Insight

by Jennis Slaughter

  “Need some Cajun home cooking. This place makes some good stuff,” Del whispered into Raelin’s ear, reaching around her to point out a menu.

  “How long does it take them to get here?” Raelin was holding down her need because she knew that if she gave into it, they would be on the floor in an instant.

  “Depends on how much you order. Usually not too long,” was the answer as the blonde’s fingers started toying with the buttons of Raelin’s shirt.

  “Well since I plan to keep you busy tonight, I’m gonna order a whole mess of things, and maybe it will be enough time for us to get warmed up. And I’m gonna let you call it in. I want Zydeco bread, Shrimp and Oyster En Brochette, a rack of ribs, Grilled Gator Tail and a whole Key Lime pie. And you can get whatever you want too. And if they can deliver in an hour and a half, they’ll get a huge tip.” Raelin handed the menu to Del. “I’m gonna go upstairs and get comfortable. Don’t take too long,” she unbuttoned her shirt and unhooked the front clasp of her bra.

  “Dear God,” Del murmured, watching as Raelin left the room and headed up the stairs. She quickly called in the order, and smiled when they agreed to the specific delivery time. Wasting no effort, she took the stairs two at a time.

  Reaching the top of the stairs she came to a screeching halt, her breath catching in her throat at the sight. “Oh Lord,” she breathed, her teeth nibbling at her bottom lip. Raelin was lying in the bed, the white sheets barely covering her breasts. The crisp white of the sheets pulled out the bronze of Raelin’s complexion deliciously and Del immediately felt heat spread through her. “You are gorgeous,” she said, rooted to the spot.

  Letting her eyes travel up and down the blonde’s body, Raelin smiled as she bit the tip of a finger and arched an eye brow. “I must not be that gorgeous. You’re still standing there and fully dressed.”

  It took Del less than a minute to rip her clothes off and start crawling up the bed to her wife. “Fast enough for you?” she asked hovering over Raelin.

  Wrapping her arms around the blonde’s neck, Raelin pressed her lips against the corner of Delaney’s mouth. “Yup, but I want you to take your time now that you’re here.”

  “Oh Darlin’, that was my plan all along,” the blonde grinned, pressing her wife into the mattress with a long slow kiss, filled with the promise of what was to come.

  A Chapter 29 a

  Raelin woke up spooned behind Delaney with her arm about her waist and their legs tangled together. Carefully moving, she smiled at the pleasant aches and the memories of the night before. Kissing the back of Delaney’s head, she let her hand began to make tiny circles on the blonde’s stomach and thought about the day before and of the shock of seeing Ariel.

  It was obvious that Delaney was the child’s mother so to speak, and that her wife loved children and wanted more, but the witch wasn’t sure how the blonde would feel once she heard the news that Raelin could never carry a child.

  She felt her wife stir and stilled her hand not wanting to face her just yet, but it was too late as Delaney’s hand covered hers.

  “Morning Darlin’.” The blonde moved against her wife and moaned. “Did you have a good sleep?”

  “It was okay...there’s something I need to tell you, and I’m not sure how to do it.”

  Delaney started to turn in the witch’s embrace, but Raelin held her still. “No, please don’t. I don’t think I can tell you if you’re looking at me.”

  Del stayed as she was, but brought the hand on her stomach up to her mouth and kissed it, holding it in both of hers. “Whatever it is, we’ll get through it...together.”

  Closing her eyes, Raelin tried to get her thoughts into order. “When I was a teenager, I got an infection and ended up in the hospital. It took them a while to figure out what was wrong, but once they did, I was okay. However, because of that and a few other things, I can’t carry a child. I will never be able to give you children. And you deserve to have a house full of kids if you want.”

  Del lay there for a long moment, not sure exactly what to say. She felt Raelin’s sadness deep in her chest, and kept her fingers tucked under her chin while she tried to get her thoughts in order. It was true. She hoped one day that she and Raelin could have children, and it was still doable, but right now she needed to reassure her wife. “Oh Raelin, I’m sorry. That’s why you felt so strongly about taking care of Ari, isn’t it?”

