Kezia grunted. “You can say that again. Do you know, tonight was supposed to be my night off. Jenny was going to take me to see a play at the Galapagos.”
“Tough luck,” said Patrick, nodding in sympathy. “Is Jenny that feisty Latina that’s in here on the weekends hogging your attention?”
“She’s Jewish not Latina, don’t be a dick. And yes, that’s her.”
“Whatever she is, she’s damn lucky. How many of the sad sacks in here have been after you since your first day? And she’s the one that finally gets you. Lucky as hell,” Patrick grinned.
Kezia rolled her eyes. “Well, maybe if all those other sad sacks had gotten their shit together and been less sad maybe I would have been more inclined to give them a chance.”
“Fair point,” Patrick agreed. “So, tell me, how’s it going? Is she treating you right?”
Kezia got an uncharacteristically dreamy smile on her face. “It’s great,” she sighed, resting her chin in her hand. “She’s so funny and sweet. I really like her. I mean, it’s only been a few weeks, but I think she might be the one.”
Patrick raised an eyebrow at the transformed woman in front of him. “Girl, you’ve got it bad,” he said. “Not once in the last five years have I ever seen you get this dopey about someone. And that includes that six and a half foot Norwegian model you dated back in 2014. And that man was a god among men and worshiped the ground you walked on poor sap.”
Kezia shrugged, waving her hand to brush away the memory of the Norwegian god. “Karl was dull,” she said. “stunning, sure. But outside of the bedroom, he didn’t really have much to offer.”
“Yeah, blind devotion is so tiresome,” Patrick replied sarcastically.
Kezia laughed. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
“Well, whatever this Jenny character has that Karl the Norwegian God didn’t, I hope it makes you happy. I was beginning to think you were secretly a cyborg that didn’t have feelings.”
Still laughing, Kezia swatted Patrick’s shoulder and went off to avert yet another Laura and Rachel crisis.
McGuire & Sons didn’t close until 2 am and, by the time she’d counted the till and done the inventory and explained the clean-up procedure to Rachel and Laura three more times, Kezia was absolutely beat. So, when she stepped out of the pub and onto the dark, rainy, windy Vancouver sidewalk to see Jenny waiting in her tiny, orange VW bug, she nearly cried with joy.
“Hey,” she said as she slipped into the passenger seat. “You came to get me.”
Jenny smiled at Kezia. “Of course I did. I’m sure your night was long enough without having to go home alone on top of everything else.”
Kezia leaned back against her seat. “Thanks, sweetheart,” she said. “But if you’re looking for sex I really don’t have the energy.”
Jenny shook her head. “While I appreciate the fact that you think I have the stamina for 3 am sex on a weeknight, I’m in this solely for the cuddles. I’m not a teenager anymore, Kezia. Old people need their sleep.”
Kezia laughed, running her fingers through Jenny’s glossy tangle of dark curls. “Thirty-two is not old, Jenny.”
“It is when all your friends are still in their twenties,” Jenny replied as she started the car. “Soon I’m going to start going gray, and you’ll leave me for some bleach blonde waif you meet at a Death Cab for Cutie concert.”
“Death Cab’s not cool anymore, honey,” Kezia replied, biting her lip to keep back a smile.
“See??” Jenny threw up her hands as they cruised down the darkened street. “I’m ancient.”
Laughing, Kezia dug in her bag for her phone. She hadn’t checked her messages since her shift started. There was the usual handful of texts from various friends, including one from Jenny telling her she was going to pick her up and another two telling her to check her phone already. Unusually, however, there were four missed calls from her younger sister Juliet.
“Sorry, I didn’t see your texts,” said Kezia, looking up at Jenny.
The older woman chuckled. “You must be the only employee in North America that doesn’t check their phone during their shift.”
“It’s unprofessional to have your nose in your phone while you’re working!” Kezia replied. “I nearly confiscated the new girls’ phones. I felt like a grade school teacher.” Frowning, Kezia noticed that her sister’s last call had only been about half an hour ago. Why would Juliet be calling her at two in the morning? Why would Juliet be calling her at all?
“Something wrong?” Jenny asked.
