Learning to Walk Again

by S. L. Kassidy

  “Home?”

  “Yup.” She mussed his hair again. “Glad you know where to find me.”

  He smiled. “Me, too.”

  ***

  “Allison, these are too good.” Nicole moaned, biting into yet another chocolate chip cookie.

  A blush stained Allison’s cheeks, and she glanced down. She twiddled her fingers for a moment. She tended to do that when alone with Nicole. Nicole decided to finish her cookie before she approached the subject of why. While enjoying chocolate melting in her mouth, she looked around the kitchen. It put hers to shame.

  “Have another cookie. Have as many as you want.” Allison motioned to the half-full glass jar.

  “Did you make these for me?” Nicole asked. She was tempted to have another, but she already had three. She didn’t want to eat them all. I’m going to have to live at the gym next month.

  “Well, you and Ben.”

  Nicole squinted a bit, trying to figure out the connection. “Me and Ben?”

  “It’s my little Christmas tradition.” Allison rubbed her hands together and glanced away briefly.

  Attention away from chocolaty goodness, Nicole arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I started making them for Ben when he was about three. I believed in the whole Santa business and I was kind of mean to him and to avoid getting on the naughty list, I made Ben cookies on Christmas Eve. This year, I made some for you, too.”

  Nicole’s brow wrinkled. “But, you’re not mean to me.”

  “I know.” Allison bit her lip and shook her head. A blush burned up her cheeks. “I like you, Nicole. I mean, I like Dane, too, and I show it with her…I guess. I don’t think I show you. I want you…I want you to know.” Allison had to take a breath. “I want you to know I like you.”

  Nicole smiled. This girl was adorable. “I never had any doubts, but thanks for the cookies anyway. They’re great, like you.”

  A shy smile twitched onto Allison’s face as an even darker blush scorched its way up her neck. “I’m glad.”

  “I’m glad you like Danny, too.”

  Allison laughed. “She’s nice, like Mom and Dad said, but, you know, the big kid version. Having a sister is nice. I mean, if she sees us that way!” She put her hands up. That blush might live on her face now.

  Nicole smiled. “You bet she does.”

  Allison’s eyes twinkled and her mouth ticked up for a second. Sighing, she scratched her head. “I feel like she needs us as much as she wants us and we want her.”

  Nicole put her arm around Allison, pulling her into a semi-hug. She usually made it a point to give Allison space, but felt like they turned a bit of a corner. Allison returned the embrace.

  “You’re pretty insightful, you know that?”

  Allison giggled. They strolled out into the living room, joining the rest of the family. Danny and Ben were engrossed in some racecar video game. Their laughter filled the room and warmed Nicole’s heart.

  “You’re cheating!” Dane said as Ben practically jumped on her, probably to win the race. It looked like it could be dangerous to get in between them.

  “Hey, show me some of your gifts,” Nicole said to Allison.

  Nicole settled in, and Allison went through everything she had received. Then, there was the gift Danny and Nicole bought her. She cheered when she unwrapped it. Of course, she blushed immediately after as everyone laughed.

  “You gonna play us something or leave us all in suspense?” Danny asked as Allison ran her fingers along the keyboard.

  Allison smiled. “You know it’s not the one I wanted.”

  Danny grinned. “No, but I got one just like it and I know it’s pretty good.” The one she had was purchased by Nicole’s father for Danny’s birthday. It had taken a lot for her to talk Lynn and Henry out of buying Allison the expensive one she wanted and they’d probably got at least one disappointed look from her when she finished opening her gifts that morning.

  Allison regarded her with a tilted head. “You’re going to play, too?”

  “I didn’t say all that.” Danny paused the game to move to play. No one had to twist her arm to do it.

  Danny used to travel with a guitar, after all. Nicole bought her a replacement after her cousin destroyed Danny’s guitar. She didn’t seem to love the instrument as much. She didn’t play it and didn’t take it everywhere she went like the old one. Nicole ached, knowing even though Danny tried to act all right with the new guitar, but it was obvious things weren’t okay.

