by Tey Holden
“What am I wearing in those thoughts?”
Karen chuckled. “Perv! I was just thinking about the past and the future. I’ll tell you tonight.”
“I don’t know, if I can deal with the past and the future in one night. The present is pretty intense as it is!” She winked and smiled making Karen grin.
After Lord Fannon’s brief speech, the awards and diplomas were granted. Alex received many awards, and her diploma clearly stated that she was graduating Suma Cum Laude. Karen and Addy couldn’t have been prouder of their daughter. James and JP were there also, and the ever-dramatic JP cried rivers of tears. Marshall, Carol, Mel and Vic were also in attendance. All who had seen her grow, from a little tyke to the young woman she was now, joined in a celebratory dinner at Andre and Margo Russoo’s after the ceremony.
Brooke graduated third in her class. After her first lunch with Alex, she always stood her ground, and no one ever teased her again. She joined several clubs, played sports, and had a great high school experience. Brooke’s friendship with Alex defined her attitude and her life. She began to feel confident of who she was and did not segregate herself from the rest of her classmates, but rather cherished her sexuality and flourished. She even helped Alex write her valedictorian speech. There was something in the message about ‘the need to always be yourself, to not let others define you’ that certainly struck a chord in her.
***
The following day, they held a huge party at the Manor house. More like an open house to which everyone known and some unknowns came. Especially, all the friends and family were there. Even Laurie had flown in with her family. There was plenty of food and the laughter and fun resonated through the once great Inn of Scotland. While the party was going on, towards the end of the night, two very important people went missing. Addy and Karen snuck out to the patio after most of the guests had gone. The moon was full in the cool spring night.
“Here, put my sweater on. I don’t want you catching a cold.” Karen handed the sweater to Addy.
“How about you?”
“This turtle neck I’m wearing is pretty warm.”
The breeze felt nice and the moon was beautiful. The soft, relaxing music from the house could be heard outside. Karen stood behind, wrapped her arms around Addy, and sang. “Have I told you lately that I love you?”
“Hum? Let me see, how lately is lately? If it’s since last night, you are covered, if it’s within the last three hours, you haven’t.”
Karen grinned as she continued to press her body against Addy’s, and caressed her with her face. “I love you, Adriana.”
The mention of the full name was an indication of Karen’s mood, and Addy breathed deep, grinned, and caressed the arms holding her. “I love you too, Lady Larsen.” Karen bit her neck softly, as pay back for the horrible offense of using the title to name her.
“Hey! Is this a form of aggression?”
“Yes, of the worse kind.”
“You are happy,” Addy stated.
“I’m always happy with you.”
“We did a great job raising her, Ker.”
“Yes, but it was you who started all of this. I still remember the day you asked me to have a baby, I was livid.”
“I remember the day you agreed, I thought it was a miracle.”
“I think it was. Alex is your miracle. You and only you could have convinced me of such a thing. I guess she’s more a child of love than if we had physically conceived her.”
Addy turned to face her. “She is a true miracle, and definitely our very best joint venture.”
Karen smiled contently. “Yes, indeed. Our masterpiece.”
They kissed. Still wrapped in Karen’s arms, Addy leaned into her, closed her eyes and began to sway to the rhythm of the soft music coming from the house. It was Adele’s Lovesong playing in the background, one of their favorites from years back. “Remember, our first anniversary?” Karen asked swaying softly to the music.
“Yes, how could I not? You were soaked, and you picked flowers for me.”
The green eyes filled with happy tears. “I love you.”
Addy pressed her body to Karen’s, dug her fingers into her golden hair, and kissed her gently, and then with the same passion as that long-ago day. “Adriana!” They continued to dance softly, caressing each other tenderly.
Alex noticed the patio door open and walked over to close it, when she noticed the swaying silhouettes on the far end of the patio. She smiled and leaned against the threshold to watch. James noticed Alex smiling from the distance and walked over to her to see what had captured her attention outside. He approached her from the back and being taller than her, saw the figures of the moms in the distance. “Young lady, some things are meant to be private.”
