New Quarters

by Tey Holden

  “Babe, do you want me to drive?”

  Karen looked in the rear view mirror at Melanie. “When is it that you are leaving, Mel?” They all laughed as they drove to the cottage with Addy doing most of the talking, Karen most of the smiling, and Mel most of the laughing. She loved to see the chemistry and the dynamics of their relationship. Melanie was always thrilled with how well they got along.

  When they arrived at the cottage, Addy had a call from the inn, which she had to take. This gave Mel an opportunity to be alone with Karen. “I can see that you are happy. It’s all over your face. I still can’t believe how well things turned out for the two of you. It’s like a miracle. I’m thrilled just looking at you guys.”

  “I’m happy, Mel like I’ve never been in my entire life. She’s unbelievable. She’s the one working miracles around here.”

  “I’m so glad you finally found your other half, Karen.”

  “How about you? Anything on that front?”

  “Nope. I’m the eternal spinster, I suppose.”

  Addy came back. “Don’t worry, the fort is holding. Ker, can you get some wine and put together a few munchies while I cook us some dinner?”

  “You bet.”

  Mel sat on one of the stools near the kitchen island. She was Karen’s best friend, but she enjoyed Addy so much, sometimes she’d forget that Karen was even there. It was fine with Karen. She loved it when people joined in the adoration of her deity.

  “Can I help with anything?”

  “No! You are our guest, just kick off your shoes and relax. We’ll take care of you,” Addy replied.

  “So much hospitality! No wonder that inn is doing so well.”

  After dinner, they sat to drink their coffees, and Karen told Mel all that had happened since they had arrived. “So, first we had every possible thing happen rebuilding the cottage. It was one disaster after another. Fixing one thing opened up another can of worms every time. Then the same thing happened with the inn, or worse because everything was extremely old and it had to be redone to make it into an inn. You know, industrial size kitchen, bathrooms in every room, huge dining room and gathering areas, well everything had to redone. Then we had legal issues with the local town inn and the Chamber of Commerce. The local inn didn’t want competition and thought to stop us from opening the inn. Sometimes I think it’s a miracle that we were able to do it.” Then they told her about the incident with Sarah’s kid and how she came around and removed her complaint.

  “It’s fate. This was all meant to be.”

  “What makes you say that Addy?”

  “It was one of those things, one of those feelings you get and you know it will be so. When we came here to visit and Karen showed me the cottage for the first time, I had this feeling that I had been here before, that I belonged here with her. There is something about this place that says ‘home’ to me.”

  “And you didn’t have this feeling with the condo in Washington?”

  “No. Whatever it is, it’s here. Something good is to happen here.”

  “And it has.” Karen declared. She went to the kitchen to fetch the pot of coffee.

  Mel and Addy looked at each other.

  “I have this feeling that not all has happened here yet.” Mel commented.

  “Life is long, Mel, and wonderful things can happen at any moment, miracles too.”

  “I don’t have a clue of what you are talking about, but I know that if anyone can work miracles with that one,” Mel pointed her finger towards Karen, “it’s you, and I’m also sure that whatever else happens here will add to the happiness you already have.”

  “From your lips to God’s ears, Mel.” Addy smiled.

  Karen came back, “I made more coffee. I plan on us talking all night.”

  “Ker, we don’t know how long a day Mel had, maybe she’s tired.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I went to med school. I can stay up all night.”

  They finally went to sleep around two in the morning. Before they went up the stairs, Addy came over from behind and wrapped her arms around Karen. “Would you have ever believed this?” She kissed Karen on the cheek.

  Mel smiled. “Not really, but I always thought that whenever she found her other half, she would be a wonderful partner. I’m glad to see that I was right. I’m also glad that you found your peace, Addy. Goodnight, dear friends.”

  “Good night. Yell, if you need anything.”

