Chapter 3 35 страница

“Sure. Do you have any Scotch?”

“I do, indeed. How would you like it?”

“On the rocks.” She started to walk into the living room, and Eleanor saw her eyes dart around the room.

“She’s in bed, dear. I checked on her a minute ago, and she was sound asleep.”

Kylie looked at her watch, saying, “It’s only 8:00 in L.A. It’s not like her to conk out quite that early.”

“Today was hard for her,” Eleanor said. Werner handed the doctor a glass and sat next to his wife.

Kylie nodded, taking a tiny sip of her drink, trying to make it last so that she would have something to do with her hands.

“Have you been in this situation often, Kylie?” Werner asked, a playful twinkle in his eyes.

“Uhm … which situation is that?”

“Talking with the parents,” he said, smiling.

“No.” She shook her head rather forcefully. “Actually, once before. I think that’s enough for one lifetime.” She quirked a grin at the couple, and they returned her smile.

“Blair’s a little upset with us,” Eleanor said. “We want you to know that we have no objections to your being together, Kylie. We’re both very fond of you.”

Lifting an eyebrow, Kylie asked, “What is your objection? I’m sensing that you have one — or more.”

“Only one,” Werner said. “This is such a major decision for Blair to have made so quickly. Over dinner she admitted that she’s not attracted to women in general and that she never has been. Choosing a lesbian relationship when she doesn’t consider herself a lesbian seems … strange … to both of us.”

Nodding, Kylie said, “I can understand that. It does seem a little strange — even to me. I’ve known many women who considered themselves primarily straight, but every one of them has had at least a glimmer of attraction for women. Blair’s the first one I’ve ever met who swears that isn’t true for her. But she's so loving and affectionate with me that I believe her.”

“We don’t want to question her decisions, Kylie, but we’re both worried that she’s making this decision based primarily on her circumstances.”

Again, the doctor nodded her understanding of their position. “I think that’s possible,” she said. “I, uhm … I think that at this point, I’m much more head-over-heels than Blair is. But that’s not necessarily such a bad thing,” she said earnestly. “I know she loves me — she shows me in so many ways that she cares deeply for me. We love being together, we have lots of the same interests and we share the same feelings about raising children.” She polished off a bit more Scotch, looked contemplative for a moment, then said, “She reminds me of how my brothers and sisters treat their spouses. They’ve all been married for quite a while, and they seem comfortable with each other. It’s obvious that they love each other, but they’re not all dewy-eyed about it. That’s how Blair seems. I recognize that she’s made this decision with her head as well as her heart, but I honestly think we can make a go of it — even if Blair’s heart never skips a beat when she sees me.”

“But don’t you deserve that, Kylie?” Eleanor asked gently.

“Well — thanks, Eleanor — I do see flashes of it. It’s not consistent though.” Her brow furrowed. “She seems afraid to really let go.”

“That’s our girl,” Werner said. “She’s always been cautious.”

“She has been,” Eleanor said, “but it’s hard to love with caution.”

“I’ll be frank,” Kylie said. “I'd love it if Blair were wildly passionate about me. But of all the things that are important to me, that's the one thing I’d give up. I’ve had relationships where the woman was mad for me, but we didn’t have the things that allowed us to grow together and work towards a common purpose. Blair and I have that,” she said. “I think we have the elements that we need to have a very satisfying partnership.”

“We trust the two of you to make the correct decision,” Werner said. “I only hope you both get what you need out of this.”

“I'm already getting what I need,” Kylie said, a broad, confident smile on her face; “and I’m going to love Blair with everything I have for the rest of my life. She’s a dream come true for me.”

Werner looked at the earnest woman sitting in his living room and wished with all his might that his daughter had expressed the same sentiments for her. He went to Kylie and wrapped her in a hug, then Eleanor did the same. “Welcome to the family, Kylie. We’re very glad to have you.”

