Mended Hearts

by Sarah Markel

  When the CSU team had left, Celina met once more with Alex and Kelly. “I think we have everything we are going to get tonight, Alex. If we need anything else, I will call you.” As the officer turned to walk through the house, Alex stopped her. “Celina, wait. Don't forget these.” She said, handing the woman the net containing the butterflies. Thanking her, Celina left after putting the net and its contents into an evidence bag. Sighing with relief after saying their goodnights to Alan and Terry, the two women checked and double checked to make sure all of the doors and windows were locked, before heading upstairs to bed.

  Chapter 27

  The next three days passed with relative ease. Kelly stayed at Alex's house each night, rode to and from work with her, and helped the kids with homework. On Thursday, Alex got a call from Celina Betancourt while the pair was on their way home after picking up the kids from school. “Alex, we found Lily Corbin. We have her in custody, and we've charged her with vandalism. This woman is something else. She is screaming about a conspiracy to keep her true love from her. Anyways, she goes in front of the judge tomorrow, so I'll give you a call with the outcome.” Kelly listened since Alex had put the call on speaker phone, a knot she hadn't noticed before lessening in her chest. After Alex ended the call, Kelly smiled and patted the woman's thigh. “How does dinner out, just the four of us, sound? My treat.” Kelly asked. Alex turned and smiled at her as Zane and Dej shouted their agreement happily. “Okay then,” Kelly chuckled, turning to look at the children. “Where should we go?” The two children debated amongst themselves for the rest of the drive home.

  After the group changed from their day wear into more comfortable street clothes and the children had finished their homework, the four of them sat around the kitchen table making their final dinner decision. “I want to go to Billy's.” Zane said. “No, let's go to Donatello's.” Dej countered. The two children continued to argue while Alex and Kelly listened. “Dej, there isn't anything at Donatello's that you can eat!” Zane exclaimed in frustration. Looking at her brother with a sly smirk, Dej replied quietly, “I know. I just wanted to see how long you would argue with me.” Unable to hold back a laugh, Kelly said to Alex, “She's definitely your daughter!” Irritated, Zane slapped his hand on the table, “Mom, this is crap! She has been doing that for two days!” Alex leaned across the table and addressed her daughter calmly, “Marissa Dej, do you like it when other people argue with you?” Shaking her head no, Dej gave Zane an apologetic look. “I'm sorry Zane. You just make it so easy!” She said with a laugh. Seeing Alex's glare, the little girl's smile quickly faded. Crossing her arms over her chest, Dej gave an indignant look. “Fine. Let's go to Billy's. But it's Thursday and he isn't going to be there.” She stated flatly. While Kelly tried not to laugh out loud at the girl's indignation, Alex leaned over and whispered to Zane. A moment later, the boy's face lit up and he ran upstairs. “What was that?” Kelly asked. “Oh, he'll be right back. He and I decided we wanted to take you somewhere really special.” Alex replied.

  When Zane returned downstairs, Kelly saw that he was carrying four baseball caps. Each cap bore the logo of a different Oregon sports team. Zane handed his sister a small white cap with the Portland Trailblazers logo on the front in pale pink. Handing Kelly and Alex each a hat, he affixed a Portland Peacocks cap on his head. Kelly eyed her hat, wondering who the Oregon Ducks were. Seeing the curiosity in Kelly's eyes, Alex chuckled. “Babe its college football. Just like mine.” She said with a smile, placing an Oregon Beavers hat on her head. Smiling to herself, Kelly followed suit and helped get everyone into the car. When the SUV pulled to the gate, Will stepped out of the guard shack and went to Zane's window. “Hey big man, I got somethin for ya.” He said to the boy, pulling an envelope out of his breast pocket. Eyes wide, Zane asked excitedly as the man handed it to him, “Is that what I think it is? How did you talk Willow into giving it up?” With a wide grin, Will smiled and placed his finger to his lips. “Don't say nothin, big man, she doesn't know.” Slapping Will a high five, Zane grinned wildly. “Thank you so much Big Mac, I owe you one.” Chuckling, Will let the SUV through the gate and waved as the group passed. Leaning closer to Alex, Kelly whispered, “Big Mac?” Alex just smiled and said to her son, “Zane, tell Kelly how Will got the name Big Mac.” Turning to Kelly, she said, “You'll like this, it's hilarious.” Turning slightly to give the boy her attention, Kelly smiled at him.

