The two women strolled gently down the endless aisles as if they were treading on air. They paid no heed to the muzak emanating from speakers nor to the strident exhortations to buy whatever bargain was advertised. Annabelle loved the feel of them walking side by side and, when she helpfully darted to where she'd spotted an item on the list, that didn't disturb the bond. Simone felt a delicious sense of harmony that, even undertaking such a mundane activity, where her lover fitted all around her there was no sense of tension. She could never imagine Michael or any past boyfriends acting in an unselfish and cooperative fashion On the contrary, they veered sharply between the unreasonably dominating or the hopelessly unseeing and uncoordinated. She had half-expected the younger woman's attention to be drawn by some eye-catching nonsense or to insist on some selfish adolescent preference but that never happened. She walked onwards with a blissful expression on her face, occasionally nudging Annabelle playfully.
Both of them lingered by the DVD counter but, as their eyes scanned the shelves, they concluded that these blockbusters said nothing about their lives however many units were sold and however high profile they were exhibited in the store. When they finally came to the checkout, they wondered if they would meet any other past acquaintances. It crossed their minds that lightning could strike twice and perhaps the Mother Immaculata might emerge from her lair at St Theresa's and cross their path but no such disturbance bothered them
After they passed through the checkout and the foyer and passed through the swing doors, suddenly the recognisable form of Colins, an old classmate of Annabelle, came into view. She was a slight, nervous girl with a pale face and shoulder-length slightly straggling brown hair. Her nervous habits included that of cutting herself in moments of stress and Simone had kind-heartedly bent the rules for in letting her look after an abandoned porcupine in the dorm. She had been the natural target of Catherine's bullying which Annabelle had done her best to counter. Her attachment to them both was based on the kind-heartedness both had shown her.
"Miss Bradley, Annabelle, it's great to see you both. You both look so well."
"It's down to healthy living. I've even given up smoking cigarettes," joked Annabelle with a sidelong look at Simone whose eyes twinkled with delight.
"You're going food shopping together. I guess you must be sharing a place together though don't think I'm prying," Colins said, ultra nervous at the thought of offending her old teacher and a good friend of hers. To her, Miss Bradley was still Miss Bradley. Annabelle exchanged glances with Simone and went for it.
"We're living together as lovers if that's what you mean. It's been like paradise."
"I'm really glad for you both. I never minded at all even if you two slept together the night of the end of term party and I said so to everyone at the time. I'd love to stop and talk but I'm hurrying to meet mom. She hates it when I'm even a minute late."
Both Annabelle and Simone glowed all over at this kind-hearted girl's approval. The cruelties of schoolgirl pecking orders which had placed her on the bottom rung had left them feeling both feeling angry and contemptuous of the system and when they thought about it, they realised that this was each had seen in the other from a very early moment in their acquaintance. They'd both been sorry to see her perpetually burdened down by life itself and this validation of their lifestyle was incredibly important to them. They each kissed her on her cheek before she scuttled anxiously away.
"You guys look really good together," Colins said over her shoulder, half turning towards them before she was lost in the crowd.
It wasn't till too late that they wished they'd got her cell phone number. Both women felt a pang of loss that one of the nicer memories of St. Theresa's had disappeared into the anonymity of modern American urban life that was always restlessly moving someplace else and forsaking the space that had been occupied. They shook their heads and pushed the trolley back to the car.
"Me for the drive home," Annabelle said gleefully before continuing in a more thoughtful vein."I wouldn't dare trash your car. It's precious to us both and, besides, I'm a good driver.."
After they'd loaded the trunk, Simone bowed to the inevitable and took her unnaccustomed place in the passenger seat. The perspective looked all wrong, she thought, as she saw the younger woman confidently adjust the seat position, check the rear view mirror, turn the ignition and carefully do a left reverse turn to aim it for the exit. Simone was highly attuned to the way Annabelle manoeuvred the car but she couldn't help her left foot tensing over an imaginary break pedal. The knowing look which greeted this subtle move made her blush faintly. Once out on the road, Annabelle powered the car with easy practiced precision which made Simone start to relax.
"Hey you can drive," she exclaimed which made Annabelle laugh out loud. Simone intercepted the mischievous thought that curled at the side of her lover's lips that she'd served a pretty good demonstration that in some aspects of life, Annabelle was ahead of the game.
"I know just what you're thinking, Annabelle Tillman and you're perfectly correct."
The dark-haired woman laughed again in her infectious manner and the two women got into the simple pleasures of being out on the road, in being free as a bird behind the wheel and, in short, living the good old American Dream. They passed by some cars, let angry, aggressive truck drivers claim the space ahead they were desperate to claim. Annabelle noted the turnoff for their side of town and brought the car to a halt with a scrunching sound of pebbles at the side of the road.
"All we need to do is to get the shopping down to the house," sang out Simone eying the long downwards slope and thinking of the weight of shopping they'd bought.."It's just as well they're two of us." Annabelle grinned as she pocketed the keys and prepared to lock up the car. Finally, feeling that their arms had been stretched, they arrived at the kitchen in the beach house and set to work to make use of every inch of space in the fridge / freezer to pack it all in.
"I really want a cup of coffee. I really feel tired and parched," Simone sighed.