  “She’s a part of you and deserves to have every chance that a child should have. I can at least do that for you...for her,” the witch whispered.

  “Jessie really appreciated you doing that. Raelin, we can still have kids if that’s what you want,” Del said, carefully pressing back into Raelin, offering any support she could.

  “I won’t be able to give them to you though. I’ll never be able to have a child with you.” Burying her face in blonde hair, Raelin couldn’t hold back the tears. “I never thought that I would have someone to love or who I wanted to have a family with, so I pushed everything away, didn’t think about it. Now I have you, and I can’t have a family with you.”

  Nearly choking on her own tears, Del whimpered at the anguish she could feel rolling off Raelin. She rolled over, letting her wife sob into her chest as she ran fingers through the dark hair. There was nothing Delaney could say to make this any easier, so she simply let Raelin cry it out, whispering in her ear how much she was loved until the witch was able to talk again.

  Sniffing, Raelin couldn’t look at her wife’s face; she didn’t want to see her disappointment. “If you want to walk away, you can. I can tell how much a family means to you,” she whispered.

  “Whoa, I never said anything about walking away. Raelin, love doesn’t work like that. A family does mean a lot to me and someday I’d like to have one, but not without you in it,” Del said quietly but with conviction, tilting Raelin’s face so she could look in her eyes.

  Raelin eyes searched Delaney’s face for any signs of deception, but didn’t see any, and she didn’t feel that the blonde was lying. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I thank the Goddess each and every day that I have you in my life.”

  “I think the same thing every day I wake up with you next to me.” Del smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to Raelin’s forehead, cheeks, and finally her lips. “I love you, Raelin.”

  “I love you, Delaney, and I wish that I could have a family with you. I wish I could give that to you.” The brunette kissed her wife again.

  “I don’t see why you can’t. Raelin, I’m a fully functional woman, in case you’ve forgotten,” Del said with one eyebrow quirked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, are you infertile as well?” Del asked carefully.

  Shaking her head, Raelin looked away. “No, I have the eggs, just unable to carry.”

  “Then when we do decide to start a family, I don’t see why I can’t carry your child,” Del replied, stroking her fingers across Raelin’s jaw.

  Chocolate eyes snapped over to stare into green. “You...you want to carry my egg?” She couldn’t believe that Delaney was even suggesting this.

  “Why not? Why does everyone always act so surprised when I say I want to carry children,” she huffed playfully.

  Raelin coughed and smiled. “Umm, it’s because you...I don’t know, but seriously, you would want to carry our child?”

  “Yes, of course. I always intended to carry at least one,” Del said seriously.

  “Goddess...I love you.” Raelin leaned forward and kissed the blonde until they had to break apart to breathe.

  “Mmm, I love you too, especially when you kiss me like that,” Del smiled. She took a deep breath as she stretched working out any kinks and stiff muscles. “So, how do you feel about the name Kerrington for a girl? It’s Gaelic like yours and your mother’s names.”

  “That’s nice, but how about Bree?”

  Rolling over so she was on top of her witch, Del crossed her arms across Raelin’s ribs and rested her chin on them, a cont
emplative look on her face. ”I like that, but what if we have a boy?” She smiled. “Liam?” she suggested, testing how it rolled off her tongue.

  “I like Liam, but I would like it if we have a son to have Arthur as his middle name after my father.” Raelin ran her fingers through silky hair before caressing Delaney’s face.

  Del turned her head to press a soft kiss to Raelin’s palm. ”I think that’s a very good idea. What about a little girl? What do you think a good middle name would be?” The blonde was enjoying this, being able to lounge around in bed with her wife and toss around baby names.

  “This is nothing that we have to decide right now.” The witch relaxed under her wife’s gaze. Knowing that her problem wasn’t really a problem, Raelin felt that their life together was going to be just fine.