  “One day, right after Mom had Dej, Mama took me to Turner Park to play. I started playing with this little black girl named Willow, who was playing by herself. Her dad, Will, was talking with Mama, and they were both taking pictures of us playing together. Well, Will said to me, 'hey big man' so I would look up, and when I did, Willow kissed me, smack on the lips. I started crying and Mama asked what was wrong. I told her that I didn't want to be a big mac because I didn’t want to get eaten.” Zane finished, a blush in full bloom on his face. Laughing, Kelly turned back around and placed her hand absently on Alex's thigh. “That is priceless!” She said as Alex pulled the SUV into a parking spot behind a tall brick building. Opening Kelly's door for her, Alex stepped aside and held her hand out. Taking the offered hand, Kelly surveyed the building. “What's this place?” She asked. Smiling at her son as he came around the car, Alex replied, “It's a surprise. The only thing you need to know is no matter what, don't take off your hat.” A bit concerned, Kelly asked Zane as Alex helped Dej out of the car, “Why can't I take off the hat?” The boy, mimicking his mother's smile, replied cautiously, “Because if you do, they shave your head."

  Shocked, Kelly took Alex's hand as the group walked around to the front entrance. Kelly looked around for a sign as they entered, but found nothing. As they passed through the front doors, Kelly noticed that everyone inside was wearing some type of sports hat. Men, women, and children all sat at tables, their heads covered by fan gear for different sports teams, eating their food. A tall man wearing a pink tie with white baseballs forming stripes on the diagonal greeted them. “Good evening, folks, welcome to Hole in the Wall. Would you like a booth or... Oh! Alex, I didn't realize it was you!” The man said, with an ear to ear grin. Shaking the man's hand, Alex nodded and replied, “Yep it's me. It's been a long time since we've been in here.” Agreeing, the man introduced himself to Kelly. “I'm Kyle, owner, operator, decorator extraordinaire.” Kelly smiled as she introduced herself. “Well, my lovelies, I have the perfect table for you, follow me.” He said, sauntering away to their left. “I'll explain once we're seated.” Alex promised with a smile.

  Once the group had taken their seats, Kyle knelt down to be eye level with Dej. “Well, well, well, miss thang, you sure have gotten beautiful.” He said to her, pressing his lips to the little girl's cheek. Giggling, Dej pushed the man away playfully. “Eww, geez. Now I'm gonna be a gay man! Get it off!” She proclaimed, pretending to look for disinfectant. Laughing with the child, Kyle handed Zane and the two women their menus. “Hey, Zane, you have a bug on your hat.” Kyle said with a smirk. Giving the man a withering look, Zane said nothing, shaking his head slowly. Laughing loudly, Kyle promised to return momentarily and sauntered back towards the entryway. “Now that you've met both Farris', what do you think?” Alex asked. “No way!” Kelly said, incredulously. Nodding, Alex continued. “That's Jack's husband, Kyle. I was kind of surprised myself actually. I mean they're both so fruity. Anyways, Callie brought me here when they first opened, and Jack was a waiter here. The lunch rush was over, and he chatted with us for a while, explaining that he was just doing this to help out his boyfriend. He said what he really wanted to do was work in health care administration, so I offered him a job as an assistant. He's been with us ever since."

  Before Kelly could say anything, Kyle's voice filtered through the speakers placed intermittently along the walls. “Chicago Bears!” He said. A small commotion broke out as three men whooped and hollered and raced towards the cashier's kiosk. When they arrived, each man picked a piece of paper out of a box and stood in front of Kyle.
“Okay, gentlemen, you know the rules. One question each. Get it right, you win what's on the paper. Answer wrong and you lose your hat.” Kelly watched with fascination as the men played their game. The first man to answer won a Hole in the Wall t-shirt, the second won his meal for free, and the third man, a short, plump, nerdy looking man lost his hat. Clapping with the rest of the patrons, Kelly gave Zane a dirty look. “What?” He said innocently. A bit concerned, Alex asked what was wrong. “He told me at the car that if I took my hat off, they would shave my head.” Chuckling, Alex patted Kelly's knee. “Aww come on babe, he was just playing.” She assured. “I know, honey, but I was actually a little scared.” Kelly replied with a laugh.

