Blueprint for Romance

by Shannon M Harris

  Kat moved forward and swept her mom into a hug. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t be silly, Katherine. You’ll always be my baby and I want you to be happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you girls. Now,” she pushed Kat back to Dylan’s side, “dinner’s ready.”

  Dylan kissed a shell-shocked Kat on the cheek, then followed Deborah into the kitchen. In times like these, Dylan knew Kat would need a few moments to get herself together.

  Deborah placed her hand on Dylan’s arm. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you, and Leah as well. Maybe all three of us could find the time to have dinner together.”

  “I think that would be lovely. If you wanted, I could invite my mother as well.”

  “I would.” Deborah fondled the pearls around her neck. “In the future, if it’s all right with you, I would also love to meet your daughter.”

  Dylan had seen deadbeat parents before but that wasn’t what she was seeing in front of her. Deborah had acknowledged to both Kat and Briley that she’d made mistakes and was owning up to them. Dylan wouldn’t hold anything against her, not for the path that grief had sent her off to. If it hadn’t been for her mom, she wasn’t sure where she would be now after Ian’s death. “She’ll be at the cookout tomorrow. You can meet her then.”

  “That’s lovely,” Deborah said.

  “And you’ll get to see her again at Halloween.”

  “I can’t wait.” Deborah shook her head. “Briley’s already asked if Leah needed to make me a costume as well.”

  “Wait. What?” Kat chimed in, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. “What outfit did you pick out?”

  Kat said it so casually, Dylan wouldn’t have thought anything about it, but she knew better. Kat had tried and failed to find out what Briley and her family was wearing for Halloween. Dylan was starting to get the feeling this was a bigger deal then she’d first thought. Maybe she shouldn’t have waved it off when Kat had asked if they wanted to dress up.

  “Not telling,” Deborah said, waving her finger in the air. “Briley has already informed me that you are not to know. She’s looking to win another spot in the paper.”

  “Paper?” Dylan asked when they all sat down at the table.

  Kat set the platters of baked lemon chicken, a rice dish, and steamed vegetables on the table. “There is a costume contest every year. Last year they won as a family for the Incredibles. First place wins five hundred dollars. They gave Evan and Griffin their winnings for Christmas spending money.”

  Dylan toyed with her fork. “Baseball outfits won’t get us a win, will they?” She already knew the answer before she’d even asked.

  “Nope.” Kat reached across the table and picked up Dylan’s hand. “But, that’s okay. This year I want you to be comfortable with us. But, next year, all deals are off.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  Conversation flowed easily over dinner. After dinner, Dylan joined Deborah in the living room while Kat cleaned up in the kitchen.

  “So, tell me a little about yourself, Dylan.”

  Dylan smiled and ran through the basics of her life. She didn’t gloss over Ian’s death and they were both quiet after she finished.

  “I’m sorry, dear. I know how hard it is to say goodbye to someone you love.”

  “It’s never easy, but when it’s with someone you pledged your life to, it shakes you to the core. I loved Ian. Very much, but…”

  “But.” Deborah encouraged her to go on.

  “At the beginning, I felt like I was betraying what we had by being with Kat. No, not by being with her, but feeling more for her then I did for him.”

  “I don’t think that’s the case at all,” Deborah said. “I think that your love is just different. We love each of our partners differently, but that love doesn’t diminish what we felt for the previous ones. They are different people; of course you’re not going to love them the same. Katherine’s needs are going to be different than Ian’s. There is no reason why you would approach your feelings for Katherine the same way you would for Ian.”

  “I never thought about it that way before. Honestly, I’m not sure Ian and I would even be together now.”

  “Stop.”

  Startled, Dylan looked up, but relaxed when Deborah scooted close. “Why worry yourself over matters that, in the long run, don’t matter? You’ll never know what you would have done. Don’t dwell on the past.” Deborah closed her eyes. She opened them, and tears glistened. “You can’t live in the past. Hold onto those memories but don’t let them pull you down. You’ve got something good with Katherine. I just met you and it’s clear to me.”

