See previous parts for disclaimer….
Part 15
Booklover's (a.k.a. Judy's bookstore)
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Judy sat down across from an amazingly quiet Karen pushing an abnormally sized cup of coffee across the table to her. Karen had come in about ten minutes ago, quietly asking Judy if they could talk, but once they sat down Karen had just started staring at the tabletop, glancing up apologetically every couple of seconds. Judy had suggested that she just needed to get a little caffeine in her system, but as she sat across from the quietly sipping woman she wondered if that was true. Karen was, well she usually looked perturbed and slightly worried, like the weight of the world never left her but merely shifted, however this seemed more serious to Judy.
"You have to promise that this is going to stay, just between us," Karen said seriously looking up at Judy. Because of Judy's friendship with her, and the fact that Lily was her sister, Karen was aware that a lot of information got shared between everyone due to Judy's dual relationships. She just had to make sure that this wouldn't be one of those times.
"Yeah," Judy responded realizing that Karen meant 'don't tell Lily', "of course."
"Jessie," Karen started softly. "She went to the dance Grace planned."
"Yeah," Judy responded smiling obliviously. "Lily to told me. We all think it's really great that Jessie's supporting Grace like that. I guess they really are getting closer, I hadn't believed it but it looks like they've come along way since the play."
"Supporting Grace?" Karen asked with a touch of confusion. She wasn't exactly sure what Judy was talking about.
"Yeah. I mean it's good. That Grace has got someone to help her through this. Cause it's got to be hard, you know. But at least she's got the club to help her sort through things, and it's got to help her to know that Jessie is there for her."
Karen was quite for a moment, and then let out a bark of laughter she quickly reigned in when Judy looked up at her sharply.
"Lily," Karen started. "You … you think that Grace is gay?"
"Well she did join the club," Judy said somewhat defensively. "And she hasn't been seeing anyone, and she's really defensive about people being able to love whoever they want," she went on. "I mean, it's easy for you, your daughter's dating a fine piece of football player," Judy continued stopping only when she noticed Karen's face fall at her mention of Tad. "What?"
"I don't think that Lily has anything to worry about," Karen replied running a hand through her hair. "Grace isn't gay," Karen continued wrapping her hands around the coffee cup, soaking in the warmth. Judy opened her mouth to respond but Karen pressed on before she could speak, or she could lose her nerve. "Jessie is."
Judy's mouth opened, then closed. Then opened again, before closing once more as her eyes bugged out missing Guinness records by a pinch. "But Jessie didn't join the club," Judy got out eventually.
"I don't really think that club membership is a conclusive indicator," Karen responded wearily. "From a rant Jessie went on a while back, it seems Grace joined because of some guy she has a crush on."
"Oh," Judy responded, her mind still trying to adjust to what Karen was saying. "Oh. But, Jessie? Aren't she and Tad…"
Karen merely shook her head, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"But how do you know?" Judy persisted surprised but intrigued but what Karen was telling her.
"I asked her," Karen admitted taking another sip of her coffee.
"And she just told you. Just like that?" Judy asked sounding rather incredulous.
"I already knew," Karen, replied staring down into the cup, talking to herself more than Judy. "I didn't want to believe it, but after I heard … and I saw that flower and …" she started trailing off remembering how she had slowly trickled towards enlightenment. "And the way that they looked at each other," she continued with a sigh, remembering lingering … longing glances that at the time she had thought to be secretively and playful.
"She's seeing someone?" Judy asked nearly having a conniption. "How? Who? When … who?"
Karen smirked at Judy's reactions wondering if she had looked like that. If she had sounded like that. She certainly knew that she had felt like that. "Think about it," Karen urged quietly. "What's every other word out of her mouth? Who's practically attached to her hip?"
Judy scrunched her brows together as her mind searched for obscure people and phrases that she may have heard Jessie use, before Occum's Razor slashed her across the wrist and the simplest answer came pouring out of her. "Katie?" Judy asked looking up and over at Karen. "Jessie…and Katie. Together? Like that?"
