Unconventional Lovers

by Annette Mori

  “Okay.” Siera slipped her backpack off her shoulder and rummaged around inside until she located her phone. She held it up and grinned. After pushing a few buttons, she placed the phone next to her ear. “Hi, Mom. Bri asked if I want to have dinner with her and her aunt, tonight. Can I go?… I don’t know. I’ll ask her.”

  Siera removed the phone from her ear. “Mom wants to know if she can call your aunt and talk with her. Do you know the number?”

  Bri smiled. “Yeah, she made me memorize it, in case of an emergency or something. It’s 509-974-6321.”

  “Can you tell my mom that?” Siera handed Bri her phone.

  “Um, hi. This is Bri. My Aunt Olivia’s number is 509-974-6321…. Okay.” Bri handed the phone back to Siera. “Here, she wants to speak to you again.”

  “Hi Mom…. Okay. I’ll wait for you to call back.” Siera looked down at the ground.

  “It’s okay. My aunt is really protective too. I’ll bet Aunt Olivia wants to talk to your mom as much as your mom wants to talk to her.”

  “I guess, but we’re both adults. Sometimes my mom treats me like an adult. She pushes me to reach my potential. Other times, she’s as bad as my dad. I try not to get mad about it.” Siera picked up her backpack and awkwardly zipped it up while holding on to her phone. With her free hand, she placed one strap over her left shoulder.

  “Come on, let’s sit on the bench and feed the geese. I won’t let them peck you. They’re my friends. Now, they’ll be your friends too.”

  Bri and Siera walked hand in hand to the bench. After Siera laid the pack on the ground next to the bench, they both sat down next to the treats for the geese.

  Siera transferred her phone to her left hand and bravely took her new friend’s hand. “I like it here. The geese aren’t as scary now.”

  A few bold geese made their way over, squawking while they neared the bench. Bri tossed a bunch of cabbage and cauliflower leaves out to the birds, and they gobbled up the offerings in a split second. A white goose remained on the periphery, taking a tentative step forward, before one of the more dominant birds squawked at her.

  “Beatrice, Hannah, that wasn’t very nice. You need to let Silvia have some too,” Bri chastised.

  “They have names? How do you know who they are? How can you tell the difference between them? Except for that white one, they all look the same to me.”

  “But they’re not. It’s like us. We’re the same, but we’re different. I have yellow hair, and you have brown hair. I know our differences are more obvious. If you look close, Beatrice has slightly darker tail feathers and is a little bigger than Hannah.”

  Siera’s smile grew as she looked closely at the geese. “Oh yes, I can see it now.”

  Ring, Ring.

  Siera unclasped her hand and pressed the answer button. “Hi, Mom…. Oh, thank you…. Yes, I’ll be sure to tell Miss Olivia I need to be home by ten o’clock, at the latest…. Yeah, I know I have to work tomorrow.” Siera pushed the button to end the call and impulsively kissed Bri’s cheek. “Mom said I can go.”

  Bri blushed. “I’m so happy she said yes. You’re gonna love Aunt Olivia. She’s like the best person in the world. She’s the best vet in town, too. Do you have pets?”

  Siera shook her head up and down. “Uh huh. Sampson and Delilah. We rescued them from the pound. They’re brother and sister.”

  “Brother and sister what?” Bri asked.

  “Kittens. Well, they were kittens when we first got them. I suppose they’re cats now. Sampson is gray and white, and Delilah is kind of a gray tabby. They sleep with me. When we first got them, they would run all over my bed and wake me up in the middle of the night. Now they usually sleep through the night. At least when they play, it isn’t as bad. I love them. They’ve been my only friends until I met you.”

  Bri grinned. “Aunt Olivia has cats and a dog. One time, she rescued a baby skunk. Of course, she had to do something so he wouldn’t spray her. She found him a good home after that. Skunks are sweet if you raise them from babies. I got to pet him and feed him from a dropper. She told me I was the reason he trusted people so much.”

  “When you come over for a barbecue, I’ll let you pet Sampson and Delilah. They aren’t as friendly with new people, but I’ll bet they let you pet them. It sounds like animals like you.”

