Happily Ever After

by Jae

  Sometimes, Dawn couldn’t believe the progress her mother had made. Less than a year ago, she had still hoped that Dawn’s next relationship would be with a man and had struggled to accept her relationship with Aiden. And now she was giving a talk to Kade’s mother! “What did she say?”

  “The usual. She wants the big wedding and the son-in-law.”

  Dawn felt a tiny stab of guilt. “I know after losing Brian, you were looking forward to having a son-in-law too.”

  Her mother didn’t even try to deny it. “Yes, I did. But when I had one, I realized that he always remained a stranger in some ways. Aiden, on the other hand, became Del’s running partner; Jamie and Tim adore her, and just last week, she brought me dinner when I had to pull that double shift.”

  “She did?” Aiden had never told her that.

  Her mother chuckled. “It was Chinese takeout, but it’s the thought that counts.”

  Dawn glanced over to Aiden, who was just tackling the new CD rack with her cordless screwdriver. Dawn wanted to rush over and kiss her but decided it could wait.

  “I never thought I’d one day have a second daughter-in-law, but now that I have one, I’m pretty happy with it,” her mother said.

  Dawn swallowed and then cleared her throat. “You really should go on tour with this talk.”

  Sophie had a headache. She rubbed her temples and stepped into the hallway.

  A toddler raced around the corner, screeching and laughing as a girl with dreadlocks chased him.

  Sophie’s temples pounded as she quickly sidestepped them to avoid a collision.

  The boy didn’t even notice that he had almost run into Sophie.

  Her headache was close to turning into a full-fledged migraine. She retreated to the bathroom. Someone had taken the door off its hinges, probably to give them more space to navigate with the furniture, but she was thankful for the momentary retreat anyway.

  Through the doorframe, she glanced into the living room and shook her aching head as the little boy collided with Mrs. Kinsley on his wild chase around the apartment. Neither she nor the nanny would have allowed Kadence to do that when she’d been that age. Running in the house had been strictly forbidden.

  Grace Kinsley, however, didn’t scold the boy. Laughing, she bent down and began to tickle him. When the boy squealed and ran away, Grace straightened and said something to her daughter that caused the younger woman to let out an outraged “Mom!” and playfully slap her arm.

  For a moment, Sophie thought the interaction between mother and daughter was disrespectful, but then both Kinsley women laughed and hugged each other.

  Kadence would never do that. Sophie couldn’t remember the last full-body hug she had gotten from her daughter, and she wasn’t sure when they had last laughed with each other.

  She hadn’t allowed herself to dwell on it but knew she didn’t have the best of relationships with her daughter. They’d become so estranged from each other that she had only learned about Kadence’s lesbian phase when she’d found her kissing a woman. I never should have let it come to that. But what could she do about it now?

  Kadence’s laughter echoed through the still mostly empty apartment, and the sound made Sophie look up.

  Kadence was kneeling on the floor, not caring if her pants became dirty—not that there was much to ruin anyway. Sophie eyed the worn blue jeans. She hadn’t even known Kadence possessed a pair.

  She watched as Kadence bent over a shelf board, her fingers wrapped around a screwdriver. Delicia Vasquez knelt next to her and took hold of the shelf so that Kadence had both hands free for the screw and the screwdriver. With competent movements, Kadence fastened the screw.

  Sophie looked at the other young women in the room: the friendly Dawn Kinsley, who was joking with Grace; Dawn’s friend Austen, who was laughing while folding empty moving boxes; and the intense Aiden Carlisle, who was lifting the top of a large cabinet onto its base with the help of her work partner.

  Her screwdriver-wielding daughter seemed to fit right in. Kadence appeared more comfortable in this overly relaxed atmosphere than Sophie had ever seen her.

  Then her gaze fell on Delicia and the way her shoulder was touching Kadence’s while they knelt next to each other. I do want her to feel comfortable and have friends, but why does it have to be…this?

  “That shelf isn’t straight,” Aiden said.

  Kade turned away from the newly hung shelf and glared at her. “It’s perfectly straight.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  Kade narrowed her eyes at Aiden. Sometimes she wished for the old times when she had been known as “The Ice Queen” and none of her detectives had ever dared to question her judgment. “Del? Tell her the shelf is straight.”