"Like yes," Karen replied leaning back in her chair. "Like for a while. Like they went to the dance together," she continued her eyes drifting around the store.
"Oh my god," Judy exclaimed, what Karen was saying sinking in with her for the first time. "Does Rick know?"
Karen shook her head, leaning forward once more and resting her elbows on the table.
"Well, you're going to tell him, right?" Judy asked. Karen shook her head again. "What? How can you not?"
"I promised Jessie I wouldn't," Karen replied shaking her head. "And the books said …"
"You've read books?" Judy asked surprised.
"I read many books," Karen said looking over at her. "I read books," she admitted a moment later, hanging her head down. "I didn't know what else to do, I mean they don't really cover this in the parenting classes, and I sure as hell didn't think to ask," she continued. "I mean who plans for this? Who looks at their baby girl and starts planning for commitment ceremonies?"
"Yeah," Judy agreed. "Books would be good then," she continued nodding along. "So you're really not going to tell Rick?"
"I promised Jessie," Karen said again. "That she could … when she was ready. And she's not. If I hadn't figured it out," she went on shaking her head. "You should have seen her, she seemed so small. I," she stopped sighing tiredly. "I wish I could help her more but…"
"You're freaked?" Judy supplied.
Karen opened her mouth to protest, and then closed it. "Yeah. Pretty much," she finally responded with a derisive snort. "I thought … you know, when I heard those public service announcements, and saw 'those very special episodes' that I wouldn't be like that. That if my kid was gay, I would perfectly fine with it and be all supportive, and we could march together and wear matching t-shirts. But at the same time I never considered that I would have to be. I was in the role of the supportive friend you know, I was to be doing the patting, not be patted."
"It's normal, your reaction," Judy said comfortingly reaching across the table. "Everyone has these dreams for their kids, these hopes and expectations, and when … when you're forced to change them … well, it's alright to mourn their loss," she continued squeezing Karen's hand sympathetically.
"She thinks I'm disappointed in her," Karen replied struggling to keep her voice steady. "That it makes me love her less. But nothing could be farther from the truth," she continued. "She's my baby. I love her more than life itself, and nothing could ever change that. I just feel like she doesn't believe that, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to make her."
"You've just got to give yourself time," Judy responded, congratulating herself for having HBO and thus material to reference to comfort. "Those moms and dads that you see out there marching, and speaking at schools and wearing buttons, they were all sitting where you are now," she continued thoughtfully. "They all went through it, but they overcame it. You will too, it'll just take time. I mean it takes people years to realize they're gay," Judy went on, Karen's mind drifting to Jessie talking about how she didn't understand why she wasn't interested in dating boys. "It's only understandable that it takes parents some time to get used to the idea too. The most important thing is that you do love her. The rest will come with time."
"So I'm not a bad mother?" Karen asked looking over at her, quite relieved to hear that she wasn't some sort of hopeless bigot for not doing cartwheels upon learning of Jessie's relationship.
"No," Judy said shaking her head. "She's lucky to have you."
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Part 16
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"Anyway, I just don't think it's possible to do that with a gerbil. Not because some pervert wouldn't try it, but because the gerbil would probably have a problem with that. If I was the gerbil I know I would," was what Karen and Judy heard as they approached the front of the house.
Turning the corner they saw Jessie and Katie sitting on the porch with they're bags resting in front of them.
"What's going on?" Judy asked looking at them strangely, not because of what Karen had told her or because of the conversation they had been having, but because it was extremely odd for them to be sitting out there.
"Forgot my keys," Jessie ground out starring up at her mother with a look that could wilt flowers. Karen looked away from her making a beeline for the door, realizing that they were out there because of rule number three and that Jessie wasn't at all happy about it.
"We'll have to get a spare made and hide it around here somewhere," Karen mumbled as she unlocked the door, still feeling Jessie's eyes burning holes into her back. Unlocking the door she quickly stepped inside. Maybe they could revisit rule three, she thought to herself as the rest of them followed her inside.
