Chapter 16

"Rhoda! Why are the forks over here and the spoons over here? Don't you know that they go on the right side like this and the left like this?" Mary rearranged the silverware as she spoke, irritation masking her nerves.

"I'm sorry I haven't read the latest Emily Post, dear." Rhoda rolled her eyes to the ceiling as she checked on dinner again.

"I just need everything to be perfect." Mary sighed, her hands covering her face as she sunk down into a seat at the table.

"Oh, Mare." Rhoda wiped her hands on a dish towel and moved to Mary, kneeling there beside her. "Hey, kid. They're just your parents."

"I know, I know. Just my parents." Mary picked nervously at the tablecloth, not turning to face Rhoda. Rhoda who knew Mary well enough to know she was having a mild panic attack for trying to be the better woman and invite her mother and father for dinner because she still loved them and needed them. Even if her mother was being impossible. Always phoning Mary about Peter, letting her know how difficult single parenthood would be (all the while knowing that she was not single) letting her know that if she insulted their family that she'd be cut off from her meager inheritance. Dottie had tried nearly every tactic imaginable. She was wearing Mary thin, Mary who still believed they could reconcile over this.

"I wish I could make this easier." Rhoda brushed Mary's hair behind her ear, got up to press a kiss to her forehead. "You better go get yourself together. They'll be here any minute." Rhoda helped her up, the rounding of Mary's stomach more visible with each passing day.

"Oh, Rhoda. This was a mistake." Mary paused in Rhoda's arms.

"No, kid. I think it shows that you're trying." Rhoda tried to assure her, pressing her lips to a salty cheek. "And hey," she leaned in further, pressing her lips to Mary's ear, "if it's horrible then it's only one evening and you can look forward to that thing you like once they leave." Rhoda whispered as she nipped at Mary's earlobe.

"Stop it," Mary laughed and pressed herself away from Rhoda. "I'm going to freshen up."

Just as she moved towards the bathroom they heard the doorbell chime. "I'll get it, go on." Rhoda shooed Mary away.

She steeled herself for a moment, taking a deep breath in, exhaling out. She could do this. She could face Dottie and Walter. She used to really like Dottie. Nothing had to change, did it?

"Hello," Rhoda tried to smile pleasantly as she opened the door.

Dottie revered her with a concealed mask of distain, disapproval dripping from her plastered-on smile. "Oh, hello." Her voice cold, surprised as if she forgot that Rhoda also lived here.

"Hi," Rhoda faltered then for she would normally refer to her as Dottie but now that there was a great divide between them she felt that her only course of action was to revert back to Mr. and Mrs. Richards but it fell flat on her tongue. "Let me take your coats." She offered instead, hoping to buy herself some time away from them.

Rhoda felt the strain acutely as Dottie's eyes stared anywhere but at her, sweeping wearily about the home she and Mary had created together - Mary's living room furniture patched together in the space, her kitchen table pressed up near the window in the kitchen, the reading nook that Rhoda had just finished knitting a blanket for with Mary's embroidered pillows upon the seat, the art work that Rhoda had dug up out of her storage at 119 N. Weatherly Ave. Dottie's disapproving gaze christened every surface. She looked uncomfortable standing near the door now without her coat.

"Hi mother, daddy." Mary appeared refreshed and beaming from the bathroom, Rhoda never more relieved to see her in her life.

"Are you sure this is a big enough place for a baby? Only one bedroom?" Dottie admonished before her daughter could hug her. Her whole body froze. Did the woman think she might catch a homosexual bug by touching her daughter now?" I've seen Peter's place, it has two whole extra rooms, darling."

"Hi there, Mare." Walter hugged his daughter stiffly, his hands not quite touching her. "Where might the restroom be? I must wash up."

"Would you like a drink?" Rhoda inquired of Dottie, rescuing Mary from any further awkward first conversation with her mother. She moved to the kitchen to pull down the brandy, Dottie's favorite.