  ***

  The next morning they gave Mel the grand tour of the inn. In the afternoon they went horseback riding, in the evening they had dinner at the inn’s restaurant, and later they settled in front to of the fireplace in the cottage’s living room to chat and laugh.

  It was there that Addy initiated the tough conversation. “Mel when you called a few nights ago nothing made me happier, not only because we were getting to see you again, but because your visit coincided with an event that we would like to share with you to get your professional opinion. Preamble apart, let me just say, it concerns a traumatic event, so please start us on a tab to cover confidentiality.”

  “Shut up, Addy, you know better than that! You get the confidence and no bill, so shoot. Who’s the patient? Or is this a group thing?”

  Karen was about to open her mouth to say she was the patient, but Addy preempted her. “We are the patients, Mel. And just to clarify and get it out of the way, since you know I don’t like to beat around the bush, this is not a sexual thing.”

  Mel was now intrigued. “We are the patients because we are a couple and we act as one. If I have a problem, it’s Karen’s problem and vice versa. We are one in heart and soul, Mel, and that is why we are both here.”

  “But it has to do with me.” Karen interjected. “Addy thought I should talk to you, so I asked her to be present.”

  “Okay, since we have established that this will be a group session, let’s talk.”

  When Addy began to speak, Mel was immediately captivated by the dynamics. “A couple of nights ago, we had gone to bed already, but Karen got up because she was not sure of whether she turned on the house alarm. I happened to question why we had such a sophisticated alarm system when we live in a town where there’s hardly any crime, and I also asked her about why she is always fussing about checking doors and so concerned with safety in general. Well she brushed me off with a ‘you can never be too safe, blah, blah, blah,’ and she came back to bed. I’ll spare you the details but we sleep kind of close to each other, so all along I could sense Karen’s tension. I said nothing because I know this happens when she’s upset, and I always tend to wait for her to come around and tell me what’s bothering her, because I know she will.” She looked at Karen with a knowing smile, and Karen smiled back.

  “That night, however, things didn’t happen as usual, and that made me worry even more. Still, I didn’t go to sleep and remained awake waiting for some response from Karen. She finally got out of bed. I could see that she was restless, and very troubled. So, after a while I spoke. She was surprised that I was awake and I think even more surprised when I told her that I was waiting for her to talk to me. Then she did. She cried, I cried, we had a long talk, and I think she will be fine, but still I would like her to tell you what she told me, and we would like your opinion.”

  Mel had been listening to Addy in full attention. “Okay, Karen, what’s going on?” Karen retold the story, and Mel listened.

  “I’d like to thank you both for thinking that my professional advice is necessary. I will be glad to give it, because you’ve asked me, but I’m not really needed. This is a closed case already.” Addy and Karen looked at each other not understanding Mel’s words.

  Mel continued. “I don’t know if you guys have seen what has just happened here. Obviously your dynamics tonight was probably not the same as on that particular night, but I’m willing to bet that no psychiatrist could have provided the comfort and the guidance that you provided, Addy.”

  “What?” Addy wondered.

&
nbsp; “You two are so incredible, you don’t even know what you have going for you. Addy you made her talk. You made her tell you what she had not dared to tell anyone in all her life. Addy, the minute Karen unraveled her guilt and her shame to you, and the very minute you held her and gave her comfort, she freed herself. Not only that, but by also creating the doubt in her mind and reassuring her that maybe she was not the one who left the door open, you further helped her to doubt her lifetime belief that she had been the cause of the incident. For her to tell you what she had kept so buried in the depth of her mind was the breakthrough needed. She had never told anyone because she didn’t trust anyone sufficiently to open her soul.” Addy look towards Karen and when their eyes met, the green ones filled with tears. Addy held Karen’s hand and pulled her into her arms.

  Even Mel was about to cry. Addy couldn’t help herself when she said, “Mel, it doesn’t look good if the psychiatrist cries.” She made everyone laugh.

