Eden's Garden, page 15
Camilla chased after them, her face beaming as she nervously bunched her apron in her hands. “Miss Eden and Denisha helped.”
“As in, we set the table.” I released Denisha to sweep Camilla into a gentle kiss. “My beautiful maid gets 99.2 percent of the credit.”
Her creamy cheeks blushed as she accepted my kiss, then bustled off to start filling plates. Wynn came to a stop beside me, her movements stiff, but a quiet smile remained of her face. I reached out to hold her hand as we watched the others pick places at the table, talking and laughing.
“Are you hurting very badly?” I asked her, keeping my tone quiet so the others wouldn’t become alarmed. “If you need, you can always lay down upstairs. I can bring you a plate up.”
She shook her head. “My back’s a little achy today. Nothing too bad.”
“Okay. Anything we can do to help ease it?”
Again, her head gave a faint shake. “The pillows on your seats are pretty soft. I’ll be fine. Thanks, though.” Her warm lips brushed my cheek before she made her way over to the table and took a seat. Dove crawled under her legs and lay down, content to keep her handler company.
“Eden, come on. We’re starving here,” Rhett called.
I grinned as I crossed the room to join them. “It would be a sin to let all of this great food go to waste.”
Maya sniggered as I sat down between her and Denisha. “Well, you are the perpetrator of original sin.”
“No, that was Eve,” Denisha corrected. “Eden was the name of the perfect garden that Adam and Eve lived in before they ate the apple.”
“Does that make us all her flowers, since we belong to her?” Camilla asked, her tone playful.
They all stopped and stared at me, as if waiting for a real answer. I set down my cup, surprised at the turn the teasing took. “Of course it does,” I said. “You’re all my beautiful rainbow roses.”
“’Cept Rhett,” Denisha proclaimed, jabbing a fork in his direction.
“Except Rhett,” I agreed. “He’s our snake.”
We all cracked up, including the man who suffered the brunt of the joke. His tongue flicked out as he mimicked the reptile, making the Little shriek in laughter.
The doorbell rang, bringing all our merriment to a halt. Camilla’s eyes darted to my face as she placed the gravy ladle back in the steaming bowl. “Are we expecting anyone else?”
“No.” I stood, wondering who on Earth would be out and about on a day like this. Surely not salesmen. Maybe missionaries, hoping to catch families home much like we were so they could spread the word?
Their chatter picked back up as I approached the front door, though their tones sounded more on edge now. Careful. Quiet. As if expecting MAGA anti-gay police at the door to break up our dinner. When I opened it, I wondered for a brief second if they’d all suffered some sixth sense my body forgot to clue me in on.
Denisha’s mother stood on my porch, clothes disheveled and face flushed with emotion. Before she could say a word, I stepped outside and closed the door firmly behind me. Last thing we needed was her antics ruining our special dinner that Camilla worked so damn hard on.
“It’s a holiday. Don’t you have any heart? Give me back my baby,” she immediately demanded in a rising whine.
I crossed my arms, allowing her a few more seconds of insults with pleas interspersed before I sighed heavily. “Listen, you need to stop. Moments like these are doing more harm than good. I’m not keeping your daughter out of your life, like you seem to think. Take a minute to look at yourself, how you sound, and what you are acting like.”
Her mouth flapped open and closed a few times as her face turn beet red. “How dare you act like it’s my fault. You’re the one who seduced her from the Lord’s grace with your evil cunt. You sexed her into being a mindless slave. Kidnapped her—”
“With my quim?” I finished dryly.
“This is not funny!” Her fists balled at her sides and she looked damn near ready to knock my ass loose.
“No, it’s not funny. It’s not funny that you obviously have some severe mental health issues that need to be tended to. You want your daughter in your life? Why don’t you take yourself to a therapist and have them help you take a good, long, hard look at what might have made her so susceptible to my cunning cunt.” I barely held back the snort that threatened to escape. “Now, when you can act like a big girl, we might be able to think about letting Denisha know you want to see her. Until then, get the fuck off my front porch before I call the cops.”
