“I’ll give you a reason to scream,” Rob said.
* * * *
They had seen three apartments of different sizes that Hilary and Marc planned to offer to employees who’d be moving with them. Every single one of that had a fresh, modern appearance, neutral colors waiting for inhabitants to make the space their home, whether they were a single person or a family of four. Like all Greene related facilities, they were accessible in a wheelchair.
“You’re telling me you had no idea they had enough money to pull this off? Do you know in how many countries Greene Industries has branches and partners?” Vivien teased.
“I guess you knew the numbers better than I do,” Kerry admitted. “Wow. I don’t feel so bad about the fireplace—fireplaces—and the ocean view anymore.”
Vivien gave her an intent look. “Of course, you would only need to have any feelings about them if we were actually going to live there. Are you sure you’re okay with not being in the Hate Crimes unit?”
“Hell no, but there won’t be such a unit now, and so…” She took Vivien’s hand. “I could ask for a transfer, or we find out what Marc and Hilary were thinking in terms of security. We already know that Dana would have a job for you here, and Julia and Lee would be with you.” She made a face. “I’m not sure I like the idea of Lee still working with you, but she seems to be behaving. So…what do you say?”
“Would you marry me? If we were to live here, I mean?”
“Of course I would,” Kerry said without a moment of hesitation. There had never been a doubt, just bigotry and bureaucracy combined standing in their way. Here in California though, Prop 8 was gone. It would be better for the child they were going to bring into the world as well, but that wasn’t even the main reason. She’d fallen in love with Vivien the moment they met, and it hadn’t taken her much longer to figure out that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her.
“This is a yes? Really?” Vivien asked, her eyes welling up.
Kerry shook her head. “Only you would ask that. Of course it’s a yes. There’s a lot to figure out, the transfer, the house, but this is more important than anything else. I love you.”
It hadn’t been her intention to make Vivien cry, but at least those were happy tears.
Everything else would come together, especially after they’d seen the doctor.
Over dinner served on the plane, Hilary and Marc detailed their plan for security during what looked more and more like a long-term evacuation.
“Cassie told me you went to see only one house,” Hilary said later, sounding a bit anxious.
Kerry cast a smile at Vivien who sat across from her. “We only needed to see one,” she said.
* * * *
Normally, Vivien wouldn’t be bouncing with excitement because of a doctor’s appointment, but today was the day, the long-awaited talk with her gynecologist about the details of getting them one step further to the family she and Kerry were dreaming of.
“Is it date night?” Lee asked. She appeared to be slightly miffed about Vivien’s good mood.
“Come on, lighten up. We’re back at work, and we’ll be moving something.”
“Yep. Today, especially, we’re moving lots of paper, and the same was true for yesterday, when you and your girlfriend hung out with the Greenes, on their private jet.”
“They rent it.” Fiancée, Vivien thought, her smile widening. “Don’t be jealous. They are building something awesome over there, and you already signed up.”
“Yes I did.” Lee sighed. “More paperwork, yay.”
Vivien decided to ignore her grumpy co-worker and do the best to get through the day. She wondered if Kerry had a chance to talk to her captain, and if she’d get off work early enough to be at the doctor’s office in time. The gynecologist was always friendly, but politely detached in a way, and Vivien assumed she didn’t like to have her schedule disturbed. She thought of the many buildings in various stages they’d seen yesterday. One of them could be her office. A lot more paperwork was waiting for her if her and Kerry’s plans came to pass. Once pregnant, she would be more careful about going out in the field, especially after the latest confrontation.
When Vivien arrived at Dr. Summers’ practice, Kerry wasn’t there. She shrugged, trying not to be disappointed. Neither of them did exactly punch a clock. After confirming her appointment with the receptionist, she settled in the waiting room, her excitement growing with every passing minute—and this was only about information. What would she do once they got started…Okay, she’d definitely need Kerry for that.
She smiled at the pregnant woman sitting across from her, then let her gaze fall to the magazine on her lap. Since the Exodus project disproportionably concerned women, the women’s magazines had inevitably picked up the story, some favorable, some dubious, some ridiculous. “What will fashion look like in the Greene Games?”
Vivien checked her watch, unable to concentrate on the silly article. Still no sign of Kerry. C’mon, I really need you here. She was afraid that she wouldn’t remember a single word the doctor said. Summers reminded her of an old high school principal, and Vivien wasn’t sure she liked that association. She had gotten in some trouble with that particular principal, not listening had been one reason.
“Ms. Collins?”
“Yes!”
The doctor’s assistant guided her into a smaller, more secluded waiting area.
“Dr. Summers will be with you in a moment,” she said.
“Thank you.”
There were more magazines, but Vivien wasn’t fooling herself. She was already sitting on the edge of her seat. Fifteen minutes after the time of the appointment. That was kind of normal, but she should have company by now. Days like this, Vivien hated the creeps Kerry went after a bit more than the usual.
Finally, the door opened and Dr. Summers emerged, extending her hand to Vivien. “Hello, Ms. Collins. How are you? Come on in.”
They nearly shut the door in Kerry’s face.
