by Sarah Markel
“Thank you again, Del. The food was wonderful, and I’ll be sure to send you a brochure for the facility.” Alex said an hour later as the women were preparing to leave. They had spent their meal talking with the old man, who had insisted on telling Alex about all of the shenanigans that Kelly had pulled each time she had come to visit. When they had told him about Serenity Home, he seemed very interested in learning about the care they provided. It turned out that his wife, Martha, had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and was currently living in a small facility in Tallahassee. Del had expressed his concerns about the quality of care his wife was receiving, and after hearing about Serenity Home, said he would seriously consider sending her to them. Waving goodbye, the two women got back in their car and headed back towards town. “He sure is a sweet old man.” Alex commented, smiling at her fiancée. With a wide smile, Kelly nodded. “He and Martha bought that place back in the early fifties. They worked hard to keep it up, Martha running the front and Del doing all of the cooking. They’ve been in magazines, newspapers, and even on TV in one of those shows about out-of-the-way eateries.” she replied, a sentimental lilt to her voice. Patting the woman on the knee, Alex let out a contented sigh and sat back to enjoy the ride.
*****
The next morning, Kelly seemed to be in better spirits. Alex laid in the bed, her fingers laced behind her head, and watched as Kelly set about packing her things. After the pair had returned the night before, Alex had packed her bags and set out what she would need for the trip back home. While she was bent over, looking through her suitcase, Kelly had come up behind her and pressed herself against Alex’s ass. “Do you have any idea how much I love your ass?” she whispered when Alex had stood. Feeling her libido awaken, Alex smiled and turned to kiss the woman. Returning the kiss with unexpected fervor, Kelly pressed Alex back onto the bed. Excited by Kelly’s unusual and sudden display of lust, Alex let the woman take control of their love making. They had spent the better part of the night locked in each other’s hungry embrace. Lying there now, Alex had to admit that relinquishing control every now and then wasn’t so bad.
“Are you just going to lay there, or are you going to help me get ready?” Kelly asked, startling Alex out of her thoughts. “I’m just going to lay here and watch you.” she replied with a smirk. Rolling her eyes, Kelly tossed a spare pillow at the woman and went about finishing her task. Laughing when the pillow hit her in the face, Alex climbed out of bed and got dressed so she could help. Once they were finished, Alex called Karen and the trio headed down to the lobby to check out. When Kevin arrived a short time later, the group rode in comfortable silence to the airport. “Daddy, would you and your family like to come out for a visit at Thanksgiving?” Kelly asked as she hugged her father. Smiling, the man nodded “I’d like that, sweetheart. But I need to talk to Kendall first. Is Alex alright with that?” he added, turning to Alex and embracing the woman. Kelly had asked her the same question the night before on the drive back from the burger stand. “Absolutely. I think it’s a great idea, and it will give you a chance to meet the rest of the family.” Alex replied. Waving goodbye to the man, the three women went inside the terminal to catch their flight back to Portland.
CHAPTER 14
“Zane! Hurry up and get in the shower!” Kelly yelled up the stairs. “They’re going to be here any time!” she added, checking the clock on the wall. The days leading up to Thanksgiving had flown by ever since the women had returned from Florida. Alex had called her mother and told her about the change in holiday plans a few days after they had returned, and the woman, while supportive, had not been overly pleased. When Kelly had apologized and offered to cancel the invitation, Alex had taken her aside and told her flat out that her mother would just have to get over it. “It’s not every day that you get to have a family reunion, Baby. We see my mom all the time. She can go this one time without having us there.” Alex had said reassuringly. “Babe, relax. Their plane only landed an hour ago, they still have at least an hour before they get here. Plus, your mother is driving them so it could be hours.” Alex said calmly but jokingly as she wrapped her arms around Kelly’s waist. Taking a deep breath, Kelly let out a sigh and rubbed her temples. “I’m just excited, I guess. This is the first time I’ve ever hosted a holiday get together with anyone, much less the family I thought didn’t want me. I just want it to be perfect.” she explained apologetically. Smiling, Alex pressed a kiss to her forehead and assured her that everything would be fine.
