group project?”

  “I would like that, but I don’t have the extra money to spend on something like that. Emma’s needs are more important right now.” Maybe she should tell Kat she was super poor. She took a deep breath.

  Kat held her hand up. “I’m not going to charge you for helping work on a camper. We have tons of left over or extra supplies. Most of that stuff can’t be used for new builds, but for something like your project, it would be ideal.”

  “You would just give it to us?” At every turn, Kat kept surprising her. Who was this woman? No one was this nice, were they?

  “With a lot of the scraps from our last two builds, Briley and I took the wood and built a treehouse for Griffin. It’s kickass if I do say so myself. Evan, I think, enjoys it more than Griff.”

  “They’re your family,” Dylan said.

  “You’re my friend. Look, I’m not trying to be weird or creepy. Think about it. I don’t mind helping you. Hell, Evan’s even helped from time to time. So, that would be an extra hand.”

  Was it all really that easy? Dylan didn’t think so, but Kat looked so sincere that Dylan didn’t have the heart to turn her down, but at the same time, she wouldn’t hold her to it. They’d both said they didn’t have the extra time for a relationship; how would they have the time to work on a camper? Instead of speaking with her head, she listened to her heart, and raised her water glass. Kat followed suit and clinked them together. “To friendship.”

  “To friendship,” Kat repeated.

  While waiting for Kat to arrive, Dylan steeled her nerves. Almost a week had passed since their last face to face and they’d agreed to meet on Thursdays for lunch, since that was Dylan’s day off and Kat could get away from her business easy enough.

  It was too soon for Emma to spend any time with Kat, but Emma was excited Dylan had made a new friend. She’d wait until she got to know Kat a little more before she allowed her to spend any time with her daughter.

  So far, what she’d learned about Kat she liked, but they really didn’t know each other, and Dylan hoped she’d be able to put her preconceived notions about friendship to the side and enjoy her time with Kat.

  The breeze that washed over her was cool but refreshing.

  “Dylan.”

  Dylan turned her head and stared as Kat walked up. No matter what the other woman chose to wear, she always looked good. Today her hair was spiked on the top of her head, giving her a mini faux hawk. If she had to guess, the hair on top of Kat’s head was an inch and a half tall. That, combined with her torn jeans and sleeveless black t-shirt, gave her an air of badassery that for anyone else would be hard to pull off. But, Kat did with ease and Dylan had a feeling it wasn’t on purpose.

  “Kat.” Dylan stood and noticed the flower in Kat’s hand. Dylan held back her gasp. It was a pink with yellow center alstroemeria. It was gorgeous and meant friendship and was her favorite flower, but Kat couldn’t have known that.

  Kat gave a nervous nip to her bottom lip. “This is for you.”

  “It’s beautiful.” Dylan held the stem loosely. “Thank you.” She walked beside Kat to a food truck that was always set up by the park. “You had no way of knowing but this,” she lifted the flower, “is my favorite.”

  “Really?” Kat looked relieved but pleased with her choice.

  “Yes.”

  Kat slipped her hands in her pockets. “I’ll remember that.”

  “I’m sure you will.” One thing she was positive about Kat was that she really listened and didn’t put on a front.

  “Here,” Kat said. “Why don’t you sit, and I’ll get our food?”

  Dylan relayed her order then took a seat at an empty table. She was aware of all the eyes on Kat because hers were as well. She lifted her phone and took a picture of Kat walking away. That wasn’t too creepy, she decided. Fifteen minutes later, Kat was headed back with their food. It was a good thing they’d decided to eat at eleven, as to miss the lunch rush.

  “Loaded fries, my lady.” Kat set down a basket of French fries covered in beef gravy, sharp cheddar cheese cubes, mushrooms, and broccoli. Kat had opted for the fries smothered in white gravy, grilled chicken pieces, and deep-fried green beans. “This food truck is awesome. It was one of the first places that Briley brought me when I moved here.”