Alex looked at him and smiled. Addy and Karen had always been very open about showing affection for each other around Alex, and Alex always loved to see how her moms cared for each other. “I know Uncle James, I was getting ready to leave, but I always like to watch them for a little bit, though. They are so beautiful together. It’s as if they are magically connected and are really one person split into two wonderful parts, and when they come together, it’s like perfect harmony.”
James choked. “Perfect harmony. I think you’ve just described your moms to the tee. If you ever find something like that, grab on to it, and hang on to it with your life.”
She turned. “Uncle James, you are a romantic!”
He blushed. “Come on, my dear child, favor me with this dance.” He put out his hand, as if in request.
“Enchanté.” Alex replied.
Part 15
After traveling during the summer months through Europe, the time came to report to school. As all parents do, the women packed all the boxes and bags and other ‘junk’ as Karen called it in the car and drove to St. Andrews.
When they arrived on campus there was the usual commotion of the move-in days. There were parents and kids hauling luggage up and down the stairs, and student volunteers taking stuff from parents’ hands to help them out.
Although there were people she knew from her own school and other schools with whom she had played sports, Alex decided not to select a roommate and allow the university to pair her up with another student. This was her attempt to expand her circle of friends.
Thirty minutes after their arrival, Alex’s roommate showed up. Nan was a petite and thin oriental girl who seemed very friendly, but quiet. She brought her things into the room and soon everything was aligned on their respective sides.
Alex’s room was a large double within a suite. The suite arrangement appealed to her because it allowed privacy when she needed it, and the camaraderie of having a roommate. The suite had the added benefit of other suite mates, which was great when she wanted to be gregarious. Having been an only child, she was looking forward to sharing experiences with others.
The moms helped to accommodate her things. Karen made the bed while Addy insisted that everything had to be sanitized and disinfected. She had an arsenal of cleaning products. “She’s always like that.” Alex tried to explain her mom to Nan. Who merely smiled in awe, as she looked at the woman clean the drawers with disinfecting wipes.
Nan’s parents had dropped her off and left immediately. Addy and Karen had spoken to Nan trying to get a feel for the kind of roommate she would be, she seemed pleasant and both women liked her. While they settled Alex in, Nan sat quietly on her bed and didn’t seem in any rush to do anything.
They had arranged to rent a small refrigerator, and a microwave from the university housing because regulations did not permit students to bring their own due to space limitations and safety issues. However, they did buy a one-cup coffee maker.
Addy thought that it was imperative for Alex to have plenty of supplies. First years, were not allowed to have a car on campus, so it was important that she had anything she might need. It did not matter that there was a pharmacy and a small grocery store across the street from campus, or
that the university had an excellent and free transportation system that took the students anywhere around town, and even to the nearby shopping areas. Addy still insisted that Alex had to have all she might need in case of an ‘emergency.’
Among the supplies, there were pharmacy products to cover a large spectrum of possible ailments from headaches to stomachaches, heartburn, rash, or food poisoning. And, of course, there were also bandages of all sizes and antiseptic ointment. Karen handled all of the medical acquisitions, while Addy made sure that Alex would never starve. The baskets of supplies were filled with items to provide food from a simple midnight snack, to quick canned or dried foods to get her through a rain or a snowstorms, or maybe even the end of the world because there were several cans of Spam among the items. When Alex saw the Spam, she looked at Karen, rolled her eyes and laughed. Karen was of the opinion that Spam would always exist because Addy alone would make sure to keep the company in business.
When all was said and done, it came the time to leave. Alex looked at them, especially at Addy. She knew that Addy was the emotional one and, on the surface, the hardest hit with the separation. “We are only two hours away, M’Addy. You can come and visit me whenever you want.” She said it in a soft tone, trying to make things easy for Addy. “I know, baby, and I know that you will be fine and do well. You are very ready for this. I’m not going to say that we will miss you because I don’t even want you to think of us when we leave, but we will be thinking of you. And you know that until I get used to this, we are going to have to be texting a lot.”