  “Oh, they do. Aunt Olivia says I have the magic touch.” Bri beamed.

  The geese started to waddle away after they’d finished all the treats Bri brought.

  Siera shifted in her seat. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Did you go to a special school with people like us or to the regular high school?”

  “I went to the regular high school. They put me in a special class. I got extra tutoring and graduated a year later than the kids who were my age, but I graduated.” Bri stuck out her chin.

  “Did you have friends?” Siera asked.

  “Only one. He moved my senior year. I think he wanted to be my boyfriend. I didn’t like him like that. He was sweet. He wasn’t Down’s like us, but he had a hard time in school too. I ran a race in the Special Olympics when I was younger. That was fun. There were more kids like us. Sometimes, they were harder to understand than me. I didn’t have a best friend like you though.”

  “Oh. I didn’t have any friends. I was afraid. I’m scared to go to college in the fall. No matter what Mom says, I don’t think I’ll fit in very well. It will be like high school. Maybe worse,” Siera admitted.

  “I know. When someone new comes to the clinic, they kinda look at me strange. It takes them a while to warm up. Aunt Olivia scowls at them if she thinks they’re about to say anything mean. It only happened once. I had to beg Aunt Olivia to let him continue to bring his pit bull mix in to see her. I didn’t say anything, but I was glad I talked her into it. He was training the dog to be mean. Rover, that was the dog’s name. He was the first dog I was ever afraid of, until I understood he was scared of mean old Mr. Simpson. After that, Rover and I became friends.”

  “I wish I could get a job in a pet store or maybe at your aunt’s clinic. I like cats. Dogs are nice too. Toby says you take care of snakes. Walmart is okay, but it’s not an important job like yours,” Siera stated.

  Bri grinned. “Aunt Olivia is the best. We don’t have any snakes that come in, but sometimes we get rabbits. Walmart is so big. I’ll bet your job is important too.”

  “I just greet people. It’s not important. Maybe after I graduate from community college I can get a better job. Was it hard to learn your job?” Siera asked.

  “Nah. I mostly calm down the animals and get supplies for Aunt Olivia. I’m not very good with the computer. Evie takes care of all the front office stuff. She’s nice to me—like a big sister.”

  Bri turned around and watched the clinic’s big red truck pull into the parking lot. Sometimes her aunt would use the truck when she made home visits. She was anxious to have her new friend meet Aunt Olivia. She desperately wanted them to get along, because she knew Siera would become an important part of her life.

  Bri noticed Siera twisting her body around as the truck approached.

  Siera unzipped the front pocket of her backpack and slipped the phone inside. After zipping the pocket closed, she stood and positioned the pack on her back. She began to shuffle her feet—shifting from her right to her left foot. Bri thought her new friend was nervous, so she slung her arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. It was an instinctive gesture meant to provide support.

  “Hi girls. Are you ready to go?” Aunt Olivia stretched out her hand. “You must be Siera. I am so happy to meet you. Bri has been talking nonstop about her new friend, so you must be special. I’m Olivia.”

  Siera briefly clasped her hand, quickly averting her eyes and bowing her head. “Hello Miss Olivia. It is very nice to meet you,” she whispered.

  Olivia waved her hand in the air. “Please, no formalities. I don’t think Miss Olivia suits me at all, so you must call
me Olivia. All my friends call me Olivia, and I hope you and I will become friends, Siera.”

  Siera glanced up, and Bri could see a smile return to her face.

  Bri removed her arm and turned in the direction of the bike rack. “I gotta unlock my bike.”

  “I can help,” Siera offered.

  “Okay.”

  Olivia followed them, waiting patiently as Bri worked the combination and pulled the chain from the spokes. She handed the lock to Siera and stood up, as she began walking the bike to the truck. Siera walked next to her with the lock dangling on her arm like a bracelet.

  “How about we order a pizza tonight? Any special requests?” Olivia asked.

  “Can we get Hawaiian, Aunt Olivia?”

  “Sure Bri. Although if you don’t mind, I’ll ask them to make half of it vegetarian. Is that all right with you, Siera?”

