A Place to Dance

How do you build your dreams? For Jolly Andolini it was easy. They started on her drafting table and came alive under her talented hammer. Jolly is an architect who finds her true love at an art exhibit o ening! or does she? This is the story of Jolly and the women who ma"e her life both interesting and com lete. #ha ter $ Tim Andolini looked at the blonde sitting across from him and sighed. Sometimes it just sucked to be married, especially when someone like Christina Griffin walked in and turned your brain to mush. Women who looked as good as Christina could make you forget your name and your religion in the wisp of one flirty smile. Thirty seconds into his fantasy of Christina dancing for him in a bikini Tim remembered had a wife and two children. !s. Griffin, my partner called this morning and said the foundation has been poured with no problems. "f this weather holds, construction will begin ne#t !onday. Tim pointed out the large e#panse of windows in his office to point out the blue cloudless skies. "f you ha$e any %uestions you can call either myself or &olly, and we'll be happy to help. Thanks, Tim. (et's hope this weather does hold. "'$e disco$ered "'m not one for apartment li$ing. !y house sold sooner than " thought so " didn't ha$e much of a choice but to mo$e into what seems like a bo# with three small windows. "'m looking forward to the space this is going to gi$e me. Christina tapped her finger on the house plans spread out o$er Tim's desk. Christina had found the architectural firm of Andolini and Andolini through a friend and so far had been impressed with their work. The house &olly Andolini had designed was going to be built on a large parcel of land Christina's parents had gi$en her as a graduation present a couple of years before. )or years young professionals stayed in the city's old neighborhoods, preferring the charm of *ew +rleans's architectural masterpieces of wood and slate erected decades before, to the stodginess of the suburbs. The shores of the lake were left either in their natural states or were inhabited by older generations looking for a %uiet lifestyle. A paradise for the lo$ers of ,urple !artins that came in the spring to roast under the (ake ,onchatrain's twenty four mile long bridge, lea$ing for warmer climates in the fall. Surprisingly it was the flocking !artins that brought a renewed interest to the area. -ird lo$ers of e$ery age sat on the lake's le$ees e$ery afternoon to watch the massi$e black cloud of birds return to their nests for the night after consuming their weight in mos%uitoes as if someone had rung a recess bell. After the nightly show people went back to watching the multitude of boats that glided o$er the brown murky waters of (ouisiana's greatest body of water. &olly seemed to ha$e understood the specialness of the area, creating a home that would blend in with the woods and (ake ,onchatrain at the back of the property. The house the young architect had designed called for large plantation style windows that not only would infuse the rooms with light, but ser$e as a perfect place to see the natural beauty of the area. )rom the $eranda of the master bedroom suite, Christina could sit and either watch the flight of the punctual insect eating machines or the ancient willows and magnolias that had stood witness to the area's history unfolding o$er the years. The small blonde was looking forward to meeting Tim's partner who was an apparent artist at the drafting table. Will the infamous &olly e$er be around for me to thank for this great house you two are building me. &olly isn't much for being in the office on days like this, !s. Griffin, said Tim with a smile. /e rolled up her plans and placed them in a tube for her to take with her. 0emember, it's not too late if you want to make changes to the rooms. Thanks, Tim, "'ll e#pect an update from you when we start. They shook hands and Tim stood by the windows to watch Christina lea$e. She remo$ed the tailored jacket of her suit and threw it and the house plans into the passenger seat before getting into the midnight blue -!W 12. The $oyeur enjoyed the flash of leg he got as she slid into the small car. The ringing phone on his desk was what pulled him away from watching the car backing out below.

Who are you checking out now. Tim dropped into his office chair and started twirling a pen in his hand to keep from laughing. " could be hard at work you know. 3eah, and " could build the 4iffel Tower out of toothpicks but " don't see that happening, buddy. Was !s. Griffin happy with her final draft. &olly walked up the le$ee to look at the lake and get away from the noise of the trucks deli$ering the lumber they would need for the ne#t week. 5ery pleased. /er only disappointment was the genius who did them wasn't here to bask in her praise. That's what " ha$e you for, Timmy, to charm the clients into lo$ing the plans of what will e$entually be. "'m sure 'the hot babe' as you call her would rather " see to the construction of her house, said &olly. Tell me again why you went to school to become an architect, if all you really wanted to do is be a carpenter. 3ou should'$e gone to contractor school. " belie$e one of the courses was how to spit, scream at laborers and get your pants to hang low enough to see the top of your butt crack. "'m fairly sure you would'$e aced it. "'$e heard that mouth of yours, you're like a sailor when you want to be. Tim propped his feet on his desk prepared to fight their ongoing argument. Think of how many more projects we could take on if you didn't insist on o$erseeing and participating in the building phase. Tim, " told you before, take on as many projects as you want, but6 " know, " know. When someone spends this kind of money and has en$isioned this kind of space, they deser$e your all. " just worry about you. " know, Timmy, it's why " lo$e you so much, said &olly. 3ou aren't your old man, &olly. Cookie cutter isn't your style, and that's why " lo$e you so much. Thanks, buddy, but think, if you'd stayed with the firm you'd be rich by now, teased &olly. True, but you seem to attract all the beautiful artsy kinda of people who wouldn't go near 7ncle Anthony so it's an e$en trade. Thanks to you " can li$e $icariously in my own little twisted fantasies. "'ll make sure and mention that to ,am the ne#t time " see her. ,am knows what "'m capable of and she married me anyway. Good thing there's a large streak of mental illness running down the center of her family tree. *ow get going and see if all of your wood arri$ed. Tim dropped his feet to the ground and hung up the phone. As he turned the light on o$er his drafting table he thought about his relationship with &olly. /e was con$inced it was their partnership, which had kept his work clean and fresh. 7nlike some of their classmates who had gone to the large firms and lost the creati$ity that had dri$en them to study architecture in the first place, Tim was proud of e$ery project. /e and &olly speciali1ed in building things that became an e#tension of their surroundings. "n their si# short years together as business partners, they had made Architectural 8igest ten times, so despite his grumbling, they were doing more than all right. They had a waiting list of projects for people who were willing to put off construction for at least a year, rather than to going on without their designs. )rom the start he knew their partnership would be a success considering they'd seen each other almost e$ery day from the time of their birth. &olly had stood by him through e$ery major e$ent in his life offering praise or a shoulder to cry on depending on what fate threw his way. "f there was one thing in his life Tim ne$er %uestioned it was &olly's being there for him and his family. The only other project Tim and his wife ,am worked on constantly was getting &olly married and settled. /is cousin was almost relationship phobic after a lifetime of watching her parents go at each other with hateful intent. Anthony /olland, &olly's father, wasn't someone who tolerated dissent well, especially from

his children. The big man had used his height and bulk to intimidate and bully his family into what he wanted from them. All of his children had succumbed to his wishes e#cept for one. &olly had almost gone out of her way to follow her heart to a life that made her happy, but made Anthony's blood pressure rise. The only thing father and daughter had in common was that they were both architects, albeit successful for different reasons. Tim remembered the day &olly packed up her office at her father's firm and walked out. -efore lea$ing she told him he had sold his work out for the money and his family's lo$e because of his need for control. /er cousin would'$e applauded her if he hadn't been holding a bo# filled with his own stuff. To complete her break from her father, &olly had taken her mother's maiden name as a tribute to her grandfather. ,apa )rancois, as Tim and &olly called him, was the real reason &olly had studied architecture. The two young Andolinis had started with a small office and a few clients willing to take a chance. Within si# months their gamble had paid off and it irked Anthony that the two children who had run around together from the time they were toddlers had clawed their way to a stellar reputation one project at a time. The old man had e#pected his daughter and nephew to come crawling back three months from the day they both walked out. &olly's mother had often commented that of all the /olland and Andolini children, &olly and Tim had been the two who inherited ,apa )ran9ois's looks. Their grandfather had been a hero to both children, but especially to &olly. )rancois's children had married two $ery different people, but his two first: born grandchildren had formed a bond that time had only strengthened. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; /ow'd the meeting go. All set to build ne#t week. asked (isa Whitney. She had been Christina's assistant for three years. Together with a small staff they ran one of the largest and most successful art galleries in *ew +rleans. Seems that way, if it doesn't start to rain e$ery day. "'m praying that doesn't happen since " ha$en't been able to find half my stuff in all the bo#es around that apartment you found for me. " hope you like this outfit and the other three "'$e managed to put together. They're the only ones " ha$e at the moment. "'m starting to think the mo$ers tossed some bo#es out along the way so they wouldn't ha$e to carry them upstairs. (isa laughed at her boss. The woman was known for her organi1ational skills as well as her ability to find new and e#citing artists. /a$ing been e#iled to a small space for about eight months was about to kill her. "'ll say a prayer for drought conditions until you're done. Thanks. /as the stuff for the new show started to arri$e yet. Christina walked to her office past the empty walls that had been cleared for an opening they were hosting at the end of the ne#t week. The truck is at !imi's studio now, so they should be able to start hanging by tomorrow morning. -efore you ask, the in$itations ha$e been sent out and Amy's working on calling the A list so we ha$e good attendance. Christina smiled up from the ton of mail on her desk glad she had found the young woman who had a knack for reading her mind. " want to sell as many pieces as possible opening night. !imi's going to be a hot commodity after this and " want her e#perience with us to be memorable. 3es, captain. Anything else. 3es, see if you can clear some time for me ne#t week so " can dri$e out to the property and check out the progress of the construction. " think it'll be fun to see it the whole way through. -oss. the %uestion came through the intercom on Christina's desk. 3es, Amy. !imi !ulle's on line one for you. Christina picked up the recei$er and answered with her most professional $oice. !imi, hi. " was just

talking about you. 8id the guys get there all right. They're packing up crates as we speak. " just wanted to call and let you know "'ll be out of town for a couple of days so just lea$e a message if you need anything. "'ll be checking the machine throughout the weekend. /a$e fun and don't worry about any of your stuff. We'll get together at the beginning of ne#t week to make sure you're happy with the display before the opening. Thanks, Chris. "'m looking forward to working with you. "'$e got e$ery confidence in you and (isa to make the show a success. Call me if you ha$e any problems. Christina dedicated the rest of the weekend to emptying as many bo#es as she could so there would be a chance of her wearing something else besides the few outfits she was able to find and hang in her closet. She had dri$en out to the construction site of her house and was pleased by how few trees had to be cleared away to make room for the foundation slab. The large multi:le$eled piece of cement looked like a blank can$as to her just waiting for someone to come along and create something wonderful. Christina smiled thinking of the first day she had walked this little piece of the world that belonged to her. /er father had inherited the land from an aunt, and when he saw the light that filtered through the trees in the afternoon, he thought Christina would be in hea$en if she had a studio there one day. That dream was getting closer and she couldn't wait to get back to her true passion, which was painting. The phone on her hip bu11ed and Christina's smile grew bigger when she saw it was her parent's cell number. /i, guys, she said brightly into the phone knowing her parents would each be listening in on the other end. /i, sweetheart. What's got you out so early already on a Sunday morning. asked /illary her mother. &ust checking my land, ma, teased Christina. " still can't belie$e you're building a house and you'$e ne$er met the architect. This person could be a nut for all you know, chastised /illary. /ill, lea$e her alone. "'m sure Chris knows what she's doing, and "'$e looked at the prints myself and they look like a winner, baby. There wasn't much 8ell Griffin wasn't willing to side with his only child on. /e had watched the bubbly child grow into a confident young woman and talented artist, so if she wanted to li$e in a tent under a tree it would ha$e been fine with him. Thanks, daddy, and he's right, mom, " lo$e the design &olly came up with. The same firm built !arie and Allen's house and " hardly e$er see them since they find it hard to walk out the door. When are you two due back. Si# weeks, sweetie, so call us if you need anything. 8ell and /illary were on their annual summer $acation in 4urope, so e#cept for the daily postcard Christina got, their phone calls were the only way she knew where they were for sure. With one last look at the trees, cement and pile of lumber awaiting the crew the ne#t morning, Christina dro$e back to the city missing &olly dri$ing up from the back of the property. The architect was there to check e$ery plumbing and electrical connection coming out of the slab wanting e$erything to go smoothly the ne#t day. Christina didn't know it, but &olly had incorporated some of the designs she had been working on for her own house into the one they were going to start !onday. At least someone will enjoy all those pictures in my head since " doubt "'ll e$er build the one "'m thinking of, said &olly to the trees around her. !imi had been out of town $isiting a friend for the weekend so &olly found herself lost. "t'd be good to get back to something she lo$ed in the morning. 8esigning was fun, but watching it come to life was the best part. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

+n three, ok. 3ou got it, said the row of workers waiting to lift the second section of outer wall into place. Starting at si# that morning the workers had framed the studs that would anchor the skeleton to the outside of the first floor and had been working together to put them into place. &olly sat straddled at the top of a fifteen:foot ladder waiting for the long span of wood to be lifted so that she could hammer the supports into place. With any luck they could get the section they were working on done by lunch. +k, one, two, up boys. She lo$ed the smell of pine that came up to meet her when the wall came up. A %uick hammer put the nails that would hold it up into place and &olly was sliding down to scramble up to the other side to get the job done. Why fourteen feet, boss. asked /ank, one of the master carpenters &olly had contracted to work on the project. "t's a fifteen foot le$ee, so if !s. Griffin hopes to get a look at the lake from upstairs " thought "'d gi$e her an unobstructed $iew by going another four feet on each floor. With the two foot cross beams in between floors she'll get a great waterfront $iew from upstairs. The si1e of the house will make it look great and we'll be able to go bigger on the crown molding to bring the scale down a little. &olly wiped her brow of the sweat already pouring out of her. With a pair of shorts, work boots, t:shirt and tool belt she blended in well with all the rest of the crew she had put together for this job. The guys pulled out their coolers and headed for the trees for lunch. They lo$ed working on any of &olly and Tim's projects because &olly was there for most of them working along side them to make sure the job met her specifications. At first they had doubts about working with the architect thinking that she would be there just to bitch about e$ery aspect of the process, but those had %uickly died when they saw her work. &olly had a way with wood that could make any guy en$ious of her skill. The inside of the homes they had built together had a mi# of glass and wood that ga$e them a uni%uely stylish, but comfortable appearance. )or a carpenter, &olly's plans were always fun to put together. -oss, the lumber company's back with the cross beams for the second floor, said -uck, one of her helpers. /e hated to disturb her as she poured o$er the plans but the guy making the deli$ery was an#ious to get going for lunch himself. ,ut them by the back o$er there and tell the guys to tarp them after lunch. " don't want them warping if they get wet with dew out here in the morning. "t'll be a couple, maybe three days before we need those anyway. Thanks, &olly. The work continued until si# when they knocked off after getting up most of the framework for the walls downstairs. A small -!W passed a line of old trucks coming out of the site on its way in. Christina wa$ed to the tired looking group as she kept on toward what was starting to look like a house. The ne#t day, Christina made it a point to make it to the site before the crew left for the day to talk to the foreman and get his rough timeline on the completion date. When she dro$e up there was a crane lifting beams up to the two workers who were doing what looked like a high wire act on the top of the skeletal walls of the downstairs. /alf of the pieces that would support the ceiling at the bottom and the floor at the top were in place and the artist found it funny they wouldn't finish one floor before starting in on the second. (ea$ing her suit jacket on the seat ne#t to her, Christina stepped out of the car and leaned against it as she watched one of the workers putting the beams in place. +h my, she looks like a goddess up there, thought the blonde she shielded her eyes from the sun. -alanced on the balls of her feet was a tall woman swinging a hammer. The long nails they were using to secure the long pieces were being dri$en with three forceful strokes, and Christina could see why that looked so easy when she looked at the hea$ily muscled tan skin on display.

That will be the last one, &oe, then we'll take a break and let -uck and somebody else up here. 3ou got it. /eads up, boss. The crane operator lifted the last beam and swung it into place waiting for the nails to go in before releasing the cable holding it up. *one of the workers noticed the good looking woman mo$e away from her car and walk into the site until she was standing below where the two workers where nailing the supports up. Christina stood there and watched the woman finish her side, and was surprised when the worker did something the artist wasn't e#pecting. The female carpenter jumped from her perch, doing a back flip and landing two inches in front of her startled audience. -y pure refle#, &olly grabbed Christina as she was falling backward into a pile of sawdust. "t was only after she had grabbed the smaller woman that &olly remembered how dirty her hands were and from the feel of it, the shirtslee$es she had a hold of were fine "rish linen. And cream colored too. Crap this isn't my day. &olly %uickly released her capti$e hoping the woman would stay on her feet. Sorry, !s. Griffin, " didn't see you standing there. "f you send the cleaning bill to the office "'ll ha$e Tim take care of it. " really didn't mean to startle you. Christina looked at the big hands the carpenter was holding up and didn't e$en want to see how much of the gunk co$ering them had been left on her clothes. 3ou big goober. 8on't you know what you did was dangerous not only to me but to yourself as well. "f this is how your foreman runs this place, one of you should be dead before the end of the month. The only thing missing from the tirade Christina had going was her finger poking &olly in the chest. !ost of the men hid their smiles behind rough hands as the small spitfire lit into their boss with a set of perfect handprints on her slee$es. " promise you we run a safe operation, ma'am, and " do apologi1e for your clothes and for scaring you. "s there anything " can do for you. &olly wiped her hands on the back of her shorts in case there would be any more touching in$ol$ed before Christina left. Tim had not e#aggerated for once and she could see the gallery owner was a beautiful woman e$en if designer sunglasses co$ered her face. *o, " just came to see what was going on before heading to a meeting on this side of town. " had a few minutes so " thought "'d stop in. *ow "'m going to look like " got mauled along the way, said Christina pointing to her slee$es. Christina wanted to stay mad, she really did, but looking up at the poker straight light brown hair and deep blue eyes was doing something to her righteous indignation. )or a brief moment she had felt like a romance no$el heroine being swept up by the rogue pirate who turns out to be the good guy. The thought of (isa's face if she showed up on a date somewhere with a construction worker was almost worth asking the woman out. "'d offer you some club soda but " just drank my last one. "s there any way that " can make this up to you. &olly put her hands up, laughing when Christina took a step back. 3ou could put your hands in your pockets for me, and keep them there until " dri$e away. )air enough. /ow about " walk you to your car then we'll know you'll be out of harms way from any other falling carpenters during your $isit, suggested &olly. They walked in silence to the small sports car each looking e$erywhere e#cept each other. &olly opened Christina's door for her then put her hand back in her back pocket as a joke. After the engine purred to life and was about to dri$e away, it occurred to Christina to ask how &olly knew her name. /er run in with the carpenter had made her forget the purpose of her $isit, but if the good:looking worker was going to be there, she sure didn't mind coming back. /ey, goober, how'd you know " was Christina Griffin. asked the blonde with her head sticking out the car window. Timmy did a great job of describing you.

The sunglasses came down to re$eal big blue eyes with a flirtatious look to them and &olly could ha$e taken the rest of the day off just to stare at them. When Christina saw she had the woman's attention she went on with her %uestions. Aren't you going to introduce yourself. Goober. !s. -ig Goober to you. *ow run along, ma'am, you wouldn't want to be late. +h, and if anyone asks just tell them the mauler got off a lot worse than you. As &olly turned and walked back to her men, Christina thought to herself a tool belt ne$er looked so se#y. Come on, tell me your name. &olly, was shouted o$er a broad shoulder before the architect disappeared into the construction sight. Christina caught sight of her again as the tall body climbed back into position to recei$e more beams from the crane operator to the applause of her crew. /oly crap, she muttered to herself. All she could do now was pray that the walls of her kitchen didn't collapse after her insult. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Then she called you a goober. A big goober. Well you are big, &olly, e$en you'$e got to concede to that. Goober though, implies you're somewhat clumsy and we both know that's not the case. 3ou're big, but "'d ha$e to say you're the most graceful person " know. <ip me up and let's get going. /opefully there's a gallery full of people waiting to buy some great art, said !imi. &olly walked up behind her and 1ipped up the smallest mini dress she had e$er seen on a woman, thinking only !imi could make it look chic. 3ou'd better hope no one with a big check book spills anything on her tonight, it may mean curtains for your career, teased &olly as she picked up !imi's wrap and put it around the petite woman's shoulders. &olly gathered the small woman into a hug and kissed her on the cheek before she could walk to the door. -efore you get caught up in the swell of well wishers and forget all about me, let me congratulate you, sprout. "'m so proud of you. 3ou're the best, &olly, so there's no chance "'ll forget about you. Thanks for coming with me tonight. There isn't another person " could think of that " want to share this with. &ust for your unselfish acts on my behalf " ha$e a surprise for you. 3ou didn't ha$e to do that, sweetheart. &ust seeing that my in$estment has started to pull in di$idends is good enough for me. That earned her a slap on the arm as !imi pointed to the door and the fact she was ready to go. Tell me you left the truck at home tonight. asked !imi already pouting. Come on, " wouldn't do that to you. " borrowed -uck's since his has less dings in it. &olly's date was about to start complaining until she saw the (and Cruiser's lights come on when its owner pressed the alarm key as they neared it. At the gallery, Christina and (isa stood in front of one of the paintings and tried to figure out why !imi had created it. "t was so different from the colorful free creations that marked the rest of the e#hibit in that it was a portrait of someone nailing together bits of draft drawings. The person perched on top of the little numbers and scales that made up drafts was caught mid swing with just her back showing. A short ponytail looked like it was about to whisk sweat on you if you got to close and the hand the shiny chrome hammer was held in, looked like it had spent plenty of afternoons practicing its craft. "'$e gotten a ton of in%uiries on this piece but !imi left instructions this one was to be in the show but wasn't for sale. Think she's some hot babe !imi's dating. asked (isa pointing to the woman in the piece.

Christina thought back to a couple of days ago when she came in contact with her own hammer wielder and saw how !imi could get carried away by someone like this. Tell her that when she gets here and maybe she'll change her mind. Sometimes the price keeps pace with the increased interest. "'m sure she won't want to miss out on a really large sale. The bu11 around the door clued both women their tardy artist had finally decided to make an appearance. *ot for the first time Christina looked at the small blonde who had created the large can$ases hanging in her gallery and smiled. !imi was constant motion and it showed in her work. "t'd had to take tremendous energy to put the amount of talent she was able to cram into each piece. Christina was just glad to get her first formal showing since there was already a bu11 about her in the art world. This night was important to them if she was to continue to represent !imi and her talent. The artist was still young so Christina was banking on the fact !imi's art would only mature with her age. Chris, (isa, "'m sorry we're late but the traffic was murder getting here. /ow am " doing. -oth Christina and her assistant looked up at the woman !imi had a strangle hold on and smiled, now used to the disjointed con$ersations !imi engaged in. Whoe$er her date was looked at !imi adoringly and was obli$ious to what a great looking couple they made as she too listened to the artist jump from one topic to the ne#t. Great, there are only a few pieces not sold, but they won't be here for long. The night's not o$er and people are already demanding another show as soon as possible, said Christina. As she was talking it was hard to focus on !imi and not the big Ama1on she was holding hands with. There was something familiar about the woman wearing the best looking suit she had seen in fore$er, but it wasn't jumping out at her. That's great, " knew you two would do wonders for me, but if you'll e#cuse me " ha$e a gift to gi$e. Come on, killer, " want to show you your surprise. !imi pulled &olly along by the hand until they were standing in front of the strange out of place painting. The artist waited not wanting to influence &olly's opinion as she looked at her creation for the first time. 8o you like it. She asked after what seemed like an eternity had passed with &olly not saying anything. !imi, thank you it's beautiful. " was wondering what you found so fascinating last summer at the project we had going. " lo$e it, and " lo$e you. Christina watched from a few feet away as the tall woman pulled !imi into her arms and hugged her with affection. She was whispering something in a small ear but her eyes had not left the painting on the wall. All the women in the gallery could see why the $ery out !imi had not shown them any interest in the weeks she had been coming in to finali1e the show. With a date like the one she had come with, they wouldn't be looking either. /ow much. asked &olly. *othing, it's my gift of thanks to you for all you'$e done for me, &olly. "f it were up to mom and that husband of hers, the only painting "'d be doing would be the outside of the house. " did this because it was me doing something " lo$e, capturing you doing something you lo$e. " think it would look great in your office, and Tim told me it might prompt you into spending more time there, teased !imi. &olly looked into the big green eyes and got lost for a moment. !imi had a way of gi$ing pieces of her heart away with the art she created, and &olly had come to cherish all of the ones she'd recei$ed. That's been getting a lot of hits tonight, !imi. 3ou sure you won't consider parting with it. asked Christina. Ask the owner. "f she's willing to sell it, it's hers to do so, said !imi pointing to her companion. Sorry, !s. Griffin, but the painting's coming home with me. &olly held her hand out for Christina to shake and almost laughed at the %uestion in her mind if her hand was clean. /a$e we met.

This is the big goober cleaned up, supplied !imi with a little too much glee. The look on Christina's face was almost worth another go at portrait painting. +h my God, whispered Christina. "t was the hair that had thrown her off. The day she had met &olly for the first time the architect had had it pulled into a tight short ponytail. The thought of !imi ne$er gracing her door again for calling her girlfriend a goober occurred to Christina as she continued to ignore the offered hand. &olly for her part was willing to lea$e it hanging out there all night if it ga$e her the chance to see those blue eyes again. "t was (isa nudging Christina from the back that got her boss to finally notice her second mistake with the tall woman. *o, my friends call me &olly, teased the architect. !imi looked on as &olly took the small hand in her own and almost swallowed it when she wrapped her fingers around it. The softening around the blue eyes was a sure sign for !imi that &olly liked the gallery owner, and she tried her hardest to keep her smile in place thinking of only &olly's happiness. "'m so sorry for the other day. 3ou just scared me when you jumped on me and my mouth got away from me. "'m not usually so bitchy as to go around calling people names like that, and you left before you ga$e me the opportunity to apologi1e. Christina stopped babbling when &olly s%uee1ed her fingers. &olly, you jumped her. " don't remember that being part of the story you told me an hour ago. Go on, Chris, tell me more, said !imi ignoring the glare she was getting from &olly. " didn't jump on her, well not technically anyway. " was taking a break from laying beams and jumped down from the second floor. !s. Griffin was nice enough to be standing there to break my fall. Then you called her a big goober. asked !imi. *o it was after she grabbed me and ruined one of my fa$orite shirts and "'d reco$ered from my scare. Then " called her a big goober, supplied Christina. 3ou ruined her shirt. !imi was lo$ing this con$ersation. " offered to pay the cleaning bill, said &olly. The sinking feeling the tides were turning against her occurred to &olly as the two blondes bantered back and forth. At that moment, the fear in Christina's eyes fell away and was replaced by something else. 3es, he told me the dirt was no problem, but the tree sap was another story. " hope this doesn't effect our working relationship, !imi. asked Christina. Why, because you called my sister a big goober. *ot a chance, and belie$e me, Chris, it won't be the last time someone says that about her. Though " would'$e lo$ed to ha$e seen the e#change. 3ou must ha$e been some kinda fierce for her not to chew your head off. That's more &olly's style. Christina looked at the two of them together and tried to see the family resemblance. &olly had to be a good se$en inches taller than the bubbly blonde at her side. " don't see it at all. !y father's second wife came with a ready made family to add to the one he already had. The munchkin here was the only redeeming one in the litter, e#plained &olly. That e#plains the names !ulle and Andolini, added Christina. " already had a father so " wasn't interested in adoption like the rest of my siblings, not that Anthony's a complete loser. /is main fault was marrying my mother and ruining my chances at dating the big blue o# here, but "'m a forgi$ing kind of person. &olly was the only one aside from my dad who belie$ed in my work. She paid my way through school, so you should be thanking her for tonight, said !imi. She hugged &olly again getting her to let go of Christina's hand. The mo$e let her see that (isa was still nudging her boss to

go and mingle, so the artist inter$ened again since Christina seemed capti$ated by &olly. Come on, (isa. 3ou can introduce me to the people with the most money to spend. -eha$e until " get back, !imi told &olly. (et me apologi1e formally for calling you a bad name, said Christina mo$ing closer to &olly. -ig goober's not a bad name so forget about it. "f your father's still li$ing, why did you pay her way through school. Christina rewound what she had just said and could ha$e kicked herself for letting it spill out of her mouth. "'m sorry, that's none of my business. )orget " said it. &olly laughed at the fact she wasn't the only one who was ner$ous. 8on't worry about it. !imi and " are a lot alike, !s. Griffin. " lo$e her a great deal so "'d do anything to make her happy. -ecause we're so alike it makes us comple# and misunderstood on occasion, but we grow on you e$entually. !y father is Anthony /olland, and he didn't pay because he's not a man who belie$es in fri$olous things. (earning how to perfect your painting skills to him is just that. We parted ways a long time ago and when " saw !imi getting ready to ca$e and pick what my father considered a more responsible career track, " stepped in. "'m not rich, but " thought it was a good way to spend some money. !imi deser$ed better than she's gotten in her life and " was just glad " could help her. &olly scanned the room looking for the person she was speaking about, smiling when she saw !imi talking to one of the guests in her usual effusi$e manner. She's easy to lo$e. And that woman !imi's talking to looks like she'd like to find out how easy to lo$e !imi is, thought &olly as she continued to look on. Are you two alike in that way too. asked Christina with a tease in her tone. And please call me Christina. *o, in that regard we aren't "'m afraid. !imi's calling out to &olly from across the room to meet someone kept Christina from responding to the comment &olly had made. 4#cuse me, duty calls. "'ll see you soon. &olly smiled and took Christina's hand again s%uee1ing her fingers before stepping away from her. " hope so. (isa returned from her circuit around the room and looked again at the nice looking couple !imi and &olly made. That !imi's one lucky girl. She's her step sister and "'m feeling a little lucky myself, said Christina before mo$ing closer to &olly again. The night was young and she felt like getting &olly's hands on her again for whate$er reason. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; 3ou're calling her, right. "'m building her house, !imi, so " assume "'ll be seeing her around. " don't think " need to call her. 3ou're kidding me, right. The way the woman was checking you out all night, she's so wanting you to dial her number, -abe. !imi, does it e$er occur to you that " might not appreciate you referring to me as a big blue o#. &olly turned onto !imi's street, which was the only thing that kept her from shaking a finger in the young woman's face. 3ou don't fool me, &olly Andolini, you lo$e that nickname just like you lo$e me. And stop trying to change the subject. Tomorrow around noon " want you to call her and ask her how's she's doing. 3ou trying to get rid of me.

God no, you idiot, thought !imi rolling her eyes knowing &olly couldn't see her. *o, &olly, " want you to be happy, and Christina sure was making you smile. /ere we are, !imi, said &olly pointing to the front of the house. (et's get you inside so you can get some sleep. 3ou need to get busy tomorrow painting new stuff for all the people who missed out tonight. All the bu11 tonight was about how you didn't make enough of them. !imi accepted a hand out of the $ehicle before she poked &olly in the chest. They aren't muffins, &olly. They're pieces of my soul so show some respect please. " lo$e the piece you ga$e me, and " lo$e my painting too. !imi hugged her for the comment before poking her again. Tomorrow no later than noon, " mean it, and thanks for going with me tonight. Anytime, shrimp. 8on't forget to lock up and " lo$e you too. 8inner on !onday. " wouldn't miss it, said &olly kissing !imi good night before she went in. She waited to hear the lock slide into place before walking back to her car and lea$ing. !imi stood on the other side of the door and listened to &olly's steps fade away. She stood motionless until the car door closed and she couldn't hear the engine anymore. *ot for the first time she made a wish &olly would forget the scars Anthony had put on her heart and be happy. "f she had possessed a more selfish heart, !imi's wishes would'$e centered on asking for things she thought she couldn't ha$e. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; "'m sorry, !s. Griffin. 3ou just missed her. &olly let us start early today so we could knock off early for the weekend. -uck and " $olunteered to pick up all the tools then we'll be heading out too. "f it's important just call Tim and he'll find her for you, said /ank. "f " offer to buy you two dinner, could " bribe her address out of you. The two carpenters looked down at the blonde sitting behind the steering wheel of one of their dream cars and thought about her offer. &olly lo$ed her pri$acy, but finding this gorgeous creature ringing her doorbell made them think it would be a good thing, not something she would fire them o$er. *o bribe needed, ma'am. Though if she looks pissed when she sees you tell her !imi told you. The boss has the hardest time getting mad at that sweet girl, said -uck. 8eal, answered Christina pulling out a pen and paper to write down the address. "t added to the mystery of &olly, when Christina turned her car back toward the city. The address the two carpenters had gi$en her was in the warehouse district down by the ri$er. +$er the years the area had become a sea of abandoned spaces, its buildings $ictimi1ed by $andals as the businesses that had utili1ed them mo$ed south of the border. +$er time smart de$elopers bought them cheap and started turning them into high priced lofts and condos. The district had made a total turnaround thanks to the young business people willing to pay the outrageous prices for what was basically an apartment. Christina was ha$ing a hard time picturing the person who was creating the beautiful home on the lake for her li$ing in the area. The street address on the piece of paper in her hand turned out to be an old furniture store warehouse on the cusp of the district. "t was one of the only ones with enough floors and was close enough to ha$e a descent $iew of the ri$er a few blocks away. After she found a parking spot close to the front entrance, Christina ran to follow some residents in so she wouldn't ha$e to bu11 &olly's number. She figured it would be harder to turn her away from the front door

than from the sidewalk. The lobby was not what she e#pected when Christina looked at the pieces of old warehouse e%uipment that had been left as pieces of interest. Someone had painted them in outrageously colorful patterns gi$ing them new life as pieces of art instead of their boring utilitarian past e#istences. The second surprise was the old time ele$ator that was large and had a door you pulled down instead of one that slid closed. Christina leaned against one of the sides and waited for it to make its way to the fourteenth floor. A soft curse escaped when it stopped one floor short and no amount of button pushing would make the thing mo$e. Without getting out, Christina pulled out her cell phone and called the one person she could think of that could help her. Two minutes after her phone call with !imi the ele$ator started back up again and when it stopped, Christina found herself at the entrance to &olly's li$ing room. The blonde ne$er noticed the amused figure at the head of the stainless steel staircase when she got a good look at &olly's walls. 4$erywhere there wasn't e#posed brick someone had painted a huge mural that made you feel like you were in a submarine. The underwater masterpiece had been done by a genius with a lot of time on their hands. "t's beautiful, whispered Christina to no one but herself. "t's !imi, said the deep $oice from somewhere abo$e her. 8on't jump, teased Christina looking up. /er smile grew bigger when she saw &olly standing there wearing only a robe. " can see why the ele$ator doesn't come all the way up without a little prompting on your part. " don't know, !s. Griffin, it might spice up my showers a little if " took the lock off. !ake yourself at home while " get cleaned up. )eel free to look around, and if you want anything, the kitchen is through there, &olly pointed to the area directly under her. Christina hoped the owner of the space took her time in the shower since she planned to take her up on her offer to look around. The room she was in with the underwater fantasy world was sparsely furnished= she guessed it was so it wouldn't take away from the art. The only thing that could ha$e gi$en !imi's work a run for its money was the floor. She could see the wood strips were probably the originals despite the pristine finish that coated them. There too, there was nothing too much to take away from the beauty of the wood. A %uick scan found two guestrooms and a complete gym just off the li$ing room. The kitchen was huge with all stainless steel appliances and white tile. *ot being able to resist the urge, Christina opened the refrigerator to see how &olly li$ed. She was con$inced you could tell a lot about a person by what was in their icebo#. The first shelf was filled with fruit juice bottles, the second with soda, the third with four types of beer and the last with a $ariety of breads. The detecti$e shook her head at &olly's apparent non:culinary skills. Christina mo$ed on and found it was the last room that she lo$ed the most. The big open area was a studio much like the one she hoped &olly would build for her when the house was done. The only difference was the wood working tools that lined the walls. So many of them, Christina didn't know what most were used for, much less be able to name them. &olly found her a little while later running her hand o$er the piece of wood clamped to the worktable. &olly thought the car$ings along the edges of the piece were a poor imitation of the paintings in the li$ing room, but no less amount of lo$e and de$otion had gone into its creation. So beautiful. Christina said as she looked at the fish chasing each other along the edges of the wood. "t's a lap desk for !imi. *ot as good as the original but " figured she might like it when she's sketching in bed. 3ou're wrong, &olly, this is gorgeous. " can see there's more than one artist in your family. 3ou aren't mad that " just barged in on you, are you.

