The Human Side

by Cori Garrison

  “I’m sorry Shawn. I just feel so fat and ugly. And seeing Stacy’s friend today, well none of us could deny that she is absolutely gorgeous. Here I am, looking like a house. How can you even be attracted to me anymore?” She started sobbing again.

  Shawn got up, sat down next to Rebecca on the couch and pulled her against her. “Becca, listen to me carefully. There is no one on this earth that is more attractive to me than you. Your attractiveness is far beyond your physical appearance; which by the way is still sexier than anyone I know. You are right, she’s better looking than most, but she doesn’t have what interests me and never could.” Shawn brushed Rebecca’s hair back gently.

  “What’s that?” Rebecca asked quietly.

  Shawn smiled and kissed Rebecca’s hand. “She doesn’t have my heart. She never could have my heart because it belongs to you and only you.”

  Rebecca hugged Shawn tight. I’ve been turned into a bumbling, insecure crybaby. Ugh these are the hormones I could do without! “You are too sweet. I’m sorry I’m so hormonal. I’m just really sensitive about my appearance. It’s new to me, being this big you know!”

  Shawn laughed. “I’m sure it feels like you’re as big as a house, but really you look great. You’ve been swimming to get some exercise and eating well. You haven’t gained that much weight either. What is more important to me though is that you are healthy and so are the babies.”

  “I know all that is true. Thank you for reminding me of it.” She groaned. “God my feet hurt. They feel like blocks of cement.”

  Shawn lifted Rebecca’s legs so they were in her lap. She proceeded to remove her Dansko’s and socks to inspect Rebecca’s feet. “Baby they are pretty swollen. You better sit here with them up while I get dinner and then I think we should call your doctor in the morning to see what she thinks.”

  “Shawn, you know that happens. Move and let me see them please.” She sat up to look at them. “Well in good news, I can still see my own feet. In bad news, I think you’re right. They do appear more swollen then they should be. We better call in the morning like you said.”

  Shawn stood up. “I’m going to go make us some dinner and then I’ll help you get a shower. We can go to bed early tonight. In the meantime you sit here and keep them up.” She leaned down and kissed Rebecca’s forehead. “I meant what I said Becca, I love you more than anything in this world.”

  Rebecca reached up and touched Shawn’s cheek with her hand. “I love you too Shawn. Thank you for putting up with me. I’m sorry I’m such a mess.”

  Shawn smiled. “You’re a beautiful mess. Now, you rest and I’ll bring you dinner in a bit.” She headed into the kitchen to make dinner.

  Rebecca relaxed on the couch, watching TV and thinking about how much her life had changed. God, I wish I had the courage to be myself and approach Shawn years ago. I am so lucky to have her now and soon our babies will be here. I can’t believe this is my life now; I never figured I’d have kids, much less a beautiful woman who loves me so much.

  Shawn quietly padded into the living room, finding Rebecca asleep on the couch. She pondered whether she should let her sleep or wake her up to eat some dinner. She opted to wake her because a hungry mama was not a very appealing option. She sat down carefully on the edge of the couch, brushing Rebecca’s hair out of her face. She studied the dark, beautiful woman sleeping next to her. How could she think that she isn’t beautiful? Most women would die for those long eyelashes and perfect complexion. What was I thinking when I walked away from her not once, but twice? How did I get so lucky to have her love?

  “Becca, honey, dinner is ready can you wake up?” She gently rubbed Rebecca’s arm. Her breath caught in her throat when Rebecca opened her eyes and smiled at her. “You take my breath away when you smile at me like that.” Shawn said quietly.

  Rebecca reached up and pulled Shawn’s head down, kissing her softly. “I hope that is still the case when we are old and grey, well until you’re old and grey anyway. I, personally, have no intention of getting old or grey! I’m starving, is dinner ready?” She grinned.

  Shawn rolled her eyes. “Nothing like going from whispering sweet nothings to me, to asking about food in three point five seconds. Come on babies; let’s get you fed before your mama starts gnawing on me.”

