by Donna Raider
##
Mika felt like a new woman the next morning. A night of uninterrupted sleep had rejuvenated her completely. She showered, dressed, and hurried to meet Leah in the diner for breakfast.
Leah was in their booth. Mika leaned down and kissed her longingly, letting her know how much she had missed her.
“Where’s Richie?” Mika sipped the coffee Leah had ordered for her.
“He will be staying with Emily during the holidays.” Leah frowned. “The mansion is empty without him.”
“Did you sleep okay last night?” Mika inquired, hoping her nightmares hadn’t returned.
“I did,” Leah said slowly, amazed that her night had been nightmare free and very restful.
“You look wonderful,” Mika smiled, “so incredibly beautiful. I could spend an eternity gazing upon your face. You truly are the fairest of them all.”
Leah bowed her head. Mika’s blatant assessment of her beauty always pleased and slightly embarrassed her.
“Hey, don’t forget. Our first bowling team effort is tonight at six thirty.” Mika touched her hand lightly.
“Oh, yes,” she laughed. “Tell me, again, who’s on our team?”
“We drew names, four to a team. Richie, Amber, you and I,” Mika listed their team members. “Mother Superior, Samson, Delilah, and Levi are a team. Isaac, Emily, Gloria, and Ruth. Mary, Dr. David, Naomi, and Nick. Other teams are made up of the nuns, miners, and other residents. Richie is our team captain.”
“Nick,” Leah grimaced, upset that Richie’s father would be so closely involved. “Is he still a drunk?”
“He’s trying. Going to AA. I hope that he can do it. For Richie’s sake,” Mika answered.
“Amber is on our team?” Leah raised her eyebrows.
“Honey, you have to let this thing with Amber go.” Mika caught both her hands in hers. “You must know that you are the only one in my mind and my heart.”
“I know.” She bowed her head, recalling the sad recording of Amber’s conversation with the priest. “It can’t be easy for her to be around you. I couldn’t do it.”
“She has done a lot for the town and the church,” Mika noted. “She and I have resolved our issues. I want us to befriend her.”
“I will do my best.” Leah stood, smiling slightly. “Let’s go earn our keep, Priest. Pick me up at six for bowling?”
Mika smiled at how easily Leah assumed she would be there for her. She liked knowing Leah automatically counted on her. She liked being so much a part of her life that Leah took her for granted.
They kissed goodbye outside of the diner and went their separate ways.
##
“Bowling is a blast!” Richie exclaimed to his mother. “I didn’t know you were good at bowling.”
Richie smiled thoughtfully. She was exceptional at everything she did: cooking, decorating, skating, dancing, running an entire town, and being a mother. The list was endless. Yep! He nodded to himself. She is truly impressive. I am so proud of her. He wondered how he could have been so cruel to her when Emily showed up. He loved her so much.
He impulsively threw his arms around her. “I love you, Mom.”
Leah’s face lit up at the unexpected show of affection from her son. She winked at Mika, who was also smiling at Richie’s impulsive declaration to his mother.
“I love you too, Richie.”
Mika watched her bowl. She was very good, bowling a strike or a spare almost every time. Mika recalled the first night she had spent with her, talking on the front porch of her home. She thought Leah was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. Looking at her now, she realized she had only gotten more beautiful. With most of the anguish removed from her life, she looked even younger than she did eighteen months ago. Mika thought, with a start, that she hadn’t aged at all. Her hair was still the same raven color. Her eyes were still the same deep brown, and she had not one wrinkle on her body. She was perfect.
Leah turned to catch Mika staring at her. “What?”
“You…you are just beautiful,” Mika said softly, “so ageless.”
Leah grinned mischievously. “Don’t you know Wicked Queens live forever?”
“I am counting on it,” Mika laughed as she pulled her onto her lap.
“Priest, we are in a bowling alley with most of your parishioners.” She grinned, moving quickly from Mika’s lap.
