Entanglement
Tori
As I settled back home, the haunting stories about the lingering effects of Long Covid sent a chill down my spine. I couldn't help but fear that I might be one of the unlucky ones. Despite the constant undercurrent of anxiety, I felt surprisingly well physically. Sure, exhaustion clung to me like a shadow because AJ and Jayden kept me awake at night. But during the day, there was a reprieve. Someone always stepped in to help with the twins, allowing me to rest and keep Jade company as she endured her quarantine.
Jade's condition remained stable, refusing to worsen. She battled a stubborn fever and an unrelenting cough, but her unwavering determination kept her glued to her office desk, working tirelessly. It was only when fatigue finally overcame her that she surrendered to her bed.
"Love, I swear this improvement is solely because I had the chance to rest at home. If I were isolated, I might have ended up as bad as you did," Jade mentioned, her eyes reflecting a glimmer of hope.
I nodded in agreement, mustering a smile. "I guess," I replied. "Just four more days, Jade... You missed Sirrah's birthday; you can't afford to miss your son's wedding."
"I've been fever-free for 24 hours," she said, her eyes brightening with newfound optimism. "So far, so good."
Curious, I inquired about her sense of taste, and Jade's expression soured. "I don't think I'll get that back," she admitted before studying me through her lashes. "Can you taste?"
Sadly, I shook my head. "I can't even sing."
We both shared a concerned frown, contemplating the uncertain future. "Do you think your vocal cords will heal?" she asked me.
"I hope so," I replied, attempting to lighten the mood with a grin. "Or else, I'm out of a job."
"That would only happen if you forgot how to memorize lines... I've got you, Love," she said with a chuckle.
"Mami..." I whispered a term of endearment I'd started using when we were in private. She loved it when I whispered sweet Spanish nothings to her. Her full attention locked onto me as I continued, "What about your libido?"
She leaned back in her desk chair. "That hasn't gone anywhere..."
A puzzled frown crossed my face. "Maybe it was just me."
She laughed. "Tori, you've just given birth to two beautiful babies. I'm surprised you're even thinking about your libido."
I blushed. "It's just that it's never happened to me before."
"You were also breastfeeding before," Jade said with a sigh. "Don't worry; it'll come back when you're ready."
I wanted to ask her how she knew that if she had ever lost her sex drive. But before I could, there was a knock at my bedroom door, and Jade turned her attention back to her Mac. "Come in," I welcomed.
My voice, weakened by the trials of intubation and the lingering phlegm from COVID, wasn't as robust as it used to be. "Mom, I have to send my final flower approval, and I can't decide," Miri said as she stepped into my room, her small baby bump adding to her charm.
"Of course, baby," I replied as she climbed onto the bed.
Miri glanced at my screen. "Is that Aunt Jade?"
"Yep," Jade confirmed, fully engaged with my daughter.
A surge of warmth filled me as Jade effortlessly stepped into the role that Andre would have played. Though Miri was Jade's future daughter-in-law, she treated all of my babies as her own.
My heart raced within my chest as I considered the possibility that I might love Jade in a way that went beyond the bounds of friendship, the kind of love she had always openly shown me. All those "I love yous" I had uttered before had been reserved for my best friend, but now, there was something more, something deeper that I couldn't ignore.
As we busied ourselves with finalizing the wedding plans, Miri's warm embrace pulled me back from my introspection. She hugged me tightly, her words filled with sincerity. "I am so glad you are back."
A rush of gratitude surged through me, and I replied, "I am so glad to be back."
Miri then turned to Jade with excitement bubbling in her voice. "Mamma J, I can't wait till you're negative. You can't be a screen for my wedding."
Jade chuckled, a hint of amusement in her tone, and then she playfully threatened, "You guys keep working my nerves like this, and I'll get better just to give you a piece of my mind."
Miri giggled and left the room, leaving Jade and me alone. I couldn't help but voice a thought that had been lingering in my mind. "I like the sound of 'Mamma J.'"
Jade paused, her eyes locking onto mine. "I kinda do too." She stopped typing and added, "Miri is my daughter-in-law. But I wouldn't mind if the other three called me that too if they wanted."
