Christmas All Around Us ; The Perfect Time for Love ; Playing for Keeps

by Carla Kincaid

  "Alright, Ladies," Dr. Reed said when he stepped back into the curtained area. "I think it's time for our patient to get some rest. Why don't you go home now? You can come back tomorrow and spend as much time as you'd like with him. By then we'll have him in his own room and you'll have some privacy."

  Kate had wanted to stay there with her father but Dr. Reed explained that overnight visitors weren't allowed while Mr. Warner was still in ICU. She tucked the list of landscaping tasks her father made her promise to take care of into her purse and she, Dana and Joy piled into the Warner's new truck and left the hospital.

  "I'm going to fix us something to eat," Kate said as soon as they got back to the house. She needed something normal, something routine, to calm her nerves and cooking would do just that.

  "Joy, can you come to my room and help me pack for camp?" Dana asked before Joy joined Kate in the kitchen.

  At first not being the one selected to help with the packing had stung Kate a little but she quickly got past it. The request must have meant that Dana really trusted Joy and Kate really appreciated the relationship that was blossoming between Joy and her daughter.

  She also knew -- in spite of holding back her tears -- that Dana was really upset about her grandfather's hospitalization. Usually, when she was dealing with intense emotions Dana shut herself off until she got a handle on things. That she'd asked Joy into her space while her emotions were still so raw said a lot about how much she trusted the woman. That realization brought some of Kate's own tears back to the surface. She hadn't talked to Dana about what was happening between her and Joy -- partially because Kate herself didn't quite know how to define it -- but knowing that Dana liked Joy as much as she did was going to make whatever conversation might happen in the future a lot easier.

  "You need any help?" Joy asked when she joined Kate in the kitchen about twenty minutes later.

  When Kate looked over at the woman standing in the doorway to the kitchen her eyes filled with teary gratitude.

  "It's going to be okay," Joy said as she rushed to Kate's side.

  Kate could have explained that Joy misunderstood the tears as sadness but as soon as she felt Joy's arms wrap around her any thought of turning down the affection vanished. Kate leaned into the embrace letting her head rest on Joy's shoulder.

  "Thank you for being here," she mumbled.

  Joy lifted Kate's head so that the two of them were staring into each other's eyes. "I want you to know you can depend on me," she said in a deeply serious tone. "You don't have to go through this by yourself." Joy hesitated and then said, "I can even stay for another week if you need me too. I heard that long list of things your father needs you to do and I'm happy to help."

  Kate nodded her head and wrapped her arms even more tightly around Joy's waist. The two women stood silently in the middle of the kitchen floor. Kate felt a swell of emotion but she couldn't afford to start crying now. Not because she didn't feel safe but because she felt safer than she'd ever had in her life. Kate knew if she let that wave of emotion out right now she'd be a mess for the rest of the night.

  "Thank you, Joy," she said instead. "I'm really glad you're here and I'd love to have you here as long as you're able to stay." Kate gave Joy one more squeeze and then stepped back. "Now, let's see how helpful you can be in the kitchen when there's something other than scrambled eggs on the menu."

  Joy put her hands on her hips in mock indignation. "Oh ye of little faith," she joked. "Just tell me what I'm supposed to do. Your sous chef awaits your instructions."

  After a very satisfying meal -- and a phone call to the hospital to check on Mr. Warner one more time -- Dana went to bed and Joy went up to her apartment.

  "If you need anything, I'm only a few yards away," Joy said gently before heading out the door. Then she leaned over and kissed Kate softly on the lips.

  Kate closed the door behind Joy and just stood there in the middle of the living room unsure what to do next. She could already feel the worried thoughts about her father beginning to ooze to the surface. It was too late at night for her to cook anything -- and since she'd be the only one in the house starting tomorrow it didn't seem to make sense to utilize her normal method of relaxation anyway. She finally decided to engage in the next best thing -- cleaning.

  Kate washed and put away the dinner dishes, mopped the kitchen floor and scrubbed the already clean bathroom. She was about to move on to her father's room but as soon as she stripped his bed the sight of his bare mattress pushed open the steel door that was holding her emotions in check. Before she could stop them thoughts of doom seemed to take over her mind. She'd never faced her father being sick with much more than a cold and the image of him lying in that hospital bed was too much for her to take.

  Without thinking, Kate threw the dirty sheets back on the bed in a pile and ran outside.

  "I...I...I..." Kate stammered when Joy opened her door. No matter how much she tried to form the words she just couldn't get anything to come out.

  Joy reached out and pulled Kate inside. She lead her over to the bed and let Kate crawl up in a ball sobbing.