„G

Sneaking into bed, Kylie lay quietly, knowing that if she lay still long enough, Blair would settle down and sink back into a deep sleep. She was quite certain that her partner was still asleep, but the smaller woman turned over and draped both an arm and a leg over her, using her as a second body pillow. Kylie kissed the top of her head and tucked an arm around her, smiling when Blair snuggled even closer. She was almost asleep when Blair let out a whimper and woke abruptly. Blinking her eyes confusedly, she tightened her hold and shivered. “Kylie?” she asked, her voice shaking.

“I’m here, honey. Go back to sleep. You must have been having a bad dream.” She started to run her hand over Blair’s back, trying to calm her.

“Kylie? Do you believe I love you?”

Sitting up halfway, Kylie leaned over her and looked her right in the eye. “Of course I believe that. Of course.” She bent her head and kissed Blair tenderly. “Do you believe I love you?”

“Yes.”

“Then that settles that, doesn’t it?” Kylie soothed. “Go back to sleep, sweetheart. You’ve had a tough day.”

“Are you sure you believe me?” she asked again, her voice sounding a little frantic.

Still leaning over her, Kylie’s expression grew sober. “There isn’t a doubt in my mind. You might not be all goofy over me, and you might not write me love poems, but that doesn’t diminish the reality of your love. You don’t have a thing to worry about, Blair. My faith in you is rock-solid.”

Blair threw her arms around Kylie’s neck, sobbing softly. “Promise me you’ll always believe that,” she begged.

“I promise,” Kylie said, kissing her repeatedly. “I swear that I’ll always believe in our love.”

„G

On Saturday morning, Werner and Eleanor gave Kylie and Blair a ride up to Lake Forest. Both of the younger women had insisted that they were happy to rent a car, but their offer was firmly rebuffed. “We really do appreciate how much you’ve gone out of your way for us,” Kylie said, “but we probably should have rented a car. There’s a good chance that no one in my family will want to give us a ride back downtown.”

Werner blinked in surprise. “With all of those people?”

“Yes, we’re united as a family,” she said, “united in never going out of our way for one another. One good thing is that I have a couple of nieces and nephews who are just at or past driving age. I’m sure I can bribe one of them into taking us.”

“I have a chamber recital tomorrow at 3:00,” Werner said. “Anytime before that I’d be happy to come get you.”

“No, I’m mostly teasing,” Kylie said. “Someone will take us.”

“Now, what are your plans?” Eleanor asked. "I know you're here for a conference, but Blair didn't tell me the schedule."

“My conference starts on Sunday at3:00,” Kylie said, “and it’s at the Water Tower Ritz-Carlton. Blair’s flight is at 5:30, so we thought we’d go to the hotel together, then she can catch a limo to the airport.”

They arrived at the Mackenzie house at 10:00, and a group of the younger nieces and nephews came out to greet them and ineffectively help with the luggage. “See what I mean, Werner?” Kylie joked. “I’m sure there are quite a few able-bodied people in the house, but only the tiny ones try to help. It’s survival of the fittest at the Mackenzie house.”

Kevin came bounding up to Blair, but when he reached her, he turned shy and latched onto Kylie’s leg. “Hey, Kev,” his aunt said, picking him up. “Wanna say hi to your Aunt Blair?”

His little strawberry blonde head nodded, and Blair leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “Hi, Kevin; we missed you.”

He held out his arms, and Blair gamely accepted him. Because of her belly, he rode so high in her embrace that he was as tall as his aunt, a fact that he found entirely wonderful. But after letting him cuddle for a moment, Kylie whisked him away and put him astride her shoulders, making him taller still. “I’m the biggest,” he crowed to all.

“Come on in for a bit,” Kylie urged the Schneidhorsts. “You can say hi to my parents.”

“Not home,” Kevin said. “Nobody’s home but the big kids.”

“Really?” Kylie asked. “Are you sure?”

The other kids agreed with Kevin, so Werner and Eleanor decided to take their leave. “It’s been wonderful seeing you both,” Eleanor said. “And I’m very sorry that I upset you, sweetheart. I know you always think things through carefully. There's no crime in that.”

