Mended Hearts

by Sarah Markel

  While the boys worked, Alex pulled Kelly into the living room and onto the couch. Sitting as they had the previous night in the swing, the two women sat quietly and held hands. “Colton seems like a nice boy.” Kelly said after a few moments. Alex nodded, stroking her hands over Kelly's stomach absently. “He is. He and Zane have been friends since they were babies. Colton is a couple of months older than Zane. His mom, Judy, went to school with Callie. Now she's a teacher at the kids' school, and her wife Lauren is the school nurse.” Alex explained. “Do you think he would like to join us for dinner?” Kelly asked. Chuckling, Alex said, “I'm sure he would. That boy loves spending all the time he can with Zane. The only reason you haven't met him yet is because he has been gone for the last week visiting his dying grandmother.” After a few moments, Kelly turned so that she was lying on Alex's chest and kissed her softly. “I'm going to start dinner, why don't you call Colton's mom and see if he can stay.” She said, sliding off of Alex and walking into the kitchen.

  Oh that's just not fair! Alex thought to herself when Kelly was out of the room. She did that on purpose! Alex groaned and sat up, taking her phone out of her pocket and dialing Judy's number. “Hey Judy, would it be alright if Colton stayed for dinner?” She asked. “Good, and thanks again for taking Zane to school.” She finished after getting the woman's approval. Hanging up, Alex went up to check on Dej, then went into the kitchen to join the others.

  Chapter 32

  "Mom, can Colton stay the night?” Zane asked while Alex and Kelly were cleaning up the dinner dishes. Alex thought for a moment, then asked Colton, “Will your moms be okay with it?” The boy nodded his head, offering to call and ask. “Alright then, if his mom says it’s okay, then I don't mind. But remember, Dej is sick so you two have to be quiet.” She said to the boys. The pair left the room excitedly so Colton could call his mom, while the two women finished their clean up. Once the dishes were finished, and Dej had been checked on, the two women went into the living room. Sitting on the sofa in their new favorite position, with Kelly between Alex's legs, they sat in the quiet sipping their coffee.

  When Zane and Colton came hurrying down the stairs cheering at the top of their lungs, Alex peeked her head up over the back of the couch and warned them sternly, “I assume Judy said yes, however if you two have to be reminded again that it will be a QUIET night, Colton will go home. Am I clear, boys?” Looking properly scolded, the two boys hung their heads and said in unison, “Yes, ma'am.” Smiling at them, Alex shooed them outside to play while it was still daylight. Flopping back against the arm of the couch, Alex stretched and yawned. “Man, I shouldn't be this damn tired.” She said, stifling another yawn. Chuckling, Kelly tipped her head back to look at Alex upside down, “We only had a few hours of sleep last night, honey. I'm surprised either of us made it through the day.” Alex smiled down at her, leaning over the woman to kiss her lips, “I know. In fact, since neither of us has to work tomorrow... and the kids will be sleeping in... We can have some fun tonight and still get enough sleep to not be tired in the morning.” She said, wiggling her eyebrows. Sitting back up, Kelly gave her a playful glare. “The neighbors aren't home tonight, because we have a guest.” Laughing loudly at Kelly's use of Zane's words, Alex pulled her close.

  Putting on a pout, Alex looked at Kelly with huge puppy dog eyes. “Pwease? It's been so long I think I have forgotted how to do it.” She said, sounding every bit as pathetic as she looked. Kelly was unable to hold back the laugh. She tipped her head back and roared with laughter, finding the conversation much funnier than it was. “Holy crap, you two! We heard you outside and thought someone was hurt! Keep it down, Dej is sleeping.” Zane said from the kitchen doorway, startling the two women. Standing from the couch, the two women apologized to the boy. Before he turned to go back outside, Kelly stopped him. “You know, Zane. Even though you have Colton here tonight, those pesky neighbors might just start wrestling again.” Alex watched as all of the color drained from her son's face as he stared at Kelly with abject horror. “You wouldn't.” The boy squeaked. Smirking menacingly, Kelly shrugged and Zane made a beeline for the backyard.