"Jade..." I whispered, my voice barely rising above a breath. "Why are you leaving Beck?"
A heavy silence hung between us as Jade's gaze dropped to the floor. The question remained unanswered for a moment, the unspoken tension in the room palpable. "Did he tell you that?" she asked, her voice softer.
"No," I replied.
"Then you know why, Vega," Jade stated firmly, closing the door on that conversation.
The tension in the room was palpable, and I couldn't help but press further. "Don't you love him?" I asked.
She nodded slowly. "But you are monogamous."
"I can share," I stated, my voice carrying a hint of sincerity.
Jade blinked her eyes, her emotions in turmoil. She cleared her throat and abruptly changed the subject, pulling us away from the uncomfortable territory. "I have the Zoom details for tomorrow's reading; I am sending it out."
The shift in focus was jarring, but it brought finality to the conversation we had just skirted around. Jade clearly didn't want to discuss the topic any further, so we continued with our wedding preparations, each carrying our own secrets and uncertainties.
Jade
I stuck the nasal swab up my nose as far as it would go, then placed it in the tube. I had a rapid test from my brief travels. I had to get out of this room; the office was driving me crazy.
Andre's birthday was in two days, and that was the day that Miri chose for her wedding. I was going to get out of this room and participate, damn it.
Tori and I haven't talked since that awkward conversation the day before. Today we had a reading of a whole episode of our show, the one where Hannah and Bree met. It was like love at first sight with these two. And I had been hoping to be in the same room with Tori to do this.
The timer dinged, and I looked at the test. I smiled and took another one just in case what I was seeing was wrong. I didn't want to be premature and get Holly and David sick. They were old.
I looked at my watch and sat at my desk, opening up the Zoom room we were broadcasting from. We had picked two scripts to read from, the most popular one and the one with the most cast members involved.
The Hanna character was introduced at the end of season 1 as a plot device, and people loved Hanna so much that they campaigned to keep her. So we did.
Season 1 Episode 13: Hanna's Gambit. I wrote on the screen and popped on.
Soon, thirteen other faces appeared. The children who grew up with us on set, Mac and Vic, me, Tori, Frank, Celeste, and her quarantine partner, who would read for Judge Anderson since that actor was no longer with us.
I smiled at them all and pressed record. "Hi, everyone! Happy reunion!"
"If we were still shooting, we would be coming back to set next week," Tori stated, and I realized she was right.
"Dude, we're right on track," I said.
We bantered for a little while, then we each introduced ourselves and our characters. Tori and I were last because we were the stars. "I'm Tori Vega-Harris, I play Hannah," she said.
"And last but not least…" Frank said.
"Jade West, writer, director, producer, and I play Bree," I said and smirked. "Who was going to be the Narrator?"
"Me," Celeste's partner said. "My role is way in the middle."
"Well, alright," I said, "Let's take it away."
They started with a scene of a prostitute being killed in a back alley. And the guys that killed her commenting on how no one cared about them. The brothel had a judge in their pocket.
The next scene is where the electrifying meet-up happens. And Celeste's partner, whose name was Chris, began. "INT. DIMLY LIT BAR - NIGHT. The bar exudes an air of secrecy with dim lighting and a soft jazz tune playing in the background. Bree, a seasoned private investigator, stands leaning against the bar counter. She sips her whiskey, her eyes scanning the room with anticipation.
Enter Hannah, an attorney, with a commanding stride. Her long chestnut hair flows elegantly down her shoulders. She wears a tailored blazer, radiating confidence.
The room seems to hush as Hannah walks in, an aura of power surrounding her.
CUT TO: Their eyes meet across the room, and the world seems to fade away. Bree's heart quickens, and she sets her glass down, her attention solely on Hannah."
I put my hand in my shirt and pretend it is fluttering. The group laughs around me, and Chris continues. "CUT TO: Hannah approaches, and as they come closer, their hands brush in a charged moment. Electricity crackles in the air, undeniable chemistry between them.
"Bree?" Tori asked with a gasp.
"Hannah." I nodded trying to keep it cool.
"CUT TO:" Chris continues, "They sit in a secluded booth in the corner, the tension palpable, their bodies close. Bree is captivated by Hannah's commanding presence."