“You have got to be kidding me. What did I ever do to you to deserve this?” Zane asked fifteen minutes later. After finishing his shower, the boy had come down stairs in just his boxer briefs carrying the clothes that Kelly had given him. Glaring at Alex when he heard her snort, the boy waited for an answer. “Son, please. I just want you and Dej to make a great first impression, that’s all.” Kelly pleaded as she finished putting Dej’s hair in pig tails. With a huff, the boy turned to go back upstairs, muttering under his breath the whole way. “I hope you don’t expect me to wear anything special, Babe.” Alex stated, sipping her coffee. Shooting the woman a withering glare, Kelly took one last look at Dej before sending the child off to play. She had left work early the day before to go out and buy each of the kids a special outfit for the day. Looking down at Dej, she smiled at the girl who was currently trying very hard to pretend to like the new outfit. The dress she was wearing was a dark orange color with small brown turkeys decorating the skirt portion. When she had seen the outfit, Kelly had immediately thought of how adorable Dej would look in it. “As soon as I’m done being punished, I’m burning this sweater.” Zane said when he came back down. The sweater of topic was a lightweight, dark green wool, sweater vest with a cornucopia and turkey decorating either side of the buttons. After seeing her son, Alex bolted up the stairs and into her room so that no one would hear her laugh. “Alex, get back down here! And stop laughing, the kids look great!” Kelly yelled after her. Taking a seat on the couch next to his sister, Zane sat in silence while the group waited for the arrival of their guests.
*****
Twenty minutes later, Will Coleman at the guard shack had called to let Kelly know that her family was being buzzed through. Despite the fact that everything was the way she had wanted it, Kelly became instantly nervous after she hung up the phone. Taking her fiancée’s hand, Alex assured her again that all would be fine. When the doorbell rang, Kelly sprang up from her seat and ran to the door. “Daddy! You’re all here. How was your flight?” She said as she hugged her father and stepped aside for the group to enter. “Oh, Kelly is was great. The kids thought it was the greatest thing ever to fly across the country.” Kevin replied as he took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack. Once everyone was inside and had removed their coats, Kelly motioned the children over to her. “Daddy, this is our daughter, Dej, and our son, Zane. Kids, this is my father Kevin, my step-mother Kendall, and my brother and sister, Kevin junior and Kylie.” she introduced. “Well now, what a grown up young man.” Kevin said to Zane as he shook the boy’s hand. Offering a polite smile, Zane muttered to Kelly “You owe me big time.” as the man moved on to Dej. Picking the little girl up, he said “It’s a pleasure to meet you Dej. You sure are a pretty girl, how old are you?” When the child answered him, the man tipped his head back and laughed. “Eight years old? Are you sure?” he said, playfully mocking the child. When he set her down, Dej turned to glare at her mothers. “I don’t get paid enough to deal with this crap!” she exclaimed. Storming past the two women, Dej stomped up the stairs as she pulled her dress over her head and tossed it on the floor. Blushing crimson, Kelly turned and offered her father an apology as Alex chased her daughter. “Dad, I’m so sorry for that. She gets really upset when people joke about her age.” she explained. Waving her off, Kevin replied with a laugh “She is just like you at that age. If you thought someone was making fun of you, you would go ballistic on them.” Putting his arm around his daughter’s shoulders, Kevin looked at Zane and
asked “Kelly picked out that sweater for you didn’t she?” Nodding, Zane looked cautiously at Kelly who blushed even brighter. “Yes sir, she picked it out, but I like it and wanted to wear it today.” he replied with a smile. Mouthing thank you to the boy, Kelly returned the smile and invited the adults into the kitchen for coffee.