“Hey. I’m sorry I’m late,” she said.
Dr. Summers looked…stunned. Kerry’s smile didn’t waver, but Vivien had a bad feeling about the doctor’s reaction which, she hoped, was nothing but nerves. No one could blame her for being a bit on edge after the recent events—and aside from all the good Exodus would do, at the moment, it was causing her a lot of stress.
“Who are you?” Dr. Summers asked, as if she had indeed no idea.
* * * *
“I’m afraid there has been a misunderstanding.” The doctor sank into her chair, sighing heavily. “When you first told me you wanted to do this, I assumed the problem lay with your partner.”
“Well, kind of. I couldn’t get her pregnant.”
Summers didn’t laugh at the joke, and at the moment, Vivien didn’t find it funny either. She flashed Kerry an angry look. Kerry shrugged, probably unaware of the gravity of the situation.
“What is the problem?” Vivien asked. “We have done some research, and we are mostly aware of what’s involved. We want to make sure we do everything right from the start—that we can get started. I thought you could help us with that.”
“At the time, I had no idea you were in a lesbian relationship.” She could have just as well said “I had no idea you were an axe murderer.”
Vivien bit her lip, trying to sort her madly spinning thoughts. This could not be happening, not now, not to them.
“What difference does it make to you?” Kerry asked, her tone cool and calculating. Vivien noticed with satisfaction that interrogation mode had at least a bit of an effect on the doctor, making her squirm.
“You might not know about this, but since the new governor came into office, there’s a new conscience clause for health providers,” Dr. Summers explained. “It concerns all reproductive decisions.”
“Wait a minute, this is a private practice, not a church-run hospital,” Kerry said. “This can’t be legal.”
“I could show you the papers, miss, and frankly, I
believe this choice should be open only to real parents. I’m sorry, that’s what I believe! I don’t hate you, if that’s what you think.”
“Well, you have a funny way of showing your lack of hate. You know that there have been lawsuits filed against almost every one of Miller’s deranged bills, and once they are successful, there might be one against you too.”
“Really, that’s your answer?”
Vivien was watching the interaction with some sort of morbid fascination, certain about only one thing. She would never return here.
“That’s the problem with you people,” the doctor continued, “you expect tolerance for your lifestyle from everybody and the Pope, but you’re never so ready to repay the favor. Again, I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.”
“You’re aware that we don’t need you or any of those bigots to go ahead with this anyway?”
“Kerry.” It was pointless, Vivien thought. Nothing they could say would convince the doctor or make either of them feel any better. Her earlier excitement was replaced with exhaustion. By the time the state’s Supreme Court hopefully declared every one of Miller’s antics unconstitutional, there would already be too many losses. She had one question for Summers though.
“What if a straight couple comes to you one day, and Miller has outlawed these procedures for everyone, because he thinks the usual way of conception should be the only way people have children?”
“That’s never going to happen,” Dr. Summers declared with conviction. “That kind of talk is only to discredit him.”
“Well, it was someone from his staff who said they are looking into the possibility.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have any more time to discuss this. Frankly, it’s probably never a good idea to go against nature. As for your question, Ms. Rivers…”
“Detective,” Vivien murmured, eliciting a wry smile from Kerry.
“I’m aware that I cannot keep you from getting the treatment elsewhere, but I believe I’m doing my part by standing up for my beliefs. If someone else wants to burden their conscience, that’s on them.”
Vivien came to the startling realization that this appointment was over, and they had achieved less than nothing. Weeks and months of considerations, dreams, plans, this is what they had lead to—temporary maybe, but nonetheless.
“Dr. Summers, please, maybe we can still find a solution here. Why don’t you come to our home and convince yourself, we have the space, we have enough money to raise a child—”
“Vivien,” Kerry said softly, laying her hand over Vivien’s.
Vivien couldn’t stop, not even when she realized her vision was already blurring and she was probably about to embarrass herself. “We can do this. You have to believe me; we will love this child more than anything.”
“Ms. Collins, Ms. Rivers, please leave my office. I can’t help you.”
“Yeah, sure. You’ll hear from us, Doctor,” Kerry said, tugging on Vivien’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
“It would be easier if you didn’t always force your wishes on the rest of us,” Dr. Summers declared. “A word of advice. Don’t make it worse.”
Vivien and Kerry left without an answer.
They sat in Vivien’s car in silence for a moment, unsure how to proceed, what to say, shell-shocked.
“The problem with prejudice is when laws allow it, people don’t feel so bad about being assholes,” Vivien said. “At least she didn’t say I was a baby killer. That one gets old pretty fast.” She sounded off even to herself and wasn’t surprised when Kerry gave her a concerned look. “Let’s go to the coffee shop down the block, okay?”
Kerry still looked worried, but she agreed and exited her car to follow in her own. Neither of them would want to come back here. Vivien thought that on top of all the papers they would still have to fill, she’d have to ask for her medical files from the doctor’s office.
