"I didn't want Cody getting hurt in case..." She stopped, turning her back to me.
"In case what? In case she quit again? Rhonda, she quit the first time because you made her go! You chose where she'd go, in a school that no kid in their right mind could be in unless they were going to be a damn nun! You set that kid up for failure!"
"I did not..." She twirled around, dark eyes locking on me, daggers of fire shooting at me. It hurt me to see so much pain and anger in her because I did love her, and cared very much about her.
"Yes, you did," I said, my voice calming slightly. "You put Jodi's expectations on Cody's head, and Ron, they're two totally different kids. They couldn't be more different than if they'd come from different parents in different countries! They don't want the same things."
My boss looked at me, disgust in her eyes as she looked me over head to toe.
"What can you possible do for her except mess up her mind more?" she spat. I knew it was rhetorical, but I answered anyway.
"I believe in her. I trust her and have faith in what she wants, and what she wants. Something you have never done for her, Rhonda. Never." I stared her down, wanting her to understand what she had started, and could easily stop if only she'd be reasonable.
"I..." She looked away.
"Rhonda, Cody has shown me more about myself and about her, and about what life can be, than anyone I've ever known." My voice was quiet, almost pleading for her to understand. "Your daughter made me fall in love with her because she was just her, just Cody." I stopped, realizing what I'd just said. Rhonda had also caught it, and was looking at me, too. I felt the sting behind my lids as my emotions swelled. Swallowing them down for a later time, I looked at her, jaw set, chin raised high in confidence. "I love your daughter, Rhonda. For all she is, all she'll ever be, and all she's done. I accept her."
Rhonda just stared at me, unsure of what to do or say. She looked struck. The pain and sorrow of the last weeks crashed over my head, and my emotions began to build again, but this time out of anger and frustration.
"I'll never accept it," Rhonda said, her voice quiet, but hard. I looked at her, chewing on the inside of my cheek, then blew out a breath.
"You don't have to, and no one is asking you to. But know this..." I raised a finger. "You will lose your daughter." I turned toward the door, then looked at her over my shoulder. "All three of them if you're not careful." I grabbed the knob and turned it, but stopped to look at her once more. "Oh, and I'm sick and tired of your shit. I quit."
I slammed the door shut behind me, stalked over to the copy room, grabbed a box that had held paper moments before, and headed to my desk. I could see Kristine looking at me over the top of her cubicle wall, but she said nothing, and I didn't bother. She'd find out soon enough, and I had things to do.
Starting with my desk drawers, I began to throw things into either the box or the trashcan, slamming one drawer after another as I emptied them of everything that belonged to me.
"Brooklyn..." I heard Rhonda's soft voice standing in the doorway of my cubicle, but I ignored her. "Brooklyn, please stop. Come back with me." I stopped, holding a small stuffed teddy bear I had received from Keith about six months ago, and petted his fur.
"Why?" I couldn't look at her.
"Because I want to talk to you."
"What does that matter?" I looked up at her. "You're not my boss anymore." She sighed sadly.
"Then come as a friend? Please?" I smirked.
"Right..." I tossed the bear into the box and followed her down the aisle to her office once more, storming in to sit in one of the two chairs that sat before her desk. I heard the soft click of the door, then Rhonda came around to perch on the edge of her desk. Arms crossed over my chest, I waited.
"Oh, Brooklyn..." Again she sighed. "I don't know what to do with you or Cody." Finally I met her gaze, which was terribly troubled. "I love my daughter, and I love you." She gave me a weak smile which I didn't return. "I don't understand this, this... thing... between the two of you."
"What's not to understand?" I crossed a knee over the other. "Despite everything, Rhonda, I know you know what love is."
"But, you're, she's, you two are my daughters, damnit!" She slapped her palms down on her thighs. "It makes no sense."
"Would this be an issue if I was a man? Or if Cody was Jake fifteen years from now?" She looked at me, her mouth opening and closing, and finally snapping shut. "I thought so."
"Did you put this idea in her head, Brooklyn?" There was no accusation in her voice, just a mother trying to finally understand. I shook my head.
"Who knows, Ron? This wasn't something that we planned, I assure you. I liked spending time with your daughter, she liked spending time with me, and one day, well, realization dawned. She is so easy to love, Rhonda. How I wish you could see that. Would see that."
"She never has been," she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. I stood, and walked over to her, standing in front of her.
"Have you tried? You had Jodi who was sick all the time, and then this other kid who could take care of herself, and somewhere along the way," I sighed, "Cody got missed, got forgotten."
"Did she tell you that?" I nodded. Rhonda looked away, bringing her hand to her mouth. "I won't take all the blame for this, Brooklyn." She ventured a look at me.
"Again, Ron, no one is asking you to. Cody has got more to give than anyone I've ever known. If you would just listen to her, listen to what she has to say, what she wants and feels, you'd see that, too. Be a part of her life, Rhonda. The life she is creating for herself, not the one you want to put on the mantle with Jodi's trophy. Jodi is a good kid, no one denies that, but so is Cody."
"Then why is she so much trouble?"
"Because she wasn't allowed to be anything else." I rested my hand on her shoulder. "See her as a person, an individual, not a prize to brag to the neighbors about."