Tori pantomimed putting a file on a table and leaned forward in her seat. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."
"Bree's heart softens as she sees a hint of vulnerability in Hannah." Chris reads.
"Of course," I said nodding. "Hannah. I've heard about your reputation."
Tori hesitates a beat then launches into her purpose for the meeting. "I need your help, Bree. There's a judge, Judge Anderson, who's been involved in a prostitution ring for years. We need solid evidence to unseat him. He's been untouchable for too long."
"I've heard rumors about Anderson," I said furrowing my brows. "but no one's ever been able to pin him down. Tell me everything you know."
Then Tori launches into an explanation of the case. "We have a confidential informant, someone who's been on the inside. They've given us a lead on a brothel operating under his protection. We need evidence to tie him directly to it."
"I'll get you that evidence, Hannah. We'll bring him down." I stated. And I realize that many a part of this script was non-verbal. The cues that Hanna and Bree gave each other were non-verbal until the final scene. This scene was also cut in half by scenes with the kids at home and Hanna's husband. Hanna was late; she was out later than usual, and Husband was putting the kids to bed.
At the bar, Hanna and Bree were talking. And Tori put on her I don't want to leave face and said, "I should go. We'll stay in touch about the case."
I licked my lips as Chris narrated. "Bree's heart pounds as they lock eyes."
"I'll find the evidence, Hannah." I said with a nod "We'll make sure Judge Anderson faces justice."
"CUT TO: Their fingers brush as they exchange contact information, the electric charge undeniable."
Then it is off to a whole other scene. By the end of the episode, all of us laughed as we tried to have the make-out session between Bree and Hanna in Hanna's office. Without being in the same room. And then the knock on the door from Hanna's husband and kids made us jump apart and straighten our clothes before she went to open the door.
Bree excuses herself, smiling nervously at the husband and kids, and hightails it out of the office and… FADE OUT.
"Oh, that was fun!" Tori said. We went through all of our platitudes, and soon our Zoom broadcast was done. I went back to my two negative COVID tests and headed for the door of my office with my mask on. I needed a shower and my bed and not to see my office for another month.
locked the door behind me, feeling the need for a thorough UV cleaning. No one was in the hall, so I cautiously made my way to my empty marital room, being careful not to touch anything but the door knobs with Clorox wipes.
Did I really want to leave Beck? I knew that my heart had shifted toward Tori the older I got. But I loved him. "I can share," she had said. What an odd dynamic that was. It made sense with Helena but for Tori...
There was a knock on my bedroom door shortly after I made it out of the shower. I was refreshed and happy. I knew Beck had been staying in the guest house with Helena while I was in quarantine, so I knew people would have called me for anything else. I looked around and realized my phone was locked in my office.
I sighed and waited to see if the other person would walk away. "Beck? I need to talk to you... About Jade... About how I feel."
It was Tori. "Look, I don't want to talk through the door. Can I come in?" she said. "She won't answer my calls, and we've been off this Zoom for half an hour."
I looked around, grabbed my mask, and put it on before heading to the door. I opened it. "You came up!" she said, shocked.
"I tested negative," I said.
She smiled brightly. "Then why are you..."
"I'm scared," I stated.
She nodded and sat on my bed, patting the space next to her. "I already had this strain," she said. "I'm not going to get sick."
So I sat on the bed next to her. She reached up and removed the mask from my face. I moved back a bit. She ran her fingers through my wet hair and pulled me forward, kissing me long and deep. Then she straddled my hips, wrapping herself all the way around me. "Welcome back," she whispered. "I'm in love with you."
My heart seized when she said it. There wasn't a flutter, but a firm clenching that threatened to take my life with it. "I..."
"I know you are in love with me," she said. "And I can understand how you can be in love with me and with Beck at the same time because I am still so in love with Andre."
I breathed out, my head dropping forward. She reached my face with her hand and made me focus on her. "That's how I know I can share."
And there was nothing more to say. I kissed her again, gently placing her on my bed. My towel fell away, and my thigh pressed against the apex of hers as she clung to me. "Oh... there it is," she said.
That caught me off guard, and I laughed, allowing her to push me over onto my back, taking control.
