Turning Point

by Lara Zielinsky

  Standing at the counter waiting for the purchase to ring up, they chatted about nothing in particular and everything — clothing, fabrics, decorating, early apartŹments, Cassidy’s college dormitory, getting too drunk on a date, not getting drunk enough — all the time wishing that half the people they had known over the years had been half as easy to talk to.

  At the perfume counter, Brenna discovered her favorite scent on Cassidy was Emporio White Elle by Armani. The floral woodsy scent transported her immediŹately back to November. When she leaned close, inhaled deeply, and whispered the direction of her thoughts, Cassidy’s laughter sent sensual shivers through her. Cassidy acquired the scent in a body lotion, promising under her breath to let Brenna apply it any time she desired.

  To reward Ryan for his patience while the two women tried on clothes, they next stopped in a toy store. The five-year-old headed immediately for the baseball equipment. Though Cassidy protested weakly, they eventually split the cost of a regŹulation-size baseball, junior wood bat, and glove, not forgetting the oil, as Brenna told him that Thomas always worked his gloves for weeks before ever using them.

  They talked about the Little League team Thomas helped coach. Brenna found her phone book, and Cassidy programmed the head coach’s number into her cell phone.

  They talked a bit at that point about the spring and working out the situation with their sons.

  “I found Thomas an internship with U.S. Forestry,” Brenna revealed. “It was your suggestion actually that led me to go and talk to his counselor.”

  “Camp counseling?” Cassidy asked.

  “No. The group, as I understand it, will survey many of the jobs available through the National and State Park systems.”

  Cassidy smiled. “He’ll love it.”

  “He did seem pretty excited. The news even trumped his uncle’s tickets. My brother Clary always sends him spring training tickets and comes to town to accomŹpany him,” she explained.

  Ryan pulled at his mother’s hand excitedly. “Thomas!”

  The women looked up to see they had reached the arcade. Inside, Thomas stood at one of the games, wrestling with a joystick, several shopping bags piled at his feet.

  Thomas turned at hearing his name called. As she let Ryan run to Thomas, Cassidy asked Brenna quietly, “Ready?”

  Ryan “helped” Thomas with his purchases, opening each bag as he asked, “What’d’you get?”

  Without answering, Thomas picked up the bags. He didn’t seem angry at Ryan or at either of them as they walked up.

  “We’re early,” Brenna said. “Sorry.”

  “I was done.”

  “Is James in here?” Brenna looked around.

  “No. I did run into him coming out of Blick’s with an armful of sponges and grease pencils.”

  Cassidy was surprised. “James dabbles in art?”

  “Draws mostly, but there’s a new art teacher who has been encouraging him to work in other mediums,” Thomas answered. “For Christmas he gave Mom this fanŹtastic portrait he did of her.”

  Brenna blushed, and Cassidy decided she would have to see this portrait. “Where are you going to hang it?”

  “I have to completely rethink the living room wall,” Brenna answered. “Thomas gave me a photograph he took on the mountain.”

  The foursome turned out of the arcade and started for the food court tables when Cassidy spotted James coming out of an odds’n’ends shop, just putting away a receipt in the bag in his hand and readjusting the bags under his arms. He looked up just as they reached the tables. “Oh, hey.”

  “Fruitful day,” Brenna remarked.

  “Yep.”

  They all put their bags down. Brenna conferred with Cassidy while Thomas and James went off to choose their food. Cassidy stayed at the tables, pulling two together to give them enough space, and watched Ryan while Brenna picked up two salads at Salad Express and a burger meal at Hokey Joe’s for Ryan. Thomas and James returned with barbecued beef stacks, fries, and super-sized sodas.

  Ryan informed everyone about his acquisitions, explaining that he would be the “best player on Thomas’ team”. He tried to pull out his bat to show it around. When his mother intercepted it, he showed the vial of oil and the new glove instead. Thomas took it from him and showed him how to work the oil into the leather. Before long, he was finally smiling easily and laughing as Ryan irrepressibly rattled off the statistics he believed he could rack up when he began to play.

  Brenna quickly took a forkful of salad, but Cassidy did not miss the gleam of tears gathering in her eyes, or the way the tension finally left her shoulders. Under the table, Cassidy nudged Brenna’s knee as they sat side by side, giving her a smile when she looked up. The corners of Brenna’s lips turned up, and her eyes dipped in acknowledgment.