  Del glanced from her to the shelf and then to Aiden. “Um…”

  “Told you so,” Aiden said with a grin.

  “Give me a level,” Kade said.

  Aiden searched through her toolbox. “I don’t have one.” She turned to one of her colleagues. “Ray? Do you have a level?”

  “No.” Ray glanced at them. “Is there a problem with the shelf?”

  “The shelf is fine,” Kade said.

  Evan stepped closer. “I could drive over to the hardware store and get a level.”

  Aiden gave her a sisterly pat on the shoulder. “Nice try.”

  “What?” Evan tried her most innocent expression, which wasn’t very convincing.

  “You haven’t had your car—or your driver’s license—for very long. Do you really think it’s a good idea for you to drive to the hardware store through one of the busiest sections of the city?” Aiden shook her head. “Forget it. Not without supervision.”

  “I can go with her,” Laurie offered.

  Aiden gave her a gentler version of the pat Evan had received. “I meant adult supervision.”

  “I’ll go with them,” Sophie said unexpectedly.

  Kade stared at her mother. Then she understood: Sophie was taking the first available opportunity to escape the situation while at the same time making sure that her granddaughter wasn’t left alone with her lesbian girlfriend. As glad as she would be to escape her mother’s disapproving looks for a while, she felt bad for Laurie and Evan. “I could go.”

  “No,” Aiden said. “I need you to explain that color-coding system you made Dawn use. I need a dish towel, and I have no idea where in these innumerable moving boxes they could be.”

  Evan shot her half sister a glare, obviously not pleased with having Sophie for a chaperone, but then she grabbed her keys and waved at Laurie and Sophie to follow her.

  “Oh, no, you take the backseat,” Mrs. Matheson said when Laurie reached out to open the passenger’s side door. “I’ll sit next to your…friend.”

  Evan rolled her eyes. What does she think I’ll do to Laurie if she lets her sit next to me? She got into the car and fumbled with the keys for a moment before she got them into the ignition.

  “Are you sure you should drive?” Mrs. Matheson asked. “We could have your sister—”

  “No.” Evan growled, angry with herself for showing any sign of nervousness. It wasn’t the driving that was making her nervous; it was having Laurie’s grandmother sit next to her. She could practically feel her disapproval every time she came within a five-foot radius of Laurie.

  She started the car and pulled out onto the road, taking care not to exceed the speed limit. Mrs. Matheson seemed to be a stickler for rules. This is no fun. Hope the old battle-axe goes back to wherever she came from soon!

  Evan had been to the hardware store with Aiden before, so she found the store and the aisle with the levels in record time. She didn’t plan on spending one second more than absolutely necessary in the company of Laurie’s grandmother.

  “Evan! Wait a minute,” Laurie called on the way back to the car. She gestured at an old man who was struggling to heave a big sack of potting compost into the trunk of his car.

  Evan sighed. This was typical for Laurie. She was th
e nice girl next door who helped old ladies across the street and climbed trees to get down a child’s Frisbee.

  “Oh, no! Laurel!” Mrs. Matheson tried to hold her back, but Laurie headed over to the old man. “Are you out of your mind? That sack has to weigh at least forty pounds! Leave this to…” She glanced at Evan and trailed off.

  Evan had a feeling Mrs. Matheson hadn’t finished her sentence because she had suddenly remembered that Evan was a girl and not Laurie’s boyfriend. She probably thinks I’m the “man” in the relationship. Evan rolled her eyes.

  “To whom?” Laurie asked and heaved the sack into the trunk of the old man’s car. “To Evan? Grandmother, she’s not the hired help just along to do the heavy lifting. She’s my girlfriend, and it would be nice if you treated her accordingly.”

  Her whole life, Evan had always taken care of herself. She never needed a champion to defend her. Still, having the usually timid Laurie stand up to her strict grandmother because of her felt unexpectedly good.

  Mrs. Matheson stared at her. “Don’t talk to me in that tone, Laurel Matheson!”

  Laurie stared back, clearly surprised by her own daring words.

