No Experience Required

by Kimberly Cooper Griffin

  Amelia crossed her arms. “You haven’t? Jane’s been here several times.”

  “First of all, our family is pushy and greedy. We obviously don’t have enough family members, so we need to absorb everyone we meet. Second of all, Jane’s parents aren’t okay with Jane being gay, so I’m not sure how me meeting them will go down. I’m not in any hurry, and Jane doesn’t seem to be, either.”

  Amelia snorted. “You’re kidding me. So, she has to divide her life in two just to make them happy? How do you feel about it?” Amelia sounded pissed, and Izzy loved her for it.

  “I feel sorry for Jane, mostly. It’s a stress on her family. Her brother and sister barely see her parents because of it. Neither of them came for Thanksgiving.”

  “Are her siblings gay, too?”

  Izzy shook her head. “Jane doesn’t talk about it much, but the best I can figure, they just don’t like the way their parents make Jane deny her life in order to please them.”

  Amelia seemed to ponder that statement. “No offense against Jane, but it sounds like her brother and sister have bigger balls than she does. Shouldn’t she stand up for herself, too? I mean, her brother and sister are being more of an advocate than she is for herself.”

  Izzy agreed, but she also knew Jane had other reasons. “She’s afraid of what would happen to her relationship with her parents.”

  Amelia covered the baby’s ears. “Maybe her parents need to face losing all three of their kids to understand what bigoted assholes they are.” She uncovered the baby’s ears. “That’s just my opinion, though.”

  Izzy smiled, filled with love and gratitude for her family’s unwavering support. But everyone had their own journey. “I guess Jane needs to figure it out on her own.”

  Amelia put her arms out to take the baby. “Well, if I was with someone who wouldn’t introduce me to their parents, I’d have a problem with it.”

  Izzy placed Simone in Amelia’s arms and leaned over to kiss her little head. “Maybe I’ll bring it up when we’ve been together for a little longer.”

  “You need to have the hard conversations when they’re new, Izzy. Otherwise, they can get out of control before you know it.”

  Amelia sat back in the recliner, and Izzy had a flashback to when Amelia would read to her when they were kids. Her sister was right.

  “I’ll keep it in mind. I’m going to see if Mom needs another pair of hands.”

  Amelia cleared her throat. “Hey, Iz?”

  Izzy turned back. “I promise I’ll talk with her. When the moment’s right.”

  “Actually, I need to talk to you about Haley.”

  Concern immediately filled her. “Why, what’s wrong with Haley?”

  Amelia trailed a finger along Simone’s little arm. “I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I think she might be having a bipolar episode.”

  A cold wave washed over Izzy. Haley being bipolar was news to her. “What? Where is she?”

  “She and Josh are still at home. I brought the baby so they could talk through some things. I’m hoping they’ll come over later.”

  “Are they okay? What makes you think she’s bipolar, let alone having an episode?”

  “I’m not sure. She’s been acting erratic, and Josh is pretty frustrated. One minute she’s going, going, going, and the next, she won’t get out of bed. She swings between elation and depression. I thought it was all the pregnancy hormones, but she hasn’t leveled out since the baby came. It seems worse. She’s all over the place. Today, I went over there before I came here, and she was inconsolable about not being a good mom.” Amelia pushed her hair back, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Nothing I said helped, and when Josh tried to talk to her, she just went off on him.”

  “Maybe it’s postpartum depression. Has she talked to her doctor about it?”

  “She doesn’t want to. Josh is trying to convince her to see someone.”

  Izzy couldn’t imagine sweet Haley going off on anyone, especially Josh. “Do you think she’s a danger to the baby?”

  Amelia’s expression was pensive. “I don’t think so, but you never know. You hear about all those moms in the news who do terrible things, and no one ever suspected anything was going on.”

  “Do you think Josh can keep an eye on it?” Josh was always so steady. If anyone would take care of Haley, he would.

  “I do. But I was hoping you could talk to her, too, and see maybe if you think she has the symptoms you had when you—”

  The door opened, and their mother appeared in the doorway. “I thought I’d find you two back here. Look who’s here.” She stepped aside, and Jane was there.