“Vile bitch. Demonic succubus,” she spat as she stepped backward toward a car parked in front of my house.
“Glad you think I’m sexy as a succubus. Compliments aside, you still have to leave,” I retorted.
She turned a shade I didn’t know people could turn before whirling around and marching off toward her car. I waited until she’d pulled away and disappeared down the block before returning inside. As I walked in the kitchen, they all fell silent.
“Is everything okay?” Wynn asked, her expression concerned.
“It was just someone wanting to spread the word of God. I scared them off with my gayness.” I settled back into my chair as several of them chuckled.
Denisha’s hand sought mine under the table, and when I met her gaze, I could tell that somehow she knew the truth. Maybe I’d fooled the others. Maybe not. But my perceptive Little knew who really paid us a visit, and I wished with all my heart I could take that pain away for her. I gave her hand a squeeze, and she offered me a watery smile.
“It’ll be okay,” I murmured as I gave her forehead a gentle kiss.
“I know. Thank you,” she whispered back before releasing me to eat.
Before long, the conversation around the table picked back up, becoming a steady buzz on teasing and laughing and talking about work. When the subject of jobs came up, Maya tapped the table in front of Wynn.
“Speaking of jobs, didn’t you want to talk to Eden about something, Wynny?”
The woman’s eyes sought her fork as she carefully played with the remainder of her mashed potatoes. “I…uh…”
I lay my fork down, giving her my full attention. “What’s up? We can talk about it later, if you want.”
“N-no.” She shook her head before taking a deep breath. “I wanted to ask for help, actually. If you had time, of course. I… I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what you said.”
The table fell silent as we all waited for her to continue. After a few moments of silence, Maya gently nudged her. Wynn started, as if jerked from her own thoughts. Finally, chin raised, she met my gaze head on.
“You mentioned there might be jobs available for people…like me. Disabled. I’d like to look into those, and see if we can find something.”
I nodded, delighted that this day had come. Wynn’s self-esteem seemed to be directly linked to her perception of how much she made, and laying around drawing disability and barely able to make ends meet contributed to her depression. I’d already researched a few programs, and a few websites sat waiting in my bookmarked list.
“That sounds like a great idea, hon. We can look at what’s out there once I’ve helped Camilla clean up.” I offered her an encouraging smile.
She visibly relaxed and all of us went back to eating. The silence grew deafening, and I couldn’t help but wonder what everyone was thinking. My own mind raced between Wynn’s request and Denisha’s mother’s visit. Two deeply contrasting emotions settled within me.
“When is your out date, Rhett?” I asked, hoping to engage some more conversation.
He dabbed at his mouth with a napkin and swallowed before answering, “March. I already have a contract in place for that analyst job, so I’ll be transferring without any downtime. Just got to find myself an apartment since barracks living won’t be an option anymore.”
“You’re still living in a barracks? Shit son, no wonder you’ve got such a nice ass car,” Maya exclaimed.
He shrugged. “Never saw any reason to rent off base. They keep us out on workups so much, it seemed like a waste of money. I put what would have been rent in savings instead.”
“You got it all figured out.” She leaned back in her chair and rested her palms against the back of her head.
“I’m still trying to figure out what the heck I’m getting everyone for Christmas, and Rhett’s over here planned out clear to March.” I sighed and shook my head. “I’ve gotta step up my game.”
Laughter filled the room, bringing back the jovial atmosphere I’d feared we lost. When we finished our meals, Denisha, Maya, and I washed dishes while we shooed Camilla, Wynn, and Rhett off to watch television. Dove stretched out on the carpet in front of the couch, legs straight out and eyes heavy-lidded as she relaxed. Our first real holiday together proved a smashing success, and I found myself yearning for more.
More family.
More friends.