Mary and Dottie made a strange dance away from the front door, neither one knowing exactly what to say to the other. Rhoda only heard bits and pieces of their mangled, messy conversation. She could tell that Mary was getting irritated, though she was trying her best to keep it together.

"I believe dinner's ready, isn't it?" Mary inquired of Rhoda once her father had returned, clean, to the living area. Rhoda nodded, watching as Mary ushered her parents towards the table, refusing to stoop to her mother's low-blows. Which were unfortunately coming too soon in the evening.

As if needing to get away for a moment, Mary came towards her in the kitchen, in search of something to carry or do. They brushed by each other silently in the kitchen, Rhoda lightly squeezing Mary's elbow before carrying the chicken out to the table.

"It smells delicious." Walter offered.

Dottie drank her brandy.

Dinner was a tense affair. Conversation stilted, safe. Dottie only mentioned the baby in reference to Peter, whom had been asking about Mary, was worried about Mary, wondered if they might get together for a drink.

"No, mother." Mary slammed her fist on the table finally. "I don't want to see Peter. I don't want anything to do with Peter."

"But, darling," Dottie went on unfazed, "I'm afraid when you got pregnant with his child you rather gave that up as an option."

Mary eyed her mother over the table. "What are you planning?"

"I'm not planning anything. I just think a man has a right to raise his child. He is the father after all," Dottie's voice grated on Rhoda's last nerve. But of course she could never be this child's father or mother or parent...but she had to matter for something, didn't she?

"A child doesn't always need a father. No offense, but it wasn't as if Daddy was always there when I was growing up." Mary shot back.

"He was still there. In the house. Married to me."

"Really, mother." Mary was getting tense. Rhoda didn't like when she got tense. It made her worry for the baby, but Mary couldn't worry about the baby when she was right in the middle of rapid fire with her mother.

"This is all well and good for now, playing house with Rhoda as if it's a life, a real life, but when that baby comes it needs two parents. A father and a mother." Dottie's eyes narrowed.

"Uh, why don't we take dessert in the living room?" Rhoda cut through the thick air, searching for any excuse to get them off this topic.

"This isn't college, Mary. I think we both remember what happened and how that turned out."

"Mother," Mary's cheeks colored bright red.

Rhoda glanced curiously at Mary. She supposed she had never inquired as to why Mary had never finished out the full four years of college. She hadn't thought it necessary.

"Yes, let's have dessert." Mary quickly stood up and began clearing dishes.

Rhoda stilled her with a hand to her wrist before she could pick up her plate. "I'll clean up. Go sit down."

"I can do it." Mary pulled her arm away and continued on.

Rhoda shook her head and helped Mary to bring things to the sink. She wanted to reach out, to console her but now was not the moment. Not with Dottie hovering about, making some sort of threat to their nicely, newly created domestic life. A life Rhoda was really beginning to like and a life she didn't want to see ended by Dottie's needless threats.

Rhoda felt she was an unnecessary part of the equation that evening, that she was making things worse for Mary by being there. Everything was wrong. It was doing her head in and she longed for a cigarette.

"I think I need to step out for a bit." Rhoda whispered as they arranged cookies and coffee on a tray.

"No." Mary whispered harshly back.

"Yes, I'm making your mother uncomfortable. Just tell them I have to deal with something at the store." Rhoda reasoned.

Mary looked at her, "you're okay?"

Rhoda nodded at her. "I'll be back in a bit." She bid Mary's parents farewell, feigning some window display emergency and then stole away, out into the chilly evening air. She hadn't brought the car keys, had no real destination in mind, had not even brought her purse so that if she'd wanted to actually purchase a pack of cigarettes she couldn't have. So she walked towards the main house, pulling her coat tightly about herself.

The cool night air hurt her lungs.

"You better get inside or you'll freeze to death." A familiar voice floated out from the back door of the main house.

Rhoda glanced up to find Hazel wrapped up in a shawl, beckoning her inside.

