Chapter 22

"You'll never believe it!" Mary pressed through the front door in a flurry of excitement. "They've nominated me again this year for a Teddy Award! That show I did on homelessness in Minneapolis got nominated." Mary looked ecstatic, more energized than Rhoda had seen her in weeks.

"That's wonderful, kid!" Rhoda called out from the alcove. She'd been there since arriving home to the giant box left atop their doorstep. She'd dragged it inside, collapsing there in the little book nook, for how cute it would have been to have it standing there waiting for Mary? Rhoda had wanted it assembled by the time she'd gottn home but it had proven too difficult a task to handle. It was only in moments such as these that she felt having a man around might have come in handy.

"Rho...?" Mary's voice was closer. It did not hold the excitement that had been there only moments before. "Rhoda, is that what I think it is?"

"Yeah," Rhoda wiped her hands together and pulled herself up from the ground to press her lips to Mary's questioning lips.

"Oh, Rhoda. I don't know."

"Hey, what're you talking about? The baby's going to need somewhere to sleep." Rhoda grinned.

Mary remained unreadable as she looked over the white crib in its half-constructed form. "I - uh," Mary rubbed her forehead. "I don't know, Rho."

"Kid, what do you mean? It's practical. I wanted to have it put together before you got home so maybe you're just not enjoying it in its current state." Rhoda tried to laugh off this stormy demeanor that was quickly enveloping Mary's Teddy Award excitement. What was her problem? They had next to no baby items and Mary was nearly ready to pop. "I could always paint it, dress it up a little, you know. It doesn't have to be this boring white forever."

A tear slid down Mary's cheek.

"Hey, I didn't mean to upset you. It just felt like the right thing to do, you know...oh, Mary. What is it?" Rhoda's brow knit as Mary broke down before her.

"Rhoda! It's beautiful." Mary sobbed.

"Why are you crying then?" Rhoda tried to catch each tear with her fingers as they leaked down Mary's face.

"Because..." Mary couldn't find words.

"Oh," Rhoda was beginning to piece it together.

"Because...Mother...won't let me...keep it." Mary melted into Rhoda, burying her face in Rhoda's chest.

"Oh, kid." Rhoda's arms went about her, kissing the top of her head. "We don't know."

"I can't - I can't look at it." Mary whispered, her voice reverberating against Rhoda's heart.

"Kid," Rhoda fought back her own tears. "Oh, I hate her for doing this to you. It's not right, it's totally unfair."

Mary nodded in agreement. "It's mine." She whispered.

"I know." Rhoda nodded. "So we fight for it."

Mary nodded, soothed only a little by Rhoda's fingers against her back. "Hey, why don't you go get comfortable and I'll order some pizza. I'll even get some pineapple, even though it's disgusting." It was all she could think of to make the situation better.

Mary laughed a little, "is not."

"I just don't know, Hazel, I don't know. I'm getting worried. I haven't heard a thing from her mother, not one peep. I've sent my own mother, I've sent the baby's father, I've done everything I can. And you know I can't go see her myself. Lord knows what I'd do if I got my hands on her…and it's not as if I could even change her mind about things. Not when I'm the problem. Oh God," Rhoda paused in her knitting to look up at her hostess who was peering curiously over the top of her glasses. Watching Rhoda. A look of concern and amusement crossed her brow. "I'm just going on and on, aren't I?" Rhoda sighed.

"It sounds like you needed to get it off your chest." Hazel offered a reassuring smile before returning to her knitting. "I think Mary's mother is being unreasonable. I can understand it, believe me, I understand. In my day and age, we never spoke of it at all."

"I can't imagine it. I mean, I can, but it's so…unusual, I suppose. It doesn't feel unusual, but – well perhaps uncommon."

"We're uncommon women." Hazel's eyes sparkled, the firelight dancing in her orbs.

They both heard the tap on the back door then, both glancing up to see a shivering Mary silhouetted in the glass pane of the door. "Oh, no." Rhoda glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly eight. Time had escaped her, for she so enjoyed spending her evenings knitting with Hazel until Mary came home. Though tonight it seemed they had gone on longer than expected and Rhoda had let dinner go undone and now Mary was home.