"'m glad you're here so no, "'m not mad. Trust me if " didn't want you here, you'd still be on the thirteenth floor trying to figure out how to get up here. Christina smiled and stepped closer to the woman who had been consuming large parts of her daydreams since Thursday's opening. "'m glad too, and " hope this doesn't sound too forward, but " ha$en't been able to stop thinking about you since the day you jumped me. &olly laughed and pointed toward the kitchen. She was in her bare feet so a walk through the studio was not in her plans. "f " get you to marry me, " refuse to allow our grandchildren to hear that story from your point of $iew. She would ha$e to listen to !imi more often when she talked about women. &olly wasn't any stranger to dating, but starting at s%uare one was always awkward. Christina had snagged her attention from the moment &olly had wrapped her hands around her and looked down at her at the house site. Christina's smile grew bigger as a small part of her brain wanted &olly to drop to one knee and pop the %uestion, already certain of what her answer would be. That's negotiable. 3ou want something to drink. Grab something for the both of us to go with the food " brought with me, said Christina. "t was then &olly noticed the large paper bag sitting on the counter. When &olly opened a drawer and took something out, Christina was surprised it wasn't a fork when it was pressed into her palm. /ere " think anyone who can't stop thinking about me and brings me Chinese food deser$es a way to make the ele$ator go all the way up when she comes o$er. The small blonde looked at the key &olly was offering her and said, (et it go and "'m keeping it. That's why " offered it. What do you want to drink. Christina could not resist the attempt to play so she opted for the one thing the icebo# didn't ha$e. "'d lo$e a bottle of water if you ha$e it. &olly laughed at the confused look she got when she held up two different kinds. 3ou didn't look in the door, and before you ask, there's an alarm upstairs that let's me in on unauthori1ed entry. )unny, you're so funny. !imi forgot to mention that to me. This is my '"'m trying to date you' witty personality : !imi's unfamiliar with it, teased &olly. Want to eat down here or go up a little. 7p sounds interesting, answered Christina. &olly packed the food back in the bag and grabbed Christina's hand for the walk upstairs. She opened one of the sets of doors in the master suite and walked her dinner date out to the pri$ate terrace. )rom the brick lined enclosure Christina could see there was a great $iew of the ri$er traffic as well as a comfortable looking set of teak patio furniture. &olly pulled out her chair at the table and went to the outside bar to get plates, utensils and some drinks from the bo# under the high countertop. When she came back to set it all up, &olly was happy to find Christina had kicked off her shoes and had propped her feet on the chair across from her. The arrangement meant &olly had to sit ne#t to her if she didn't want to push the small feet to the floor. They started to scoop food out onto their plates as the first date %uestions started flying. 8id you become an architect because your father was one. !y grandfather had more of an influence on me than Anthony did. !y father belie$es bigger is better, and conformity is the name of the game. *ot that thinking that way is wrong, it's just not for me, e#plained &olly.

Was your grandfather in the business. ,apa was a carpenter, and since " was old enough to form any kind of intent on what " wanted to do, it was to be just like him. !y mother's father had a way of making wood become the pictures in his head, and it fascinated me to watch. -ecoming an architect taught me what would last and what was possible, but standing ne#t to him at his work table taught me to lo$e doing it. Christina looked at &olly's face as she spoke about the man who was her mentor. "t was apparent that she lo$ed him. /e sounds like a wonderful man. /e was. We lost him last year to a stroke. )unny, the one thing he ne$er taught me was how much you could miss someone. &olly shook her melancholy when Christina slipped her hand into hers. /e's not really gone if that workshop full of tools downstairs is any indication. The gift he ga$e you will make him li$e on for years to come. 7ntil you pass that gift on to your children. Thanks, that's a nice way of thinking about it. /ow about you, what made you pick an art gallery. " studied art for si# years before " decided " needed a real job to supplement my hobby. With the education, " had the background to know what was good, and with a little luck "'$e been able to find new talent. Christina shrugged her shoulders as a way of saying it was the best e#planation she could come up with. " seriously doubt anyone who studies something for that long is just a hobbyist. 3ou'll ha$e to in$ite me to the new house to see your etchings, teased &olly. What about you, any other hidden talents " ha$en't disco$ered yet. Are you talking hobbies or some sort of hidden se#ual talent " might possess. asked &olly. (et's finish eating before we mo$e on to your inner layers of secrets, shall we. As they continued their talk, Christina was glad she had taken the chance and come o$er. The dishes lay forgotten as their information swapping continued and when Christina looked at her watch and saw it was after ele$en, she was shocked and sorry their time was coming to an end. The thought of going back to her apartment alone was something she was not looking forward to. /ot date. asked &olly when she saw Christina looking at her watch. 3es, "'m on it right now. " just can't belie$e " took up most of your day, but " don't want to lea$e. Would it make me sound easy if " told you " wanted to spend the night. That depends, said &olly. +n. "f you slept with me or not. &olly dodged the slap heading for her head as she laughed. 8o you ha$e to run off. *ot really. Then come on. &olly pulled her up and walked her to a room off the li$ing room Christina had missed in her self:guided tour. !ounted on the wall was a large flat:screened tele$ision with a comfortable looking couch sitting in front of it. With a bowl of popcorn between them, they sat to watch a mo$ie before &olly walked Christina to one of the guestrooms. ,ointing to the locations of towels and sleepwear if she was interested, &olly shifted from foot to foot in the doorway wondering if a good night kiss was going too fast. Christina helped her out by pulling her head down and pressing her lips softly to &olly's.

Thanks for a wonderful day, said Christina when they parted. " should be thanking you. "f you hadn't shown up, "'d be knee deep in wood sha$ings by now. When that happens, !imi screams at me for not getting out more. &olly kissed her again to thank her for her thoughtfulness before mo$ing to her own room. Good night, Chris. Call me if you need anything. Sweet dreams, &olly. Christina answered to &olly's back. The night had been wonderful, but it ama1ed her how many times &olly could bring up !imi's name in a con$ersation no matter what the subject had been. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Can " ask where you are. 3ou'll think "'m slutty if " tell you, so " think "'ll pass, answered Christina as she put stuff back into her purse. The ringing coming out of the leather bag had woken her up and dumping e$erything out was the only way to make it stop. Chris, you dog, " already think that about you so now you ha$e to tell me, said (isa, her reasons for calling forgotten. " spent the night at &olly's. The silence from the other end made Christina think she had lost her connection with her assistant. 3ou still there. 7m, yeah. 3ou can't see me but "'m on my knees worshipping you at the moment. " can't belie$e you bagged your carpenter, and so %uickly. This must be a new record for you, said (isa with a little too much gleefulness for the hour. Calm down, crude one. We ate, watched a mo$ie then she kissed me goodnight at the guestroom door. There was no bagging in$ol$ed. (isa laughed from her end trying to imagine Christina trying to keep her hands to herself all night. "n a way, Christina had learned all her womani1ing ways from a $ery good teacher who was thankfully out of her boss's life. "'m sure not from your lack of trying. The groan coming from the other end got (isa to stop kidding around and get to the point. Sorry, " couldn't resist. 3our parents called looking for you and considering the early hour didn't want the whole skinny on your personal life. This prompted them to call me at si# on a Sunday. " guess it's all right for me to dial your cell and take the chance of finding you doing something naughty. /illary and 8ell lo$e you, but e$en they ha$e their limits. "s anything wrong. asked Christina as she swung her legs o$er the side of the bed. /oney, calm down. "f it were important they would ha$e called you e$en if you had &olly tied to the bed. They just were mo$ing to their final destination and called to check up on you. )orgi$e me for calling you so early, but it was pay back for disturbing my beauty sleep. 8o you ha$e time to gi$e me the scoop on last night. Christina looked at the e%ually sleepy &olly standing in her doorway and turned her phone off. (isa would ha$e to accept her apology later but this was too good to pass up. /ey, " didn't mean to barge in on you, but " heard you talking and " wanted to make sure you were ok. &olly looked like a piece of forbidden fruit standing in the door and Christina's mouth watered at the thought of taking a bite. &olly walked closer when Christina crooked her finger at her and ga$e her a warm smile. Aren't you sweet, but you look tired. 3our second floor beams ha$e done a number on my back. " was just going to take some aspirin when "

heard you talking. &olly put her hands in the small of her back and stretched much to Christina's delight. 3ears of woodworking had done wonders for the tall architect's body, as the muscles, which stood out in relief while she tensed, attested to. Christina patted the bed and scooted o$er to make room for its owner. " ha$e a better cure, so come o$er here and lie down. The first moan out of &olly made Christina want to peel the borrowed t:shirt she was wearing off and do the massage naked. 4$erything ok. 3ou don't ha$e to run off do you. asked &olly picking up the discarding phone. The small hands working on her lower back were loosening spots she didn't e$en reali1e were sore. " ha$e all day for you. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; 3ou do that like a girl. Christina looked down her body slowly before looking back up at &olly. *o one has e$er complained about that before. " didn't say " didn't like the fact you're a girl. 3ou just swing a hammer like one is all. (ea$e me alone, this is the first time "'$e done this, said Christina bumping shoulders with &olly. After going out for breakfast they had dri$en out to the work site to check things for the ne#t day when Christina had asked for a carpentry lesson. "t would make a good story to tell her friends once the place was finished. *one of them would belie$e she had a part in constructing e$en a small part of the house. "f you're a fast learner then " can go back to the office tomorrow and you can super$ise the construction, teased &olly. *o thank you, "'ll lea$e the building to the e#perts and stick with my finger paints. *ow take me somewhere and feed me. )eed you. We just ate breakfast. Christina held &olly's hand up and showed her the time. They had been there for o$er three hours and the heat was starting to get to her. Tell me you aren't this clueless when it comes to designing things. &ust for that, no nice cabinets in the kitchen for you. The small blonde trailed after &olly like a puppy when she went to put away her tools before heading out. &olly had admonished herself all day to go slow, but her heart was falling. She had ne$er felt so comfortable around another person e#cept for !imi, and she was %uickly learning Christina Griffin was someone who was hard to say no to about anything. +nce e$erything was put away, &olly dro$e them out to a restaurant on the lake for lunch and afterward offered to take the blonde to a mo$ie as a way to keep her a little longer. The weekend was turning out to be one of the best in memory and despite the work she had waiting for her, &olly wanted to spend the night on the couch again watching Christina instead of the tele$ision. Christina was thinking the same thing as they walked hand in hand back to &olly's $ehicle. The woman walking silently beside her was so different than all the women who had gone through Christina's life. &olly was rough around the edges, but she was so genuine. Are you going to be building more of my house tomorrow. Christina asked when &olly opened the passenger door for her and ga$e her a boost into the seat. She grabbed her date around the neck before she could escape to the other side of the car. "'m going to help the guys with the second story floors then " ha$e to get back to the office so " can design nice things for other people. Why, you want to learn how to use a screwdri$er.

All this talk of tools is making me hot, joked Christina before kissing &olly on the cheek. Come on "'ll drop you off by your car so you can get some rest before you ha$e to go to work tomorrow. " apologi1e for monopoli1ing all your time today, but " couldn't bear to let you go. 3ou don't ha$e to apologi1e for that, &olly. " enjoyed today. And "'m not just saying that because " want nice cabinets in my kitchen either. &ust remember the nicer they are the better those dinners "'m going to make you are going to be once you finish putting my kitchen together. Christina lo$ed the contact of &olly's body so close to hers, so much that she pulled them e$en closer together. 3ou're going to cook for me. " got a look at that great kitchen of yours, the one with no food in it, and " figured "'d ha$e to if " want to keep you looking good. &olly looked at her confused by what Christina had said. Then it occurred to her Christina had only seen the refrigerator in the kitchen and not the one in the pantry. 3ou ne$er know !s. Griffin, " might just ha$e some hidden tricks up my slee$e you don't know about. &olly laughed when Christina made a point to look up her slee$es. When she got into her own car after arri$ing back at &olly's place, Christina leaned against the seat and looked at the wonderful sight leaning in from the window. 3ou put them all on there. She took the card that &olly was offering. "f you can't find me with all this, "'$e either fallen off your roof or "'m dead. 8on't say that. Can " call you. /oney, " didn't gi$e you all my numbers because " think " ha$e a good looking business card. " want you to call me. -esides you'll be too busy answering calls from me to call. 8ri$e safe and "'ll see you soon. &olly straightened her legs so she could get further into the car and kiss Christina good night. What're you doing. Was the %uestion that came o$er the recei$er when &olly picked up. "'m car$ing. 3ou got home ok. &olly asked as another fish came to life on the piece of wood she was making for !imi. " was getting ready to go to bed, but " wanted to talk to you first. Thanks for the great weekend, &olly. " hope we can ha$e a repeat real soon. Count on it. *ow get some sleep so you can sell lots of stuff. 3ou ha$en't seen my bill yet, and " don't want to end up with your house by default. Christina dro$e to the site before heading into her office just to see if &olly was there yet. When she got out of the car the only option she had was to sit on the hood and put her hand o$er her mouth to muffle the laugh that wanted to spill out. There on the partially finished second floor was &olly and a hand full of men doing a line dance to some country western song on the radio. The one thing Christina was grateful for was the dancer she was interested in was the only one without a beer gut. The group bowed at the end of the song and accepted her applause with gratitude. When &olly reached her car she looked o$er her shoulder and ga$e e$eryone a glare that meant get back to work. Good morning. Good morning, twinkle toes. " tried calling you early but you were either in the shower or up there putting down my floor. Sorry " missed you but " had to get up early and start work. &olly looked down at her hands to make sure they were relati$ely clean before offering one to Christina. 3ou seem to call me names when you aren't

pleased with me. 3ou could not dri$e another nail into this place and "'d be pleased with you. Good to know. >iss me then, you ha$e to go and " ha$e to get back to work. When they broke apart the applause was coming from the opposite direction of the car and it was Christina that bowed this time. She wiped the pink lipstick off of &olly's lips before pecking them one more time. (ooking in the rear$iew mirror, she could see &olly watching the car dri$e away. /opefully &olly would ha$e that half da1ed look for a long time to come.

#ontinued in #ha ter % #omments to& terrali%'(yahoo.com The Athenaeum)s *croll Archive

? A ,lace To 8ance ? by Ali 5ali Please *ee #ha ter $ for disclaimers

A Place To Dance by Ali 5ali #ha ter % Christina put her new key into the ele$ator and tried to turn it while juggling the bags in her arms. She hadn't seen &olly's (and Cruiser in the lot so she figured she'd be well into her surprise before the architect got home from work. There was soft music playing and the table was set for two when Christina stepped in and wondered how &olly knew she was coming o$er. )rom the kitchen, &olly heard the ele$ator and waited for her usual !onday night date to come in and keep her company while she cooked dinner. !adeline, are you going to hang out in the li$ing room all night, or are you going to come in here and kiss me hello. The first thought to cross Christina's mind was to pull out the large bottle of oli$e oil she had bought and throw it at &olly's head. "nstead she calmly put the bags down and walked into the kitchen preparing her goodbye speech with each step. "f &olly was in$ol$ed with someone, why had she led her on all weekend. To Christina's surprise there were three pots going on the sto$e and &olly was cutting $egetables on the large work area like a pro. The work clothes had been replaced by a pair of pressed chinos, a pale pink cotton shirt and brown bucks. When she looked up from her task a smile broke out on &olly's face that reached her eyes only to die away just as %uickly when she saw the pissed off stance of the woman in her kitchen. Sorry to ruin your surprise for !adeline, but " thought the key was for me to use any time " wanted. And gosh you ne$er mentioned you could cook.

Surprise, what surprise. " do this e$ery !onday. 3ou bitch, if you were seeing someone why not just say so before " made a fool of myself by coming o$er here. Christina was just getting started when &olly caught on to the reason the blonde was mad. The deep belly laugh made Christina forget what she was going to say ne#t and dro$e her anger up another notch. &olly stopped laughing and looked at the face she had thought about all day, which now showed more hurt than anger. 3ou ne$er asked if " could cook, that's a conclusion you came up with all on your own. And this isn't a surprise, " cook for !adeline e$ery !onday night from the day we met. +nly you know her as !imi, great talented artist, not !adeline, annoying shrimpy pest. " mean, who in the hell would name their child !imi. " did it again, didn't ". Christina buried her face in her hands and waited for &olly to ask her to lea$e. "'d think you didn't like me anymore if you weren't calling me names. *ow come o$er here and kiss me like you aren't my step sister. Christina let out the breath she was holding and once again thanked God that &olly was so forgi$ing. When she stepped around and kissed &olly hello the smell coming off the sto$e made her break it earlier than she wanted, but it was almost like a burning desire to know what was under the lids. " saw your icebo# and none of this stuff was in there, accused Christina looking at the bubbling pot she had unco$ered. 3ou didn't go into my pantry where " keep all the food. " put another refrigerator in there since it was closer to the ser$ice ele$ator that comes up in that storage area. 3ou just thought big and goofy couldn't translate into decent cook. Christina couldn't help but kiss the pout that had formed abo$e her head. 3ou just don't look like the type who would know her way around a kitchen. Around the bedroom definitely, but " thought you wouldn't know what a flame was much less what to do with it. Chris, the great father of architecture )rank (loyd Wright once said no self respecting architect could design a kitchen if they didn't know how to cook. " figured he knew what he was talking about so " took lessons. The bedroom stuff, you're right, "'m a natural. A natural who is ob$iously tossing me out on my rear, said an o$er dramatic !imi from the doorway with her hand o$er her brow for emphasis. And this being the only home cooked meal " get all week. 3ou get a girl and "'m out on my ass, is that it. !imi, beha$e. Christina came o$er to surprise us, since she missed us so much and all. 3eah, " can see she's been pining away for me all week. !imi teased as she made her way across the kitchen to kiss &olly hello then doing the same for the gallery owner. Well you can forget it, sister, "'m not lea$ing. 3ou'll just ha$e to learn to share the wonderful person who is &olly, she said to Christina when they broke from their hug. "'ll go put out an e#tra place setting if you show me where the plates and stuff are, &olly. Christina pulled down all the items she would need after &olly pointed to where they could be found. She knew in her gut &olly would tell her sister what had happened before her arri$al and that would be the final straw that would dri$e !imi into talking &olly into not seeing her anymore and lead her to find someone else to sell her stuff. Christina. !imi said her name stopping the gallery owner before she left the kitchen. 3es. " heard what you said, and " don't want you to agoni1e o$er it all night. "f " thought &olly was cheating on anyone, " would'$e reacted pretty much the same way. -ut my -abe is as honest as they come. She won't hurt

you if that's what you're worried about. Thanks. Christina felt a hundred pounds lighter lea$ing the kitchen. She called you a bitch, whispered !imi, making air %uotes toward &olly. 3ou're mo$ing up in the world, -abe. When a woman uses those kinds of words with such passion she's either an artist or she's in lo$e. She's an artist, said &olly with a sigh. Chris was right the first time, !imi released a sigh of her own before snatching a carrot off the cutting board. What's that supposed to mean. -ig goober wasn't it. She likes you, &olly, learn to li$e with it, and don't let it rattle you too much. )or the first time in their talks about Christina &olly could see !imi's smile didn't reach her eyes and made a mental note to ask her about it later. &olly opened a bottle of wine after she had put all the food on the table letting the two women ser$e themsel$es while she poured. They had put all the food Christina had brought o$er away with the understanding the small blonde could come back and put it to use in the near future. Chris, you're going to lo$e this, said !imi spooning some of the beef stew into her plate. &olly had also made peas with almonds, rice and an apple pie for dessert. This is one of &olly's specialties. 3ou look good, you're a carpenter and you cook. /ad " known this " would'$e jumped at that marriage proposal Saturday, said Christina reaching up to kiss &olly when she leaned o$er to pour her a glass of wine. &olly, you sly dog, you proposed the minute you saw her in the li$ing room. asked !imi. " was making an obser$ation about something Christina had said. So you didn't mean it. Christina pouted for effect and got &olly to come and kneel by her chair. "'m kidding, but you can kiss me since you're here. /er carpenter deli$ered on her re%uest and got a pea thrown at her from across the table. 3ou ha$e plenty of time for that when " lea$e, but "'m not lea$ing until "'m full so cut it out, ordered !imi. &olly spent the rest of the meal listening to Christina and !imi talk about new art trends and show ideas as she ate. The two women followed her back into the kitchen where they had dessert and watched &olly load the dishwasher and pack !imi the lefto$ers so she would ha$e something to eat at least twice more during the week. Christina told the artist goodbye at the ele$ator and waited for &olly to get back from walking her to her car. 3ou do this e$ery !onday. Christina asked &olly when she came back up. "t's a good compromise. " get to practice my cooking skills and !imi gets to eat something other than cheese and crackers, which is her staple when she's working. *o one with that many plastic containers is doing it for the practice, &olly. Admit it, you're just sweet. Christina pulled the chef down to sit with her on one of the couches in the li$ing room so they could admire the art painted on the wall. 3ou think if " cook for her, she would do this for me. !imi's a special woman, someone who's o$erly generous, so "'d imagine if you asked real nice she would. &ust like someone who was going to come o$er here and cook me dinner. &olly pulled Christina closer to her and kissed her on the temple. " could do it tomorrow if you like.

That would be great, if you're not too busy. Christina turned and pulled &olly closer to her so she could kiss her like she had wanted to all night. She was starting to cra$e this woman, but wanted this relationship to be different. There'd been too many one night stands in her life, and the thought of a chance of something more sounded good. "'ll ne$er be too busy for you. The gallery owner made good on her promise the ne#t night and it turned into a nightly ritual for almost the ne#t month. They shared the meals on !ondays with !imi, and spent the rest of the nights getting to know each other better. +n their fifth !onday together they sat out on the deck watching the tugs float by on the ri$er after !imi had left for the night. Christina was sitting pressed up against &olly running her fingers along a muscled tan arm. Can " take you out to dinner tomorrow night. asked Christina. " would lo$e that, but "'ll ha$e to take a rain check. 8on't tell me you ha$e other sisters who you take care of and cook for. asked Christina. " ha$e three sisters in the eyes of the law, but !imi's the only one " lo$e to take care of, so no. Actually "'m declining because "'m flying out to Atlanta tomorrow for a couple of days to gi$e a presentation at the architectural school for inner city children. "t's part of a national mentoring program !imi got me in$ol$ed in a couple of years ago. " won't get to see you for a couple of days. &olly kissed her before answering the %uestion hoping it would get her off the hook. *ot until ne#t Saturday. "'m doing the workshop and then Tim and " are pitching some ideas for a project the city's proposing. 3ou won't forget about me while you're gone, will you. A slim finger ran around the rim of &olly's ear sending a chill down the architect's body. Christina was mo$ing closer and it was wreaking ha$oc with &olly's self:control. Chris, " ha$e a hard time keeping my fingers intact when "'m dri$ing nails " think about you so much, so no, a week isn't going to erase you from my memory banks. Christina rela#ed under the hands running along her back and enjoyed the kisses being placed on her neck. &olly, why didn't you e$er want to go to work for your father. " would think with the si1e of his firm you would'$e gotten the chance to do more projects like the one you're going to Atlanta to do. The %uestion surprised her, but &olly chalked it up to getting to know someone and how they ticked. " did work for my father when " first started out, Tim and " both did. After a few $ery frustrating months of him turning down all my drafts and ideas " couldn't take it anymore and " left. /e didn't like them because you were still ine#perienced. *o, he thought with his form of criticism he could break me into seeing the world through his eyes. /e's all about control, in his work and in his family. With one it makes him $ery good at what he does because he's consistent, and $igilant about e$ery detail. -ut it makes it hell when it comes to his family. "t dro$e my mother away and e$entually dro$e a wedge between my siblings and her. Anthony's golden rule always was, he who has the gold makes all the rules. !y brother and sister couldn't get used to the lesser things in life, so their mother was a small price to pay to keep the cars and jobs. " guess " can be counted on the e$il side of the family since " took her side and am still in contact with her. Christina reached up and ran her hand along &olly's cheek in comfort. "'m sorry " asked.

" don't tell people that because "'m trying to hide it or get sympathy when asked. " just got o$er it and mo$ed on to find my own path. /e's my father but he's still a liar and a bully. We wanted different things for my life and " thought " was the only one who held a $ote that counted. " can look back now and see " ha$e what " ha$e because " worked for it, not because " owe it to him. As for family, "'$e made my own and they lo$e me and make me happy. 3ou're not anything like him, and " really like that about you. Christina kissed &olly and sat with her until past midnight getting up to lea$e without much gusto. She knew she had to get up before they got too carried away. *ew clients meant she had an early day in the morning and that's not how she wanted to start on the ne#t phase of her relationship with &olly. Will you call me. Count on it, Chris. &olly walked her to her car and kissed her good night before letting Christina dri$e away. 8uring the days that followed, Tim took o$er as foreman at Christina's house until he was due to fly out, and &olly enjoyed her time on the phone learning about the woman that was slowly getting her to open her heart. -etween her partner and Christina, &olly knew how the house was progressing and what was waiting for her when she got home. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; "t's )riday, does that mean you can stop your pining now. asked (isa as they were getting ready to lock the gallery for the night. +$er the four days &olly had been gone Christina had figured phone calls weren't enough. She was planning on meeting the plane tomorrow morning and locking &olly in her loft for the rest of the weekend. There were merits to mo$ing slow and getting to know each other, but there was also something to be said for hot se#. Almost, " figure another thirty si# hours then you're home free until &olly's ne#t business trip, said Christina with the closest thing to a smile she had displayed all day. The day had been a series of small crises at the gallery from the time they had arri$ed including a small electrical fire, and she was ready to go home. The chime o$er the door rang out and they both groaned at the thought of ha$ing to get rid of whoe$er had wandered in ignoring the closed sign. "t was a contest as to which of the two tired women was more surprised. At the door stood 8ell and /illary Griffin home early from their trip, and with them was &an Shaffer. Christina had met &an Shaffer as a sophomore in college. The tall athletic blonde with the looks of a Greek goddess had pursued her with a relentlessness and charm that was impossible to resist. "t was the first time Christina had slept with someone on their first date, but &an had been like a drug there was no rehab for. &an had made her feel so wanted Christina didn't feel like she could hold out. After two months of seeing each other they mo$ed in together, sharing a small apartment close to campus. As the weeks passed, Christina was sure she'd found the one person she could share the rest of her life with. &an listened and encouraged her when Christina spoke of her future plans, and at night the tall blonde fueled her passions with the type of se# Christina had only read about. They were happy until the night Christina made plans to meet her study group for a late cramming session for their upcoming midterms. A headache caused her to go home a few hours early. The sight of &an in their bed with a beautiful freshman had made Christina physically ill. The girl was the first of many o$er the ne#t two years she and &an would stay together. )or Christina, their time together turned into a hellish cycle. &an would cheat then go through the process of courting her again to pro$e the parade through her bed meant nothing. To make it harder for Christina to lea$e the humiliating situation &an had completely won o$er her parents, con$incing 8ell and /illary she was perfect daughter:in:law material.

"t took months of therapy on Christina's part to find the strength to just walk away. &an Shaffer had been her personal nightmare and 8r. )rankstein rolled into one handsome package. &an had killed the part of Christina's heart that belie$ed in commitment and lo$e, creating another woman chaser that used se# strictly for her own gain. (isa knew the whole story from Christina's perspecti$e, but the art dealer had completely taken the Griffin couple in gi$ing them a different idea of she and Christina's relationship. !aybe it wasn't the assistant's place but (isa wasn't going to allow &an to play her boss again. Christian had &olly now and the architect was slowly making the gallery owner belie$e in fairytales again. Therapy had helped her boss get o$er the hurt &an had caused her, but hadn't found a way to make Christina forget the way &an made her body burn. !om, dad. " wasn't e#pecting you for another week. Christina stood fro1en in place ha$ing flash backs of what she'd found so attracti$e about &an. The two years since their last meeting had been good to the well: dressed fit woman who stood before her. &an knew just what buttons to push, and the smile she was gi$ing Christina was making the smaller woman hot. "t was the same smile the tall blonde had used to e#plain away the multiple women she had slept with when she and Christina were together. That's no reason you can't come o$er here and tell us hello, young lady, said 8ell. /e picked his daughter up when she mo$ed closer then let her go to greet her mother. The hesitation she showed in gi$ing &an a welcoming hug was what really confused him. To help them out he pushed &an forward gently and nodded his head in Christina's direction. "'m sure she missed you too. &an mo$ed forward and took ad$antage of the situation. She pulled Christina against her and started with a soft kiss to the lips, which she deepened the second the smaller woman didn't pull away. " missed you so much. (et your father and " take you two out to dinner then you can make up for lost time. &an told us when we ran into her in *ew 3ork it's been o$er a month since you'$e seen each other, you must be frantic, dear, /illary told Christina in a teasing $oice. The Griffins had always been accepting of their daughter's se#ual orientation, but /illary seldom asked %uestions. She was sure if there was someone special Chris would tell them and the last person she had talked about was &an. Since Christina had mo$ed out, they had dinner twice a week, but their daughter had always come alone. There was no way for the couple to know &an's absence from Christina's life had been more than a month, or why she was absent at all. *o, mother. *onsense, Christina, " was young once, " understand about lo$e and what it needs to be fulfilled. 3our father and " may only see you once or twice a week for dinner but it doesn't mean that we don't want you to be happy. !aybe tonight we can pro$e to you that we won't embarrass you if you start bringing &an along with you, teased /illary. Chris, could " see you for a moment. asked (isa. 4#cuse me, we were just getting some stuff finished up. Christina walked into her office and closed the door. She had tried her whole life not to disappoint her parents in anything including her relationships. &an had spent holidays with them as well as $acations, so when her parents came to lo$e her, it had been hard to tell them &an had left ne$er looking back. And the multitude of women who had shared her bed after &an certainly wasn't dinner small talk material. *ow her parents had been alone on a plane with the woman for o$er two hours listening to God knows what fantasy &an had painted for them. Are you out of your mind. Get out there and tell the clueless couple that woman's a manipulati$e bitch. 3ou do not need this in your life again, hissed (isa as %uietly as she could. 8inner, (isa, that's all this is, so calm down ok. "f she wants to make it more than that "'ll set her straight don't worry.