  Alex took Kelly by the waist and pulled her close, making a tsk-tsk sound. “You're a horrible person.” Alex said with a laugh. Kelly shrugged again, laying her head on Alex's chest. “I know, I just wanted to see his face.” She replied with a smile. Shaking her head, Alex thought to herself, I think I am in love with this woman. Just as Alex was about to give voice to her feelings, her cell phone rang. Cursing the caller in her head, Alex retrieved her phone from the coffee table and answered it. “Hello? Oh, Hi Celina.” She said, feeling bad for silently cursing the woman and placing the call on speaker phone. “Hi, Alex. Listen, I'm sorry to call so late, but I have been busy as all hell today. Lilly Corbin went to court today, and she gave the judge some sob story about being under a lot of stress and how she was so sorry that she broke in to Kelly's house. She told the judge she just wanted to go home to Florida and forget all of this. Because she doesn't have much in the way of a criminal history, except the restraining order, the judge released her R.O.R. She is due back in court in twenty one days, and was ordered to stay at least five hundred yards away from Kelly. I'm sorry Alex, but she isn't in jail anymore.” Celina said quickly, hating that she had to be the bearer of bad news. Feeling anger and a strange sense of foreboding, Alex asked Celina what they could do. “Keep your eyes open, Alex. If you see her anywhere that you or Kelly go to frequently, and she even makes eye contact with either of you, call the police and report it. If she violates the restraining order, her release will be revoked and she will stay in jail until court. Be careful, Alex, I wouldn't put it past this woman to do something stupid.” Celina replied, concern evident in her voice.

  Thanking the woman, Alex hung up and turned to Kelly who had gone white as a ghost. Alex wanted nothing more than to make Kelly feel safe, so she pulled the woman into her arms and sat back on the couch. “Babe, I know it's scary, but we can't let Lilly ruin our lives. We'll be careful and go about our business.” Shuddering, Kelly nodded, her stomach in knots. What if she does something stupid and hurts one of the kids? She thought to herself, fear making her mouth go dry. As if reading the woman's thoughts, Alex tipped Kelly's chin up so their eyes met. “Babe, don't worry. That woman won't be able to lay so much as a finger on the kids.” Smiling at Alex and sighing with relief at her determination, Kelly nodded. “Mommy, I had an accident.” They heard Dej say from the stairs. Making her way quickly to her daughter, Alex took the girl upstairs and helped her clean up.

  When Kelly heard the water in the bathtub turn on, she decided to make Dej some broth. Rummaging around in the kitchen cupboards, she came up with a small jar of protein-free chicken flavored consommé. Setting about her task, Kelly had just finished making the broth and getting it cooled off enough to drink when Alex and Dej returned from the bath. Setting the little girl down at the table, Alex went to the fridge and pulled out some juice for her. Kelly handed Dej the broth and assured her it was not hot. After the child had finished her supper, she looked over at the two women who had been standing by the sink getting coffee, and asked "Could I cuddle with you on the couch and watch a movie?” Giving the girl a loving smile, Alex nodded. “Sure baby girl, what movie do you want to watch?” She asked, going over and kneeling in front of her daughter. Scrunching up her sleepy face, Dej thought for a moment, before replying "Quest for Camelot.” Nodding in agreement, Alex went into the living room to set up the movie, while Kelly peeked out to check on the boys.

  Seeing that the boys were busy with a game of one on one basketball, she walked out the door and went over to speak to them. “Hey, boys? Could you come here for a second please?” She asked when she reached the cement court. When they boys obliged her, she told them "Dej is awake and wants to watch a movie, so if you two want to go upstairs now you can.” Zane looked from Kelly to Colton before replying, “Actually, could you ask my mom to come here for a minute? I need to ask h
er something.” Nodding, Kelly went back in the house and relayed the message to Alex. While the other woman went out to the boys, Kelly sat on the sofa next to Dej and was surprised when the child crawled up in her lap and curled up, sucking her thumb. Not sure if she should stop the behavior or not, Kelly let the girl be and rubbed her hand up and down Dej's back.

  A few moments later, Zane came into the room and grabbed Alex's phone off the table before hurrying back outside. Kelly remained there with Dej, stroking the child's back gently for several more minutes before Alex came back in and sat down next to Kelly. “Everything alright?” Kelly asked. Nodding, Alex pressed play on the DVD remote. “Colton wanted to go home, and wanted Zane to stay at his house. I told them if it was alright with his mom, I didn't mind. Judy said it was ok, so the boys are cleaning up the yard before they head over.” Before Kelly could respond, the two boys came running into the house and went upstairs. A few minutes later, they returned, Colton with his backpack, and Zane with his overnight bag. After kissing his mother and sister goodnight, Zane waved goodbye to Kelly and the two boys left. Now that the boys were gone, Alex leaned back against the couch, happy to be spending the night with her two favorite girls.