  Izzy went to her and gave her a hug. She was glad to see her but anxious to finish the conversation about Haley without Jane there.

  “It was exactly how I described it. After dinner, Dad turned on the television, and Mom pulled out her needlepoint. I’m not sure they even registered that I left.”

  Her mother’s brow furrowed. “Maybe you all can come here next year.”

  Jane glanced at Izzy and then back to Izzy’s mom. “You’re so kind. I’ll run it by them.”

  Izzy knew she wouldn’t.

  Izzy’s mom glanced around the room. She tipped her head at Izzy and Amelia. “You two look so serious. Were you talking about Haley?”

  Izzy glanced at Jane. She didn’t want to talk about it, not with Jane in the room.

  Amelia stood and shifted the baby to her shoulder. “I was just asking Izzy to check in with Haley to see if—”

  Izzy interrupted her. “I’ll definitely have a talk with her. Postpartum depression is a serious thing and—”

  Amelia put her hand on Izzy’s arm. “Like I said, I think it’s more than just postpartum depression.”

  Their mother looked worried. “Poor baby. It sounds like she probably needs to be checked for—”

  “Let’s not jump to conclusions.” Izzy put her arm around Jane’s shoulders and stepped out of the room. The noise of a house full of people surrounded her, and she felt a little less anxious. “We need to see what the doctor says before we assume anything. I’ll talk to her. See if I can get her to go.”

  Her mother followed them and rubbed a circle on her back. “You and Haley have always been as thick as thieves. She’ll probably listen to you.”

  Amelia stepped around them and looked at Izzy like she used to when they were kids and she knew Izzy was up to something. Izzy walked around her. “Well, Josh is with her now. Maybe he’ll be able to make her feel better today, and they’ll wander over here.”

  Their mother walked toward the kitchen. “In the meantime, dinner’s almost done. Izzy and Jane, can you please help me set out the food?”

  Izzy was grateful for the excuse to end the conversation. She took Jane’s hand, and they followed her mother to the kitchen.

  Her brothers and sisters were setting up folding tables and placing them near the great table in the dining room. It sat twenty, and additional folding tables were set up in the adjacent living room. With nearly sixty people there, it would be tight with all the extra tables, but the family was expert at fitting everyone in.

  “You guys have this down to a science, don’t you?” Jane said, looking around.

  Izzy helped by spreading a tablecloth over one of the tables. “I used to think it was crowded when it was just us kids. But as the family has grown, we somehow still make everyone fit.”

  “We have to serve it buffet-style, though,” her mother said, coming up behind them with a bowl of dinner rolls. “So, if you girls could set the food up on the kitchen island and get the plates and silverware down, we can feed this army in about ten minutes.” Her mother pointed to two of her brothers. “Can you get the kids rustled up and their hands washed?”

  One of her sisters was stirring a pot on the stove and turned around. “The gravy’s done, and the rest of the rolls have only about two minutes left.”

  Another sister came into the room, grabbed a stack of serving platters from t
he counter, and headed back outside. “Dad’s taking the turkey and briskets out of the smoker, Mom.”

  It was organized chaos, and Izzy loved it. She turned to Jane, who was smiling. She handed her a plate of cranberry sauce and told her where to put it.

  “Perfect! Everything’s done at the same time,” their mother said. She plucked the lid off an electric roaster on one of the counters, revealing a huge and perfectly browned turkey. In what seemed to be an effortless move Izzy had seen countless times, her mother lifted the giant bird onto a silver serving tray and placed it in the center of the kitchen island. Izzy and Jane set bowls of perfectly whipped mashed potatoes, steaming corn on the cob, green bean casserole, roasted Brussel sprouts, potatoes au gratin, cranberry sauce, apple and walnut stuffing, and caramelized sweet potatoes next to the turkey while Izzy’s mother carved the meat.

  One of Izzy’s nephews ran into the kitchen. “Grandma! Where are the pies?”

  “Some are still in the oven, but the others are in the garage on the picnic table.”

  The little boy flashed one of his radiant smiles and started to run from the kitchen.