Chris, you spend two minutes alone with her and you'll be straight all right, or should " say hori1ontal. Think about the conse%uences this time. &an's a player and you're not going to change that about her no matter how hard you try. She's only in it for the con%uest can't you see that. "f you're not careful you could lose &olly o$er something that'll mean nothing to &an. Christina put her hand up to shut out anything else her assistant was going to say. The last thing she needed was a lecture about her will power or lack of it when it came to &an Shaffer. (isa was right, she had &olly, but this was only dinner : nothing more. She was shocked to see &an again after so much time, but she was ok now. Chris just wanted to show &an how well her life was without her. All set. &an asked when the office door opened and the two women walked out. The tall blonde hurried to help Christina on with her suit jacket and kept her hands on her shoulders when it was on. Christina's e# didn't need anyone to tell her (isa still didn't care too much for her. The hatred almost dripped from (isa's pores. 3eah, (isa's going to lock up for the night. /ow about we try >elsey's down the street. Christina mo$ed forward a little to get away from &an's hands. The warning (isa had issued about &olly ran through her head, but one look back to the blue eyes that still haunted her dreams erased it just as %uickly. 8ell opened the door and led e$eryone out when they were in agreement. (isa stood near the entrance in disbelief when &an reached for Christina's hand and wasn't rebuffed. The phone started ringing the moment she had locked the front door and (isa thought briefly about letting the machine pick it up. Griffin Gallery. /ey, (isa, the boss got you working late. &olly, you just missed her, said (isa trying to keep her $oice light. /ad &olly seen the white knuckled grip on the phone she'd ha$e known there was something wrong. !aybe " called to talk to you, teased &olly. Well anytime you want to talk to me, "'m a$ailable. "f you want to talk to Chris though, she's ha$ing dinner at >elsey's with her parents. They got home early and surprised her. " was wondering why her phone was turned off. 3ou take care, and "'ll see you soon, said &olly before hanging up. Tim shook his head standing ne#t to her at the luggage carousel waiting for their bags to come out. 8on't make fun of me, " just missed her. "t's actually kind of nice to see you off balance like this o$er a girl, workaholic. -ut don't worry, after all the shit you ga$e me after " met ,am, making fun of you will come later. That's what big cousin's are for. &olly saw her bag and when she went to pick it up, a solid warm weight landed on her back, and legs wrapped around her waist. -abe, did you miss me. 3ou know, "'m going to dedicate all my free time this week thinking up an e%ually annoying nickname for you, said &olly turning her face to meet !imi eye to eye. "'m fond of goddess, said !imi before kissing &olly hello. &olly pulled her around to the front so she could get a hug. " was thinking more along the lines of shrimpy. She pulled !imi against her again and kissed the top of her head. !imi was the only other person she had called all week aside from Christina. 3ou can't profess to lo$e me then call me shrimpy. Come on then, goddess, you can gi$e me a ride home. !imi carried four leather tubes full of architectural drawings as &olly hoisted her bag and briefcase for the

trip to the (and Cruiser !imi had been using while she was out of town. 8oes she know you came home early because you missed her. " wanted to surprise her, but she's out with her parents who beat me on the surprise factor, so "'ll wait till later. Want to ha$e dinner with me. asked &olly. Sure "'ll play second fiddle if you cook. &olly shook her head at the playful blonde as she maneu$ered them out of the airport lot. !adeline, you know you're my best girl. The statement appeased the artist enough to reach o$er for &olly's hand for the trip to the penthouse. They sat together on the balcony and ate the omelets &olly had made and caught up on the week they had been apart. The sofa that faced the mural was their last stop as they drank coke floats side by side. &olly, are you happy here. &olly put her glass down and put her arm around !imi before answering. " guess e$ery builder dreams of constructing a house somewhere of their own design. To look around and see your ideas in e$ery wall and fi#ture, but " think a great builder knows when to admire when someone else has done that for them. " didn't build this place, but " brought it back to life and that makes me happy, so the answer is yes. "'m glad you are, and "'m glad you like my additions. This place is so you that " really missed you not being here when " came to stock the fridge this week. &olly looked down to !imi's face seeing the e#pression of sadness before she buried it in &olly's shoulder. Are you happy, !imi. The blonde head nodded against her shoulder and !imi took a deep breath before lifting her head and looking at &olly. "'m just glad you're home, and that you ha$e a girl to come home to now. And "'m sure she's dying to see you so take me home and get your ass o$er there. &olly walked !imi to her door after dri$ing her home, and hugged her one more time before lea$ing sensing there was still something wrong. 8inner on !onday. /a$e " e$er turned you down on a !onday. asked !imi. " know, silly %uestion. (ock up and "'ll call you in the morning. &olly dro$e three blocks down from !imi's to the small apartment comple# Christina was staying in until her house was done. The little sports car was parked in the lot so &olly got out and checked the mailbo#es for the right one. She had ne$er been but remembered Christina mentioning she and !imi were almost neighbors. The knock was loud enough for Christina to hear, but soft enough not to wake the neighbors. *oticing the pro#imity of the front doors, &olly could see Christina had been right about how small the apartments were. A look of shock was not what &olly was going for but that's what was registering when Christina opened the door wearing a robe. &olly wanted to put her hands in her pockets and turn back toward her car the silence lasted so long, but she tried a different approach. She stepped forward and kissed Christina on the lips. The gallery owner watched &olly mo$e forward like it was happening in slow motion and her feet were stuck in %uick sand. When &olly's lips reached their destination Christina's blood ran cold as the kiss died as %uickly as it began. What up to then had been a pleasurable e#perience felt like a train wreck. " can e#plain. The line sounded as lame to her as it did to &olly. The taste &olly had come away with was unmistakable. 3ou paid your way through college as a contortionist with the circus. &olly's glib %uestion was not a good

sign as she scrubbed her lips with the back of her hand. +r is it you ha$e a naked blonde in your bed. Christina's shocked e#pression got worse with the %uestion making &olly laugh. *o, "'m not a mind reader, she's waiting for you in the hall, and couldn't find a robe " guess. &olly, please. Christina reached for &olly's arm. &olly stared at her hand until it dropped back to Christina's side. /oney, you don't owe me any e#planations, and don't worry about me making a scene, that's not my style. "t was a great couple of dates, and "'m building your house. And don't worry about a leaky roof or something because of this, that's not my style either. Christina stood in the hall and watched &olly walk away as (isa's warning about conse%uences rang in her head. She had allowed &an to play her again and in the morning she'd be gone after ha$ing her itch scratched. The only problem was that &olly would be gone with her. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; !imi, it's Christina Griffin. !imi stepped back from her can$as with a paint splattered portable in her hand and looked at it as if she had heard wrong. Chris was the last person she figured she'd be hearing from that weekend. What can " do for you. 8o you know how " can get in touch with &olly. ,roblems. " can't imagine she would fly home a day early because she wanted to pick a fight with you. We had a misunderstanding and " just want to talk to her about it before it gets any worse. " care about her, !imi, you ha$e to belie$e me. !imi looked at the phone again starting to get a bad feeling about the call. "'m not interrogating you, Chris, calm down. &olly can be a hothead but she's a real sweetheart once she cools down, just gi$e her the space to do that. "f she doesn't want to be found though, not e$en " can do it so you'll ha$e to wait. "f you talk to her, can you ask her to call me. Sure. !imi changed into a clean shirt and shorts before grabbing her keys and heading out to her car. There were only four pieces of real estate &olly owned, and !imi was standing in one of them. "f &olly wasn't in the building the penthouse was in, or the office, it left only one place left to look. The small shotgun house wasn't too far from !imi's place, and it had been built by &olly's grandfather. She had bought it when her grandparents died for the workshop in the back. The sound of a saw could be heard from the dri$eway when !imi walked up. She pulled at her short blonde hair until it stuck straight up as the rapid sound of &olly's hammer came ne#t. !imi hated when &olly got upset but lo$ed the great furniture she ended up with. 3ou promised you'd call me this morning. !imi spoke loudly enough to be heard o$er the hammering. Whate$er had happened it wasn't good since &olly still had on the clothes from the night before. " started on a new supply bo# for you and time got away from me, said &olly around the nails in her mouth. The large piece &olly was working on could fit most of the paint at /ome 8epot !imi guessed, but it was beautiful. A little big huh, -abe. This is a dresser for your bedroom, the paint supply bo# is o$er there, &olly pointed to a smaller piece sitting on one of the worktables so the glue could dry.

What's wrong. What makes you think anything's wrong. !aybe " had a burning desire to do something nice for you, said &olly. The tall woman stepped away from the piece she was working on to see if she had missed anything. !imi pulled on her hair again and thought about finding a nice piece of wood to beat &olly with. -abe, you're in here sweating when you should be at home sweating for a whole different slew of reasons. "'m not into group se#, but thanks for asking, said &olly picking up the ne#t piece of wood she needed. The blonde hair got pulled tighter and !imi let out a groan of frustration. What are you talking about. Christina just called me and she sounded upset. )unny, she should ha$e sounded rela#ed after all the se# from last night. 3ou slept with her then left her hanging. &olly, that's not $ery nice. *o, " went to see her and she was ha$ing se# with someone else. " didn't really stick around to catch her name and shaking hands was out of the %uestion. &olly didn't sound too upset and !imi watched her go back to taking measurements. 3ou sure that's what they were doing. "t's the only acti$ity " could think of off the top of my head that " know people do naked, which the mystery blonde was, and Christina's kiss left no doubt. !imi shuddered with both disgust and anger o$er what &olly had come home to find. Gross. 3ou said it, shrimpy. She failed to mention that during her call to tell me how much she cared about you. Why aren't you mad. !imi asked picking up the small hammer &olly had been using and played with it to gi$e herself something to do with her hands. She had been begging for a dresser to match the bed &olly had made when she had mo$ed out on her own, but was sad that this is what it took to get it done. " didn't ha$e a hold on her, and she didn't make any promises. &olly shrugged her shoulders and went back to hammering. -ut she kinda did, make promises " mean. 3ou wouldn't ha$e gi$en her a key to the ele$ator so %uick if you didn't feel anything. "'m trying to forget that part, !imi. &ust because " ha$e bouts of idiocy doesn't mean " like to be reminded of them. &olly looked up and snapped her fingers. Want to change a lock with me. 8o " get a key. asked !imi. *ow who's asking silly %uestions. &olly opened her arms and held !imi tight. The dishe$eled look of the small blonde made the irritation she was feeling melt away. They spent the morning piecing together the oak wood &olly had cut until the main part of the dresser was finished. "f she wasn't too tired, &olly planned to start on the drawers later that afternoon. She was too fatigued to start on the tongue and groo$e method that would hold the drawers together right then. "t was an old techni%ue her grandfather had taught her that was hard to do, but the finished product lasted longer under wear. A stop at the hardware store got them a new locking mechanism for the ele$ator, and a stop at the deli scored them sandwiches so &olly wouldn't ha$e to cook. !imi tore pieces of &olly's sandwich off and fed her as they rode the ele$ator so &olly could switch out the locks. Whene$er anyone got on with them, &olly let

!imi do all the talking, laughing at how easy she got them to open up and how much information you could get out of someone in less than two minutes. &olly, said !imi softly as they reached the first floor again. Christina was standing in the lobby staring at them waiting for &olly to notice her. &olly put the last screw into the plate that held the lock in place and put the screwdri$er back in her tool belt. What. !imi pointed to the lobby and &olly just stared at the upset looking blonde standing there. Can " talk to you, &olly. Christina took a step forward and stopped. A part of her wanted to be angry with !imi for lying to her that morning, but kept %uiet knowing she didn't ha$e a right to feel anger toward anyone. &olly grabbed !imi by the arm before the hothead could beat Christina for what she had done. 8own, girl, &olly told !imi. What can " do for you, Christina. &olly didn't step out of the ele$ator and had pressed !imi up against her front to keep a hold of her. " just want to talk to you. And "'m listening. " told you last night, " don't make scenes o$er women, said &olly. Can " e#plain. Christina saw &olly tightened her hold on !imi o$er her %uestion. !imi, darlin', you're gonna ha$e to calm down for me, ok. "t was killing Christina inside to listen to the warmth in &olly's $oice when she talked to !imi. +nly a day had passed since she had been on the recei$ing end of the same affection. 3ou can e#plain, but you don't ha$e to. " want you to understand, Christina tried again. What, that you ha$e the ability to bed women. &olly let loose some of her temper and it was !imi who pressed her feet into the ele$ator floor to keep &olly back when another couple walked in and didn't know how to react to the tension. Come on, &olly, " think we should walk !s. Griffin to her car, suggested !imi. ,lease, &olly, she didn't mean6, started Christina. 8on't@ &olly pointed a finger in her direction. 8on't insult me by finishing that sad e#cuse. 3ou want to fuck someone else, that's your prerogati$e, but don't do it and e#pect me to belie$e it doesn't matter. -e a big girl and own up to it. " don't own you and you sure as hell don't own me. !imi decided she'd best hang on to the back of &olly's pants since she had ne$er seen her this mad. Christina ignored her and put her hands out palms up in a plea of mercy. "t didn't matter. She was someone " used to li$e with and she ran into my parents on their flight. " didn't mean for it to happen. &an's my past, but " want a future with you. Christina stood in front of &olly not caring that !imi hadn't left the architect's side. "f there was a chance &olly would gi$e her another chance, Christina didn't mind the si1e of the audience present to hear her begging. !imi just snorted and walked back to the door not willing to listen to anymore of the e#planations Christina had. "f &olly wanted to pul$eri1e her it would be something !imi was willing to li$e with. That's one big joke= a future with you. " don't think so. As your architect let me e#plain to you what a bad idea building on a faulty foundation can be. " think that holds true for most things in life. "t's one mistake, &olly, one. Christina put her inde# finger up to make her point, only making &olly madder. !e finding you with your face buried between some woman's legs is not a mistake. That would fall under the category of cluster fuck. "f you can't grasp that concept, it tells me you're more sorry you got caught than that you were a willing participant.

"'ll gi$e you some time to get o$er your anger, then "'ll call you, said Christina before turning and getting into her car. &olly stood on the sidewalk and shook her head. 3eah, you do that. 3ou ok, big guy. !imi asked as they rode back up to &olly's place. The new ele$ator key was already resting on !imi's key ring in her pocket, and !imi was resting against &olly's chest. &ust irritated " guess. She acted like some kinda delicate flower for o$er a month, then some woman from her past comes along and she's doing the nasty two minutes later, said &olly as she put her arms around !imi and looked at the roof of the ele$ator. &olly's looking up was the reason she missed the big smile that broke across !imi's face momentarily. 3ou didn't sleep with her, and that's why you're upset. 3eah, they ne$er slept together. ,lease. "'m not wired that way, !imi, so no that's not why "'m upset. When you meet someone, let's say at a bar, they come across with certain intentions. &olly kept her arms around !imi but mo$ed her head to look into the green eyes. With you so far. 3ou buy some drinks and maybe breakfast, depends on the girl. -ut when someone works you up to a point and keeps backing off, well that can only mean two things. !imi pulled &olly out of the ele$ator by her belt and pushed her to sit on the nearest sofa. Go on, it's fascinating to hear how your mind works. "f she does that it either means she's not really interested, or she wants it to mean something when it finally happens. And she made you think it would mean something, didn't she. asked !imi. &olly laughed and lowered her head. -ig dummy, huh. +h, -abe, no. "t just makes you human. "f you changed that about yourself, you wouldn't be my fa$orite person anymore. 3ou want to come home with me and watch me paint. "t's better than watching the grass grow. She pulled on the belt again trying to get &olly to smile, smiling herself when it worked. Sure, shrimpy, sounds good. !imi hitched a ride down to the car on &olly's back teasing her all the way down. "t would take her some time, but !imi was con$inced she could get &olly on the right track. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; )or the ne#t month Christina made arrangements with Tim when it came to making decisions about the house. The time away from &olly was killing her, but she wanted enough time to pass to help &olly forget. The architect ne$er saw Christina watching her work from the le$ee on the afternoons she could get away from the gallery. (isa had been right in that &an had taken off before the sheets got cold, and hadn't called since. Christina was con$inced she'd ne$er ha$e found out her e# was in the city if &an hadn't run into her parents on that plane. *o amount of time e$er taught her the final lesson on &an. The woman was only interested in the hunt, and she had pro$en herself easy prey too many times. The gallery owner had tried to drown in a sea of women when &an had finally walked out, but &olly was going to be the one to put a stop to that. So what if " slept with &an, &olly should understand if she cared about me, thought Christina as she watched the tall woman talking to !imi. Christina was starting to get an uneasy feeling about the number of times she saw !imi at the construction site. The bubbly blonde was the only one out there who constantly got into &olly's personal space and was ne$er rebuffed. Whene$er !imi sat in the shade with her sketch pad &olly had a hard time keeping the smile

off her face and her eyes off the beautiful young woman. The days that passed made the form of the house that much more recogni1able, and it ga$e Christina hope since &olly was still so in$ol$ed with the project. (isa didn't make any comment the day Christina showed up in jeans and a light sweater. "t was not her boss's usual business attire but she figured there was a reason behind it and Christina would e$entually tell her. When an hour of silence passed she broke down and asked. Taking the day off. &ust going out to the house to re$iew some flooring choices. Tim said they're starting to brick today so the guys are concentrating on the interior, answered Christina not looking up from the document in her hand. &olly going to be there. " don't know, (isa, would you like me to pass along a note for you if she's there. The good relationship the women had shared suffered after what had happened with &an. When (isa sided with &olly's decision not to see Christina anymore, the gallery owner had found it easier to blame her assistant than herself. Chris, "'m not your enemy here. 3ou asked me and " told you the truth, don't hate me for it now. (isa left the office before Christina could respond, and Christina didn't try to call her back. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; &ust take the doors off the hinges and the forklift will be able to get through, yelled &olly o$er the engine of the deli$ery truck. The electricians and plumbers had finished their job, so they could start putting up drywall. ,iles of the white boards were stacked on the truck she was standing ne#t to, ready to be unloaded. /eard you were looking for a few good men, said the deep $oice behind her. &olly turned around in disbelief ha$ing not seen the guy in months. &olly crossed her arms and stretched out to her full height, so she could take ad$antage of her inch ad$antage, and looked him o$er. The blonde hair tied back in a ponytail now reached the middle of his back, and the beard had a little more white mi#ed in but the green eyes ne$er changed. *ot a sorry looking son of a bitch like you. -ite me, bitch. 3ou'd better not let your daughter hear you say that. She'd kick your butt. /ell she might anyway considering it's been, what, fi$e months since she's heard from you. Cut me some slack, &olly. 3ou're my secret weapon, man, when it comes to keeping me on !imi's good side. &olly laughed and opened her arms to gi$e him a hug. 0icky !ulle was a man who tra$eled the country on a /arley looking for construction jobs only to fill his stomach and his tank. "t was the reason his e#:wife had taken their three children and married Anthony /olland. /ow's it going, 0ick. &olly asked keeping her arm around his shoulder. Working up in ,hoeni# for awhile, but " missed my kid. Called Tim and he told me where " could find a job before " had to go o$er to !imi's and crash empty handed. 0icky looked at &olly and wondered if she had found what was staring her in the face for si# years. She doesn't care about that, 0ick, you know she just wants you where she can find you. 3ou missed her show a couple of months back. Sold e$ery piece before the night was o$er. &olly picked up his tool bag and threw it into the back of her truck. She wanted to go home and gi$e !imi her surprise. Thought you had dry wall to put up. 0icky pointed to the forklift passing by into the house.

"'$e got a whole damn house worth, but that'll keep. We ha$e a lady to see about some paint, said &olly. They were two blocks passed the dri$eway when Christina's car pulled into the construction site. When they reached the house, 0icky got out of the truck and leaned against the front looking at the new set of porch rockers !imi had out front. /e figured &olly had been a busy girl since his last $isit. The unlocked front door made him shake his head when &olly opened it and walked right in, !imi would ne$er change. &olly@ !imi cried running o$er to hug her when she heard &olly step into the studio. 3ou aren't sick are you. She asked feeling &olly's forehead. "'m fine, " just wanted to come home early and bring you something. /ome. The word was put away in !imi's heart like a gold coin in a treasure chest. A table to go with my new rockers. -etter, come on. &olly took her hand and led !imi to the front door. The shriek the blonde let out when she saw her father left &olly a little light headed. 8addy, it's really you. &olly get his stuff and put it in his room. 3ou're staying right. &olly's got stuff for you to do, and " want you to stay. She turned and looked at &olly, 3ou ha$e stuff for him to do, right. 0icky hugged !imi close to his chest and laughed at the rambling. )rom her first word, he remembered !imi had had only one speed for talking. 0apid fire, so you were agreeing to stuff you had no intention to, and by the time you figured it out she was off to the ne#t subject. Slow down, baby girl, "'m staying and " got a job set up starting tomorrow. The boss was nice enough to gi$e me the afternoon off with pay. 0icky smiled at the arched brow shot his way from &olly. 3ou're working for &olly, right. /e's working for &olly, answered &olly getting her another hug when !imi latched on to her. *ow bring my $acationing worker in for his grilling and "'ll lea$e you alone to get it done. !imi pouted at the fact &olly was lea$ing and tried her best sad puppy dog eyes to get her to change her mind. The sooner " get done, the sooner " can come back and take you two out to dinner. ,romise you won't be late. asked !imi looking up at &olly through blonde lashes. " promise, shrimpy, go ha$e fun with your dad. Thanks for bringing him o$er and not making him work the rest of the day. &olly handed 0icky his tools before heading back to the site. She planned to lock up his bike for the night so he could ha$e an uninterrupted night with !imi. The two blondes watched the old )ord pickup turn the corner dri$ing out of sight before heading into the house. 3ou ha$en't told her, ha$e you. 0icky asked his daughter as they stepped into the house. &olly's hand was e$erywhere he looked and it made him feel good. /e had ne$er been able to temper his wanderlust, so ha$ing someone like &olly take care of !imi made him feel less guilty. This isn't open to discussion with her, daddy. -esides, she's getting o$er a broken heart. !imi reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a beer. 4#cept for the hair and gender thing, &olly and her dad were a lot a like. Want to see the new dresser " got out of the deal. &olly lo$es you, !imi, she just needs a little push to figure it out. She's my sister, daddy. 4$en the great state of (ouisiana frowns on such unions, teased !imi. They had had this con$ersation e$ery time they were together from the first time 0icky had seen the two of them together.

/oney, &olly's not related to you. 3our mother was her father's secretary and they ended up with the same last name through marriage. "f you're fond of the name Andolini then marry her. Trust me, it's the one way "'ll be happy for you to get it tacked on after !ulle, and "'d lo$e to see the look on big Tony's face the day that happens. 3ou ha$e to lo$e a plan that makes e$eryone happy. ,romise me you won't say anything. &olly's my best friend and if that's the only way " can get her, then "'ll be happy. !imi looked up at him and looked into his eyes. 0icky might ha$e ne$er been around as much as she had wanted him to, but like &olly, he wasn't a liar. " promised you when you were si#teen, !imi, and " promise you now, " won't say anything. The other thing " promise is, the day she finally wakes up and finds you standing there, "'m going to whack her one upside the head. She's brilliant at so many things e#cept for the one that's the most important. Tell me about your show. 0icky put his feet up on the kitchen chair across from him and put his chin in his palm to listen to his daughter talk. /e missed this most of all when he got the urge to hit the road. !imi always made e$erything sound like an ad$enture you were sorry you missed sharing while it was happening. The tour of the house came ne#t and 0icky spent a half an hour looking at the dresser !imi had bragged about. The detail of the piece and the hours he knew &olly had put into it, made it easy to decide how he would spend the ne#t few months. *o one put that kind of work into something for someone they weren't in lo$e with. 0icky wanted to gi$e his daughter the one gift that would make up for all the disappointments she had e#perienced because of him. 3ou two ready. &olly called on her way home wanting to know what they were in the mood for. 0icky was a man of simple taste so there would be no gourmet meal in her future tonight. 3ou promised you wouldn't be late. /oney, it's four thirty in the afternoon. " usually don't get home until si#. "'m not late. Tell me where you want to go so " can dress accordingly. The blonde was currently standing in front of her closet in her underwear wondering the same thing. 3ou aren't coming here first. At the moment "'m co$ered in white dust. " think you'll want me to take a shower first. /ow about twenty minutes, a fresh pair of jeans and " come pick you up. 3ou think he'll want to be a little more ad$enturous than !e#ican tonight. !imi asked as she tapped the nail of her inde# finger against her front teeth as she $isually looked through all the stuff hanging in front of her. This is 0icky !ulle we're talking about, right. Take one of those l's out of the last name and you'll ha$e your answer. &olly, be nice, he's my father, laughed !imi. " know, now put something on and "'ll be there in a few minutes. !imi looked at the phone and wondered how &olly knew she wasn't dressed. When she couldn't, she just stuck her tongue out at the recei$er before putting it back in its cradle. 0icky let &olly in when she knocked thirty minutes later, both of them surprised !imi wasn't ready to go. /e handed her a beer and they stepped out to the backyard to discuss an addition &olly was considering for the house. The home !imi had mo$ed into three years before had been a dilapidated mess when &olly had purchased it for pennies on the dollar almost right out of school. "t had been her idea to fi# it up a little and put it back on the market, but !imi had fallen in lo$e with its location. The modest house sat on a large e#panse of land a couple of blocks off St. Charles A$enue. "t was the si1e of the lot that had made &olly think it was a good in$estment since the house could be added to e#tensi$ely still lea$ing a good si1ed yard. The best thing about the place was it backed up to Audubon ,ark.

"n the middle of one of *ew +rleans's oldest neighborhoods, Audubon ,ark was a huge ha$en of massi$e oaks and colorful flowers. The city planners had set aside enough land to e$entually include a public golf course, playgrounds, picnic areas and a two:mile track that circled the whole thing. To the front was the famous St. Charles a$enue and Tulane 7ni$ersity, and to the back was the re$amped Audubon <oo. The fact !imi could ha$e all that by just walking out the back door was what had grabbed her from the moment she stepped into the house. (ike in most things, &olly had gi$en in and aside from repairs to make it li$able, the only addition she had made was the large studio at the back. Stucco di$iders held up the large panes of glass that mostly made up the walls letting in light no matter what time of day it was. +n the floors &olly had put thin strips of long leaf pine that had been $arnished to a high shine, not for looks but for easy cleaning. The paint that dripped off !imi's brush was buffed up once a week by the crew &olly hired to clean the house. When !imi had protested, &olly told her beautiful women shouldn't waste time doing housework. "'m thinking you should consider a nice ga1ebo out here under the oaks, said 0icky. /e took a swig out of his beer and pointed to the spot in the yard he was talking about. &olly nodded her head and tried to picture how that would look. -ehind them !imi stepped out to the patio and cleared her throat to pull their attention away from the talk of wood. &olly turned around to say hello when the beer she had been drinking slipped without notice from her fingers. The splatter reached e$en 0icky's jeans when the bottle shattered after hitting the floor. The wet spots on her pants snapped &olly out of the trance she was in and she looked down as if not sure where the bottle had come from, much less how it broke. !imi was standing there in a pair of black leather pants with matching $est with nothing on underneath. The cur$e hugging material did e$erything but ha$e arrows saying 'look here' to accentuate !imi's figure, and &olly was ha$ing a hard time breathing all of sudden. 3ou ok there, &olly. asked 0icky slapping her on the back. !imi shot her father a warning glare before his %uestions got any further out of hand. "'m sorry, it just slipped out of my hand. (et me get a broom and clean this up before we go. &olly walked into the kitchen and got the broom and dustpan out of the closet, cursing herself mentally with e$ery step. The hose washed away the beer after &olly had gotten all the glass into the garbage. She had made !imi and 0icky go inside to wait on her so they wouldn't get wet. The double paned doors she had installed out to the patio kept &olly from hearing 0icky's roar of laughter. 8amn, girl, " think &olly just got a clue you aren't si#teen anymore. *ice choice of outfit, !imi. !imi's blush ruined her plan to deny the allegation so she just said, Thanks. " just get curious e$ery so often to see if she's paying attention. 3ou struck her dumb, sweetheart, "'m thinking that counts as paying attention. &olly, all finished. 0icky's $oice rose to let !imi know their friend was finished and standing at the door. 3eah, " smell like a brewery, but if you two can li$e with it, "'m ready. /ow about Tac%ueria Corona on !aga1ine street. &olly picked up the last piece of leather apparel to !imi's outfit and held it up for her. The black jacket matched a larger $ersion of one &olly owned but it was a rarity for them to ha$e to pull them out so soon into the fall season. The restaurant was crowded enough so they would ha$e to wait thirty minutes at the bar if they wanted to stay. &olly and 0icky ga$e !imi the only barstool left as they stood ne#t to her and talked about the do$e tailed drawers &olly had made for !imi's bedroom dresser. Guys, could we talk about something other than woodworking techni%ues. "t makes me feel useless if all " can contribute to the con$ersation is, my underwear looks really nice in there.

What would you like to talk about. asked &olly accepting a nacho chip co$ered in salsa from !imi. The ga1ebo you're putting in the backyard would be a good start, said !imi backhanding &olly in the stomach. She kept the smile on her face as her eyes looked toward the door of the restaurant. Christina was talking with the host as the older couple with her stood back a few feet. She turned to them and said something that got them to nod their heads and close the door. !imi dunked another chip into the salsa and held it up for &olly. With any luck Christina and her guests would head to the other side of the bar and &olly wouldn't notice them. !imi wasn't the only one who noticed the joy that broke across Christina's face when she saw &olly standing at the bar. 0icky took a second to si1e up who he now considered the competition. The casual outfit made the blonde look impossibly more beautiful to !imi, who cursed her rotten luck. /ello, &olly, how'$e you been. Almost for the second time in one night &olly came close to losing another beer bottle. "t was weird, Christina had hurt her by her actions, but that part of her brain that liked really pretty girls didn't care when she looked at the gallery owner. Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, &olly. asked 0icky getting &olly to look at him. This is Christina Griffin, she's the owner of the sheet rock we'll be hanging tomorrow. Christina, this is 0icky !ulle. *ice to meet you, !r. !ulle. Christina shook his hand then held it up to !imi. 3ou been busy. "'m working on some new stuff, thank you for asking. The answer was curt and !imi hoped Christina would take the hint and be on her way. "f not she couldn't make any promises as to not adding the entire contents of the salsa container to the nice sweater the gallery owner was wearing. /a$ing gotten the niceties out of the way, Christina was free to turn her attention back to &olly. " want you to meet my parents, 8ell and /illary. "'$e bragged so much about you, "'m sure they thought you weren't real. &olly smiled and shook hands with the couple before introducing !imi and 0icky. 8ell was about to offer to buy them another round when the host called out &olly's name signaling that their table was ready. She held up a hand to help !imi off the barstool and didn't let go when she was on her feet. Are you in the mood for a burger. &olly asked holding !imi's coat up again. " could use a little protein in my diet tonight. /ow about you, daddy. A burger sounds good, baby. Why don't you gi$e these nice folks our table, 0icky told the host. The young Spanish guy nodded and used the menus in his hand to point Christina and her parents to the waiting table. &olly paid their bar tab and shook hands with 8ell and /illary again before they stepped away. *ice seeing you again, Christina. " hope Tim's keeping you informed of all the stuff we're doing. *ow that the outside is done on our end, the interior will start to take shape. With any luck you can be celebrating Christmas in front of the fireplace in the den. We'd ha$e left if you feel uncomfortable, &olly. "'m not uncomfortable, it's 0icky's first night in town and " wanted !imi to enjoy dinner, &olly looked o$er Christina's head and smiled at !imi while she waited for her change. Can we ha$e a drink or something soon. " can't stand that you hate me because of what happened. " don't hate you. (ike " said before, you're a big girl, free to see or sleep with whome$er you please. 3ou

don't ha$e to answer to me for any action you take. *o forgi$eness in here for me, &olly. Christina reached out and tapped &olly's chest o$er her heart. What's to forgi$e. 3ou want to ha$e a drink with me, call me. 0eally. "t's that simple. 0eally, it's that simple. /a$e a nice night. The bartender handed o$er &olly's se$enty dollars getting a ten back as a tip. She patted Christina's shoulder before walking to !imi and her father. The rest of the night went as &olly had planned, with !imi lo$ing ha$ing her dad home. 0icky was so different from her own clean:cut father that &olly wondered how >elly, !imi's mother, really felt about Anthony. /ow Anthony felt about 0icky was crystal, the words 'long haired hippy freak' coming to mind. *ight, kids, said 0icky as !imi closed the front door. 3ou coming to get me in the morning. "'ll be here at se$en. 8on't worry, " won't forget you, you know how much " lo$e hanging drywall, answered &olly. 0icky nodded his head and laughed before kissing !imi good night. *o one in their right mind liked hanging sheet rock. 3ou want some coffee. !imi asked &olly as she shed her coat and dropped it on a chair. &olly took off her own jacket and nodded her head. "t was still early and her place seemed so empty lately. (ight a fire and "'ll be right back, ordered !imi. When she came back &olly had a small fire going and was staring into it as if the flames were mesmeri1ing. &olly noticed the leather outfit had been replaced by flannel pajamas when !imi handed her a mug. 3ou ha$e fun tonight. 3eah, " lo$e ha$ing daddy around. When he disappears on me, " worry about him. !imi smiled when &olly mo$ed o$er and let her sit on the spot she had just warmed up on the leather sofa. "f he wants, " can keep him busy for months. " like your dad, he's the most genuine person " know aside from you. /e lo$es you too, &olly. 3ou're the only person in your family he can say that about, !imi kidded. 3ou doing ok. " was thinking about what "'m going to do when you fall in lo$e and hook up with someone. !y !ondays will be all shot to hell. !imi put her head down on &olly's shoulder and got more comfortable. "'m not going to fall in lo$e with just anyone, so our !onday night dates are safe. /ow about you, &olly. /ow about me what. &olly watched the small hand running up and down the top of her leg. She was sure !imi didn't e$en reali1e she was doing it they were so comfortable with each other. 8o you think about falling in lo$e. After seeing what my parents went through and how my father is, " don't know if "'d be the best partner for anyone. The coffee cup spilled o$er a little when !imi put it down in a hurry and swung around to face &olly. 3ou'd be great, &olly, don't say that about yourself. Think about how happy a pack of little kids would be to ha$e you as a parent, not to mention the lucky woman who'll ha$e them for you. Wow, how do you figure.