  Smiling, Del rose to her hands and hovered over her wife, her hair a curtain blocking out the world. “You’re right. We have all the time in the world to figure it out, and I can’t wait to get started.”

  Smiling up at the blonde, Raelin whispered, “We’ll just have to keep trying things out until we get it just right then.” Rising up, she met Delaney’s lips with her own.

  A Chapter 30 a

  Jenny closed the door as the last of her mother’s furniture was taken out and turned to look around the almost bare living room. The only things that remained were her baby grand piano and a lamp. The young woman had wanted nothing in her home that reminded her of her mother. Raelin, Delaney, and Kasey had helped her paint the walls of the home a new color in each room.

  She sat down at the piano and started playing the melody of the tune that she was currently working on. She closed her eyes and smiled as she thought of her lover. She still couldn’t believe that she had fallen in love with a woman. Kasey still rambled on whenever she was flustered, but Jenny thought that was a part of her charm.

  Wrapping her arms around Jenny from behind, Kasey gently settled her chin on the smaller woman’s head. “The last load of my things will be here in a few minutes. The moving guys just called. What are you thinking about?”

  Stilling her hands, the young woman leaned back. “How lucky I am to have you in my life. I still can’t believe that you love me and that we’re going to be living together.”

  “Me either, but at what expense? Are you okay with what happened with your mother?” Kasey asked concerned. She was excited to share her life with Jenny, but had been worried she would cause even more problems between the young woman and her mom.

  “I am fine with what happened with her. She brought it all on herself, and she expects me to forgive after all of that. It isn’t going to happen.” Jenny shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about her. We’re together and in love, and I couldn’t ask for more.”

  “There’s nothing else I’ll ever need except you. How about tomorrow we go shopping for some furniture, make this place our own?” The brunette smiled, kissing the top of Jenny’s head.

  Leaning back to look up at her lover, the pianist smiled. “I think that sounds great. Is there anything special you want to get?”

  “Not really, I don’t think. Oh well, maybe a nice TV. I mean, I know it’s not really necessary and we obviously need couches, tables, and things first, but it’s good for watching rugby. It’s really hard to watch and follow the ball on a small screen and all. I mean, of course, I won’t make you watch it or anything; I know not everyone likes sports and stuff. I won’t ignore you on game days either or anything,” Kasey stuttered.

  “A TV is very important, though I do have to admit that I have never watched rugby. How did you get into that sport? Did you used to play?” Jenny turned to face the older woman.

  “I, well, yes. In high school. Then I played for a while in college too,” Kasey answered blushing.

  “I would like to watch you play. Do they have rugby teams in New Orleans?” The younger woman thought that it would be hot watching her lover play sports. She had never played many sports herself.

  “Yeah, they usually have a city league in the summer. I was always too busy with the bureau to join though.” The Deputy replied, reaching up and swiping an unruly bang out of Jenny’s eyes.

  “Well, this year you’ll be able to. And you never know. Maybe we’ll be able to start a league down here. With all of the new folks moving in, I’m sure it won’t take long for different leagues to get started.” Jenny reached up to hold onto Kasey’s hand.

  “You wouldn’t mind me going all the way to New Orleans whenever I have a game?” Kasey asked, rubbing Jenny’s cheek with her thumb.

  Getting off the bench so that she could wrap her arms around the taller woman, Jenny murmured, “As long as I get to go and watch you play, it’s fine with me, babe.”

  “A night with you and me in New Orleans, just the two of us? I can’t really see a downside to that.” Kasey grinned, brushing her lips across Jenny’s. She took a deep breath holding her lover close. “Seems like just yesterday that Del was driving like a mad woman to get to Leroy. I had no idea when I dozed off in the back of her Jeep that I would find something like this when I got here,” she chuckled.

  Staring up into warm chocolate eyes, Jenny smiled. “When I was kept prisoner at the fish camp, I didn’t think that I would ever have something like this. Maybe that’s why I escaped...maybe I knew that you were out here for me, and I didn’t want to miss you.”