  “Addy, these are happy tears. You guys are beautiful together.” Mel stopped to get herself together. “Addy, in hiding her guilt, Karen, has been wanting an absolution, a forgiveness. She’s been waiting for redemption, but who could forgive her? Who would possibly do such a thing?”

  Addy replied. “God?” Karen looked at her then at Mel.

  Mel chuckled, hardly able to speak. Addy looked at her quizzically. Karen looked to both expecting answers.

  “Addy, who is the next best thing to God for Karen? Who is her everything?” Karen half smiled, her eyes were still filled with tears. Addy put her arms around Karen and hugged her. “Addy, you gave Karen all she needed.”

  Mel got up and walked away. She had seen many emotional scenes in her career, but seeing the love between her friends was too much. She could hardly believe that her ‘player’ friend could have fallen so deeply, hopelessly and so beautifully for someone, and that her someone had turned out to be so wonderfully perfect for her. Mel came back with a box of tissues she picked up in the bathroom. Everyone wiped their noses and eyes.

  “I swear to God, if I ever hear that you guys are breaking up, I will stop believing in love, and I will fuck every woman in my path!” They laughed. “And if you ever tell anyone I cried during a session, forget the freebies. I will charge you double!” They continued to laugh.

  “So Karen, what Addy said is totally right. No one knows what happened, or why it happened. You cannot carry that burden on your shoulders. No one knows the reason for that unfortunate event. Your job, was also well defined by Addy, it is to continue living, as your mother would have wished you to live. I don’t think she ever knew you were gay, right?

  “She knew I was different, but she liked it.”

  “So, you would have come out to her and she would have accepted you, much like Aunt Charlotte did.”

  “Yes, she would have. She was very open-minded.”

  “Do you think she would have liked Addy?”

  Karen grinned from ear to ear, amidst her teary face, when she looked at Addy. “She would have loved her.”

  “Well, here’s your arduous mission. I think that your mother would have wanted you to be happy and to make the person you love happy. Do you think you can do that?”

  “Are you kidding? You’ve got to be.”

  Addy spoke next. “I’m thinking it’s time to find another psychiatrist, this one is too biased.” They laughed. Karen got up. “I’ll be right back. I need to go to the bathroom.”

  Addy spoke quickly to Mel. “Sometimes it scares me that she makes me her everything, Mel.”

  Mel pursed her lips. Why was Addy worried about being Karen’s everything? Shouldn’t she be happy? Before Karen came back, Addy blurted out, “what if something was to happen to me? What would become of her?”

  Melanie now understood Addy’s concern. “You can’t live worrying about that, Addy. You have to live and let God guide you through life as He has until now. You will find your way. Enjoy each other. You have something very precious.” Karen came back and they talked about plans for the following days.

  While Melanie was visiting, Addy took advantage of Karen’s distraction and secretly contacted Phillip Tidwell, their lawyer friend in London. She asked him to look into the police investigation of Karen’s mother. She specifically told him how delicate the matter was, and that he was to only contact her with whatever he found. Addy was hoping for positive results or for no results, but she didn’t want to risk Karen knowing just in case the results didn’t come back all that positive. After all, the purpose of pursuing the investigation was to put closure to Karen’s guilt, and not to make her feel worse.

  A few days later, Mel was going back to the States. “So when are we going to see you again?” Addy asked Mel when they were saying goodbye to her at the airport.

  “Soon, I hope. I have a job offer here that I’m seriously considering. I really like it here, and being close to you guys would be great.” Mel was really happy when she looked back and saw Addy grabbing on to Karen’s arm.

  ***

  After dropping off Mel at the airport, they walked back to their car. “Ker, I have a question for you?”

  “What?”

  “Do you think that we get along so well because we have such an intimate relationship. I mean the way we sleep with no—.”

  “Addyyyy! Ssssh! What kind of question is that? And so out of the blue. People might hear you.” Karen made such a funny face that Addy had to laugh.

  “Aren’t you always accusing me of being the paranoid one?” Addy added.

