by Annette Mori
I grabbed the sheet to cover my naked body and looked up at a very pissed ex-girlfriend. Sydney was still holding her nose and I was glad I didn’t notice any blood pouring out from it. She was blinking her eyes rapidly as they teared up. I must have bumped her in just the right place.
“Oh, God, Sydney. I’m so sorry,” I said.
Sydney didn’t even bother to get dressed she just dragged Hollie out of the bedroom. Before she left she called out over her shoulder, “Stab in bed, it won’t take me long to resolb dis.” I guess she was still smarting from my unfortunate hip thrust.
“Okay,” I mumbled.
The minute the door closed, I crawled out from under the sheets and made my way to the door to listen. I never said I was an angel or anything and I was desperate to hear their conversation. I placed my ear to the door, straining to eavesdrop on their private chat.
“And to think I was worried about you, only to find you fucking that loser. I thought that nutcase kidnapped you. How could you do this to us?” Hollie screeched.
Thankfully, Sydney’s speech returned to normal and I didn’t hear any impediment. I hoped that meant I hadn’t done serious damage to her nose. I didn’t think she would be able to explain to her co-workers. They’d never let her live it down. I mean what could she say. Well, remember when I told you still waters runs deep with Mabel, she’s quite the little animal in bed. Got this black eye after she bucked so hard while I was licking her pussy. I shook my head. Sydney would never say that. I craned hard to hear her response.
“There is no ‘us’ and if you actually bothered to listen to me, you would know that. I never meant to hurt you, but I love her and if you ever talk negatively about her again, you and I are completely finished. I will have nothing to do with you, not even as friends.” Sydney’s voice was eerily calm, but I could hear the hard edge to it.
“Don’t worry. After seeing you put your tongue on that disgusting piece of trash, I’d rather pluck my pubic hairs out one by one than have your hands or mouth on me again. You’ll be sorry and when you’re ready to come back, I’ll have definitely moved on. Have fun with your mousy little librarian, Sydney. I bet she sucks in bed.”
Sucks in bed, why that mean-spirited bitch. I didn’t think that Sydney screaming my name meant I sucked in bed.
“Get out,” Sydney ordered.
“I wonder what little Miss Goody Two Shoe’s mom and dad will think of her walking over to the dark side.” Hollie laughed.
I heard the door slam and hurried back to bed. Damn, I was going to have to make that call to my parents sooner rather than later. Could I get away with telling them over the phone? Probably not the best tactic. I sighed. It was time to call mom up and ask her if she wanted to have breakfast at the Cottage Café today.
Sydney opened the door and must have noticed my flushed face. She grinned at me. “You’re such a little eavesdropper. I know you heard it all and I’m sorry Hollie was such a bitch. I know it’s not right what she says about you and she can be really horrible, but I do think she is saying all that because she’s hurt. I’m responsible for that, not you.”
“It’s okay, she’s said and done far worse to me,” I answered.
“I don’t think she’s done causing trouble. I’m really sorry, Mabs, but I think her parting comment was a warning that she’s about to out you to everyone she knows. You know how small our town is and it won’t take long to get back to your parents.”
“Yeah, I know. I better call and arrange breakfast with my parents this morning,” I replied.
“I can come with you if you need me to,” Sydney offered.
“No, I think I’d better talk to them alone first. I’ll call you as soon as I’m done. Can you take me back to my house so I can get my car?”
†
I paced the small parking lot of the Cottage Café. Since it was a weekday, the lot wasn’t full like it normally was on the weekends. Dad would be happy to not have to circle the block, looking for a parking space. He’d also be happy there wasn’t a line a mile long waiting for a seat inside the café.
My dad’s Kia came careening into the parking lot and it wasn’t long before he was walking over to where I stood waiting for them. He gave me a big smile and hugged me.