Rhonda looked at me for several long moments, her eyes still brimming with stubborn tears that refused to fall, before she moved off the desk and walked over to the window.
"I'm sorry for the way I've treated you, Brooklyn," she said, her voice so low I could barely hear her. "I don't want you to leave." She looked at me. "Your resignation is not accepted." I stared at her, not sure what to say, but feeling wary.
"Why?"
"Because you're the best copy editor I have, and because you don't deserve to lose your job just because your boss has a breakdown." I snorted.
"Because my boss was being a jackass, you mean?" She gave me a small smile, the tiniest bit of a glimpse of the woman I know and love as a mother.
"Yes. That, too. Please, don't leave." I looked at her for a moment, sizing her up, and chewed on my lip as I thought.
"I'll stay under one condition. Well, two, really."
"Alright, what are they?" She faced me fully now, arms crossed over her chest. This was negotiator mode.
"First off, I want a damn raise. It's been six months, and I'm deserving." She grinned, shaking her head. "And secondly - if you use that damn buzzer again, I get to shove it up your ass. Deal?" This time I got a full out laugh.
"Deal on the buzzer, the raise we'll talk about."
"Fine. I can take that. Oh, and I'm taking the rest of the day off." I gave her a toothy grin, then high-tailed it out of her office.
* * *
"I don't get this." Cody twirled her pencil around in her fingers and began to erase the lines she'd just drawn. "Grrr."
"You'll get it. You're too brilliant not to."
"Yeah, right." I chuckled as I turned my attention back to the book I was reading while curled up in Cody's hand chair, and pulled the heavy blanket a little more snug around my legs. It was early November now, the snow was falling gracefully outside the window, and it was cold as all get out in here. But, I had promised Cody that we'd stay at her place this weekend.
Knock, knock, knock
We looked at each other.
"Who's that?" I asked, uncurling myself. Cody shrugged.
"Don't know. Get it, though?" She smiled at me, her charm in full bloom. I walked over to her desk, her reading lamp glowing a harsh gold light on her work, and kissed her.
"Sure thing," I said against her lips. She turned back to the beautiful building she was working on, and I headed to the door, the blanket still wrapped around me. I unlocked the door and pulled the security chain, opening the door only to start. She smiled.
"Is she here?"
I nodded. "Cody, it's for you." I made a quick exit, headed toward the bathroom. Cody stood up, and turned to see who was at her door.
"Mom?" she said, walking over to Rhonda.
"Hi, honey." I heard Ron say as I closed the bathroom door. "Show me your place."
* * *
I sat down at my desk with a satisfied sigh. The holidays were around the corner, Cody was almost on Christmas break and I had a week of vacation to spend with her, and gosh, an unexpected raise from the boss. Yeah, life was good.
I even began to whistle as I turned on my computer and got settled.
"My office, now."
I looked up to see Rhonda's back as she stormed toward her office, hands full with two steaming coffees. I dutifully followed her, closing the door behind me. I grabbed my mocha latte off the edge of her desk and began to drink.
"What's up, Ron?" I sipped, relishing the warmth as it spread through my body. Rhonda, who had been pacing, stopped and looked at me, eyes huge.
"What the hell have you done to my daughters, Brooklyn?"
"What?" God, don't do this again, Rhonda. Please... "What happened?"
"What happened?" Her voice was more incredulous than angry. "What happened was Jodi was coming home for dinner, telling me she was bringing home a new friend for me to meet. So, here I am, cooking up a storm, right, thinking this was going to be some nice boy she is seeing, maybe give me some grandkids..." I covered my mouth to stifle the giggle. "It's a girl, Brooklyn!" she said, turning to me, hands on her hips. "Her name is Crystal, and they're in love!"
"Ah, amour." I grinned. She glared.
"This isn't funny, Brooklyn."
"Sure it is, Ron." I stood, headed to the door. "It's a love revolution. Welcome."
* * *
I walked over to the door, a smile on my face as I knew who it was. Cody was going to show me the final plans for her final project of the year. It was mid-April, and she had been working so hard on this. I was beside myself with excitement. All she had to do was actually build her design to scale, and she'd be done with her first year.
The door opened, and Cody's beautiful, smiling face greeted me.
"Hey, gorgeous." I smiled in return, and then was swept up in a huge, near bone-crushing hug.
"Hey, yourself." She kissed me, a moan escaping me as she caressed my mouth with her own. When she let me go, I grabbed her hand.
"Come on, show me your plans." She pulled her pack from her back, and set it on the floor beside the door.
"I will. But first, I have a surprise for you." She took my hands and began to lead me outside. "Close your eyes."
"Why? What did you do?"
"Just close 'em," she instructed, so I did. I smiled as I felt the warm, late spring sun on my face, careful to navigate the stairs of the porch without falling on my face, and then we were headed down the incline of the driveway. "You doing okay, gorgeous?" Cody asked.
"Fine. How far do we have to go?" I grabbed her hand tighter.
"Not far. Not far at all."
We stopped, and I felt her hands on my shoulders, positioning me.
"Open them," she whispered in my ear. I did, and my eyes flew open wide.