"So," Karen started carefully. "You're the one that introduced Jessie to Billie Holiday?" she continued trying to find the route to pumping Katie for information. Now that she knew the girl was dating her daughter she wanted all of the information on her that she could get.
"Yeah," Katie responded resting against the kitchen counter as Judy lounged beside her and Karen made coffee. Dr. Rosenfeld had called needing to reschedule Jessie's appoint for the week, so she had run upstairs to call her dad to arrange a new day. "She's great isn't she?" Katie went on sounding like she was going to swoon. "Most kids don't like the classic stuff, but I think it's great. You just don't hear stuff like that anymore, stuff that stays with you. I forget all the new songs like five minutes after I've heard them. But Lady Day is timeless."
Karen couldn't help but smile at that, the girl had a point. "So you're really interested in music?" she asked watching as Katie watched herself wiggle her foot. Kids were so strange.
"I like listening to it, but I have no discernable talent. I'd tried to learn how to play the piano once, but I was unbelievably bad at it. There are like Chimpanzee's out there that can play chopsticks better than me," Katie replied shaking her head dismally. "I've got scars," she continued smiling. "Jessie's great though," she continued warming to the subject. "Hearing her sing 'Bless the Child' was like out of this world … no solar system," she went on grinning. "Pluto was all like 'hey come back here!'"
Judy started laughing, mumbling to Karen how she 'loved this kid' before shaking her head. Katie grinned at Judy sensing that she would an easier audience than Karen.
"You're easy," Katie responded settling more comfortably against the counter. "And you haven't even seen what I can do with a simple ping pong ball and candle."
"So what do you like to do?" Karen asked drawing Katie's attention back to her. She didn't know what the girl meant by that last comment but it sounded dirty.
"You mean like interests?" Katie inquired. Karen nodded finishing up with the coffee and turning around to devote her full attention to Katie. "Um, I guess I like gardening," she responded though she didn't seem too sure about that. "And drawing," she continued, confident this time as she located something that she liked that wasn't totally lame. "You know, art."
"Do you have any work with you?" Judy asked perking up after tuning out expecting a conversation about fertilizer.
"Ah, yeah," Katie said reaching down for her satchel and pulling out a small folder. Opening it up she flipped through a few pages, and then pulled out a couple loose sheets of paper. "Sketching isn't really my strong suit, I'm better with paints you know. But … well, there it is," she continued as she spread them across the counter and the two adults bent over the counter to look at the drawings. "That one's Jessie," she added a moment later pointing to the picture furthest to the left.
Karen stared at the pictures, really quite impressed by the work. Katie may not have had a gift for music but she certainly had one for art. Hearing her addition, she turned her head to where the girl was pointing and saw the picture in question. It showed Jessie sitting on a bench, laughing at something as she looked off slightly into the distance. It was a beautiful sketch, playful and wistful, but also deeply reverent.
Karen looked up at Katie after that, staring at her for a moment as the deep emotion that had to have been poured into drawing that picture struck her.
"It's beautiful," she said softly, removing her eyes when she saw Katie start to shift under her gaze.
"You can have it," Katie said a bit unnerved by Karen's gaze. "If you want. I mean you see her like every day so you probably don't need a stupid sketch of her, but …"
"Thank you," Karen interjected cutting off Katie's babble. "That's very nice of you. It really is a beautiful drawing."
"Oh, well I had a good subject," Katie replied a dreamy smile spreading across her face before she realized what she must look like and stopped, really wishing that this was one of the times she had opted for meaningful silence, as both Karen and Judy looked over at her. "I mean that bench is just gorgeous."
They were all silent for a moment, and then Judy started laughing. "I love this kid," she said repeating her earlier sentiment. "What do you think of the new DKNY line?" Judy asked a minute later drawing Katie's attention away from Karen who was still looking at her.
"Skirts could be shorter," Katie replied absently, turning her head as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and while simultaneously thanking the lord for soon rescuing her.