“I don’t know. My sister called me.”
“Is that weird?” Jenny asked. “I mean, sisters call each other all the time, right? At least, that’s what Hollywood has led me to believe.” Jenny was an only child, and the closest thing she had to a sister was her best friend and co-worker Miranda, and the two of them did indeed call each other all the time.
Kezia made a face. “Maybe other sisters do. But Juliet’s a decade younger than me. She was kind of a surprise if you know what I mean. She’s still in high school.”
“Oh,” said Jenny. “So you guys aren’t close.”
Kezia shrugged. “It’s not that we don’t get along. She’s a really neat kid. But my parents are pretty conservative. When they found out I was bi, they…well, we haven’t spoken in years. Every now and then Juliet will text me a life update. But they don’t like her talking to me, so it’s hard for her.”
Jenny nodded, laying her hand on Kezia’s arm and giving her a reassuring squeeze. “I hear you. Well, maybe she needs help with something that falls outside the realm of conservative parenting.”
Kezia nodded. “I’m going to call her quickly. I mean, she’s probably already asleep, but just in case. Sorry to be rude.”
“Not at all,” said Jenny. “Sisters before misters. Or…man, they really need to come up with a lesbian version of that.”
Kezia chuckled as she dialed her sister’s number. “Thanks, Jenny,” she said as the phone rang. With every ring, Kezia could feel anxiety growing in her stomach. She wasn’t sure which was making her more nervous: talking to her semi-estranged sister or her fear that something might actually be really wrong.
Just when Kezia was going to hang up, Juliet picked up. “Kez?” she asked breathlessly. Her voice cracked, and Kezia got the impression that she’d been crying. “Is that you?”
“Hey, Jules,” Kezia smiled. “It’s me. What’s up? Everything all right?”
There was a sob from the other end of the line.
“Jules?” Kezia sat up. “Honey, what’s wrong? Did Dad-” Kezia glanced at Jenny briefly, “-did he hit you?”
Jenny closed her eyes momentarily. She was beginning to put together a picture of Kezia’s childhood, and the picture wasn’t a pretty one.
“No,” Juliet whispered. “No…but he will.”
“What do you mean? Are you at home?”
“No,” Juliet replied. “I’m…I’m down on Commercial.”
“What? At this hour? Why aren’t you at home?” Kezia could feel panic mounting in her chest. Commercial Drive at this hour was no place for a young kid.
“I’m too scared,” her sister replied, her tears audible over the phone. “I’m too afraid of what they’ll say.”
“Juliet, what happened?” Kezia’s voice was gentle but firm.
Another sob. “I’m pregnant,” Juliet whispered. Her voice was so quiet that Kezia almost didn’t hear her.
Kezia closed her eyes much like Jenny just had. When she spoke again, she sounded very, very tired. “Juliet, where are you? Stay there. I’m coming to get you.”
“W-would you?” Juliet sobbed.
“Of course. Text me your location. We’ll be there as fast as we can. We’re already in the car.”
“Thank you,” Juliet whispered. “Thank you so much.”
“That’s what families for, honey,” said Kezia. “I’ll see you soon.”
Hanging up, Kezia turned to Jenny. “Jenn
y…” she began.
“Just tell me where to go,” Jenny said. “We can all go back to my place afterward. Your sister can crash on the futon in the living room.”
“Thank you,” said Kezia. For a moment she just watched Jenny drive, enjoying the warmth that was now replacing the anxiety that had been slowly filling her up.
“What happened?” Jenny asked. “I mean…if you want to tell me…”
“She’s pregnant,” Kezia replied. “I don’t know how. But I do know how my parents will react.”
Jenny nodded. “Oh boy, the poor kid. Let’s get her somewhere safe.”
They picked Juliet up from a bus shelter on one of the seedier blocks of the already seedy Commercial Drive. She looked like a drowned Irish setter, her long red hair hanging in wet, dripping tendrils all the way to her waist. She had Kezia’s big eyes and long legs, but they were still skinny and stuck out of her enormous blue hoody like awkward twigs. She mumbled a hello to Jenny and promptly burst into tears. She spent the drive back to Jenny’s apartment sitting in the back seat and crying in Kezia’s arms.