  “You deserve something special,” Danny said to Allison as she set up the keyboard.

  Danny played the keyboard. It was a treat to hear her, especially with her hand somewhat improved. Allison watched Danny’s fingers move with raw fascination and awe. Danny was magic with the keyboard as much as she was with the guitar. After a few minutes, she had to stop and crack the knuckles in her left hand.

  This was the first time Nicole felt like she saw Danny just have fun with her music. Yes, she played around with Luke and Thomas, but that was generally their make-believe band. When she played with Philip, it was almost like he was one of her students. This was something else.

  “That was unbelievable,” Allison said while everyone else applauded.

  “It’ll sound even better when you play this.” Danny pointed down at the keyboard. “And I play your other keyboard.”

  Allison nodded and eagerly went behind her keyboard. Danny fetched the other keyboard, the one she taught Allison on, and set it up. By that time, Lynn had to check on dinner. Nicole liked that Lynn cooked for her family, even though Nicole was certain the Briarmoors could afford a chef or afford to go out every night. Lynn seemed to like cooking.

  “I didn’t miss the concert, did I?” Lynn asked, easing into the seat next to her husband.

  “We waited for you,” Danny replied and then she turned to Allison. “Okay, let’s put on a show, kid.”

  Allison started to play. It was soft, smooth, jazzy. For a moment, Danny listened with light in her eyes and her shoulders squared. Danny was so damned proud. It was beautiful.

  And then Danny started to play, taking her lead from Allison. Allison smiled so brightly it made Nicole melt. Maybe Allison’s insight in the kitchen went beyond Danny. They played for a few minutes before Lynn decided it was time for dinner and they gathered around the table.

  It was the second dinner of the day, but rather different. For one, there was no prayer said around the table. The foods weren’t the same thankfully. It was easier to eat a second dinner a couple of hours after the first with different food. Here, the main dish was turkey instead of ham. There were roasted potatoes, broccoli with cheese, white rice, yams, spinach, biscuits, cranberry sauce, and noodle casserole.

  “Dane, where’d you learn all that music stuff from anyway? Mom and Dad don’t play,” Ben said, twirling his fork around. Henry gave him a stern look, and his fork ceased its random movement, returning to his loaded plate.

  Danny took a moment to finish chewing and probably think of a proper response. “Yeah, but my biological mom plays the piano, among other things. She got me lessons. Found out music kinda flows through me.”

  Ben chuckled. “Playing video games kinda flows through me.” He earned a couple of snickers. Allison cracked a smile.

  “I should blame you for this.” Lynn pointed at Henry with her fork.

  Henry balked, pressing his hand to his chest dramatically. “Me? I didn’t even know what a computer was before you came into my life.”

  Lynn smirked and arched an eyebrow. “Oh, really? Then, whose tech consulting business did I merge with?”

  Henry chuckled, and the table fell into a comfortable silence for a while. Nicole watched when the chatter started up again. Danny was comfortable, chiming in all the time with confidence.

  “Allison’s doing well with the keyboard, yeah?” Henry said.

  Danny nodded. “She sounds great. Stick with it.”

  “I like it. It hel
ps me think,” Allison said.

  “Music helps me order my world,” Danny replied.

  Lynn smiled. “That’s good.”

  “You should become, like, a huge rock star and make some real money,” Ben said.

  Danny let out a slightly uncomfortable laugh. “Actually used to be. But…” She held up her hand and flexed it a bit.

  Ben’s eyes couldn’t have gotten any wider. “You were a rock star?”

  Danny rocked her head from side to side. “Locally, yeah.”

  “But, because of your hand…” Allison grimaced and glanced away, like she knew the utter tragedy behind everything.

  “It’s better, but not great. It’ll never be like it used to. Still, sometimes I play sets. I’m going to try to play more often. I’ll be sure to let you guys know my next gig,” Danny said.

  “We’d like that,” Henry replied.

  Danny smiled. Nicole smiled, too. That’d be nice. This whole thing was nice, not just with the Briarmoors, but also with her family. The day showed just how good life could be.