  When Kyle returned, the group placed their order. After the man left to take their tickets to the kitchen, Kelly looked to Alex. “What about Dej? You didn't order anything for her.” Dej answered before her mother could, “Kyle knows what I want. He won't let me down.” Sure enough, a few moments later, Kyle returned with their order, along with a salad and some fruit for Dej. After thanking him, the group tucked into their meal. Just as they finished with their food, Kyle's voice once again came over the speakers "Portland Peacocks!” Excited, Zane dashed from the table, beating four other people to the kiosk. Once the group was ready, Kyle started with the oldest man. After two men missed their questions and handed over the hats, Zane stepped up to receive his question. “Who was the team captain for the Portland Peacocks from nineteen ninety eight until two thousand eight?” Kyle asked the boy. Kelly wondered how much Zane knew about the team, and was worried the boy might lose his hat. Preparing herself to suggest a shopping trip after supper, Kelly was caught off guard by the boy's answer. “Callie Baxter.” Zane said into the microphone.

  Chapter 28

  "Thank you for a wonderful dinner.” Kelly told Zane as Alex tucked the boy into bed later that night. Zane's prize for answering his question correctly was that the entire group's meal was gratis. Smiling up at her, the boy replied, “I know everything about the Portland Peacocks. That's why I wear the hat when we go there.” Once the children were tucked into bed, Alex and Kelly went outside to relax on the back porch. After a few moments, Kelly broke the companionable silence. “I didn't know Callie was a professional athlete.” She said. Alex stood and took the woman's hand, leading her over to the hammock swing that the two had put up the night before.

  Once situated in the swing, Alex pulled Kelly down to lay with her back against Alex. Looking up at the stars, Alex finally replied. “She wasn't. Professionally I mean. The Portland Peacocks is a local charity softball team. They play benefit games against other teams to raise money for different charities. She first joined the team shortly before we started dating, and just stayed with it. Zane has always been a huge fan of the team, and he hasn't missed a game since he was just a few months old. He even uses Callie's old number, twelve, which was retired after she died.” She finished, a sad smile on her face. Turning her head and leaning to the side a bit, Kelly brought her hand up and laid it on Alex's cheek. Gently turning the other woman's face to hers, Kelly placed a feather soft kiss on Alex's lips. Smiling against Kelly's lips, Alex moaned softly as she deepened the kiss. Lying together in the swing under the stars, the two women let everything slip away as they got lost in each other’s embrace. Coming up for air, Alex traced her thumb gently over Kelly's chin. “Let's take this upstairs.” She said, her voice husky with desire. Whimpering, Kelly nodded as she looked deep into Alex's eyes.

  Alex climbed out of the swing and before Kelly could join her, scooped the woman up and carried her into the house. Giggling, Kelly draped her arms around Alex's neck and began to trail small kisses along her jawline. Stopping halfway up the stairs, Alex shivered. “If you keep that up, we won't make it to the bedroom.” She said breathlessly. Pushing it, Kelly brought one hand down and cupped Alex's breast, squeezing it gently, just as the woman reached the top of the stairs. “Careful, babe.” Alex growled, her libido soaring as she set Kelly on her feet. Kelly looked up into eyes gone dark with want. She caught her own lip between her teeth as she took a step backwards towards the bedroom. Beckoning to Alex with one finger, she turned and went into the room, standing with her back to the bed. When Alex entered and went to her, Kelly leaned up to Alex's ear and bit down on her earlobe. Sucking in a breath, Alex felt herself go moist. Be gentle! She reminded herself, she doesn't know your triggers. Struggling to remain gentle, Alex whispered into Kelly's ear, “Just a warning, baby. If you keep biting me, I can't promise gentle lovemaking."

  Feeling her knees weaken, Kelly met Alex's eyes. Oh she can be rough, huh? I wonder if she will let herself. Kelly thought to herself as she leaned in and pressed her lips hard to Alex's. A bit surprised by the implied challenge of the kiss, Alex pulled away and looked at Kelly with hesitation. “Are you sure?” She asked. Kelly bit her own lip again and nodded. Seeing Kelly's lip caught between her own teeth, Alex growled softly. “Okay, but if at any time you want me to stop or I'm hurting you, tell me. I will stop.” Alex said, placing her hands on Kelly's hips. Receiving a nod of agreement, Alex whipped the woman around and pulled Kelly's hips back, thrusting her own into Kelly's ass. Gasping, Kelly felt the embers of desire within her belly erupt into a full-fledged inferno. She had used the same move on other women many times before, but this was the first time it had been used on her. Still holding Kelly's hips against hers, Alex leaned down and pressed a kiss at the base of her neck while at the same time, sliding one hand up under Kelly's shirt to massage her breasts, and dragging the fingers of the other hand over Kelly's lower abdomen. Moaning loudly, Kelly felt her heartbeat quicken. Oh, God! She thought to herself. Alex hurriedly pulled Kelly's shirt off before placing quick kisses along the back of the other woman's neck and shoulders. When she reached the ball of Kelly's shoulder, Alex bit down gently. Caught off guard, Kelly cried out and bucked her ass back against Alex. Oh, she likes that! Alex realized. Kissing her way across the opposite shoulder, Alex unbuttoned Kelly's jeans and slid her hand inside her panties while at the same time, biting down again. Feeling her lover's knees buckle, Alex used her other hand to brace Kelly against her.