  “Thank God for that. I didn’t even know what my life was missing until I met you. Now I can’t imagine a life without you in it,” she was about to lean down for a kiss when she heard the doorbell ring. “That would be my stuff. I should probably go get that,” she murmured, her lips hovering over Jenny’s.

  Reaching up to wrap her arms around Kasey’s neck, Jenny murmured. “They can wait a few minutes.” Rising to her tiptoes, she kissed the brunette with all the love and emotion that she could. She realized how close she had come to not having this, and the whole world could wait while she got her kiss.

  Kasey smiled into the kiss, wrapping her arms tightly around Jenny’s waist as she kissed her lover back. She poured herself into it, giving herself over to the young woman she held, holding nothing back. Right here in this moment with Jenny pressed against her in the living room of a house they would share together, Kasey knew there would never be anything more she could ever ask for.

  Eventually pulling away, Jenny breathed. “There’s a bed out there waiting to come in here, right?”

  “A queen sized one, yes. I noticed the one in your old bedroom was still a single.” The deputy grinned.

  “And you have clean sheets?”

  “In one of the boxes marked bedroom,” Kasey replied slyly.

  Stepping out of her lover’s embrace, Jenny opened the doors to the moving men. “Sorry about that, gentlemen. Let’s get this show on the road,” she reached out to grab the box the first man had and headed into the kitchen.

  A Epilogue a

  Del stood alone in the glen, her face pointed skyward, eyes closed, simply taking in the warm sun and gentle breeze. She would be joined by everyone else soon enough, but she had taken this small moment to herself to reflect on the last few weeks.

  Things had settled somewhat, and while there was still a lot of work to do around town, it seemed so much more manageable with Raelin and her friends by her side. They had been busy, as they had been called to testify at various trials of those charged in the trafficking case. Most of them would be seeing at least fifty years once all of the sentences were added up. Sam Brito had gotten his wish and was confined to a super prison, unaware that he was worse off there than in a medium level prison. He would be looking at the same four walls for the next twenty years. His corrupt banking and knowledge of the trafficking plot had been his undoing. The Reverend would also be seeing a lot of time behind bars, thirty with no chance for parole for supplying the human traders.

  And as for AJ Kingsley, he had been found guilty, but had yet to be sentenced. The ADA on the case was pushing for maximum time;
especially since it been found that two of the girls sold had been killed overseas, making him an accessory.

  Taking a deep breath Del thought about her time with Raelin during the process of the trials. They had been a support structure for each other, growing even closer over the long days in court and decompressing at Del’s apartment at night. Their connection was solid now, and with Raelin’s help Del had been able to hone in on her empathic abilities and use them to her advantage. They came naturally to her and she had grown rather used to the sensation of always having that link with her wife.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by the melodic giggle of a child, and she turned just in time to avoid being slammed into by a rambunctious four-year-old. “Whoa there, munchkin. Where’s the fire? Besides, you need to be careful or you’ll get your pretty dress dirty.” Del smiled as she swooped the tiny blonde into her arms.

  “Aunt Rae said to come find you cause it was going to be times soon,” Ari puffed, her tiny hands splayed out on Del’s cheeks.

  “Well you’ve found me now. I guess we should head back.” Del grinned, rubbing her nose against Ari’s.

  “Aunt Delly, do you think you could ask Mommy if I could wear like you are? I don’t want ta wear a dress,” she pouted.

  Del looked down at her own outfit, the grey pinstriped pants and matching vest that she wore over her white button up. She felt Ari tugging at the tie she wore and smiled.

  “Sorry baby, I don’t think even I can convince your mom to let you dress like me on a day like today, no matter how hard I try,” was the amused response from the blonde.

  Ari said nothing, but crossed her arms and gave an indignant huff.

  “Oh don’t be like that Ari girl. It’s a happy day right? Besides, you look so pretty in your dress that I could eat you right up.” Del grinned, tickling the youngster’s tummy as they headed back towards the house.

  “No, you can’t eat me! Mommy and Daddy would be sad,” Ari squealed, squirming against Del’s onslaught.