“It’s fine, Mom,” Blair said. “I was very grouchy when we arrived. It wasn’t a good day to talk about a loaded topic.”

“We’re very glad that things are working out so well for you both,” Werner said. “And we’re elated to have Kylie in the family.” He placed his hand lightly on Blair’s belly and said, “Take care of our grandchild, sweetheart.”

“We will, Dad,” Blair said. “We’ll see you both in December.”

“I’ve never looked forward to a date with such pleasure,” Eleanor said, hugging both of the women. “You two take good care of each other.”

“We will,” Kylie said, tucking an arm around Blair.

They watched the car pull away, and Kevin asked, “Who wants to play with me? The big kids just yell at us.”

“We’ll play with you, Kev,” Kylie said. “We’ll show those big kids a thing or two.”

„G

Later that evening, the entire group gathered at the local country club for the gala birthday party for Kyle. The affair was much larger than Blair had realized it was going to be, with most of the Mackenzie’s extended family, and dozens of their friends and colleagues, in attendance. They’d been on their feet for hours, greeting family and friends, and when Kylie saw an opening, she directed her partner to a quiet corner and demanded that she put her feet up. Without argument, Blair did, sighing with relief when Kylie pulled her shoes off and started to rub her feet. “Oh, you’re a goddess,” Blair said. “The best hands in the world.”

“Having fun?” Kylie asked. She took a linen napkin and scooped out some ice from a water pitcher, then rubbed Blair’s swollen ankles with the cold cloth.

“I am,” Blair said. “Everyone in your family has made it a point to welcome me to the clan. They’re teasing me like one of the group, too. It’s nice.”

“I thought Alan was a little out of line,” Kylie said, scowling. “My dad even told him to knock it off, and he never gets involved.”

“I thought it was funny,” Blair said. “Calling you the world’s laziest lesbian cracked me up. What did he say? Something like you’re too lazy to even use your own turkey baster?”

“That was the gist,” Kylie said. “I guess the good news is that he feels comfortable with you. He wouldn’t have done that in front of Stacey, and she was around for years.”

“Yes, Carly told me that everyone already liked me better than Stacey. She doesn’t seem to have many fans around here.”

“They never seemed to care for her. I’m not sure why, but they’re going much easier on you.”

“Oh, it’s probably because I’m pregnant. Everyone has a soft spot for a big belly.”

“I love your belly,” Kylie said. She put both hands on Blair and smiled at her, their eyes locking together. "I love every part of you." She leaned over and kissed Blair tenderly, letting herself get lost in her embrace.

A loud throat clearing got her attention. "Oh. Hi, Chris," Kylie said, giving her sister a guilty look.

"That kinda stuff doesn't play in Lake Forest," Chris teased. "You two act like you're still in California."

"We're in love no matter where we are," Kylie said, looking at Blair dreamily.

"I hate to break the spell, but I've gotta pee," Blair said. Chris held out her hand, giving Blair a little help, and Kylie put a hand on her butt for added safety. "It's like hauling a car out of a ditch," Blair grumbled.

Kylie patted her ass and said, "Hurry back, babe. I'll be right here."

"I'll keep an eye on her so she doesn't kiss anyone while you're gone," Chris said, taking Blair's seat.

Blair laughed, then went to the restroom, hoping there wasn't a line. Chris put her arm around her sister's chair and said, "Inquiring minds want to know: How'd you lure her over to the dark side?"

"The usual. Charm, wit, good looks, money, a loaded gun."

Chris elbowed her playfully. "Come on, I really wanna know."

"Well, if you must know, she made the proposal."

"Are you serious?"

"Yep. Surprised the hell out of me. As I think the whole damn world knew, I was desperately in love with her, but I didn't think I had a chance. She thought differently, and she kissed me one night and told me she loved me."

"Wow. Are you really telling the truth? It was her idea?"

Kylie sat back and gave her sister a wry look. "Am I that unattractive?"