“Come on, Amber,” Richie cheered for the beautiful blonde. “If you bowl at least a spare, we’ll win.”
Everyone gathered around to watch as Amber stepped up to throw her last two balls.
“A strike, you bowled a strike.” Richie grabbed her and danced around the floor. “You guys are so toast.” The boy grinned at his birth mother. “Everything Amber bowls now is just points heaped on your loss.”
“When did you become so competitive?” Emily smiled at her son’s excitement.
Amber grinned, happy to be included in the boy’s joy.
Richie’s team won, and they all headed to the diner for a late supper.
##
“How is the Christmas pageant coming along?” Samson asked as they pulled enough tables together to accommodate everyone.
“Beautifully.” The priest grinned. “You are doing an excellent job of playing Joseph, and Delilah is a perfect Mary.”
“Thank you.” Samson smiled, almost bashfully. “But I do believe the angel is going to steal the show.”
“When he sings, it does make one’s heart stop, doesn’t it?” Mika agreed.
Leah felt a little left out whenever they talked about church activities, but she listened, interested in what the priest was doing. It irritated her a little that Delilah had been selected to play the Virgin Mary. She’d make a better donkey.
“Leah, you must attend the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve,” Samson included her in their conversation. “It will be standing room only. Everyone is going.”
She smiled and nodded politely, not making any commitment.
“You know Mika and I are going to work on our project tomorrow?” Richie slid into the seat next to his mother.
“I do.” Leah smiled at her son. “I believe Mika has something she wants to discuss with you.”
Mika sharply inhaled as Leah set her up to have the talk with Richie. Leah grinned playfully at the priest.
“Have I done something wrong?” the boy asked tentatively.
“Oh, no, sweetheart,” his mother said, smiling down at him, “Mika just wants to discuss something with you, something about the birds and the bees.”
“Oh, Mika,” Richie said, scowling, “you’re not going to teach me to be a beekeeper, are you?”
Leah and Mika burst into laughter, and Leah ran her hand up the inside of Mika’s thigh, causing her laughter to deteriorate into a fit of coughing.
“You are evil,” Mika whispered into her ear. “I’m keeping a tally of your evilness, my queen. You will pay.”
A shiver ran through Leah’s body. “I’m counting on it,” she said softly.
##
On Saturday morning, the three met at the diner for breakfast and planned their day. Leah was going to make a new recipe for dinner, so she was going shopping. Mika and Richie were heading off to their project. The days were getting shorter, so they all agreed to meet at the mansion at five instead of their usual six.
They all turned toward the door as the chime announced a new diner. Amber walked in and looked around for a seat.
“Amber, Amber, over here,” Richie called, and ran to lead her to their booth.
“Is it okay?” The emerald-eyed beauty raised a quizzical eyebrow at Leah.
“Of course.” The mayor smiled, wondering if her son was becoming enamored with the fair-haired woman. She knew it wasn’t unusual for prepubescent boys to have crushes on older women. Leah was well aware that Isaac had a crush on her.
“Mika and I were just leaving,” Richie said, pulling the priest from the booth. “We are working on a project, and she is
going to tell me about the birds and the bees.”
A slight blush flooded the priest’s face as the three adults laughed spontaneously at the excited boy. Mika leaned down and lightly kissed her fiancée’s lips before being dragged away by Richie.
Amber ordered coffee and eyed Leah tentatively.
“I wanted to congratulate you on your upcoming wedding to Mika,” the blonde said softly.
“Thank you,” Leah replied.
“I know how much she loves you,” Amber continued. “You are a lucky woman.”
“I’m very fortunate,” the mayor agreed with her. “I know there is some history between you and Mika. She cares for you a great deal and wants us to be friends, and of course, Richie adores you.”
Emerald eyes twinkled as Amber laughed. “I would truly like that,” she said.
The mayor suddenly realized Amber probably knew more about her fiancée than she did. "You've known Mika a long time," she said vaguely, as if simply making conversation.
