Page 18 of Bliss

Callie

While Alex carried a tray of marinated meats in one hand, and another tray of skewered and seasoned vegetables in her other, Callie scoped out the back yard, before opening the sliding glass door for her.

Callie had been more than fifty-percent positive that Joselynn would either be waiting for them with the garden hose in hand, wearing a cocky, mischievous grin on her face, or hiding and planning to ambush them. And she had no doubt that Hannah would have joined in on the antics. But both of them were still talking to each other where she and Alex had left them on the brick patio near the barbeque grill with only their half-empty bottles of beer in their hands. The evening was young; there was still time for their little devils to join forces to do or say something naughty to tease her and Alex.

As they walked out onto the patio, Daphne released a loud meow and stood up on all fours, staring hard after Alex. Joselynn turned to look at the feline, and said, “Uh oh, I know that look.” As she turned and squared off with Daphne, Joselynn offered her beer to Hannah. “Can you hold this for me? I might have to catch her.”

Hannah didn’t hesitate to take the beer, and observed, “She just went from harmless, fluffy loaf to intimidating predator in two seconds.”

“Yeah, she wants that meat,” Joselynn said, as she somewhat bent forward with her hands out like a soccer goalie preparing to block a ball.

Callie’s eyes darted between Daphne and Alex, who had quickly set the trays down on the sides of the barbeque grill, and turned to look at her beloved cat with her hands on her hips and her face tilted forward with a stern scowl.

“Daphne, no.” Without taking her eyes off the cat, Alex said, “Callie, there’s a glass container on the top shelf in the fridge on the right side with a blue lid. Can you please bring that, a spoon, and Daphne’s dinner plate out to me?”

Callie quickly ran back into the house to retrieve the requested items, hoping to get back before Daphne shot across the yard and did any harm to Alex in her attempt to get to their dinner. When she jogged back outside, her breath caught in her chest and she quickly threw the lid off the container. Daphne had leapt off her cat tree and was stalking across the yard with her body low to the ground. Callie quickly spooned out half of the cooked salmon and shrimp onto the small plate and set it on the patio near the door, on the opposite side of the yard than the grill. She whistled and clicked her tongue a few times, causing Daphne to halt and glance over at her. As Callie pointed down at the plate, Daphne meowed loudly, then changed directions and sprinted to Callie’s side. She brushed her side against Callie’s leg, then crouched down and began eating her special dinner.

Callie released a relieved sigh, then walked over to Alex, who was watching her with a loving smile. When she reached her side, Alex briefly gripped her chin and kissed her lips. “Thanks, babe. I should have remembered to set her food out before bringing ours out. I don’t know what it is about cooking outdoors, maybe it activates something feral in her, but she never tries to attack or steal food when I cook inside.”

“Would she have attacked you to get to the meat if Callie hadn’t gotten back so quickly?” Hannah asked, while giving Joselynn her beer back.

Alex nodded, as she turned and lifted the lid on the grill, and while she used a pair of long tongs to place the marinated steaks and chicken breast on the hot grill, she explained, “She has hissed and swatted at me before, but she’s never been overly aggressive. If I capture her, she usually just yells at me and squirms in my hands, trying to get free. The first couple of times, she completely surprised me and leapt up and snatched the piece of meat off the tray and ran off with it. Those were the only times I ended up with some nasty scratches because I had to wrestle the meat back from her.”

“Why not just let her eat it if she already had it in her mouth?”

After closing the lid on the searing meats, Alex answered, “For the same reason we shouldn’t eat raw meat. It can be contaminated with any number of bacteria, viruses, or parasites that could upset her digestive system or make her very ill.”

Smiling, Hannah complimented, “You’re a very good cat mom,” then asked, “Do you want children one day?”

Callie held her breath, as she waited for Alex to swallow a sip of beer. But when she answered, “Yes, I want children,” Callie exhaled and smiled with her eyes misting over with happiness and relief.

They hadn’t discussed children yet, mostly because it had always been a contentious subject with her exes and she wasn’t ready to face that possible disappointment with Alex. Callie had always wanted at least one but preferably two children. Alex was her first partner to readily and easily declare that she wanted children.

Before she knew she’d moved, Callie’s arms were thrown around the back of Alex’s neck and they were passionately kissing.

After a couple of minutes, Alex broke from the kiss, cheeks red and lightly panting for air. She smiled as she caressed Callie’s warm, tear-stained cheeks, and asked, “How many do you want, babe?”

“At least one. Preferably two.”

Nodding, Alex said, “Two would be perfect, but I wouldn’t object to more,” which made Callie release an emotional laugh and dart forward to firmly kiss her.

“Are you willing to carry, or do you expect Callie to carry them all?”

Callie’s head spun around, and she glared at Hannah, but she was further relieved, when Alex answered, “I’m masculine-centered, but I fully embrace that I’m a woman and everything that means. Yes, I’m willing to carry and give birth to one or all of the children my wife and I decide to have.” She caressed Callie’s cheek, drawing her gaze to her own, and softly told her, “I don’t expect you to assume the role of a barefoot and pregnant housewife, Callie. But when and if our relationship develops to marriage and having children, and you decide that’s what you want, I will support and provide for you and our children. And if you decide you don’t want to, or we learn that you can’t carry our children and I can, I will grow our children.”

