Nurture

by Susan X Meagher

  "Get off me, you lunatic!" Pushing her heavy partner with all of her strength, Jamie grunted from the effort. "Damn. I can't move you an inch."

  "Not when I don't wanna be moved," Ryan agreed. "C'mon, babe. Time's a wasting."

  Rolling out of bed, Jamie ran a hand through her woefully disordered hair. "We're going to Disneyland in a driving rainstorm?"

  "Yep! I bet there won't be any lines at all." Ryan started to hop around the room as if she were riding a pogo stick, which made her partner giggle at her antics.

  "Did they put something in your breakfast, honey? You act like you've got ants in your pants."

  "Nope. I'm just excited!" she proclaimed. "I love Disneyland, and I especially love it when everybody else is too intelligent to go."

  "Words to live by," Jamie mumbled, trying her best to capture some of her partner's zeal for the endeavor.

  Much to her surprise, Jamie found that going on rides in the rain with her giddy partner was a hell of a lot of fun. Ryan and Jennie were clearly the most enthusiastic pair of the group, but Ryan's passion for the place and the rides quickly became contagious, and the rest of the team got into the mood as well.

  All of the players except Ryan wore their Cal rain ponchos, which did a great job of keeping the rain off their torsos while their warm-up pants quickly became sodden. Once she'd heard the weather forecast, Jamie had insisted that her partner bring her full rain suit, so Ryan and Jamie were both completely dry, allowing them to be oblivious to the elements. They each had their hoods up, and each wore a Cal visor to keep the rain from her eyes.

  It seemed that the only people in the park were young, local kids, who probably had season passes. Lines for the most popular rides were no longer than five minutes, and child-focused attractions like Toon Town were completely deserted.

  They'd been at the park for two hours and had been on all of the best rides three times when Jamie pleaded hunger. After a quick stop, they took off again, managing to go on each of the roller coasters five times.

  A few of the more prudent women, Jamie included, wanted to spend a couple of hours at indoor attractions and shows, and after a little negotiation, they agreed to split up into two groups. Ryan and Jennie wanted to keep going on rides until they threw up, which didn't seem to be very far in the future in Jamie's privately held opinion. So they agreed to meet on Main Street at five o'clock, which was when the bus was set to pick them up.

  Ryan found Jamie in the biggest gift shop just before 5:00 and chuckled. "I had a feeling you'd have to stop to buy a few things."

  "I saw this cute Hawaiian shirt that I thought Conor would like, but then I had to get something for Brendan and Rory," she explained. "I couldn't leave out your father and Maeve, and since Caitlin's outgrown the sweatshirt we got her last time, I got her another."

  "About done?" Ryan asked patiently, not even considering chiding her partner for her buying habits.

  "Yep. Are we ready to leave?"

  "Uh-huh." Ryan had a ghost of a frown on her face, and she said, "My stomach's a little upset. Must've been something I ate."

  "Yeah, that's probably it," the blonde agreed, mentally rolling her eyes.

  Part Seven

  By seven o'clock on Saturday evening, Mia was nearing Jordan's neighborhood. The two had spoken four times so far, with Jordan calling twice to check on her progress, and Mia calling just because she was too excited not to. Once again, she dialed her lover's cell phone, smiling when Jordan answered on the first ring.

  "Hello?"

  "Hi, sweetie. I'm close to that shopping center you told me about, so I should be there soon. My next challenge is to figure out how to get around your apartment complex. Why couldn't you guys live on a nice, normal street?"

  "'Cause it's cheaper to live in an ugly, industrial-looking, poorly-built dump that looks like a motel."

  "Good point. But it's not easy for your guests."

  Jordan laughed. "We don't get many. But don't worry, I'll run down to the main entrance and meet you. Besides, I can't stand still for ten more minutes."

  "You don't mind?"

  "Mia." Jordan's voice was soft and soothing, and Mia felt it wrap around her like a gentle hug. "I would have come to Berkeley to drive with you if I could have gotten out of practice. I'm so excited about seeing you that my roommates have been threatening to nail my shoes to the floor. I'm wearing a path in our cheap carpet."