“Yes, M’Addy we’ve already gone through all the rules to keep you sane, and for you not to send the Police Scotland in my search.”
Karen just smiled quietly. “Mom, take her away and keep her busy tonight, would you? I will be fine.”
“I will try. By the way, we are going to be in town for a couple of days, so if you need anything give us a call. We are staying at the Chapel Hill Inn for a couple of nights.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “Okay, go now I promise to call you later.”
Her friends Kara and Mandy came over to see Alex’s ‘digs,’ and when the moms left the inseparable group was together. The only one not there was Brooke. Brooke had decided to attend Edinburgh University rather than St. Andrews. She was looking for a new set of friends and the beginning of a new life. Brooke and Alex’s friendship went beyond their graduation, and they met whenever possible to share their experiences.
When the women drove away and waved goodbye, the car became very quiet. Karen noticed the silence, and took Addy’s hands. “She will do great. You know that! She’s very mature and responsible.”
“I know. It’s not she who worries me. It’s the people she will encounter that frighten me.”
Karen was silent. “Yes, Addy, but having experiences in life is how we learn. Wasn’t it you who told me years ago, on account of the bicycle matter, that we couldn’t keep her locked up in her room?”
“Yes, I did and you are right.”
“She will need to have her hurts and her disappointments. And we will be there to help her every time she needs us.”
Addy chuckled. “Ms. Larsen how things have turned, no? You are now the expert on kids.”
“No, I have just paid attention to what you do.”
Addy smiled. “Don’t patronize me!”
Karen chuckled. “Come on fiery woman, save your talk for later. I have plans for a long night.”
“Oh, yeah?” Addy again looked back towards the dorm where they had just left Alex.
“She’s ready for this, Addy. Don’t worry. And, don’t forget that I have to follow Alex’s order and keep you busy. I’m thinking a nice dinner, and then a warm shower, and a nice massage, for starters.” Addy chuckled when she saw Karen’s devilish grin.
***
After Karen and Addy left, Alex went to dinner with Kara and Mandy. After dinner the friends hung out and checked each other’s accommodations. When all was said and done, each parted to their respective dorms. When Alex entered her room she saw, to her great surprise that all of her roommate’s things were gone. She was wondering what happened and what to do when she heard her name being called.
“Alexandra Larsen?”
“Yes?” She turned to look.
An athletic woman with brown hair in a ponytail stood in the threshold of her door. The woman was wearing a white T-shirt and long athletic leggings. She had the appearance of someone who had been involved in some kind of physical workout, or running. “Hi, I’m Mickaela Schwin, your RA. I’m a third-year student in charge of the residential floor. Everybody calls me Mick.”
“I’m sorry, RA?”
“Resident Assistant. I’m your liaison with university housing. Anything related to your room, or any problems with roommates, you have to bring to my attention.”
“I see. Well, in that case, you couldn’t have chosen a better time to drop in. Maybe you can tell me what happened to my roommate. I had one when I left, and it appears that she’s gone now. Or at least, her things aren’t here.”
“Yeah, that’s what I came to see you about. May I come in and sit down?”
“Yes, sure.” Alex thought that the woman was very polite.
“Nan Yung asked for a reassignment.” Mick tucked a few strands of loose hair over her ears.
“Why?” Alex noticed that Mick was uneasy.
“Can I get right to the point?”
“Don’t see why not. Say what you have to say. She didn’t like me or something?”
Mick grinned at the total frankness. Then she looked at Alex straight in the eyes as to not miss any reaction. “She said she didn’t want a gay roommate. I took care of it. I arranged it and she’s in another dorm. No one knows, or will know unless you are out. I don’t know how she found out. Did you say something to her? By the way, I don’t care. I’m family too, so I’m cool.” She shrugged, still feeling uneasy about having delivered bad news, and about having outed Alex.