“Alex,” Callie’s voice broke with a sob, and Alex tearfully smiled as she wiped tears from Callie’s cheeks. Callie cleared her throat, and told her, “Unless there’s a medical reason that I can’t, I want to bear our children. But if we have children, I want at least one to be from my egg and at least one to be from yours.”

“I like that plan.”

At a whisper, Joselynn told Hannah, “We have to rent them a U-Haul in ten weeks,” and Callie and Alex laughed as they wiped their eyes and turned to face their smiling friends.

“Jos…” Callie shook her head and laughed, as she added, “Don’t forget the tequila and tacos,” letting Joselynn know she remembered the playful conversation from earlier that week, when Alex picked them up for lunch.

“Check and double check, babe,” Joselynn answered, and winked with glistening eyes.

Alex firmly kissed Callie’s cheek, said, “I need to check the food, and released her to open the grill.”

Just as she grabbed a steak with the tongs to flip it, her cellphone started ringing. Alex quickly pulled the device from her left pocket, her brow furrowing at the caller ID, before she quickly swiped the green answer button, and brought the phone to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Hello. May I speak with Alex Coleman, please?”

“Speaking.”

“Ms. Coleman, I’m calling from Newton General Hospital. There has been an accident.”

“Accident? What … are you talking about? Who was in an accident?”

Callie and their friends quickly moved in closer, and she and Joselynn placed supportive hands on her back.

“Ms. Coleman, I’m sorry to have to inform you that Tina Schafer has been involved in a serious car accident and she’s in critical condition. As her emergency contact, the doctors need you to come to the hospital to answer some questions about allergies and her medical history before they can start operating. How soon can you be here?”

“I … uh, I’m... Shit. Now. I’ll leave now. I can be there in … maybe twenty minutes. Is that too long?”

“No, she’s stable at the moment. Can I call you back on this number if anything changes?”

“Yes, this is a cellphone.”

The woman proceeded to tell Alex which entrance to use when she arrived at the hospital.

When she hung up, Joselynn took the barbeque tongs from her right hand and gently pushed her shoulder. “You and Callie go. Hannah and I will meet you there after we get the food put away and get Daphne inside.”

Nodding dumbly, Alex slowly turned towards the house on wobbly legs, then turned back and asked, “Do you have your key, so you can lock up?”

“Yes, Alex.” Joselynn placed a hand on her cheek and lightly patted it a few times. “Get your head on right, honey. And give your keys to Callie. You’re in no state to drive right now.”

“Yeah, okay, thanks. I’ll … see you at the hospital.”

Callie took Alex’s right hand, giving it a firm squeeze, and started leading her to the back door.

But when Hannah called out, “Oh, wait,” she turned back, and Hannah hastily explained, “We’re blocking the garage. Take my car. Keys are in my purse.”

“Okay, thanks.”

When they reached the foyer, Callie quickly pulled her own purse from a hook by the door to drape over her shoulder, then fished Hannah’s car keys from her purse. Just as she grabbed the door knob, she noticed Alex’s wallet and keys sitting in a bowl on the sidebar. Alex was staring dazedly at the front door, so Callie grabbed the wallet and keys and stuffed them in her purse.

“Come on, baby,” Callie gently cooed, as she took Alex’s hand and pulled her out of the house.

After helping Alex into the front passenger seat of Hannah’s car, she raced around to the driver’s side. While she started the engine, she glanced over at Alex, and prompted, “Buckle up, Alex,” then quickly buckled her own belt. After both clicked into place, Callie looked over both shoulders, then slowly pulled out of the driveway.

Once they were out of the development, and Callie had gotten up to speed, she placed a hand on Alex’s bare knee, giving it a brief squeeze, and asked, “How are you doing?”

“I…” Alex’s voice cracked, so she cleared her throat and tried again. “I’m confused, shocked, worried. It’s been over two years, Callie. We haven’t spoken since she broke up with me. Why am I still listed as her emergency contact?”

“Maybe she just forgot to change it,” Callie offered. When Alex didn’t respond, she asked, “Is she close to her family?”

“She doesn’t have any family. Her mom got pregnant when she was sixteen and her parents kicked her out. A friend’s family took her in and made sure she got to all of her doctor’s appointments, and they had planned on allowing her to continue living there, even after Tina was born. But Tina’s mom died in labor. The friend’s parents adopted and raised her, but they passed away within a couple of years of each other when Tina was in college. Their biological daughter, her mother’s friend, had gotten hooked on drugs shortly after Tina was born. She just couldn’t handle the grief of losing her best friend, and it got worse after her parents died. She overdosed the first year Tina and I were dating.”

“That’s so sad. She has experienced so much loss.”

Alex nodded as she exhaled hard, but she seemed at a loss for words as she stared out her window. Callie rubbed her thigh, and smiled when Alex took her hand in both of hers and started gently tracing her knuckles and fingers.

After several minutes, Alex said, “I love you, Callie.”

“I love you too, baby. I’m here for you, however you need me. We’ll get her through this.”

Alex’s jaw tensed, and she released a quiet, strangled sob as she jerkily nodded.