The Exodus Strategy

by Barbara Winkes

  “I know I am, and you know what, he’s not going to stop there. What do you think is his opinion of a couple of lesbians having a baby?”

  Kerry shook her head. “I don’t want to know.”

  “It’s time,” Hilary repeated her earlier words. “What we need is an awakening, country-wide, world-wide, and I know there are many who are with us, but we need the silent ones to join us, to be louder. We can’t have more women die. It needs to stop.”

  Her passion was hard to resist, as it had always been. Kerry found herself tempted into the dream, just for a minute, that between the two of them and the ones they loved, they could turn around the ways of centuries, with the help of their beliefs and the Greene billions.

  “You want every woman whose rights are in danger to come to California with you?”

  Hilary’s gaze was calm and serene, telling Kerry that the initial decision had been made sometime ago.

  “Whatever it takes,” she said.

  Chapter Two

  At the breakfast table, Kerry felt hung over and wistful for the old times. She had no doubt that Hilary and Marc would carry through with the plan. Like Hilary had said, the planning phase had started long ago. They’d change the lives of many for the better, even if the big exodus they were envisioning didn’t happen.

  Kerry wished she could be a part of this, put more good into the world rather than keep fighting windmills. She wished Hilary had brought this to her a year ago. She and Vivien had almost been ready to give up on finding a house in their hometown, disillusioned with some of the reactions they’d gotten once it became clear they weren’t roommates. She wanted better than that for the child that was a mere concept at this point. She’d felt calm and happy in the decisions she and Vivien made, but at the moment, trapped was a more appropriate term to describe her state of mind.

  There was peace in settling for something. At least she thought Vivien would agree on the subject, and if she was honest, Hilary would too. She and Marc were looking for better circumstances for their legacy, and Kerry didn’t blame them.

  The rain had stopped overnight, huge window panes allowing lots of natural light to come in. Everything looked different in the light of day, didn’t it?

  “I want you to read this. Not now, maybe not even today.” Hilary put a stack of folders next to Kerry’s coffee cup. She didn’t look the least bit hung over, hair and clothes perfect even on a casual Saturday morning. “Take your time. We’re not going to do anything before the winter, except maybe look at possible housing prospects. There are a few you and Vivien could choose from, and we can get on a plane and go see them once you’re ready.”

  Kerry nearly choked on her coffee. Hilary patted her back with an apologetic smile.

  “Come on. You didn’t think I’d come to you with a half-assed plan? I invest in people and prospects that are worth it.” She winced at her own words. “Well, it wasn’t like Stan Bryson wasn’t worth it, but there was only so much we could do for him. You know what I mean.”

  “This is…I told you, we can’t do this. I can’t believe you already planned this far without telling us. Did you already pick the furniture too?” She shook her head, stopping when the motion made her head pound. It didn’t matter of how much quality that wine had been. At a certain amount it would always give you a hangover. “You know I love you, and generally, this is a good idea, but there are some things you can’t buy.”

  Kerry knew Hilary. She hadn’t missed the flash of hurt, disappointment on her face. Hilary would be in for a lot more disappointment, if the reactions to their college paper were any small indication of what was going to happen. Social networks. Viral videos. Kerry shuddered.

  “I’m not trying to buy you,” Hilary said. “It’s your choice, whether to stay or go, if you want to find a place of your own, or pay your mortgage to us. I want you to be aware of all the options. Some would be easier than others. I know you are way too proud to accept any gifts, so I’m not even going to start. You can pay your way to California, I won’t stop you.”

  “I’m sorry, but this is our home. This is where we want to live and raise a family.”

  “Even if kids in school are going to mock your daughter or son, because they have two moms—and you can’t do anything about it, because Miller thinks anti-bullying laws lead to bullying the bully and are therefore wrong?” She laughed wryly. “Wow, I couldn’t make sense of his idea of logic if I tried to.”

  “Someone has to stay. People will learn and understand.”

  “When?” Hilary countered. “How old were we when we did that paper?” She didn’t wait for Kerry to give an answer. “Early twenties. For that one hour, we thought we were cooler than Gloria, and we were feeling pretty cocky even after all hell broke loose. How many years ago was that?”

  “Don’t start. You make me feel old.”

  “You’re going to be a mother, which is wonderful. You’re going to want the best for that child, but you and I are the same. When we say we take care of our own, we don’t mean just our own families and a handful of friends.”

  “Speaking of which, does Frances know?”

  Hilary shook her head. For the first time since she had started on the subject, her tone got sober, matter of fact.

  “She’s a lot like you, actually. Smart and beautiful and stubborn, she’s going to list all the reasons why it won’t work. She won’t want to leave her friends even though they all have a pretty much unlimited travel budget, and she’d be an A student here or there.”

  “I’m not sure I can read a compliment into this, but thank you. I guess being fifteen, Frances doesn’t have much of a choice.”

  “We are going to talk to her soon, and of course, Marc had to be first since it’s both our names on every check we write for this project.”

  “This project—does it have a name? The promised land?”