  "It's okay," Joy said comfortingly. "Let it all out, Sweetheart. Let it all out."

  With Joy's arms wrapped around her, Kate cried until she fell asleep.

  ***

  Elaine made Kate swear that she wouldn't even think about coming into the center on Thursday.

  "You just take care of your family," she'd said when Kate called her the next morning. "I can handle everything here for a few days. After all, our chef has already made up the menu of the week. It won't be hard to prepare the dull stuff he has planned."

  Kate chuckled lightly at her friend's comment and thanked her for her help. Even though Kate could have driven herself to the hospital, Joy offered her assistance.

  "Come on, Kate. Let me take you and Dana in my car. That way you can relax on the way there."

  At first, it was challenging for Kate to accept all the help everyone was offering but she was slowly learning to trust that there were people in her life who genuinely wanted to help her. Maybe her father had been right. She didn't have to do it all alone.

  They arrived at the hospital just in time to help Mr. Warner get settled into his private room.

  "Is there anything else you need?" one of the nurses asked as she adjusted the pillow on his bed.

  "Sure. Can you please bring me some filet minion for lunch," he replied.

  "No, but I can bring you an extra serving of jello," the nurse replied with a laugh.

  Kate was happy to see that her father was already regaining his ability to speak clearly and his unwavering sense of humor was helping him make lots of friends among the hospital staff. All of that made it a lot easier for Kate to leave the hospital later that afternoon without feeling like she was drowning in worry.

  "He looks a lot better," Joy said as she and Kate stood in the kitchen that night making hamburgers for dinner.

  "Yeah. I think he does too," Kate said thankfully. Twenty-four hours after the saga had begun she was finally starting to believe Dr. Reed's promise that her father was going to be okay.

  Dinner conversation seemed almost normal -- in spite of the absent male voice. Dana chatted endlessly about the itinerary for the softball camp and grilled Joy with questions about what she was like as a player when she was Dana's age. Kate didn't even mind all the sports chatter because she was getting so much enjoyment watching Dana and Joy talk.

  "How about some television?" Kate asked as the trio settled in the living room after dinner. You get to pick." Kate handed the remote control to Dana and grimaced as a big smile crossed her daughter's face.

  "Come on. Something other than sports, please!" Kate begged, making her plea purposefully dramatic.

  Dana didn't say a word but instead punched buttons until she found what she wanted to watch on their streaming service. When the opening credits started she waved her hands in a ta-da type motion and waited for Kate's response.

&
nbsp; "A League of Her Own!" Kate said with a smile. "A perfect choice!"

  Dana plopped onto the floor with her favorite pillow -- laying it across her mother's feet so the two of them maintained physical contact. Joy was already sitting next to Kate on the couch. As much as Kate wanted her to move closer she knew this might not be the best time to let her daughter see the affection that was growing between the two women. The situation did make Kate realize that it was going to be sooner rather than later when she'd have to have a conversation with her daughter about her sexuality. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to think about. Even though Kate knew she'd raised her daughter to value love in all forms she still wasn't so excited about talking about her personal life with her teenager.

  Just then Joy reached out and took Kate's hand under the blanket they both had draped across their laps. It was almost as if Joy could read Kate's mind. She smiled at Kate and simultaneously squeezed her hand. Kate felt some of the tension flow out of her body. It's going to be okay, she thought to herself. It's all going to be okay.

  "No matter how many times I see this I always get choked up at this part," Joy whispered to Kate toward the end of the movie.

  Kate nodded her head as they watched the scene where the former female baseball players gather to celebrate their induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. By the time the women on screen started singing Kate, Joy and Dana joined in.

  "We're the members of the All American League... We come from cities near and far...We've got Canadians, Irish ones and Swedes. We're all for one. We're one for all. We're all American!"

  "Gee, I can't even imagine not being able to play softball," Dana said as she stood to her feet and stretched as the credits rolled.

  "Well, thankfully you won't have to," Kate said. "And speaking of softball you should probably get to bed. Coach Thompson will be here at 6am to pick you up."

  Kate watched as her daughter twisted her bottom lip between her teeth. She knew exactly what she was thinking.

  'Don't worry, Sweetheart. Your grandfather is going to be just fine. In fact, he's going to be even better knowing that you're in Florida having the time of your life!"

  Dana nodded her head. "Thanks, Mom," she said as she bent over to hug her mother. "See you when I get back," she said to Joy. The two fist bumped and then the teen headed down the hall to her room.

  "Well, I guess I'd better head up to bed myself. From that list your father ran off it sounds like we've got a pretty busy day ahead of us tomorrow."