  Dylan surged forward and pulled Deborah into a hug. That was exactly what she needed to hear, and it seemed exactly what Deborah needed to say. That’s how Kat found them a few minutes later. Dylan accepted the Kleenex Deborah handed her and they both wiped their eyes and nose.

  “Everything okay?” Kat looked from Dylan to Deborah, worry evident on her face.

  “It’s wonderful, dear,” Deborah said.

  “I’m fine,” Dylan said.

  “Well, if you’re both sure.” Kat handed Dylan and Deborah each a small bowl filled with what looked like vanilla ice cream and cookie and brownie pieces. “It’s not the fanciest dessert, but it’s delicious.”

  They finished their dessert and not long after that, Deborah excused herself to go to bed. Once they were alone, Kat sat on the couch and pulled Dylan into her arms.

  It didn’t take long for Kat to say something. “You sure you’re okay?”

  Dylan straightened and placed her hand in the center of Kat’s chest. Kat was gorgeous, that was a fact, but it was more than that. She genuinely cared, and Dylan didn’t know how she’d gotten so lucky. “Your mom reminded me not to live in the past. Time can’t be undone, and all we can do is move forward. I’m ready for that.” Dylan waited, and it didn’t take long for a smile to grace Kat’s enticing kissable lips.

  “I’m ready for whatever you are.”

  “I know, but I’ve still been holding back, and I don’t want to anymore. I…” Dylan blurted out what weighed on her mind for weeks. “I love you, Kat.”

  Kat closed her eyes and tightened her hold on Dylan.

  “Please don’t cry.” Dylan scooted up and pushed Kat back to recline on the couch, then lay fully atop Kat and rested their foreheads together. Kat cupped Dylan’s chin and gave her a warm and loving look, laced with passion. Dylan had never seen so much emotion in anyone else’s gaze that was directed at her.

  “I love you too. So much.” Kat captured her lips in a slow dance of power that had them both breathing heavy when they pulled apart.

  “I love you, but I’m not ready for the next step…”

  Kat placed a hand on Dylan’s lips. “One step at a time. No pressure.” She threw her head back and laughed. “You make me so happy. You have no idea. So happy.”

  “Believe me, I have an idea. I feel the same way about you. I don’t want to hold back with you. I want to jump with you. All in.”

  “Without a net.”

  “Or a harness.”

  “Off the tallest building.”

  “The highest roller coaster.” They both giggled, and Dylan relaxed into Kat’s arms and rested her head on Kat’s chest, listening to the beat of Kat’s heart. “I love you, darling.”

  “Oh, Dylan. I think I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

  Kat retired to bed with a smile and woke up with one and a pep in her step. Dylan loved her…and called her ‘darling’, the endearment turning her smile into a grin. She was never one for calling past girlfriends endearments. However, what she felt for Dylan far surpassed her feelings for any past girlfriends. She’d have to come up with an endearment for Dylan. Honey? Baby? Dearest? None of them sounded right for what Dylan was to her. It had to be spontaneous and said in ‘the moment’ as she was sure ‘darling’ was for Dylan.

  She hated to let Dylan go
last night after they declared their love for each other, but it was already late, and Dylan had to help her cousin get ready for the cookout today. Something Kat wasn’t as scared about today as she was yesterday. There was a buzz running through her that she’d never felt before and she prayed to whoever was listening that it would never leave.

  At the bottom of the stairs, she inhaled and groaned when coffee wafted her way.

  “Good morning, Mom.” Kat helped herself to some coffee before turning back to the table.

  “It seems like it for you.”

  Kat felt her cheeks heat from a blush. “It is. Dylan told me she loved me last night for the first time.”

  “Come sit.” Deborah patted the chair next to her. “Did you say it back?”