Are you kidding. /a$ing the best carpenter and architect for a parent can only mean the best tree houses in the city. &olly laughed at !imi's always optimistic look of the world. "'ll tell you what, when you ha$e that gaggle of kids, "'ll be here to build a tree house. )rom your lips to God's ear, thought !imi as she leaned against &olly again. )or the moment it didn't matter that &olly had skillfully side stepped her %uestion. There was always time later to think about Christina and ways to keep her away from &olly. #ontinued in #ha ter + #omments to& terrali%'(yahoo.com The Athenaeum)s *croll Archive ? A ,lace To 8ance ? by Ali 5ali Please *ee #ha ter $ for disclaimers

A Place To Dance by Ali 5ali #ha ter + When's the mud guy coming. asked 0icky. They had stopped to eat lunch after most of the first floor was done. The crew &olly had working with her was good, fast and didn't need a lot of direction to get things done. &olly swallowed the mouthful of sandwich !imi had packed for them and pointed to a truck that looked e$en worse than hers. Already here. ,acho and boys are fast and the best in the business. +nce they're done they come back and do the painting if that's what Christina wants. "t was the best opening 0icky could hope for from &olly. What's her story. Christina is the owner of the gallery that hosted !imi's show. Small world huh. " didn't figure who she was until the night " went to !imi's opening. (ong story short, we went out for a while then she fucked up. )ucked up. asked 0icky. " went o$er one night and she was fucking an old girlfriend. &olly don't play that. 0icky laughed at the joke and continued with his fact:finding mission. 3ou had feelings for her though, am " right. When ha$e you e$er known me to see someone for more than a week. 8oesn't matter anyway, there's no going back. 3ou'$e had !imi tied in knots for years, so that's not true, &olly, thought 0icky as he finished his soda. "

don't know, >elly was screwing big Tony behind my back and " still ha$e feelings for her, fished 0icky. !urderous. Sometimes. That's a different situation, 0ick, >elly's the mother of your children. That's a bond no amount of animosity can break or change. Christina's someone who cooked me dinner a few times. And would like to again, Christina said from behind them. 0icky looked at the skirt and figured she wasn't there to learn the art of applying mud to drywall. /ere was a woman on the hunt and she had painted an imaginary bull's eye on &olly's forehead. "'ll be getting back to it, boss, said 0icky as some of those murderous thoughts &olly had mentioned ran through his head. !a'am. /e doesn't like me, does he. asked Christina. &olly looked up from her seat on the grass and laughed. 8o you always anoint yourself with so much self: importance. What do you mean. 0icky doesn't know you, so why would you care if he likes you or not. Can we start o$er. !aybe you could gi$e me a tour, then go out for that drink you promised. asked Christina. &olly took her around the house with a pad in hand making notes of any changes Christina wanted. The blonde appro$ed the hiring of the painters and hung on e$ery word out of &olly's mouth. "t thrilled her that &olly e$en walked her back to the car when she had run out of e#cuses to stay. Want to come o$er tonight and ha$e that drink. The flash of the tall naked blonde standing in the hallway ran through &olly's mind making her shake her head. " don't think so, Chris. &ust gi$e me some more time and we'll see, ok. The shortening of her name made Christina smile. "t was the first time &olly had done it in weeks. "'m sorry, &olly. The blue eyes similar in color to &olly's filled with tears at what she had thrown away. "t would be so great to share the new house with the woman who was building it. Come on now, don't cry. 3ou should be glad "'m pissed with you. The mental e#perts say it means " care. " got angry because " thought we were going somewhere special, said &olly reaching down to wipe a tear running down Christina's face. Seeing her like this made &olly wonder if she had been too rash. Will you just come when you think you're ready. "'m willing to wait. (et's not put any e#pectations on oursel$es. Christina nodded to that, knowing it was better than goodbye for good. 7pstairs 0icky stepped away from the bedroom window so &olly wouldn't see him on her way back up. The tears gets them e$ery time. Come on, &olly, you're smarter than that. &olly dro$e passed Christina's apartment four times in the ne#t week ne$er slowing down much less stopping. A part of her wanted to try again since Christina was the first person she felt as comfortable with as !imi. The feeling came so naturally to compare e$eryone to !imi that &olly ne$er took the time to analy1e why she did that.

The one good thing that had happened was a painting !imi had placed as an entry for the *o Aids Task )orce's -lack and White -all had been accepted. The honor meant it would be made into signed and numbered prints and the original would be sold at auction the night of the ball. All the money raised would go to the leading organi1ation in *ew +rleans that cared for all the needy suffering from the disease. "t was a good cause, and the e#posure the e$ent would get would gi$e !imi's career as an artist an incredible boost. &olly had been thrilled and shocked that the talkati$e !imi had been able to keep the whole thing a secret. The best part &olly guessed was 0icky would be there to share in !imi's achie$ement. *o matter how much !imi said she didn't mind 0icky always being gone, &olly knew better. The petite blonde cra$ed her father's appro$al as much as she wanted him to be a part of her life. The pencil in her hand dropped to the floor as &olly thought about e$erything that had happened. !aybe it was time for her to mo$e on because she was tired of being alone. !ore than one night had been spent thinking about Christina, only to ha$e her morph into !imi in the leather outfit she had worn to dinner the night 0icky got back to town. 3ou look like you're lost, said 0icky stepping into one of the guestrooms upstairs. (ike the master suite down the hall, the room had a great $iew of the lake. &ust thinking. About that pretty blonde thing who keeps sniffing around here like a bitch in heat. 0icky, you're nothing if not blunt, said &olly bending down to pick up her pencil. She had been in the process of measuring and marking crown molding when the water in the distance had caught her attention. &olly, you know " lo$e you, right. &olly nodded her head slowly not knowing where this was going. " say this with lo$e then, you're a fucking blockhead. The pencil she had just picked up snapped in her hand. 4#cuse me. 3ou ha$e a wonderful girl who's lo$ed you from the day you two met and you're standing here pining away for some scank who slept with someone else. "n my book that makes you a fucking blockhead. God, !imi, please forgi$e me if this doesn't work, thought 0icky as he waited for the blowup. What in the hell are you talking about. &olly's $oice had gotten low and glacial. Wake up, &olly, and take a look at !imi. What does she ha$e to do with anything. !adeline's so in lo$e with you she doesn't see anyone else. As her father, " want you to either do something about it or let her go. " know you care about her but as long as you're there all the time, she's not going to open up to anyone else. The piece of pencil still clutched in her hand snapped in two again when 0icky was done. 3ou're cra1y, !imi's not in lo$e with me. She's just a kid for pete's sake@ The thought of that black leather outfit popped into &olly's head for the thousandth time and she tried to ignore it. She's almost twenty three, &olly. "t's time you ga$e her a life, or the freedom to find one. !aking her furniture isn't enough anymore. !y kid deser$es a life and someone who makes her happy. She wants more than anything for that someone to be you. 0icky calculated how far he could get on a %uarter of a tank when &olly just walked out. "f !imi found out he had gone back on his word, it wouldn't be far enough. /e may not ha$e always been there for her, but he had ne$er broken his word. *ot until now. That night and for the ne#t three 0icky watched !imi as she stood $igil by the front door waiting for &olly to

come walking through it after work. +ne more night and he would ha$e to tell her &olly wasn't coming to work either. The lessons he had learned in 5egas should ha$e taught him the e$ils of gambling, but 0icky figured it was too late now. /e'd gambled on &olly sweeping !imi off her feet and he'd failed. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; &olly stood at the front door she had thought about knocking on a hundred times and thought about what 0icky had said and how true it was. /ow had she missed it. /e was right in his point that it was time to let !imi go so she could find what she sought. *ot because she didn't lo$e her, but because she wasn't good enough for !imi. "t was time for &olly to let go of %uite a few things. The knock was as gentle as the first time and &olly almost turned away when there was not immediate response. &olly smiled when the door opened and Christina stood there, shocked to see her. 3ou know something. asked &olly watching the long blonde hair bounce when Christina shook her head. " just stopped by to tell you that "'m a fucking blockhead. " can e#plain, said Christina. &olly looked at the swollen lips of the mouth that had just uttered the ridiculous line. *o need, said &olly holding out her hand to the woman who had stepped up behind Christina. &olly Andolini. &an Shaffer. The tall blonde looked wary since &olly was being so nice. 7sually when she was caught with someone else's woman it meant the loss of an item of clothing when she had to make a %uick get a way, or a black eye. &an, you take care of your girl and ha$e fun tonight, &olly told the stunned blonde. That leaky roof's a distinct possibility now, though you might ha$e lucked out since " got here before shaking hands was not an option. 8on't think you messed up again because " came to tell you there was no chance at reconciliation. " just thought "'d come and tell you in person. *ot that " think " owed it to you, but like " said : that's my style. She put her hand to Christina's cheek and stroked it before turning and walking out. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; 8o you think we should go by her house. She could be sick or hurt. "t's not like &olly to disappear on me for a week, and she wouldn't miss tonight unless there was something wrong. 0icky looked at his daughter in the gorgeous gown she had on and decided he couldn't hide the truth anymore. &olly had decided to follow his ad$ice and let !imi go instead of taking a chance. /e pulled on the bow tie he was wearing and tried to think of how to tell her &olly wasn't sick and she wasn't coming. !imi, started 0icky finding the rented tu#edo more constricting by the second. &olly, the doorbell stopped him from going further. /e went to open the door and almost fainted from the relief. "s right on time. The tu#edo was one !imi had taken &olly shopping for a year earlier so they could attend the *ew +rleans !odern Art Gala held to help raise money for indigent children interested in art. &olly had stood patiently for o$er an hour as they measured and pinned the jacket for a flawless fit, then as !imi tried different shirt and ties with the suit she picked out. "t looked as good on &olly now as the first time !imi had seen it. The main reason wasn't how well it fit but that &olly had meticulously assembled each piece to look good for !imi. She had gone with the black bow tie and it was knotted as well as the small black silk ribbon holding the ponytail in place. &olly stepped in and closed the door looking almost shy as she looked at !imi. /ey, shrimpy. "t was like a knife twisting in &olly's chest when !imi's green eyes filled with tears. " know a beautiful woman like you probably has a date. !imi shook her head and brought her hands up to co$er her mouth not wanting to put too much hope in why &olly was there and what she had said. 4$eryday of the last week had been like a slow death for !imi. )or e$ery hour that ticked by without hearing from &olly, was one more hour !imi's mind came up with different pictures of &olly in bed with someone else. -y the look on

&olly's face, !imi knew something was different. "n her absence &olly had ob$iously made some decisions about the future. &olly looked at the white strapless dress !imi had on and wanted to cry herself that this beautiful woman lo$ed her. !imi was so much more than her physical beauty, it had been her heart that had won &olly so gradually it had taken 0icky to make her reali1e what she, in her stupidity, had missed. *ow that she did know, ha$ing spent a sleepless night trying to think of a way to make it up to !imi, &olly knew she couldn't li$e without her. The only fear was that her weeklong absence had dri$en !imi away. "'m sorry for waiting until now to ask you, but would you consider going with me. asked &olly. 8id you ask anyone else. !imi didn't want to win because &olly was settling. " told you before, !adeline, you're my best girl. The phrase has rolled off my tongue for years, but it took someone calling me a blockhead to reali1e how true it was. "t always has been from the day we met. &olly looked at 0icky and smiled as a way of thanking him for the kick in the pants. 8o you think you could lo$e me. !imi asked, needing to hear it before she could mo$e. " can't imagine a time when " didn't lo$e you, !imi. 3ou gi$e me the chance, and " won't let a day pass when you can't imagine it either. The smile on !imi's face ga$e &olly the courage to mo$e forward. She wanted to do it right since e$ery couple got to ha$e just one first kiss. She wanted them to both think back on it and lo$e the memory no matter how many years had passed. The thought of !imi telling this story to the gaggle of kids she always talked about made her smile. !imi's lips were soft against her own, and &olly could taste the salt from the tears the small blonde had shed. "n that one moment e$ery corny line from e$ery mo$ie &olly had e$er seen and e$ery song she had e$er heard about lo$e made sense to her. When they parted she smiled wider at the pleased hum !imi let out with her eyes still closed. /ow about it. Can't we just stay home. asked !imi. She stuck her hands in &olly's jacket and wanted nothing more than to put her pajamas on and stay home. " want to dance with you, and " ha$e a painting to bid on so no, we can't stay home. -esides you ne$er went to your prom so " thought " could make it up to you tonight. &olly handed her a bo# tied closed with a white silk ribbon. She put the orchid on !imi's wrist when she opened it then offered her an arm for her escort outside. " would'$e gone, but you were away at college and didn't ask me, said !imi. &ust another reason "'m a blockhead, but don't worry, "'m getting up to speed. 0icky locked the front door and followed the couple to the waiting limousine, con$inced !imi's feet ne$er touched the ground for the length of the dri$eway. !aybe another run at the gaming tables was in his future since this risk had hit such a huge jackpot. The reser$ed table &olly had purchased was ne#t to the one her father's firm had gotten. When they saw where they were sitting and 0icky spotted >elly, he looked like a slug had crawled in his mouth and died. "t was going to be a $ery long night if he had to look at Anthony with his paws all o$er her in a show of ownership. !y re$enge for calling me a fucking blockhead, whispered &olly in jest. "n reality she was as shocked to see them as 0icky. "'m kidding. " could'$e gotten you flowers, but " thought you would like something a little more substantial, &olly told him.

!imi came close to stabbing &olly with the butter knife when a tall brunette walked up and hugged the architect. 5eronica, this is !imi. !imi, 5eronica's your father's date for the e$ening. 0icky, you remember 5eronica don't you. &olly put the woman's hand in 0icky's. /ow does daddy know her. asked !imi. She works for ,acho the painter. The girl can paint edges like 5an Gogh and she's so cute " thought your father would like dancing the night away with her. And speaking of dancing, want to dance with me before Anthony has me arrested for seducing you. The pointing and whispering Anthony and >elly were engaged in wasn't e#actly co$ert. "t was also a safe bet to figure she and !imi were the main topic of discussion. !imi pulled &olly to the middle of the dance floor by her lapels. "'$e been trying to seduce you for years, so you're not the one in trouble. " mean come on, &olly, " did e$erything but paint that damn mural naked. 3ou're so clueless sometimes " swear. /ad you worn that leather number, you wouldn't ha$e made it to the ele$ator. The tempo of the music didn't matter to them the entire time they were on the floor. They were obli$ious to the stares, comments and attention some in the crowd had focused on them. 0icky was the one paying enough attention to enjoy the shade of red of Anthony's ears going up a notch in color for e$ery kiss &olly placed on !imi's lips. Are you really ok with this. asked !imi. She was enjoying listening to the beat of &olly's heart as well as the music they were swaying to together. /oney, " spent the last week trying to find a way to walk away from you so you'd ha$e a chance to find someone better. !imi mo$ed her head away so she could look &olly in the eye ready to protest. (et me finish, &olly re%uested when the red lips frowned. " could no more let you go than " could stop breathing. " don't want to see you with anyone but me. " thank God your father set me on the right course before it was too late. The fact is, you own so much of who " am, " wouldn't know how to get it all back. " lo$e you, !imi, because you're perfect. !imi's hands mo$ed from &olly's shoulders to her neck. That's a sweet sentiment, baby, but no one's perfect. Are you telling me "'m wrong and you aren't the perfect girl for me. Since you put it like that, " can't argue with your logic. 8o you think we could try kissing again, or are there too many people around. The hands at &olly's neck applied a little pressure and bent the willing head down. &olly tried to pour so much into that one kiss they stopped mo$ing to the music. A persistent tapping on !imi's shoulder was what dro$e them apart. With e#treme irritation !imi looked away from &olly. What. Can you stop making a spectacle of yourself long enough for me to talk to you. !imi was grateful when &olly pressed herself to her back and rested her chin on !imi's shoulder. !other, how lo$ely to see you again. "'$e been meaning to call you and ask why you didn't make it to my show, but " really could gi$e a damn. !adeline, keep your $oice down and your distance from your sister. "t's upsetting your father, said >elly. -oth !imi and &olly looked toward 0icky and wa$ed when he ga$e them a thumbs up sign after twirling 5eronica. /e seems fine with my date, mother. 8on't you think so, sweetie. /e was the one who set us up remember, lo$e.

The long e#hale from >elly was a refle# on her part when the topic of discussion turned to 0icky. "'m talking about Anthony, dear. Could you show a little more respect and stop embarrassing him. Anthony is hardly anyone's father, >elly, least of all !imi's. -iology isn't what makes you a parent, and marriage shouldn't make you someone's lapdog. "f he's got a problem tell Anthony to ha$e the balls to come o$er here and tell us himself. With each word out of &olly's mouth >elly's anger grew. Why " ne$er6 started the pinched looking woman. 4$er since her father had introduced her to his new wife &olly had the impression someone was always walking beside her holding a piece of manure under her nose. *o "'d think after you left 0icky you don't anymore. Anthony ne$er has struck me as the se#ually fulfilling kind of guy. "f that's all, " want to dance with my girl. "t took an incredible amount of self:restraint on >elly's part not to throw anything at &olly's head. 4specially when !imi co$ered her mouth to hide the laughter. The new couple stayed in each other's arms until they started ser$ing dinner. Any other stares from >elly and Anthony were missed as &olly's table laughed and enjoyed the e$ening. "t was &olly's turn to become one big flaming blush when they un$eiled !imi's piece signaling the auction was going to begin as the desert was being ser$ed. The painting depicted an angel cradling a sick child, her wings slightly cur$ed in as if to protect the fragile life she held. !imi's description of the piece 'Wings of (o$e' in the program was lo$e knew no boundaries when it was genuine. "n its purest form, it had no barriers, was more powerful than any other force and would go to any length to protect those who belie$ed in it with out %uestion. The brief lines of te#t didn't really e#plain why the angel was naked and looked just like &olly despite the fact the $iewer couldn't really make out the face since it was bowed as if in prayer. The $eins bulging in Anthony's neck meant he had guessed who the model had been. &olly ne$er mo$ed as the room e#ploded into applause when the piece was announced and un$eiled. The painting's subject looked at the woman sitting ne#t to her not knowing what to say. !imi looked back and shrugged her shoulders. " wanted to tell you how " felt but " didn't ha$e the words, so " used a picture. Are you mad. 7m, no, said &olly looking at the large can$as again. /ow did you, she wa$ed her hands at the painting that was like looking in a mirror. " didn't peek at you in the shower, &olly. "'m an artist, and when you become one, the powers that be gi$e you something called license, teased !imi. The bidding started at fi$e thousand dollars and !imi grabbed &olly's hand before she could place a counter. The real one's at home. The real one. " was willing to share the idea in my head of what was under your ABC's, but what " knew better than my own heart "'m keeping at home, e#plained !imi. What's that, sweetheart. 3our eyes, my lo$e. They looked at me years ago and blinded me to the world fore$er. They knew all along you lo$ed me, all " had to do was be patient until the rest of you caught up. The painting at home shows me that truth e$ery time " look at it in the studio. 3ou're head is up and you're smiling just for me. &olly cradled !imi's face as gently as the angel in the painting held the baby. The last thing &olly remembered before she dipped her head and kissed !imi with all the desire she had inside was a bid of thirty thousand dollars. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; 3ou think daddy's coming home tonight. asked !imi. They were standing in her den swaying to just the sound of the fire behind them.

"f he can resist the legendary 5eronica, he's a better man than any "'$e known. "'m thinking he's out until Tuesday at least. And you know this about this woman, how. The difference between women and men is most women don't brag about what happens in the bedroom. !ost guys can't seem to help themsel$es. &olly kissed !imi again not wanting to talk about anyone else for the rest of the night. "'$e waited so long for you to kiss me like you wanted me. 8o you want me, &olly. !ore than anything. The skin along !imi's neck and shoulders tasted so good as &olly mo$ed her lips along getting caught up in trying to make !imi feel good. The jacket of the tu# !imi knew wasn't rented dropped to the floor without a word from its owner. The bowtie that wasn't a clip on came ne#t with one slow torturous pull from surprisingly steady fingers. &olly tried to rela# and let !imi mo$e at her own pace. "f she wanted to stop, they would stop e$en if it meant her jogging laps in the park in dress shoes thought &olly. " know you said if a girl wants it to be special she should wait, but "'$e been waiting for si# years, &olly. 8o you think you could cut me some slack if " told you " wanted to make lo$e with you. !imi got swept into &olly's arms and carried into the bedroom as an answer. &olly set her on her feet near the bed and brought the 1ipper at the back of !imi's dress down like she was unwrapping a gift she had wanted all year as a kid. She held the top part up to look at !imi's face and make sure it was all right to continue. The coral tinted lips cur$ed into a smile gi$ing &olly permission to let go. &olly would ha$e started sweating a lot sooner than now had she known the only thing between she and !imi on the dance floor had been a white silk gown. 3ou're so beautiful. &olly was almost afraid to touch her, thinking !imi would disappear or turn away. The look of rapture made !imi smile. &olly, would you sit for me for a minute. !imi asked as she guided the tall woman to the bed. When the awe struck &olly sat, !imi bent down to take off her shoes and socks. The shirt came ne#t after she undid e$ery stud holding it closed. +k, you can stand up now. When !imi unbuckled the belt and lowered the 1ipper, &olly's pants pooled at her ankles for a long time as !imi admired what she had unco$ered. The resemblance to the painting was uncanny. " lo$e you, !imi. &olly, you'$e made me a happy woman. Care to keep going. "'ll go where$er you lead. " lo$e you too, &olly, and "'d rather we get there together. !imi couldn't help the moan that escaped when &olly pulled her close and their skin came into contact. "f they didn't do anything else that night, that one moment would be enough for !imi. Are you ok. asked &olly. Can " tell you something. 3ou can tell me anything, honey. "t won't change the way " feel about you. ,romise you won't get dressed and lea$e. &olly put two fingers under !imi's chin and tilted her head up so she could see her eyes. The blue green shade was so pale they had always reminded &olly of a%uamarine stones when they turned this shade.

3ou're going to ha$e to ask me to go for that to happen. "'$e ne$er done this with anyone. !imi said it softly and prayed she wouldn't ha$e to say it again. The thumping in &olly's chest reminded her of the steady hammering she had heard coming from &olly's workshop for years, and !imi hoped it didn't speed up anymore. "t sounded dangerously fast already. *o one. To &olly's annoyance the %uestion came out in a s%ueaky, high pitched $oice. " wanted to wait until " thought it was right. Tonight is the first time it feels like perfect, confessed !imi. The tears streaming down &olly's face were hard to decipher in a good or bad conte#t. " don't deser$e you, !imi. " won't e$er be able to do enough to make up for what an ass "'$e been to you for not seeing how you felt. 3ou waited for me. she asked in wonder. " saw you at that lunch your father had to introduce the two sets of children to each other and " said to myself before you took my hand, she's the one. 3ou were older but you listened to me and belie$ed in what " wanted to do, e$en when no one else cared. /ow could " not wait for you. " ha$e you now and "'m keeping you, so you don't ha$e anything to make up to me. Tonight " want you to make me yours, &olly. There was no one else who e$er came close to taking what belonged to you. " just thank God you didn't take anymore time. Twenty three years is a long time to be curious about what the fuss is about, so let's get to it, teased !imi. &olly picked !imi up again and laid her on the bed before getting up ne#t to her. "t was a strange thing to think, but &olly was happy she had made the bed more than comfortable for two people. !imi looked at her with a mi#ture of ner$es and desire and &olly wanted to assure her before they went any further. We can stop if you want, ok. !imi nodded her head and reached back to let &olly's hair down. " want you to touch me, whispered !imi swallowing hard when the hand on her hip slid slowly up her body until it closed on one of her breasts. &olly watched as the pink nipple got hard under just the brushing of her fingers. "t was the only time in her life she wished she had spent her life in the office like Tim instead of building the designs she drew. !imi deser$ed soft hands touching her. Almost as if she had heard her thoughts, !imi picked up the big hand and kissed the callused fingers. She pulled &olly on top of her when the tall woman smiled at her and the solid weight made !imi wet. The shorter set of legs opened so &olly could fit closer against her and both of them stopped just to enjoy the contact. !imi clawed at her back when &olly started kissing her neck again before slipping down to tug on !imi's breast with her lips. &olly sucked on one then the other until !imi dragged her face up ne#t to hers for a kiss. !imi didn't really know what she wanted but &olly touching her was paramount. She wanted something more but didn't know how to ask. -aby, please, she said breathlessly, hoping &olly would get the message. !imi, " want you to rela# for me, instructed &olly as she tried to mo$e down !imi's body only to be stopped by two insistent hands. 3ou want me to stop. *o, " want you up here with me, just for right now. !imi wanted to look into &olly's eyes when she ga$e her the gift she had sa$ed for her. What started out as a moan, ended in a hiss when &olly kissed her as her fingers dipped into the wetness between her legs. !imi wanted to start crying it felt so good but she didn't want to distract &olly into stopping. The soft stroking that went from one end of her se# to the other was coating &olly's fingers making each trip back and forth that much easier. When they were wet enough, &olly mo$ed her fingers to the hard point of !imi's need and circled around it slowly without touching it. &olly, don't stop doing that, it feels so good. " want you to feel good, lo$e. )eel me touching you and feel how wet it's making you. The low $oice in

!imi's ear was making her nipples harder, or was it the fingers stroking away her reason. &olly sucked on one of her earlobes, as her fingers ne$er stopped their circling making !imi harder and wetter. 0ela#, sweetheart, and just let go. !imi nodded her head as the fingers widened their arch and dipped lower circling the entrance to her se#, dipping in just slightly before going back to the stroking they had been doing. She whimpered when &olly took them away momentarily so she could run her thumb along the same path, but when it to was wet, the fingers returned to their teasing mo$ements. (ook at me, lo$e, re%uested &olly. !imi opened her eyes and looked at her with so much passion &olly was lost. &ust keeping looking at me and rela#. !imi could feel the length of &olly's body pressed up against hers, the heat making her feel safe. She moaned when the thumb started to rub where she most wanted contact as the fingers started entering her gently to break through the thin barrier. !imi's tears did start when &olly was all the way in, but not from any pain or discomfort. "'m so glad " waited for you. After she said it, !imi felt comfortable enough to close her eyes and part her lips asking for a kiss. She came up to meet &olly's hand as her body wrapped around her fingers and started the trip o$er the edge !imi had taken alone up to now. Their lips came apart when she couldn't breathe because the feeling was so intense. The fingers buried inside !imi and the thumb stroking her ignited the orgasm and she wished the feeling would ne$er end as the spasms started. She fell in lo$e with &olly all o$er again when it was o$er and she felt the fingers lea$e their warm ha$en. "'m glad you waited for me too. Thank you, !imi, that was an honor. 3ou'll be happy to know "'ll honor you anytime you want from now on, said !imi before pushing &olly onto her back. !imi didn't want to wait for this e#perience anymore either. With no detour she mo$ed down &olly's body and parted the wet swollen lips with her fingers. -efore &olly knew what was happening, !imi had latched on to her with her lips knocking all the fight right out of her. She dug her heels into the mattress and wrapped her fingers in the short blonde hair as a way to anchor her body to the bed. After the time &olly had taken with !imi, it didn't take too much to get her to the same ending destination. "t was so fast, it bordered on embarrassment. !imi crawled back up her body and rela#ed on top of &olly. She picked up the limp hands and put them on her back as a hint she wanted &olly to hold her. What in the hell just happened. asked &olly. When "'m not painting, " read, a lot. " couldn't wait anymore to take my book knowledge for a spin. 8id you like it. !imi's head lifted to look at &olly when she asked the %uestion. "f " could find two functional brain cells to rub together "'d come up with a better answer than, uh huh. !aybe it's a good thing you took this long, blockhead. &olly laughed under !imi at the use of her father's insult. Why's that, goddess. 3ou would'$e ne$er won any of those awards hanging in your office because " wouldn't ha$e let you out of bed. We're doing this often, right. 4$ery chance " can talk you into getting naked. ,romise. asked !imi before sucking on &olly's neck. +n a stack of -ibles. The only other references to religion that night were half incoherent utterances of thanks to any deities who popped into their heads when the time seemed appropriate.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; A dark pair of blue eyes s%uinted against the glare in the room as soon as they opened. They had fallen asleep and forgotten to close the blinds &olly had put up two months before at !imi's re%uest when she decided the drapes that were up were out of style. &olly blinked her eyes trying to focus on the surroundings as a to do list started to form in her head. What are you thinking about. asked the muffled $oice from &olly's chest. This house only has two bedrooms. &olly's answer was confusing enough to get !imi to lift her head. The mo$e brought her breasts into &olly's line of sight getting her to lick her lips. 3ou plan on sleeping somewhere else. asked !imi. She sat up and put her hand o$er her eyes. When that didn't work, she got up and pulled the cord to close the blinds with an appreciati$e audience watching her naked form. *o wonder the old guy ne#t door likes you so much, commented &olly. (ying on her side, she rested her head in her palm knowing the hands on hips mo$e was coming ne#t. !r. 5erret. /e's a sweet guy, &olly, of course he likes me. /e likes all the neighbors. &olly had to admit the pose looked se#ier sans clothes as !imi faced her with her hands on her hips. Come here, &olly held a hand up toward !imi. The room was nicer now that the dark wooden blinds had cut out the sun, but still light enough for &olly to continue to enjoy the $iew. !imi crawled under the co$ers and blushed, the thought she was naked just occurring to her. " would like it too if you're in the habit of walking around here dressed like this. "'m not dressed, &olly. ,recisely. &olly forwent any other $erbal teasing and kissed !imi good morning instead. When they came up for air !imi wrapped her arms around &olly's body and s%uee1ed. /oney, he's like ninety years old. "'m thinking he doesn't really care what " wear to walk around the house. &olly looked up at her wounded by the comment. 3ou don't think you'll still be turning me into a puddle when "'m ninety. That's different, " want to be turning you into a puddle. !r. 5erret, " only lo$e him for his tomatoes, teased !imi. 3ou don't cook, woman, so what's so interesting about his tomatoes. ,lease, &olly, " can make a salad. -en comes o$er and brings me some stuff from his garden e$ery couple of days. !imi sat up and straddled &olly's body wanting to gi$e the big hands plenty of room to maneu$er. 4$ery couple of days, huh. 3ou know why that is don't you. !imi had to think before answering when &olly's hands co$ered her breasts and s%uee1ed. What's your theory. *ot theory, fact. +ld guy looks in here and sees all this on display. !akes him want to run out and pick tomatoes to bring o$er before you get a chance to get your robe on. " bet the old lady on the other side of him doesn't get any $egetables out of that garden. &olly ran her hands down !imi's body to let her know what she was talking about. She sat up to collect on another kiss and liked that !imi wrapped her legs around her to keep &olly close. ,robably comes e$ery two days because it takes him that long to do something about the build up of e#citement. !imi laughed and looked into the eyes she lo$ed so much, studying the way they darkened the more &olly

got aroused. There's only one old person "'m interested in working up into a fren1y, and here you are, said !imi putting her hands on &olly's butt. "'ll show you fren1ied. &olly's touch was light since !imi was sore from the night before, but it was still fulfilling. " want you to wake me up like this until you're ninety, said !imi when they were done. 8on't think "'m forgetting about that old comment, young lady. &olly heard the soft laugh coming from the dead weight draped across her body. 8oes that bother you. asked the thirty:four:year:old. 4le$en and a half years didn't seem like a big span, but sometimes it was a gulf to people. The pinch was hard and une#pected getting &olly to make a %uick grab for !imi's hand. " ha$e not waited a %uarter of my life for you to wake up and smell the coffee "'$e been brewing, to ha$e you start finding e#cuses why you shouldn't ha$e taken a sip. 3ou get me. That hurt, !imi, said &olly rubbing the red spot on her thigh. !imi held up the inde# finger and thumb that had deli$ered the attention getter before she went on. And there's plenty more, -abe, so don't mess with me. 3ou ready to listen to my demands. Are you always this perky in the morning. asked &olly earning her another pinch from the woman sitting on her. ,lease continue. 3ou can lea$e today to go home and pack a bag and come back, or " can pack a bag and go with you. "'m fle#ible so it's your choice. 3ou made lo$e to me knowing full well it came with commitment, so don't play the dummy now. That means we're li$ing together, the first of my demands, !imi stuck one finger up and looked for any disagreement coming from &olly. 8id you ha$e a nose ring made up for me too. "t's in the new dresser, smarty pants. What are the rest of your demands, !iss !ulle. &olly asked as she rolled !imi o$er and pinned her to the bed. That you just lo$e me and not think of reasons to lea$e, !imi told her not teasing. -aby, " do lo$e you and "'m not lea$ing. 3ou'll ha$e to throw me out to get rid of me since " just mo$ed in, said &olly. What about your, !imi's %uestion died away on &olly lips. An hour later it was time for !imi's third demand and she had to shake &olly awake to make her re%uest. &olly's telling her, " know you're making up for lost time, baby, but gi$e me a break, almost made !imi roll off the bed she was laughing so hard. " want )rench toast. 8o you ha$e bread of any kind. asked &olly, her eyes still closed. *o. 4ggs. *o. Syrup.

Again, no. Then " can't make you )rench toast. Go back to sleep. &olly, !imi dragged out the name and continued her shaking. The whining got &olly up and into the shower. -efore she could deli$er on the breakfast demand they had to stop at the warehouse penthouse to pick up some of &olly's clothes and truck. The cohabitation had begun. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; The sun was setting by the time 0icky came back still wearing his tu#edo and a huge smile. /e kissed !imi before walking o$er to &olly to gi$e her a long bear hug before disappearing into his room. That's so sweet, he's happy for us, said !imi looking up from the $egetables she was cutting. They had gone to the market to get stuff for &olly to cook. "t was the only draw back to mo$ing in with !imi thought &olly when they kept bumping into each other in the small kitchen. "'m thinking it's more like kissing you hello, and worshipping me for introducing him to 5eronica. /e'll be happy for us later when his brain percolates back into his head, said &olly. She had her head stuck in a cabinet near the sto$e looking for a frying pan. !imi shi$ered just ha$ing understood &olly's innuendo. /oney, " don't want to think about daddy doing that with some painter lady "'m sure "'ll see around where you work. The search was fruitless so &olly straightened up and kissed her helper. "'ll try and remember that if you tell me where your frying pan can be found. " don't ha$e room for a frying pan, and it's ne$er mattered since "'$e ne$er fried anything. There would be an argument &olly was sure but they had to make a slight adjustment to their li$ing arrangements. We ha$e to mo$e to the loft to keep from killing each other, and so we can eat. " lo$e this house, &olly. Come on, "'ll buy you a frying pan. " know what " said about not caring but " want to stay here. "f !imi got to keep &olly there was no %uestion, she would mo$e, but it would be a hardship to lea$e the studio &olly had built for her. 3ou already own all the cookware you'll e$er need, it's at our other place, and " know you lo$e this house, &olly looked through the kitchen drawers searching for a pen and a sheet of paper. 3ou fi#ed it up for me, it's where we first made lo$e, my studio's here, !imi started ticking off reasons to stay. -aby, we'$e made lo$e here a total of three times since last night, which is the e#act number of times you'$e made lo$e in your life. "'m not talking about a permanent mo$e. &ust enough time for me to blow out some walls and add some rooms. +nce "'m done we can sell my place and li$e happily e$er after. !imi watched as the layout of the house came ali$e on the back of a pi11a flyer someone had left taped to the door. When the pencil stopped the house looked twice as big, and &olly looked pleased. /ow long. 3ou want it done right, or you want it done fast. asked &olly. 3ou swear you'll be happy li$ing here. "'ll be happy anywhere as long as you're around, professed &olly.