"You take it easy darling. I'll fix one up," Annabelle offered.
This was one of the younger woman's little gestures that made her feel appreciated. None of the guys who she'd ever brought back to wherever she lived thought of her other than squaw material. She loved the sight of the younger woman busying herself round their kitchen. Every crevice of the beach house was made for her presence to occupy. She accepted the cup of coffee and a plateful of cookies with grateful pleasure.
"I've got a great idea,"Annabelle exclaimed while they sat back in the morning sunshine, taking things easy."What about slipping on our swimming costumes, getting out on the beach with a picnic meal and getting suntanned? It's a great day outside."
A light bulb switched itself on in Simone's mind. They'd walked along it and soaked up the scenery but the idea of sunbathing struck her as a gorgeously lazy idyll they both deserved to treat themselves to. A slow smile spread across her face which the younger woman was not slow to pick up on.
"You've seen my black bikini. I've still got it. I'm kind of curious to see what you look like,"she said slyly.
"You won't be disappointed. I've got a light blue bikini which is my favourite. What about sun tan lotion?"Simone added sharply, her hand over her mouth."We'll fry in this heat especially as we've not really been out this year."
"Just relax sweetheart," Annabelle replied in her most winning manner."I slipped it into the shopping basket. We've both got shades."
"In which case darling,"Simone said in a self satisfied manner, looping her arm round her lover's shoulder and kissing her full on the lips,"Let the beach party begin."
Half an hour later, Annabelle had changed into her slinky black bikini, revealing the tattoo on the small of her back, her generous breasts and her sleekly brushed hair. In the meantime, Simone had slipped mysteriously into the living room to change with instructions not to look until she was ready. Finally, the answer to the dark-haired woman's growing curiosity was revealed.
"How do I look?" came the call from their bedroom and the younger woman shot into the living room and her jaw dropped. There before her was her beloved, wearing a revealing sky blue bikini that was sculptured into her long, slim figure. It shaped her breasts so perfectly
"Oh wow, Simone, you look like the all-American beach babe. You look really gorgeous. Let's have a look at you from behind," Annabelle exclaimed delightedly.
"You look amazing yourself sweetheart,"Simone answered, grinning openly at her partner's obvious charms. It made a delightful contrast with the way she had once felt compelled to brush aside the dark-haired woman from making a pass at her. She'd swum singlemindedly in her direction at St Theresa's swimming pool and Simone had automatically passed her a purple beach robe while sitting on the side of the pool. In retrospect, this gesture said more about their blossoming relationship than she'd been aware of at the time. Feeling absurdly pleased and flattered, Simone slowly turned around revealing an aspect of her physique that she knew that Annabelle adored. She was delighted to find her stuck for words but was conscious of her rapt admiration and soaked it up greedily.
"And it's perfectly legal for us to parade around the beach like this?" Annabelle asked incredulously, wide-eyed and with a brilliant smile on her face."I can't believe it."
Simone couldn't help giggling helplessly at her lover's endearing charming ways. Life would never be dull with this woman of hers around the house.
A little while later, Simone carried a large holdall carrying the ingredients of a picnic
while the dark-haired woman carried the beach towels. She was chattering away like an excited kid.
"I love picnics, Simone. There's something about being in the fresh air and none of that shit about table manners, sitting up straight and which fork to use. We used to live in Arkansas where my mother was some big shot over there but the best time I remember was stopping over at my best friend's house, Pamela Courson. She was a skinny kid with reddish hair and her parents treated me as their second daughter. They took me on all sorts of family type things and I remember sitting by the river, eating cookies and ice cream and drinking coke and them not minding if my clothes got messed up. Even their meals were kind of fun. That was a good time in my life..."
The older woman saw a kaleidoscope of emotions illuminate Annabelle's expressive features, tailing off into wistful nostalgia, tinged with sadness. She suspected that something bad had overtaken this idyllic childhood and groped around for the right words to say.
"Did you, I mean, how long were you," she started to say when Annabelle answered in a flat, deliberately emotionless tone of voice that chilled Simone to the bone.
"That part of my life ended when my parent's super important careers took me over here so I got yanked away from all the friends I was starting to make, the school where I'd settled down and a place that felt like home. I was getting good grades in elementary school and was the one school I didn't get expelled from. I was treated as a piece of baggage. I could move anywhere-or so they thought. I remember seeing Pamela crying as I sat in the back of the limousine as I was being carried away and I never saw her again. I moved to this glittering museum that's sort of dead. That started me rebelling as no one ever sat me down and asked how I felt."
The younger girl felt Simone's profound need to heal her hurts as a tangible wall of emotion. Tears prickled her eyes at these very real caring feelings. After the frozen cold of her memories, she felt warm again and wanted. She turned to her lover and squeezed her hand tightly, smiling up at her. She didn't want this woman of hers to feel sad on her behalf.
"It does mean that when I say our place feels like home, you know what I mean by it. This will be the best picnic since I was a kid. I know it will be."
"So do I sweetheart," Simone said tenderly and they felt the warmth of the sunshine on their skin and the hard, fine sand under their feet. The wide flat beach and the gently rolling surf promised them blissful pleasures.