"You're gorgeous," she said. "You look a lot like I did when I was your age." She put her arm around Kylie's shoulders and gave her a rough hug, then kissed her cheek. "I'm happy for you, baby sister. I hope that Blair knows what it's like to be a lesbian mom. It can be pretty tough."

"I know that," Kylie said, "but she's going into this with her eyes open. I know she loves me, Chris. We can work through anything if that's true."

"I guess you're right," Chris said. "It's hard to picture you with a built in family. I have this image of you as my little sister, the lesbian lady killer of Los Angeles."

"That was never true," Kylie laughed. "The truth is that I've hated being single. Winning Blair's heart has been the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Blair walked around the corner as Kylie said this, and she leaned over and gave her partner a warm kiss. "Let's pay someone to take us home," she said. "You're too cute to share with all these people."

„G

Twenty dollars and fifteen minutes later they were back in Kylie’s room. On the way home, Blair mentioned that she was a little worried about Mackenzie because he'd been unnaturally still all evening. As soon as they were in her room, Kylie undressed Blair so quickly that sparks nearly flew, and now she was on her knees, her cheek resting against Blair’s stomach. Soft hands palpated the flesh, her face a mask of concentration. “Come on, Mackenzie, let me feel you,” she soothed, her voice so gentle and sweet that Blair’s heart nearly melted. She slid her hands through Kylie’s waves, so intimately connected to her that she felt as though they were one. Kylie tapped gently, urging the baby to react to her touch. “Come on, baby boy. Come on.”

Finally, the baby reached out and kicked one of his feet, causing Kylie to jump. “Did you see that?” she beamed. “He reacted to my touch!”

“He loves his mom,” Blair said, smiling down at her.

Kylie slowly got to her feet, staring at Blair as if she’d grown a second head. “I’m gonna be somebody’s mom!”

“You sure are,” Blair said, hugging her as tightly as she could. “And you’re gonna be stupendous!”

„G

“Aunt Kylie?” a small voice whispered, the sound accompanied by tugging on her shirt.

“Yeah.” She turned over and spied Kevin, holding his pillow.

“Can I sleep with you? For a little while.”

“Sure, buddy.” She reached down and swept him onto the bed, then settled him between her and Blair. “You’ve gotta be quiet, though. Aunt Blair and the baby have to get their sleep.”

“Okay,” he whispered. “Is the baby sleeping, too?”

“I think so,” she said quietly. “Tomorrow, we’ll let you put your hands on Aunt Blair’s tummy. I made the baby kick tonight. Maybe he’ll do it for you tomorrow.”

“He’s inside Aunt Blair’s tummy?” he asked slowly. “Doesn’t the food hit him?”

Stifling a laugh, Kylie said, “It’s not exactly her tummy. It’s close by. There’s nothing in the little space he’s in except him. Nothing to worry about, buddy.”

“Okay,” he said. “Night, Aunt Kylie.” He snuggled against her until he was comfortable, giving her a couple of good shots with his bony knees.

Kylie reached over the child and placed her hand on Blair’s belly, sighing to herself. Now, this is heaven.

„G

Blair woke groggily on Sunday morning, reaching down with her eyes still closed to pat Kylie’s hands. Startled at the smallness of the hands, she opened her eyes and discovered Kevin sitting cross-legged between her and Kylie, his expression as sober as his aunt’s had been the night before. His little hands pushed against her in various spots, then he looked at her and whispered, “Is the baby still sleepin’?”

“I think so,” she said. “Did Aunt Kylie tell you she felt him kick last night?”

“Uh-huh. Make him do it,” he said, pressing a little harder than she liked.

“He’ll do it when he’s ready, honey. You can’t make him.”

He stared at her for a moment, then asked, “Why?”

“’Cause he’s a tiny baby. He doesn’t even know we’re talking to him.”

Looking at her dubiously, he said, “Aunt Kylie can make him.”

“What can Aunt Kylie do?” Kylie asked, her voice sleepy and deep.