"Hey Judy, how you doing? Had a nice day? That's great," Jessie said blowing into the room and stopping next to Katie. "Dad says tomorrow at 5, new shoes mom? Let's go," she finished taking Katie's hand and dragging her – as much as she could drag her statuesque girlfriend – up the stairs.
Judy and Karen were silent as the girls took off up the stairs then turned to look at each other for a moment, and then Judy burst out laughing. "Oh my god," she said doubling over. "That was …" she continued noting that Karen couldn't help but let out a small smile too, "too cute."
"Is your mom on some new medication or something?" Katie asked wandering to the side of Jessie's room and fingering her solar system model.
"Unfortunately not," Jessie replied with a sigh. "She knows."
"Knows what?" Katie asked turning around to face her.
"About us," Jessie replied flopping back on her bed. "She's trying to act like she's cool with it, hence the weird. Next time you see her she'll probably threaten you with a shotgun, 'get away from my daughter'," she finished in an exaggerated southern accent.
"I've never been threatened with shotgun violence before," Katie said sitting on the edge of Jessie's bed. "Little Katie's all grown up now," she continued with a smile. "Besides your moms pretty cool. Stares a lot but she's pretty cool," she continued pausing for a moment before adding. "Plus she's kinda hot."
Katie turned her head to face Jessie having felt the bed shift, only to find the other girl looking at her with an absolutely aghast look on her face, which was soon replaced by a look of pure and utter evil as she stared at her girlfriend. Katie gulped, she had thought that was funny, but she was coming to realize that it really, really wasn't.
"Did I mention that I did a lot of drugs in the washroom before we left school?" Katie asked shifting uncomfortably under Jessie's stare. Damn, was it just her or was it getting hot in there. "Did you know," she continued smoothing her hands out on her pants, "that dogs snore? How crazy is that?"
Jessie merely continued to stare at her. God, Katie thought to herself, humans had to blink didn't they. Why wasn't Jessie blinking?
"Um," she said searching for conversation. "When I was a baby I used to be able to stick my whole leg in my mouth. I thought that was a bit strange, but mom says its cause the Singers come from a long line of circus people," she continued chancing a glance over at Jessie whose jaw seemed to have unclamped a bit, and who actually blinked. That's good, Katie thought to herself, keep acting like as ass. "And ah, last night I dreamt that I was eating a giant marshmallow, and when I woke up my pillow was gone."
There was a moment of silence then Jessie reached behind her picking up her pillow hitting Katie over the head with it. "Shut up, it was not!"
"Alright, that was lie. But the baby and dog things were true," Katie admitted crawling across the bed to Jessie. "I am I forgiven?" she asked lying her head down in Jessie's lap looking up at her innocently.
Before Jessie could respond however there was a knock at her door and Karen walked in, her eyes immediately going to the quaint little scene on the bed. "Ah, Judy's taking me to the grocery store, do you need anything in particular?"
"Nothing," Jessie replied staring at her mother very aware of Katie's head, which was still in her lap as the girl picked at the helm of her shirt.
"Marshmallows," Katie whispered, drawing Jessie's eyes down to her for a moment.
"Quit it," Jessie whispered back, but still loud enough that her mother could hear, as she involuntarily smiled at the comment.
"Is that a yes or a no to marshmallows?" Karen asked wearing a smile of her own. Judy was right; they really were extremely adorable together.
"A no," Jessie responded smiling back before her eyes drifted around the room wondering why Karen was still looking at them. "We're good."
"All right, try not to get into any trouble when we're gone," Karen replied starting to shut the door.
"What about rule number three?" Jessie called out while simultaneously wondering what could possibly have possessed her to ask the question.
Karen paused for a moment regarding the two of them once more before finally replying, "Gift horse. Mouth, Jessie," upon which she finished backing out of the door and closed it behind her.
"So is this when we strip naked and take pictures of each others buttocks?" Katie asked once the door closed. Jessie looked down at her sternly. "Oh, I remember this game. Okay…um, did you know that you have to water cactuses? I mean how wild is that?"