“What a pleasant surprise, Mabel. We missed having breakfast with you on Sunday. It was an absolute madhouse in here. Where is your friend from out of town? We didn’t get a chance to meet her. You know I take everything that Hollie says with a grain of salt. I know my little girl wouldn’t befriend some nutcase.”
Mom stood silently by his side. Her expression was grim and I wondered what she’d heard already.
“Hi, Mom.” I gave her a quick hug.
She hugged me back, but I could tell something was wrong.
“Come on, let’s get a booth. I’m eager to buy my two favorite girls breakfast.” Dad led us into the café and we slid into an open booth.
†
I kept thinking it would be best to just come out with it. Rip the Band-Aid off was the mantra going through my head.
“You know, Mabel, whatever it is you have to tell us, it will all be okay. We love you unconditionally,” my dad pronounced.
So I went for it. “I’m gay, always have been, and I’m in love with Sydney O’Donnell,” I blurted out.
“Oh thank goodness for that. I thought you’d never figure it out. I take it that Sydney finally dumped her girlfriend?” Mom asked.
“What? You’re not disappointed?” I asked.
“Why on earth would we be disappointed? Sydney is a lovely girl. We’re not some redneck homophobes, you know. Your father and I were wondering when you would finally tell us. We’ve known ever since middle school when you starting bringing Sydney around. God, how you mooned over her. Sydney did this, Sydney did that, oh isn’t Sydney just the best.” Mom chuckled.
This conversation was not exactly going as I thought it would, but I still didn’t understand the frosty reception I’d gotten from my mom.
“So if my being a lesbian is not an issue, why do I get the feeling that something is wrong, Mom?” I asked.
“Oh that. We heard something about some new girl that you were hanging out with and I just assumed she was your girlfriend. We heard she was a mental health patient and I didn’t want you getting mixed up with someone unsuitable for you.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. Celeste was just a woman who came into town and we became friends. She’s a really nice person, but had to go back home. She had some stalker after her and he was telling a bunch of lies about her being in a mental hospital. That’s what you probably heard from Hollie. There was something really off about him and, if you ask me, he’s the one who probably escaped from the looney bin. Sydney met her and we all decided to go camping because she had never been and neither have I. It’s actually fun. I might consider doing it again sometime.” I grinned and thought back on our picnic in the woods and my first time making love.
“Yes, Harry, your boss, told us you were finally taking a vacation. We were surprised to hear that. I went by your place to see if Gizmo was being taken care of, but you must have taken her with you,” Mom answered.
Shit, that was a detail I hadn’t thought about. I would have to sort of tell the truth and hope I didn’t get too many questions.
“Um, I gave Gizmo to Celeste. They really bonded and she needed her more than I do. Celeste hasn’t had it easy and, even though I’ll miss Gizmo like crazy, I just knew it was the right thing to do.”
There were genuine tears in my eyes as I explained this to my parents.
“Oh honey, I know how much you loved that little cat. She was such a wonderful companion to you. I suppose now that you have Sydney, you won’t be so alone anymore. You are such a wonderful friend and if you gave this woman your cat, she must be special.” My dad was very understanding.
I swiped the tears from my face and smiled at my parents. “Celeste is special. Hey, can I call Sydney now? She’s probably wearing a
groove in her cabin about now wondering how you’ll take this new revelation.”
“You tell Sydney that we expect to have dinner with both of you very soon. We want to hear all about how the two of you finally got together. I just love a good romance. It reminds me of how your father and I got together.” Mom likes to reminisce.
My dad turned to face my mom. “Honey, leave the poor girl alone and please don’t bore her with that old story.”
“I don’t mind. I love that old story.” Dad was such a romantic, just like Sydney.
†
I’d called Sydney to give her the good news and to tell her that I would drop by my place to gather up some things before coming back over. I mentioned that I’d bring a pizza from Village Pizza and she whooped in gratitude.
When I reached the cabin, Sydney was waiting for me outside.
“Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you.”
“What about all my stuff and the pizza?” I asked.