“You can make the baby do stuff.”

“Hmm …” Kylie murmured, sensing a challenge. She scooted down and tugged Blair’s shirt up, exposing her belly to Kevin’s startled gaze.

“It’s huge!” he gasped.

“Thanks, pal,” Blair said, smiling thinly. “There’s a lot of baby in there. He needs room.”

“Put your hands on Aunt Blair,” Kylie said. “I’ll make him move … eventually.”

“The landlord of baby manor has to go to the bathroom in the near future,” Blair said. “Make it quick — and don’t press anywhere, or I can’t guarantee a dry bed.”

Kylie pressed her lips close to Blair’s skin and started to sing some silly song about ducks and frogs and catfish in a swimming hole. Blair had never heard her sing before, and while the doctor would clearly not win any contests, there was something terribly appealing about her deep, smooth voice. After a few lines, the baby seemed to take notice, and he kicked a good one, making Kevin squeal. “I felt him!” he cried.

“Bathroom break,” Blair proclaimed, scampering off the bed.

“That was fun! Sing the song again.”

Kylie lay back down, and soon Kevin curled up against her, his head burrowed into the crook of her shoulder. By the time Blair came back to bed, Kevin was sound asleep. She looked at her watch and saw that it was just 7:00 and got in quietly. Kylie was still singing softly, and as Blair reached out and took her hand, she asked, “Happy?”

“Never been happier,” Kylie said, and Blair could see that it was so. “I’m gonna love bringing our son into our bed and cuddling with him in the mornings. I know how good it feels to be comforted like that.”

“I know how good it feels to be comforted by you,” Blair said. “Our baby is a lucky little guy.”

„G

When Blair woke again, she was cuddled up in Kylie’s arms, and Kevin was missing in action. “How’d I wind up here?” she asked sleepily.

“Kev woke up and started fidgeting,” Kylie said. “I plunked him out of bed, and the second he left, you started inching towards me like a little snail. It was cute,” she added, dropping a kiss onto Blair’s head.

“Hungry,” the smaller woman said. “How ‘bout you?”

“Yeah. I’m starved. Go hop in the shower, and I’ll strip the bed and get us packed.”

“’Kay.”

By the time they got downstairs, there was not a bite left to eat, but the table was still full of guests. “Well, here are the sleepyheads,” Kyle said.

“Hungry sleepyheads,” Kylie said, smiling at her father. Turning to Blair, she asked, “What would you like, honey? I’m sure we have whatever you have a craving for.”

“Oh, don’t go to any trouble,” Blair said. “I can have some cereal.”

“How about some shredded wheat?” Dorothy suggested. “The roughage is good for you.”

“That’s fine,” Blair said, but Kylie was having none of it.

“She’s not much of a cereal fan,” she said. “How about some eggs, honey?”

Blair took a breath, torn between playing by the Mackenzie house rules and letting Kylie do what she clearly wanted to do. Deciding that her allegiance should always be to her partner, she said, “If you really don’t mind, I’d love a soft-boiled egg and some toast.”

Kylie gave her a wide smile and said, “Of course I don’t mind. Anybody else?”

“I wouldn’t mind an egg,” Laura, Chris’ partner, said. “We got up late, too.”

“Chris?” Kylie asked, ignoring her father’s narrowed glance. “How about you?”

She shrugged and said, “Can you handle sunny side up?”

“For you? Definitely.”

“This is turning into a regular diner,” Dorothy sniffed. “I thought I could relax now that the dishes were done.”

“We’ll clean the kitchen, Mom,” Chris assured her.

“That’s what you always say,” the older woman said, then stood to leave.

Kylie intercepted her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I promise we’ll clean up properly, Mom. I’m sorry we got up so late, but I have to make sure Blair gets fed properly. It’s my job now.”

The older woman nodded, then gave her daughter a pat. “It’s all right, Kylie.” She turned to the table and said, “Don’t forget, we’re going to church together. All of us,” she emphasized, looking at Chris’ children. "We leave at 10:45. Got it?”