It wasn’t until she’d had a warm shower and was tucked into bed in Jenny’s living room futon, a cup of chamomile tea wrapped in both hands that Juliet finally seemed to get control of herself. Kezia sat next to her on the futon, while Jenny sat in a nearby armchair, also nursing a cup of tea.
“Do you want to tell us what happened?” Kezia asked, smoothing her sister’s hair out of her face.
Juliet nodded, taking a sip of tea. “I started seeing this guy last year, Tyler. Mom and Dad were thrilled. He’s on the football team, gets excellent marks, President of the student union. The perfect guy. He and Dad will talk about sports whenever he’d come over for dinner. And I…I really liked him.”
Kezia nodded, sensing where this was going. “What happened?” she encouraged.
“We’d been going out for six months in July, and we decided to celebrate by going to for a camping trip. I told Dad that we were going with Carrie and Lynn and a bunch of friends. And Carrie and Lynn did go camping…just not with Tyler and me. Anyway, while we were camping, Tyler said he wanted…he wanted…well, we had…sex…” she whispered.
“And you didn’t use protection,” Kezia finished.
“Tyler said he didn’t want to. That it was no fun with a condom. He told me not to be…not to be such a cold f-fish.” Juliet’s tears dripped into her tea.
On the other side of the room, Jenny gripped her tea mug, glaring at the yellow liquid inside as if it were Tyler.
“You must think I’m pretty stupid,” Juliet whispered.
“No, baby,” said Kezia. “I don’t. I think Tyler’s an asshole.”
“But he was so sweet to me…” Juliet protested faintly.
“Wait, July?” Jenny interrupted. “You mean you’re five months pregnant?”
Juliet nodded. “I realized in August, but I didn’t know what to do. I thought I could hide it, but today we had gym class, and the teacher noticed. He said he was going to call my parents. He said he didn’t have a choice. So I…I left during lunch break.”
“Oh, Jules,” Kezia sighed. “And Tyler? Does he know?”
Juliet shook her head. “Tyler broke up with me a week later. He said I was b-boring in…in bed.” A fresh flood of tears streamed down Juliet’s pale face. “Kezia, I don’t know what to do. Dad will…he’ll…I’m afraid he’ll kill me.”
Kezia sighed. “For now, you don’t have to do anything. You’re safe here. I’ll take care of you. Get some sleep. Think about what you want to do. And in the morning we’ll talk about your options.”
“I don’t want to get rid of it,” Juliet whispered. “It’s my baby.”
Kezia nodded, taking Juliet’s mug and gently laying her sister down. “Get some sleep, sweetie. No one’s going to make you do anything you don’t want to do. I promise.”
Juliet looked up at her big sister. “I’m so lucky I have you, Kez,” she said. “I’ve really missed you.”
Kezia smiled, clearly fighting back the tears of her own. “I’ve missed you too, Jules. You just shout if you need anything, okay?”
Juliet nodded, her eyes already drifting shut. Quietly, Jenny and Kezia made their way to Jenny’s bedroom.
As they lay in the dark, Kezia tucked her head into the crook of Jenny’s shoulder, wrapping her arm around the other woman’s body. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I realize this is a pretty heavy for a brand new relationship. Please don’t get scared off. My life isn’t usually this crazy.”
Jenny chuckled sleepily, stroking Kezia’s hair as they cuddled. “No worries. After all, what does a lesbian bring on a second date?”
Kezia laughed. “A U-Haul!” she replied, finishing the joke.
“Exactly. And we’re on the fourth date at least. So crazy family trouble is just to be expected, really.”
Kezia nuzzled even closer to her girlfriend. “You’re the best,” she said.
“Mm,” Jenny replied, already mostly asleep.
Chapter Two
The next day Jenny and Kezia woke up to the smell of bacon. Dragging themselves out of bed, they found Juliet cooking an enormous breakfast. In the daylight, Jenny could see that, even though Juliet’s belly still wasn’t huge, the bulge was all the more noticeable because of her skinny frame. She was impressed that the kid had managed to keep the secret for so long.