  Mia laughed, fully able to appreciate how hard it was for her lover to sit still when she was anxious. "Okay. I'm getting off the highway now. I should be there in about ten minutes."

  "That's what it'll take me to run to the gate. See you soon."

  "Bye," Mia said, but Jordan had already hung up.

  Mia pulled up to the main entrance of the Castle Pines Apartment Complex and smiled when she saw Jordan sprinting down the macadam. In the second it took her to slow down, three cars pulled up behind her, and two of them were honking their horns. She pulled over to the side of the road and started throwing everything from the passenger seat into the back, clearing the seat for Jordan.

  The blonde started to head for Mia's side, but she thought better of the idea when cars started whipping around the vehicle. She made a slight correction and skidded to a stop, spraying gravel into the air. Jordan grasped the door handle and slid into the seat in one smooth move. Smiling brightly, she reached for Mia, but the car started to move when Mia turned to meet her embrace. "Brake!" she called out, laughing at Mia's short but colorful explosion of profanity. "Kiss me, you crazy woman."

  Mia nearly melted into her arms, feeling the stress and strain of two full days of driving disappear when her lover cuddled her into an embrace. Their lips met, then pressed tenderly against each other's. The kiss lasted for a long time, the soft sounds of lips touching and touching and touching filling the small car. Mia let her head drop back onto Jordan's arm, and she gave her a lazy smile. "Has it really only been six days?"

  "Seems like a thousand." Jordan dove back in for another lengthy kiss. They stayed right where they were for almost ten minutes, neither woman wanting to let the other go long enough to drive to the apartment. "My room is more comfortable than your car," Jordan eventually murmured.

  Mia pulled away and pushed the curls from her eyes. She took a breath and asked, "Do you have anything to eat? I'm starving."

  "Mmm … not really. I ate at the training center. But there's a lot of stuff around here. Let's go get something right now, so we don't have to leave again."

  "Ha! Like I'll let you leave once I get you inside," Mia said, laughing.

  "Then let's get you some dinner, 'cause you're not getting away from me, either."

  They went to a nearby restaurant and settled into a booth. The place wasn't fancy, but it had a wide selection, and Mia quickly found a salad with grilled chicken that sounded perfect.

  Jordan didn't order anything, which earned her a scowl from the server, but she didn't seem to notice. The look on her face showed such perfect contentment that Mia guessed not many things could upset her lover at that moment.

  Mia studied Jordan's face. "Are you losing more weight, honey? You look even thinner than you did last week."

  Jordan looked down at herself. "Yeah, I lost about a half pound this week. It's not by choice, though."

  "Jordy, order some food if you're hungry!"

  "No, no, I'm not hungry. I'm fine, really. I'm getting lean, which is good for me."

  "You were lean before," Mia said. "You're starting to get skinny."

  "Maybe you won't think that when you see me naked," Jordan said, batting her eyes.

  "Change the subject or we're bolting," Mia said, not kidding a bit.

  While they waited, Mia gave her lover a run-down of the day's activities, which consisted mostly of driving and stopping for gas. The salad was delivered, and Mia concentrated on her food for a minute. When she looked up, Jordan was gazing at her, a surprisingly serious expression on her face. "What?" the brunette asked.


  Jordan's expression gentled. "I was just thinking of how big a deal this all is. It's still hard for me to believe you've chucked everything to be here with me."

  The fork was halfway to Mia's mouth, but she cocked her head and asked, "Wouldn't you do the same for me if the situation were reversed?"

  "Yeah. Yeah, I would," Jordan said. "I guess I'm still having a hard time getting used to the idea that I'm important enough to you to have you do this."

  Mia put the bite into her mouth and gave Jordan a scolding look. She chewed for a moment, then said, "You're the last person in the world who should be insecure. I still have a hard time believing that you picked me when you could have had any lesbian in the country."

  "Yeah." Jordan gave her partner a good-natured grin. "That's absolutely true. I hear from every lesbian in the country-all the time, as a matter of fact-but I keep turning 'em down. It's costing me a fortune in postage."

  "That's not what I mean, and you know it," Mia said. "All I meant was that you don't seem to have any idea of how desirable you are, and that amazes me. A woman who looks like you and is as smart and thoughtful and talented as you are should have a huge swollen head."