  “Ha ha. Very funny lady. May I remind you that you sleep next to me every night?” She playfully pinched Shawn’s butt as Shawn helped her up. “If you’re not careful, I’ll have you for a midnight snack.” She winked as she walked away to the kitchen.

  Shawn followed after her, coming to a stop right behind her. She leaned over and whispered in Rebecca’s ear “You know, I do love ethnic food and Cuban happens to be my favorite.”

  Rebecca grinned and rolled her eyes at Shawn’s joke. “I’ll be sure to let my mom know that.”

  “You are not right. There is only one Cuban beauty that I am interested in snacking on. Sadly, I heard she got deported last week.” Shawn jumped away quickly as Rebecca tried to smack her.

  “That’s it. You are cut off.” Rebecca joked.

  Shawn pulled her close. “Oh please, you know you couldn’t go without it once it’s on your mind. I promise to make it up to you.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  Rebecca pretended to ponder her offer. “Okay, but only if you feed me my dinner and..” She paused, looking almost nervous.

  Shawn leaned her head back from Rebecca. “Are you blushing?”

  Rebecca sighed and looked defiantly into Shawn’s eyes. “No, I am not blushing! I want you to feed me my dinner please. When we go to bed, I want you to touch me everywhere… like you did.. oh Jesus why am I embarrassed to say it to you? I want you to play with my ass again. There I said it!”

  Shawn laughed until she thought she would pee her pants. “You are so damn adorable. You don’t need to be embarrassed to ask me for anything Becca. I will touch you anywhere you want me to. I want to do whatever makes you feel good ok?”

  Rebecca smiled broadly. “Good, now let’s eat!”

  They chatted while they ate dinner, cleaned up the mess in the kitchen and headed upstairs to get ready for bed. Shawn laid out their scrubs for work in the morning while Rebecca turned on the shower. Shawn stopped in the doorway of their bathroom; struck by how beautiful Rebecca looked standing naked in front of the mirror.

  Rebecca caught sight of Shawn in the mirror and turned to face her. She watched Shawn’s eyes travel the length of her body and then return to look into her own eyes. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the blatant look of lust in Shawn’s eyes. “Are you just going to stand there staring or are you going to help me take a shower?” She said in a low voice.

  Without a word, Shawn stripped her own clothes off and led Rebecca into the shower. She pulled the shower head down and soaked Rebecca’s hair, replacing it so she could grab the shampoo. She quickly lathered her hair, taking more time to massage her scalp before she rinsed it out. She moved on to the conditioner and then washed Rebecca’s body, carefully steadying her while she lifted each foot to wash it. She turned and stood under the shower, preparing to wash her own hair, when Rebecca’s hands stopped her.

  “Let me baby.” Rebecca said as she leaned forward to gently kiss Shawn’s chin. “Sit down on the seat so I can reach you better.” She waited while Shawn sat down in the shower seat before she ran the water over her head and began to lather her short hair.

  Shawn was enamored with the view she had as she sat in front of Rebecca. Her eyes were almost level with Rebecca’s breasts, which had gotten considerably fuller in the last week or so. She leaned forward and gently kissed her stomach, laying her cheek against it for a moment.

  “What is it baby?” Rebecca asked, tipping Shawn’s face up.

  Shawn looked up into Rebecca’s eyes and smiled. “I don’t think there has ever been a sexier pregnant woman. I love your body because you are carrying our children.” She reached up and cupped Rebecca’s breasts, unconsciously biting her lower lip as she did. “These
feel so full and heavy.”

  “Shawn Marie Evans, if you don’t stop… mmm… touching me.. oh God they are so sensitive.. Here, finish rinsing off and come with me to bed.” She handed Shawn the shower head, while she turned and reached for a towel.

  “Anything you say, my love.” Shawn replied as she hung the shower head up, turned the water off and followed Rebecca to bed.

  ****

  Randy wove her way through the hallway on the second floor of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police metro division building. She was on a mission to find a certain investigative technician that she had a bone to pick with. She came to a stop at the unit secretary’s desk.

  The secretary looked up. “May I help you Officer Cash?”