  Epilogue

  Nudging open the door with her hip, Brenna balanced the champagne flutes and wine bottle in her hands. Stepping into her back yard, she turned at the first crack of fireworks and spied Cassidy with her head tilted back, eyes skyward. The bright sparks of blue and red faded from their blossoming formation. Cassidy turned at the sound of the screen door slamming into its frame.

  “Thought we might celebrate the start of the year properly,” Brenna said with a shrug, nodding at the glasses and wine.

  Cassidy met her halfway along the garden walk and took the glasses. “All that will take is the traditional New Year’s kiss. First one of the year always brings good luck to the relationship.” Cassidy chuckled, kissing Brenna’s ear, making the other woman shiver in reaction and fumble as she started to work on opening the bottle.

  Finally wresting the foil and wire mesh from the bottle’s neck, Brenna paused at another explosive crack. The two of them watched a pair of green fireworks blossom overhead. The light display altered the shadows over Cassidy’s face. Brenna was entranced by the delicate bone structure and the look of peaceful repose.

  “Thank you for inviting me,” Cassidy said, her gaze on the fireworks.

  “I’m glad Thomas thought to take Ryan to the park to see the display from there so we could have some time together.”

  “He’s…adjusting well,” Cassidy remarked, turning to look at Brenna. “He bolted with Ryan after twenty minutes instead of five.” She turned back to the fireworks. “Where’s James?”

  “He went to the park earlier. I think he’s trying to get back together with his girlfriend.”

  “Did he know Ryan and I were coming?”

  “I didn’t hide it from them.”

  “You would tell me if there were problems, right?”

  Brenna sighed. “The shock has worn off. I was working with my lawyer on the divorce papers. James didn’t like it. He said I was being selfish. I told him it would be more selfish to stay with Kevin just for appearances.” Brenna sighed. “Until I said it, I didn’t realize that’s what I’d been doing all along, letting appearances govern my actions. My reaction to you, in the beginning, was like that. You appeared to be everything I should fear, and yet, even in the beginning I couldn’t stop focusing on you. I hated it, and that made me lash out.”

  “I’ve lived for appearances, too,” Cassidy replied. “I had to be the perfect actor, fit in here without raising any questions.” She took the bottle from Brenna’s hands, trading her the champagne flutes. Pressing the sides of the plastic cork with her thumbs, she turned away and worked it out of the neck. A little bubbly spilled as the cork popped free. Tucking it in the pocket of her pants, she filled both glasses as Brenna held them up.

  Cassidy lifted her glass. “To two thousand one, a new century.”

  “That was last year,” Brenna pointed out.

  “Last year was the end of the twentieth. Nothing against it, but it was a tough one. I’d rather the century start with a good year.”

  “To a good year.” Brenna tapped her glass against Cassidy’s.

  Cassidy watched Brenna sip from her flute, the muscles in her throat moving

  gently, ta
ntalizingly. As Brenna’s glass lowered from her lips, Cassidy could no longer resist. She leaned in, caressed Brenna’s cheek, and claimed her lips, tasting the light flavor of the champagne lacing over Brenna’s own unique taste. The moan that met her kisses thrilled Cassidy endlessly. “I love you,” she murmured, trailing away from Brenna’s lips to nip and suck at the skin where her jaw met her throat.

  Brenna’s husky voice made Cassidy’s heart skip. “Oh, God. I love you too.” There was a soft thump as the champagne glass slid from Brenna’s fingers and hit the grass. No shattering, Cassidy thought, pleased, as she let her own glass slip free so that she could wrap both her arms around Brenna. Brenna’s arms encircled her neck, and she lifted the small woman up. Their eyes met, both reflecting their rising pasŹsion.

  Cassidy’s fingers skimmed a warm and now familiar path to arousal over Brenna’s shoulders and down her stomach. Moving her fingers beneath the hem of the low-cut black cocktail dress, she recalled her first sight of it — as she was let in the front door. Brenna’s figure was shown off to full effect, even more than it had been the night of the Pinnacle party.

  She had wanted to say it then but had been too tongue-tied. “I want you.” She said it now, pulling the smaller woman closer still, supporting her fully as she felt Brenna’s knees give way. She slowly sank to the ground with Brenna, the grass soft and cool against their flushed skin. Her fingers found the clasp of Brenna’s garter. She gasped at the bolt of lust that shot through her own groin.

  Brenna dislodged pins from Cassidy’s hair. “Now, let’s see about starting the New Year off right with a really big bang.”

  The fireworks in the sky faded into the background as they melded in their own explosions together under the stars.