  If Hilary was aware of the slight sarcasm, she chose to ignore it. “I told you we had some financial considerations to make, in order to make sure there are no unpleasant surprises cooked up by the other side. The planners don’t even know all the details yet. After Marc, you had to be the first, because this was our dream all along.”

  Their paper did have a name.

  “Exodus,” Kerry said, still as winded as she’d been the moment she realized what Hilary’s intention was.

  Exodus: Designing fairness and equality from a new beginning.

  “That’s a loaded term. We didn’t even know how loaded it was even at the time, and we were pretty smart.”

  “That’s what I like about it.” Hilary smiled. “No more patchwork, we’re going straight for the heart of patriarchy. It’s going to stir up a lot of conversation and emotions, and that’s a good thing as far as I’m concerned.”

  “It’s going to blow up in your face,” Kerry said.

  “I love your optimism. Are you in?”

  “Hell, no.”

  “Read the files,” Hilary advised as she reached for a croissant from the basket. “You’re not angry enough yet. You’ll change your mind.”

  * * * *

  “These can wait until tomorrow. I’ll send out a few emails, so the flyers can get into print, and I need a signature from you before you go. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  It wasn’t until then that Vivien noticed Kerry standing in the doorway, a smile lighting up her face. One by one, the people were filing out of the conference room. The woman Vivien had talked to cast Kerry a long appreciative glance with a smile before she passed her by.

  Vivien frowned. “Don’t think I didn’t notice that,” she addressed her colleague who was out of earshot already. She got up to walk into Kerry’s embrace. “What are you doing here? I thought you were still hanging out with Hilary?”

  “She had some meetings today. I wanted to see if I could lure you away from work a bit earlier.”

  Hilary’s proposal hadn’t made Kerry want to pack up her things and run, but the moment she had closed the door of the G
reenes’ luxury apartment behind her, she felt the need to be with the person who’d understand her dilemma best. Maybe dilemma wasn’t the right term, because she didn’t plan to leave, and neither would Vivien.

  All of them had conjured up so many worst case scenarios regarding Miller’s election, it was good to remind herself of the things that hadn’t changed.

  Vivien sighed with regret. “I wish. Another half hour maybe? We need to get these flyers printed. I have to make a few calls and write some emails. I thought you were going back to the station tonight?” She had spent the last couple of days out of town, coming straight back to the office.

  “No, I took the day off. Practicing for…you know.” There was something about this subject that had her in awe, making her shy and self-conscious every time. This was not how most people would describe Kerry, but the fact that this beautiful woman wanted to have a family with her, did that.

  “Good. I’ll try to be as fast as I can. Believe it or not, I managed to take a break earlier, and I got us something to read on IVF. Wow, we’re going to be experts after that.”

  Kerry didn’t remind her they could probably look up all of it on the internet. For Vivien, knowledge had to come in real, physical books she could touch. Browsing websites was just the icing on the cake.

  “Hilary gave me something to read too. I guess we got our work cut out for the day.”

  Vivien cast her a speculative gaze over her reading glasses. “Maybe not all day?”

  “I like the way you think,” Kerry said, her mind clear and sharp all of a sudden, zooming in on a certain picture.

  “You do?” Vivien raised herself up on her tiptoes and kissed her, only stepping back when someone cleared their throat behind them.

  “Oh, hey, Dana,” Vivien greeted her boss. She didn’t blush. Kerry did.

  “I’ll just finish up here.”

  “I’d rather you finish your work first,” Dana deadpanned, and she and Vivien laughed.

  “You’re funny. If I email the printer now, the flyers should be done by Monday. I’ll come in early so we can get a head start on mailing them.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Enjoy your weekend. Good to see you, Kerry.”

  “You too,” Kerry said, her cheeks still burning.

  “I can’t believe you can get so flustered over a little kiss.” That couldn’t be true. Vivien was the one person who knew all about the rare occasions that could get Kerry flustered.

  “Get me a coffee from the vending machine? I love you.”

  “I love you too,” Kerry said. “Now go write those emails.”

  Walking down the stairs to the lower level where the vending machine was located, she felt more elated than she had in days. In the microcosm of their shared life, nothing would really change because of one disappointing election result, would it? People would see how bad Miller’s policies were, and vote him out next time. They’d be okay.

  She returned with two plastic cups of coffee, setting one in front of Vivien who was on the phone, giving her a grateful smile.

  “Yes, we’re still planning to come, regardless of whether the bill passes or not. Don’t thank me. We believe it’s the decent thing to do. No, we’re not there yet.”

  Kerry quietly picked up one of the folders Hilary had given her, tuning out the conversation. Vivien would tell her later. She read through the table of contents, Infrastructure, Housing, Employment, Health care, Living costs. This didn’t look like a startup plan sprung from college students’ minds. Hilary had, like Marc, studied economics, but she added a major in sociology, which was Kerry’s as well. Kerry had never doubted that Hilary was gifted, crazy smart, but this compilation was stunning in its details. Greene Industries had started investing in renewable energies before most scientists agreed on the dangers of climate change. It was as much the notion of doing the right thing as it was the idea of going against the flow of old and, in the long run, less competitive ideas. Both the companies of Hilary’s and Marc’s families had been million dollar businesses. Marc and Hilary had pushed even further, elevating them to the billionaire category.