“I have been informed that I am to lie and tell you all that I am sorry for my behavior earlier.” Dej announced a few minutes later as she came reluctantly back down the stairs. Snorting into his coffee cup, Kevin turned to the little girl and said. “Sweetheart, I’m the one who is sorry. I shouldn’t have joked like that.” Opening his arms, Kevin smiled as the girl hugged him. After she had gotten the nod of approval from Alex, Dej turned and went off to play with the others. “She is so precious.” Kendall said, turning to Alex and Kelly. “By ‘precious’ do you mean an arrogant little priss? If so, then yes, yes she is.” Alex replied jokingly, making the group laugh. The five adults sat and talked for quite a while until Dej and Kylie made their way back into the kitchen. “I would like to remind you all that as the so-called adults in the house, it is your job to feed us a meal in the evenings.” Dej said, crossing her arms over her chest. Glaring at her daughter, Alex retorted “The law requires that we feed you enough times per day to ensure your continued health and proper growth rate.” While the rest of the adults roared with laughter, Alex checked the time and was surprised to see that it was nearly six o’clock. “Alright you win. Go tell your brothers to get their shoes and coats.” she said to the little girls. Turning back to the adults, Alex offered a dinner suggestion. “How about Kelly and I take you all out to the kids’ favorite restaurant?” When the others nodded in approval, Alex called Angie and invited them along.
*****
“So, how are the wedding plans coming along, Kelly?” Kendall asked a while later, once the children had gone off to play video games. “They’re going great. We met with the florist last week and decided on a list of possibilities for the flowers, and we met with the baker a few days after we got back to go over his suggestions on the cake. That man does not like having his ideas rejected, but he’s also afraid of Alex, so he’s not presenting too much of a problem.” Kelly replied with a laugh. She and Alex had decided to use Wes Johnson for their wedding cake after they had seen the effort he had put into making the kids’ birthday cakes the previous summer. He was also the only baker in town who was willing to go the extra mile to make sure Dej would be able to have cake too. “Wow, it sounds like everything is going smoothly then. Have you two set an actual date yet?” Kendall asked. Nodding, Kelly replied with a smile “We’ve chosen August eighth.” Smiling at her fiancée, Alex excused herself to go check on the kids. When Alex walked away, Kevin excused himself as well and left the women to talk about the wedding. Heading in the same direction that Alex had gone, Kevin found the woman leaning against the wall in front of the arcade.
“You’re not one to do the whole ‘we’re girls so all we talk about is weddings’ thing, are you?” he asked, standing next to her. Shaking her head, Alex felt slightly embarrassed. “Not really, no. I mean, I’m excited about marrying her, and I want her to have her dream wedding, but I just don’t see the appeal in gushing about it. I was the same way with my first wedding too.” she replied. Studying the woman while she watched the children play, Kevin asked “Something else is bothering you, isn’t it?” Blowing out a breath, Alex ran her hand through her hair and turned to face the man. “If you tell anyone, I’ll bury you where no one will find you.” she said. Laughing, the man swore not to say anything. Motioning for him to follow her, Alex stepped outside.
“First off, Kelly is not to know I’m doing this. I only do it when I’m under a lot of stress.” Alex stated as she pulled a cigarette from her jacket pocket and put it between her lips. After lighting it and taking a drag, Alex turned to Kevin and explained. “You’re right, there is something bothering me. When Kelly went in to get tested to see if she was a bone marrow match for Karen, I went with her and had them test me too. I came up as a match. I’m more than willing to donate to her, but I’m having some thoughts that I can’t really talk to Kelly about.” she said. Stubbing out her cigarette, Alex continued. “On the one hand, if I donate my bone marrow, Karen might be able to beat the leukemia, and I will have helped save someone’s life. But here’s the thing. If I go through with this and Karen beats the cancer, what’s to stop her from turning her back on Kelly again after she has gotten what she wants? That’s what I’m afraid of. She and Kelly are getting along beautifully now, and I am worried that once she gets the bone marrow, Karen is going to go right back to ostracizing Kelly and treating her like she doesn’t exist. With everything that woman has dealt with, I don’t want to see her get hurt again.” Looking at Kevin cautiously, Alex tried to gauge his reaction. “Well, to be honest Alex, that’s exactly what I’m expecting will happen. I fully suspect that Karen’s ‘loving mother and reformed homophobe’ routine is just an act to get what she wants. I was married to her for almost twenty five years, and I can tell you from experience that she is a shameless manipulator. Hell she had me convinced that we were doing the right thing by shunning our own daughter because of her preferences.” the man said, taking a pack of his own cigarettes out of his pocket. Offering one to Alex, he said with a shrug “I’ve been a smoker for most of my life. I won’t tell on you.” Smiling, Alex accepted the offer and lit another cigarette.
