The Queen of Diamonds

by Raven Cavalleu

  "I love you too, Maddy." Alex looked up and saw Rachel standing beside the chair.

  "Thank you," Rachel said as she reached for her daughter. She picked her up and gave her a big hug before turning back to Alex. "I'm sorry for everything."

  Alex slowly stood and turned her back on the house as she looked at Rachel. "You shouldn't be giving an apology, Ray, you should be receiving one." She turned and made her way into the kitchen to pull the lasagna from the oven.

  Nikki walked up and sniffed as she rolled her eyes heavenward. "That smells amazing." She placed a hand on Alex's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Would you like me to carry it to the table?"

  "Yes, please. I'll get the salad." Nikki picked up the lasagna and carried it out to the table while Alex reached into the refrigerator for the salad. She placed it on the table and sank into her chair, watching quietly as everyone began to fill their plates. She listened as Dani and Nikki tried to engage John and Donna in meaningful conversation, updating them on recent events. She finally had enough of the strained and awkward silences, and decided it was time to shake things up. "I have a question." Everyone turned to her expectantly. "It's a question for John and Donna. I was wondering if you could tell me what caused this rift between you and your daughters? What happened to drive you apart?"

  John set his fork down beside his plate and sat back in his chair, a look of sorrow on his face as he looked down at his lap. Donna reached for her wine, and drained her glass. "You mean they haven't told you?" she asked as she set the empty glass back down and reached for the bottle.

  "I've learned it is always best to hear both sides of the story, and I'm curious to hear what you have to say."

  Donna eyed her warily for a moment before deciding to explain. "They chose to defy God, the church, our teachings, and wishes by playing house with other women instead of doing what is natural. I just don't understand what we did wrong." She gulped her wine, nearly draining her glass.

  Alex took a deep breath before saying, "I'll tell you what you did wrong. You assumed they chose this life. No one would choose to be gay. There is too much hatred and fear associated with it, and they have no rights or protections under the law. They didn't defy God, they chose to honor him by accepting what he gave them and making the most of it." She took a drink of her iced tea and quickly continued before Donna could catch her breath and interrupt. "You both raised two beautiful, amazing, strong women. You should be proud of them instead of ashamed. After all of the grief and disgust you have shown them, they stand here today welcoming you with open arms, and offering you the opportunity to know them and your granddaughter. Your ignorance is causing you to miss out on knowing three women I am proud to call my friends, and it's causing you to miss out on the love of a very special child. Let me tell you a story, and then I'll leave you alone."

  She looked away for a moment as she wondered if she should have just kept her mouth shut. As she met Nikki's eyes, shining with love, she knew she'd done the right thing. "A long time ago a young woman fell in love with a young man. Her parents didn't like him, and told her she couldn't see him anymore. She ran away and married him with the hopes that they would eventually come around. A year after she got married she had a little girl. Her parents refused to have anything to do with the child because of him. The husband became violent soon after the baby was born, and the young woman had no one to turn to, so she stayed and took his abuse. A few years later another little girl was born. She did her best to raise her children on her own, and protect them from their father." She reached for her tea with a shaking hand. "One day he snapped and flew into a rage. She hid the girls in the closet and tried to barricade the bedroom door. He broke it down and beat her for it, before stabbing her to death in front of the two girls. They ran from the room, and the older of the two hid her baby sister. When she wouldn't tell her father where her little sister was, he killed her too."

  She looked up into Donna's eyes. "The police found me two days later, still hiding from my father and covered in the blood of my sister." Donna's eyes widened. "My grandparents could have saved my family, but their pride and ignorance cost them everything. They didn't save me either, but left me to foster care and mental facilities. No one wants a four-year-old child that won't talk, and wakes up screaming every night. Rachel is nothing like my father. You have no need to fear her. Learn from my family's mistakes before one or more of them are taken from you forever. If you walk away from them today, you may never get another chance." She pushed her chair back and grimaced as she tried to stand. Once she made it to her feet, she turned to Madison. "Hey Maddy, how about you come inside with me for a while? I have a new book for you." She turned her back on the group and began to walk into the kitchen.