“We can get your things later. Here let me take the pizza and I’ll lead you inside,” she answered.
I handed her the pizza. “Okay.”
Sydney took my arm and led me inside. I stepped on her wood floor and heard a soft mewling. I felt soft fur brush against my ankle. My eyes popped open as a tiny ball of fluff circled my legs. I picked up the kitten who looked exactly like Gizmo when she was young. I held the kitten on my shoulder and she snuggled into my neck. The purring was instantaneous.
“Oh my God, she’s precious. It is a she, isn’t it?” I asked.
“Yep, sure is and the best part about this is that I rescued her from the pound. My friend called when she heard I was looking for a kitten.”
“How did you possibly have time to arrange this?” I asked as I looked around and saw a mound of toys for the new kitten piled up next to the couch. Sydney had purchased toys, a bed, a deluxe scratching post, pet carrier, and several bags of kitten food—the good stuff.
“I have my connections. You mean the world to me, Mabs. I would do anything to see that lovely smile. Is this okay? It’s not too soon, is it? I wanted to make sure you had a friend to hang with when I have to do my two twenty-four hour shifts. I don’t want you to ever feel lonely again.”
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
“Well you have been gone for a while, so not for a few hours,” she answered.
“Well I love and adore you. You’re helping me raise this little ball of fur, so I’ll be sure to have you in my life for at least another fifteen to twenty years.”
“Oh, Mabs, if you’ll have me, I hope it’s a lot longer than that.”
Epilogue
It was exactly one month later from the fateful night when Celeste returned to her home. I was relaxing on the couch reading a book while Sydney played with our new kitten, Yazdi. She’d bought a laser light and was torturing poor Yazdi, who would chase the light to the point of exhaustion. Sydney would laugh hysterically as Yazdi ran in circles chasing the red light.
Sydney wanted to change the kitten’s name to Parrot because she had a habit of scaling up Sydney’s pants to perch on top of her shoulder. I didn’t think we should encourage that behavior because, when she got older it wouldn’t be so cute, but Sydney would just laugh and kiss her furry head. I had to admit that it was adorable.
Sydney’s cell phone startled me and I looked up to see her pull Yazdi into her lap at the same time she grabbed her phone to answer it.
“Hello,” Sydney answered. She caught my eye and I motioned for her to turn on the speaker. She nodded as she pulled the phone from her ear and pushed the button.
“This guy, Greg, insists that some alien was the cause of his nearly catatonic state,” the woman on the other end stated.
“Well that’s ironic,” Sydney responded.
“How so?” the woman asked.
“Well, when Greg came to town he claimed that the woman Mabel befriended was some nutcase who thought she was an alien, and had checked herself out of the mental health facility she was admitted to. Mabel kind of challenged him and started asking questions. He seemed to bristle at that. To be honest with you, I spent time with Celeste and she seemed perfectly sane to me.”
“The psychiatrist mentioned he’d never seen anything like it before. He’d heard about a kind of mass hysteria, but never experienced more than one person having the exact same delusion. Apparently, their stories are eerily similar. They claim to be able to prove it. Greg insists that there is a melted gun on the floor of your guest bedroom.”
Sydney started laughing.
Fortunately, Sydney is an incredibly handy-fix it person and had managed to rip up the old wood with the melted metal, replacing it with extra pieces from when she originally put in the floor. It was impossible to detect the difference between the original and the new section.
“That’s pretty funny. Anytime someone wants to check out our floor is fine with me. I put the floor in myself and I’m very proud of my craftsmanship, but I certainly don’t have any extra art welded to the floor. He did come by about a month ago, and I told him to get the hell off my property or I’d call the police for trespassing.” Sydney winked at me as I held my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing.