More…home.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The thud of the front door closing echoed through the house, startling me from where I sat upstairs on my laptop. I checked the clock, surprised at how late the digital numbers displayed. Cami must have come home.
I hesitated, waffling between pausing to greet her and finishing my task I found myself still in the middle of. The progression bar showed only a few steps remained. Five more minutes of activity, tops. I could hear her rustling around downstairs, and decided to wrap up things here first. I didn’t know if I could save and come back, or if I left it, I lost control of it forever. Considering how important the document was, I couldn’t risk leaving it until I knew I’d crossed every t and dotted every i.
As I worked, I caught soft murmurings from downstairs. A frown tugged at the corners of my mouth. Camilla didn’t usually talk to herself, and Denisha was spending the night with Boi. I’d arranged a rare night alone for the two of us to have, though that didn’t necessarily mean we’d have sex. The sound of her voice distracted me, causing me to almost send the document without verifying that I’d attached all the corresponding files required.
Curious, and hoping she hadn’t brought home a work friend, I crept downstairs to say hi. As I softly descended the steps, a strange, muffled whimper filtered through the air.
“Hush,” Cami said, her voice barely audible. “You’re going to get us caught. No, don’t look at me like that. Stop… Stop licking me. I can’t think when you’re doing that. How am I supposed to tell her about you?”
A mixture of emotions swam through me at her words. Out of all the people in the universe, the last person in the world I expected to be hiding lovers in my kitchen was Camilla. Despite her words, I just couldn’t bring myself to imagine her perched on my counter, legs spread as some sexy stranger lapped at her nether region. Sure enough, when I rounded the corner, it wasn’t a five-foot blonde but a five pound puppy that bounced against her chest, trying desperately to soothe away her anxiety with kisses.
“And who is this?” I asked.
She squeaked, eyes going wide as her arms wrapped protectively around the enthusiastic bundle of fur. “I… I…”
I knelt on the floor in front of them and touched the dog’s head. The silky fur slid under my fingertips. I couldn’t place the breed, then again, I didn’t know much about animals. We didn’t have them often growing up, and I never kept any as an adult. I always liked them, though. His or her tiny tail wagged so fast I almost worried the poor thing would injure itself from being too happy.
“Take a deep breath, Cami. I’m not mad. Just tell me what’s going on, okay?”
She nodded, and her chest rose and fell while she did as instructed. Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks in thick black fans when she closed her eyes to help gain her bearings. Clear blue eyes peered out at me, begging me to understand when she opened them again.
“There’s no room at the shelter. The owner tried to surrender him, but our manager said the best we could do is put him on a wait list. The guy said he can’t. He’s deploying the day after tomorrow. So he left, but he’d left this poor baby tied to the hitch of our company van in the parking lot.” She hugged the puppy tighter, causing him to go on another licking spree. “It’s December! It’s barely forty degrees outside. And they were going to send him to one of the other shelters, but it was closing time and…and I said I’d just take him.”
“As a foster until space opens up, or…”
Her shoulders rose in a shrug as she relaxed her hold on the puppy and stared at him. He turned in her arms to get a look at me, and the huge dark eyes exuded happiness and an avid belief that all remained right in the world. Whoever owned him previously took care of him, despite their actions today.
“We can foster him, but he’s your responsibility.” I booped her nose. “I know zip about pet care, which means you better come with me to the store. Otherwise, I’m going to end up buying jarred baby food, diapers, and a playpen, and that’s probably not right.”
She giggled as she finally released the puppy to wrap her arms around me. “Thank you, Eden! I won’t let you down. I promise.”
“Good. Cause he’s peeing on my floor right now.”
She gasped, jumped up, and raced to the counter to grab paper towels. I snickered as the pint-sized pooch scrambled after her, leaving a teeny puddle in his wake. Now that I could get a clear view of the black and tan pup, I realized his build did look familiar.
“Is he a long-haired sausage dog?” I asked.
Cami giggled as she dabbed up his accident. “Yeah. He’s a baby dachy mix. There’s a little blue dappling on his side too. Super cute.”