  Madison turned to Rachel and asked, "Can I go with my angel, Momma? Please?"

  Rachel smiled indulgently at Madison and quickly agreed. She watched as Madison jumped down from the chair and ran after Alex. Turning back, she saw the stricken look on Dani's face, and reached out placing her hand over Dani's where it rested on her lap, getting her attention. "You need to focus, and not let her sacrifice be wasted." Dani nodded and struggled to control her emotions.

  John leaned forward in his chair, and placed his elbows on the table. "What sacrifice would that be, and why does Madison call her Angel?"

  Rachel looked over at the man that had stood by and watched his wife push their daughters away and did nothing, surprised to hear him speak up. "Alex is an extremely private person, and she sacrificed a lot of that today by opening her house to you, and by sharing her story in order to give us an opportunity to become a family."

  Dani squeezed Rachel's hand and looked up at her parents. "Madison calls her Angel because Alex is her guardian angel. The biggest sacrifice she's made for us was her life." A tear slowly slid down her cheek, and she ignored it as she continued the story. "She sacrificed her own life to save Madison's. In the process she was hit by a car and nearly died."

  Nikki shook her head and said, "She did die, twice. I was the lead in the ER that day and she ended up on my table. When I found out it was my niece that she'd saved from being struck by the car, I fought even harder to keep her with us. It's because of her that you have an opportunity to get to know your granddaughter. You should thank her." She pushed her chair back and stood. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go see if she is okay. It looked like her injuries are really bothering her."

  Rachel stood, stopping her. "I'll go. You stay here and work through this." She left without waiting for a response, walking through the kitchen and into the living room only to find it empty. She ventured upstairs and paused on the landing, listening. She heard Alex's voice coming from the left, and headed in that direction. She poked her head around the door and found her propped up on the bed, with a dozing Madison beside her, as she read a story. She leaned against the doorframe and waited for Madison to completely give in and fall asleep. Once she was sure her daughter was asleep, she walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm proud of you. I know that took a lot." Alex shrugged and set the book down, rubbing her aching thigh. "Have you taken anything for the pain yet?"

  "Nothing works."

  "Have you considered taking the prescription meds again, just maybe in a smaller dose?" Rachel asked. "I could cut one of the pills for you."

  "That might be a good idea. I'm not sure how much more I can take without turning into the queen bitch, or going out of my mind. The bottle is still in my purse." Rachel found the bottle, shook out one tablet, and deftly snapped it in half. Alex took the medication, and settled down beside Madison. "Will you stay with me for a while?"

  "Of course." She sat on the foot of the bed. "I noticed Nikki wasn't surprised by your bombshell earlier. I take it you told her?"

  "Yes. I needed to know that she knew and didn't mind."

  The corner of Rachel's mouth lifted slightly. "Were you afraid she would run screaming?"

  "People did when I was a kid. Once I changed my na
me, they didn't know unless I told them, and you're the first person I've ever told."

  Rachel watched as Alex began to relax, her mind occupied with something other than the pain her body was feeling. "Well, you've now told five people, and none of them ran screaming. Have you ever considered writing your memoir? I think you could help people with your story, Alex."

  She looked at Rachel, her eyelids beginning to droop as the medication began to work. "No, do you really think it would help someone?"

  "I do. You've already helped the four people downstairs begin to work through their petty differences to become a family again. Think about the vast number of young girls that are suffering through normal teenage difficulties, much less physical abuse. You could give them hope, and a reason to keep struggling through it another day." She watched as Alex's eyes began to drift shut and continued to provide her reasons to write, in a soothing voice, until she knew she'd fallen asleep. She watched as her daughter rolled over and snuggled into Alex, who threw a protective arm around her. She carefully climbed off the bed and quietly left the room.

  Nikki looked up at Rachel as she walked out of the house to join them. "How's she doing?"

