Chapter 43 Dessert

Slowly Donna pulled away and locked her eyes with Joyce. Then Joyce moved into Donna's personal space, pulled her firmly towards her and claimed her lips in a kiss that was firm and demanding. Joyce forgot about Kami, she forgot about Hildy, she forgot about the dinner, all she wanted was Donna. Her hands cupped Donna's shapely derriere and began to caress her as Kami and Hildy looked on.

Turning to her fiancée with a smug expression Hildy said "Well that went well".

Kami smiled at her lover and was about to reply when the doorbell rang.

The sound of the door chimes caused the kissing couple to break contact as they both blushed and turned to their hostesses.

"Are you expecting anyone Kami?, Hildy asked.

"No. I will go see who it is".

When Kami opened her door and saw her grandmother and old friend Ellen with their arms laden with trays and containers, she just smiled and shook her head.

Inviting them inside, she led them to the dining room.

With a smile in her voice, she said "Look who turned up. They could not wait to be told how the dinner went so they decided to crash it".

Nana lifted her elegant chin at her granddaughter's playful comment and said;

"I knew you had a short time to pull this dinner together Kami, and as I did some baking today for my darlings Daniel and Jael, I decided to do some more and bring it over for your desert".

Laughing outright at what she knew was the truth being stretched, Kami took the trays from her grandmother and walked to the sideboard with Ellen beside her holding the ice cream container. When they were finished settling everything Kami turned to their guests to make the introductions.

"Nana, you already know Jaz", Kathrine gave a slight nod of her head in Joyce's direction, and Joyce raised her beautiful naturally sculpted eyebrow in acknowledgement of Kami's grandmother.

Turning to Donna, Kami said; "Nana I would like to introduce you to Donna Walters, she is Jazz's friend. She flew in from California this morning".

Kathrine turned and looked at Donna. Before her she saw a woman, who was elegantly dressed with an air of confidence radiating off of her. Kathrine looked into Donna's eyes and it was as if a curtain was pulled aside and Kathrine was allowed to see inside. Donna smiled with her eyes and in that moment, Kathrine knew that Donna was what Jaz needed. She understood that Donna would walk beside Jaz and not allow herself to be emotionally trampled over the way her own Darling Kami allowed Jaz to rule her life. In that moment Kathrine knew that Jaz would have joy and not just happiness with Donna.

This mental communication took just a few seconds. While the two ladies exchanged mental messages, Kami turned to her oldest friend and said, "Ellen, you remember Jaz".

Without editing her response Ellen replied with slightly veiled sarcasm "How could I forget".

Then in an act that was partly motivated by provocation, Ellen stepped forward almost into Jaz's personal space and took her hand and shook it vigorously. Joyce knew Ellen did not like her from the time she and Kami lived together, as such she did not expect Ellen to shake her hand.

Narrowing her eyes, she looked at Ellen as she pulled her hand away. Without beating around the bush, she asked in a tone that she often used at her hospital when dealing with young doctors who needed to be pulled down several pegs, "Ellen, what are you up to? We do not like each other, so there is no need for the show of handshakes".

Sensing that the evening as about to go from pleasant to unpleasant, Kami physically stepped between her friend and her former lover and said,

"Hey, hey, ladies let's be nice". The two women looked at each other as memories flooded their minds.

Jaz began her internal monologue. "This woman was a royal pain in my butt when she came to visit Kami in California all those years ago. I will always remember after her heart-to-heart talk with Kami proved fruitless, when she realized she could not convince Kami to leave me, this little upstart of a woman dared to come to my office at the hospital to have a word with me. A word with me! As if I would have given her the time of day". Joyce eyes glazed over slightly as she recalled the incident. "I remember taking great pleasure in calling security and having her forcibly removed from the hospital. I wish I can forcibly remove her from my presence now!"

Ellen was doing her best not to let old negative emotions towards Jaz control the way she felt now. Nana seemed to think that Jaz was an emotionally troubled soul with the potential of redemption. If Nana genuinely believed this, then Ellen would do her best to let bygones be bygones. Even though it irked her that Jaz just waltzed back into Kami's life with the intension of staking a so-called claim on her dear friend. Then to initiate her plan Jaz approached Hildy, the thought of that got her so upset. Ellen reminded herself that she was in her friends' home and she needed follow their lead. If they are willing to forgive and forget, then she will too. But she could not stop the memories from infiltrating her mind in that moment.

Memories of flying to California to talk some sense into Kami flashed frame by frame across her mind. One conversation, came back, word for word. "Kami, why can't you see how Jaz is dominating your life? You do not even call your parents and grandparents as often as you use to. Why? Because Jaz gets all pouty when she thinks your attention is not completely on her. I know she is your first female lover, and you are probably making up for lost time in the bedroom. I would not be surprised given her personality; Jaz is probably in full dominatrix mode between the sheets. But for the love of God don't let bedroom bossiness spill over into the other areas of your life!". I remember how Kami blushed when I told her that, and how she told me I had crossed the line and asked me to leave. I suppose I should not have been surprised that my friend whom I loved as the sister, asked me to leave. But I was surprised. I remember when I reaches out and hugged her before leaving, and she did not respond, how I felt Kami was forever lost to me.

