Joint Venture

by Tey Holden

  ***

  While Alex was in her first year at St. Andrews, Addy and Karen remained in Altee most of the time and visited her frequently. Every time they visited, they left with the sense that Alex was happy and doing well, which gave them a great peace of mind.

  Alex was in fact doing very well both academically and socially. She made lots of friends, including the small group of lesbian and gay students. Being the easygoing, pleasant person that she was, she soon had a good network of friends. She also joined a sorority and kept very busy. She even dated a few times, but found nothing enticing in the individuals to dedicate more time to them, and instead focused on her studies. She was still not sure of what she would end up doing, but being a lawyer like her moms and defending the poor and the oppressed always appealed to her, so she had that career path pretty much in mind. Alex also made time to come home, weekends and holidays to see Peanut Crunchy and Alejandro.

  During the second semester of the first year, Addy and Karen began to travel locally. They toured England up and down and east to west. During Alex’s second year, the women expanded their horizons and went a little further, this time the trips were longer. They spent the first semester touring Spain and Portugal and during the Winter break, the three of them toured and spent part of the Christmas holidays in Ibiza and sailed to the other Balearic Islands. In January, they took Alex back to school and in February they left for Italy. They remained there until May, where Alex joined them for a brief summer holiday. They rented a car and drove up the western coast of Italy and the south of France. Then, they came back home before Alex had to report back to school.

  When Alex was in her senior year of high school, Addy began to have a lot of free time. She no longer needed to drive Alex to school, or sports practices because Alex already had her driver’s license. Since they had moved to the Manor house, Karen’s work hours had become more flexible, and eventually with the passing of time, she had slowly cut back her hours in preparation for retirement. Normally, she would be at the office from noon to five. With Alex at school or sport’s practice, the house was usually very quiet in the afternoons.

  The minute Alex arrived home she’d always yell from the door. “M’Addy, I’m home! Where are you and what are you doing?” She’d yelled so loud sometimes that even Karen could hear her in her office at the other end of the house and for that she had been asked to keep the yelling down a notch.

  Addy would always reply from the study downstairs. “I’m writing a book!” Alex always thought that Addy’s reply was funny and that she was joking, until a few years later when Alex was already in her second year of college. “Ladies I have an announcement to make.”

  Mother and daughter braced themselves. They knew her. “Oh no!” Karen exclaimed.

  “What now?” Alex chuckled.

  “I’m going to be published!”

  Karen looked up and grinned. The brown eyes were focused on the green ones looking for a reaction.

  “What?” Alex was the one who seemed to be shocked. “I didn’t even know you were writing a book!”

  “All of these years, you’ve asked me what I’ve been doing, and I’ve been telling you that I was writing, how can you say that?”

  “I know, but I thought you were kidding! I thought you were mocking me!”

  “Well, I wasn’t.”

  “Mom, did you know about this?”

  “Of course, your mother knows!” Addy replied outraged. “You should know by now that your mom and I don’t keep secrets. As a matter of fact, your mother is my beta reader and editor.”

  “How come I haven’t read these books?”

  “They are lesbian romance stories not suited for your eyes.”

  Alex chuckled. “Juicy stuff, huh?”

  Karen had a sudden cough attack. “Perhaps one day you should read it and learn what true love is all about.” Addy replied, while Karen couldn’t seem to recuperate from her cough attack.

  “M’Addy, for that, I have you and Mom. I could never find a better example.”

  Karen began to turn red still coughing. “I better get your mom some water before she chokes.”

  “So, I guess once they are published, I can read them.”

  Karen didn’t seem to be recuperating even with the water. Addy smiled at the green eyes in distress.

  “Sure, of course, you must remember they are a work of fiction.”

  “Yeah, yeah!” Alex said no more, and took off to her room.

  “Are you out of your mind, woman?” Telling her that she can read those stories?” Karen came around in her usual whisper tone whenever she didn’t want Alex to hear something.

  “Why not? They will be sold to the public. And we have never kept anything from her. Plus remember, the names have been changed.”

  “But, Addy, she of all people in the world would know it’s us in the stories.”

  “Yes, but she won’t know what’s true or false.”

  “I hope that I don’t die of embarrassment!”

  Addy looked at her smiling. “I thought you always said you’d die in some other way, very well described in the stories?” Karen rolled her eyes and looked away. There was no end to Addy’s mockery.

  Karen, for the past few years, had been reading and editing the stories, and she knew perfectly well what was written in those books. “So, how do you feel, about the books being published?”

  “I don’t care, Addy. It’s our love story. Nothing to be ashamed of.” Except for the many times she had blushed reading the stories.

  “Well the thing is that it’s not just one, they want to publish all of them.”

  “You’ve written more than one book?” Alex was just coming down the stairs and making her entrance again to the family room and could hardly believe what she had just heard.

  Karen was in shock too. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, apparently they love the entire series.”

  “Oh, M’Addy! That’s fantastic! Imagine, what if you become a famous author?”