“How did you get him here? You were supposed to ride the bus to the stop near me and call for me to pick you up.” I jerked my phone out of my pocket to check it, then let out a sigh of relief at the lack of missed calls. “You never called.”
“Missy gave me a ride home. She said she lives over by the campus. We didn’t realize how close we live to each other now.”
My brow furrowed as I tried to place the unfamiliar name. “Missy…”
“My coworker. She’s super nice. She’s our vet tech. We talked about maybe starting to carpool.” Cami scooped up the puppy and began rocking him like a baby. The creature, happy at the attention, went lax in her arms.
“That might be a good idea. I know how much you hate the bus.”
She nodded, but her attention had wandered back to the little one in her arms. I watched her as she fussed over him, not unlike a mother with a new infant. A sense of loss washed over me as it hit me that my life choices meant more than likely, I’d never know the joy of motherhood. I’d considered it time to time, though hadn’t caved to the occasional baby fever bouts that plagued me in what felt like regular cycles. Perhaps the puppy could become a permanent resident?
More and more, my life twirled like a caterpillar making a cocoon, sweeping in these beautiful women and this region around me like silky threads to turn me into some conceptual butterfly my soul yearned for but my mind couldn’t quite visualize yet. Each day I spun with shaking twists toward that future, binding myself with equal parts intensity and natural flow. I could only pray that my most recent deliberate efforts panned out, helping to shape the future of my unseen wings.
“Where’s Denisha?” Camilla asked, finally realizing our Little wasn’t home yet.
“She’s at the movies with Kay and Boi. They went to see some kid show, and asked if she wanted to come. Initially, I’d planned to use the time to maybe get naughty with you, but…” I trailed off, letting my gaze slide back to the pup. “Seems our night is taking a very different turn. There’s a pet supply store nearby, right?”
Her expression turned serious and suddenly she crawled toward me. Her eyes, normally a vivid blue, darkened to a stormy version of themselves as emotion filled them. Though the puppy remained tucked against her chest, tail wagging, everything about her pose screamed sex and submission, and it enticed me in a thousand different ways. The small part in her lips. The way her breasts rose and fell from her breaths. The delicate way her dark curls danced across her shoulders to disappear down her back. Timid yet passionate. Mine.
“Eden.” My name fell from her lips in a way I’d never heard before, capturing my full attention.
I leaned forward and brushed mine against hers in a gentle kiss, uncertain what she wanted. What she needed. All I knew was that every part of my being knew I could give it to her. Insisted that I should, regardless of the expectations or costs.
“I love you,” she whispered.
The words slammed me in the chest with a very real tangible blow. She’d uttered the words before, not long ago, when she stated she’d go with me if I didn’t stay here. Emotion swelled up from deep inside my core, answering her call, like a rose to the rays of the sun. I reached out, touching her face, rooting myself in this moment.
“I love you too, Camilla.”
Her eyes grew wide in shock at my response and she rocked back until she sat on her butt with a hard thump. The puppy wiggled from her arms to race oblivious circles around the kitchen. The reaction startled me, and just as I began to question if I’d said what I thought I said, she spoke. “You…you told me it back. You didn’t last time.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks, and I did my best to gather her against me. My fingers ran up and down her arms, across her face, almost of their own accord as I rocked her, soothing her. I knew she cried from shock and happiness, but it shamed me to realize that I’d never taken into consideration how much I’d wounded her by withholding the words last time.
“How could I be so blind to the love all of you have for me?” I asked out loud, shocking myself. “Is it wrong, Camilla? Is it wrong how damn much I love each of you for who you are?”
Her hands clutched my shirt, fingers digging into the material as a soft sob shook her frame. “I don’t care if it’s wrong. Don’t leave us. Is that what makes you still want to go? Because you’re embarrassed people will think we’re weird? Rhett doesn’t care. Kay doesn’t care. Abe and Elle don’t care. As long as our closest friends and those of us actually living with it think it’s fine, why does it matter?”