  “The door is locked, and I have the key!” his grandmother shouted after him.

  The boy stopped short, dropped his head, and shook it before he looked back at her with a meek smile. Then he giggled and ran off in the other direction.

  “Last year, Mom had all the desserts sitting on a table in the mud room, and a group of the boys sampled every one of them before dinner. No one found out until we went to bring them in,” Izzy explained to Jane.

  Jane laughed. “Hilarious! I hope there won’t be a test. I still can’t remember what kids go with what parents.”

  Izzy laughed. “Don’t tell them, but I get confused, too. Thus, the liberal use of nicknames, like buddy, sport, princess, and booger.”

  One of her sisters placed a bowl on a table. “Okay, the rolls are done, and I’ve put them and the gravy on the tables. Are we ready to eat, Mom?”

  “As soon as the briskets are here.” As if on cue, the French doors opened, and trays of smoked brisket and the much-bragged-about smoked turkey were marched in. “And here they are! Let’s get the group gathered.”

  Their mother went from room to room to round up everyone. Izzy leaned out the back doors to call in any kids who were still outside, then went back to the den to get Amelia. When she entered the room, Amelia was pulling a blanket up over the baby, whom she’d placed in a traveling crib.

  “Dinner’s ready, Amelia,” she said and turned to leave.

  “Hey, Iz, hold up.”

  “I know, I know.” She knew Amelia was going to corner her about their earlier discussion. Amelia always saw through her.

  “You haven’t told her, have you?”

  Izzy sighed. “Not completely.”

  Amelia waved her hand. “What does ‘not completely’ mean?”

  Izzy picked at the door frame. “I told her I take medicine for depression.”

  Amelia took her hand. “But not the rest?”

  “It just hasn’t come up, and it never seems like the right time.” It was an excuse, and she knew it.

  “Are you planning to?”

  Izzy looked her in the eye. “Of course. I just have to figure out how to do it.”

  Amelia squeezed her hand. “Listen, Izzy. I know it’s hard for you. But you have such a good handle on things. It’s an illness, and you manage it better than most. Isn’t it about time you stop acting like you’re ashamed of it?”

  Izzy looked at the floor. “I’m not ashamed.”

  “You act like you are.”

  She wasn’t ashamed; she just didn’t like telling people about being bipolar, or, rather, she didn’t want people feeling sorry for her or, worse, afraid of her. “I just don’t go blurting it out to everyone. I wouldn’t if I had hypertension or diabetes or some zillion other illnesses. It’s just not who I am.”

  Amelia crossed her arms over her chest. “Do you remember when you first came out?”

  Izzy immediately became defensive. “Being gay is not even remotely the same.” She knew Amelia didn’t mean to compare being gay to an illness, but she felt a little cornered.

  “I’m not saying it is. Hear me out, though.”

  She blew out a breath. “Okay…”

  “Do you remember how you felt when your friends were getting all boy crazy, and you weren’t, but you didn’t say anything because you were trying to figure things out?”

  It was so long ago, but when Amelia reminded her, it felt like yesterday. “Yeah…”

  “Remember how much of a relief it was when you decided to just be who you were, and you didn’t have to worry about someone finding out or misinterpreting something?”

  Where was this going? “Yeah. I remember.”

  Amelia snorted. “God, I remember when Max and Teddy came out. Max went through it a lot like you did. But Teddy waited so long after Max, even though he knew all along he was gay. But he thought Mom and Dad would think he was just trying to be like Max. Remember? He was a nervous wreck, always afraid someone would out him. He lost all that weight, and his hygiene went all to hell.”

  Izzy groaned. “Oh, jeez, don’t remind me. You would smell him before you saw him sometimes.”

  They both laughed.

  “What I’m trying to say is, this is a lot like what we were talking about earlier about Jane and her parents. If you let this go on too long, it could become a much bigger thing than it needs to be.”

  Amelia always seemed to understand things and could explain them in a simple way. She sighed. “I hear you, big sis. I’ll find a way to tell her.”

  Amelia smiled. “Good. Now we better get in there, or we’ll be left with nothing but green bean casserole and the turkey butt.”