  Kate watched as Joy got up from the couch and stretched. Deep down she was hoping that Joy would offer to say at her house for the night -- preferably with Kate, in her bed -- but she knew that would be awkward if Dana woke up to find her there so she just stood up and walked Joy to the door.

  "See you in the morning," Joy said as she squeezed Kate in a hug that seemed like it was never going to end.

  Clearly, Kate wasn't the only one who was going to miss having company in bed tonight.

  ❤️❤️❤️

  Joy shivered in the cool morning air and clutched the coffee mug Kate had given her even tighter trying to fend off the cold. The sun hadn't even appeared yet and its warmth was sorely missed.

  "She's almost ready," Kate said as she stepped outside to join Joy.

  Joy smiled at the woman standing beside her. In spite of the fact that the two had slept in separate beds last night, Joy felt even closer to her than she had a few days ago. Of course, having to navigate a tragedy like Mr. Warner's stroke was partially responsible for that but it wasn't the only reason for the new sense of closeness Joy felt. She didn't know exactly how to categorize what was going on between her and Kate. Were they just dating? Was this leading to another level of relationship? What was going to happen when -- if -- Joy got a call from the Hurricanes about returning to Japan? All those questions and more were spinning through her mind when Dana came rushing through the door dragging a duffle bag and a wheeled suitcase behind her.

  "You ready to go?" Joy asked with a smile.

  She could see the excitement in the teen's eyes but she could also see a cloud of worry hidden there as well.

  "Your grandfather and your mom will be just fine. I promise," Joy said nudging Dana with her elbow. "You just focus on getting everything you can out of this experience. It's really going to help set the trajectory of the next four years."

  Joy know all too well that Dana's high school years were going to be critical for developing the skills that would make her stand out enough to get a scholarship to a good college. Sure she had a lot of natural talent but Joy wanted to make sure that Dana got the best coaching available. The depth of her concern over Dana's wellbeing took Joy a little by surprise. Of course, she wanted to see the girl do well but Joy had to admit she was becoming more and more invested the more time she spent with the Warner family.

  "Dana, are you sure you packed everything on the list Coach Thompson sent?" Kate asked in a typical motherly fashion.

  "I've got it, Mom," Dana said and bumped her mother with her hip.

  Just then the sound of Coach Thompson's VW could be heard coming down the road.

  "Alright," Kate said suddenly turning very serious. "Make sure you follow all the rules while you're there. Don't go off with any of the older girls without Coach Thompson's permission."

  Dana rolled her eyes slightly but Joy could tell she was almost as nervous about the trip as her mother was.

  "You won't have to worry about any of that," Joy reassured them both. The USAAA camp facilitators keep a strict eye on all of its participants. She's going to have plenty of fun but they also keep the girls so occupied that there's no time to get into any trouble."

  Kate seemed reassured by Joy's words and by the time Dana and Coach Thompson drove away she was less jittery than before.

  "Well I must admit in spite of my slight sleep deprivation from getting up so early, I'm feeling pretty good this morning," Joy said as she stretched. "It must be all this fresh air out here."

  "Let's hope you still feel that way when we get done with my father's to do list," Kate joked.

  Joy had already called Dr. Turner's office and left a message canceling her Friday morning appointment. She didn't give any specific details but just said she had a friend who had a family emergency and needed Joy's help.

  "Let's get to it," Joy said as she picked up some tools leaning against the side of the riding lawn more. She tossed them into the bed of the pickup truck. "What's first on the list?"

  Kate scanned Joy from head to toe. And then frowned. "Well, first of all, we've got to get you some different clothes."

  "What's wrong with my clothes?" Joy asked pretending to be offended.

  "They're too nice," Kate said giggling. "After a day of yard work they'll be ruined. I think I've got a pair of overalls that will fit you although the pants legs might be a little short."

  Joy followed Kate into the house and then into Kate's bedroom. While Kate scrounged around in her closet Joy stood in the middle of the floor and looked around the room. This was the first time she'd been in Kate's personal space and it was interesting to see what the environment was like.

  The room was neat and cozy. Warm sunlight streamed through a large window illuminating the floral patterned curtains that matched the bedspread. There wasn't a spec of clutter to be found anywhere. In fact, the only thing that abundantly covered the surface of the dresser and night stands were numerous framed photos of Dana and Mr. Warner. The one thing that did surprise Joy was the floor to ceiling bookshelf in the corner of the room. Joy walked over and pulled out one of the many paperback novels.

  "Love On The Rocks?" she asked as she held up the book with a picture of a muscular blond man clutching a buxom -- equally blond -- woman around the waist.