  "That would kinda ruin the looks part of the package," Jordan teased.

  "Fine." Mia took another bite. "You don't have to accept the truth. But you don't have one thing in the world to be insecure about. You're a fantastic woman, Jordan, and no one knows that more than I do."

  Jordan reached across the table and took Mia's hand. "No one but you matters," she said, fixing Mia with her pale blue eyes.

  "When you say that, I believe it."

  Jordan matched Mia's smile. "You'd better, 'cause it's all true. Now finish that salad so we can go home."

  "I like the sound of that," Mia said. "Home."

  They arrived at Jordan's unit after a drive through a maze of identical apartments. Mia was sure she wasn't going to venture out without Jordan until she'd learned her way around, and she feared that would take months. They each took a suitcase and climbed up the exterior staircase to reach the second floor.

  "How did you avoid breaking your neck when these concrete steps were icy?" Mia panted, her aerobic capacity nowhere near that of her companion.

  "It wasn't easy. Good thing I don't drink much, huh?"

  "Well, I do," Mia said, wheezing through a laugh.

  They reached the apartment, and Jordan used her key to enter. "You need to lock the door, even if you're only going out for a minute. There've been a couple of rapes in this part of town, and the police think the rapist might live in the neighborhood."

  "Nice," Mia said. "Any ax murderers?"

  "Not that I know of. I don't think most murderers use axes any more. Too cumbersome."

  They went inside, and Mia was pleased to see that the living room was empty of people, but dismayed that it was also nearly devoid of furniture. "Minimalist. Nice."

  "Cheap," Jordan said. "We hardly ever use this room." She lowered her voice and said, "We're with each other all day. At night we want to be alone."

  Mia noted that there wasn't a television or a stereo in the room, and the single overstuffed chair didn't hold much appeal. There was a collection of brightly-colored floor pillows that looked like they might be comfortable, but since there wasn't a television, Mia guessed she'd have to use them to stare at the ceiling. "Maybe I should've brought some of your furniture from the garage."

  "Nah. You'll be here alone during the day, so all you'll need is the chair. At night, we'll be in my room. This is enough."

  Mia nodded, an unspoken "We'll see" held back.

  A door in the hallway opened, and one of Jordan's roommates emerged. Mia recognized her as the woman who'd expressed an interest in Jordan during the tournament in Florida. "Hi," the tall, dark brunette said. "You must be Mia."

  Mia smiled and extended her hand. "Yeah, I am."

  While they shook, Jordan said, "Mia, this is Jill Hennings. This is her second Olympics, so she's an old hand."

  She'd better keep her old hands off my Jordy, Mia thought, trying not to let her antipathy show. "It's good to meet you," she said. "I hope having me here isn't going to be a problem."

  "No, no problem," Jill said. "This isn't much of a home, anyway. It's just a place to sleep."

  Mia felt a twinge of discomfort, realizing that it was going to be her home, even if the other women didn't think of it as theirs. "You don't eat together?"

  "No," Jill said. "None of us can cook, and we can eat for free at the training center." She paused for a second and made a face. "Ooo … you won't be able to do that."

  "Don't worry, honey," Jordan said. "I'll come home as soon as I can. We'll have dinner together."

  Mia smiled at her partner, knowing that Jordan would do anything in her power to make her feel comfortable in this new situation. "I'm not worried. I know it'll all work out."

  "It's good to have you here, Mia. If you need any info about the city or anything, I'm your woman. I've lived here, on and off, for six years."

  "Wow … that's a long time," Mia said, feeling unsettled at the thought of living with a bunch of roommates for six days, much less six years.

  "Yeah, it is," Jill said. "But Colorado Springs is a nice place, and it'd be hard for me to train at home. Sometimes I wish I'd chosen an individual sport-but I love volleyball, so it's worth the sacrifice."

  "It's worth it to me, too," Jordan agreed, giving Mia a worried look. "I just hope you get used to it here. You don't get the benefit of playing a sport you love."

  "No," Mia said, "but I get the benefit of being with the woman I love. That makes everything all right."