  ***

  They ended Christmas day on the couch. Dane pulled Nicole close as they settled on the sofa, in their pajamas. Dane wore her Santa hat, until Nicole took it away from her. Nicole looked better in it as far as Dane was concerned. Nicole insisted they watch some Christmas show Dane never heard of. It was funny, especially when the kid got his tongue stuck to a pole. It was a nice way to end a good day. And then the phone rang.

  “Who is it?” Nicole asked as Dane leaned over to see the caller ID.

  “Spider.” Nicole’s cousin, who until a certain camping trip, had been one of Nicole’s favorite people in the world.

  Nicole groaned. “Do I really want to talk to him?”

  “He’s not really the one likely to mess up your day.” Dane understood Nicole’s issues with her cousins, but she also understood Nicole’s underlying desire to reconnect with them. They weren’t just family. They’d been the friends she could be herself with and they’d betrayed her trust. “You know, you don’t have to stay pissed at them for my sake. I don’t give a shit about them.”

  Nicole sighed. “I do. They hurt you, badly.”

  “Not Spider. Does silence count as betrayal?” Dane wasn’t sure how it worked. She hated that Spider and Junior never told Nicole about what their sister had done, but Beth never said anything either and Nicole still spoke with her. Spider hadn’t been the one to punch Dane repeatedly for finally doing something about Lillian, nor had he been the one to smash her guitar for revenge.

  “I don’t want to talk to him.”

  Dane knew that feeling. “Then you don’t have to.”

  Nodding, Nicole cuddled in closer. “I’m sorry.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.” Dane didn’t blame Nicole for any of it. “You wanted to share something special and it was. Plus, I’m looking forward to the weather getting better so we can go camping alone. And, then, maybe the kids, but not all the kids.”

  Nicole laughed. “Never all the kids ever again.”

  “Live and learn.”

  “Exactly.”

  They settled again, watching the movie. Nicole’s cell phone went off a few minutes later. Unsurprisingly, Nicole ignored it. A few more minutes passed and then the house phone rang again. Dane groaned, checking the caller ID.

  “Who is it?” Nicole asked.

  “Christine. Probably calling to say Merry Christmas or something.”

  “Are you going to answer?”

  Dane shrugged, but she reached for the phone. “Hey.”

  “Merry Christmas,” Christine said.

  “Merry Christmas.”

  “Did you have a good one?”

  Dane gave Nicole a squeeze. “It was amazing.” Better than anything she had experienced when it came to holidays. She wasn’t even taking a shot at Christine.

  “That’s good. I wanted you to know, I kind of got you a gift.”

  “You kinda got me a gift?” Not that Dane wanted anything from Christine. The last thing Christine gave her left her feeling a little dirty and bought. I still need to really do something with that money. She was mostly funneling it into the joint account she had with Nicole.

  “Well, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but I’m on the board of several arts committees and heavily involved in the arts in the city.”

  Dane shrugged. “Sounds right.” Christine had to do something to keep busy and undoubtedly take her mind off the fact that she was married to the world’s biggest douche and had at least one psychopathic offspring.

  “I have a friend who is producing a play. He’s looking for someone to write music for it.”

  “Like a musical?”

  “Well, no. It’s a play with dialogue and no songs, but he wants a score to help set the tone. I volunteered your name, if you don’t mind.”

  “Never done anything like that.” She wrote music for the stage in the sense that it would be performed by a band in front of live audience. She never composed a soundtrack before.

  “I think you’ll be fine with it. It’s not a done deal. He’ll call you in for an interview, but you have the position as long as you show him your musical capabilities. I promise you.”

  Dane frowned, but her stomach bubbled a bit. She wasn’t sure if that was from anxiety or eagerness. “Wow. Need to think about this.” This was crazy. She had an actual job waiting for her. But, it was more a favor to Christine than something gained through her own talent. Shit, did she just buy me again?

  “You have time. He’s not going to see you until after the New Year. If it’s all right with you, I’ll give him your number. I can also text Nicole any information that needs to be passed on, all right?”

  “Um…yeah. Okay.”