  Chapter 33

  Alex woke suddenly to the sound of her daughter crying upstairs. Momentarily confused by the bright sunlight filtering in through the curtains, she looked at the clock on the wall. 7:30 in the morning? I slept down here all night? Why didn't Kelly wake me up when she went to bed? She wondered to herself. Hearing the child continue to wail, Alex stood and bolted up the stairs to the bathroom. When she arrived, she found Kelly sitting in the bathtub, fully clothed, holding Dej's hair back as the child vomited into a bucket. “There you go, sweetheart, get it all out.” Kelly said soothingly as she used her free hand to rub Dej's back. Going over to the tub, Alex noticed that Dej was only wearing a towel wrapped around her waist, while Kelly was only wearing her t-shirt and panties.

  “Hey Princess, how are you feeling?” Alex asked her daughter as she laid her hand on the child's head. Dej glared at her mother and quickly turned back to the bucket as another wave of vomiting hit. “How long has she been doing this?” Alex asked Kelly, who looked as if she hadn't slept in days. “Most of the night.” She replied "She started about halfway through the movie. You fell asleep right after the boys left, so Dej and I watched together. All of a sudden, right after the dragons did their song, she said 'uh-oh' and lost it all over my clothes. I brought her up here and had her finish in the toilet while I changed. When I came back, she had stripped off her pajamas and asked for a bath. I gave her a cool one, and put her in a pull up and we went and laid on her bed for a while. She started needing to vomit and change about every twenty minutes or so, so we just stayed in here. She used all the pull ups, and vomited on three pairs of pants, in no time and I wanted to try to contain the mess.” Kelly finished.

  When Dej was done emptying her stomach, Alex took the bucket and dumped it out before handing it back to the child. Seeing that Kelly was struggling to keep her eyes open, Alex kissed her on the forehead and said, “Babe, why don't you go lay down? You let me sleep, it's my turn to take care of Dej.” Too tired to argue, Kelly nodded and helped Alex lift Dej out of the tub to free herself. Once the child was in her mother's arms, Kelly slowly climbed out of the tub and leaned up to kiss Alex softly on the lips before heading out of the bathroom. “Oh! I forgot, Angie is on her way over with another package of pull-ups and some Pedialyte. I called her right before you came up.” Kelly said, stopping at the door. Nodding, Alex thanked her and told her to go on to bed. Happy to comply, Kelly walked into Alex's bedroom and climbed onto the bed, not even bothering to cover up, and fell asleep before she even had time to yawn.

  Several hours later, Kelly woke when she felt pressure on her chest. Opening her eyes with a start, she looked down to see a small head of red hair lying between her breasts. Watching the child for a moment, Kelly concluding that the girl was asleep. Not wanting to wake the child, Kelly stayed as she was, content to cuddle with her. So this is what being a Mommy feels like? I'm so totally in. Kelly thought with a smile. The two lay there, Dej sleeping soundly and Kelly letting herself relax and rest, for nearly half an hour before Alex found them. Walking quickly into the bedroom with a look of panic on her face, Alex halted at the foot of the bed. She watched as Kelly lay there, eyes closed, hand possessively draped over Dej's back, with a soft smile on her lips. Alex watched the pair for several minutes, letting her imagination wander.

  In her mind, she could see Kelly, her belly swollen with child, lying in bed and reading to Dej. She could also see her sitting in the backyard with Zane, talking about whatever happened to be on their minds. Then she saw Kelly, standing under a white trellis scattered with blue and green flowers, wearing a wedding gown as the two women exchange vows and become one family. Holy shit! Alex thought to herself. She had never imagined marrying another woman after losing Callie. Dating and possibly spending her life with someone else, yes, but never marrying. When Callie passed away, Alex had sworn that she would never give that much of herself to another person again. Now she felt conflicted. She admitted to herself that she would love to see Kelly in any of those scenarios, but in the same sense, she felt as though she were betraying Callie by thinking about marrying again.

  “I have to pee.” Kelly whispered, pulling Alex out of her thoughts. Smiling at the woman, Alex gently lifted Dej off the bed, freeing Kelly to quickly roll off the bed and make a beeline for the bathroom. After using the facilities and taking a quick shower, Kelly wrapped herself in a towel and made her way into the guest room. Once she had gotten dressed, she felt her stomach give a loud growl and decided to go in search of food. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard voices in the kitchen. “Wow, Alex, I can't believe you invited Kelly to live with you. You must have some serious feelings for her.” Kelly recognized Angie's voice. Not wanting to eavesdrop, Kelly made her presence known before Alex could answer.