"Longer than anyone else, I believe,” Amber answered guardedly. “The powers that be didn't deem me worthy of her, but for some reason, they saw fit to give her to you. I don't know why.”
Leah was surprised by the blonde’s honesty. She nodded her head. “I ask myself that same question daily,” she said. "I’m certain I don't deserve her.
“Mika tells me the two of you grew up together,” Leah said casually. “Greece or Italy; I can’t recall what she told me.” She frowned as if her memory had failed her. The truth was that Mika had been so vague, Leah wasn’t sure what she had said.
Amber tilted her head slightly. She knew she was being interrogated. She had no idea what Mika had told her fiancée, so she wasn’t about to enter that conversation with the mayor.
Ruth bounced up to the table to refill their coffee. “Amber, I just heard that Delilah is playing the Virgin Mary in the Christmas Pageant,” the waitress said. “I thought you were going to be Mary.”
“I will be out of town the week before the Christmas Mass, so I opted out. I didn’t think it was fair to the others for me to miss the most important rehearsals.” Amber smiled. “I’m certain Delilah will do a wonderful job.”
“I am going to be an angel.” Ruth grinned proudly. “Mika says I will make a beautiful angel.”
“Of course you will.” Amber nodded. “You are a beautiful young woman.”
Ruth blushed, causing a break in the conversation. Amber took the opportunity to end her visit with Leah. “May I have my coffee in a go cup? I have an appointment in a few minutes and need to go to work.”
Turning back to Leah, she flashed her most beautiful smile. “You know, car salespeople never truly get a day off.”
Ruth sighed as she watched Amber leave the diner. “Man, I wouldn’t mind hitting that.”
“Seriously, Ruth,” Leah growled, “you and Emily must read from the same playbook.”
“Honestly, Madam Mayor, what do you think when you watch Mika walk away?” Ruth grinned mischievously.
“I certainly don’t think ‘I wouldn’t mind hitting that.’” Leah frowned. Of course, I have thought, ‘Just wait until I get my hands on you, Priest.’ She smiled to herself.
“Yeah, that’s what I mean.” Ruth laughed at the smile on the mayor’s face.
##
Mika and Richie were putting the final touches on the inside of the boat. They had finished the exterior except for lifting the boat out of the water and painting the hull. They were saving that for warmer weather.
Richie had buffed the burled wood to a shine and was making faces at his reflection. Mika watched the boy and realized, again, how much she loved Leah’s son.
“When’s lunch?” Richie grinned. “I have worked up an appetite.”
“As if you have to work up an appetite,” Mika teased. “You’re always hungry.”
The boy laughed and took one last look at his reflection in the burled wood.
“I thought we would try out the cooktop and the ventilation system today. How about cheeseburgers?”
“Awesome,” Richie said, moving to get the buns and chips from the pantry as Mika pulled the hamburger meat from the refrigerator.
“I believe all systems are ready.” Mika smiled, as she dropped the hamburger patties into the pan. “A few more cosmetic touchups and we will be finished way ahead of schedule. I am dying to show your mother. It’s hard to keep secrets from her.”
“Why can’t we show her as soon as we finish everything?” Richie’s voice took on a new sound of excitement. He didn’t like keeping secrets from his mother either, especially great ones. “She will be very happy.”
“Why not?” The priest grinned. “Why should we wait six months to enjoy our boat? We could take a weekend trip, as soon as we get good weather.”
As they finished their lunch, Richie said, “What were you going to tell me about the birds and the bees?”
The priest cleared her throat as she tried to find a way to begin the conversation with her soon-to-be stepson. “You know your mother and I love each other very much. When two people love each other very much, they marry and then they are free to make love with God’s blessings.”
The boy nodded as if he understood what Mika was saying. “When two people love each other as much as your mom and I do, they are usually very vocal in their lovemaking.” The priest took a big drink of water to diminish the dryness that had set up camp in her mouth and tongue. “Am I making sense?” She looked at Richie pleadingly.