“Yes, grandma,” the unhappy children grumbled.

Kyle’s beeper went off, and he headed for his study to return the call. Now that the elder generation was gone, Blair leaned over and asked Chris, “What kinda church do we go to?”

Giving her a sly grin, she said, “We’re Episcopalians, Blair. Do you mean to tell me that Kylie doesn’t take you to services every Sunday morning?”

“I don’t wanna go,” Carly whispered harshly. “Why do we have to go to church whenever we come here?”

“It’s important to your grandmother,” Laura said. “It’s an hour out of your week, honey. It won’t kill you.” She looked over at Kylie and said, “Besides, we’ve violated one of the sacrosanct principles of the Mackenzie family already today. I think that’s enough revolution for one weekend.”

„G

The church was only about seven blocks away, so the entire group trooped over together. On the way back home, Dorothy took Blair’s hand as they were leaving the church and urged her to stay behind and walk with her at the rear of the gaggle of Mackenzies.

“Well, you’ve been with us twice now, Blair. Having second thoughts about joining the clan?”

“No,” she said, smiling warmly, “I think I might join even if I didn’t love Kylie. I’ve always wanted a large family.”

“We are that,” Dorothy said. “I wanted to apologize for making a scene at breakfast today, honey. I’m a little set in my ways, and sometimes I forget that my children are all adults with their own families. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable.”

“No, not at all,” Blair said, squeezing her hand. “Every family has its own rules.”

“My ways might seem rigid, Blair, but honestly, having seven children would have driven me mad if we hadn't had order. Without set mealtimes, I would have been a slave in the kitchen. I had some predictability to my day when I knew that breakfast would be over and the kitchen would be clean by eight o’clock when the school bus came.”

“I don’t know how you managed,” Blair said. “Did you have any help?”

“You mean outside help? Goodness, no! By the time the little ones came along, the older children were mature enough to help out. I would have felt like a spendthrift hiring someone to do chores that my children should have been doing. Besides,” she said, “it’s good for a child to learn responsibility. They’ve all managed to be good spouses, so I guess we did something right,” she said.

“I can only speak for Kylie,” Blair said, “but I can’t imagine a better spouse.”

“You do seem happy together,” Dorothy said, a trifle dubiously. Turning her head slightly, she gazed at Blair for a moment. “Are you sure this is the right choice for you? I’d hate to have Kylie’s heart broken if you found out you couldn’t be happy with a woman.”

Blair returned her gaze and nodded. “I can understand that you have doubts about me, Dorothy, but I truly love Kylie. Obviously, I can’t guarantee that things will work out — but if they don’t, it won’t be because we’re both women. That’s not a big issue for me.”

“I hope that’s true,” Dorothy said, “because I can see how much my baby loves you. She’s never been like this about anyone, Blair, and I can’t help but worry about her.”

Blair squeezed her hand and said, “I worry about my baby, and I know exactly where he is at all times. I understand that you feel protective of her, Dorothy, but so do I. I swear that I’ll do my very best to take care of her precious heart.”

Her eyes crinkling up from her smile, Dorothy said, “Forgive me for interfering, Blair. I know you're both adults and that you’ve thought this through. I’m sure everything will work out for the best.”

“I’m sure it will, too,” Blair said, “but I think you’d feel better about us if you spent more time with us. Is there any chance that you’d consider coming out after the baby’s born?”

“Really?” Dorothy asked slowly. “Have you and Kylie discussed this?”

“No, but I know she’d love to have you,” Blair said. “I think it would be nice to get to know you a little, Dorothy. Kylie’s planning on taking some time off after he’s born, so we could all spend some time together.”

Dorothy gave her hand a squeeze and said, “We’ll see how you feel about it when the time gets closer, Blair. You might decide that you two want to be alone.”

Chuckling, Blair assured her, “I think we’ll be crying for help, Dorothy. A woman with your experience is gonna be in demand!”

Дата добавления: 2015-09-04