"What are you doing outside on such a cold night?" Hazel admonished as Rhoda gladly stepped into the warmth of the fireplace-heated room. It was so warm, so inviting. Everything that her previous location had lacked.

"Mary's parents are over." Rhoda sighed, slipping out of her boots, removing her coat, grateful for the blanket Hazel placed about her shoulders.

"Ah, I see." And Hazel's eyes shimmered as she spoke so Rhoda knew that she understood, was intimate with just this sort of situation.

"You wouldn't happen to have a smoke by chance?"

Hazel laughed, "No, I gave that up years ago."

"Yeah? Me, too." Rhoda sighed, grateful to sink into the couch so near the fire.

"Lucille was quite the smoker. I quit with her, to help." Hazel explained bringing out another cup, pouring Rhoda a fragrant cinnamon vanilla tea.

"It's a nasty habit." Rhoda conferred. Hazel agreed, some far off memory triggered, for in that moment she looked far away, lost to another time. Was she thinking about Lucille? Was Lucille really to Hazel what Mary was to Rhoda?

"So," Hazel took the chair near the couch and picked up her knitting. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Rhoda shrugged, wondering just where she might begin. She felt she could trust Hazel, that she could tell her everything and the woman would understand. "Her mother just keeps meddling, trying to get her back with Peter, the uh - he's the father see - and maybe she should be with him." Rhoda sighed, stirring her tea absently.

Hazel's lip turned down in the corner. "Perhaps, for the sake of society, but she's not with him, Rhoda."

Rhoda looked up, looked into knowing hazel eyes that were so kind, so wise, comforting. Hazel was the mother Rhoda had always dreamed of having; a calm woman who listened, who would be on her side, not masked behind Jewish theatrical guilt.

"No, she's not." Rhoda smiled.

Hazel sensed that they might be overstepping some sort of boundary, so she moved back into safe territory. "How is the house working out for you?"

"Oh, we adore it. I couldn't imagine a better place."

"The heating is working? I can't have Mary freezing to death when she's in her state." Hazel looked on, concerned.

"It's working, very well." Rhoda nodded.

"Minneapolis winters can be rough." Hazel was looking back to her knitting. Lost in another distant memory.

Rhoda rubbed her forehead, sipped the heavenly tea, fighting back her curiosity. But it won out. "How did you meet her?"

Hazel, for her part, only looked slightly surprised by the question. She finally smiled. "We worked together during the war. At the hospital."

Rhoda could imagine Hazel's whole life story playing out before her. She wondered how Hazel and Lucille might have come to know that one was like the other, that they might have spoken, have looked at one another, stolen away to an empty barracks...she was taken from her reverie by the sound of a car motor starting up. She glanced to the large picture-window overlooking the main road and saw that Mary's parents were leaving. She felt guilty for feeling relieved.

"I should..." Rhoda stood and nodded.

"Yes," Hazel stood with her, taking her emptied tea cup from her before Rhoda could offer to take it to the kitchen. "Please wish Mary a good evening. And don't be a stranger. My door is always open." Hazel patted Rhoda's hand, bidding her ado for the evening.

Mary was huddled in the reading nook when Rhoda returned, staring bleary-eyed through the window, out to the snow blanketed park. She hugged Rhoda's knitted blanket about herself.

Rhoda removed her coat and shoes, walking across the room to Mary. She slid in close behind her, wrapping her arms around her and holding her close. She pressed a kiss to Mary's cheek, feeling Mary's tense body relax back into her embrace.

"I'm sorry I left." Rhoda took both of Mary's hands into her own.

"No," Mary leaned her head back against Rhoda's chest. "I would have left, too. If I could have. I'm sorry I didn't clean up." A tear slid down Mary's cheek.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'll get the dishes in the morning. Even though you hate it when I do that." Rhoda laughed, pressing her lips to Mary's forehead.

Mary laughed a little and then wiggled free from Rhoda. She turned to face her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Rhoda shrugged, "nothing I can't handle."