Comments? Always welcome :) jbstories@hotmail.com
Part 15
Booklover's (a.k.a. Judy's bookstore)
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Judy sat down across from an amazingly quiet Karen pushing an abnormally sized cup of coffee across the table to her. Karen had come in about ten minutes ago, quietly asking Judy if they could talk, but once they sat down Karen had just started staring at the tabletop, glancing up apologetically every couple of seconds. Judy had suggested that she just needed to get a little caffeine in her system, but as she sat across from the quietly sipping woman she wondered if that was true. Karen was, well she usually looked perturbed and slightly worried, like the weight of the world never left her but merely shifted, however this seemed more serious to Judy.
"You have to promise that this is going to stay, just between us," Karen said seriously looking up at Judy. Because of Judy's friendship with her, and the fact that Lily was her sister, Karen was aware that a lot of information got shared between everyone due to Judy's dual relationships. She just had to make sure that this wouldn't be one of those times.
"Yeah," Judy responded realizing that Karen meant 'don't tell Lily', "of course."
"Jessie," Karen started softly. "She went to the dance Grace planned."
"Yeah," Judy responded smiling obliviously. "Lily to told me. We all think it's really great that Jessie's supporting Grace like that. I guess they really are getting closer, I hadn't believed it but it looks like they've come along way since the play."
"Supporting Grace?" Karen asked with a touch of confusion. She wasn't exactly sure what Judy was talking about.
"Yeah. I mean it's good. That Grace has got someone to help her through this. Cause it's got to be hard, you know. But at least she's got the club to help her sort through things, and it's got to help her to know that Jessie is there for her."
Karen was quite for a moment, and then let out a bark of laughter she quickly reigned in when Judy looked up at her sharply.
"Lily," Karen started. "You … you think that Grace is gay?"
"Well she did join the club," Judy said somewhat defensively. "And she hasn't been seeing anyone, and she's really defensive about people being able to love whoever they want," she went on. "I mean, it's easy for you, your daughter's dating a fine piece of football player," Judy continued stopping only when she noticed Karen's face fall at her mention of Tad. "What?"
"I don't think that Lily has anything to worry about," Karen replied running a hand through her hair. "Grace isn't gay," Karen continued wrapping her hands around the coffee cup, soaking in the warmth. Judy opened her mouth to respond but Karen pressed on before she could speak, or she could lose her nerve. "Jessie is."
Judy's mouth opened, then closed. Then opened again, before closing once more as her eyes bugged out missing Guinness records by a pinch. "But Jessie didn't join the club," Judy got out eventually.
"I don't really think that club membership is a conclusive indicator," Karen responded wearily. "From a rant Jessie went on a while back, it seems Grace joined because of some guy she has a crush on."
"Oh," Judy responded, her mind still trying to adjust to what Karen was saying. "Oh. But, Jessie? Aren't she and Tad…"
Karen merely shook her head, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"But how do you know?" Judy persisted surprised but intrigued but what Karen was telling her.
"I asked her," Karen admitted taking another sip of her coffee.
"And she just told you. Just like that?" Judy asked sounding rather incredulous.
"I already knew," Karen, replied staring down into the cup, talking to herself more than Judy. "I didn't want to believe it, but after I heard … and I saw that flower and …" she started trailing off remembering how she had slowly trickled towards enlightenment. "And the way that they looked at each other," she continued with a sigh, remembering lingering … longing glances that at the time she had thought to be secretively and playful.
"She's seeing someone?" Judy asked nearly having a conniption. "How? Who? When … who?"
Karen smirked at Judy's reactions wondering if she had looked like that. If she had sounded like that. She certainly knew that she had felt like that. "Think about it," Karen urged quietly. "What's every other word out of her mouth? Who's practically attached to her hip?"
Judy scrunched her brows together as her mind searched for obscure people and phrases that she may have heard Jessie use, before Occum's Razor slashed her across the wrist and the simplest answer came pouring out of her. "Katie?" Judy asked looking up and over at Karen. "Jessie…and Katie. Together? Like that?"