"Murray," I breathed, seeing the bike leaning against the large oak near the street. The bike that I'd lost in the accident so long ago, my beloved Murray, sparkling new. I looked to my lover. "Cody, what did you do?" She was grinning like the cat who had just eaten the big, fat canary.
"Well, I had a little help, but I finally got all the money, and well..." She shuffled a bit. "Here you go. Helmet's in the car." She gave me a shy smile. Suddenly overtaken by my excitement and gratitude, and, well, love, I jumped into her arms, nearly bowling her over, and wrapped my legs around her waist.
"Whoa, Brooklyn!" she exclaimed, her eyes shut tight as I sprinkled her entire face with loud kisses, finally landing on her mouth. I felt my back being pushed up again the rough bark of the big tree, her body pressed against mine. I felt the dark strands of her hair lacing through my fingers as my mouth opened to hers.
Finally she pulled away, and I looked into her face. So beautiful and gentle. God, I wanted to say it, but I had refrained all this time because I didn't want to scare her away. I didn't want her to feel that I was pushing something on her that she wasn't ready for. I so badly wanted a life with Cody, wanted to show her the kind of love that I felt for her.
Now, against that tree, she looked at me, her eyes so calm and steady. So unlike my wild heartbeat.
"Brooklyn," she began, her voice quiet. "I'm glad you like the bike, and well, um," she took a deep breath, slowly lowering my feet back to the ground, but she stayed near, one of her palms resting against the bark next to my head. "This past year, wow..." She smiled at me. "It's been the most incredible time for me. For so many reasons." She ran her fingers gently through my hair, brushing it away from my face. "I can't believe how much your hair has grown."
"Yeah," I didn't want to break her from her train of thought.
"Anyway, well, I..." She swallowed. "I'm so bad at this." Running suddenly nervous hands through her hair, she met my eyes again. "I love you, Brooklyn."
I was stunned, my face crumbling and the lump in my throat growing to hear the words I had craved for so long. I reached out and wrapped my arms around her neck, pulling her to me. I didn't care what my neighbors thought.
"I love you, too, Cody. So much."
"So much." She agreed, and kissed me.
"Now show me those plans."...
... We look down at the blueprints, side by side, our shoulders brushing against each other.
"What do you think?" Cody asks, her voice filled with angst.
"It's beautiful, baby." I grab her hand, feeling how sweaty her palm is. This is big for her, and we both know it. I am determined to be there for her, no matter what.
"Well," she says after taking a deep breath. "Shall we?" Looking at each other, I try to put everything I have into my eyes, let her see I'm there, and how much I love her.
Cody rolls up the plans and squeezes my hand, and we walk up the flagstone path that leads to the large, double front door, the glass in the panes etched exactly how Cody had drawn it for the past fifteen years. The polished wood shone in the afternoon sun, the brass handle reflecting warped views of us as she pushes open one of the doors and ushers me inside.
"Oh, and I went ahead and made arrangements for the land behind ours," Cody says in my ear as we step inside her dream house. I look at her.
"What do you mean? Why?"
"Well..." She looks down, playing with the ten-year-old gold band on her left hand. Sheepishly, blue eyes look at me. "For stables. If you want them," she hurries to add. "There's room. Dude."
That broad, wonderful smile slowly spreads across her face, still beautiful at thirty-four. The face that I have woken up to every morning since that wonderful day when she replaced Murray for me, with the help of a loan from Keith, of course. And still, after all this time, a house, two careers, and three dogs later, I am still in awe of this wondrous woman and all that she has accomplished with her life, and with mine.
The End
Jodi: Jodi didn't stay with Crystal, but went on to get her Masters in Library Sciences, eventually moving to Maryland for her promotion to Director of the Baltimore County Public Library. There she met Martha, who she moved in with six years ago, and this summer they bought their first house together. She, Cody and Brooklyn remain close friends, and try and get together at least twice a year.
Keith: Keith married Wanda Houston nine years ago, and divorced a year and a half later. Keith finally admitted that he is gay, and has been in and out of relationships over the years, saying that "There are far too many beautiful boys to just settle for one."
Rand/Pete: Rand married Pete in a quiet ceremony thirteen years ago, and they have one child, Timothy, who has inherited his mother's fondness for black. The trio now lives in Philadelphia, and Rand will be running for her second term in office as the State House Representative of Pennsylvania.
Rhonda/Tom: Rhonda retired four years ago, and now works as a part-time teacher at Portland Community College teaching graphic art. Jake will graduate high school this year, and has already signed up to join the Marines. Tom is still working in construction, but plans to retire next summer.
Kristine: Kristine, who worked at the firm for another five years, left the ad business altogether and decided to try her luck at owning her own public relations company. The business is doing well, but she is still on the prowl for the perfect man. And now she's been with a woman twice.
Bill/Mary: Bill and Mary's copy-room affair was eventually uncovered and both were fired. Their respective spouses divorced them, so they married each other and divorced six months later. Two weeks following the finalization of the divorce papers, Mary attempted to commit second-degree murder when she "accidentally" ran over Bill with her Honda Civic. She's now serving fifteen in the Portland State Prison.
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