  “Uh huh. I like anything. I’m not particular. Thank you for inviting me,” Siera answered.

  Olivia pulled down the back gate of the truck and lifted the front wheel in. “Bri, can you lift the back for me please?”

  “Sure, Aunt Olivia.”

  Siera stood awkwardly to the side, while Bri and Olivia rolled the bike into the back of the truck and slammed the gate shut.

  “Sheesh, that’s heavy. They’re a lot heavier than a regular ten-speed, but Bri says they’re more comfortable to ride. Do you have a bike, Siera?” Olivia asked.

  Siera nodded. “It’s not as fancy as Bri’s. It only has one speed. Mom said it’s called a cruiser. The seat is comfortable though. Maybe I can save my money and get something better. I never had anyone to go with before, except my brother, Toby. He doesn’t like to take me with his friends, because I hold them back.”

  “I don’t care how fast we go,” Bri declared. “There’s lots of great places to bike. We can go when we both have the whole day off. Okay?”

  Siera smiled. “Okay.”

  “Come on you two. Stop dillydallying. I’m starving,” Oliva teased.

  †

  Siera started to relax when she walked into the house. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it had a kind of cozy warmth. She always liked houses with fireplaces, especially ones faced with stone or brick. Her eyes traveled to a picture prominently displayed on the mantel. Two women stood arm in arm in front of Mount Baker, which she recognized because her family used to go there to ski. One of the women was Olivia. Siera wondered about the other smiling woman with the jet-black hair. The joy on their faces drew her in, and she took a step closer.

  “That’s Aunt Olivia and Aunt Irene before Aunt Irene got hit by a drunk driver and went to heaven,” Bri explained.

  Siera looked at Olivia, whose eyes began to glisten as she turned away and took a deep breath.

  “Was she your best friend?” Siera asked.

  Olivia turned back around and nodded. “Irene was my very best friend.”

  “My Aunt Deb had a best friend named Carrie. She didn’t come around anymore, and Aunt Deb got real sad. Now she has a new best friend every time she comes to see us. She changes her best friends as often as I change my underwear. Mom doesn’t approve. I bet you miss her like Aunt Deb misses Carrie,” Siera stated.

  “Every day.” Olivia sighed. “I’d better go order the pizza before we all waste away to nothing.” Olivia winked. “Make yourself at home, Siera. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

  Olivia walked down the hall, and Siera looked around the room. Two large cats were sprawled out on the couch, a gray tabby and an orange tabby. She walked over to pet the lounging felines.

  “Aunt Olivia rescued Tom and Jerry from a big wood pile. Their momma was hit by a car, and this lady heard them meowing one day. She brings all her cats to see Aunt Olivia. She asked if we could find good homes for the kittens. She already has five cats of her own. It was plain ridiculous to add two more. Aunt Olivia fell in love with them and brought them home.”

  “They’re soft.” Siera continued to move her hand over their fur. The gray one rolled over and purred while she continued to pet his belly.

  “He likes you. I can tell. Aunt Olivia says a cat’s belly is very vulnerable. When they show you their belly, that means they trust you,” Bri explained.

  Siera heard a door open and the clip, clip, clip of nails on the hardwood floors. When she turned in the direction of the noise, a medium-sized dog with golden hair bounded in her direction, with a large, fluffy tail whipping furiously from left to right.

  Siera held out her hand like her dad taught her to when meeting a strange dog. The dog licked her hand and she giggled.

  “That’s Sasha. She’s Aunt Olivia’s dog. She’s mostly a golden retriever, but has a little bit of chow mixed in. That’s what makes her stubborn sometimes and why she kinda looks like a puppy in the face—even though she’s seven years old.”

  Sasha continued to wiggle and wag her tail, while Siera pushed her hand through her thick fur.

  “Sasha, sit,” Olivia commanded.

  Bri grabbed Siera’s hand. “Come on. I want to show you my room.” She dragged Siera down a narrow hallway before turning into a small room on the right. Siera studied the built-in book shelves that occupied one whole wall. Strewn haphazardly amongst a vast collection of paperback books was an eclectic collection of rocks, shells, and driftwood. The other walls contained prints that conspicuously featured cats, dogs, birds, horses, and other wildlife.