  “Yes.” Kat held the coffee cup between her hands. “I love her, Mom, and it feels really good. I was scared if I told her before she told me that I would end up scaring her off. We’ve known each other for close to seven months, but we’ve only recently started dating.” She wasn’t sure why she was opening up to her mom, but it did feel good, but there was still a part of her that was waiting for her mom to take up and leave. She knew only time would heal those wounds.

  “Dear, when I saw you on Briley’s porch, I could tell. I’m so glad you and Briley are happy. I really am. I want to make things right between us.” She took a sip of her coffee. “It was hard after your father died.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  “No, I need to say this. Briley and I have already talked, but you and I haven’t.” She pressed her fingers on her mouth for a moment, then took a breath. “I shouldn’t have taken out my grief on you and your sister. It was wrong, but it felt like something inside of me died, when he did. We always knew, barring anything unfortunate, he would die before me and we were both prepared for that, but I never dreamed it would be a motorcycle accident.”

  “He was so happy to get that motorcycle.”

  “I blamed myself for a long time because I was the one that bought it for him. I know it wasn’t my fault, but it still felt like it. Like I was the one that set it in motion.” A sad smile appeared. “He swept me off my feet and I only gave the age difference pause for a moment, then thought, to hell with it, this is the man I want to spend my life with.”

  “He was amazing.”

  “You have no idea. The first few years of our marriage was like a dream, then you and your sister came along, and everything seemed to click. We had our problems like any long-term couple does, but never for a moment did I ever think of leaving him.”

  Kat furrowed her brow. “What kind of problems?”

  “Normal problems. Money, time, work. We were always faithful to each other. He would have rather died then to hurt any of us in that way. I pulled away from you both and I felt like I was doing the right thing after he died. I didn’t want to be the cause of the same thing happening to you that happened to him. I lied when I said it was because you both looked and acted like him. How could I fault you two for loving him as much as I did? But I see now that it was a mistake. You two didn’t really have anyone to turn to when he died.” She stood and took what looked like a breakfast casserole out of the oven and placed it on the table.

  “I’m not going to lie. It hurt when you secluded yourself away from us. At first, I thought it was from grief, but it seemed to grow worse over time.”

  “I’ve tried to keep in touch sporadically, but nothing like I should have. I should have been here with you both and I’m sorry that I wasn’t. I’ve been too hard on you both. None of this was either one of your faults. Katherine, please forgive me for my short-sightedness. I do love you. So much.”

  Kat gulped back tears, stood, and engulfed her mom in a hug. “I love you too. I’ll need time to realize you’re really back, but I’m so glad you are. I didn’t realize how much I missed you until I saw you standing on Briley’s porch.” She chuckled. “I was freaking out when Briley called me to tell me you were here.”

  “I don’t want it to be like that.”

  “Neither do I.”

  They sat back down. Kat thanked her mom when she served them both some casserole. “I always vowed I would never be the kind of mother to my kids that you were to me, but now that I’m an adult, I can sort of see your point. I don’t want to dwell on the past, though. We still have things to work through and I wouldn’t be opposed to group therapy if that would help.”

  “I think that’s a good idea. I will fail, Katherine. That’s a given, but I promise not to run.”

  “Then I promise not to avoid you.”

  Deborah held her cup up and Kat clinked hers against it.

  Kat took a bite of the casserole. “This casserole is really good.”

  “It’s your grandma’s recipe. I’ll write it down for you.”

  “I would like that.”

  “What time do we have to leave for the cookout?” Deborah asked.

  Kat glanced at the kitchen clock that read a little after nine. “We can leave at eleven. That way I can meet Dylan’s cousin before a lot of the other guests arrive.”

  “Nervous?”

  “Not as much as I was. I know that Dylan and I have a way to go, but I like where it’s going. I don’t want to rush into anything. I don’t want to mess this up.”

  “You’re doing fine. Which brings me to another point. I wanted to apologize to you for giving you such a hard time about your accounting job. I shouldn’t have.”

  “I shouldn’t have gotten so upset with you because I knew you meant well, but this is something I had to do.”