“As in, we set the table.” I released Denisha to sweep Camilla into a gentle kiss. “My beautiful maid gets 99.2 percent of the credit.”
Her creamy cheeks blushed as she accepted my kiss, then bustled off to start filling plates. Wynn came to a stop beside me, her movements stiff, but a quiet smile remained of her face. I reached out to hold her hand as we watched the others pick places at the table, talking and laughing.
“Are you hurting very badly?” I asked her, keeping my tone quiet so the others wouldn’t become alarmed. “If you need, you can always lay down upstairs. I can bring you a plate up.”
She shook her head. “My back’s a little achy today. Nothing too bad.”
“Okay. Anything we can do to help ease it?”
Again, her head gave a faint shake. “The pillows on your seats are pretty soft. I’ll be fine. Thanks, though.” Her warm lips brushed my cheek before she made her way over to the table and took a seat. Dove crawled under her legs and lay down, content to keep her handler company.
“Eden, come on. We’re starving here,” Rhett called.
I grinned as I crossed the room to join them. “It would be a sin to let all of this great food go to waste.”
Maya sniggered as I sat down between her and Denisha. “Well, you are the perpetrator of original sin.”
“No, that was Eve,” Denisha corrected. “Eden was the name of the perfect garden that Adam and Eve lived in before they ate the apple.”
“Does that make us all her flowers, since we belong to her?” Camilla asked, her tone playful.
They all stopped and stared at me, as if waiting for a real answer. I set down my cup, surprised at the turn the teasing took. “Of course it does,” I said. “You’re all my beautiful rainbow roses.”
“’Cept Rhett,” Denisha proclaimed, jabbing a fork in his direction.
“Except Rhett,” I agreed. “He’s our snake.”
We all cracked up, including the man who suffered the brunt of the joke. His tongue flicked out as he mimicked the reptile, making the Little shriek in laughter.
The doorbell rang, bringing all our merriment to a halt. Camilla’s eyes darted to my face as she placed the gravy ladle back in the steaming bowl. “Are we expecting anyone else?”
“No.” I stood, wondering who on Earth would be out and about on a day like this. Surely not salesmen. Maybe missionaries, hoping to catch families home much like we were so they could spread the word?
Their chatter picked back up as I approached the front door, though their tones sounded more on edge now. Careful. Quiet. As if expecting MAGA anti-gay police at the door to break up our dinner. When I opened it, I wondered for a brief second if they’d all suffered some sixth sense my body forgot to clue me in on.
Denisha’s mother stood on my porch, clothes disheveled and face flushed with emotion. Before she could say a word, I stepped outside and closed the door firmly behind me. Last thing we needed was her antics ruining our special dinner that Camilla worked so damn hard on.
“It’s a holiday. Don’t you have any heart? Give me back my baby,” she immediately demanded in a rising whine.
I crossed my arms, allowing her a few more seconds of insults with pleas interspersed before I sighed heavily. “Listen, you need to stop. Moments like these are doing more harm than good. I’m not keeping your daughter out of your life, like you seem to think. Take a minute to look at yourself, how you sound, and what you are acting like.”
Her mouth flapped open and closed a few times as her face turn beet red. “How dare you act like it’s my fault. You’re the one who seduced her from the Lord’s grace with your evil cunt. You sexed her into being a mindless slave. Kidnapped her—”
“With my quim?” I finished dryly.
“This is not funny!” Her fists balled at her sides and she looked damn near ready to knock my ass loose.
“No, it’s not funny. It’s not funny that you obviously have some severe mental health issues that need to be tended to. You want your daughter in your life? Why don’t you take yourself to a therapist and have them help you take a good, long, hard look at what might have made her so susceptible to my cunning cunt.” I barely held back the snort that threatened to escape. “Now, when you can act like a big girl, we might be able to think about letting Denisha know you want to see her. Until then, get the fuck off my front porch before I call the cops.”