  “Wow. Have you read all those books?”

  Bri nodded. “Most of them. Mom used to make me read at least an hour every night. She made me do all my homework first, then I would read for an hour. After that, she let me watch TV. I never got to watch much TV. It took me so long to do my homework. I didn’t mind too much, because I started to like to read. I’m slow and have to look up words all the time, but it’s worth it. Sometimes, I imagine I’m the heroine in the story. It’s fun.”

  “I like to read, too. I don’t think I’ve read as many books as you have. I like young adult romances.” Siera blushed.

  “Oh, me too,” Bri chimed in.

  “I wanted to read Twilight, but Mom thought it would give me nightmares. So she didn’t let me read that. Have you read it?”

  Bri walked over to her bookshelf and pulled out the first book in the series. “Here. You can borrow this. It wasn’t that scary.”

  “Thanks.”

  Siera paused and lifted her eyes to Bri’s. She wasn’t sure if she should ask the next question. Her mom had warned her about asking questions that might be too personal. She decided it was okay, because Bri was her best friend. “Bri, have you ever kissed a boy—like in the books or on TV?”

  Bri shook her head. “No. Most boys I know are sweaty and smelly. Kissing a girl would be okay. Aunt Olivia used to kiss Aunt Irene. She told me if you really loved someone, it was okay to kiss 'em. But I should be careful not to give my kisses away unless it is someone special. Have you ever kissed anyone?”

  Siera looked down at her feet. “No. The boys teased me a lot in high school. They made kissing sounds, but I knew they were just making fun of me. I’ve seen people kiss on TV and in the movies. I want to try it someday…”

  “Girls, the pizza is here,” Olivia called from the living room.

  Chapter Seven

  The old-fashioned grandfather clock chimed loudly, indicating the top of the hour, again. Kathleen frowned as she looked over at the clock that had been in her family for generations. She was amazed it still worked, but at this moment, it was another reminder that Siera wasn’t home yet.

  Jeremy clasped his wife’s hand. “Hon, it’s only ten. You’re the one who is always encouraging Siera to make more of an effort to get to know other kids. High school was not easy on her. I think it’s wonderful she’s met a new friend who she has something in common with.”

  “Maybe I don’t want her hanging out with other Down’s kids and limiting her potential. Siera is going to college in the fall; she’s special,” Kathleen declared.

  “Oh, f
or Christ’s sake, Kat. Do you hear yourself? You’re the one who’s always blasting anyone for having preconceived notions about Siera. You haven’t even met the girl, and already you’re judging her in the same way that everyone judges Siera.”

  “Oh God, Jeremy, you’re right. I can’t believe I said that. Olivia seemed nice and very protective of Bri. I’m sure they were just delayed a little bit.”

  Jeremy chuckled. “You’re acting like Siera is on her first date and you don’t trust the young man. Bri is a friend and it’s about time Siera had someone to hang out with. I’m glad she met this young woman, and I hope they continue to develop a friendship. It’s good for Siera to be around other kids.”

  “You mean other kids with Down syndrome.”

  “It’s not like she can catch it from them,” Jeremy quipped.

  “That’s not funny. Crap. I’m doing it again, aren’t I?” Kathleen sighed.

  Jeremy nodded. “You told me Bri works in her aunt’s vet clinic. I’ll bet she has no problem keeping up with Siera.”

  “Her aunt did say Bri was advanced and relatively self-sufficient. She seemed to have a lot of pride about her niece’s capabilities.”

  “Jeez, hon. What did you do? Interrogate her?” Jeremy asked.

  “No, I did not interrogate her! We had a polite conversation, and she was very open about herself and Bri. I think she understood my need to be protective. She wasn’t at all offended,” Kathleen defended.

  “So, what’s her story? Is it just her and Bri? Maybe I should introduce her to Frank.”

  “Your creepy brother? No offense, hon, but the guy is a douchebag. I don’t even like him spending time with Siera. I can’t understand how two completely different people could have come from your mother’s womb. Frank’s never kept a job for longer than six months, and the women he tends to spend time with are….” Kathleen shuddered.