  Evan stepped next to Laurie. She shoved her clenched fists into the pockets of her jeans, trying to control her rising anger. “If you want some respect, you better give us some too!” She had wanted to be polite to Mrs. Matheson for Laurie’s sake, but enough was enough.

  “She’s right about that,” the old man said and gave Laurie a grateful nod.

  Mrs. Matheson shot him a stern glance. “I suggest you mind your own business. This is a family affair.”

  The old man patted Laurie’s arm and got into his car.

  “That was rude, Grandmother.” Laurie glared at her for a moment before looking away.

  She got you there! Evan grinned.

  Mrs. Matheson said nothing. She was quiet on the way to the car.

  For a moment, Evan allowed herself to fantasize about leaving her behind in the parking lot, but she knew Aiden trusted her to take the responsibility for all the passengers, as annoying as one of them might be.

  By the time they returned to the apartment, Sophie was exhausted, confused, and ready to take the next plane home. Every member of her family was suddenly rebelling, and Sophie felt as if her whole world were crumbling.

  When she entered the living room, yet another female moving helper had arrived. A slender, elegantly dressed woman with flowing black hair was hanging an oil painting of sunset over the Willamette River in its new place over the couch.

  Sophie stared at the woman and the painting. “Isn’t that Maggie Forsyth?” she asked Mrs. Kinsley, who was handing out pizza.

  Mrs. Kinsley offered her a paper plate, but Sophie shook her head. “Yes. She came over to bring a moving-in present for Dawn and Aiden.” She nodded at the painting.

  It was one of Ms. Forsyth’s own. Sophie had seen it at a gallery opening, so she knew it was worth a few thousand dollars. “That was certainly nice of her. How do you know Maggie Forsyth?” She hadn’t thought the Kinsleys were supporters of the arts.

  “She’s Dawn’s ex-girlfriend,” Mrs. Kinsley said as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

  “Maggie Forsyth is a lesbian?” Sophie said more loudly than she had intended.

  Ms. Forsyth glanced over her shoulder and smiled at her. “Yes, I am,” she said with a wink and turned back around.

  Sophie blinked, mortified. “Everyone here seems so at ease with it. Even your daughter’s ex-husband is here to help her move in with a woman!”

  Mrs. Kinsley smiled. “Well, Cal wasn’t exactly happy to find out his ex-wife is a lesbian. He gave her a hard time about it at the beginning. But they were friends for a long time before they ever were a couple. Deep down, he knows their marriage was a mistake, and he also knows Dawn is still the same lovable person. She was there for him when his mother died, and she deserves a little help from him now.”

  It all sounded plausible, but still… Sophie shook her head.

  “It didn’t happen overnight,” Mrs. Kinsley said. “For me, once I got over the shock and confusion, it was an easy choice. I’ve lost one child to a terrible crime, and I didn’t want to lose the other to prejudices or stupid pride.”

  She’s lost a child? Sophie realized there was a lot about these people that she didn’t know.

  “Just give yourself a little time.” Mrs. Kinsley patted Sophie’s arm. “And now take a slice of pizza and sit down for a moment while we wait for them to decide if the shelf is straight or not.”

  Straight or not, that seemed to be the crucial question these days. Sighing, Sophie took the paper plate from her. “Thank you.”

  Mrs. Kinsley smiled. “Any time.”

  “Give me that thing!” Kade extended her hand in Evan’s direction.

  Aiden stepped between them. “Oh, no. I’ll do this. You stay back.”

  Kade folded her arms across her chest. “You trust my integrity in the courtroom, but you don’t trust me to use a level without cheating?”

  Dawn walked up to the group that had gathered around the shelf. She wrapped one arm around Aiden’s waist, getting her to relax. “No arguing on moving day,” she said to both of them.

  Grinning, Del wrapped her arm around Kade’s waist.

  Dawn held her breath, waiting to see how Kade would react to the public display of affection.

  Kade stiffened for a moment but then visibly relaxed and slung her own arm around Del.

  Dawn exchanged a quick glance with Aiden and gave her a silent squeeze. “Give me the level,” she said to Evan.