  Deborah patted Kat’s hand. “You’re so like your father in that respect. He did always go after what he wanted. Even if it was the hardest decision he’d ever made.”

  “Well, he went after you and got you, so I would say any other decision after that would be child’s play. I think Briley inherited that from him. Leah was hesitant at first, but things worked out the way they were supposed to.”

  “They did.”

  As soon as they were finished eating, Kat shooed her mom away, so she could clear the table and put the leftovers away. Her mom’s openness wasn’t something she expected, but Kat would do her best not to hold her misdeeds against her. Group therapy would be for the best. She’d text Briley on Monday.

  There was still a little time before she had to get ready, so she searched for and found Stripes in his cat tree, then harnessed him up for a quick walk. She found her mom in her room. Kat knocked on the door and opened it when Deborah called out. “We’re going for a quick walk. Care to join us?”

  “Give me a few minutes.”

  “Take your time; we’ll be downstairs.” Kat scooped Stripes up and headed to the living room. “Stripes, I do believe this is what they would say is a turning point in any story. Scary stuff buddy, but so, so worth it.”

  Dylan got into a rhythm as she washed and peeled the last of the potatoes for the potato salad. “All done,” she called out.

  Macy grabbed the bowl and carefully placed the potatoes in the pot of salt water on the stove then turned the burner on. “What time is Kat and her mom coming by?”

  “She texted and said they were leaving the house at eleven.” Dylan had felt light all morning and didn’t even try to keep the smile off her face. Her mom knew something had changed when she woke up that morning. It was nice to not hold her feelings for Kat inside.

  Macy picked up a pickle and bit into it, then cocked her head. “Did you get laid?”

  Dylan grinned. “Nope.”

  “Something happened.” Macy snapped her fingers. “Tell me.” She ushered Dylan to the table.

  She knew it was only a matter of time before Macy sensed something was up. “Last night, I told Kat that I loved her.”

  “Shut up. Tell me everything.”

  “I love her, Macy. I really do. It scares me, but isn’t it supposed to?”

  “All the good kind does.”

  “I told her I loved her, and she said she
has loved me since she first saw me.”

  “That woman is smooth.”

  “You have no idea. She ticks every box that I didn’t even know I had written down. It’s hard to describe.”

  “You don’t need to explain. I understand. Harold does that for me. When I first met him, I was like there is no way I’m dating a man named Harold. It sounded so old, but then I got over myself quick and snatched that man right up. I know Aunt Iris doesn’t exactly like him, but he’s always treated me as his equal. It was hard when we realized we couldn’t have children, but you know what? We’re enough for each other and we have Emma to spoil rotten.” Macy nodded to the kitchen window where they could see Emma and Harold on the swing set. “Our life is full.”

  “I wasn’t sure about him at first either. He was so cocky, but I quickly came to see what you saw in him and I hope you give Kat that same consideration.”

  “We’re not going to tie her down and question her.” Macy leered. “Or would you like that so you could have your way with her? Unless you’ve already had your way with her?” She waggled her eyebrows.

  For a moment, Dylan hesitated. “I’m not ready for that step…yet.”

  “Mind if I ask why?”

  “Sex complicates things.”

  “It also enhances them. You’ve known her for months. Is she really the type of woman to only focus on the sexual aspect of your relationship?”

  “No, she’s not.” Dylan sighed and closed her eyes, but quickly opened them when Macy took her hand and squeezed it. “It’s been a long time, Macy. What if I suck?”

  Macy snorted. “Well, I’m sure she would like that.”

  “Oh, God,” Dylan groaned, “you’re bad.”

  They both laughed. “Seriously though, you love each other. It’s okay to be scared, but don’t let that hold you back. Talk to her about this. Communication is key. I know you had a successful relationship with Ian, but even I can tell this is different. If the way you and Emma talk about her is any indication, Kat would do just about anything for you two.”

  “She would. I know she would. I will talk about this with her tomorrow. I’ll surprise her with lunch.”