  “Na! The stories are cute, but they are not so great. They are just fun to read.”

  “Not everyone can write funny, M’Addy. So when can I read them?”

  “Oh Lord!” Karen exclaimed. Suddenly becoming aware that once again, the unexpected could happen, and that as with anything Addy had ever undertaken Alex’s prediction that Addy could become famous could become true.

  ***

  Before Addy sent the initial manuscripts to the publisher, she had consulted with Karen as to whether she’d mind her trying to publish the stories. Karen had read and actually proofed all the stories and she thought they were great. She was also not surprised when Addy started to get emails from readers who loved the stories when she published them on a free-access lesbian fiction web site.

  However, Karen thought that although the stories were very good, it was a far-fetched possibility that amongst the tons of authors and manuscripts available in the publishing world anyone would be interested in publishing the work of an unknown author. And even in the event that some small company would publish them, the stories, although true were so unbelievable that no one in their right mind would think them true.

  As it turned out, the stories sold left and right. Readers claimed that they read and reread the stories because it made them happy and gave them hope. Everyone liked the fictional ups and downs in the life of the characters without knowing that, as unbelievable as the stories were, they were real life stories of their very fabulous, wonderful, and loving life together.

  Karen lived in total amazement of the things Addy could pull. “Never a dull moment with you, Addypooh.”

  “I guess the ride to hell and back has been good, huh?”

  “Excellent, don’t have a single regret.”

  The money from the books was never great, because there was no money to be made in such a small niche, however since Addy never really wrote for the money, that didn’t matter to her. Addy wrote because she loved her life with Kar
en, and because writing about it enabled her to relive all the wonderful times they shared. In addition, she loved to see Karen smile when reading her manuscripts and remembering the events that made them so happy through the years. There had been many nights when they would talk about the story and in reminiscing recreated the same passionate moment described in that section of the story. They loved the ‘live reenactments’ as they called them.

  Addy was of the opinion that, “we owe it to all the young lesbians of the world to publish our story to let them know that true love exists, and that if we found it, so can they.”

  Karen would just roll her eyes in her usual way. “I don’t know Addy. I think our relationship is very special. Not sure that everyone has what we have. I thank God every day for what we have.”

  “I do too, sweetie pie. I always told you that I would write our story, didn’t I?”

  Karen smiled because it was true. “Yes you did. I just never thought someone would actually publish it!” Thereafter, in the world of lesbian fiction, Addy became a well-known author.

  ***

  Epilogue

  During the years that Addy served as Chair, there were many achievements in their lives, but there were many sad moments as well. Shortly after the hospital project was approved, their beloved Gerry passed away. This was a terribly sad moment for them, most especially for Karen for whom Gerry was the last connection to her beloved Aunt Charlotte. One of Gerry’s great joys in life was to spend time with Karen, Addy, and Alex, whom had turned out to be her real family. After a thankfully brief diagnosis with cancer, she passed away at home like she wanted. The nurses informed Karen of her deteriorating condition, and they rushed to her side. Karen at least had the consolation of having seen her one more time.

  The following year, Mr. Kimbell also passed away, another hard blow for them. He had been a distinguished citizen of Altee, and an instrumental life-long friend. He had been with them from the very beginning establishing and arranging Karen’s inheritance from Aunt Charlotte, drafting the paperwork of joint ownership of the property, helping them request loans for the Inn, preparing the documents for their civil partnership, and finally arranging Alex’s adoption papers. Not to mention his blessed intervention in the custody trial against Karen’s family. They had forever been grateful to him for coming to their rescue and bringing the entire town with him. Mr. Kimball’s loss was personal. Addy declared a day of mourning in Altee, and the entire town closed down so that people could attend the services and the funeral.

  Mel and Vic stayed together. Eventually Mel retired to the quiet country living of Scotland. Vic continued a consulting veterinary practice, as long as the animals were brought to her, she would no longer drive miles to take care of livestock. They also often joined Addy and Karen traveling and forged many adventures together. Laurie continued to prosper in the USA with her family and every year or two, Addy and Karen would visit them, in addition to still holding the traditional Christmas or Thanksgiving, and summer gatherings. Marshall and Carol continued to take care of Alejandro and later managed the McGill stables.

  Phillip, who was already getting up in years, retired to the south of France, where he and his wife kept a summer home. Upon his retirement, Karen also retired and dissolved the firm. These events all coincided with the end of Addy’s final term as Chair. Much to Karen’s relief, Addy finally retired from politics.

  ***

  Alex spent four years at St. Andrews and again graduated with honors. She continued her education at Harvard where she attained a Master’s degree in business, and later completed a law degree at Oxford. Brooke, Alex’s friend, stayed at Edinburgh University, and later completed a Master’s degree in Women Studies at Oxford to later become an associate professor at Edinburgh University.