"Like yes," Karen replied leaning back in her chair. "Like for a while. Like they went to the dance together," she continued her eyes drifting around the store.
"Oh my god," Judy exclaimed, what Karen was saying sinking in with her for the first time. "Does Rick know?"
Karen shook her head, leaning forward once more and resting her elbows on the table.
"Well, you're going to tell him, right?" Judy asked. Karen shook her head again. "What? How can you not?"
"I promised Jessie I wouldn't," Karen replied shaking her head. "And the books said …"
"You've read books?" Judy asked surprised.
"I read many books," Karen said looking over at her. "I read books," she admitted a moment later, hanging her head down. "I didn't know what else to do, I mean they don't really cover this in the parenting classes, and I sure as hell didn't think to ask," she continued. "I mean who plans for this? Who looks at their baby girl and starts planning for commitment ceremonies?"
"Yeah," Judy agreed. "Books would be good then," she continued nodding along. "So you're really not going to tell Rick?"
"I promised Jessie," Karen said again. "That she could … when she was ready. And she's not. If I hadn't figured it out," she went on shaking her head. "You should have seen her, she seemed so small. I," she stopped sighing tiredly. "I wish I could help her more but…"
"You're freaked?" Judy supplied.
Karen opened her mouth to protest, and then closed it. "Yeah. Pretty much," she finally responded with a derisive snort. "I thought … you know, when I heard those public service announcements, and saw 'those very special episodes' that I wouldn't be like that. That if my kid was gay, I would perfectly fine with it and be all supportive, and we could march together and wear matching t-shirts. But at the same time I never considered that I would have to be. I was in the role of the supportive friend you know, I was to be doing the patting, not be patted."
"It's normal, your reaction," Judy said comfortingly reaching across the table. "Everyone has these dreams for their kids, these hopes and expectations, and when … when you're forced to change them … well, it's alright to mourn their loss," she continued squeezing Karen's hand sympathetically.
"She thinks I'm disappointed in her," Karen replied struggling to keep her voice steady. "That it makes me love her less. But nothing could be farther from the truth," she continued. "She's my baby. I love her more than life itself, and nothing could ever change that. I just feel like she doesn't believe that, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to make her."
"You've just got to give yourself time," Judy responded, congratulating herself for having HBO and thus material to reference to comfort. "Those moms and dads that you see out there marching, and speaking at schools and wearing buttons, they were all sitting where you are now," she continued thoughtfully. "They all went through it, but they overcame it. You will too, it'll just take time. I mean it takes people years to realize they're gay," Judy went on, Karen's mind drifting to Jessie talking about how she didn't understand why she wasn't interested in dating boys. "It's only understandable that it takes parents some time to get used to the idea too. The most important thing is that you do love her. The rest will come with time."
"So I'm not a bad mother?" Karen asked looking over at her, quite relieved to hear that she wasn't some sort of hopeless bigot for not doing cartwheels upon learning of Jessie's relationship.
"No," Judy said shaking her head. "She's lucky to have you."
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Part 16
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"Anyway, I just don't think it's possible to do that with a gerbil. Not because some pervert wouldn't try it, but because the gerbil would probably have a problem with that. If I was the gerbil I know I would," was what Karen and Judy heard as they approached the front of the house.
Turning the corner they saw Jessie and Katie sitting on the porch with they're bags resting in front of them.
"What's going on?" Judy asked looking at them strangely, not because of what Karen had told her or because of the conversation they had been having, but because it was extremely odd for them to be sitting out there.
"Forgot my keys," Jessie ground out starring up at her mother with a look that could wilt flowers. Karen looked away from her making a beeline for the door, realizing that they were out there because of rule number three and that Jessie wasn't at all happy about it.
"We'll have to get a spare made and hide it around here somewhere," Karen mumbled as she unlocked the door, still feeling Jessie's eyes burning holes into her back. Unlocking the door she quickly stepped inside. Maybe they could revisit rule three, she thought to herself as the rest of them followed her inside.