“Hey, don’t worry, Syd, the doc didn’t believe him, especially when they called the number of the guy he claimed was his boss. They insisted this phantom person could verify their credentials. Doc called the number given to him and it was a disconnected number. I just thought I would tell you about it. Greg was pretty pissed and after his angry reaction, the hospital decided to keep them all for an indeterminate time. Doc doesn’t believe it would be safe to release them as a result of the threats they were making. I just wanted to warn you that this guy, Greg, has a real sick obsession with you and Mabel. Watch your back.”
“Thanks for the heads up, Janie. Let me know when you’re out our way and we’ll have you over for dinner. I can’t cook worth a damn, but Mabel is an artist in the kitchen.”
“You got yourself a deal. Later, dude.”
Sydney pushed the button to end the call.
I didn’t like what I’d just heard, but Sydney didn’t seem too fazed by it.
“It sounds like we have an enemy,” I said.
Sydney waved her hand at me. “Don’t worry, Mabs. I have friends at that hospital, on the police force, and with the forest service. The minute they discharge those bozos, if they actually end up ever discharging them, I’ll hear about it. My buddies in the police will watch out for us. If Greg so much as puts one foot in Roslyn or Cle Elum he’ll find a big blue wall. Police and fire always have each other’s backs.” She shot me her confident cocky grin I loved so much.
Sydney was always so confident about everything. I had to admit that things were working out very nicely for us. I thought back to the day after Celeste left.
When we unpacked the bags after the camping trip, we found Celeste’s huge wad of cash and it amounted to a little over one hundred thousand dollars.
With everything that had happened after we returned to Sydney’s cabin, we’d forgotten all about unpacking our bags. I found Celeste’s backpack and could finally satisfy my curiosity.
“God, I’ve been dying to find out what Celeste hid in this pack. Hey, maybe she left us some cool alien technology. Although, I wouldn’t have the foggiest idea how to use it.” I unzipped the mysterious bag.
“Okay, so what’s in the bag?” Sydney asked.
I peeked inside. “Holy shit.” I started pulling out bundle after bundle of rolled up balls of cash. I dug a little deeper and found several hunks of gold nuggets. There was some kind of odd electronic device that I had no idea about, but I tossed it back in the bag satisfied that it would be one mystery I might never figure out.
“There must be thousands of dollars here,” Sydney exclaimed.
I laughed when I found a treasure trove of gaudy touristy trinkets and several bars of lemongrass soap. “She must have found this stuff
in one of the stores.”
“You know, Mabs, with the diamonds she made for us, those gold nuggets, and the cash, we can have first class rings made and throw the biggest party this side of the Mississippi, after we get married of course. I hope you want a big wedding.”
It was still a little too soon for me, because I still wasn’t sure about our future. I needed to do a little work on myself to truly believe I was worthy of Sydney’s promise of forever.
“Um, I would love to marry you, Sydney, but I want to make sure this is more than just a little shy librarian fantasy for you. I just told my parents, so I’d like to give them just a bit more time before I spring a wedding on them.”
Sydney grinned. “Well you definitely have fulfilled my shy, sexy, librarian fantasy, but I hope you know my feelings go much deeper than that. I’ll give you all the time you need, but you have to admit that’s a boatload of cash and it would be a hell of a party. Just saying.”
Even though I knew Sydney was joking around, I also knew this was her way of feeling me out. I was pretty sure that when she sensed I was ready, she would find a way to ask me properly.
Yazdi started to squirm in Sydney’s lap, letting her know it was time to return to their former game of catch the red light before the phone call so rudely interrupted them. Eventually, Yazdi must have decided she’d had enough, because she ran to Sydney’s leg and clawed her way up to her favorite perch on Sydney’s shoulder.
I shook my head and plucked Yazdi off her shoulder. I thought of how she was so much like Gizmo, playful and friendly. It reminded me of Gizmo in outer space. I began to wonder how Celeste was faring with her new companion. I was startled when I heard Celeste’s soothing voice in my head: Gizmo and her four beautiful kittens are charming everyone on Sisterna. Everyone wants a kitten now.