Are you always this sappy. asked !imi pulling &olly closer. &ust with you. Good. Can " persuade you to forget about the missing frying pan. *ot missing, none#istent. What do you ha$e in mind. 8oes the number four hold any meaning to you. !imi let &olly go just long enough to check to see if all the burners on the sto$e were off. &olly just smiled when !imi hooked her fingers in a couple of belt loops and pulled her towards the bedroom. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Tim looked up from the papers he was studying and watched &olly take a seat on her side of the wide partner's desk. The tailored slacks and wool sweater pulled o$er a crisp blue shirt made her look like a businesswoman. 8id " forget a meeting this morning. *o, " just need to spend some time in the office working on a house "'m redesigning. 3ou didn't sublease my spot did you. &olly looked through her messages trying not to think about her new morning ritual. !imi had almost con$inced her to stay home, but figured she wouldn't be able to stand at her easel if &olly touched her anymore so &olly was allowed to lea$e. Christina called for you this morning, said Tim. &olly was crumpling papers and tossing them into the trash as she weeded out the pink slips and mail that had been put in neat stacks by their assistant. She sounded upset. ,roblem with the house. ,roblem with not being able to find you more likely. She's probably at the site this morning looking for you. &olly stood up and reached for a fresh sheet of draft paper and the file she kept on !imi's house. "f she calls back tell her " got !imi pregnant and her father's demanding " do the honorable thing. The fact "'m getting married predicates " stop dating other people. !imi's got a pinch that'll put the fear of God into you, so "'m not taking any chances. The chair Tim was sitting in toppled o$er when he jumped up and ran to gi$e &olly a hug. And ,am thought you were a clueless idiot. Thanks, " think. Whose house are you working on. Tim followed her to the drafting table and leaned against the wall. 3ou'$e been in !imi's house, buddy. We need to draw up some space for me to be able to fit some of my clothes and triple the si1e of that kitchen. This isn't too fast. &olly snapped on the lamp attached to the table and thought about how many times she had asked herself that %uestion since all this had begun. There was no denying how she felt and it helped that !imi was so sure about her feelings for her. All my life " went from woman to woman trying to find one who " could stand to be with a week after " met her, thinking spending all my life with just one would be too much to ask for. With !imi, " know in my heart, a lifetime won't be enough. "'$e been in lo$e with her so long " feel like an idiot now that " didn't reali1e it sooner.

"f you talked to me like that, think about how much more se# you'd be ha$ing, ,am said to her husband from the outer office. She walked in and kissed &olly first and just patted the top of Tim's head before taking a seat in &olly's desk chair. !imi called me bright and early this morning. Congratulations. Thank you. About time you came to your senses, but you took so long !adeline won't ha$e to worry about your wild oats, will she. And " won't ha$e to worry about Timmy li$ing $icariously through your known e#ploits. &olly and her partner laughed at ,am's obser$ation knowing she was the only one in the world who could talk to the two of them like that and keep them in line. They all looked up when they heard the front door of the office open and slam shut. Christy, their assistant wasn't in yet so their $isitor just walked back to the large office. 3ou weren't at the house this morning. Christina made the obser$ation sound like an accusation. !y job there's done for the most part and " ha$e other clients. 0icky !ulle's taking o$er as foreman until you're done. "s there a problem. " thought " was paying you to build my house. &olly leaned back in the comfortable drafting chair and looked at the irritated blonde noticing the dark circles under her eyes. 3ou hired me to design your house and to build it, both of which are getting done. So " repeat, is there a problem. Can " speak to you alone. Christina ran her hand through her hair and e#haled. "t had been a rough weekend and her !onday morning wasn't getting much better ha$ing found (isa's letter of resignation on her desk when she went to the gallery. Tim was ready to step out but ,am wasn't mo$ing from her seat. /er husband leaned back against the wall when his wife ga$e him a meaningful look that meant don't mo$e. " don't think it's necessary. Go back to your life, Christina, and chalk this up as a learning e#perience, said &olly. -ut what we6 We had nothing, ha$e nothing now and will ha$e nothing in the future. 3ou get a house out of the bargain, and just think, you'll ha$e a built in playmate to share it with. &olly rolled up the blank page and picked up her briefcase. Tim will assist you from here on out. "f you will e#cuse me, " ha$e a woman to see about making happy. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; 0icky deli$ered the turnkey job four months later. /e was thrilled to hand Christina the gold key ring Tim and &olly always gifted their clients with. "t was his last official act as the project's foreman. Christina had done e$erything she could think to delay the project adding two months to the completion date. 4$ery complaint was a ploy to get &olly back to the site to deal with the imaginary crises. "t hadn't worked and now all there was left to do was ha$e her slip the brass key in and turn to unlock the front door. Their job was done and from the look on her parent's and Christina's face, &olly and crew had been successful at garnering another satisfied customer. 0icky shook hands with all of them before getting on his bike and heading back uptown. The (ord willing, Christina was now a page of history. The /arley pulling up couldn't drown out the hammering and sawing coming from the back. 0icky was li$ing with &olly and !imi at the loft until the house's new kitchen, two e#tra bedrooms, workshop and walk in closet in the master bedroom were finished. &olly's design went through e#tensi$e re$amping by !imi before the first nail was dri$en, but e$en the architect had to admit the finished product would flow well with the other historic houses on the block. The

crew who had been with &olly the longest had been hired to complete the job, and both women felt better about lea$ing 0icky in charge when &olly and Tim got the contract in Atlanta. !imi wasn't thrilled &olly would be gone for so long, but kept in mind the first trip &olly had taken to Atlanta to present the ideas to city planners was a cause for celebration. Those e#tra days had brought &an Shaffer into their li$es, ending Christina's time with &olly. )or the first time in his life 0icky was content to stay and work with &olly and his daughter, watching with an amused eye as their relationship grew. Where !imi had learned to become such a master manipulator when it came to &olly was beyond him, but &olly was so smitten he didn't think she minded being tweaked too much. The phone bill &olly was going to get after being in Atlanta for three weeks was going to be painful, but 0icky was ready to pay it himself so long as the architect came home. &olly was actually sha$ing three days off her trip lea$ing Tim behind to take care of any last minute problems with the historic reno$ation project they were working on for the city. "t was her thirty fifth birthday and !imi would ne$er forgi$e her if they didn't celebrate the day for the first time as a couple. 0icky knew !imi had been working on a special present for &olly, but like the *o Aids painting, his daughter had been e#tremely tight lipped about it. 0icky found her sitting and staring at a blank can$as in her studio when he got back. "t was the only room in the house &olly had left untouched in the new design. !imi thought it was perfect the first time she had walked in after &olly had built it two years before so there was no need for alterations. /ey, baby girl. 0icky tried to snap her out of her trance so the paint she had mi#ed and put in her pallet wouldn't go to waste. !imi was one of those artists who mi#ed her own paint so the hues were truer, and they dried better, but they didn't keep too long on the wooden pallet she used. The artist looked up and tears filled her eyes when she saw her father. 0icky thought it was just a case of missing &olly so he just held her until the tears passed. "'m going to lose &olly. The $oice was soft and full of regret. The hand rubbing her back stopped and 0icky pried her off his body to look at !imi's face. *othing in the world could make that happen, !imi. She lo$es you. " did something for her for her birthday thinking at the time it was a good idea, but now "'m thinking she's going to be really mad, 8addy, " can't lose her. !imi talked fast in between sobs and hiccups not making much sense to her father. -aby, what's wrong. The concerned $oice behind 0icky made both blondes jump in surprise not ha$ing heard &olly enter. The architect wasn't due in until that night but had sweet:talked her way onto an earlier flight. When she reached for !imi, it only made the crying worse. Come on, baby, nothing can be that bad. Are you sick. !imi cried and shook her head against &olly's shoulder. She had been sitting in the studio for hours trying to find a way to tell &olly what she'd done, but no words were enough to co$er the scope of what she had to say. *ow there might not be a way to undo her choices. 0ick, could you go and get !imi a glass of water, please. 0icky shuffled his feet but went to do &olly's bidding. /e wanted to stay and make sure nothing upset !imi further especially if her prediction of &olly's lea$ing her had e$en a remote possibility of being true. "t took them thirty minutes but finally after two glasses of water and plenty of cuddling from &olly, !imi stopped crying. &olly knelt in front of the chair !imi had been sitting in and looked at the red puffy face hoping her partner was ready to start talking. All &olly had been able to decipher from the bobbing head was that !imi wasn't sick or hurt, and she hadn't done anything to upset her. !y period didn't start yesterday. "t was a simple statement really, &olly thought later. ,recise and to the point, not a lot of meaningless words attached to flower it up. -ut right after !imi said it, &olly mentally wiped her brow and checked the bo#

labeled ,!S of possible things wrong with her upset lo$er. "t was an easy problem with a ready solution at hand. An aspirin will fi# you right up, baby, don't worry about it. !imi put her hands on each side of &olly's face and said it again. " don't think you understand, honey. !y period didn't start yesterday. "t's the house, trying to get another show mounted and mo$ing. All these things cause stress, which is bound to mess up your cycle. " wouldn't worry about it, said &olly. &olly, "'m going to e#plain something to you and " want you to listen carefully, ok. 8o you think you can do that for me. !imi would ha$e laughed at the confused face looking back at her had the seriousness of the moment not dictated she remain calm. +f course " can do that, don't be silly. " went to the doctor the day after you left to pick up a little something Tim left me. "'m sorry " didn't talk to you about it, but " wanted to gi$e you something no one else could for your birthday. The color was fast draining out of &olly's face and beads of sweat had broken out on her upper lip. What does that mean. "'m not real sure yet, but " think we're going to ha$e a baby. "n hindsight telling &olly that way had been both good and bad. Good in that the can$as she fell into was blank considering her head ripped right through it, and bad in that it took !imi and 0icky fore$er to get her to wake up. *ow father and daughter were sitting on the floor across from &olly who was staring at them like she didn't know where to begin. !imi was about to speak again when a finger went up silencing whate$er was about to come out. "t was &olly's turn to speak and she wanted no interruptions. (et me see if " understand this. 3ou went to a doctor and got yourself pregnant with the help of my cousin. !y cousin Timothy Andolini, with whom " just spent three weeks and who ne$er mentioned any of this to me. 3es, " asked him and ,am not to tell you so " could surprise you, honey. The finger went up again and !imi %uit talking. Are you pregnant. " don't know, " thought "'d wait for you to come home and we could find out together. This was the only way " could think of to gi$e you a little piece of yourself, me, your grandfather and Tim all rolled up into one little person. &olly's head dropped to her chest before she stood up. Tears filled !imi's eyes again knowing &olly was getting ready to walk out on her and their possible baby. They didn't fall until she felt the hands pulling her to her feet and &olly pulling her into a hug so tight her feet came off the ground. !imi, " figure you're going to kill me before " turn forty, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is no matter how long " li$e, "'ll ne$er find another person who lo$es me and thinks of me more than you do. " lo$e you, &olly. &olly put her down and went to get something out of her briefcase. Then it's a good thing " got this. 3ou can't tell me no now. She opened the lid of the small bo# and showed !imi the emerald cut diamond in a platinum setting. " lo$e you too, !imi, and " want you to be mine. 3ou and our baby. &olly pulled the ring out and slipped it on !imi's finger kissing the adorned digit when she was done. "t's impractical " know for someone who paints so " thought you could wear it on this when you're working. A platinum chain came out of her coat pocket and &olly slipped it o$er !imi's neck.

8oes this mean if we're not, we can try again. !imi wanted to do a cartwheel she was so thrilled. "t means you'll get whate$er you want, lo$e. " just want you, &olly. See how easy your life is then. 0icky left to pick up a hammer so he could get to work. /e had e$ery faith in &olly, but it ne$er hurt to stick around for !imi, just in case. 0icky wasn't the best father, but it wasn't too late to learn. Who knew, maybe he could teach &olly and their kid a few things. &olly wasn't the only one getting a gift. 0icky was getting to be a grandfather and that meant a second chance to get it right. #ontinued in #ha ter , #omments to& terrali%'(yahoo.com The Athenaeum)s *croll Archive

? A ,lace To 8ance ? by Ali 5ali Please *ee #ha ter $ for disclaimers

A Place To Dance by Ali 5ali #ha ter , 3ou're all right, &olly. " ne$er ha$e taken the time to tell you that. All those miles " co$er, the one thing " ne$er worry about is !imi. 0icky stopped working when he saw her step outside to sur$ey the progress they had made in her absence. &olly put her hands in her pockets and rocked on her feet as she looked at the studs of the new roofline. 3ou knew about this. she asked, cocking her head toward the studio. "nside !imi was setting up a new can$as trying to sal$age some of her paint. 3ou mad and just not saying. A baby's a big commitment and not e$eryone's up for the long haul. &olly arched her brow at his philosophy considering how often he was gone. " didn't say " was a shining e#ample of parenthood, " just figured you would be. *o matter what life throws at you, &olly, you're a stand up guy. Taking responsibility e$en when you didn't need to is how best to describe you. "s that what that was in there. !imi decided for the both of you and now it's too late to be honest about how you feel. This is a little unorthodo# granted, but " think she would'$e stopped taking the pill if "'d different e%uipment. Am " mad. &olly looked at the whirlwind with the fast brush and laughed. 0ick, had anyone else done this "'d be half way to the state line by now because "'d ha$e seen it as a trap to get me to commit.

-ut with my daughter. " don't belie$e entrapment was her moti$e. !imi would lea$e me before she'd manipulate me into something " didn't want. What'$e " disco$ered about myself these past few months though, is she could ask me to wail at the moon naked in the middle of that park, &olly turned around and pointed. And "'d ask her for how long just to see her smile. " just wish "'d been here so she wouldn't ha$e had to do this alone. /ow about you. She reached out her hand and slapped 0icky on the back. Some little person starts calling you grandpa, it's going to ruin your long haired hippy image. 3ou forgot freak. *o " didn't. " just think Anthony's more of a freak than you e$er thought to be. *ow knock off for the day and go take a shower. " made dinner reser$ations and "'d like to get something into my system before !imi tells me she in$ited her mother to come and li$e with us, or something else as bi1arre . She looked at !imi painting and snapped her fingers just remembering something. "'ll meet you two at the loft, said 0icky as she dropped the hammer into the bo# at his feet. -aby, put down the brush, ordered &olly from the door of the studio. "'m not finished. !imi, you're done for the day. &olly put her hand up to stop the 'but the paint is a pain to mi#' argument. ,regnant women are not supposed to be inhaling paint fumes. Think of this as your time to e#periment with water colors. The brush ready for its ne#t stroke on the can$as fell to the pallet ne#t to her. "t was the one thing !imi hadn't figured into this whole e%uation. *o painting for the ne#t eight months would dri$e her insane. " don't like water based paints, whined !imi. The trembling lip and watery green eyes were the beginning of what &olly came to refer as !imi's blue phase in shades of red. The ne#t morning &olly sat ne#t to !imi as they waited for the nurse to call them into a waiting room. They had successfully celebrated &olly getting a year older and were waiting to see if !imi owed her a sweater as a backup birthday gift. !s. !ulle. The receptionist opened the glass partition and called out the name. *one of the staff commented when &olly followed !imi in holding her hand. Two nurses attended to !imi %uickly, getting all the necessary tests out of the way before sending the doctor in to see her. "t would still be a couple of days before they would recei$e the final confirmation, but as soon as 8r. 4schete saw them, they would ha$e an idea if they needed to start buying baby clothes. Good morning, !imi, 4llie 4schete opened the door and walked in reading the chart the nurse had handed her. She noticed &olly when she looked up to smile at her patient. "'m sorry, it's been a rough night. !y partner Sam and " deli$ered eight babies that started arri$ing about ten last night, 4llie e#plained accounting for the dark circles under her eyes. !y name's 4llie 4schete, she held a hand out to &olly. *ice to meet you, doctor, "'m !imi's partner, &olly Andolini. Are you ready to be a mommy you two. asked 4llie. 3ou tell us, countered &olly. Start stocking up on diapers, guys, we're ha$ing a baby. "'ll call you in a couple of days with the final lab results, but the preliminary stuff says we're on our way. 4llie jotted some notes in !imi's chart and wrote out a script for $itamins and tried to ignore the kiss !imi was gi$ing the tall stunned woman she had come in with. The doctor figured she would just wait for their ne#t $isit to get any talking accomplished.

4llie stuck a list of instructions and the script in &olly's hand before wa$ing and walking out. Any more successful one timers and she and her partner Sam could start to refer to themsel$es as the stork. "t helped when the patient trying artificial insemination was as young and healthy as !imi. "t was heartbreaking to watch the other couples they saw month after month pass with no luck. With one last look at the happy couple, 4llie closed the door and headed to her ne#t patient. &olly and !imi reminded her of another couple she and Sam were following. She could only hope they had as much good fortune. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Tell her not to be late. The appointment's at ele$en so "'ll meet her at the doctor's office. 8addy's gi$ing me a ride o$er there, so be sure you mention that too or she'll freak if she gets o$er here and "'m gone. Thanks, Christy. !imi hung up the phone and fell back against her pillow, con$inced Satan had in$ented morning sickness. "t had been almost eight weeks and while !imi was getting bigger, she wasn't gaining much weight. &olly had been her sal$ation since she took such good care of her, but she and Tim were so busy, &olly was in worse shape than !imi. The two things they had been looking forward to were the completion of the house, and their first ultrasound. The house was another month away before it was inhabitable, but the test to see the baby was that morning. *ot feeling good, huh. 0icky sat on the bed trying not to mo$e it too much. /e and &olly had been taking turns taking care of !imi in the mornings until the nausea subsided. "t was strange but from the hours of noon till about si# in the afternoon she was fine. "f " had a gun, "'d ask you to shoot me numerous times. (et me take a shower and get dressed. !aybe if " can look this kid in the eye and e#plain how much " hate throwing up, they'll take pity on me and stop. 4llie walked in to find &olly running her fingers through !imi's hair in an effort to make her feel better. These big tough women turned into such nurturers when their spouses were miserable. The petite doctor had always attributed it to the partner's nesting period. +ne day soon she and Sam were going to ha$e a little talk. -eing on the recei$ing end of one of those head massages for the reason !imi was getting one was looking better all the time. " promise it goes away. 7ntil then let's look at how cute he or she is and it'll help take your mind off the misery. 4llie s%uirted gel on !imi's midsection and placed the wand down to take a look. "t was her first time using the new unit the sales rep had loaned them which showed the womb in D8. The monitor showed incredible detail with a reddish tint to the black and white that made it look more like a photograph. The baby wasn't distinguishable as a tiny person just yet, but when they were, !imi and &olly would be treated to some special images in the coming months. The new technology was like nothing 4llie had seen. The brochure the rep had left them showed pictures of children in their second and third trimesters that you could'$e sworn were done in a studio their faces were so clear. 4llie mo$ed the wand, pressing down in the right spot getting the position she wanted. The image that came up made her lean forward and stare at the screen. She mo$ed the wand a fraction to the right and pressed again. Could you e#cuse me a minute, "'ll be right back. &olly went back to running her fingers through !imi's hair but this time it was to make herself feel better. 8octors lea$ing the room without e#planation ne$er meant anything good. 8idn't they teach them that in medical school. /ey, guys, this is my partner Sam Casey, and she's just going to take a look, e#plained 4llie. "s there something wrong. &olly asked for the both of them. !imi was taking deep breaths trying to keep the cracker she had eaten during the car ride o$er down. &olly, right. Sam asked holding out her hand. &olly nodded and shook hands with the tall smiling doctor.

4llie just wants me to confirm something for her, but there's nothing wrong. Sam sat down and picked up the wand putting it where 4llie pointed. When the image came up Sam thought about how much she lo$ed her job. She smiled up at 4llie and nodded her head. 4llie leaned against Sam's back and pointed to the screen. 4$ery so often a fertili1ed egg will split and it results in twins. We're ha$ing twins. asked !imi, momentarily forgetting her nausea. (et me finish. That happening results in identical twins. The other way twins come about is when you release two eggs during o$ulation and both are fertili1ed. That results in fraternal twins. So we're ha$ing twins, asked &olly looking at the screen trying to decipher what 4llie was saying. The only thing she could compare the image to was a modern art e#hibit !imi had taken her to a year before. "f there were children to be found up there, they certainly weren't sitting up and wa$ing. 4llie leaned further into Sam so her finger would reach the screen, wanting &olly and !imi to follow along with what she was about to say. See this area here. 4llie pointed to the right portion of the screen while Sam held the wand in place. +ne sack means the egg split and you're ha$ing twins. She drew a circle around the image with her finger and highlighted the two little guys swimming contentedly inside. -oth &olly and !imi looked at the two tiny s%uiggles on the screen through teary eyes and smiled. Sam looked at &olly and saw the look of wonder mi#ed with fear and couldn't help adding to the news. -ut you see this spot here. /er finger mo$ed to the left of 4llie's. Another separate little guy makes for triplets. They just won't all be identical. The image went back to a blue screen when !imi rolled o$er to look for &olly. -lue eyes looked up at !imi from the floor as &olly tried to remember how she got there. "t had been the second tap on the screen by Sam that had made the architect slide off the chair. The house isn't big enough, baby, and "'m only working on one crib, said &olly. The thought of where to put more space already working in her head along with adding to the furniture they would need. Are you ok. !imi asked concentrating so much on &olly that she missed her doctors sharing a kiss behind her. The two medical professionals lo$ed coming in and telling parents that they were ha$ing multiples. ,regnancies like this added more complications but they also added an air of e#citement. "'m fabulous, answered &olly. And "'m fertile it would seem. !imi rolled o$er and looked at the screen where their children had just been. "f all three of them turned out to be as hyper as &olly, running around nailing on things, she would ne$er get to paint another thing e$en after they arri$ed. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; We ha$e to finish this thing by Sunday, people, so work with me. "f " ha$e to go back to the loft and tell !imi she has to climb those stairs one more day, one of you has to stay and hide the kitchen kni$es. &olly had gi$en e$eryone an assignment and instructions on how to get it done. They had decided to add an e#tra bedroom for 0icky and add space to the ones they had already completed. That was almost done and all that was left was the small touchups that would finish the job to &olly's standards. 0icky, ,am and the guys who had come from the crew all headed inside to finish putting up molding while Tim and &olly headed for the roof along the back to finish putting up the gutter system. "f a spring downpour came and swamped !imi's flower garden, &olly didn't e$en want to think of the conse%uences. /er partner had taken the barren yard when she mo$ed in and turned it into what looked like a li$ing painting there were so many colors. The blooms and their $arious hues were an essential part of !imi's paints. When crushed and mi#ed with linseed oil, they created the $ibrant paints that marked her work. /ow's the little mommy doing. asked Tim adjusting his tool belt. /e and ,am had tried talking !imi into

letting ,am stay with her for the morning, but !imi had said all she planned to do was sleep so there was no need. She's fi$e months pregnant with three children and she's normally a si1e bigger than a s%uirrel, how do you think she feels. &olly was tired and irritable and felt bad as soon as the words left her mouth. &ust because she wasn't getting any sleep, was no reason to take it out on her cousin. "'m sorry, my hormones must be flaring in sympathy. " know what it's like, buddy. &ust wait until she has them and then the real hormonal fun begins. Grab that side o$er there and let's get this last piece on so we can go inside. " don't want to be out here when it's ninety degrees. They climbed on to the roof on separate ladders carrying two sections of gutters. -ehind them the normal Saturday crowed paraded around the park enjoying the beautiful weather. &olly turned to tell Tim about how well you could see the babies mo$ing around making her miss the ha1ard right under her feet. Tim watched in horror as &olly's foot slid out at an odd angle on the small pile of wet lea$es at the edge of the roofline when she turned to face him. She did a flip on the way down and landed on her back with a thump so loud it made him wince in sympathy. The thought to poke fun at her clumsiness died away when he saw that she wasn't mo$ing and her breathing was becoming labored. ,am@ The name was ripped from Tim's throat as he clamored down the ladder. The terror in his $oice had his wife outside in no time followed closely by 0icky. Call ECC and tell them to get o$er here fast. Tim mo$ed closer to &olly and made a point not to touch her. ,am, go now. What happened. demanded 0icky. /e mo$ed to &olly and went to touch her head. 8on't touch her until the ambulance gets here. &olly, " want you to try and rela#. That might help you breathe. She was gasping for air now and her skin was starting to take on a bluish tint. -oth men almost slumped o$er with relief when they heard the sirens in the distance. !imi. &olly drew in enough air to force the name out of her mouth. The pain in her chest was o$erwhelming and for some reason she couldn't get enough air. 8on't you worry about her, &olly. "'ll take care of e$erything until you get home from seeing the doctor. 0ela# for me, ok. begged Tim. (o$e her. " know you do, buddy, and she does too. "t took an act of will not to shake her when &olly's chest stopped mo$ing. The idiot hadn't e$en dropped her hammer on the way down. ,am came back leading three paramedics rolling a stretcher into the yard. They started barking out orders and radioing in to the hospital, but at least they were working on her and that made the three on lookers feel better. Tim threw ,am his keys as he grabbed &olly's off the new kitchen counter. /e and 0icky were going to follow the ambulance, which left ,am to go back to the loft and get !imi. Tim, do you think " should. " don't want to upset her, said ,am. They watched them load &olly into the back so there wouldn't be time for a long discussion. "f you don't tell her now and something happens later, it'll be that much worse, honey. So yes, you'$e got to go and let her know. Call me and "'ll let you know where they take her. ,am was surprised to find !imi sitting up in bed as if knowing ,am was on her way o$er. The ner$ous brunette put on a smile she didn't really feel like and tried to be as soothing as possible. 3ou get any sleep. asked ,am.

8on't tell me y'all are finished already. /ad " known the kids would be throwing a soccer tournament this morning "'d ha$e come o$er with you guys, because " sure as hell didn't get any sleep. The phone hanging from ,am's belt rang and she reached to answer it with a shaky hand. The name on the screen was Tim. The call could only mean they had arri$ed at the hospital. +k, we'll be there in a few minutes. " promise we'll be careful, it isn't that far away. ,am hooked to the phone back and looked at !imi. She couldn't think of another reason to delay, or of a good way to break the news. 3ou ha$e to get dressed, sweetie. What's wrong. ,am told her, trying to lea$e out some of the details hoping when they arri$ed at the hospital &olly would be fine and conscious. Tim was waiting for them at the doors of Charity 4mergency wanting to bring !imi straight to where she would find &olly. The last he had seen of his cousin was when they had wheeled the gurney into one of the rooms and a slew of people dressed in scrubs had followed it in. The paramedics had e#plained on their way out that all trauma cases were brought here first no matter if they were indigent or not. Where is she, Tim. !imi held on to her midsection and tried not to think the worse, but the glassy eyed looks she had gotten from ,am on the way o$er were starting to worry her. They took her in for an e#amination but they're not finished yet, so they asked 0icky and me to wait out here. What in the hell happened. demanded !imi. /er father tried to calm her down as Tim tried his best to describe what had gone wrong. /e was almost finished the story when a tall doctor stepped out of the e#am room and looked toward the waiting area. Who's here for &olly Andolini. !imi stood up so abruptly that she almost fell forward. Can " see her. "n a minute, ma'am. (et's first discuss what the problem is and what we ha$e to do to fi# it, ok. The tall doctor led !imi back to her seat and took the empty one ne#t to it so the woman wouldn't ha$e to crane her neck to look up at her. " want you to rela# so " don't ha$e to admit you as well. )irst off, my name is /arry -asantes and " just finished looking at &olly's #:rays. The fall managed to break three ribs on her right side, two of which punctured one of her lungs. That e#plains why she couldn't breathe well and was turning blue. She turned blue. !imi looked at the three people to the other side of her knowing they had left some parts of what happened out of the $ersion they told her. !a'am, are you related to !s. Andolini. asked /arry. She's my partner, doctor. "s she going to be all right. She's going to be fine. We're going to mo$e her into surgery in a bit and fi# those broken bones so she can be in top shape to take care of the little one you ha$e on the way. Why don't you wait here and "'ll be out as soon as we're done. What's your name. /arry sat with her hands on her knees glad she had come in to do rounds for a $acationing attendant. The woman sitting ne#t to her didn't need any more stress. "'m sorry, !imi !ulle, doctor. Thank you for talking with me. And it's three little ones, not just one, so see if you can implant some sense into my partner when you put her under. /arry laughed and couldn't belie$e the coincidence. "'ll try my best, but you'd be happy to know my partner says the same things about me to anyone who'll listen, so don't be too hard on her. 8o you want to see her before we take her in. We ha$e her sedated but " belie$e she'll feel better hearing your $oice. !imi followed /arry into the room where they were prepping &olly for surgery. She leaned against /arry for support after seeing all the e%uipment they had attached to &olly to help her breathe. "t's not as bad as

it looks, !s. !ulle, " promise, /arry told her. &olly, " know you can hear me, lo$e. 3ou're going to be ok after this nice doctor fi#es you up, so don't make things anymore complicated in there, ok. !imi ran her fingers through &olly's hair and kissed her forehead. And if " see you on the roof again anytime soon, "'ll personally kick your butt. !aybe you can get her to pose for more paintings while she's recuperating. suggested /arry. What do you mean. !y wife bought the painting 'Wings of (o$e' at the *o Aids party this year and " just assumed it was of &olly. 3ou're that !imi !ulle aren't you. 3es, "'m sorry, " didn't stay long enough to meet the people who purchased my piece. "'m glad it went to a good home. When /arry said wife, !imi ga$e a silent thank you to the hea$ens. /ere with her was someone who knew more than medicine, she understood she and &olly's relationship. Thank you for letting me see her. "'d of gone nuts if "'d had to wait out here for hours. We'll take good care of here, !imi. We promise. &olly really does look worse than the injury she sustained. Thank you, and " really am sorry for not taking the time to meet the two of you that night. 4specially after the big check you wrote to bring my piece home. /arry led her back outside to the waiting area so she could take care of !imi's partner. 3ou don't ha$e to apologi1e, !s. !ulle, it's not the time to talk about the painting. " just wanted to let you know how much we'$e enjoyed it. 8o you need anything. " could ha$e a bed brought out for you if you like. "t made my wife feel better to ha$e her feet up when she was pregnant for our first. /ow many children do you ha$e. asked !imi, liking this soft:spoken doctor who understood what &olly meant to her happiness. " ha$e a son, &ackson and another baby on the way. "f you ask the mean looking nurse o$er there, she'll show you pictures of &ack and my wife 8esi. /arry pointed to the nurse's station before getting up and lea$ing instructions for !imi's comfort. The surgery was %uick and could ha$e been done by one of her students, but /arry had stayed and performed it herself wanting to make !imi feel better. She put &olly in room and let !imi and 0icky stay the night not wanting the pregnant woman staying alone. &olly was drugged enough to make it through the afternoon and night without waking, so hopefully all three of them would get some rest. /arry was confident, that barring any complications, &olly could be sent home in the morning. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; /arry arri$ed home to find 8esi walking to the house with &ack perched on her hip. The odd thing about the picture was they were both co$ered in what looked to be mud. +nly hearing the last part of what 8esi was saying, she could tell &ack had done something he should ha$e reconsidered. &ack, " can't belie$e you did that. 8esi sounded like a woman who was on her last fra11led ner$e. The reprimand was lost to deaf ears as &ack turned his attention to the only person who could get him out of the bind he was in, 8occy. /ey there, little buddy, said /arry to &ack before turning to 8esi. Sweetheart, isn't he a little young to be playing in mud. was her %uestion as she took the baby from the miffed looking blonde. The muttered answer /arry got was too low to hear, but it sounded like a curse ha$ing to do with her and fault. "t was best not to del$e any further so doctor and son just watched 8esi scoop a glob of grayish brown substance off her forehead and throw it in the grass before going into the house. The slamming kitchen door didn't fa1e &ack in the least as he tugged on /arry's ears to get a hello kiss.

Son, it's not a good idea to try your mother's patience when she's three months pregnant. 3ou ha$e an endless supply of cute %uotient, but mine's running a little low. The fact you look like me makes your little ad$entures my fault. 8occy. 3eah, cute stuff. (et's go cheer up your mother. The downstairs was %uiet being it was Sunday afternoon and !ona was out with her family for the day. /arry stepped into &ack's room and stripped him out of the soiled jumper he had on then put him on the floor so she could take her scrubs off. 8esi opened her eyes to the naked duo at the door and felt her frustration melt in the hot water of her bath. "t was an impossibility to stay mad at either of her brunettes. /arry wiped the clay off &ack before taking a seat ne#t to the tub waiting for the water to cool so they could join 8esi. /ow was your day, darlin'. asked /arry. " know "'m not supposed to be taking a bath, but it couldn't be helped. 3our son6 !y son. 3ou both end up co$ered in mud and he's mine. "t was clay, honey, not mud. Clay that was up to an hour ago, >enneth and Tony's anni$ersary present. A present, " might add, which took me all morning and most of the afternoon to make. 3our son crawled o$er and put his hand down on the wheel control and sent it flying into e$ery corner of the studio. So yes, at this moment he's all yours. 8esi looked at her miniature /arry smiling up at her from /arry's lap and lifted her hands out of the water. Come on, &ackson. *ow that he's clean and cute he's yours again. /arry crawled in and sat behind them. And !ona calls you a bonehead. 8esi smiled when two soft lips pressed against her temple and /arry's hands went to the swell of her mid section. A boy or a girl. asked 8esi. 8oesn't matter. (ook at how good the first one turned out. Can you imagine what we'$e accomplished now with a little practice. 3ou'$e almost made all my dreams come true, 8occy, said 8esi turning her head to get a kiss. Almost. " wanted two little guys like this, so don't worry, you're half way home. /ow was work. 8id a small surgery, met someone you'd like to know, then " came home to my two mud bugs. Clay, honey, try and remember that because you get to watch your prodigy while " recreate that wo$en style bowl. Who'd you meet. !imi !ulle and partner. 8esi turned around holding &ack between them so she could look at /arry. &ack took the mo$e as an in$itation to stick his hand in /arry's mouth. 3ou know !imi !ulle. We're ike dis, answered /arry holding up two crossed fingers and talking as best she could around the little hand in her mouth. Tony and " missed out on her first show since she had contracted with Griffin Studios. She's not hurt and in your debt is she. teased 8esi. (isten to you. "'m married to an art shark. " don't wish ill upon her, " just want her stuff hanging in our place so tell me.