  “Hi Angie.” She said as she walked into the kitchen. Greeting her friend, Angie handed the woman a cup of coffee. “Feel better, Babe?” Alex asked handing a wax paper wrapped sandwich to Kelly from the paper bag in front of her. “Ooohh thank you.” She said as her stomach grumbled again. Laughing, Alex and Angie grabbed their food and motioned for Kelly to join them on the back porch. “Where's Dej?” Kelly asked, not seeing the child. “She's playing in her room with Anya.” Alex replied, pulling Kelly onto her lap. Nuzzling the other woman's neck, Alex whispered "I want to talk to you about something later and Ange is taking Dej for the night so I can.” Feeling a slight twinge of panic in her gut, Kelly nodded, afraid of what the talk might be about. Noticing Kelly's discomfort Angie reassured her, “Don't worry Kelly, it's not about Lilly.” She said. Smiling, Kelly bit into her sandwich.

  Once the women had finished their lunch and visited for a while, Angie packed up the girls and headed home. After the group had left, Kelly glanced at the wall clock and was surprised that it was only 2 pm. “Is Zane back from Colton's yet?” She asked. Shaking her head with a smile, Alex pulled the woman into her arms. “No he's staying another night.” She said, searching Kelly's eyes. “Babe, is everything alright?” She asked, concerned by the look of trepidation she saw. “Yeah, I'm fine honey, I'm just worried about Dej. Is she well enough to spend the night somewhere else?” Kelly lied. Sighing with relief, Alex smiled and pressed her lips to Kelly's forehead. “She's ok. She hasn't gotten sick since right after you went to bed and she's been holding down crackers and broth.” Taking Kelly by the hand, Alex led her over to the couch. Sitting, she pulled Kelly down next to her and laced their fingers. “Do you want to talk now and get it over with? Or do you want to go out and do something?” Alex asked. Weighing her options, Kelly decided it would be better to get to the unknown before going out. I won't be able to enjoy myself if I'm worried about what she has to say. She thought to herself. Taking a deep breath and turning to face Alex, Kelly replied, “Let'
s talk."

  Chapter 34

  Running her hand through her hair, Alex let out a breath. “Alright. I um... I wanted to ask you a couple of questions.” She said, suddenly nervous. “Alright. Go ahead.” Kelly said carefully, afraid of what Alex might ask. Taking a deep breath, Alex decided the best approach would be to be direct. “Okay. First, what kind of relationship are you looking for with me? Like, are you looking for long term, a summer fling, or a friend with benefits type of arrangement?” She asked, watching for Kelly's reaction. Hesitating for a moment, unsure of what the right answer would be, Kelly answered truthfully. “Honestly, I would like something long term. I've never entered a relationship with the intention of exiting it quickly.” Smiling, Alex squeezed Kelly's hand gently. Pleased with the other woman's response, Alex continued. “Question two. How do you feel about having more than two children?” Kelly's face lit up with a genuine ear to ear smile. “I want a house full of kids. The more the better.” She said. Laughing, Alex asked her final question. “Do you believe in true love?” Slightly unsure of the reason behind the question, Kelly gave Alex a confused smile. “Of course I believe in true love. I also believe in love at first sight.” Kelly added, blushing bright.

  Alex pulled Kelly close, kissing her gently on the cheek and whispered, “I love it when you blush.” Kelly snorted, remembering all the times Alex had made her blush in the two short months they had known each other. Alex tucked her finger under Kelly's chin, tipping her head back, and placed a gentle but passionate kiss on the other woman's mouth. Pulling back before she got carried away, Alex whispered against Kelly's lips, “I love you, Kelly.” Staring at Alex with disbelief, Kelly responded, “You do? Oh, Honey, you have no idea how happy I am to hear that. I love you too, Alex.” Alex looked into Kelly's eyes, beaming with a huge smile, and wrapped the woman in a tight hug. Returning the hug with the same energy, Kelly thought to herself, oh wow, she said she loves me! I wonder how she would feel if she knew that she was the first woman to ever say that to me. Breaking the embrace, the two women decided to go out to dinner to celebrate.