  Slow and gentle, Alex drew her fingers back and forth over Kelly's mound, careful not to dip between her folds. I wonder how long she can go just being teased, Alex thought. Smiling against Kelly's shoulder, Alex stopped her fingers. Hearing her whimper, Alex felt her own sex throb. Fighting against the need for release, Alex whispered into Kelly's ear, “Take off your clothes, and turn around slowly.” Backing up a few steps, and leaning against the wall, Alex watched as Kelly complied. Kelly took her time, unhooking her bra and letting it drop, then slowly sliding her jeans down her legs before looking over her shoulder and standing back up. Instead of turning to face Alex, Kelly leaned forward and climbed onto the bed. Watching with barely restrained lust, Alex felt her self-control slip away as she saw Kelly, naked on her hands and knees, look back over her shoulder, and smile. Unable to keep herself from touching any longer, Alex quickly stripped off her clothes and stood beside the bed. Placing her hands on Kelly's hips, Alex pressed herself against the other woman's ass and growled. Her heart rate flew into overdrive when she heard Kelly moan. In that moment, Alex lost herself to her desire to satisfy the need that both women had for release.

  “Oh my God, Alex.” Kelly said between gasps for air. The two women were laying on their backs, Alex with one hand behind her head and the other under Kelly's shoulders, and Kelly desperately trying to catch her breath. “I've never done it for literally hours before. How do you have that much stamina?” She asked Alex. The two had been making love for almost four hours, and Kelly was amazed that she enjoyed every moment of it. With her previous relationships, she had never had a partner who was so intent on pleasing her, in fact she had always been the one doing the work with very little in the way of reward. With Alex, however, she had had more orgasms in the few times they had slept together than she had ever had in her life. Kelly had also never been a
bottom before, and she found that she really liked it. Wow, I never knew what I was missing until now, she thought to herself.

  Looking down at Kelly, Alex smiled and said with a wink, “I've always had good stamina, but remember, before you it had been four years since I was with anyone. That's a lot of pent up sexual appetite.” Chuckling, Kelly leaned up and kissed Alex softly. Alex wiggled her eyebrows as she caught Kelly's lip between her teeth and tugged. With a laugh, Kelly shook her head, “No honey, no more. We have to be up for work in a few hours and the kids aren't going to get themselves to school.” Pouting, Alex agreed. “You're right. We should get some sleep. There's always tomorrow night.” She said with a sly grin. Chuckling, Kelly sat up and placed her hands on her hips, “Tomorrow night, huh? What makes you think you will be getting any tomorrow?” Taking on an innocent look, Alex replied sweetly, “Because you can’t keep your hands off of me. And besides, I can make you scream.” She added with a hint of pride in her voice. Kelly playfully slapped Alex's shoulder and laid down to spoon with her.

  Chapter 29

  A few hours later, the alarm on the dresser across the room went off, signaling that it was time to start the day. Groaning, Alex threw her pillow at it, knocking the clock onto the floor. Kelly woke from her sleep and tossed back the blanket. Standing with eyes only half open, she walked over and replaced the clock, silencing the annoying beep. Picking up the pillow, she chucked it at Alex, hitting the woman in the face. “If I have to get up, your happy ass better join me.” She said, stretching. “Eww, why are you naked?” Startled, Kelly whipped her head around to find Dej standing in the doorway. The little girl stood staring, hair messy from sleep, with her favorite stuffed unicorn just outside the open door. When did the door get opened? She wondered to herself. Grabbing the comforter off the bed and glaring at Alex as she snickered quietly, Kelly lied, “Well, sweetheart... I umm... I went for a walk after you guys went to bed and my clothes got wet when the neighbors sprinkler came on. Your mom said I could wear some of her jammies, but they were too big.” Rolling her eyes, the little girl scoffed. “You should be more careful when you walk at night.” She said and turned on her heel to go back to her room. Hurrying to close the door, Kelly shot Alex a look. “What?” Alex asked, as she got out of bed, “She's right you know, you should really be careful at night. You never know how wet you might get.” She added quietly next to Kelly's ear. Blushing like mad, Kelly went to find her clothes.