As I walked away from Kami's and Jaz's apartment, I felt anger begin to rise within me. I blamed Jaz for the death of my friendship and wanted her to pay for all the trouble she caused. Without a clear plan in mind, I remember heading directly to the hospital where Jaz worked, and locating the thoracic department. Looking back at that entire hospital scene I think I had become a little crazy. After repeatedly demanding that the head nurse call Jaz because I wanted 'to have a word with her', two security guards who looked like they moonlighted for the local football team came and bodily carried me out of the hospital. Not a stellar moment.

I was so happy when Kami finally came to the realization that her relationship with Jaz was not healthy for her. When she came back to New York City and we met that first time, I could see in Kami's eyes that she did not know what to say to me or how to act. I did not give her the opportunity to allow the awkward moment to grow, I walked into her personal space and hugged her like we use to hug in the past and she began to cry.

Our friendship got back on solid footing and it grew stronger than before. Now this self centred woman is back, hell bent on causing trouble once more. I hope to God that Nana is correct in believing that Jaz can be redeemed. I will give her the benefit of the doubt, but I intend to keep my eyes on her and if she so much as says anything or does anything to embarrass Hildy or hurt Kami I will definitely have my opportunity to have 'a word with her' this time. As a matter of fact, I will have more than a word.

With those thoughts skipping through her mind, Ellen gave Jaz a smile that was difficult for the brilliant doctor to discern.

Kami felt the disdain the women had for each other and was determine that they leave the past in the past. The last two days were emotionally draining, and things were finally resolved, she did not want to go back to the tensions. Turning to Ellen she said, "let me continue the introductions".

"Ellen, this is Donna, Jaz's friend". Then turning to Donna, she introduced Ellen. The women shook hands and Donna said, "It is a pleasure to met you". Ellen returned the pleasantries.

Hildy realized that her partner was trying to restore the comradery they achieved at the end of their dinner. Deciding to take control of the situation, she turned to Kathrine and said, "Nana, your timing as always is perfect. We only now finished eating dinner and as you correctly assume, we do not have anything special for dessert, just some sponge cake in the refrigerator. Thank you for thinking of us". Then turning to Jaz, she said "Come and assist me in putting out the sweet bread and ice-cream, please".

Joyce complied as she wanted to place a little distance between her and Ellen.

Kami lead everyone else to the den and they made themselves comfortable as she engaged them in small talk. Soon they were all feasting on the delicious homemade barbadine ice-cream and sweetbread that Hildy and Jaz served them.

Kathrine looked around the small gathering, mentally acknowledging her granddaughter's effort in keeping up the light chatter on safe topics. Kathrine picked up the tension between her granddaughter's old friend and her old former lover. She remembered what Ellen told her had happened the last time she tried to convince Kami to leave Jaz when they lived together in California. She fully understood that Ellen would find it difficult to forget what happened and dare say, she may even find it a little challenging to forgive the embarrassment of being forcefully removed from the hospital by the security guards, but Katherine felt it was important to leave the past in the past especially when there was no chance of repeating it.

Clearing her throat to catch everyone's attention she began to speak.

"The last few days have been unusual in nature and gave opportunity for old wounds to experience phantom pain, but phantom pain is all it is". Kathrine slowly let her eyes roam from Kami to Jaz to Ellen.

"I remember hearing a pastor at church give an analogy of a truck with its wheels stuck in some mud. The driver tried going forward and the truck did not move, and he began to become frustrated. Then someone who was watching from the side, advised the driver to go into reverse gear and back up the truck a little to become unstuck from the mud. Then you will be able to drive forward and away from the muddy patch of ground". Looking around the den, she saw the five young ladies all looking at her with varying levels of confusion. She kept up the eye contact without speaking and then one by one the penny dropped.

Giving a slight nod of her regal head Kathrine continued speaking as she turned to Kami.

"My Darling Babygirl, at first when I was told Jaz was here, I became terribly upset, but now I see that even though the motive for her visit was unrealistic, it was a blessing in disguise. Jaz coming here was like the truck going into reverse a little, it was like going over old ground, but it was needed before being able to go forward. Kami, you needed an opportunity to speak with Jaz and release the emotions and hurts you still carried in your heart. Speaking honestly at Bow Bridge this morning with Jaz gave you the freedom to release the residual hurts. Forgiveness is the strongest form of healing a heart can experience, and that happened today".

Turing her focus on Jaz, Kathrine observed the younger woman squared her shoulders like she was bracing for a blow as she locked eyes with Nana. That simple gesture made Kathrine pause for a moment as she modified her voice to an even gentler tone than the one, she used in speaking to her granddaughter.

"Joyce Amy Zachery, I am not going to repeat what we all know. This trip was your truck experience. You rolled the truck back a little bit, you have been forgiven by Kami, now you need to forgive yourself and fully let go of the past. You have an opportunity to have a life with someone who will be your equal in every sense of the word, do not throw away this opportunity because it will not come again".

The entire room held their breath and after what felt like long few moments, Jaz gave a slight nod of her head.

Finally, Nana turned to Ellen and gave her a gentle smile. "My Dear Child, you are Kami's defender and protected and I love you for it. However, there comes a time to forgive and forget. The time has come", and like an obedient child Ellen said, 'Yes, Nana".

Hildy and Donna looked at each other and back at the other ladies in the room then back at each other and smiled.

Leaning over to Donna, Hildy whispered softly so only she would hear "I did not think I would be saying this but ….I think over time we can be friends".

Donna looked at her, saw the sincerity in her eyes and smiled. Donna replied, "I would like that.