While Alex and Kevin talked outside, Kelly, Angie, Karen, and Kendall all talked about the wedding. They discussed every topic, from their choice of clothing to the name of the songs on their playlist. When Billy brought out their pizzas and set a smaller tray with a single personal pizza on it in front of Kelly, the man asked “Where are the men? Weren’t there two men and an Alex with you birds earlier?” When the women laughed, the man scrunched up his face in faux shock. “Oh my God. What did you do to them?” he asked, feigning outrage. “What’s that look for?” Alex asked from behind him. Turning, Billy pulled her into a tight hug and with an over dramatic flair, pretended to sob with relief. “Oh, thank the Lawd! I was so worried that these dames went and committed an evil upon the men folk!” Letting go, the man whispered in Alex’s ear “Better go on into my office and spray yourself. You smell like an ashtray.” Smiling, Alex whispered back “Kevin smokes, so I’m covered.” Smiling, the man walked off. “Hey Ange, why don’t you text Steve and tell him to bring in the herd?” Alex said as she took the seat next to Kelly and kissed the woman in greeting. Scrunching up her nose, Kelly gave Alex a once over. “You smell like my dad.” she said, playfully pushing Alex away.
After they finished their supper, Alex and Kelly hugged Steve and Angie goodbye and got into their car with the kids. Once they made sure that Karen’s car was behind them, the procession headed home. When they arrived, Alex set the kids up with a movie and joined the other adults in the kitchen to get started on the preparations for the next day. “Alright, here are the assignments. I’ll handle the turkey, the gravy, and the green beans. Babe, you’re on veggie patrol. Make sure you put Dej’s in a separate container and set them on top of her food in the fridge. Kevin, you said on the phone that you are a master with potatoes, so I’m trusting you to make the mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and the potato salad. Kendall, you’re the baker, so I’m assigning you the dinner rolls, pies, and cranberry sauce. Karen, you’re on the deviled eggs. Everyone agree?” With a collective nod, the group got to work.
*****
“So Alex, I wanted to ask a question at the restaurant, but I was a little embarrassed to ask in front of your sister. Do you mind if I ask it now?” Kendall said a few hours later, after the children had been tucked in for the night. The group were sitting outside on the back deck in a semi-circle around an outdoor heater. Taking a sip of her wine, Alex nodded. “Well, when we were having pizza, I noticed that Dej had a small one of her own. And when we were in the kitchen, you told Kelly to separate her food. I was wondering, is she
on a special diet?” Finishing her wine, Alex nodded again. “Yes, she is. Did you notice how small she is compared to the other kids? Well, when Dej was born, she was diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism, pituitary disease, and PKU. The PKU is the reason for the special diet. She is only allowed two grams of protein a day, and because protein is abundant in a lot of foods, her meals are made at a pseudo-pharmacy. Her food is delivered, prepackaged into meals, every week.” she explained as plainly as she could. Surprised when no one showed concern or offered apologies, Alex smiled. She was used to people offering pity when she explained about her daughter. “Alright, we better get back to work if any of us plan on sleeping tonight.” she said as she stood and pulled a protesting Kelly to her feet.
CHAPTER 15
“Oh, what a day!” Kelly said the next evening as she and Alex got ready for bed. The pair had been woken up early that morning by Zane. “Moms, I need you to wake up.” the boy had said, tapping on their feet. “Little Kevin had an accident and I don’t feel comfortable waking up Grandpa or Gamma Kendall. I told him to do it but he won’t and he’s sitting in my bathroom, crying.” he explained once the women were awake. “I’ll take care of it, son. Thank you for letting us know.” Kelly said, excusing the boy from their room. Getting dressed, Alex huffed when she looked at the clock and saw that it was only six-thirty in the morning. Deciding to go down and make coffee, Alex left the room and quietly made her way downstairs. The group had decided that Karen would stay the night as well, so she didn’t have to turn around and come back first thing in the morning. Tiptoeing past the couch where Karen slept, she went into the kitchen.