"So," Karen started carefully. "You're the one that introduced Jessie to Billie Holiday?" she continued trying to find the route to pumping Katie for information. Now that she knew the girl was dating her daughter she wanted all of the information on her that she could get.
"Yeah," Katie responded resting against the kitchen counter as Judy lounged beside her and Karen made coffee. Dr. Rosenfeld had called needing to reschedule Jessie's appoint for the week, so she had run upstairs to call her dad to arrange a new day. "She's great isn't she?" Katie went on sounding like she was going to swoon. "Most kids don't like the classic stuff, but I think it's great. You just don't hear stuff like that anymore, stuff that stays with you. I forget all the new songs like five minutes after I've heard them. But Lady Day is timeless."
Karen couldn't help but smile at that, the girl had a point. "So you're really interested in music?" she asked watching as Katie watched herself wiggle her foot. Kids were so strange.
"I like listening to it, but I have no discernable talent. I'd tried to learn how to play the piano once, but I was unbelievably bad at it. There are like Chimpanzee's out there that can play chopsticks better than me," Katie replied shaking her head dismally. "I've got scars," she continued smiling. "Jessie's great though," she continued warming to the subject. "Hearing her sing 'Bless the Child' was like out of this world … no solar system," she went on grinning. "Pluto was all like 'hey come back here!'"
Judy started laughing, mumbling to Karen how she 'loved this kid' before shaking her head. Katie grinned at Judy sensing that she would an easier audience than Karen.
"You're easy," Katie responded settling more comfortably against the counter. "And you haven't even seen what I can do with a simple ping pong ball and candle."
"So what do you like to do?" Karen asked drawing Katie's attention back to her. She didn't know what the girl meant by that last comment but it sounded dirty.
"You mean like interests?" Katie inquired. Karen nodded finishing up with the coffee and turning around to devote her full attention to Katie. "Um, I guess I like gardening," she responded though she didn't seem too sure about that. "And drawing," she continued, confident this time as she located something that she liked that wasn't totally lame. "You know, art."
"Do you have any work with you?" Judy asked perking up after tuning out expecting a conversation about fertilizer.
"Ah, yeah," Katie said reaching down for her satchel and pulling out a small folder. Opening it up she flipped through a few pages, and then pulled out a couple loose sheets of paper. "Sketching isn't really my strong suit, I'm better with paints you know. But … well, there it is," she continued as she spread them across the counter and the two adults bent over the counter to look at the drawings. "That one's Jessie," she added a moment later pointing to the picture furthest to the left.
Karen stared at the pictures, really quite impressed by the work. Katie may not have had a gift for music but she certainly had one for art. Hearing her addition, she turned her head to where the girl was pointing and saw the picture in question. It showed Jessie sitting on a bench, laughing at something as she looked off slightly into the distance. It was a beautiful sketch, playful and wistful, but also deeply reverent.
Karen looked up at Katie after that, staring at her for a moment as the deep emotion that had to have been poured into drawing that picture struck her.
"It's beautiful," she said softly, removing her eyes when she saw Katie start to shift under her gaze.
"You can have it," Katie said a bit unnerved by Karen's gaze. "If you want. I mean you see her like every day so you probably don't need a stupid sketch of her, but …"
"Thank you," Karen interjected cutting off Katie's babble. "That's very nice of you. It really is a beautiful drawing."
"Oh, well I had a good subject," Katie replied a dreamy smile spreading across her face before she realized what she must look like and stopped, really wishing that this was one of the times she had opted for meaningful silence, as both Karen and Judy looked over at her. "I mean that bench is just gorgeous."
They were all silent for a moment, and then Judy started laughing. "I love this kid," she said repeating her earlier sentiment. "What do you think of the new DKNY line?" Judy asked a minute later drawing Katie's attention away from Karen who was still looking at her.
"Skirts could be shorter," Katie replied absently, turning her head as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and while simultaneously thanking the lord for soon rescuing her.