She had held herself together pretty well, until the moment they sat at the corner table in the coffee shop, and the sweet comforting scent of an over-priced white chocolate latte sent her into a crying fit—or maybe it was because her dreams had blown up in her face not so long ago. She couldn’t stop crying. For herself, for Tasha, for the victims of violence Kerry dealt on a daily basis, for the women they couldn’t help because Chad Miller had decided so.
Kerry held her hand, a lifeline Vivien was incredibly grateful for, because she had felt like she was drowning for some time. She didn’t say anything, understanding that no words would make the situation any better. Vivien needed this moment to fall apart before she’d be able to move on.
The fact they’d have to start looking for another doctor, wait longer for their dream to happen—it wasn’t by far the worst of it. Vivien wasn’t new to the way bigotry worked, how people would turn and twist everything you said around on you, but she had reached a point where she found it much harder to protect herself.
Eventually, she accepted the paper tissue Kerry held out to her, cleaning her face, but the cold and empty feeling remained.
Backlash.
She had learned a long time ago it was inevitable, always happened when human rights advanced and people clinging to the old rules feared for their privilege. They pushed back. It was nothing new. It had never hit her in the face like this. She had to remember though it wasn’t a bad day just for her.
“Did you have a chance to talk to Captain Jepsen?” she asked.
“Not yet, he wasn’t in today. I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Vivien hated it when her voice sounded small and anxious like this—but maybe she had a reason. She hoped tomorrow’s town hall meeting would clear everyone’s head.
“We can make an appointment for the bank as well, and maybe get some of those forms for Tasha. I’m sure Ethan would be okay with going somewhere safer for their family…I—I’m so sorry, baby.” Kerry’s voice shook for a moment, but she caught herself.
“It’s not your fault,” Vivien said. “Unless she’s nicer to lesbians who make funnier jokes.”
Both laughed a little, testing the waters, emotion still running a bit too high.
“Yeah, I guess that didn’t help,” Kerry admitted ruefully. “All the more reason for a do over. Marc and Hilary might make us a gift, but we won’t sit back and enjoy the ocean view. We’ll be working with them.”
“Does that scare you, that they might be your landlord and employer? Because, make no mistake, that’s what’s likely to happen, not just for us, but most people who go. They work for Greene, or one of their partners, or a company that does business with them.”
“I’m not scared. I don’t like unfair advantages for anyone, but whatever we do, we are never completely independent. At the moment, we have the choice between watching our home go to hell, or start a new one. It’s not just about escaping; it won’t even be that cushioned. It’s about teaching people.”
“Do you think everybody can be taught? I take back that question,” Vivien said as Kerry contemplated the answer. “I’m going to ask you a few years down the line.”
That was her only comfort at the moment—wherever they’d go, whatever decisions and obstacles lay ahead, they’d face them together. It was all that mattered.
Chapter Thirteen
It was past 2:00 a.m. when Kerry sat over the folder that contained all the paperwork regarding their house. It wasn’t like this was the most urgent thing at this time and moment, but she needed to do something. Sleep was a welcome escape for Vivien, but it had eluded Kerry. They had dealt with the blow, made a decision, moved on.
There was a way of rationally explaining the way Dr. Summers and like-minded folks were thinking, but she still had the same visceral reaction. Why did she think it was her business? When Kerry had been growing up, the atmosphere in her home had been stormy, to put it mildly, especially when her father had been present. When he was off on one of his prolonged absences, leaving both Amanda Rivers and her daughter in doubt if he’d ever return, things had been
calmer. Kerry had been on her own for most of the time. Joining some of her friends in church had become something she fervently looked forward to at some point. She’d never felt unwelcome. Later in college, and the academy after that, she’d always found a peer group, people she might not agree with on every single subject, but respected her. Blatant prejudice, she was used to it from suspects—not from a woman who was supposed to be educated, but Vivien was right: Miller’s policies gave the bigots among them a permission to come out. Like Dr. Summers. Like Jay Fuller. She had checked his twitter account and nearly gagged over all the high-fives from his buddies. Some of those came from, judging from the user pictures, young women who congratulated him on battling the horrors of feminism.
An alternate, frightening reality. Those girls would probably never know the names of the women who won them the right to an education or vote—unless something happened that burst their bubble in a way Kerry wouldn’t wish on anyone.
When her cell phone rang and she picked it up, Kerry had to change gears quickly as she tried to figure out why Officer Banks was calling her outside of work.
“Man, you’ll hate to hear this,” Elsa said sadly. “I just left Joanie Vincent’s apartment. My partner is with her, but…it doesn’t look good.”
“What?” For a split-second, Kerry had forgotten that next door, Vivien needed her sleep. “No, no, tell me this isn’t true. She said she’d never let the douchebag back in, she was going to—wait a minute, how did he even get off? He wasn’t supposed to make bail after the last time.”
“Judge dropped the ball?” Elsa suggested. “Either way, I thought you would want to know. It gets worse from here. Brenner ran.”
“He wasn’t so clever the last time, shouldn’t be hard to find him.” Kerry’s mind was still reeling from the terrible news.
“Looks like he got smarter.”
“Okay, which hospital?”
The Exodus Strategy Page 14