Mary looked down at her hands.

Rhoda rubbed at her forehead, one question swirling around in her mind, bothering her more and more with each passing second.

"Oh, I wish you'd just ask me." Mary sighed.

Had they become so close that they could read one another's minds?

"Okay then." Rhoda clasped her hands together. "How come you never finished college?" Her throat went a little dry, uncertain as to if she really, really wanted to know.

Mary nodded. She stood then, Rhoda helping to pull her up from her seated spot. Mary reached out a hand to Rhoda then. "Let me take you to bed and explain."

Mary pulled her into a kiss before they moved into the bedroom. The air felt lighter there, untainted by Mrs. Richards' toxic presence. This was their haven, where they could meet each night, touch, hold, talk, hidden away from the world outside.

Mary undressed Rhoda, taking every care in the world as she went. Rhoda's mind reeled, thinking of the worst-case scenario, a reason for Mary to be buttering her up so thoroughly.

"I was kicked out of school." Mary's voice was surprising in the quiet room, Rhoda's body so alive, humming with each gentle touch.

"What?" The statement was jarring, unexpected.

"Well," Mary sat back, resting her head in her hand. "That's not entirely true. But I was asked not to come back." Her finger circled Rhoda's pert nipple.

"Wh-what happened?" Rhoda tried to focus, tried to be shocked or surprised but her body was otherwise occupied.

"My second year of college, I met Amy."

"Wait," Rhoda moved away from Mary then, sitting up to face her, gathering the sheets about herself.

"Oh, Rho." Mary sighed. "Listen, I - it was very confusing."

Rhoda nodded, running a hand through her hair. "I'm not mad, I'm just..." Rhoda rubbed at her chin. "Okay." She decided she needed more. "What happened?"

Mary skimmed her hand over the comforter between them. "She rushed for our sorority, she was a freshman. She had these curious, blue eyes. She always ended up near me at parties, joined the cheer squad, was in some of my classes even." Mary looked guilty as she explained, fingers fidgeting with the sheets. "Are you sure you want to know about this?" Mary looked up into Rhoda's eyes.

"Well you've already started it, Mare. Now the curious half of my brain needs to know more." Rhoda relaxed back into the bed a little.

"You can't possibly be jealous. It was so long ago. It - it ended disastrously." Mary reached for Rhoda, wanting to console her, to make things okay.

"Sure, sure. It was a long time ago but I guess I thought I was the only woman who could turn Mary Richards' head and now I'm finding out she's more easily persuaded." Rhoda joked, but inside felt a stirring of jealousy. Mary's body then pressed into hers. Lips on her neck, however, broken this line of thought.

"I never did anything like this with her." Mary whispered, pressing kisses to Rhoda's cheek.

"Yeah?" Rhoda tangled her hands in Mary's hair.

"Yeah." Mary grinned.

"Okay, so this little doe-eyed kid was following you around and then..."

"-and then one night at a bonfire she kissed me out in the woods. It was innocent enough, I didn't read too much into it at the time. She was nice, we were friends."

"And then you got kicked out of school?" Rhoda frowned, watching as Mary's eyes hungrily devoured her uncovered breast.

"Well, no. That was the first time we kissed. A few weeks went by, a few months passed and nothing happened so I assumed that maybe it was all in my imagination." Mary's lips covered Rhoda's nipple with a reverent passion.

"Did you want to kiss her? I mean had you enjoyed it?" Rhoda's breath hitched in her throat.

Mary thought through this question, sitting back to let her finger play over Rhoda's breast, that way that made Rhoda wild. "It was different from Jeff - the guy I was going with in college. I - I - yes, I liked it."

"And you wanted to kiss her again?" Rhoda pried.

Mary's hand slid downwards, taking the bedsheets with her, slowly revealing Rhoda's torso. Rhoda watched, her cheeks burning.

"I guess so." Mary kissed Rhoda's cheek. "It was never passionate, not like this. I guess I thought it was all an embarrassing fluke."