"Hey Judy, how you doing? Had a nice day? That's great," Jessie said blowing into the room and stopping next to Katie. "Dad says tomorrow at 5, new shoes mom? Let's go," she finished taking Katie's hand and dragging her – as much as she could drag her statuesque girlfriend – up the stairs.
Judy and Karen were silent as the girls took off up the stairs then turned to look at each other for a moment, and then Judy burst out laughing. "Oh my god," she said doubling over. "That was …" she continued noting that Karen couldn't help but let out a small smile too, "too cute."
"Is your mom on some new medication or something?" Katie asked wandering to the side of Jessie's room and fingering her solar system model.
"Unfortunately not," Jessie replied with a sigh. "She knows."
"Knows what?" Katie asked turning around to face her.
"About us," Jessie replied flopping back on her bed. "She's trying to act like she's cool with it, hence the weird. Next time you see her she'll probably threaten you with a shotgun, 'get away from my daughter'," she finished in an exaggerated southern accent.
"I've never been threatened with shotgun violence before," Katie said sitting on the edge of Jessie's bed. "Little Katie's all grown up now," she continued with a smile. "Besides your moms pretty cool. Stares a lot but she's pretty cool," she continued pausing for a moment before adding. "Plus she's kinda hot."
Katie turned her head to face Jessie having felt the bed shift, only to find the other girl looking at her with an absolutely aghast look on her face, which was soon replaced by a look of pure and utter evil as she stared at her girlfriend. Katie gulped, she had thought that was funny, but she was coming to realize that it really, really wasn't.
"Did I mention that I did a lot of drugs in the washroom before we left school?" Katie asked shifting uncomfortably under Jessie's stare. Damn, was it just her or was it getting hot in there. "Did you know," she continued smoothing her hands out on her pants, "that dogs snore? How crazy is that?"
Jessie merely continued to stare at her. God, Katie thought to herself, humans had to blink didn't they. Why wasn't Jessie blinking?
"Um," she said searching for conversation. "When I was a baby I used to be able to stick my whole leg in my mouth. I thought that was a bit strange, but mom says its cause the Singers come from a long line of circus people," she continued chancing a glance over at Jessie whose jaw seemed to have unclamped a bit, and who actually blinked. That's good, Katie thought to herself, keep acting like as ass. "And ah, last night I dreamt that I was eating a giant marshmallow, and when I woke up my pillow was gone."
There was a moment of silence then Jessie reached behind her picking up her pillow hitting Katie over the head with it. "Shut up, it was not!"
"Alright, that was lie. But the baby and dog things were true," Katie admitted crawling across the bed to Jessie. "I am I forgiven?" she asked lying her head down in Jessie's lap looking up at her innocently.
Before Jessie could respond however there was a knock at her door and Karen walked in, her eyes immediately going to the quaint little scene on the bed. "Ah, Judy's taking me to the grocery store, do you need anything in particular?"
"Nothing," Jessie replied staring at her mother very aware of Katie's head, which was still in her lap as the girl picked at the helm of her shirt.
"Marshmallows," Katie whispered, drawing Jessie's eyes down to her for a moment.
"Quit it," Jessie whispered back, but still loud enough that her mother could hear, as she involuntarily smiled at the comment.
"Is that a yes or a no to marshmallows?" Karen asked wearing a smile of her own. Judy was right; they really were extremely adorable together.
"A no," Jessie responded smiling back before her eyes drifted around the room wondering why Karen was still looking at them. "We're good."
"All right, try not to get into any trouble when we're gone," Karen replied starting to shut the door.
"What about rule number three?" Jessie called out while simultaneously wondering what could possibly have possessed her to ask the question.
Karen paused for a moment regarding the two of them once more before finally replying, "Gift horse. Mouth, Jessie," upon which she finished backing out of the door and closed it behind her.
"So is this when we strip naked and take pictures of each others buttocks?" Katie asked once the door closed. Jessie looked down at her sternly. "Oh, I remember this game. Okay…um, did you know that you have to water cactuses? I mean how wild is that?"
Comments? Always welcome :) jbstories@hotmail.com