Alex smiled, she was used to that type of thing happening and never made a big deal of it. Mick was pleasantly surprised to see Alex’s smile. She immediately thought that, if the sexy blonde was out, there would be immediate turmoil in the small knit lesbian community on campus. She was sure that there wouldn’t be a single lesbian in the whole school who wouldn’t be interested in trying her odds with Alex, including her. She already liked the way Alex was responding to the situation.
Alex’s smile was hard to resist, and it didn’t take long for Mick to smile as well. “Thanks, Mick.” She pursed her lips. Already imagining what Mick was thinking. “How can I put this? We are family in a way, but not like you think. Nan got it wrong.” Alex continued to smile.
“It’s okay if you are not out. I understand it’s hard sometimes. We all have a story. I won’t tell. I promise.” Thinking that Alex might not be out, Mick thought that her chances had improved.
“Yes, that is true. We all have a story. Let me tell you mine real quick, and you will see my predicament.” Alex was quick to reply.
“Hey, you don’t have to come out to me. I mean it, really.”
Alex sat against the cushions on her bed and chuckled. “I’m not coming out. Mick. Nan got it wrong, she saw my moms, when they helped me move in, and she assumed I am like them. My mothers are lesbians. I’m not.”
“Shit!” Mick couldn’t hold back her reaction. Her expression was between disappointment and upset.
Alex smiled. “It’s okay. I’m used to it. I can handle it. This is not extraordinary for me. It’s happened before, and will happen again. And by the way, I have no problem being friends with my family’s family, so that you know.”
Mick chuckled, again tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry about my reaction.” She tried to hide her feelings. “This is a first for me. I’ve met lesbian couples with children, but the children were little ones. I’ve never met, until now, a grown child of a lesbian couple.” Mick turned her back to leave, but stopped w
hen she got to the door. “I guess it is bad enough to live with rejection for who you are, to also have to live with rejection for who you are not. It’s ridiculous.”
Reading Mick’s mixed feelings, Alex looked at her very seriously and then smiled. “At least I have a good RA.”
Mick chuckled. “You do. I’ll get you a roommate. It’s a big campus. Nan is of no consequence. You are cool, Larsen. I think we can adopt you.”
“Thanks.”
Mick chuckled and walked out of the room. She talked to herself once outside “Damn, my damn luck!”
Alex felt a sudden sadness thinking that people were so prejudiced, that they deprived themselves the opportunity to grow. Nevertheless, she thought that Nan was not worth a minute of her time. She didn’t need narrow-minded people who failed to see the beauty in others because of their prejudices. In addition, not having a roommate was beneficial since it meant that she had the room all to herself, at least until Mick found her another roommate.
Alex organized her belongings, took a shower and later got on the Internet to chat with her friends. She told no one what happened with her roommate, certainly not the moms. She didn’t want them thinking that she was sad or alone, when in fact she wasn’t. She had learned through life to mind her own business and to deal with all sorts of people, and she was perfectly fine on her own.
When Mick left Alex’s room she went to the nearby dining hall to meet with her friends. “What took you so long, Mick?” One of the women asked.
“We didn’t think you were coming. We thought that pretty blonde on your floor would keep you busy. Were you helping her organize her things?” One of the girls in the group teased, and everyone laughed. Everyone had already spotted the cute blonde on Mick’s floor.
Mick smiled. “Nope, I had RA duties to tend to.” She said while sitting at the table.
One of the women pushed her in jest. “Seriously! I was.” Mick replied, and did not mention Alex’s circumstances. She felt it was a private matter, revealed in confidence and only due to the circumstances of her job. The group of women was small. Their close relationship stemmed from the fact that they were out and often singled out. The group changed the subject and the conversation flowed along other topics, but Mick still had Alex on her mind. She was too cute, honest and nice to easily forget.