  “Yes, but we are at the airport, surrounded by people. Can we wait to get to the car to talk about this?

  Addy rolled her eyes and agreed in a condescending tone. “Okay.”

  Addy liked the fact that Karen was very proper in public. She would have made Mother Theresa proud. Once in the car they resumed their conversation. “Okay, Adriana, where did that question come from? Why are you asking?” She chuckled because Addy was known for her out of the blue comments.

  These types of questions were inexplicable to the listener, but not to her because the question usually related to something she had been thinking about, but that she only shared when at a certain point in her thought process, she needed some sort of input to continue with her thoughts. “I don’t know, Ker. I was just wondering why we have such a great relationship?”

  “So are you implying that we have a good relationship because we sleep nude?” Karen chuckled.

  Addy straightened up in her seat and looked at her. “Nah, I don’t think so. We would anyway.” Karen continued to laugh.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Just thinking, say you had ten layers of clothes on you when you came to bed, would that stop me from—.”

  Addy looked to the road and smiled. “Okay, okay! You’ve made your point.”

  “Also, let’s say that Mary, for example, was to lay totally naked next to you on a bed, would you make love to her?”

  “Oh my God, Karen, of course not. What a horrible thought. I may not be able to sleep tonight!”

  Karen laughed out loud. “Addy, our relationship is not based on sex. We make love because we are crazy about each other.”

  “Yeah, I know. Do you think Carol and Mary have our kind of intimacy?”

  Karen chuckled picturing the visual in her mind. “I don’t know and, Ms. Adriana Marcos, promise me that you are not going to ask them, or tell them to do so because that would improve their relationship, or anything like that, please!”

  “Of course not, do you think I’m crazy? I don’t want to mess with Mary. The woman is a maniac.” Addy remained thoughtful. “Do you think we’ll always be like this?”

  “I think it’s like what you said the other day, about not taking things for granted. I will never take our relationship for granted, and will try my best to keep our flame burning. If you do the same, we have a pretty good chance, I think.”

  Addy looked at her. “Baby, as long as those eyes look at me like they d
o now, this flame is going to beat the Olympic torch!”

  Part 12

  “JP, can I talk to Addy?”

  “She’s not here, sweetie. What’s going on?”

  “I thought she was there. She went to Edinburgh and said she’d be by the inn before going home. I’ve called her but she’s not answering her cell phone and that’s unusual, you know how she always has it on and answers quickly.”

  “Yeah, well give her a few minutes, and call her back.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to you later.” Karen’s heartbeat was racing. Something was wrong and she knew it. Damn, Addy, where are you?

  “Let me know when she gets home, now you have me worried too.”

  “Okay.” Karen didn’t know what to do. I need to calm down. I need to keep a cool head and think. Why didn’t I install that tracking system in her car? Damn! Karen had thought about it, but never said anything fearing that Addy would think her crazy. “I get nervous when I don’t know where you are.” Karen had explained. Addy’s reply was that she always said her where she was going, that she always had her cell phone with her and that she always picked up her calls.

  Karen called again with the same result. She looked out the window and worried even more when she noticed that the weather had taken a turn for the worse, and that it wouldn’t be long before it was dark. She called JP again. “JP, I’m going to go out there, and see if she’s stuck on the road or something.”

  “Honey, the weather is not good and is going to get worse.”

  “I know JP, but I can’t sit here and wait any longer.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?” He was hoping she’d say no, but he had to offer.

  “Thanks, JP, no need to inconvenience you. I’ll call you as soon as I find her.”

  Karen left with a somber face and a heavy heart. She was worried. She took her jacket and threw it on the passenger seat of the Range Rover and took off. Thank God, they had already bought the second car. After the experience with the cow and Sarah’s son, they had decided on another Range Rover.

  By the time she left, it was raining, and foggy. It was only around four in the afternoon, but at this particular time of the year it turned dark early. There were no cars on the road, and the road felt slick.