"How'd you get kicked out?" Rhoda pulled their faces together, wanting to kiss Mary, just as Mary slid her hand between her legs. "Oh."

"We were studying in my room together one night." Mary nipped at Rhoda's neck with her teeth. "We kissed." Mary pushed her lips to Rhoda's. "And my roommate, Susie, came back."

"Oh," Rhoda gasped, just as Mary hit that spot she loved. "She ratted on you?" Rhoda rasped, tumbling over, falling back against the bed.

"She went running from the room. Screaming as if I'd murdered someone." Mary held back a little, the words foreign on her tongue as if she'd never spoken them aloud before. "Like we were monsters."

Rhoda turned on her side, cupping Mary's cheek in her hand.

"My dad had to hire a lawyer, paid off Susie and her parents, I was sent to a psychiatrist. Amy claimed it was all my fault, blamed me for everything and because she was younger it made me seem like a predator, a 'danger' to the other students. And so I had to leave. I was too shaken to go back to school. Mother made me enroll in some typing classes but I couldn't bring myself to finish at a real school."

Rhoda brushed her finger under Mary's teary eye. "You're not a monster."

Mary smiled weakly. "I know that now." She kissed Rhoda. "I never thought...I was afraid because I didn't want that to happen again. Not with you."

Rhoda nodded, pulling Mary close to her. "Well I can't imagine how I'll manage to get you kicked outta college now."

Mary grinned and turned to face Rhoda. "You, uh, never..."

Rhoda propped herself up a little more against the pillows. "Well, no. Never anything like that. It's always been boys and then mannish boys. I guess I'd never considered it. With a woman. Until I considered it with you." Rhoda pulled Mary close, Mary's head resting against her shoulder. Mary's arm wrapped about Rhoda, swirling mindless patterns where her fingers came to rest at her side.

"I was so scared you'd run." Mary pressed her lips to Rhoda's skin.

"I was scared you'd never consider it in a million years. Now come to find out you're already experienced." Rhoda laughed in the quiet room.

"Hardly." Mary laughed.

"Mare," Rhoda swept her fingers through Mary's hair.

"Hm?"

"I bet that was really rotten, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Mary yawned. "Horrible. The psychiatrist obviously didn't do much, though."

"Yeah? How's that?"

Mary slid up on her arms and looked down at Rhoda, "I was never going to be happy with a man. You helped me to realize that. And now it all doesn't matter as long as I have you." Mary pressed their lips together.

Rhoda hated mushy stuff, hated that she felt tears pulling at her eyes, so she squeezed them shut as she kissed Mary, wrapping her up as tightly as possible. The baby seemed to sense all of the commotion, all of the tensions releasing from the evening and gave a little kick to remind them that he or she was still alive and well and happy to be sandwiched between them. Rhoda laughed then, Mary rolling back on the bed so that Rhoda could cup her protruding stomach. "You've got an amazing mommy, little one." Rhoda whispered as she pressed her lips to Mary's stomach. The baby gave a little kick and Rhoda caught the smile in Mary's eye as they looked at one another.

"Hey, where'd you get off to this evening? When you had an 'emergency'?" Mary inquired as her fingers slid into Rhoda's hair.

"I had a nice little chat with Hazel." Rhoda slid between Mary's legs, lips moving to her pert breasts.

"Oh, that was nice of her to have you in."

"Yeah," Rhoda spoke distractedly as she cupped Mary's swollen breasts - they grew fuller the more her stomach rounded out. Rhoda had to admit she liked them, the weight of them now. They were so sensitive, more so than only months before. Mary moaned. "Don't you know I'm having an affair with her now?" Rhoda joked

Mary laughed, "oh yeah? Do tell me more."

"Well it all started when we were sitting by the fire, see..."

"Isn't she a little old for you?"

"Nah, she's worldly."

"What would your wife think of this?"

"Oh, she'd be ragingly jealous."

"Oh! Rho-Rhoda."