  “I’m looking for Stacy Evans; can you let her know that I’m here please?” Randy answered with a smile. She hoped the smile would be enough to sway the grouchy woman. She had been warned about Cindy Prior before coming here. If she hadn’t misjudged, Cindy was also a lesbian.

  The woman gave her an irritated look. “I’ll let her know.” She picked up her desk phone and dialed an extension. “Evans? You have a visitor; Officer Cash is here to see you. You bet.” She hung up the phone. “She’ll be right out. You can stand or you can sit; your choice.” The woman pointed toward two chairs against the wall.

  Randy grinned. “I think I’ll stand right here so I can enjoy your company.”

  Cindy rolled her eyes. “Well aren’t you just a charmer. Should I ask for your number now or wait until you’re ready to leave?” She said sarcastically.

  Randy was trying to think of something biting in response, but was saved by Stacy’s appearance in the hall. Stacy motioned her to follow her in to the break room and closed the door behind them.

  “Cindy likes to gossip so I figured we should talk in here since your text message sounded serious. What do you need to talk to me about?” Stacy asked.

  Randy had been irritated for a week since her visit to the hospital. She had tried to let it go, but she kept going back over the scene in her head wondering why Stacy hadn’t told her that both of her sisters were gay. Was she embarrassed of them?

  “I stopped by the hospital last week to see the baby and I met your sister Shawn. She introduced me to her partner.” Randy calmly said, trying to control the frustration in her voice. “Another nurse named Jenna actually took me over to see the baby, imagine my surprise to discover that she’s your sister-in-law!”

  Stacy sighed and put her hand up. “Randy, let me explain..”

  “What’s to explain? I really am getting the picture here. Are you ashamed of the fact that not one but both of your sisters are gay? Do you think that it’s guilt by association?” Randy’s voice was emotionless. Maybe I did misjudge her. She really is a homophobe.

  “Ahhh! Will you listen to me? It has nothing to do with me or you even. I just don’t feel..” Stacy tried to explain, but she was cut off again by Randy.

  “Actually, don’t bother. I don’t know why I wasted my time coming here. It doesn’t really matter what your reasoning is for not telling me. You don’t owe me anything; it’s not like you mean anything to me.” Randy lied. It’s best to just make a clean cut and get on with my life. I have to get away from her if I’m going to get her out of my mind.

  Stacy’s face went pale and she felt sick to her stomach. Much to her annoyance, tears sprang in to her eyes as she quickly spun and walked out of the room. She rushed past Cindy sitting at the desk. Cindy looked up with confusion, wondering what had just happened.

  Randy sighed. Why don’t I feel better? I feel worse. I feel like a fucking asshole. Well, it can only get better right? She squared her shoulders as she walked out of the break room and turned towards the elevator.

  “Officer Cash!” Cindy called out to Randy. When Randy turned around, Cindy continued on. “I know everyone thinks I’m a bitch and it may not be any of my business, but whatever just happened in there she doesn’t deserve. Evans is about the sweetest person I’ve ever met. I’ll deny that I said that if you ever tell anyone. As far as you go, you might be nice eye candy but you certainly don’t know how to treat a lady.” Cindy got up and walked towards the back of the office, leaving Randy standing there, ashamed of her behavior.

  Stacy leaned against the wall of the bathroom stall. There really wasn’t anywhere else that offered a little privacy. Tears spilled down her cheeks, making her even more annoyed with herself. Why do I care what she thinks? I was only trying to protect my sister’s privacy. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the heavy feeling in her chest. She forced a smile on her face and headed back to her work station to finish her shift.

  Randy hopped in the patrol car where her partner, Jeff, was waiting for her. Jeff knew her well enough to tell by the look on her face that there was no point in asking what was up. He’d give her some time and maybe she’d talk about it later. He put the car in drive and headed out into traffic.

  Several hours later, Stacy packed up her things and clocked out for the day. She still felt like she’d been punched in the stomach. She took one last look around her work space, pulled her service weapon from the drawer of her desk and slid it into the holster on her hip. The weight felt odd still on her belt. She had passed her tests and been cleared to carry. I didn’t even get a chance to tell Randy I passed. I guess it’s a moot point now. She shook her head, trying to clear the negative thoughts from her head. I better get going; I want to stop at the market on the way home for some things.