“Vile bitch. Demonic succubus,” she spat as she stepped backward toward a car parked in front of my house.
“Glad you think I’m sexy as a succubus. Compliments aside, you still have to leave,” I retorted.
She turned a shade I didn’t know people could turn before whirling around and marching off toward her car. I waited until she’d pulled away and disappeared down the block before returning inside. As I walked in the kitchen, they all fell silent.
“Is everything okay?” Wynn asked, her expression concerned.
“It was just someone wanting to spread the word of God. I scared them off with my gayness.” I settled back into my chair as several of them chuckled.
Denisha’s hand sought mine under the table, and when I met her gaze, I could tell that somehow she knew the truth. Maybe I’d fooled the others. Maybe not. But my perceptive Little knew who really paid us a visit, and I wished with all my heart I could take that pain away for her. I gave her hand a squeeze, and she offered me a watery smile.
“It’ll be okay,” I murmured as I gave her forehead a gentle kiss.
“I know. Thank you,” she whispered back before releasing me to eat.
Before long, the conversation around the table picked back up, becoming a steady buzz on teasing and laughing and talking about work. When the subject of jobs came up, Maya tapped the table in front of Wynn.
“Speaking of jobs, didn’t you want to talk to Eden about something, Wynny?”
The woman’s eyes sought her fork as she carefully played with the remainder of her mashed potatoes. “I…uh…”
I lay my fork down, giving her my full attention. “What’s up? We can talk about it later, if you want.”
“N-no.” She shook her head before taking a deep breath. “I wanted to ask for help, actually. If you had time, of course. I… I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what you said.”
The table fell silent as we all waited for her to continue. After a few moments of silence, Maya gently nudged her. Wynn started, as if jerked from her own thoughts. Finally, chin raised, she met my gaze head on.
“You mentioned there might be jobs available for people…like me. Disabled. I’d like to look into those, and see if we can find something.”
I nodded, delighted that this day had come. Wynn’s self-esteem seemed to be directly linked to her perception of how much she made, and laying around drawing disability and barely able to make ends meet contributed to her depression. I’d already researched a few programs, and a few websites sat waiting in my bookmarked list.
“That sounds like a great idea, hon. We can look at what’s out there once I’ve helped Camilla clean up.” I offered her an encouraging smile.
She visibly relaxed and all of us went back to eating. The silence grew deafening, and I couldn’t help but wonder what everyone was thinking. My own mind raced between Wynn’s request and Denisha’s mother’s visit. Two deeply contrasting emotions settled within me.
“When is your out date, Rhett?” I asked, hoping to engage some more conversation.
He dabbed at his mouth with a napkin and swallowed before answering, “March. I already have a contract in place for that analyst job, so I’ll be transferring without any downtime. Just got to find myself an apartment since barracks living won’t be an option anymore.”
“You’re still living in a barracks? Shit son, no wonder you’ve got such a nice ass car,” Maya exclaimed.
He shrugged. “Never saw any reason to rent off base. They keep us out on workups so much, it seemed like a waste of money. I put what would have been rent in savings instead.”
“You got it all figured out.” She leaned back in her chair and rested her palms against the back of her head.
“I’m still trying to figure out what the heck I’m getting everyone for Christmas, and Rhett’s over here planned out clear to March.” I sighed and shook my head. “I’ve gotta step up my game.”
Laughter filled the room, bringing back the jovial atmosphere I’d feared we lost. When we finished our meals, Denisha, Maya, and I washed dishes while we shooed Camilla, Wynn, and Rhett off to watch television. Dove stretched out on the carpet in front of the couch, legs straight out and eyes heavy-lidded as she relaxed. Our first real holiday together proved a smashing success, and I found myself yearning for more.
More family.
More friends.
More…home.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The thud of the front door closing echoed through the house, startling me from where I sat upstairs on my laptop. I checked the clock, surprised at how late the digital numbers displayed. Cami must have come home.