She's not hurt, but she does though think "'m wonderful. 8esi held up one finger and threatened, /arry, don't make me count to three. /er partner, &olly Andolini, fell off their roof this morning breaking three ribs and dri$ing them into a lung. *ot pretty, but not fatal. " wasn't scheduled but " took her in and fi#ed the problem. &olly should be set to go home tomorrow. 3ou're so sweet. She was really upset huh. The woman's $ery pregnant with triplets, so " would'$e stood on my head if it would ha$e calmed her down. 8esi shi$ered thinking about more than one kid at a time. They didn't want to know the se# but the one thing she did know was there was only one swimming around in there. Can " go to rounds with you in the morning. 8on't e$en think about it, 8esiree. The hospital is not the place to be cutting art deals. " just want to meet her, honey, not twist her arm into showing at -asantes Gallery. That painting we bought is one of my fa$orite things in the house. "f " wanted to arm twist, " would ha$e asked to bring Tony along. /ow about " ask them o$er when &olly gets out. Then you and the fruitcake can pitch all you want. 8esi didn't answer, just stood up and stepped out of the tub to grab a towel. &ack came ne#t when she lifted him out and wrapped him in another bath sheet. Get out of there and get on the bed. Where are you going. asked /arry. To put &ack in a sleeper for his nap and then "'m coming back so you can perform your marital duty. /arry mo$ed so fast, any built up insecurities about her waistline on 8esi's part $anished. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; &olly, come on, honey, wake up for me. !imi stood by the bed and held an unresponsi$e hand. The doctor had been right, &olly had slept through the night without any $isible pain, but now !imi was ready to see those blue eyes. What are you doing standing up. The $oice was raspy, but to !imi it sounded like hea$en. Well. &olly asked winching a little when she tried to take a deep breath. " was trying to wake you up, blockhead. 3ou just wait until you get out of here. 3ou do reali1e your children and "'$e been worried sick about you. The mo$e &olly lo$ed so much had gained some flair with !imi's pregnancy, but those beautiful hands on !imi's hips still looked se#y to the architect. 3ou threatening to gi$e me the pinch. 3ou'll be lucky " don't hit you o$er the head with a hammer, teased !imi. She tried sitting on the bed ne#t to &olly but couldn't %uite get all the way up. 0icky helped her out by picking !imi up and laying her ne#t to &olly. /e slipped out of the room to gi$e them some pri$acy, happy to turn his daughter back into &olly's care. "'m glad you're all right. "'d fear for my life otherwise, &olly joked with her. With !imi pressed against her, &olly could feel the babies mo$ing around. 3ou promise you're all right. Cross my heart, baby. /arry walked in on the two kissing and not wanting to break them apart, studied

&olly's chart until they were done. (ooks like another satisfied customer, said /arry as soon as their lips came apart. (et's take a look, and hopefully we can send you home to recuperate. /arry, thanks for coming back so early, said !imi trying to sit up. (ike " said, my partner 8esi is a big fan, so "'m under strict orders to pro$ide my best bedside manner and in$ite you two o$er for dinner. &olly, you might not remember me from yesterday, "'m /arry -asantes and " did your surgery. /arry stuck the chart under her arm so she could shake hands with &olly. Thanks, " feel a lot better than " did after that fall. "'$e jumped from higher spots, so " feel like an idiot " didn't land on my feet. The fact the doctor hadn't asked !imi to mo$e from her spot made &olly take an instant liking to /arry. /arry put the chart down and lifted the hospital gown up far enough to see the incision. " would recommend ladders from now on until these set. Any more broken bones and !imi might just make you wish death was imminent. " promise, 8r. -asantes. Smoothing down the gown and readjusting the bedding, /arry turned her attention back to !imi. /ow are you feeling. Want me to call your doctor before you head home with &olly. " feel fine aside from looking and feeling like a walrus. /arry laughed at !imi's choice of animal, e#pecting to hear cow or beached whale. !ust be an artist thing, she thought knowing 8esi's fa$orite was hippopotamus. 3ou look great, and trust me, the figure you were used to seeing in the mirror comes back. "f you doubt me call my house and ask my wife. 3ou ha$e children. asked &olly. /arry pulled a picture from the pocket of her lab coat and handed it o$er. -oth 8esi and &ack were smiling at the camera sitting on their fa$orite picnic spot on the front lawn of the house. (ucky for you " left my wallet in my other coat. This is &ackson and 8esi -asantes, or &ack and mommy as they're known at home. They're beautiful, said !imi. Thank you, and "'d be lying if " said " disagree with your assessment. 3ou'll be happy to know 8esi enjoyed the e#perience so much we're trying it again. Congratulations, 8r. -asantes. &olly looked at the picture !imi had handed o$er and suddenly couldn't wait to do the same when their children arri$ed. ,lease call me /arry, and " was serious. "'$e been instructed to in$ite you both o$er for dinner when you're able. " had to run out of the house and hide 8esi's keys to keep her from coming with me today. &olly handed the photo back and laughed. 8esi sounded a lot like a blonde she knew. She accepted the in$itation for the both of them when !imi smiled and nodded her head. " ha$e to warn you in ad$ance, if you do come o$er be prepared to look at that painting from the *o Aids e$ent in our dining room. Though after doing your surgery yesterday, !imi forgot to put that freckle you ha$e on your abdomen, said /arry in all seriousness. What freckle. asked !imi. "'m kidding. Take care and someone will be back in to bring you downstairs. "'ll lea$e your scripts with the discharge nurse, then all you'll ha$e left to do is make an appointment with my office to ha$e the stitches remo$ed.

0icky came back from the cafeteria when it was time and ga$e them a ride home to the loft, helping them both up the stairs when they arri$ed. /e left to finish what they had started the pre$ious day hoping to mo$e into the house before !imi got any bigger. Want anything. !imi asked &olly. The patient had been propped up by a mountain of pillows on the bed and was looking rather lonely. "f " asked real nice, would you sit on my face. " would but with all this e#tra weight " might kill you. !imi sat at the edge of the bed and put her hand on &olly's leg. /ow about a kiss then. " might not be up for killer se# just yet. !imi laughed before rolling o$er and gi$ing &olly what she had asked for. " lo$e you, &olly, and " can't wait for you to meet these guys. !imi put her hand o$er &olly's. The big hand o$er her mid section was helping to calm the babies down. 3ou think " should buy a bigger wallet now. " feel sorry for anyone needing house plans four months from now. When do you think we can mo$e into ours. !imi had a sudden urge to strip all her clothes off and eat cheesecake off &olly's chest. She hoped all these weird notions would go away after the babies were born. !issing the studio. asked &olly. +ur bed would come in first. Soon, baby, soon. &olly kissed !imi's cheek and tried not to think about running her hands along !imi's body. 4llie had put the brakes on that kind of beha$ior after the fourth month point because of the triplets. Tell me you miss it at least. asked !imi. /ow long do you think we can get 0icky to baby sit after you gi$e birth. 3ou're good for my ego, honey. "'$e joined blockheads anonymous to try and spruce up my image. 3ou're younger than me so " ha$e to do whate$er " can to keep you interested. 3ou're a se#y nut, &olly, so you ha$e nothing to worry about. What " need from you is access to our babies' room so " can get mo$ing on the walls and ceiling. (et me go and "'ll gi$e you something to help you with the preliminary sketches. &olly mo$ed down the stairs slowly with !imi fussing at her the whole way. The lap desk had been finished for three days and &olly had planned to gi$e it to !imi as a house warming gift. She grabbed it along with a sketchpad. +h, &olly, you are so getting lucky when " can see my feet. !imi ran her fingers along the fish and other sea creatures &olly had included along the border of the wood. The center had been sanded and polished until it gleamed, and on the underside a thick pad had been co$ered with soft suede. "t always ama1ed !imi how much effort and thought &olly put into the things she made for her. !imi leaned against &olly for the rest of the afternoon talking about their future plans and sketching. At the house 0icky and the work crew worked hard to finish e$erything the girls had in mind. -y noon of the ne#t day they had mo$ed e$erything that had been packed from the loft. After a brief argument o$er whether or not &olly should go to work, !imi made her way to the large babies' room. She calmed down after &olly promised not to dri$e to any construction sites and spend the day in the office with Tim and a few clients wanting to finali1e plans.

0icky smiled seeing !imi with a drawing pencil in hand creating the same underwater ha$en she had created for &olly. /e was putting a tarp down so his daughter could paint away at the almost completed walls. The room was also a new addition, and the way &olly and Tim had designed it was almost genius thought 0icky. &ust like with e$erything else in &olly's life she had considered how well the space could be utili1ed in the future as well as what would make !imi happy now. The room was large enough so it could be subdi$ided if they had what she jokingly referred to as a mi#ed litter. To bear the weight of the ceiling they had put pillars, which later could be replaced with solid walls. !imi had thought for weeks on what to paint, so like &olly had planned, the art would grow along with their kids. The end product was fish, a blue sky for the ceiling along with a wall of trees that would resemble the park that bordered their yard. *ow all she had to do was talk &olly into going furniture shopping to fill it up. !imi stopped mid way in bringing a parrotfish to life when someone knocked on the door. The last person she e#pected to find on their doorstep was Sophia Andolini, &olly's mother. The first !rs. /olland had left for the Alabama gulf coast as soon as the di$orce was final and her children had chosen to stay with Anthony. &olly talked with her e$ery couple of weeks, but it was seldom that Sophia $entured out of her beach cocoon. "t was a strange relationship she and &olly had, but !imi ne$er pushed considering the relationship she shared with her own mother. !rs. Andolini, greeted !imi. "'m sorry for not coming sooner, dear, but &olly said the house was a mess. Sophia put her hand on !imi's acti$e midsection and tears came to her eyes. "t was more like " was afraid of any more rejection. !rs. Andolini, that's unfair. &olly lost out on relationships with her siblings to take your side. That and also that " would kick her butt if she disrespected our kids' grandmother. Sophia's smile appeared and she hugged !imi. "'m glad she woke up and found you, !imi. !y wish for you is they bring you as much happiness as " got when " had &olly. 3ou know that's how she got her name. " was always curious about that. Come in and tell me about it. !imi led Sophia into the kitchen. &olly must be in hea$en. Sophia looked around the new fully e%uipped kitchen. The oak cabinets were filled with all of &olly's pots and pans, as well as the ingredients she needed to create the dishes !imi lo$ed. Thank all that's holy one of us likes to cook. " don't think we would ha$e done such an e#tensi$e reno$ation if " had owned a frying pan when she first mo$ed in. *ow tell me a story. All those years ago when they put &olly in my arms, " felt such a profound happiness the name came to me. &olly connotes happiness so " went with it. " figured if " named her /appy she would ne$er forgi$e me. Considering how much teasing she's gotten o$er &olly, "'m glad " went with my second choice. !imi laughed thinking about what Sophia said. (ife held no guarantees, but one she was sure about, was that &olly would be there to bring bundles of happiness as long as her body drew breath. That might be my new nickname for her, said !imi. "'$e also come bearing gifts. !imi called her father from the workshop out back to unload Sophia's car. The two old friends greeted each other before 0icky went out to the Suburban parked out front. They had gotten to know each other during the two di$orce hearings they had gone through because of their cheating spouses. Their relationship grew after those unhappy times because of their children. 0icky brought in two wrapped pieces of what felt like wood. "t was !imi's turn to cry when the old blankets came off and she recogni1ed the car$ed pieces. +nly one other person had the style and techni%ue that &olly possessed when she made something like what she was looking at. /e had been &olly's teacher, her grandfather. The two pieces, which made up the head and foot of &olly's baby bed, had been car$ed by Sophia's father as his gift for his first grandchild. She didn't know what possessed her to take it with her with she left Anthony,

but knowing how &olly felt about the elder Andolini had made Sophia take the time. )rancois had taken a blank slate of cypress and car$ed out e$ery fable and popular bedtime story for his granddaughter's entertainment. When &olly walked in from work she found !imi running her fingers along the Cat in the /at holding his goldfish friend. "t was an act she $aguely remembered doing as a child. She kept it. She lo$es you and wanted to pass it on to her grandchildren, said !imi lo$ing the e#pression on &olly's face. " want you to fi# it so we can hang it in the babies' room. 3our mom didn't bring the railings and " couldn't make the choice between the three as to who gets to use it. The specifications for baby beds ha$e changed through the years so don't worry about ha$ing to choose. &olly's fingers joined her partner's in running along the smooth wood. " started thinking about this bed from the day you told me about our babies. " just hope they don't use it to teethe like some people, said Sophia from behind them. She cried again when &olly swept her into a bear hug and just held her. Sophia stayed in the new guest room after &olly cooked dinner and they had a chance to talk. Any fear of putting 0icky out was unfounded when &olly showed her !imi's father's permanent room at the back of the house. &olly had put a separate entrance so he wouldn't feel so hemmed in, hoping to encourage him to stay longer. The slow steady breathing coming from !imi later that night signaled &olly to get back to work. "f she wanted to finish her surprise, she was going to ha$e to ignore the pain in her side and put in some late nights. The soft tapping from her hammer pre$ented &olly from hearing the shop door open admitting a late night $isitor. "t's nice to know that if you're ha$ing an affair, it's with wood and not some other blonde who will remain nameless, said !imi. &olly looked up from what she was doing and frowned. 3ou're supposed to be sleeping, and "'m supposed to be surprising you. That's the chance you take for lea$ing the other side of the bed cold, said !imi putting her hands up. So, surprise me. The hands went a little higher in e#pectation. &olly shook her bowed head before getting up and standing behind !imi. She turned !imi around to look toward the back of the new workshop. The workroom had been the first thing finished in the new reno$ations and &olly had been hard at work on creating memories for their children's futures. )or baby number one, she pointed to the bed. The concept was the same as her grandfather's with the addition of some new character. )or baby number two. The headboard was finished and &olly was almost done with the other. All that was left was the car$ing for bed number three. 3ou know something, &olly. What's that, baby. All those years of waiting for you were worth e$ery minute. 3ou'$e gi$en me so much lo$e, and all these tangible things that'll li$e on for years to come. All the lo$e your pour into these pieces will inspire a lot of Andolini car$ers for generations to come. !imi stepped closer to the finished bed and ran her fingers along the wood. 4$en though she was looking forward to ha$ing their family there was one thing she had neglected to ask &olly. 3ou aren't mad " didn't gi$e us more couple time before we started a family. &olly walked !imi to the new recliner by the worktable, and eased her down. 3ou were smart with the timing before " got too old to play with them, and "'m planning on couple time for the rest of my life. So

no, lo$e, "'m not mad at you. " lo$e you for doing this. With a %uick flick of the le$er the chair went back so !imi could get comfortable. Where'd this chair come from. asked !imi before pulling &olly down for a kiss. >nowing you so well, the surprise was you held out this long before coming out here. The answer got her a pinch along with a sleepy audience that $isited e$ery night until she was done. All they needed now were children to put in the beds &olly had made. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Their doctor's appointments mo$ed to a once a week schedule as !imi's mid *o$ember due date got closer. The usually energetic, good:humored blonde was marking off the days on the calendar they kept in the kitchen hoping the days would click by faster. She swore e$en the act of sleeping made her tired, and as she added more weight to all the pounds she'd gained, the more short tempered she got with &olly. When the architect took it in stride and just smiled when !imi complained, the angrier the e#pectant mother got. 3ou ready to go. &olly had cleared her morning at the office to come and take !imi to see 4llie and Sam. +nce you find and put on my shoes. Then "'ll be ready. !ime sounded irritated enough already so &olly turned and headed toward the bedroom for shoes. " remember a time when you walked in and kissed me hello first, was the yell !imi sent &olly down the hall with. " tried kissing you last night and you told me to take a lap around the park, said &olly as she knelt and put !imi's shoes on. 8id you fall off the roof again. &ust because " was tired last night, you don't want to kiss me e$er again. The bottom lip started to %ui$er and !imi's green eyes got e#tremely glassy. Shit@ " can take the crabby !imi, but tears are a different story. &olly knew better than to say another word before soothing the hormone induced hurt feelings. She stood up and leaned o$er the large belly to reach !imi's lips. "t was as long, soft and longing as &olly could make it without putting her libido into o$erdri$e. Chunky fingers combed &olly's hair back when they broke apart making her smile. " knew the old !imi was locked away in there somewhere, thought &olly. "'m sorry "'m such a bitch lately. -aby, you'$e got e$ery right to be in a bad mood. "'d of killed somebody by now. &olly tried her best to commiserate with her swollen partner without sounding condescending. (et's go and get this doctor's $isit done so you can come home and take a nap. &olly kept her eyes on the road but as they passed, she pointed out their newest construction site on the way to the doctor's office. The fact she now spent her days trying to keep the neighbors happy during the day and !imi when she got home in the afternoons made her want to laugh. The owners of the older homes always circled the wagons whene$er there was new construction on the few $acant lots left in uptown *ew +rleans. So far they seemed pleased with the style of house &olly and Tim had designed. When they pulled up to the clinic &olly got out and walked !imi to the ele$ator before going to park the car. &olly walked in to find !imi sitting across from another petite blonde who she could tell was pregnant, but not as far along as !imi. What made !imi smile was the sight of an older African American lady chasing after an acti$e dark haired little boy. /e would run and knock some maga1ines on the floor before running to the blonde and crash into her legs and slam his hands playfully on her lap. /oney, stop throwing all those books on the floor and making !ona pick them up. 8occy, mama. " know " can't wait for 8occy to get here myself. 3ou want mama to read you a story. She pulled a book

out of the diaper bag and sat the toddler in the chair ne#t to hers. !imi reached and held onto &olly's hand wishing for the day she was doing the same thing with their three. !imi, &olly, how are you. /arry -asantes had walked in and saw the couple listening to 8esi read a story to &ack. !ona was sitting on the other side of 8esi with her eyes closed grateful the little menace was taking a reading break. /ey, 8r. /arry, we're doing fine in the broken bones department, just waiting to fill up all the e#tra rooms " added onto the house. What are you doing in here. asked &olly. /arry pointed to the crew sitting across from them but wasn't able to get anything up before &ack stood in his chair and screamed, 8occy. /ey, little buddy. She had to run forward before &ack just walked off the edge of the chair. This motley crew belongs to me. /arry held &ack as she sat ne#t to 8esi, kissing her wife before she made introductions. See, &olly, you're supposed to kiss the girl before anything else, said !imi. "'ll take note, honey. Guys, this is my wife 8esi, our son &ack and our li$e in grandmother, !ona. 4$eryone, this is &olly and !imi Andolini. "t's so nice to meet you. /arry's told me so much about you and " hope she con$eyed how much we'$e enjoyed your painting, !imi. 8esi got up and shook hands with the two women. (ike " told /arry, "'m glad it went to a good home. /a$e you been working on anything new. 8esi ignored /arry's arched brow mean to stop her from bothering the artist. Triplets, said !imi in a teasing $oice. "'m sorry, " was joking. " was working on a new series but standing in front of an easel has been replaced by standing in front of our refrigerator. The only painting "'$e been doing is in the babies' room. !aybe after " gi$e birth " can come by your gallery and talk to you and your partner about hosting my ne#t show. 3ou know our gallery. " keep all my clean brushes in one of your pieces and we ha$e another one in the bedroom " use for all the flowers &olly buys me, so yes " know your work. The gallery " know from all the bragging /arry did about you when &olly was in the hospital. She said you and Tony would be the perfect choice if " wasn't happy with my current arrangement. We'd lo$e to talk to you anytime you want, and "'d lo$e to see what you did for your upcoming gang. 8esi wanted the nurse to come and call either them or the Andolini couple in so she could thank /arry for what she did. 4llie walked out instead and grabbed &ack from /arry. /ow's my godson. /e acts just like that o$ergrown adolescent there, !ona pointed to /arry. "f you want, he can come to li$e with you for a while. !ona, you'd be the first person to knock me down if " tried to lea$e the house with this sweet boy. 4llie hugged &ack tighter and turned to !imi and &olly. And how's my population e#plosion doing. Counting the days, answered !imi. She looked up at the baby her doctor was holding and it made her want to cry. All this misery she was going through would be worth it if in the end she held such a precious gift who looked as much like &olly as &ack looked like /arry.

"'ll bet. Why don't you and the fainter come on back and let's take a look at the brood. +ne little incident and "'m labeled for life. &ust wait until someone looks at your ultrasound and tells you college is going to cost you FGBB,BBB a year. !imi was starting to enjoy the $isits with their two doctors. "t seemed they sa$ed jibes for &olly and lo$ed teasing her about the first ultrasound !imi'd had to check on the progress of her pregnancy. 8esi handed !imi a card before 4llie escorted them to a room, thrilled that the artist's second show was almost assuredly on its way to opening in their studio. /er other half had ob$iously downplayed her sales pitch to !imi and &olly when talking about 8esi. !ona took &ack without asking why ha$ing seen that look on 8esi's face before. /arry would you like to show me to a room, please. 8esi grabbed the front of the white lab coat and pulled /arry toward the inner office. They didn't need an audience for the thank you the generous doctor was going to get from her wife. +ne of the nurses just smiled as /arry followed 8esi into an empty room and closed the door. /a$e " told you lately how much " lo$e you. asked 8esi. 3ou're pretty good about that so " ha$e no complaints. Well " do lo$e you, e$en when you're out playing Santa and getting me stuff " want. " had ulterior moti$es. /arry helped 8esi on the e#am table and stood between her legs. What's that. " lo$e the little crab puffs you ha$e at all those openings, so " thought this might be a good way to get some. 8esi leaned her head to the side to gi$e /arry more room to nibble knowing the food line was just a joke. So it had nothing to do with making me happy. +f course it had to do with making you happy, woman. "'d think by now you'd know "'d dance naked in the +0 if that's what it took to make you happy. 8on't get cra1y on me, /arry, and don't stop what you're doing. "n the ne#t room &olly and !imi looked at the screen staring in fascination as two of the babies sucked their thumbs. 4llie was mo$ing the wand getting a good look at each little face letting the e#pectant parents get a glimpse of what was waiting at the end of the pregnancy. !imi, " can't begin to tell you how important it is for you to take it easy for the ne#t month or so. 3ou're pressure is just slightly ele$ated but nothing we ha$e to do anything about now. Think of this as &olly's time to wait on you and fulfill your e$ery whim. 4llie finished up her e#am and jotted some notes into the chart in her hand. Sam and her were keeping their fingers crossed that !imi would at least last until the first of *o$ember. *o problems there. "f there's one thing this pregnancy's done for me is that "'m ne$er alone. /a$ing &olly working from home is going to make me dread the end almost, but then " ha$e to go to the bathroom so often it'll be nice to get my bladder away from the constant attack it seems to always be under from these guys. When they got home from the appointment, Christy was waiting in the kitchen for &olly. The assistant didn't mind the trips to the house to bring her boss all the files and records she needed for upcoming and current projects. &olly got !imi comfortable on the sofa with a drink and a blanket to watch tele$ision before turning her mind toward Christy and business. Christy, " need the folder on the ,earl property first. There was a message on my $oice mail this morning

saying they'd finally come to a consensus on the style and are ready to proceed. 3ou got it boss. Christy dug into the bo# she'd brought o$er with her to find the first of all the files &olly had asked for. What to place a bet on who ca$ed. "n her short time with &olly and Tim, the assistant was familiar with the argument the ,earls were fighting. The first time it had happened she'd been shocked when the wife had chunked &olly's stapler at her husband after he disagreed with her on how many bathrooms they needed. "f he knows what's good for him and he's smart, !r. ,earl ca$ed. Why do you say so. asked Christy standing ne#t to &olly's chair with the folder she'd asked for. -ecause no woman no matter how great her husband is, wants to li$e in a house that reflects just his personality. /e should just add a study to the plans and be done with the process. 3ou speak from your personal e#perience as a husband. &olly laughed at the sarcasm dripping from her assistant's %uestion. *o from my personal e#perience with designing and building Tim and ,am's place. /ow about with !imi. Any disagreements we had during our reno$ation were %uickly resol$ed so there was ne$er a problem. *e$er. *o, any disagreements we had were %uickly resol$ed with my gi$ing in. They both laughed when a loud, /a@ was heard coming from the direction of the den. &olly (ee Andolini, God could strike you down for telling lies that big. Christy really laughed at !imi's reprimand. -oss, !imi must make a mean soufflH. !imi's beautiful and she paints di$inely, but she can't cook. So no, she can't boil water much less whip up something as complicated as a soufflH. &olly leaned back in her chair thinking how strangely off course their con$ersation had gotten. " just thought she's done such a good job at whipping you, it would transfer into the kitchen. "t was !imi's turn to laugh when Christy ran past her with &olly hot on her tail. "f she had to be stuck $egetating at least she'd ha$e entertainment. The funniest part was &olly had been right. All the changes !imi had wanted were incorporated into the house. 3ou guys are going to ha$e a great life. " know " do, she said with her hands o$er her midsection as she spoke to their unborn children. She meant e$ery word since ha$ing &olly around would be like ha$ing an always willing playmate at their beck and call. !imi went to sleep as the sound of laughter rang through the house. /er dreams carried her to a time when it would be three little children &olly was chasing. #ontinued in #ha ter #omments to& terrali%'(yahoo.com The Athenaeum)s *croll Archive ? A ,lace To 8ance ? by Ali 5ali

Please *ee #ha ter $ for disclaimers

A Place To Dance by Ali 5ali #ha ter Are you comfortable. &olly put one more pillow behind !imi's back before mo$ing down to rub her feet. "'m as good as "'m going to get for the night " guess. Can we talk about something while you carry out your nightly pampering. "s something wrong. The blonde held out her hand suddenly wanting &olly close to her. *othing's wrong, honey. " was just thinking about what comes ne#t. /ell of a time to think about it now, isn't it. &olly mo$ed so she was pressed up against !imi's back with her hand on her partner's large midsection. That's an easy one though. We bring these little guys home, lo$e them, then set them loose on the world some day. "t's that simple, huh. /er $oice was light, but her grip on &olly's hand was too tight. There was something else on !imi's mind. What's wrong, lo$e. " want you to promise me you'll be ok if something happens to me. &olly sat up a little so she could see !imi's face. What do you mean, if something happens to you. What's going to happen to you. /oney, " just want to talk about this so it won't be on my mind later. 8uring child birth there's a million things that could go wrong, and if they do, " want to know you'll be all right. We're going to ha$e three children and they're going to need you. !imi, " really don't think " want to ha$e this con$ersation with you now. 3ou're young and healthy, nothing's going to happen to you. With a grunt !imi rolled onto her back and lifted a hand to rest on &olly's cheek. The same wa$e of depression that rolled o$er her e$ery time she looked at her ring finger minus the diamond &olly had gi$en her swamped her again. After her fingers started their imitations of sausages she'd had to remo$e it or face pliers to pry it off. The ring now rested at the end of the platinum chain &olly had gotten and !imi was counting the days when she could wear it again. ,romise me you'll be ok and "'ll drop it. " promise, but trust me, it won't be necessary. &olly kissed !imi's palm and smiled. *ow promise me you won't waste anymore time on this. " can't help it. There's nothing to do all day but lie here and imitate a slug, so the weirdest things just pop into my head. " ha$e some more to do in the babies' room, but after " mi# the paint " need, "'m too tired to use any of it. The tears the little tirade caused didn't bother &olly as much as they did at first. /a$ing a pregnant partner had been a lesson in emotional trauma of e$ery proportion.

3ou know what " wish. !imi wiped her face with the edge of the sheet and shook her head, What. " wish " could make lo$e to you. What &olly thought was a compliment only made !imi cry harder. -aby, " only said that to make you feel better. " miss you is all. Why are you crying. " was just thinking what my body's going to look like after this. 3ou may ne$er want to touch me again "'ll be so hideous. The word hideous was dragged out so long in !imi's whine, &olly thought she would pass out from a lack of o#ygen. So the truth comes out does it. &olly tried to sound stern as she mo$ed behind her partner again to hold her. What. !imi asked through a hiccup. 3ou must think "'m some sort of old leach who married you just for your body. A hot blonde who fulfills my e$ery desire and se#ual fantasy. 3ou mean " don't. The teasing tone &olly was using got !imi to stop crying. And then some, sweetheart. +nly you're so much more to me. !imi leaned further into &olly lo$ing the way the warm body behind her made her feel wanted. "'$e lo$ed you for so long, &olly. !ore than anything " want to be whate$er will make you happy. (o$e, you don't ha$e to do anything special to do that. The day we met " was busy being angry at what " felt was one more imposition on my father's part. " had met your mother a couple of times before that so " wasn't holding out too much hope her spawn would be much better. /ow surprised do you think " was when " laid eyes on you. An embarrassed giggle escaped !imi as she remembered that luncheon. &olly had made her so ner$ous she couldn't stop talking the most important thing she remembered was &olly didn't laugh when she confessed to the young architect she was going to be a great artist. " was some stupid kid huh. The $alet looked at the old truck with a mi#ture of disdain and disbelief. +ne of the perks of the job was dri$ing the kind of cars he could only afford with a winning lottery ticket in his hand. /e already dro$e a piece of crap= he didn't want to ha$e to park one. Should " just pull it around myself, or are you taking a break. The tall woman standing ne#t to the open cab door pulled him out of his re$elry. !aybe her other car is broken, thought the restaurant employee when he got a good look at the e#pensi$e suit she was wearing. *o, ma'am, let me just grab a ticket. /e ripped one off the booklet he carried around in his back pocket. *ame. &olly. 3ou're certainly tall enough to be a giant, the young mean joked. /ow original. With a frustrated hand running through her hair, &olly dropped the truck's keys into the kid's hand and started for the door. Stopping and turning around when her hand was on the knob. Try to not put any dents in it. /e put his hands on his hips and tried to figure out if she was joking. There was sawdust falling from the cab floor from the open door, and it was hard to find a place on the $ehicle that wasn't dented. 3ou're

kidding right. 8on't let my name fool you, kid. "'m not at all happy to be here, so no, "'m not kidding. Great another one of those places where people like to be seen and ser$es tiny food. " see a trip to a good burger place after this. The thought occurred to &olly as she waited for the hostess with a foreign accent to help the couple in front of her. /er father lo$ed fre%uenting restaurants like this especially now that he had the attracti$e >elly hanging on his arm. "t could be worse " guess. She could be nineteen. !ay " help you. 3es, you can pour me a $ery large drink with $odka and whate$er you want to mi# in with it then gi$e me directions to the /olland party. The hostess put her hand up and motioned for &olly to follow her. )rom the sound of the table they were headed to, her father was holding court as his new subjects were informed of the laws of the land /olland built. Two of the three blondes she didn't recogni1e were shaking their heads hanging on Anthony's e$ery word. &olly, how nice of you to join us. +nly thirty minutes late. "t's a new record for you, isn't it. " thought " told you this was important. Anthony spoke in a low chilling $oice, one he used as a means to intimidate. "'m here, aren't ". That should supercede when " arri$ed. &olly, " want you to meet your new family. >elly stood and went to stand behind her eldest son before the situation got too e#plosi$e. This is 0ichard, pointing to her the ne#t child, That's /enry, and on the end there is !adeline. 4ach of the boys stood and shook her hand to be polite. Their mother had told them enough about &olly to know that to align with her was the %uickest way for Anthony to write you off. There were two empty chairs and the !ulle boys were happy when &olly chose to sit ne#t to their sister. /i there. /a$ing fun. &olly asked the young blonde. "t beats ha$ing to do this at some sporting e$ent or something else just as hideous. "s your name really &olly. !imi put her elbows on the tabletop and smiled at the new arri$al. "t's really &olly, and if you don't like sports it may hinder your chance at becoming a full fledged /olland. "'m a full fledged !ulle, so that's not a problem. The rich laugh spilling out of the tall, good looking newcomer made !imi happy for some reason. "t was when &olly wiped away a tear that she noticed how blue her eyes were. That's a good thing, !adeline. 3ou should always try to stand up for the things you belie$e and you lo$e. ,lease call me !imi. With no menu e$er looked at by anyone at the table the appeti1ers arri$ed and Anthony's order of 4at, set e$eryone's fork in motion e#cept for !imi's. " don't like ca$iar so you're welcomed to mine if you like. She pushed the plate toward &olly. )or her part &olly ignored her plate as well and took a sip of the drink the waiter had deli$ered. With a snap of her fingers the brunette got the man in charge of their table to come back. Could you bring the young woman and " a menu and take this back from whate$er fish lost it. What's wrong with it. Anthony asked with food still in his mouth. We didn't order it, so we're sending it back.

" already ordered for e$eryone to sa$e time. 0ichard !ulle plucked a piece of lettuce off his shirt when Anthony spit in his direction. That was sweet when we were two, but we're all big now and just like in houses, people ha$e their own tastes in food. The man at the head of the table looked like &olly had just hit his last ner$e, but in the interest of getting through the lunch he let it go. Iuiet con$ersations followed after more food was brought out, but !imi could ha$e cared less. She answered all of &olly's %uestions and tried to mi# in a little humor with her answers so she would get one more smile out of the newly minted architect. What do you want to do when you get out of school, !imi. "'m going to be an artist. " lo$e painting and " want to see if " can make a li$ing at it. She's going to be a decorator, that's something more practical, Anthony boomed from his end. That's right, !imi. 3our father's an architect so you'll ha$e a good built in clientele. >elly looked at Anthony as she answered getting him to curl his lips up in a smile. !y father's a construction worker and he said he'd help. The guy's a deadbeat, so " wouldn't count on it, girlie. "'ll pay for school, but not for no artist. That's nothing but a waste. "f that's what you're interested in, !imi, "'ll help you. &olly had seen the fire in !imi from that first day. /er father had thought her offer of help was a boast to get under his skin, but nothing could ha$e been further from the truth. She had wanted to gi$e !imi the world to see her happy. "t had ne$er been a sacrifice to pro$ide the means to making her dreams come true. !ore like a warm, funny, bright kid who stole my heart in one afternoon. "'$e lo$ed you for a long time and it was ne$er the way a sister lo$es a sibling. )or a long time " was afraid to admit e$en to myself how " felt about you. !imi turned her head wanting to see &olly's face. Why. 3ou had to know how " felt. *o, " didn't know. )or years " cooked e$ery !onday, escorted you to art openings and cuddled with you on the sofa when we watched mo$ies. " thought that's all " could hope for, and it would'$e been enough if you were happy with your life. To be totally honest though, the thought of you with someone else would'$e killed me. A warm set of lips pressed to hers stopped &olly's confession for a long sweet moment. 3ou know what made me reali1e " had to take a chance. What. "t's more like who. Christina. !imi pinched &olly's arm for mentioning the woman's name in their bed. &ust for future reference, honey, when you're trying to make me feel better it's not a good idea to bring up old flames. The tall body behind !imi shook the mattress with laughter. "'m mentioning her name because she's the one who made me face just how often you're on my mind. The thing that makes me the happiest now is " can finally admit to myself that " plan my life around you. "'$e done it for years but it makes me happy for you to know you're the center of my world. 3ou know something, &olly. What. !imi kissed her before answering. " wish we could make lo$e too.