“You are talking about sex, aren’t you?” the boy asked hesitantly. “I mean, we studied the reproduction process in biology. It didn’t seem like anything to cheer about.”
“I’m failing miserably at this, aren’t I?” Mika grinned slightly. “Yes, I am talking about sex, but not just sex. I’m talking about when two people love each other and…uh. Let me start again. Sex is enjoyable, but it should not be entered into lightly. When it is shared by two people who deeply love one another, it can be the most beautiful experience you will ever have. It is sometimes so joyous that one can’t help but cry out in happiness.”
Mika felt like a one-armed man swimming upstream.
“Making love is very personal and private and isn’t meant to be shared with bystanders. Often it embarrasses bystanders to hear or see what is going on.” The priest was blushing from the tip of her toes to the top of her blonde head.
“I think I understand what you are trying to tell me.” Richie grinned. “You think my mom will make a lot of noise when you make love to her, and I should probably move my bedroom to the west wing.”
“Now how hard was that?” Mika grinned. “Why didn’t I put it that simply?”
“Honestly, Mika, I love the way you explained it. It was so much better than Emily’s explanation.”
“I am afraid to ask what she said,” the priest mumbled.
“Don’t ask.” Richie nodded. “It was crude, and I think it was meant to be insulting to my mother.”
Anger surged through Mika. “Richie don’t ever let anyone, Emily included, talk detrimentally about your mother. She’s an amazing, wonderful and loving woman. You and I are fortunate to be the ones she loves.”
Richie hung his head and gave the priest a sideways glance. “You know about my mother and Emily, don’t you?”
“What do you mean?” Mika asked, not wanting to confirm any suspicions the boy might have.
“Emily said they were lovers for a brief period,” the boy spoke softly.
“Your mother told me.” The priest nodded.
“You know my room shares the same wall with Mom’s.
I don’t think Mom enjoyed being with Emily,” the boy said thoughtfully. “Emily cursed, and Mom cried a lot.”
Mika’s heart went out to the boy and his mother. “That must have been very hard for you, son.”
“It was.” Richie cast his eyes toward his feet. “It made me realize what a good person my mother was, and that Emily wasn’t so great. I wa
s glad when Mom took me on the cruise and ceased to have anything to do with Emily.”
“Richie, look at me,” Mika spoke softly. “I promise I will never hurt your mother. I will spend the rest of my life making certain she has a happy life.”
“I believe that.” The boy threw his arms around the priest’s neck and cried into her shoulder.
Mika had never realized what a burden Richie had been carrying for his mother and how disappointed the boy had been in Emily.
##
The town was buzzing with excitement. They were having their first Christmas Eve Mass. Mika and the amateur thespians had been working for two months on the Nativity Program.
As it had turned out, Delilah was the perfect one to play Mary because she was heavy with child. David played Joseph, and there was a rumor of a special performance by an unknown singer.
The miners were excited because they were playing shepherds. Ruth was the angel announcing the birth of the baby, Jesus. Richie, Isaac, Mary, and Naomi were part of the heavenly host of angels. Jacob, Nick, and Levi were the three wise men.
The week of Christmas was a flurry of last-minute shopping, good cheer, and continuous conversation about the Nativity Program.
“It is important to me that you come to Christmas Eve Mass,” Mika said as she and Leah finished wrapping Richie’s presents.
“I will think about it,” Leah promised.
“You don’t have to set foot inside the church,” Mika continued. “Just stand outside the door and listen.”
“I’ll think about it,” Leah said more empathetically.
Mika knew she had pushed her hard enough, so she began to talk about something else.
##
Both Mika and Richie were anxious as they loaded the car with last-minute items to take to the church. It was Christmas Eve, and the Nativity Program would begin in two hours.
Leah watched her loves as they double-checked to make certain they had everything they needed. She had never seen them as nervous.
“Isaac’s mother will be there to help him get dressed,” Richie told Mika. “She said she will help me, too.”