I hesitated, waffling between pausing to greet her and finishing my task I found myself still in the middle of. The progression bar showed only a few steps remained. Five more minutes of activity, tops. I could hear her rustling around downstairs, and decided to wrap up things here first. I didn’t know if I could save and come back, or if I left it, I lost control of it forever. Considering how important the document was, I couldn’t risk leaving it until I knew I’d crossed every t and dotted every i.
As I worked, I caught soft murmurings from downstairs. A frown tugged at the corners of my mouth. Camilla didn’t usually talk to herself, and Denisha was spending the night with Boi. I’d arranged a rare night alone for the two of us to have, though that didn’t necessarily mean we’d have sex. The sound of her voice distracted me, causing me to almost send the document without verifying that I’d attached all the corresponding files required.
Curious, and hoping she hadn’t brought home a work friend, I crept downstairs to say hi. As I softly descended the steps, a strange, muffled whimper filtered through the air.
“Hush,” Cami said, her voice barely audible. “You’re going to get us caught. No, don’t look at me like that. Stop… Stop licking me. I can’t think when you’re doing that. How am I supposed to tell her about you?”
A mixture of emotions swam through me at her words. Out of all the people in the universe, the last person in the world I expected to be hiding lovers in my kitchen was Camilla. Despite her words, I just couldn’t bring myself to imagine her perched on my counter, legs spread as some sexy stranger lapped at her nether region. Sure enough, when I rounded the corner, it wasn’t a five-foot blonde but a five pound puppy that bounced against her chest, trying desperately to soothe away her anxiety with kisses.
“And who is this?” I asked.
She squeaked, eyes going wide as her arms wrapped protectively around the enthusiastic bundle of fur. “I… I…”
I knelt on the floor in front of them and touched the dog’s head. The silky fur slid under my fingertips. I couldn’t place the breed, then again, I didn’t know much about animals. We didn’t have them often growing up, and I never kept any as an adult. I always liked them, though. His or her tiny tail wagged so fast I almost worried the poor thing would injure itself from being too happy.
“Take a deep breath, Cami. I’m not mad. Just tell me what’s going on, okay?”
She nodded, and her chest rose and fell while she did as instructed. Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks in thick black fans when she closed her eyes to help gain her bearings. Clear blue eyes peered out at me, begging me to understand when she opened them again.
“There’s no room at the shelter. The owner tried to surrender him, but our manager said the best we could do is put him on a wait list. The guy said he can’t. He’s deploying the day after tomorrow. So he left, but he’d left this poor baby tied to the hitch of our company van in the parking lot.” She hugged the puppy tighter, causing him to go on another licking spree. “It’s December! It’s barely forty degrees outside. And they were going to send him to one of the other shelters, but it was closing time and…and I said I’d just take him.”
“As a foster until space opens up, or…”
Her shoulders rose in a shrug as she relaxed her hold on the puppy and stared at him. He turned in her arms to get a look at me, and the huge dark eyes exuded happiness and an avid belief that all remained right in the world. Whoever owned him previously took care of him, despite their actions today.
“We can foster him, but he’s your responsibility.” I booped her nose. “I know zip about pet care, which means you better come with me to the store. Otherwise, I’m going to end up buying jarred baby food, diapers, and a playpen, and that’s probably not right.”
She giggled as she finally released the puppy to wrap her arms around me. “Thank you, Eden! I won’t let you down. I promise.”
“Good. Cause he’s peeing on my floor right now.”
She gasped, jumped up, and raced to the counter to grab paper towels. I snickered as the pint-sized pooch scrambled after her, leaving a teeny puddle in his wake. Now that I could get a clear view of the black and tan pup, I realized his build did look familiar.
“Is he a long-haired sausage dog?” I asked.
Cami giggled as she dabbed up his accident. “Yeah. He’s a baby dachy mix. There’s a little blue dappling on his side too. Super cute.”