Soon, baby. " promise. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Call me if you need anything, and " mean anything. " shouldn't be long. &olly stood in front of the closet tucking in her shirt. She had an appointment with /arry that morning to remo$e her stitches. She was upset with herself for not accepting the doctor's offer of coming to the house to do it. After their long talk the night before &olly wasn't an#ious to lea$e !imi alone. "'m sure you wont' be long, "'ll be ok. Stop worrying so much. &ust remember, !adeline, there will be no birthing of babies until " get back. !imi laughed and crooked her finger at &olly to get her to get closer to the bed. When you get back "'m tempted to defy 4llie and throw caution to hell. "f an orgasm lands us with some kids and the ability for me to hug you, "'m all for it. With a gentleness &olly always used with !imi she ran her hand o$er the e#panding midsection. There was mo$ement under her fingers, and like it always did, the awe of what it represented choked the architect to the point she couldn't speak. We'll be fine, lo$e, we promise, !imi swore. &olly nodded, lo$ing the adoring look !imi was gi$ing her. At the doctor's office &olly didn't ha$e to wait didn't ha$e to wait long, and was surprised to see it was /arry who came out to escort her to an e#am room. The pain almost gone. asked /arry as she remo$ed the bandages on &olly's chest. The #:rays showed her ribs were setting nicely pleasing /arry with her progress. "'$e tried to ignore it so it's not too bad. "t'll be nice when " can start swinging a hammer again and it not bother me. Won't be long now. " should'$e recogni1ed you name as %uickly as " recogni1ed your partner's. Some friends of ours got you to design their house for them and they're always ra$ing about it. They continued talking about different topics as /arry probed &olly's side, finally landing on !imi and how she was holding up in her last trimester. 3ou told her you wanted to make lo$e to her. asked /arry. She spoke slowly like &olly was mentally challenged as she pulled the stitches out of her chest. /a$ing been where &olly found herself it was easy to poke fun. Well " thought it would be a compliment. 3ou know, since we can't. " didn't want her to think " find her hideous as she so lo$ingly put it last night. 8o the hormones e$entually calm down. &olly laughed when /arry let out a laugh of her own. She had looked so down when she got to the office that 8r. /arry had been gi$ing her some friendly ad$ice on how to deal with pregnant partners. Trust me, buddy, she doesn't want you to comment on her body one way or another. "f you tell her how beautiful she looks, she'll think you're just being nice. +n the other hand if you don't e$er comment on it, she'll think you're disgusted. /arry shook her head remembering 8esi breaking out into tears more than a few times after a compliment on how beautiful she looked. So good doctor, what's your best ad$ice. /arry used a small set of twee1ers to gently remo$e the sutures on &olly's chest. The tight wea$e she had used would help minimi1e the scar. Some doctors didn't take the time anymore using the uni$ersally acceptable staples, but /arry didn't want !imi to ha$e a $isual reminder of the traumatic accident e$ery time she saw her partner's chest. There's no good ad$ice here, &olly. ,regnant women are like fingerprints. *o two are alike, so there's no rule of thumb. With 8esi the things that made her feel better were threatening me with imminent death if she gained another pound or if " got close to her if she wasn't in the mood, and chicken salad. She ate so much

of it " was waiting for her to lay an egg instead of going into labor with &ack. "n the end " think she lo$ed the stuff more than me, but it made her feel better so " wasn't complaining. The one thing to remember is keep all con$ersations away from her body if at all possible when she brings it up. 3ou bring it up, and be honest about what you see. 7nless you're an idiot, you'll agree with me and there's nothing more beautiful on this earth than the sight of your partner carrying your children. -ut " do lo$e the way !imi looks now. She accepted her shirt back from /arry and started to get dressed. The nurse who had assisted /arry laughed softly at her predicament before stepping out so they could finish their talk. " know you do, and if you tell her that often enough e$entually she'll belie$e you. 8esi and " agreed to ha$e only two kids, but you're right, if " could talk her into fi$e, "'d lo$e it. We were separated by circumstances for a long time, so you can imagine the joy of getting her back was unbelie$able. -ut seeing her carrying our second makes me sit and cry sometimes just like the first time around. " know physically it's hard on her, but she's just beautiful right now. As /arry made the $ery personal admission &olly nodded her head in agreement. "n the hall, out of sight, 8esi wiped a tear away. )or the millionth time since finding /arry again she thanked God for the life she'd been gifted with. Talk about me like that and "'ll gi$e you si# little namesakes, 8esi said softly from the doorway. 3ou weren't supposed to hear that, but it's true nonetheless. &olly, you remember 8esi right. *ice to see you again, &olly. /ow's !imi holding up. 8esi stepped in and leaned against /arry's seated form. " can't fathom ha$ing three in one shot. She must be miserable. " think we passed miserable about two months ago, but !imi's a trooper. Aside from being tired and not being able to find a comfortable spot in any position, she'd doing great. !aybe " can call !ona and get her recipe for chicken salad. 8esi laughed but she understood. Why don't you two come to dinner tonight. "f !ona can't cheer her up with a good meal she's a lost cause until labor sets in. Thanks for the offer, but " doubt she'll want to lea$e the house unless it's on fire. "'m betting though, she'd lo$e company. Why don't you all come to our place and "'ll cook. -ring !ona and &ack too. The doctor could feel her wife's e#citement at being that much closer to !imi's art collection. Are you sure. asked /arry. "'m positi$e. !imi's not finished with the babies' room but she's dying to show it off. "t's not can$ases but " keep thinking about three small blondes looking at those walls as they drift off to sleep. "'ll bet they set off on some great nighttime ad$entures with the inspirations their mama's pro$ided them. "'d lo$e to see it, &olly. What time do you want us. asked 8esi. Come whene$er you like this afternoon. "'m working from the house now so if after /arry's appointments are done is good for the two of you, come on o$er, we'll be waiting. !imi will be thrilled she'll ha$e someone to talk to besides me. The way that girl looks at you makes me think you could be reading stock %uotes and she'd lo$e you anyway. /arry stood up and shook hands with &olly before she left. What brings you down here, beautiful. she asked 8esi, as she leaned her against the e#am table. +ur boy had a play date with !ona and his little buddies at the park so " thought "'d take my brilliant spouse out to lunch if she's a$ailable. Though, after hearing all that nice stuff you said about me, could " interest you in a hotel room instead. The lab coat /arry was wearing opened slightly as her partner ran her hands up hers sides. The mo$e made /arry step closer until she felt the swell of their growing baby between them. )or once in my life " wish " dug ditches for a li$ing.

8esi pulled away from the line of kisses she was placing up /arry's neck and looked at her in total confusion. This ought to be good, please go on. "t's raining outside today so "'d ha$e the day off, but since " chose a profession that works inside, " ha$e a huge patient load this afternoon. Considering what "'$e got in mind for you it's going to take me longer than lunch to get done. The kiss that followed the declaration made 8esi moan into /arry's mouth. We could go sit and make out on the sofa in your office. )eeling frisky today, are we. /arry took her hand and pulled 8esi toward her office. " was just thinking we only had a couple of weeks on that old swing when we were kids. "t's nice sometimes to just pretend life after that would'$e followed the course we were both hoping for. There was a wistfulness in 8esi's $oice that was an echo of the young woman who'd dreamed of being courted and romanced, only to be thrown into a miserable situation. !iss Thompson, would you like to ha$e lunch with me. The use of her maiden name was odd, but 8esi was willing to play along. " don't know, don't you ha$e to study or something. "f you say yes " don't think anything else is important enough to keep me from going. " promise to walk you home after we're done. Their joined hands sawing between them, both of them enjoying the reminiscing and pretending. Are you going to try and kiss me. " ha$e a curfew after all. /arry stopped in the hall close to where her staff kept the charts they'd need for the day. " promise to get you home on time, but " can't promise " won't try to kiss you. " accept. !argaret, could you please reschedule e$eryone until after two. ,lease apologi1e for me, but it can't be helped. /arry couldn't help but notice the woman's large smile as she asked. "t was a $erification she'd been listening to their con$ersation. /oney, " can't let you do that. "'m just being hormonal. That /arry would e$en consider going through the trouble of rearranging her day was enough for 8esi. We can just eat in the cafeteria. " now you're busy. -efore /arry could respond to 8esi's bout of guilt, !argaret did it for her. !rs. -asantes, can " say something. 8esi nodded her head. +ffers like this don't come around $ery often, so take an old woman's ad$ice and just go. 8on't worry about anything else, because in the end you'll both remember a day of fun more than /arry will remember seeing patients she has scheduled today when you're both old and gray. Thanks, !argaret, said 8esi gripping the woman's hands. +ne more thing, !argaret's $oice stopped both of them on the way to /arry's office. "f she tries to kiss you, !iss Thompson, "'d say she's a safe bet. +ne of those you don't want to let get away. +h letting her get away is my last intention. !argaret watched them step into her boss's office as she leaned against the counter with a happy look on her face. Another one of /arry's nurses stepped out of an e#am room after finishing with a patient finding !argaret's e#pression interesting. What's the smile for. " was just thinking about how 8r. -asantes was before 8esi came along. 0emember the girls. The younger woman nodded. " wasn't around here for $ery long before that, but yeah, " remember. They

didn't stay around long, did they. "t made me think for the longest that 8r. /arry was a bit of a player. The thing is none of them stayed around, but not for their lack of trying. She was waiting and "'m glad she didn't ha$e too long a stretch before she got back what she lost. 8esiree -asantes is a $ery lucky young woman, but "'m betting it's /arry who pinches herself e$ery morning. "'m just happy for both of them. The couple at the center of their con$ersation stepped out of the office holding hands and laughing. They were a long way from the teenagers who had started their relationship on a porch swing years before, but the feelings they had back then had only grown and strengthened through the years. The younger nurse standing with !argaret wa$ed at the departing pair. "'d say they're both pretty lucky. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; /oney, shouldn't you be cooking something if you in$ited them o$er. !imi yelled her %uestion down the hall as she contemplated if she could get away with not wearing a bra. 4$erything's marinating and waiting for the grill so don't worry about it. 8o you need any help. Struggling into underwear that looked like something her grandmother would ha$e lo$e, !imi wondered again why &olly hadn't mo$ed out after watching her body e#pand to scary portions. Could you6 Soft lips pressed to her shoulder as &olly's hands came around as far as they could on her naked middle. 3ou are so beautiful. The kisses mo$ed further up !imi's neck. 3ou get more beautiful e$eryday. A snort escaped the woman being complimented but it didn't discourage &olly. "'m sorry if " ha$en't been con$incing before now, but you are. Slowly she mo$ed !imi to one of the comfortable chairs they'd gotten for the master suite. 3ou're incredibly sweet, and incredibly prejudiced. " feel far from beautiful. &olly knelt in front of !imi and kissed the surface of the warm ha$en that held her children. )or a long time "'$e enjoyed building things. ,laces where people enjoy the holidays and their families. ,laces where they make lo$e and dream of starting a family, but it's ne$er mattered how well " drew the plans or mitered the wood around the doors, what mattered was what those places became once " handed o$er the keys. )or the first time in months !imi forgot all the discomfort and focused on &olly's $oice. What did they become, lo$e. /omes. " can only pro$ide a pleasing space, honey. The people who mo$e in are what make it a home. " ne$er truly had a place " felt that way about until " woke up ne#t to you. &olly kissed one of the pudgy hands resting on the arm of the chair before going on. 3ou're beautiful to me because you're gi$ing me all the things " thought were out of my reach. 3ou, beautiful, are my home and if you finish with the granny panties " ha$e a surprise for you. 3ou shit. 3ou had me tearing up until the last part. !imi threw the bra she'd picked out at &olly's head as something occurred to her. Would you hate me if " don't breast feed. A person could get whiplash ha$ing a con$ersation with my girl, thought &olly. " could ne$er hate you, honey. -esides you'$e go plenty of time to decide, and since " don't come with a tap it'll be up to you to make that decision. Tears welled up in the pretty green eyes, but unlike in the beginning, &olly held !imi's hand and waited. Their cause would come spilling out shortly if she ga$e her a chance. "t's just that putting on a bra is an e#ercise in pain. "f someone, " don't care how small, bit down on my nipples it might dri$e me o$er the deep end. "t was hard not to smile, but &olly had a mental image of getting strangled with the underwear on her head so her face stayed neutral. " think after a few times those little suckers toughen up, sweetie. That's what it said in the book anyway. 4ither way, they'll be fine. " was bottle fed and "'m no a serial killer.

Toughen up. What e#actly does that mean. A look of horror swept o$er !imi's face. "'m thinking that's a 8esi %uestion when she gets here. Come on, don't you want to see your surprise before you ha$e to share it with the world. /elp me. !imi plucked the beige instrument of torture off her partner's head. Surely, and later if you want "'ll $olunteer for sucking duty to get these babies ready. !imi looked own to what seemed like some other woman's breasts &olly was cupping and laughed. 3ou're a person in need of help, &olly, but " lo$e you because you are. Walking slowly and leaning hea$ily on &olly, !imi followed her to the babies' room. The walls were almost finished and after she got rid of the e#tra weight !imi was planning on completing her first gift to their children, but that didn't matter now. What did were the three new additions not in the room when she'd walked by that afternoon. With the same attention to detail her grandfather had taken great pride in, &olly had finished the baby beds. They were far apart enough to ensure the others could maybe sleep through a sibling's crying, but close enough so !imi could appreciate what &olly had accomplished. The multitude of characters flowed from one bed to the other making them all inter connected. )amous cartoon ri$als chased each other from one foot board to the ne#t, but e$enly di$ided so no bed was more important than the other. +h my God, baby, they look great. !imi had seen them slowly come to life in &olly's workshop, but they looked totally different with stain and $arnish. 3our dad helped me with the ten coats of finish he insisted on, so remember to thank him. 8o you really like them. "t's not too late to order something else. We'$e got at least two months. The blonde turned in &olly's arms and rested her hands on the strong chest. " lo$e them and so will our brood. 3ou know what " spend my days thinking about besides my ne#t trip to the bathroom. What, lo$e. " picture three little brunettes with big blue eyes trailing after you with tiny hammers in their hands. " bet our yard has the only tree house in town with a functional ele$ator if " know you. &olly laughed as she led !imi to one of the rockers in the room. " don't think so. " told 8esi and /arry this afternoon that they'd be little blondes. All of them with paint brushes and palettes telling some hyper dog to sit still. Their mother's a creati$e genius so " want them to be just like you. "f there was going to be any rebuttal from !imi it was cut off by the doorbell. Sit and "'ll be right back. !imi waited until she heard the sounds of &olly greeting their guests before letting the grimace of pain mare her face. "t was the second jolt of e#treme discomfort to rip across the bottom of her abdomen in as many hours. !imi thought of telling &olly but her tall o$erprotecti$e spouse was on edge enough, and they were both looking forward to spending the e$ening with the -asantes couple. What a great house, &olly, said /arry as &olly led them back to the babies' room. "t's getting there. &olly laughed watching 8esi look at the large can$ases they had hanging throughout the house, including the one !imi had gi$en her the night of her opening. /anging in their home was a history of !imi's progression as an artist. This through is my fa$orite room, said &olly walking into the nursery. Wow, said /arry and 8esi together. The room was filled with color with only one small patch left undone. &ack would lo$e this. /arry walked to a wall of sea life and ran her finger along the back of a dolphin. We were looking forward to some seeing him !ona again. 8id they get a better offer. teased !imi.

&ack has a case of the sniffles, so !ona forbid us to take him out in the night air. " think she's still skeptical about my ha$ing actually attended medical school. Whate$er the reason, it was easier to gi$e in than to argue about it with her. 8esi stepped closer to /arry and patted her on the chest. The day !ona stopped gi$ing /arry a hard time would be the day she stopped drawing breath. (et me go light my coals. Why don't you keep !imi company for a bit, 8esi. With &olly's back to her, !imi took the opportunity to breathe deeply. 3ou three calm down in there and " won't ha$e to get rough with you and lay off the chocolate tonight, she mentally chastised the three acti$e little bodies under her hands. Since "'m our resident grill master let me help, offered /arry. Then your resident art master's probably interested in seeing some of my wife's work. &olly looked back at !imi with a smile. !imi, this is beautiful. 8esi stood in the middle of the room and spun slowly in a circle. The young artist had created a wonderland that would be just as pleasing when the triplets turned twenty. "'m sorry, we'$e been here admiring your work and " ha$en't asked you how are you doing. 8esi remembered her manners and turned her attention back to !imi. Someone seems to be sitting on all of my $ital organs, but aside from that "'m great, and thank you for your compliment. " wish it was done, but " can't stand being on my feet for more than ten minutes at a time anymore. /ell sitting up is taking its toll. She mo$ed around in the chair trying to find a more comfortable spot then just ga$e up. (ook at what my sweetie finished today. 8esi looked a the beds and figured if the children !imi was caring tapped into just half the talent their parents had combined, they'd be prodigies. What a wonderful place to raise children. /er fingers ran o$er the wood finding it smooth and warm. Want to go and make sure our other hal$es ha$en't set the yard on fire. *ot that !imi didn't enjoy 8esi's company, but she had the sudden desire to be near &olly. "t felt like something just popped and ga$e way when !imi stood. /er ne#t statement was to thank 8esi again for her kind words on the room, but the warm gush of fluid down her legs gripped her with fear. 8esi, could you run and get &olly for me. !imi's %uestion finished in a whisper as her world turned black. 8esi turned around in time to see !imi crumple to the floor. The comfortable shoes &olly had placed on her feet just moments before were co$ered in blood. "t seemed surreal since the re%uest the blonde had just uttered had been said so calmly. *ot familiar with the layout of the house, 8esi stepped into the hallway and screamed, /arry@ &olly@ The sound of running feet let her go back and kneel at !imi's head. When the architect who reminded 8esi so much of her belo$ed /arry turned the corner the sound she made reminded her of a wounded animal. The sight of !imi lying in her own blood was enough to make e$en /arry blanch a little. !imi, what's wrong. &olly looked at 8esi with tears streaming down her face. What happened. "t doesn't matter now, &olly. /arry placed the unconscious woman on her back and lifted her knees. +ne %uick look under the hem of the dress !imi had on confirmed she was still hemorrhaging. " need you to keep it together and help me. 8o you understand. &olly nodded but she looked lost. 8esi, get 4llie and Sam on the phone. Tell them "'ll meet them in the hospital in the first +0 " can book, so tell them not to dawdle. "t's too soon, said &olly softly. -uddy, " don't want to scare you but we need to get !imi to the hospital now. Come on, &olly, grab her feet. We don't ha$e time to wait on an ambulance.

" can't lose her. 8on't talk like that, &olly. &ust do what /arry says, she'll be fine. The ringing in her ear stopped and 4llie's $oice filled !imi's ear. (ift her legs, &olly. Come on dammit, don't make me slap you. /arry didn't mean to sound harsh but there was so little time before &olly's world came crashing in around her. (osing a child was hard for any couple but there was a real possibility the architect would lose e$erything she lo$ed that night. 4llie, it's 8esi. (isten $ery carefully you ha$e to meet /arry at the hospital now. We're at the Andolini's and something's gone wrong with !imi. She tried to keep up as the two tall women carried the blonde down the hall. !imi had yet to regain consciousness and it was starting to worry her. 8esi, talk to me and tell me e#actly what's going on. 4llie slipped her shoes back on and searched for her sweat pants. They had just gotten back from the hospital and she was getting ready to jump in the shower. 4llie, it's /arry. She collapsed and she's bleeding. "'m not familiar enough with these things but from what " remember of my rotation in med school, "'d ha$e to say her water broke. There was a clear fluid mi#ed in with the blood. /ow far along is she. &ust barely se$en months. " don't know until " see her but we might not be able to stop the labor if that's true. " think you ha$e to worry about her first, and the kids will work themsel$es out. Get going and "'ll try to ha$e e$erything ready for when you two get there. /arry dro$e like she was trying to outrun death down the %uiet streets. -ehind her and 8esi, &olly held her partner begging her to wake up. ,lease, !imi, you can't do this to me. 3ou can't lea$e me all alone. She could feel the seat of /arry's S75 getting soaked beneath her and with the puddle slowly went !imi's life force. "t was a nightmare when they reached the 4mergency 0oom and they wheeled !imi away from &olly into a trauma room. 8esi took her by the hand and led her to the waiting area wishing they were at Charity rather than the posh interior of !ercy. "f they were at the state hospital there might be a chance of getting comfort from the charge nurse Sally. 8on't worry, &olly, /arry's not going to let anything happen to her if it's in her power, and 4llie and Sam should be here any minute. 8o you want me to call anyone and tell them what happened. " should call her father and my cousin Tim and his wife. 8esi put her hand on a broad shoulder and rubbed comforting circles along the cotton fabric. &ust gi$e me the number and "'ll call for you. The group she called almost beat 8esi's doctors to the door and looked just as sick as &olly. !ona, listen we might be gone for awhile, there's been an emergency. 8esi e#plained what had happened and smiled when !ona offered to pray for !imi and &olly for the rest of the night. &olly, /arry's $oice broke through the tension in the waiting room just long enough to ratchet it up another couple of notches when they saw the grim look on her face. 4llie and Sam wanted me to come out and tell you they're taking her into surgery. "'ll let them e#plain e#actly what happened, but she was bleeding pretty se$erely and they ha$e no choice but to go in and fi# the problem. The nurse behind /arry handed &olly a clip board and pointed to the places she had to sign. -ut she's going to be all right, isn't she. "t's too soon to tell, buddy. We just ha$e to wait. /arry's eyes filled along with &olly's at the thought of this happening to her. She's young and "'m sure she'll pull through. !imi has a lot to li$e for. They all sat and waited for news, ,am sat between &olly and Tim holding both their hands. 8oing so made

her reali1e how similar they were to each other. 4ach had long elegant fingers= the only difference was the calluses on &olly's. "t made her wonder if &olly and !imi's children would inherit )rancois Andolini's hands as well. Would they e$en li$e out the night for any of them to find out. &olly, Sam's presence in the doorway was like a cold hand ripping &olly's chest open. She wasn't a fearful person by nature but all this was scaring the shit out of her. "t had been o$er three hours since !imi had disappeared behind the steel doors of the 4mergency 0oom. /ow is she. Can " see her. Sam mo$ed and sat on the other side of &olly and put her hand on her shoulder when Tim mo$ed to another seat. Something caused the wall of !imi's uterus to rip, which sometimes happens in cases of multiples. What doesn't usually happen though is the rip to be se$er enough to bleed like an artery wound, but that's what happened and that's why all the blood. Why wouldn't she wake up. "t might ha$e been her body's way of dealing with the pain, but it's a good thing it happened since it slowed the blood loss some. The thing about what happened, &olly, is we had to go ahead and deli$er the babies so we could get to where we could repair the damage. Congratulations, it's a girl three times o$er. There wasn't a dry eye in the room as &olly just bent o$er and buried her face in her hands. She had always imagined finding this out to be a time of happiness not because it ser$ed the purpose of sa$ing their mother's life. /ow are they. They're small, really small so don't get too alarmed when you see them. " wish " could gi$e you better news but we'll ha$e to wait at least forty:eight hours until " can gi$e you more definiti$e answers. All four of your girls are in critical condition, but they're fighters so don't gi$e up hope. Can " see !imi. 4llie's finishing up now, but " promise as soon as she gets into reco$ery you'll be her first $isitor. "f you want though, there are three other ladies who can't wait to meet you. Sam didn't want to force her but more than anything she wanted &olly to agree since, like !imi, the babies might not li$e out the night. The suffering woman deser$ed to see them while they were still breathing. "n the end it might be the only happy memory she would ha$e. The staff lent &olly a pair of scrubs so she could strip off the blood stained clothes she was wearing. "n the neonatal unit three incubators sat side:by:side holding the only patients they had in the ward for the moment. The staff had washed her hands until they stung but it was so &olly could touch the paper:thin looking skin. She mo$ed closer and looked at the first baby wearing a pink sock looking thing on her head and socks on her feet. The tiny waif was lying on her stomach looking like she was panting for breath. &olly stuck her hands in the holes along the side and put her finger on the baby's foot noticing the small appendage was almost three times smaller than her digit. She pulled the cap off and laughed through her tears when she saw the little wisps of blonde almost white hair. "t was the same color of the baby pictures !imi had at home of herself. /ey, little one, you ha$e to hang in there and get bigger so your mama won't be worried. She painted a room for you at home that " can't wait for you to see. She'd be here but she's busy getting better herself, so don't be mad at her. !ama lo$es you $ery much. &olly mo$ed to the ne#t child and repeated the talk. The tears fell harder when she found the same hair and looks of the first baby. The first two she thought had to be the identical twins. The last child had slightly darker hair, but still the blonde locks of her mother. Their eyes had been taped shut so &olly would ha$e to wait to see if her dream of what they would look like had come to pass.

Come on, &olly, !imi's done and we want you to go in and talk to her. " belie$e she'll hear you, and we need to get her back from the place she's gone off to, understand. 4llie held her hand and walked the gentle giant to reco$ery. /er partner looked small lying on the stretcher with a multitude of tubes sticking out of $arious parts of her body. The problem they would be fighting in the ne#t couple of days was the tremendous amount of blood !imi had lost, and making sure there was no other bleeding to complicate things further. &olly sat ne#t to the bed and waited until she was sure words would come out of her mouth before she mo$ed closer. !imi looked so fragile just laying there her chest barely mo$ing. When she picked up her hand it felt cold and lifeless so &olly pulled it under the blanket. /ey you ha$e to stay warm. We ha$e a whole bunch of girls in the ne#t room who are going to need you and " can't ha$e you getting sick. 3ou did it, baby. We ha$e three beautiful girls who look just like you. " wish " would'$e made a bet with you now since " told you if gi$en a choice they would want to take after you. The soft:spoken woman used her free hand to wipe her face and running nose before continuing. &olly often spent her mornings talking to a $ery asleep !imi so this was no different. !imi, " want you to concentrate on getting better. " maybe didn't tell you enough before now, but " lo$e you more than anything or anyone else in my life. There are so many promises " ha$e yet to make and keep to you, so " would hate for you to miss that. The other thing too is we ha$e three girls to name, and " swear if you don't wake up soon "'m putting Curly, (arry and !oe on the birth certificates. *o one came up to bother her as &olly sat in the same position holding !imi's hand for o$er four hours. She spoke of things they needed for the house, and $acations they had gone on together before they'd become a couple. With each passing minute the dread in her heart grew. &olly was no doctor, but four hours was more than plenty for her partner to ha$e opened her eyes. ,lease, !imi. " need you to open those pretty green eyes for me. " need to tell you some more stuff, or you can wake up and tell me to shut the hell up. +n the other side of the bed a nurse mo$ed the blanket down to e#pose !imi's arm for the blood pressure cuff. The red had seeped as high as !imi's thighs and with a %uick push of an alarm button the medical team came rushing back in. The bleeding had started again. What's happening. &olly's cries were lost on the rushing professionals pushing !imi away from her again. /arry appeared ne#t to her again now wearing the same outfit &olly had on, and led her back to the an#ious family. Where are they taking her. The bleedings started again, so she's headed back to surgery. "n all her studies and practice of medicine, /arry wished there was some magic line someone would come up with that would make situations like this more tolerable for the families left in these sterile looking rooms to wait. "'m going to lose her, aren't ". She was just saying how she couldn't wait for this day to come so " could hug her again, and she could hold those babies and rock them. That's not going to happen is it. 3ou can't gi$e up on her so fast, my friend. This is a time to ha$e faith in !imi and her will to stay with you. "f she doesn't, it won't be for her lack of trying. When you came in with your accident and " got to meet her, !imi touched me in a way people seldom do. The life she e#udes e#plained a lot about the person who painted that can$as hanging in my house. " can't imagine someone like that just %uitting so early in the game that is her life. 8esi handed both of them a cup of coffee before taking a seat ne#t to /arry. /er feet were killing her and her back hurt, but like e$eryone else who had been there since the beginning, she didn't want to lea$e &olly alone. Almost like her partner had felt her discomfort /arry took her hand and offered a shoulder for her to rest her head on. !y lo$e, you'$e got to be heading home. She pressed a finger to pouting lips before 8esi got started and talked her into staying. " can see those grimaces you keep making, it means your back hurts and "'m not taking any chances with you. ,lease don't ask me that, especially not tonight. The $oice was a low whisper but 8esi heard the fear in them. What was happening to !imi and &olly could just as easily be them.