  “Emma enjoys it too.” Dylan sprinkled pepper on her food.

  “We’ll have to bring her sometime.” Kat stopped with the fork halfway to her mouth. “That is, if it’s okay with you in the future.”

  “In time.” It was refreshing that Kat wanted to get to know Emma. In Dylan’s previous dating experiences, most people didn’t want an instant family.

  Kat lifted her fork and waited for Dylan to do the same. “In time.”

  They sat side by side and finished their lunch in silence. Dylan pushed her empty basket away and after a sip of water turned to face Kat. “Busy morning?” She figured it was a safe question.

  “Yes and no. Nothing I can’t handle. How about you?” Kat gathered their trash into a pile.

  “It’s been an easy morning.”

  Kat drummed her fingers on the picnic table. “You never said what it is you do for a living.”

  “I work at a hotel.” She knew it wasn’t anything prestigious, but it was honest work and paid the bills.

  “Do you like it?”

  Kat didn’t look put off, just interested, so Dylan took her lead and relaxed. “It’s a job.” Dylan shrugged. “Pays the bills.”

  “I understand that. That’s how I feel about being an accountant. It pays the bills, but I love building the tiny houses.”

  Dylan suddenly felt way out of her league and couldn’t help her nervous fidget. Those weren’t the same things at all. She and Kat came from two different worlds. “I…”

  Kat fumbled with her water bottle; her expression appeared worried. “What is it? Did I say something wrong?”

  “No. No. Look, Kat. Maybe this friendship isn’t going to work.” Maybe she’d jumped in with both feet way too fast.

  “What? Why?”

  “You being an accountant and me being a housekeeper are at two ends of a spectrum. Yes, I went to college, but a business degree didn’t get me far. I’m not ashamed of my job, and it’s just as needed as yours is, but I’m not immune to the fact that they’re not even in the same league. I mean, you own your own business.” Dylan shook her head. What was she thinking agreeing to this? On the other hand, Kat didn’t need her insecurities laid bare. This was their second friend date. “I’m sorry.”

  Kat frowned. “For what?”

  “Unloading on you. You don’t d
eserve that.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose. “I’m just…you know or maybe you don’t. Sometimes it feels like everything piles in on you. Every day I think about what Emma needs and what I can’t afford for her. It gets so frustrating. I’m so thankful for all the organizations that have helped Emma be more independent, but, at the same time, I wish I could have afforded those things for her.” She glanced at Kat, who looked anything but bothered by her words.

  “You know I’m not rich, right?” Kat tore at the label on her water bottle. “Yes, I’ve invested well, but I’m also in debt. The business wasn’t cheap. I would never think different of you for not having money or the things you don’t have. I’m not like that and I hope I haven’t come across that way.”

  “No.” Dylan placed her hand on Kat’s arm. “No, you haven’t. I’m sorry again. I try to get Emma most things she wants, but I can’t give her what she needs. It always feels like it’s never enough.”

  Kat straddled the bench and gave her complete attention to Dylan. “Like what? I have time. Lay it on me. I won’t judge you, Dylan.” She tugged her earlobe. “I’m all ears. This is what friends do.”

  Dylan laughed but mirrored Kat’s position. Maybe not knowing Kat that long was the type of friend she needed to listen to her. “She wants a pet, and while we could go to the shelter, I try to make her realize pets aren’t cheap and we can’t afford one right now. At one point, she thought a mobility assist dog would be good, but good lord those are so expensive. Who has twenty thousand dollars for a dog?” Kat’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a little. “Exactly. I didn’t realize they were that high either, but with her disability they’re expensive. Though, in time, she’s realized she doesn’t necessarily need one. She gets along so well with her prosthetic, but the time’s coming where she’s going to need a new one and I know the organizations will help her, but sometimes I see these other families and they have less than we do, and I feel like we’re taking something away from them.”

  “Are the prosthetics expensive?” Kat prodded her.