  "They're both taking a nap. I would recommend keeping a close eye on her for a while though. She's in a good deal of pain, so much in fact that it didn't take much for me to convince her to take a half of a pain pill." She pulled out the chair next to Dani and sat down, reaching for her wife's hand.

  Alex opened her eyes and looked up into the smiling face of Madison. "Wake up, Angel. I want to hear the rest of the story." She tried to clear the fog from her brain as she warily sat up expecting pain, and realized the throbbing in her leg had diminished considerably.

  "How about we go read downstairs?" She smiled when Madison quickly climbed down, clutching the book to her chest. Together they walked down the stairs and into the living room, where she settled into the recliner with Madison on her lap, and began reading the book. When the story was finished, she looked down at her and said, "How about we go get the dessert, and take it outside?"

  "Okay." Madison scrambled from her lap and waited for Alex to get up.

  Alex took her hand and led her to the garage where the second refrigerator was. She opened the freezer and handed her a container of ice cream. "Will you carry this for me?" she asked. Madison's head bobbed rapidly as she clutched the ice cream to her chest. She pulled the tiramisu from the refrigerator and headed for the kitchen. After setting everything on the counter, she pulled a small plastic bowl from the cupboard, and filled it with ice cream before putting the container in the freezer. She handed the bowl to Madison and said, "You take this and I'll get the big bowl. Thank you for helping me." Together they walked out into the courtyard, Madison proudly leading the way.

  Nikki looked up and saw Alex carrying a large bowl towards them, and quickly excused herself. "Let me take that," she said as she reached her.

  "I've got this, why don't you get some plates and silverware?"

  "If you're sure."

  "Thank you, cara," Alex said as she continued on to the table. Rachel stood and guided Madison to a seat, helping her set the ice cream down and climb into her chair. As she placed the dessert on the table, she turned to Dani and said, "Would you mind getting a serving spoon? I forgot it." She smiled thankfully at Dani as she stood. As she turned back to survey the table to see if anything else was required, she realized Donna was standing beside her watching Rachel tend to Madison. "She's a wonderful mother." As Donna's eyes met hers Alex smiled and said, "Dani's heart chose well, wouldn't you say?"

  Donna nodded and replied, "Yes. It appears Nicole…Nikki's has as well." She saw the surprise in Alex's eyes and smiled. "We may not be very close now, but a mother knows her child. I see the way you two look at each other, and while I may not understand it, I know she's happy."

  Alex pulled out a chair for Donna and motioned for her to sit. Donna watched as she pulled her own chair out, and sat as she contemplated voicing her thoughts.

  When nothing was immediately forthcoming, Donna looked at her and said, "Please don't hold back now."

  "Are you sure?" She watched as Nikki and Dani walked up with the dessert dishes. "These two are likely to tell you to be careful what you ask of me, for you may get it and then some."

  As everyone chuckled, Donna placed her hand on her arm. "Please tell me what you were thinking."

  Alex looked out over the lake as she began to speak. "When I was young, I would pray to God to help me understand his purpose for taking my family from me. God never answered my prayers, so I visited many churches and met with many ministers, counselors, and the like. No matter what faith, they all told me the same thing." She looked at Donna as she said, "Stop trying to understand and just accept that it is. Once you accept that God made us this way for his purpose, your pain will ease, and your heart will once again fill with love whether you understand or not."

  Donna sat back in her chair and regarded her thoughtfully as everyone else held their breath and waited.

  Madison climbed down from her chair, wiping ice cream from her chin, and walked up to Alex. "Angel, will you tell me another story?"

  "Of course, piccola." She picked the little girl up and set her on her lap facing her grandmother. The table was quiet while she began to spin a tale of anger and sadness. Madison listened intently as her favorite monkey overheard one of the parrots saying something mean about her mother. "When Millie expressed her anger and hatred of the parrots to Lexi, Lexi told her that she needed to forgive the parrot. 'Hatred and anger will poison your heart, Millie. You must learn to forgive,' Lexi told her." She looked down at a wide-eyed Madison as she continued the story. "Millie refused to believe her friend, and tried to chase the parrots off. What she didn't understand is that her anger and hatred were making her sick."