  An awkward beat of silence passed. “Well, Merry Christmas again.”

  “Yeah.” Dane disconnected the call, her mind swirling. Trying to figure out what happened, she ran her hand through her hair and then scratched the side of her nose.

  “Danny? Baby, you okay?” Nicole rubbed Dane’s thigh.

  “Yeah. Crazy stuff.” Dane shook her head. “Tell you about it later. Right now, let’s watch the movie.” She wanted to end Christmas on a less crazy note. “Hey, question.”

  “Yes?”

  “Do people get laid on Christmas?”

  Nicole laughed and glanced at the time. “There’s two hours left for you to find out.” Dane grinned. She felt like that was more than enough time to have her question answered.

  Chapter Seven

  NICOLE WOKE WITH A smile on her face and Danny in her arms. She could feel the season’s nip in the air, but it couldn’t be warmer cuddled under the covers with her girlfriend. Danny kissed her softly, which made her giggle. Danny lit up the dark room with her cheerful presence.

  “Just to be sure, we don’t celebrate Boxing Day, right?” Danny’s voice was low, mellow.

  Sighing, Nicole kissed the end of her nose. “No, but we do have the day off. Unless you’re tutoring.”

  Danny leaned in closer, burying her nose in Nicole’s neck. “You know better. If you’re off then I’m off.” She inhaled, her breath tickling Nicole’s skin. “You smell good.”

  “You’re too sweet.”

  Danny pressed their foreheads together and caressed Nicole’s cheek. “You always say that.”

  “Because you are. I don’t make it a point to lie.” Nicole gave her a small kiss. “You okay?”

  Danny sighed as her thumb made gentle circles on Nicole’s cheek. “Of course, I am. Lying here with the best woman I know after a mind-blowing Christmas with so much cool stuff. Why wouldn’t I be okay?” She played with a lock of Nicole’s hair.

  Nicole’s hand glided across Danny’s bare hip. “Because I know you went to bed thinking about Christine and that job.”

  Turning her eyes to the ceiling, Danny shifted a bit onto her back. “I wouldn’t say I went to bed thinking about her.” They had done things to keep her mind off it. �
�She completely threw me for a loop. I almost wish she gave me more details. Hate when she tries to be relevant in my life like this. Why can’t she just do normal stuff? Call me to have tea or walk the dog or sacrifice a goat or something? Whenever she gives me stuff, it’s weird. It’s like a knee-jerk reaction.”

  Nicole pressed herself closer to Danny. “You think it’s like when she gave you the trust.” She ran her fingers through Danny’s hair and scratched her scalp.

  Danny purred and stretched. “Yeah, I do. You don’t think so?”

  Nicole wasn’t sure what Christine was trying to do. “I don’t know if I have enough information to make a real judgment call here.” I don’t want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but I can’t help my nature. I don’t want this to bite Danny on the ass. She wasn’t sure how much more jerking around Danny could take from Christine before she snapped.

  Grey eyes narrowed, but remained on the ceiling. “She gave me a job. What more do you need?”

  “A lot of people get jobs because they know someone.”

  Danny’s forehead wrinkled. “This could be something normal?”

  With a shrug, Nicole smiled a little. “It could be.” She hoped it’d be like that. Danny might not survive Christine letting her down again. She scratched Danny’s scalp once more, threading her fingers through soft, ebony locks to help soothe her beloved.

  Danny made a contented noise and tried to settle in deeper to the mattress. “Do you think all I have to do is show up and I get the gig?”

  Nicole sighed. That was a possibility, but she doubted Danny wanted things to go that way. “Again, this is normal. Hell, all Mina had to do was show up. I didn’t even have to show up!”

  Danny laughed. “I’m sure you had to show up.”

  “Well, of course when work started, but I wasn’t interviewed or anything. Go see what this is all about. I’ll be there with you. It could be something special.”

  Danny pulled her close and nuzzled her neck again. “Maybe…” She shook her head. “But, I don’t want to think of that now. I just want to snuggle up to you and think about how we’re going to spend your birthday. I mean, it’s the big 3-0.”