  Jordan smiled at her for several seconds, her gaze unwavering. Clearly having had enough of the doe-eyes, Jill went back into her room. Jordan didn't react to the other woman's leaving. She looked into Mia's eyes and blinked away the emotion that was building. "I'm not sure how I'll do it, but I'll do anything in my power to make sure you never regret coming here." When she held out her hand, Mia took it and pulled her close.

  Automatically, Jordan's hands rested on Mia's shoulders, and the smaller woman's hands palmed the blonde's hips-this stance now a thing of habit. They stared at each other for another few moments, their eyes saying more than either felt capable of verbalizing at that moment.

  Jordan tilted her head and started to lean in. As she did, each woman encircled the other's body with her arms, then their lips met. Gently, tenderly, almost shyly, they kissed, the sweetness of the moment almost too much to bear.

  It reminded Mia of their first nights together, when Jordan was so painfully shy and afraid. But this time it wasn't Jordan who was afraid, it was she. Standing in the living room of an unadorned apartment in a city she'd never visited and having to contend with three new roommates suddenly felt a little overwhelming, and she needed the safety of Jordan's arms to reassure her.

  Jordan was right there with her, seeming to know that Mia was feeling a little shaky. "Let's go to our room," she whispered. "You can meet the other guys in the morning."

  Mia nodded, and they each grabbed a suitcase and headed down the hall. "Jill and Toni are in the first room," Jordan said, nodding at the door they'd passed. "It's Jill's apartment, so she gets the room with the bathroom. Makela and Ekaterina are across the hall from Jill. We're behind Makela and Ekaterina and across from the bathroom. We're gonna have to come up with some kinda schedule, so no one's late in the morning."

  Before the door to the bedroom was fully open, Mia decided they needed to move. The room contained a full-sized bed and a television sitting on the floor-and it was overcrowded. The bed was pushed against two walls, and even with that, the door barely cleared it. "It's not much, but it's cozy, huh?" Jordan asked, obviously trying to put a good spin on it.

  Mia put everything else out of her mind and focused on the one thing that was worth more than anything in her life. "If we're together, anyplace is fine." She smiled warmly.

  Jordan leaned over to g
ive her another kiss. "I'm so lucky to have you." When she broke the kiss, she stayed in position for a moment, staring into Mia's eyes, clearly unable to believe that her lover was with her. She finally straightened and recalled they still had work to do. "I'll go get the rest of your stuff while you start to unpack. I, uhm … don't have a dresser or anything, and this room doesn't have a closet, but it has two windows." Her expression showed that was a big selling point. "I keep my stuff in those plastic bins I bought," she said, indicating the neatly labeled blue rectangles stacked against the wall. "We can go get some for you tomorrow, okay?"

  "It's fine, honey. Don't worry about it. I'll get my toothbrush out. That's all I'll need, right?" She gave her lover a sexy smile while fingering the buttons on her fly.

  Jordan's eyes widened in delighted agreement. "You might need a T-shirt to go to the bathroom, but other than that-you're set. Be right back."

  Mia watched her lover leave, then she walked to the closer of the two windows and looked out, seeing nothing but two-story, flat-roofed, dun-colored buildings. It's gonna be hard for a while, but someday we'll have our own home and a couple of kids, and this'll be the apartment we'll tell stories about. It'll be funny-then.

  After a thorough tooth brushing and flossing, Mia scampered back to their room, glad that the other roommates hadn't seen her in her underwear. She wasn't shy by any means, but she liked to meet new people while she was fully clothed. Her moment of discomfort vanished when she saw her lover lying in bed, her long legs tenting the sheet and blanket. Jordan was wearing a dark turtleneck sweater, her golden hair shimmering in the light of a large candle resting on more plastic storage boxes, this set serving as a bedside table.

  "Going somewhere?" Mia asked. She stripped off her shirt and panties and jumped into bed, shivering from the cold.

  "Nope. I'm just trying to stay warm. I usually wear sweatpants, too, but I'm gonna let you keep me warm down there."

  "Not a problem." Mia snuggled close and buried her face between her lover's breasts. "My nose is cold," she mumbled. "It's gonna take a minute for me to warm up."