  Fifteen minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot at the market and headed in to pick up the things she needed. She was very conscious of the nods of exiting customers, wondering why they were all nodding at her. It dawned on her then that it was probably because they were being courteous, seeing her badge and gun clipped to her belt. It was something else she wasn’t used to yet. She wandered down a few aisles, still unfamiliar with where to find everything. As she rounded the corner into the canned goods aisle she noticed a scruffy man who seemed to be very nervous. She slowed down her pace, carefully watching his behavior. As she walked slowly down the aisle, pretending to look at a few things, she realized the object of his nervous glances was the small bank branch that was housed inside the store. Just as she was about to push aside her paranoia, she noticed the slight bulge of what appeared to be a handgun tucked in the waist of his jeans.

  Stacy’s heart began to beat rapidly as the adrenaline kicked in. She motioned a young man stocking the shelves to her. “My name is Stacy Evans and I’m an investigator for the CMPD. I want you to pretend that I’m asking you for some help in reaching that box up there on the shelf ok? After you do, I want you to go to the closest phone and dial 911. Tell them that there is a suspicious white male who appears to be casing the bank and has a firearm tucked into his waistband. Please let them know there is an officer on scene. I’m going to keep an eye on him. Also, have your manager quietly get as many customers out of the building without making too much of a commotion ok?” The young man’s eyes were huge and he nodded his head quickly. He reached up, grabbed the box and handed it to her. “Okay good, now go on and make the call, but don’t run ok?” He nodded again, turning to walk away.

  For the next five minutes, Stacy tried to keep a discreet distance from the man, picking up items she had no intention of purchasing just so that she would appear to be just shopping. Unfortunately, half way down the aisle two police officers appeared at the end of the aisle where he was headed. He promptly turned and Stacy saw him pull the weapon from his waistband, pointing it directly at her. She calmly raised her hands to show him she was not a threat.

  “Back off!” He screamed at her. “Back the fuck off me. If you’re buddies get one step closer to me, I will blow your fucking head off!”

  “Hey, my hands are up. I’m not moving them ok?” Stacy tried to keep her voice calm. “Guys, back off alright. I need you to back off; he has a weapon pointed at me.” She spoke loud enough for the officers to hear her as sh
e slowly stepped backwards until she was almost at the end of the aisle. If I can just get to the end, I can throw myself to the side and they will take him out.

  Stacy was completely unaware that on either side of the end of the aisle she was slowly making her way to, were two more officers. They had responded to the 911 dispatch along with two other patrol cars and had positioned themselves on either side of the aisle, hoping that one of them could snatch him as he rounded the corner. Unfortunately the situation had deteriorated when he pulled his weapon, threatening to kill the officer who had been following him through the store. Now their plan had changed to hoping one of them could dive around the corner if they had to and get a shot off at him.

  That was before Randy recognized the voice of the officer in the aisle with him. Her heart constricted like someone was putting it in a vice grip. No, it can’t be Stacy. Shit, how did she get herself in this mess? She could hear that Stacy was very close to the end of the aisle and she motioned to Jeff on the other side that she would push her out of the way as soon as she saw her.

  “What are you doing? Stop fucking moving!” The man yelled at Stacy, his hand was shaking with the gun in it.

  Stacy gauged that she had one more step backwards before she would be able to throw herself to the side. She kept her voice soft, using her training to try to defuse some of his anger. “I’m not going anywhere; tell me what you want from me?”

  “I don’t want a fucking thing from you. You’re dead regardless of what you say to me, you fucking pig. You and as many others as I can take.” He screamed again.

  Stacy took one last step backwards, catching a quick movement in the corner of her eye from her right side. A blue blur hurled towards her, leaping in front of her body as she heard a loud boom, followed quickly by three more loud booms. The wind was knocked out of her as she fell to the floor with someone else’s body landing on top of her. Stacy struggled to get her breath back as she heard angry shouts and then felt the weight lifted off her as someone rolled the person to the floor.