“How did you get him here? You were supposed to ride the bus to the stop near me and call for me to pick you up.” I jerked my phone out of my pocket to check it, then let out a sigh of relief at the lack of missed calls. “You never called.”
“Missy gave me a ride home. She said she lives over by the campus. We didn’t realize how close we live to each other now.”
My brow furrowed as I tried to place the unfamiliar name. “Missy…”
“My coworker. She’s super nice. She’s our vet tech. We talked about maybe starting to carpool.” Cami scooped up the puppy and began rocking him like a baby. The creature, happy at the attention, went lax in her arms.
“That might be a good idea. I know how much you hate the bus.”
She nodded, but her attention had wandered back to the little one in her arms. I watched her as she fussed over him, not unlike a mother with a new infant. A sense of loss washed over me as it hit me that my life choices meant more than likely, I’d never know the joy of motherhood. I’d considered it time to time, though hadn’t caved to the occasional baby fever bouts that plagued me in what felt like regular cycles. Perhaps the puppy could become a permanent resident?
More and more, my life twirled like a caterpillar making a cocoon, sweeping in these beautiful women and this region around me like silky threads to turn me into some conceptual butterfly my soul yearned for but my mind couldn’t quite visualize yet. Each day I spun with shaking twists toward that future, binding myself with equal parts intensity and natural flow. I could only pray that my most recent deliberate efforts panned out, helping to shape the future of my unseen wings.
“Where’s Denisha?” Camilla asked, finally realizing our Little wasn’t home yet.
“She’s at the movies with Kay and Boi. They went to see some kid show, and asked if she wanted to come. Initially, I’d planned to use the time to maybe get naughty with you, but…” I trailed off, letting my gaze slide back to the pup. “Seems our night is taking a very different turn. There’s a pet supply store nearby, right?”
Her expression turned serious and suddenly she crawled toward me. Her eyes, normally a vivid blue, darkened to a stormy version of themselves as emotion filled them. Though the puppy remained tucked against her chest, tail wagging, everything about her pose screamed sex and submission, and it enticed me in a thousand different ways. The small part in her lips. The way her breasts rose and fell from her breaths. The delicate way her dark curls danced across her shoulders to disappear down her back. Timid yet passionate. Mine.
“Eden.” My name fell from her lips in a way I’d never heard before, capturing my full attention.
I leaned forward and brushed mine against hers in a gentle kiss, uncertain what she wanted. What she needed. All I knew was that every part of my being knew I could give it to her. Insisted that I should, regardless of the expectations or costs.
“I love you,” she whispered.
The words slammed me in the chest with a very real tangible blow. She’d uttered the words before, not long ago, when she stated she’d go with me if I didn’t stay here. Emotion swelled up from deep inside my core, answering her call, like a rose to the rays of the sun. I reached out, touching her face, rooting myself in this moment.
“I love you too, Camilla.”
Her eyes grew wide in shock at my response and she rocked back until she sat on her butt with a hard thump. The puppy wiggled from her arms to race oblivious circles around the kitchen. The reaction startled me, and just as I began to question if I’d said what I thought I said, she spoke. “You…you told me it back. You didn’t last time.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks, and I did my best to gather her against me. My fingers ran up and down her arms, across her face, almost of their own accord as I rocked her, soothing her. I knew she cried from shock and happiness, but it shamed me to realize that I’d never taken into consideration how much I’d wounded her by withholding the words last time.
“How could I be so blind to the love all of you have for me?” I asked out loud, shocking myself. “Is it wrong, Camilla? Is it wrong how damn much I love each of you for who you are?”
Her hands clutched my shirt, fingers digging into the material as a soft sob shook her frame. “I don’t care if it’s wrong. Don’t leave us. Is that what makes you still want to go? Because you’re embarrassed people will think we’re weird? Rhett doesn’t care. Kay doesn’t care. Abe and Elle don’t care. As long as our closest friends and those of us actually living with it think it’s fine, why does it matter?”