  Madison looked at Donna, then up at Alex as she asked, "Will Millie forgive the parrot?"

  "Do you think she should?" Madison nodded. Alex told her how Millie finally apologized to the parrot and they became friends.

  Nikki began to dish up the dessert as everyone sat around quietly, thinking about the story. Madison leaned over and placed her small hand on Donna's leg. When Donna looked at her, she said, "I'm sorry I was mad at you. I forgive you for what you said about my angel and my Momma."

  Donna wiped a tear from her eye and gave her a tentative smile. "I'm very sorry I said those things. I was wrong." Alex smiled as Madison reached over and gave Donna a hug.

  "Would you like me to get you a pen and paper?" Dani asked Alex as she helped Madison climb down from her lap.

  She thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. "No, thank you. I think that was a one-timer."

  "I think it would be good to have a book teaching tolerance." Dani saw the flash of distaste cross Alex's features. "What is it?"

  "I hate that word. I strive for acceptance. I do not wish to simply be tolerated."

  Dani nodded. "Well, when you put it like that…"

  Alex was surprised when both Donna and John hugged her as they said good-bye, and thanked her for opening her home. As she closed the door behind them, Nikki turned to her and said, "Well, I think that went pretty well, don't you?"

  "Yes, my love, I do." She walked into Nikki's arms and placed her head on her shoulder. She sighed contentedly as she slipped her arms around her, holding her close.

  "Will you two quit making out, and get in here?" Dani called out. "We could use your help."

  Alex looked up at Nikki with one raised eyebrow. "What did you tell her?" she asked.

  "Nothing, I swear." She dropped her arms, and took Alex by the hand. Together they walked into the kitchen to see what help was required. "We were not making out," she said defensively when she saw her sister smirking.

  "No, but that does sound like a lovely idea," Alex replied with a grin. "Care to join us, Dani?" She chuckled when she saw her blush. She grabbed the half full bottle of wine and dumped it down the drain.<
br />
  "What did you do that for?" Rachel asked. "I was thinking about having a glass."

  "That isn't fit to drink. I have something far more appealing," She replied as she headed for the wine cellar again. She returned with two bottles of wine, setting them on the counter.

  Rachel pulled one over and read the label, her surprise evident. "Are you serious? This is expensive wine."

  Pulling glasses from the cupboard, she replied, "This is wine to be shared with friends. What good is having fine wine if you cannot share it?"

  Nikki took the bottle from Rachel and looked at the label. "PA Vineyard…I can't read the rest. What language is this?"

  Alex shook her head as she pulled the corkscrew from the drawer. "Look closer. It is Perfetta Armonia Vigento." She grabbed the second bottle while Nikki scrutinized the label of the first. She deftly uncorked it and set it aside.

  "What does that mean?"

  "Perfect Harmony Vineyard. It's a little vineyard in Tuscany. This is their award winning Super Tuscan Riserva." She filled the four glasses as she watched Nikki and Dani examine the label again.

  "Why is the label only in Italian?"

  "I imported this directly from the vineyard, I did not purchase this from an American distributor. Because of that, it has the Italian label instead of the American version." She lifted her glass, and closed her eyes as she smelled the aroma wafting up from the wine. "Just smelling this makes me think of the rolling hills of Tuscany, with the rows of grape vines and olive groves."

  Rachel set her glass back down on the counter. "You've been there?"

  "Yes. Tuscany is one of my favorite places. The picture in the living room of the sunset through the trees is one I took at the vineyard there." She took a sip of her wine, and smiled as the memory of that day rose in her mind.

  "I love that picture. Do you have any others?" Dani asked as she sipped her wine. "Mmm…this wine is amazing."

  "Thank you, and yes, I do. Would you like to see some?"