  During the many years that Alex attended college, Addy and Karen traveled extensively around the world. They spent quite a bit of time in Boston while Alex was at Harvard, and in the winters and summers they continued their practice of heading to warmer, or cooler climates where Alex would always join them on her breaks from school.

  Addy continued to write amidst their travels, and Karen continued to edit her work. Before they knew it, they found themselves back home just about the time that Alex graduated from Oxford and returned home to Edinburgh to work in a law firm.

  After Alex returned home, she settled in the apartment they still owned in Edinburgh. This was the apartment Addy bought when Karen was pregnant, and which they had either rented or used when staying in the city. The once regular working-class neighborhood had now become quite affluent and the value of the apartment had multiplied to an absurd amount. The apartment was near the hospital and in the middle of a very popular area in the city. Now Alex had the privilege to live in a much-sought after location, which had once been her first home.

  During the years, abroad, Addy compiled anecdotes about their many travels. However, because they were busy living, she never got around to put together into a book the many events that would ultimately make for a recount of all those years. She, however, felt an obligation to tell her readers what had happened in the course of all those years, and also what had become of the lives, of the many friends whose lives had touched theirs in so many ways through the years. Now that she was back home in Scotland, she was resolved to write the chronicles of all those years and complete the story of their fabulous life and their God-blessed love.

  “Maybe I should write a story about Alex’s life after she left home.”

  Karen immediately got on her case. “First, how are you planning to write about her life after she left home considering that you weren’t there, and even if you sat her down to tell you about her doings, something which I find you very capable of doing, how would you know for a fact that she would like you to write about her and make her life public as well?” Addy pouted in thought. “Why don’t you continue with our lives? After all, our lives have already been so exposed that I’m sure no one would care if I ran out into the street naked. I feel they’ve already imagined me naked anyways!”

  Addy laughed. “Honey, whatever anyone has imagined, cannot possibly compare to the vision I see every night. Only I know what my gorgeous, green-eyed blonde looks like in her birthday suit.”

  Karen chuckled. “Are you blind, woman? Do you think anyone would care to see my wrinkles, or sagging boobs now?”

  “I resent those comments about you. I think you look gorgeous.”

  “Bless your heart! But you are definitely blind!”

  “I suppose that if you think that way about yourself, you must think that my boobs and ass are sagging as well. Are you?”

  “Are you kidding? Why do you think I continue to go out with you on your book-signing engagements? I don’t want anybody getting any ideas about you!”

  Addy continued to laugh. “You are the most ridiculous woman ever! You have never gotten through that head of yours that I’ve never had eyes for anyone else.”

  “Hi mom! Hi M’Addy! I’m home! Where are you?”

  “Oh My! This is a surprise. I didn’t know she was coming,” Addy commented.

  “Neither did I. I wonder if anything is wrong?”

  “We are back here, honey in the family room. I’m trying to put some sense into your mother,” Karen yelled.

  Alex rolled her eyes and came in the room gesticulating. “Mom, I don’t want to hear any of your nonsense arguments about you having to watch her from other women, or M’Addy any of your complaints about the green-eyed monster you happen to adore. I don’t want to hear anything of the sort. Just knock it off right now because every time it is the same thing, you put me through a bunch of nonsense and then two minutes later you are all cuddly and kissy-kissy, so I don’t want to hear your ramblings. I have issues to resolve, and I need advice.” Of course, Alex spoke in jest. She knew exactly how to deal with them and knew that it was always the same bantering between them.

  The women looked at each other. “Do you hear that? Our dau
ghter needs advice. Sit there and listen to her.” Addy commanded and Karen immediately sat down.

  “Do tell, honey, what’s going on?”

  Alex then spoke to them.

  After the conversation was over, the women remained in the living room talking, or at least Addy did. “I see plenty of room for a story here.”

  Karen pointed a finger at her. “If you write anything, I want to see it, and she gets to see it also.” Addy knew too well when the menacing green eyes meant business.

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way, baby. I’ve always been an open book to you.”

  “You know, as of lately you are getting to sound like JP!”

  Addy gasped. “Oh no! I’ve hit bottom.”

  Karen had to laugh. “By the way, where are those two now?”

  “In JP’s own words, ‘sipping Malbec in Buenos Aires.’”

  At that moment Alex crossed the room to go to the kitchen. “Honey, to calm your mother down, I need to ask you if you’d have any problem if I continue to write about you in my stories?”

  “No, M’Addy. You’ve always written about me in your stories, why would I mind now?”

  Karen was about to open her mouth, when Addy gave her ‘the look,’ which kept her from uttering a word. Because Alex’s life was taking an interesting turn, Addy thought it would be worthwhile writing about it. Addy was then faced with the decision of which story to write first, the story of their traveling years, as she called it, or Alex’s developing story.

  She thought that because Alex had been the fruit of their love, she deserved her own story. So she decided to take on the Alex project as an interlude of the major project of the travelling years, making herself the promise that she would not leave a void for her readers, and that as soon as she could she would come back to cover those years and their friends.