  “Let a neutral person do it. You’re on her side.” Kade nodded toward Aiden.

  Dawn wrapped both arms around Aiden and enjoyed their closeness for a moment. “I’ll always be on her side,” she said and felt Aiden pull her even closer. “But in this case, I’m on the side of the tenant who wants to have a straight shelf.” She pointed at herself.

  “Tenant? Singular?” Aiden smiled down at her. “I live here too, remember?”

  “I know.” Dawn couldn’t forget that for a moment. It was what had made her happy for weeks—and also a little nervous. She hoped Aiden would like sharing her life and her home with her and wouldn’t feel cramped.

  “So I’m interested in having a straight shelf too,” Aiden said, letting go with one arm to stroke Dawn’s cheek.

  Kade snorted. “Yes, and you’re also interested in winning the bet.”

  “Bet?” Dawn looked from Kade and Del to Aiden. Sometimes it was hard to believe how competitive this bunch of cops and lawyers was. “You bet on whether the shelf is straight?”

  “Sure,” Aiden said with a grin. “Kade can afford to lose the money, right, Kade?”

  “Oh, you can never have too much money,” Kade shot back. “Which is why I’ll be sorry to take your money from you…but I’ll do it anyway.” Her expression was stern, but her eyes twinkled.

  “Man!” Evan threw up her hands. “No one will get to take any money from anyone if you just stand there and discuss it!” She walked over to the shelf and laid the level on it.

  “I knew it!” Aiden laughed and spun Dawn around in enthusiastic circles.

  Kade stared at the shelf. “I could have sworn it was straight,” she murmured.

  Del grinned at her. “Well, just a while back, you would have sworn that you were straight too.”

  Kade pinched her, making Del yelp. “That’s hardly the same thing.”

  “You’re right,” Del said and gave her a quick kiss. “There’s a big difference—I didn’t care about the shelf.”

  “I hope you enjoyed your stay in Portland,” Kadence said, raising her voice to be heard over the hustle and bustle in the airport’s lobby. She sounded like a dutiful hotel manager, not like a loving daughter.

  Dawn Kinsley wouldn’t have said goodbye to her mother like this, Sophie thought. Admittedly, she had a big part in establishing the distance between them—and it was u
p to her to bridge it. “Well,” she said, “it was a nice change of pace.” After a moment’s hesitation, she stepped forward and hugged Kadence, pulling her closer and embracing her longer than she usually did.

  Kadence stiffened. “Nice change of pace?” she murmured, sounding shocked. “This feels more like a revolution!”

  “Oh, no. It’s not.” If she hoped to ever have a better relationship with her daughter, she had to be honest with her. “I don’t want you to think I’m completely at ease with…with your sexual orientation. I’m not Grace Kinsley.” She wasn’t sure she could ever be happy about having a lesbian daughter, but for the first time, she was starting to think the problem might lie with her, not with Kadence.

  “Good,” Kadence said, surprising her, “because I’m not Dawn.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Kadence shrugged. “I’m not as comfortable with my sexual orientation as Dawn is with hers. That doesn’t mean I’m unsure about it. I know that I’m bisexual and that I have strong feelings for Del. It’s just that openly admitting to something that I’ve denied for so long is still new. I don’t expect you to join PFLAG or to introduce Del as your daughter-in-law at the Matheson clan gathering.”

  PFLAG? Sophie wrinkled her brow but didn’t ask for an explanation. “Good,” she said, “because I won’t do that any time soon.”

  “But,” Kadence continued, “what I do expect is a little respect. I won’t let you continue to treat me like some immature teenager who’s just going through a phase and will soon change her mind. And I don’t want you to make me feel like the black sheep of the family who is doing this just to spite you.”

  Sophie swallowed. She couldn’t remember the last time Kadence had told her what she wanted from her. It wouldn’t be easy, but if she didn’t take this seriously, she’d lose her daughter for good. Mrs. Kinsley’s words echoed through her mind: I’ve lost one child to a terrible crime, and I didn’t want to lose the other to prejudices or stupid pride. The Mathesons might have been proud people, but no one had ever called them stupid. She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. “I’ll try.”