Rhoda tried to shove her knitting back into a bag, hiding it from Mary, before she jumped up to open the door. "I'm so sorry, Mare. I've lost track of time."

Mary shuffled in from outside.

"Don't worry about it. What is it that you two get up to over here anyway? Hello, Hazel." Mary waved a little and then spotted the little jumper in Hazel's hands.

"Oh, just knitting. And talking." Rhoda played it off. "Hey kid, let's order in tonight."

"Nonsense, why don't you two stay for dinner? I've made enough chili for an army." Hazel set down her knitting and got up to shuffle off into the kitchen, insistent that they stay.

"Rhoda, what is this?" Mary made her way to Hazel's seat, glancing at the hardly hidden baby jumper.

"Oh, we're just…making a few things. You know, that a small person might like to wear. In a cold climate."

A worried look crossed Mary's brow. Rhoda covered her wrist with her hand, worried that they had upset Mary.

"It's okay, Rhoda." Mary waved her off, replacing her frown with a smile.

"Uh huh, I don't think so."

"Really, Rho. I think they're great. They're perfect for a baby in wintertime." Mary pulled Rhoda's hand into her own and squeezed it. "Thank you."

Rhoda relaxed a little then. "I'd better help Hazel with the plates. You better sit down. I see you're wearing flats. Very sensible." Rhoda wiggled her finger in approval and Mary laughed as she collapsed onto the couch.

"Oh, uh, Rhoda." Mary stopped her in her tracks as she made her way towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, Mare?" Rhoda turned.

"Would you, well, would you like to go with me? To the Teddy's?" Mary looked a little apprehensive, a little shy as she asked.

"What, you mean, like as your date?" Rhoda looked a little off-kilter, for she supposed she'd assumed that she'd probably attend, that they would go together, but maybe as friends.

"Well, yes. I was thinking that I'd like that. I'd like for you to be my official date."

"Oh, Mare. Of course, like a real date? I always wanted to be as dapper as your dates that you took to the Teddy's and now I'll get to be. Oh, Mare! What will I wear?" Rhoda's mind was already racing ahead to the event, scanning mentally through her wardrobe. She found that it did not have the perfect dress she so desired. Maybe she'd go to the store after work tomorrow.

"Uh, Rhoda, what am I going to wear?" Mary groaned.

Rhoda laughed, "oh, kid. We'll get you something really nice. Yes, we will." Rhoda couldn't stand to not reassure her wife with a kiss, so she returned to Mary, pressed her lips to pouting lips. "A real date, huh? Out in the open?"

"Yeah," Mary's eyes sparkled up at her, their hands clasping together for a moment. "A real date."

"Think I'm good enough looking to be your date?" Rhoda winked, a little of her old self-deprecating humor creeping into the question.

"Stop it. It's you who should be worried about her date looking good enough. Now go help Hazel." Mary shooed her away.

"Oh, Rhoda! Look at you! Look at you!" Mary exclaimed as she stepped out of their bedroom, taking in Rhoda in her sleek new emerald green gown. It hugged her body, accentuated her tiny waist, the curve of her breasts, the slimness of her hips. "Oh, Rhoda. You're a dream. You're a vision. Look at you."

"Cut it out, will ya?" Rhoda batted her away as she affixed the golden hoop to her ear that completed her look, her hair swept up atop her head, leaving her neck bare.

"Rhoda, I don't think we should go anywhere tonight." Mary sighed, hand moving to brush at Rhoda's hip.

"Stop it." Rhoda admonished, hitting Mary's hand away.

"You know, it's really no fair. Here you are looking absolutely gorgeous and I'm an elephant. I'm actually the size of an elephant."

"Mary, go and change into your dress. It looks gorgeous on you." Rhoda shooed her away. "We're going to be late."

"I don't wanna go." Mary pulled her robe tighter about herself.

Rhoda sighed, "Mare, Mary. You look absolutely gorgeous right now. You know that, kid? You're a stunner, a real knock-out. A little extra doesn't diminish a thing." Rhoda assured her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Now go get into your dress. I'm just mad about the cut of the front."