  They believed in social fairness as a competitive figure, even if not all of their peers were on board with that.

  Kerry looked up to realize Vivien had been watching her.

  “I was torn between telling you that I’m done and we can go, or just keep staring at you. You’re really engrossed in that.”

  “It’s fascinating,” Kerry admitted. “Do you want to marry me?”

  “What?” Vivien laughed, sounding utterly surprised, and a bit hurt. “That has got to be the most unromantic wedding proposal ever made.”

  “I didn’t mean to—” Mid-sentence, Kerry realized that from here, she was only digging herself deeper. “That’s not what I meant. Of course I want to…ask you, sometime. When the time is right. We should talk about it though, in general. With the house and a baby in the future, we should do something to protect ourselves. I mean, how does that even work, if we got married in California?”

  “California, huh? Where is this coming from?...Miller? What did he do now that I’m not aware of?” Vivien’s eyes widened dramatically, and Kerry hurried to explain. “Hilary thinks we should pack up here and move. Actually, everyone who is terrified of what Miller is going to do next, should. She’s going to start with her family and the firm…and she invited us along.”

  “They’re moving headquarters out of the state?” The paper cup tilted in Vivien’s hand, coffee sloshing over the rim. “Ow, damn.”

  “Did you hear what I just said?” Kerry asked after assuring herself that the spilled coffee hadn’t been that hot.

  “Yes. Yes, I did, and I think it’s a fabulous idea. Hilary’s concept I mean. It’s not like we can go anywhere at the moment. Dr. Summers says we could start next month or so if we made up our minds.”

  “That’s what I told Hilary.”

  “Yeah. Too bad.”

  “Hey. We are going to have a baby. Nothing bad about that.” Kerry got up to help Vivien into her coat, wrapping her arms around her from behind. “Right?”

  “Aside from the fact that I’m terrified when I’m not even pregnant yet? Right. Nothing bad about it.”

  “We both know you’re fearless,” Kerry said before releasing her so she could button her coat. “You’ll be fine, and I’ll be right with you.”

  Walking in Hilary’s world for a day or so was thrilling, but Kerry always appreciated returning to the familiarity of her own. Cherishing the mundane tasks of going grocery shopping together on a Saturday afternoon, coming home, deciding to make love to the last rays of sun of the day.

  By dinner time, neither of them had gotten a lot of reading done, and they didn’t feel like cooking either.

  “You’re saying Marc and Hilary are serious about this? Not that I blame them. Miller is going to wreak havoc with everything we have achieved in this state. Will they pull out all investments as well?”

  Vivien had a reason to sound concerned, Kerry thought. An organization like the one she worked for, the women’s center, depended on donors like the Greenes. It wasn’t just her job on the line, but the lives of people for whom the work of Dana Martin and her team was the last hope.

  “I don’t think so. She didn’t say that.”

  “What if we did go with them? Dana has been talking about branching out and networking beyond the state more for a while. We could probably offer training, set up new facilities…”

  “You’re not serious about this, are you? We’d have to sell the house.”

  “Yes, but maybe what we gain would be worth the trouble?”

  “Isn’t it giving in?” Kerry pulled the sheets higher around them, feeling cold all of a sudden. “We can’t just put a bunch of people on a plane and start over elsewhere. It won’t work.”

  “Baby, I think if Hilary Greene says it’s going to work, there’ll be a lot of people who will believe her,” Vivien argued. “You said they already own land, so they
’re going to need workers to build those houses and factories. Some local, I suppose, but as long as they aren’t bothering anyone, I’m sure Governor King will be okay with the prospect—and once the movement starts growing—”

  “The movement?” Kerry asked, perplexed.

  “Sure, why not? Fact is, we need to regroup—even better to do it somewhere safer, and while we’re at it, get out as many women as possible.”

  “You’re talking like Armageddon is already upon us.”

  “It is,” Vivien said somberly, linking her fingers with Kerry’s. “The woman I talked to earlier, the one who runs the women’s clinic, remember? She said coming next week, we might be the ones on shaky legal ground. Miller is going to push a law that says the protesters may harass women as far as the doorstep, so they can sue us for trying to stop them.”

  Kerry brushed her fingers over Vivien’s arm, softly, wishing she had any reassurances to offer. She wished she could convince Vivien not to go. They were making sure women who sought any sort of health care, including an abortion, could do so without being scared and threatened by protesters. It was something she and the volunteers she accompanied, believed in. It was also getting more dangerous every day.

  Kerry often thought that between the two of them, Vivien was really the one with the tougher job. Usually, when it was Kerry’s turn to be on the scene, bad things had already happened. Her job was to figure out a puzzle, including lots of paperwork, which wasn’t always as heroic as the cop dramas on TV made it look like.

  Vivien was right at the center of the action more often, and it troubled Kerry more than it had a few months ago. “He has to get the votes first.”

  “He has the votes. I don’t know what’s going to happen. We don’t know how many are getting scared into turning around as it is, and what will they do? Have a child they can’t afford to feed? Have their rapist’s child? Die in some back alley butchery like the good old days Miller wants to bring back?”