  * * *

  You’ve met that special someone. You’ve exchanged those three wonderful words. The hard work is over. You survived all the scary parts about putting yourself out there. Now it’s time to coast, right?

  To put it bluntly—not even close.

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Izzy’s fingers were flying across the keyboard. The words were coming easily, and she was making better progress on the book than she had in several weeks. Two chapters cranked out already during this session, and she was well into the third. It might not be impossible to get this thing done, after all. A touch from behind made her turn around. Jane looked awesome in leggings and her Gigify hoodie.

  “You wear my sweatshirt better than I ever have,” Izzy said, spinning her desk chair around and pulling Jane into her lap. She slid her hands under the edge of the top and caressed the smooth skin of Jane’s hip.

  Jane ran her hands through Izzy’s hair, which was already a mess since she hadn’t brushed it yet. They kissed, and Izzy wanted to take Jane right back to bed. The writing was going well, though. Maybe she could find her groove again after they made love. Jane’s lips were velvety soft. The skin under Izzy’s fingers was warm. She moved her hands up and cupped Jane’s breasts through the taut fabric of her sports bra. Jane’s nipples grew hard against her touch.

  “Oh, no, you don’t.” Jane broke the kiss and grabbed her wrists, removing her hands from beneath the hoodie.

  “What?” She was going for an innocent tone, but it came out sounding amused. Jane let go of her wrists, and Izzy tried to get her hands under the thick fabric again.

  Jane employed evasive tactics and giggled. “You know what’s what. The sun is shining, and it’s warm. I was thinking we could spend a little time outside today rather than staying in bed the entire weekend. Again.”

  Izzy kissed Jane’s neck. “I was just thinking the opposite, actually.” She looked at her watch. “We’ve been out of bed for two hours already. Wouldn’t you like to get naked with me for a little while? We can enjoy the sun this afternoon.”

  Jane turned her head to let Izzy trail her lips across her neck. “Well, the sun can wait for a little while, I suppose.”
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br />   Jane didn’t stop her from sneaking her hands under her shirt this time, and Izzy trailed kisses across her jawline to kiss her lips. Jane put her hands on Izzy’s throat and caressed Izzy’s jaw with her thumbs as their tongues touched, and their lips moved together.

  Izzy leaned forward. Jane rose from her lap, and they stood together without breaking the kiss, which was getting hotter as the seconds progressed. The old leather couch in Izzy’s office was only a few steps away, and they moved toward it as Izzy pushed Jane’s sweatshirt up her torso, revealing the purple sports bra underneath. The tight fabric pressed Jane’s breasts together, and Izzy ran her tongue through the deep cleavage before she kissed the rounded flesh above it.

  They fell onto the couch with Izzy on top. Izzy pulled down Jane’s leggings and swept her fingers though the wet warmth between Jane’s legs. She teased Jane’s swollen lips and kissed a trail down her body until she was nestled between her legs. She wasn’t in the mood to go slow. She lowered her head and ran her tongue through the same wet path her fingers had just traversed. Her own sex clenched as the sweet tang of Jane filled her mouth. The rigid swell of Jane’s clit rose under Izzy’s tongue, and Izzy played with it for a few seconds before she wrapped her lips around it and started to suck. Jane’s hips rose off the couch, and Izzy wrapped her arms around her legs so she could keep from being bucked off. Her lips worked Jane’s clit, which grew firmer in her mouth. Jane held nothing back. She spread her legs and held Izzy’s head, letting her know what she needed. The power Izzy had over Jane’s pleasure made Izzy’s sex clench as she felt Jane get closer and closer to orgasm.

  “I’m gonna…” Jane never finished the sentence, as her back arched, and she shuddered under Izzy’s mouth. Izzy slowed her movements in time with the slowing of Jane’s breathing, and finally, she rested her cheek against the silky soft skin of Jane’s inner thigh. She ran her hands along her legs and abdomen, relishing the feel of Jane’s skin, absorbing its warmth.

  “Come up here.” Jane pulled Izzy up so Izzy was lying on her. Her voice was low. “Why do you still have your clothes on? Take them off.”