"Of course, I've got ample bosoms at the moment." Mary murmured under her breath as she went into the room to change. Rhoda had to zip her up but as she stepped back and took in the image of Mary in their full-length mirror she couldn't help the lust, the jealousy, the love that pulled at her heart.

"Mare, you're beautiful." Rhoda slid her hand about Mary's waist, holding her close – she would have kissed her right then, but they'd smear their lipstick.

"Oh, thank you for saying it, but I certainly don't feel beautiful."

"Doesn't this remind you of when I did that pageant?"

"Somehow it does, yet we seem to be acting in reverse of one another." Mary laughed. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

They arrived just in time for cocktails, the swirl of people chattering away, congratulating Mary on her pregnancy, inquiring after the father – a question neither had thought to figure out an answer to and so Mary got a few odd stares as she struggled to answer – and always Rhoda would swoop in to save her. They finally found their way to the table around which the WJM staff sat. Everyone greeted Rhoda eagerly, friendly and she felt comfortable with the boys and Georgette. Nothing had changed – whether they knew or not – it felt comfortable.

"Rhoda, Rhoda! You look stunning!" Murray exclaimed, taking in her slimmed physique. If she'd only known she needed to get Mary knocked up and then get involved with her to lose all the weight she'd always wanted to lose she would have done it sooner, much sooner. The attention made her feel strange though, uncomfortable as she sat in the chair.

"Rhoda, really, just look at you! Did you do something different with your hair?" Lou asked from across the table.

"Uh, no. No, same hair." She picked up a piece of bread from the center of the table and bit into it.

Mary slid her hand over her own beneath the table.

"Of course Mary, you're looking just radiant tonight." Murray smiled across to Mary.

"Oh, Murray." Mary waved her hand dismissively at him. "You don't have to say that."

"You do, Mary. You look really nice." Lou confirmed.

"Hello ladies." Ted's voice caught them off guard from behind. Mary dropped Rhoda's hand, more on accident than on purpose. "Look at the two of you! Absolutely stunning. Don't you think Georgette? You know, if I didn't know any better I'd think that Mary here had brought Rhoda as her date."

"Uh, Ted." Georgette placed her hand on his arm, pulling him away from the girls. "Ted, Mary did bring Rhoda as her date."

"Wait a minute," Ted stared between the two women. "Where's that Peter fellow?"

"Uh, Ted, Peter and I…well we're not together, you see."

Ted's brow knit, his lips parted as if he might say something.

"Ted, why don't you come and sit down. They're about to announce for best news reporter." Lou bluffed, hoping to divert his attention.

Ted laughed a little, "oh, Mary. Mary, you're hilarious. You mean to tell me that you left Peter at home to bring your friend Rhoda? Well, that's very nice of you."

"Uh, yes, sure, Ted." Mary sighed.

Rhoda covered her face with her hand before reaching for another piece of bread.

Georgette turned to Rhoda as Ted finally came to sit by her. "I'm sorry about Ted, we haven't figured out how to explain to him yet about you and Mary." Georgette leaned a little bit further in, "I'm very happy about it. I think you make a lovely couple."

Rhoda beamed, covering Georgette's hand with her own, "thank you, Georgette, really. That means a lot."

"Oh! They're about to announce the winners in my category!" Mary exclaimed, reaching for Rhoda's hand unabashedly.

"…and Mary Richards from WJM for her compelling documentary on homelessness in Minneapolis."

Rhoda squeezed her hand as they both waited for the winner to be announced.

"And the Teddy Award goes to…" the announcer took his time unfolding the envelope. "Mary Richards from WJM."

"Oh, Mare!" Rhoda exclaimed, jumping up to help Mary to her feet so that she could waddle, unceremoniously, up to the podium.

The woman, despite her very pregnant appearance, looked stunning up there at the microphone. A little self-conscious, but so at home in her natural beauty. She held the award awkwardly in her hand and spoke into the microphone. "Uh, thank you so much, everyone. I really, really enjoyed working on this documentary. I think it opened everyone's eyes and I just…I….want….I want to thank….oh!" Mary's eyes widened, as wide as Rhoda had ever seen them. She looked as if someone had stricken her, a jolt of pain coursing through her. "I…think…oh, I think my water just broke."