“Hi,” Juliet dimpled at them. “I hope you don’t mind…I made some food.”
“I never mind when beautiful women make me bacon,” said Jenny, pouring herself a coffee and sitting down at the table.
Juliet blushed, and Kezia clicked her tongue. “No hitting on my baby sister, you perv,” she said, giving Juliet a hug.
Jenny laughed. “How are you feeling, Juliet?”
The teenager smiled. “A little better. Thanks for letting me crash on your couch. I mean, you don’t even know me.”
“You’re Kezia’s family. You’re always welcome here,” said Jenny seriously.
Juliet blushed.
“So,” said Kezia, piling pancakes, and eggs on her plate, “have you thought about what you want to do, Juliet?”
Juliet swallowed. “I know it’s crazy, but I want to keep her.”
The older women exchanged a glance.
Juliet shook her head. “It's no big deal, guys. I already have a part-time job. I can quit school and—”
“No,” Kezia interrupted. “You are not leaving school, Juliet. That’s where I draw the line. I’ve seen your grades. You’re going to university, and that’s final.”
Juliet frowned. “You sound just like Dad.”
Kezia gaped at her younger sister. “I what—”
“Do you want to go to university, Juliet?” Jenny asked quickly.
Juliet nodded. “Yeah, of course. I want to study history. But I want the baby more.”
Kezia groaned. “Sweetheart, have you even thought about adoption? We could find it a magnificent home. A home where it’ll be loved and looked after.”
“She’s mine,” Juliet replied. “Or I’m hers. I don’t know. But she’s a part of me. I can’t abandon her.”
“You also can’t waste your life slaving away at a shitty job while you struggle to raise your baby alone,” Kezia argued.
“I wouldn’t be alone. I’d have…I’d have…” Juliet bit her lip. “Jesus, I’d be alone.”
“And take it from me, working some dead-end job for years on end is no fun,” Kezia said.
Juliet frowned. “I thought you were studying interior design? What happened to that?”
Kezia sighed. “It’s still going. But I don’t want to take out a huge student loan, so I’m taking courses part time and working nights. So the four-year program is taking…longer than usual.”
“That sucks,” said Juliet. “Can’t you ask D—”
“No,” said Kezia. “I can’t ask Dad.”
“Ok, well,” Jenny said diplomatically, “for the time being
at least, we should probably let your school know that you’re sick and won’t be coming in. And tell your parents that you’re not dead in a ditch somewhere.”
The two sisters shared a look.
“I…” Juliet began.
“I’ll go,” said Kezia. “I’ll talk to them.”
“Thank you,” said Juliet.
“You can stay here as long as you like,” Jenny continued.
“Babe—” Kezia began, turning to her girlfriend.
“Your apartment is tiny, Kezia,” Jenny replied. “It’s fine. I’ll be at work all day anyway.”
“Thank you,” said Kezia.
“Speaking of which,” said Jenny, “I should probably get going. Thanks for breakfast, Juliet.”
After Jenny had left, Juliet looked across the table at her older sister. “You look jubilant,” she said.
“I am,” said Kezia.
“Do you love her?” Juliet asked.
“I…” Kezia thought about this. “It’s a very new relationship,” she replied.
“But you do,” said Juliet.
“Maybe a little,” Kezia smiled.
“Dad always says that…people like you…do not feel love. That they’re just sick.”
Kezia shook her head. She knew all too well what her homophobic father thought about her sexuality. “And what do you make of it?” she asked.
“I think what you and Jenny have, looked a lot more like love than anything I’ve ever seen,” said Juliet.
Kezia reached across the table. “See? You’re too smart to quit school.”
Chapter Three
That afternoon, Kezia left Juliet to do her homework and, for the first time in six years, went to visit her parents. The visit was, as expected, a disaster.
Kezia could feel herself growing angry and tense just walking up the broad stone steps to her family’s large home in the expensive West End of Vancouver. And she hadn’t even spoken to her parents yet.
Her mother opened the door dressed, as always, in a skirt and jacket suit that made her look like she was running for a seat in the Senate. Her hair was perfectly done even though it was a Wednesday morning and she was wearing an enormous and – Kezia thought – ugly necklace.
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