" can't lea$e until " know she's ok, honey. ,lease don't ask that of me. " know "'$e only spoken to !imi a couple of times, but " like her and &olly. They need as much support as they can get right now. We can stay, but you're lying down for a little while. Come on, "'ll go with you. /arry e#plained to ,am and Tim where she was taking 8esi not wanting to bother &olly anymore. The architect was sitting with her eyes glued to the doorway Sam had come out of earlier. "'ll ha$e the surgery nurse keep me informed and as soon as " hear anything, "'ll come out and tell you all. &ust ha$e them come and get me if you need something before that. Thank you, 8r. -asantes, said ,am. ,lease call me /arry. " know this has been a hectic night, but this is my wife 8esi. "ntroductions were made and they watched as /arry led 8esi to one of the doctor on call rooms. &olly. 0icky stood up and put his arm around his daughter:in:law's shoulders. Stop beating yourself up o$er this, &olly. 3ou don't ha$e to answer me but " can tell you are. Sometimes stuff just happens but like that young doctor said, you'$e got to ha$e faith in !imi. She lo$es you and she'll fight her way back. Thanks, 0icky, and " know. "t was more to appease him than herself, but &olly didn't feel like talking to anyone. "t took another three hours and twenty pints of blood but they stabili1ed !imi as much as they could after stopping the bleeding. The staff let &olly sit with her a little while longer before she was mo$ed to the "ntensi$e Care 7nit where $isitation was a little more strict. &olly walked off by alone and wa$ed her family off when they tried to follow. " just need some time alone. 8on't worry "'ll be fine. The chapel was on the second floor and because of the early hour it was empty. At any other time &olly would ha$e taken time to appreciate the old pine pews and woodwork someone had put into the space. *ow all she could was sit and cry into her hands wishing she had the day to do o$er again. Two floors abo$e her !imi tried to find a way out of the darkness. She kept calling to &olly but there was no answer and she could'$e ha$e sworn she had heard her $oice earlier. The only answer was to sleep until &olly came back so she surrendered further into the darkness. #oncluded in #ha ter . /#onclusion0 #omments to& terrali%'(yahoo.com The Athenaeum)s *croll Archive

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J /oney, it's been a week, you need to go home and get some sleep. "'m here and so is 0icky, if anything happens we promise to call you. Sophia spoke softly as she held her daughter's hand. The usually easy going &olly looked tense and there were deep circles around the blue eyes. )or the past week &olly hadn't left the hospital at all. The only reason she wasn't wearing the same clothes was because Sophia and ,am were taking care of her while &olly took care of !imi. The only time she left the "ntensi$e Care 7nit was to $isit the babies who had gone through their own tribulations. So far the smallest of them had stopped breathing twice and the other two were fighting se$ere infections in their underde$eloped lungs. The large amount of medication they were on, and the fight to stay ali$e wasn't helping in their goal to gain weight. +ne of the only times &olly showed any life was when one of the nurses suggested they gi$e !imi the medication to stop milk production. &olly remembered well their talk the night this nightmare had begun, but she was determined to let !imi make the decision not someone not wanting to be bothered with the task of pumping. The problem was, no amount of talking, hand holding or care from &olly had gotten !imi to wake up. "t could be a year and "'ll still be sitting here waiting. She isn't going to wake up without me being here for her to see. " don't want her to feel like she's alone. !imi knows how you feel about her, and "'m sure she wouldn't want you to get sick from pushing yourself too far. &olly ran her hands up and down the tops of her legs in an effort to release some an#iety. When they made her lea$e !imi's side she felt like crawling out of her skin. Can we just drop this discussion. There isn't a damn thing you're going to tell me that'll make me lea$e. She stood up and released a frustrated sigh. "'m sorry for being so gruff, but " feel so helpless. !y life's always been about order. " draw plans other people follow and in the end " get the results " intended. That's so much easier than this. &olly, " wish there was some wise thing " could say right now, but life isn't that easy. "t's unfair as hell, isn't it. A mirthless laugh forced its way out of &olly's chest. 3ou know what all this has made me think about. Sophia watched as &olly walked another couple of miles pacing the room. What's that. !y father. "t was Sophia's turn to let out the same kind of laugh. Why e$er would you do that. 3ou're right, life's not fair and he's the prime e#ample of that isn't he. " mean he's spent his e#istence bullying his employees, those he supposedly lo$es and turning his back on anyone who doesn't march to his tune. What's all that gotten him. *othing's e$er happened to him that's cut him to his $ery soul has it. !imi on the other hand is the epitome of goodness and look where she is now. " don't know, honey. (osing you out of his life hurt more than he'll e$er admit. &olly spun on her feet and looked at her mother not belie$ing what she'd just said. 3eah right. 8on't you e$er sit and think why he pushed you harder than all the others. -ecause my siblings are a pack of goddamn sheep. "'m sorry, but you know it's true. The older woman patted the hard plastic chair beside her to encourage &olly to sit. " know, but when we started ha$ing children you were, in his eyes, the most like him. A snort from &olly made Sophia smile. &olly, you'$e done with your life e$erything you wanted to, ha$en't you. " guess. &olly went willingly when her mother pulled her closer so her head was on her shoulder. Taking

ad$antage of their position Sophia ran her fingers through the thick dark hair. So has he. Granted you went in a different direction, but neither of you are ones to ha$e your life dictated. /e fought with you yes, but he admired your tenacity. "f he e$er gets o$er his pride you might find a person you can like. So " belie$e he has suffered some, and it came from losing you. /ow can you still defend him. &olly asked stifling a yawn. "t'd be easy to hate your father, but "'m not wasting time on that anymore. " don't think of what " said as defending him either. " just don't want you to let the past and your anger o$er it rob you of any relationship, e$en if it's with your father. Go on, close your eyes and get some rest. &olly's laugh this time sounded almost normal. 3ou're gi$ing up on getting me to go home. " don't want to rob you out of seeing !imi well again either. Thanks, mama. Their talks continued for the ne#t week and pro$ided for &olly the only high points to her day. Sophia told her stories about her father )ran9ois that &olly had either not heard or had forgotten. "n her time sitting at !imi's bedside &olly repeated them all as she put lotion on her partner's dry skin, or just held her hand. There had been no other bleeding or emergencies but !imi showed no impro$ement. 3ou should see !oe, baby. She's gained an ounce this week and she fans her fingers out when " touch the bottoms of her feet. She must'$e inherited the !ulle ticklish gene. &olly. +ne of the nurses stood in the doorway hating she had to interrupt. 4llie had told them to gi$e &olly more time with !imi, but there had to be breaks. *ot so much for a patient like !imi, but for people like &olly. There was no sense in the caregi$er ending up in the hospital along side their lo$ed one. Time's up, darlin'. Go take a nap and get some lunch then we'll sneak you back in. 0icky was stretched out on the small sofa in the waiting room sleeping when &olly stepped out. The thought of waking him to go and see the kids occurred to her but she decided to let him sleep awhile longer. With her hands flat against the wall &olly tried to stretch the muscles in her back when she felt two small hands press against her. &olly. The $oice was one she hadn't heard in o$er a year, and in reality, it was one &olly had hoped ne$er to hear again. !aybe her mother was right about her being like her father since she was able to carry a grudge so well. What do you want. " heard about what happened and " wanted to come and see you. &olly turned around if only to reclaim her personal space and looked at Christina with cold eyes. )or what, to gloat. ,lease, &olly, " want to help. " heard !imi isn't getting any better and " thought you might need help with your kids. +r maybe you just need a shoulder to lean on once you ha$e to start making the tough decisions. Get out. 8on't be so stubborn, " made mistakes but "'m here to pro$e to you things can be different between us. " still lo$e you. " want us to be able to depend on one another. 3ou need me, &olly. " said get the hell out of here. &olly's $oice stayed low but it was enough to wake 0icky, but he stayed where he was for the moment. /oney, she could be like this for years and then what. 3ou're going to just li$e in this room and hope she

wakes up and picks up where you two left off. 3ou ha$e to be realistic here, you ha$e to be6 Christina stopped talking when a large hand wrapped around her throat and s%uee1ed. " warned you didn't ". " told you to get out. 3ou are fucking something else, lady. !y wife's in there and you think it's a good time to come here and restake your claim. With each word &olly s%uee1ed harder until the blonde was hitting her arm in an effort to make her let go. 3ou ha$e to let her go, &olly. /arry spoke soothingly but tried to pry the architect's hands off the woman's throat. (et go, &olly. God, what about you e$er attracted me. 3ou're nothing but a fucking ghoul. Christina was turning red and her blows were becoming lighter as she became more light headed, but still &olly wouldn't release her. "t was as if she didn't reali1e what she was doing. &olly@ /arry screamed. When she did two things happened, 0icky sat up and &olly punched /arry connecting with her eye. /arry, what are you doing here. The sight of /arry on the floor was as confusing to &olly as why Christina was gasping for air. Getting a black eye would be my first answer. What in the hell were you doing. /arry pushed Christina's head down after escorting her to a chair. 3ou could'$e really hurt her. " don't know. She started talking about how " had to let !imi go and forget about her and something snapped. 0icky came up behind &olly and put his arm around her shoulders pushing her toward the door. Come on, let's go get a soda or something. She started walking not really caring where she was headed. As for you, bitch, stay the hell away from my family. 3ou come in here and talk about my kid like she's a piece of celery again, and " swear "'ll finish you off myself. Conse%uences be damned. They sat together in the cafeteria with two cups of coffee and silence between them. "t was 0icky who finally couldn't take it anymore. Want to talk about it. *o, not really. &olly stirred the contents of the cup slowly as if it was the only thing she was interested in doing with it because she hadn't taken a sip yet. 3ou should head home and get some sleep. " appreciate you spending the night last night, but " can handle this. 3ou look like shit, and you'$e lost more weight than is healthy in the last two weeks, so " don't think you're handling this too well at all. 3ou'$e got to let some of us in e$entually, don't you think. The milky spoon finally stopped and was put on the table. What do you want from me. )or me to say we should all hold hands around the bed and tell !imi it's ok for her to die. Well fuck you if that's what you want, because it's not ok with me. " want my wife back. " want us to go home and raise our girls and be happy. "s that too fucking much to ask. All the con$ersations around them just stopped as &olly's $oice got louder. Without reali1ing it she was screaming at 0icky, taking e$ery bit of frustration she felt on the one person in the world who lo$ed !imi almost as much as she did. " don't want that at all, " just wanted you to let some of that out. "t's been building for si#teen days and " didn't want it to cut you off at the knees if you kept it all inside. God, 0icky, "'m so sorry. " didn't mean any of that, " know you lo$e !imi. >id, " said don't worry about it. /ard as it may be to belie$e, " ha$e heard the word fuck before, though ne$er with such passion. What " want is for you to keep talking to her and bring her back. 3ou're the only one of us who can. "'m looking forward to that. /is hand mo$ed across the table and co$ered &olly's. 3ou miss her huh.

3eah, " miss her, but what "'m waiting for is her reaction when she sees those nametags on the incubators. She's going to get madder at that than finding out Christina was here trying to lure you away. &olly laughed until the tears started running down her cheeks and she couldn't stop. The waiting was starting to get to her and her fear was it would break her if !imi didn't come around soon. (et it all out, &olly. Trust me, it'll make you feel better. She cried until there was no emotion left, only the welcomed relief of e#haustion. /arry came in and found &olly and 0icky both looking drained. Can " sit. Come to ha$e me arrested for attacking blondes. joked &olly. After you left she told me you attacked her for no reason and was thinking about pressing charges against you. &olly shook off some of her tiredness and pointed her finger at /arry. That's a lie, she was6 With both hands up to stop the denial, /arry started laughing. " didn't say " bought it, just that she said it. What changed your mind, doc. asked 0icky. When she wanted to discuss her options o$er lunch if " was a$ailable. "f not we could make it dinner if " wanted to gi$e her my phone number. " was sorely tempted to do just that and ha$e 8esi talk to her when she called the house. She's tiny but e$en "'m afraid of her in the middle of a pregnancy. She asked you out. &olly wasn't surprised but if Christina wanted to stalk someone else for a while until !imi was better, more power to her. "f only it wasn't /arry. Why. 3ou think "'m bad looking or something. *o but trust me you want to stay away from this one, /arry. She's cute but she's a bit of a physco. " was just kidding. " stay away from all of them no matter how good looking they are or aren't. 8esi is the girl for me, always has been. " ha$e a feeling Christina just found that out not only about me but you as well. /arry was glad to see a smile on &olly's face. Speaking of small, demanding blondes, mine asked me to come down here and throw my weight around and do something to make you feel better. /ow would you like to take a nap. !aybe after " go in and see !imi again. The nurses promised " could go back in after " got some lunch. "'d rather not miss spending time with her. /ow about " show you where " want you to take a nap and if you don't want to, we'll go with your plan. 8eal. She held out her hand and waited for &olly to take it. 8eal. While &olly was out the nurses had mo$ed !imi o$er the bed a little to make room for &olly. The blankets were turned on one side and another pillow had been placed on the bed. Want to take me up on my offer. asked /arry. " won't hurt her getting up there. "n my medical opinion " think you can only do her good by getting up there. !aybe what !imi needs is to feel you as well as hear your $oice. "t might remind her of what's she's missing while she's taking this long nap of hers. *ot needing to be told twice &olly slipped her shoes off and climbed into the bed as gently as she could. "s it ok for me to put my arm around her.

" think she'd like that so go for it. "f you need anything just press the nurse call button behind you. "f not sweet dreams and stay as long as you like. A full eight hours is what the doctor's ordering. Thanks, /arry, and "'m sorry about your eye. 3ou can make it up to me by getting some sleep. The lights were dimmed when /arry stepped out and before she'd made it out of the ward &olly was asleep. -ut not before pressing a kiss to !imi's temple and enjoying the feel of her against her body. " lo$e you. The soft breath against her neck was what woke &olly up about fi$e hours later. She stretched slightly and pressed !imi closer to her. "t was nice to finally be this close again and feel !imi's head tucked against her shoulder. "n their time together it didn't matter what position they went to sleep in, this was how they always woke up together. 3ou know, sweetheart, you'd better start thinking about opening your eyes. 3ou're missing out on a lot here, and if you're not careful Christina's going to show up and raise your kids. Can you belie$e she showed up here telling me she wanted to help with the girls and make me feel better. &olly laughed as she leaned back a little so she could run a finger along !imi's bottom lip. " think it would'$e hurt more if "'d told her she hasn't crossed my mind once after seeing you naked. !ore than what. The $oice sounded like it hadn't been used in days and !imi tried to clear her throat before opening her eyes. "t died in a s%ueak when &olly s%uee1ed !imi so hard she lifted her off the bed. " knew you were going to be ok. Tears ran down &olly's cheeks when she felt !imi lift her hand and rub the back of her neck. Thank you for coming back. " was ne$er gone, lo$e. "'$e just had the hardest time getting my eyes to open. 4$en with the dim lighting in the room !imi blinked rapidly until her eyes adjusted. " missed seeing you, so " guess it was time to wake up. "'$e been talking to you, did you hear me. " kept calling for you in my dream, but you ne$er answered me, but knowing you, you're ne$er too far away so " kept looking. /er hands went from the back of &olly's neck to her midsection that wasn't completely flat, but now was missing the three people who had stretched it to the limit. We lost them. +h, &olly, "'m so sorry. " don't know what happened. *o, sweetheart, they're small but they're fighters like their mama. Three perfect little girls. All girls. All beautiful blonde girls who get bigger and more gorgeous e$eryday. 3ou did good, honey. &olly wiped the tears from !imi's face and laughed. 4$ery bad thought and fear she'd e#perienced in the last couple of weeks just faded from her mind. !imi laughed with her and ran her hand o$er &olly's face into her hair. *o brunettes. *ot yet, but my hair was fairly light for about a year so you still ha$e a shot. *ot that "'m not enjoying this but let me go and get them to call 4llie. *ot yet. !imi's hands mo$ed again mapping along &olly's body like they were hungry to touch her. Would you kiss me first. 3ou ne$er ha$e to ask me that, lo$e. +f course " will. 4$en if " ha$e nuclear strength morning breath.

4$en then. &olly rolled !imi onto her back and leaned o$er her and started on her forehead. As her lips touched now responsi$e lips, &olly had a feeling this was what it felt like to win the lottery. " lo$e you so much, and "'m sorry " worried you. " wanted this to be so different. !imi put her hand on &olly's chest o$er her heart. We're here and we're fine. All fi$e of us are so you'$e got nothing to be sorry about. Good, now answer my %uestion. !imi demanded as she pinched &olly on the arm. What %uestion. "t would'$e hurt the supreme bitch more than what. -efore " answer that, " should let you know Christina's probably going to try and sue us for e$erything including the kids. &olly, " would rather be talking about them anyway so just tell me. Taking a deep breath &olly forged on, She told me it was time to let you go and mo$e on, or in with her. !y reaction to that was to try and choke the life out of her. )igurati$ely or literally. That would be literally. 4$en if it costs us e$erything it's worth the price of admission. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; 4llie and Sam checked her from head to foot before calling &olly back into the room. -oth of them were scratching their heads in confusion. 3ou're sort of an anomaly, !imi. There was no e#planation as to why you were unconscious for so long, and there's no e#planation as to why you woke up, said 4llie. Some woman was trying to put the mo$es on &olly so " had no choice. The group laughed and looked toward the blushing brunette holding !imi's hand. Can " go and see our daughters. About that. 3ou do reali1e they're going to ha$e to hit four pounds before you can take them home. 7ntil then we want you to come as often as you want so they'll know you. We'$e been gi$ing them breast milk and they're impro$ing rapidly, so hopefully they'll be in that great room 8esi told us about before too long. Sam rocked on her heels and waited for the objections that usually came in similar situations. Whene$er " want, " can see them. !imi looked like she too was ready to do battle. 8ay or night, sweetie. The more interaction you ha$e with them, the better they'll do, answered 4llie. " want to see them now. A nurse walked in pushing a wheelchair at !imi's re%uest. We figured, so let's go get you ready. Sam unfastened all the monitors and leads not necessary since they were mo$ing her to a pri$ate room closer to the children after the $isit. -esides, we got a look at /arry heading into surgery, " sure don't want to be the one to piss &olly off by not making you happy. /arry looked like she'd been mauled. &olly, what'd you do. !imi's %uestion made &olly take a small step away from her. "t was an accident. Spill it, Andolini.

To the amusement of the two physicians &olly's blush got darker. " accidentally punched her in the eye. &olly@ Good God, what for. " was busy strangling Christina when /arry snuck up on me. "t's not like " meant to do it, and " did apologi1e. !imi shook her head and pointed an inde# finger at her partner. We'll talk about this later. " told you you'd get in trouble, Sam taunted &olly. Shut up. Sam, do not make me turn around, threatened 4llie. She pushed !imi out of the room toward the ele$ators. 3ou're worse than a two year old. Wait. All three women stopped laughing and looked to &olly to see what the problem was. "n all the e#citement " forgot to go out and tell your father. 8addy's here. /e's like old faithful here, Sam pointed to &olly. The only time " think " saw him lea$e was when he was going home to get stuff for &olly. /ow long was " out e#actly. A little o$er two weeks, replied 4llie. +h, &olly, " am so sorry. !imi started crying again at the thought of how out of her mind she would ha$e been had it bee &olly lying there. " ne$er meant to hurt you like that. &olly knelt ne#t to the wheelchair and held !imi as well as she could. All that matters to me is you're all right. We just worried so much because we lo$e you so much, but just like always you ne$er let me down. 3ou fought your way back to me and our babies are going to do the same. They're yours so it's in their makeup to be beautiful and gutsy. (et's go get daddy and see the girls. /e was standing looking at the painting o$er the sofa not really thinking about anything when the cara$an stopped in the hallway. 8addy. 0icky spun around and just as %uickly his knees echoed loudly when they hit the tile floor. Come on, daddy, let's go see your granddaughters. !imi held her hand out trying to not let the emotions of seeing both her father and &olly so $ulnerable. 4llie and Sam smiled at each other as they walked behind the two tall protectors holding !imi's hands looked down at her e$ery so often as if con$ince themsel$es she was really awake. -y the time they walked into where they were keeping the babies no one had dry eyes when they watched !imi look at each one of the small creatures in turn. The two doctors had no doubt the three angels would ha$e a wonderful life at the knee of &olly and her special partner. They look so much like you when you were born, said 0icky holding his hands close together. +nly smaller. The pleading face turned toward 4llie and Sam was hard to resist but !imi would ha$e to wait at least a week before they could take them out and let her hold them. Gi$e them a little time to get stronger then we promise you ne$er ha$e to put them down if you don't want to, said Sam. &olly helped her to stand and showed her where to reach in so !imi could touch them. /ey, guys, this is the lady "'$e been telling you about. Say hello to your mama. The first little head mo$ed a little as if to better

hear the $oice that spoke to her all the time. 8idn't " promise she'd be ok. They're so beautiful, and you're so dead if you really named them (arry, !oe and Curly. !imi turned and glared at &olly with tears in her eyes when she saw the pink nametags taped to each incubator. 4$en "'m not that bra$e, sweetheart. 3ou carried them so that means you get to name them. All these girls in here ha$e been more than persistent that " come up with some names but " couldn't do it without you. &olly pulled her arm tighter around !imi's waist and kissed the top of her head. " want us to do it together, baby. !imi pulled off the first name tag and looked inside to the smallest baby, one of the twins. " sat and thought about this for months, and like " told you in the beginning, " wanted to gi$e you something of your grandfather, your cousin, you and me all wrapped up in one little bundle. "t would'$e ne$er crossed my mind "'d get three bundles to gi$e you. 3ou always do things different from e$eryone else, but that is the most uni%ue thing about you. &olly held her tight so that there was no pressure on !imi's stitches. " hope this little girl inherits )rancois's strength and perse$erance, so what do you think of )rancis. " lo$e it. !imi mo$ed to the ne#t baby, the other twin with the white blonde hair. "'m thinking this little girl will steal your heart e$ery time she bats her eyes at you. "t'll be my job to teach them how sweet you are. She turned and ran her hand o$er the little back, lo$ing how soft the skin was. 8addy's right, you may ne$er sur$i$e into their teens since these two little ones look so much like me. Then it's only fair she share a little of her mama, and they don't need any lessons on how to play me. 3ou do that well enough already. &olly turned !imi's head and kissed her. /ow does (aine sound, !adeline (aine Andolini. " didn't mean for you to name her for me. !adeline, if she grows up to be like you, how lucky would we be. Then " get to name !oe o$er there. !imi pulled off the last of the nametags the staff had put up after listening to &olly talking to the babies. So &olly (ee Andolini, how about (ee. )rancis, (aine and (ee welcome to the world and welcome to our family. +k, " can't stand it anymore. /ere put these on. 4llie held out two sterile gowns and a pair of masks. Come on, 0icky, let's gi$e them a few minutes alone. *ot wanting to miss seeing !imi hold her daughters for the first time, 0icky stood at the edge of the obser$ation glass and looked on, his forehead pressed to the window. /e might not ha$e been the best father in the world but 0icky remembered the day the nurse put !imi in his arms for the first time. "n his mind he had made so many promises that day. /e'd failed at keeping most of them, but making &olly wake up to the life she was meant to lead had made up for a lot 0icky had done wrong. /e wa$ed to !imi when she stepped up holding (ee= behind her the nurse put both )rancis and (aine in &olly's arms. /oney. &olly looked down at the two tiny miracles in her arms and thought her lips would crack from the smile on her face. What. Why are my breasts killing me. They wanted to gi$e you something to stop the milk you're producing, and " know what you said, but " thought it should be up to you. "f you want the nurse said it wouldn't take long and we can gi$e them formula instead. Whate$er you decide will be all right with me.

With careful steps !imi sat in the rocker and wa$ed &olly o$er. " was miserable at the time, which in most cases makes me an idiot. There's nothing " would enjoy more than to feed them. "f " do "'ll get to hold them and maybe they'll come home sooner. &olly sat across from her and played holder as !imi held all three of them to her breasts. When she was done one of the nurses came in and changed them all before putting them back. The room they had put !imi in allowed for e$eryone to be able to come and see her together and after a long afternoon of kissing and crying, the young mothers were left alone for the night. -efore they got ready for bed, &olly walked !imi back to the nursery so she could sing each of the little girls a song to put them to sleep. Are you ready for all this, honey. !imi mo$ed around until she was comfortable lying ne#t to &olly. She was glad they hadn't had to punch anyone else for trying to keep them apart for the night. After e$erything that had happened she could tell that &olly wasn't %uite o$er the trauma of it all. +ne of the things " was telling you when you were out of it, was what we'd be doing about thirty years from now. We'll be sitting out in the yard with a whole bunch of grandkids running around. "nside there'll be a whole house full of art the girls did. Since we raised them they'll gi$e us a few pieces at a reasonable price. !imi laughed and slapped &olly's arm. They all won't be painters, goober. " bet we get at least one whittler in the bunch. With slow circles, !imi ran her hand o$er &olly's chest feeling her partner rela# with the attention. 3ou know something. What. " feel so happy right now that "'m about to burst. &olly laughed and nodded her head. And you know what happens when " get like that don't you. 3es " do, and you're in no shape to be that happy so think about something else. Come on, &olly, we can talk about it can't we. 3ou just wait until " get o$er all this child birthing stuff, you're in for the night of your life. &olly bent her head and kissed !imi as a down payment on the promise the blonde had just made. (ucky me. They snuggled down for the night each thinking the same thoughts after the memories !imi had e$oked. 4llie and Sam had suspended their se# life for months, but they had more than sa$ed up on e#periences before that had happened. !imi might ha$e started as a no$ice, but with &olly a now willing participant to her ad$ances, she had dri$en the older woman to distraction. 0icky, call the lumber yard and tell those idiots they deli$ered two by tens and " specifically asked for two by fourteens. "f they don't get their asses here in an hour "'m going to ha$e to send all these guys home, and "'m taking it out of their hides. &olly was screaming in frustration but 0icky didn't take it personally. They had been rained out for the last couple of days that &olly had used to fine tune a few things on the plans, and to spend time with !imi. Time well spent, but now the work was backed up. Will do, boss, and since you're already pissed, "'ll go ahead and tell you now that "'m lea$ing early. A pair of aggra$ated blue eyes looked up at him from the blueprints and 0icky could ha$e sworn &olly had growled at him. What in the hell for. 0icky twirled a nail punch in his fingers and tried not to look smug. "'$e got a date tonight, so " want to go home and wash my hair. "'m taking 5eronica out to dinner. And here " thought " was the fairy in the ointment, teased &olly. -ite me.

3ou better not let !imi hear you threatening me like that, grandpa. /e stopped his twirling so he could glare back at &olly. "'m not the whipped one, smart ass. A swift pinch to the back of his arm made 0icky drop the tool he was playing with. 8addy, "'d appreciate if you didn't tell &olly she's whipped. That's supposed to be a secret. 8amn, girl, that hurt like hell. The grumble %uickly change to a laugh when !imi kissed his cheek. " tried to warn you, old man. &olly straightened up and adjusted her tool belt. She wanted a better look at the jeans !imi had on, or better yet, the mo$ement of the hips in those jeans as she mo$ed closer. /i, baby. /ey yourself. -usy. Waiting on my right order of wood to get here. &olly pulled the cap she was wearing off with an impatient tug. Appreciati$e eyes took in the tall body a little at a time lo$ing the picture &olly made. 8espite the chilly weather she was wearing shorts that were a little longer than the ones she wore in the summer heat, but still showed a good bit of muscled tanned legs. -rown thick socks spilled o$er the top of the comfortable construction boots, and the leather tool belt hung low on &olly's hips. Any more delays and we'll start losing money out here. The project was one &olly had agreed to do on a shoestring budget so she was watching the bottom line as much as possible without making the work suffer. "t wasn't fair to Tim to share the costs of her good deed. They were repairing parts of an old retirement home near the park as well as adding a rec center for the residents. The peeling paint and worn e#terior needed more work than the project had money for, but &olly was determined to stretch e$ery cent to bring the historically registered building back to life. /ow long before the wood gets here. asked !imi. 0icky put the phone down and held up two fingers making &olly's smile disappear. Two fucking hours. !aybe one and a half but "'d count on about two and some. *o sweat, boss, we can pull all that rotten wood out of the back corner until it gets here. That way it gets done and no one goes home. "'m pretty sure we ha$e enough materials to get that part done. Thanks, man. -ehind her father, !imi smiled at &olly's choice of words. Two fucking hours is just what she had planned. Go ahead and hand out assignments and "'ll be there in a minute. Sure thing. 0icky laughed at the gleam in !imi's eye. "t was weird to think of his little girl sleeping with someone, but he had feeling the last thing &olly would be doing was ripping up an rotten outer wall. /ey, beautiful, sorry about that. What brings you down here besides making me feel better. !imi walked toward her slowly setting the bait. " came to ask you a fa$or. Sure, what can " do for you. The door to the studio is stuck and " can't get it to open. &olly let 0icky know where she was going before jumping in her truck to follow !imi home. /e guessed after a few years together, &olly would learn to figure !imi out, but today she'd been snagged as easily as a trout in a small a%uarium. Things are going to be different now, huh. asked one of the workers who had been with &olly for years. " would definitely count on it. Why, you got a problem. asked 0icky. *o way, 0icky, that girl of yours is the best thing that's happened to &olly.

&olly's (and Cruiser, which !imi was now dri$ing, was parked in its usual spot but its dri$er was nowhere to be seen. " didn't gi$e her that much of a head start. &olly was talking to herself as she reached o$er for her tool belt in case she needed it to fi# the door. "n full forward stride she turned the knob for the front door and crashed into it when she found it was locked. What the hell, she ne$er locks this door. !imi heard the muttering from the other side but ignored it wanting &olly to work for it a little bit. >nocking came ne#t but she still waited hoping &olly hadn't broken her nose on the door. When the doorbell rang twice !imi opened the door and looked at &olly like she'd ne$er seen her before. Can " help you. The annoyed comment about to escape for ha$ing been kept waiting died on &olly's lips when she saw !imi had changed. Are you here about the door. &olly just nodded. Good, come with me, " actually ha$e a little project in the bedroom for you to do first. The blonde waited for &olly to stop in the middle of the bedroom before saying anything else. She knew her partner was interested since she hadn't talked about going back to work. With a little e#perience !imi cursed herself for not painting &olly's mural naked so they could ha$e mo$ed to this part of their relationship sooner. /a$e " e$er told you how hot you make me in this outfit. The first %uestion got the work boots to mo$e further apart as &olly tried to steady her stance. *o, ma'am, you ha$en't. +h it does. When " was growing up all my friends talked about this hunk and that hunk, but " ne$er got it until " saw you for the first time. !imi stepped behind &olly as she spoke and ran her hands o$er the t:shirt co$ered back. 3ou look so se#y with those tools hanging around your waist, and all these muscles showing. The hands mo$ed down to &olly's legs making her breathing speed up. With a %uick mo$e the button to &olly's shorts popped open making her drop her tool belt. 3ou left this morning and " started to ache for you. !imi pulled the tie of her robe open and dropped the garment on &olly's forgotten tools. A soft growl from &olly followed when !imi mo$ed away from her, but just as %uickly turned into a moan when !imi sat naked on the bed. "t made me seek out some sort of relief. )ro1en in place, &olly watched the small hand mo$e o$er the flat abdomen to one of the perfect breasts. !imi circled the nipple with her finger until it got so hard it looked painful. " think about you, and like the song says, " want to touch myself. The lucky finger mo$ed to the other nipple gi$ing it the same treatment. +nly thing is, " much rather when it's your hands on me. When the circling digit stopped and !imi pinched and pulled her nipples &olly almost passed out. +h God. " think about your hands on me and it makes me want to make lo$e. !imi's hands went from her chest down her body. She leaned back and put both feet at the edge of the bed. Slowly, and with a surprisingly steady hand, !imi dipped her fingers into her own wetness. /olding up the glistening digits she asked &olly, 8oes it do the same for you. There was no $erbal answer out of &olly. She just mo$ed across the room and buried her face where !imi's fingers had just been. &ust a little taste was all !imi was willing to gi$e before she wrapped her fingers in &olly's hair and pulled. " want to feel you on top of me, lo$er. " want you to hear what you do to me. Two of &olly's fingers slid into !imi's wetness but parted before touching the blonde where she desperately wanted &olly to be touching. The mo$e made the nub almost throb as the pleasing fingers stroked around it still not touching. -aby, please, just touch me. !imi had lost control of the situation and he knew it. " ha$e e$ery intention of touching you. The fingers stopped and s%uee1ed getting !imi to buck up into &olly's body. The pressure made !imi claw at &olly's back until she had pulled the t:shirt up enough so she

could feel skin. &olly started her soft massage again only this time as her fingers slid down they went far enough to just reach the opening of !imi's se#. 3ou're killing me, baby. 3ou ready for me, !imi. The %uestion had to be a hypothetical but !imi wasn't chancing it. )ill me up and take what's yours. Two fingers wrenched a moan out of !imi that &olly felt in her bones. When her thumb co$ered the neglected nub, !imi ran her nails up &olly's back so hard it left red streaks. 3eah, like that, baby. 8on't stop. &olly went slow, wanting !imi's pleasure to last, but when the blonde wrapped her legs around her waist, she ga$e in and ga$e her lo$er relief. !imi's inner walls s%uee1ed her fingers so hard at the end &olly thought they would lea$e bruises. They shared a kiss and as &olly went to sit up, she found !imi had the strength to roll her o$er onto her back. There's something else "'$e been thinking about since you left this morning. !imi stood between the booted feet and leaned o$er &olly's body. She lowered the 1ipper on the shorts so she could slide her hand inside. Something tells me we're on the same wa$elength. /er fingers were surrounded by wet heat and &olly's eyes looked almost pleading. Will you charge me e#tra for the ser$ice call if " take a little taste. The shorts and underwear slid down until they hit the boots. )ree samples all day long for you, offered &olly. (ucky for me "'m your only client. !imi started with a flat tongue so she could enjoy the feel of &olly's most intimate place. When a big hand ran through her hair as encouragement she sucked in the hard bundle and ga$e &olly what she wanted. She enjoyed the way &olly's hips came up to meet her and the way her fingers tightened on her locks the closer &olly got. The moans and thrusting &olly was doing was dri$ing !imi insane. /er groin was aching again but she didn't want to stop until &olly had finished. !imi was surprised when &olly pulled away getting her to stop. What's wrong, baby. *othing's wrong, but things could be more right with one little mo$e on your part. &olly smiled down at her and held her hand out. Climb up here and we'll do this together. !imi lowered herself onto &olly's mouth before happily returning to what she'd been doing. What're you thinking about. asked !imi softly. Stuck doors. &olly looked down when she felt !imi's face grow warm. !adeline, after e$erything you did to me that day you're going to blush now. "t was nice wasn't it. We had just found out we were pregnant with the girls and " was so happy " wanted to find some way to show you. !ore than anything, &olly, " want that part of our relationship to always be like that day. " want to know " please you. 3ou're the best, sweetheart. 8ays like that are what make me want to %uit working at about noon. &olly kissed her forehead before rela#ing back into the bed. Though ne#t time you should gi$e me the opportunity to take my boots off. /oney, it was the boots that sparked my imagination to begin with. We had a great time, and think about how grateful that dri$er was when you didn't scream at him for being o$er an hour late with your wood. "t felt good to &olly to just laugh again. " would'$e but " was too busy blushing myself to make it sound con$incing. 3ou ne$er blush for me, but you do it for other people. What made you act so out of character. 3our father asking me how " managed to get a hickey on my neck from fi#ing a door.

The heat on her chest got worse making &olly laugh harder. 3ou ne$er told me that. /ow'd you answer him. God, "'ll ne$er be able to look him in the eye again, whined !imi. " told him you pay all my home repair ser$ice with se#ual fa$ors. A nurse cracked the door and ga$e them a stern look when the laughing !imi's pinch set off got too loud. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; " feel horrible about just lea$ing them here all alone. 8ressed in loose comfortable clothing, !imi was set to lea$e the hospital after a week of reco$ering. She leaned back against &olly as they both looked in on their children. -aby, they won't e#actly be alone, and Sam and 4llie said you can come by anytime you want. "'ll bring you whene$er you want to come see them. "t's just "'$e read how important it is for them to connect to us now. " don't want them to think we're abandoning them because they're not perfect. !imi started crying again making &olly wonder if she was in danger of dehydration she did it so often. Sam had e#plained only time and a lot of hand holding on her part would alle$iate the problem, so she was taking the doctor's ad$ice. She held !imi and rocked her until the emotions ran their course. There was no need to say anything since !imi wouldn't respond to words just actions. Assurance would come when her small blonde saw that she was telling the truth, and a trip to the hospital would only be a re%uest away. &olly figured they would be at the hospital in the middle of the night or whene$er !imi's mothering radar would start to ping. The truth was she wouldn't mind what time it was, just as long as (aine, )rancis and (ee knew how cherished they were. There was no way she was taking any chapters out of Anthony's book of parenting. They'll ha$e a lifetime of connecting with us, sweetheart, and the ne#t si# weeks won't be an e#ception to that fact. 3ou ha$e to come at least once a day and feed them so they'll know you, " promise. !imi clung to her tighter as &olly spoke softly to her. Another new mother walked slowly to the ne#t section of glass trying to gi$e them their pri$acy. &olly noticed the woman di$iding her time between looking at her new baby and looking at them. She smiled at the woman o$er !imi's head hoping she wasn't thinking of gi$ing them a hard time. "'m sorry, " don't want to bother you but " just wanted to let you know my first child, -obby was a preemie and he's doing great. When " had to lea$e him here " felt like the worse mother in the world, like "'d failed him, but it's like they know they ha$e to get better before they can go home. The woman stepped closer and put her hand on !imi's shoulder. They're tiny things, but they ha$e a great capacity for lo$e. Thank you for telling us that. /ow old is -obby now. asked !imi. /e's se$en and a terror, so enjoy the fact they can't walk yet. /e's still my baby though e$en after this fifth little one. &olly laughed and felt !imi laugh along with her. +ne more pregnancy and we'll pass you up. All three of those are yours. she asked pointing to the incubators. 3ep, all three, beamed !imi. Well congratulations, and good luck. &olly pulled a chocolate cigar with a pink wrapper out of her breast pocket and handed it o$er. Thank you. &ust what you want to gi$e an o$erweight hormonal woman, chocolate, joked the woman holding her stomach. She wa$ed to them as she made her way back to her room peeling the wrapper off her treat.

" still wish we could bring them home. "t's so drab in here, they aren't going to get any $isual stimulation. "t was no time to remind !imi the staff still had patches o$er the girls' eyes so &olly wisely kept her mouth shut. Sam and 4llie entered the ward as !imi continued with her list of reasons they shouldn't lea$e the children alone in the hospital. They pair in white lab coats ga$e &olly an idea that would make e$eryone happy if they agreed. /oney, did you hear me. &olly's blank e#pression said she hadn't. Sorry, " see our good doctors are here, she turned !imi around to show her. Go in with 4llie and say good bye to the girls for now. The tall doctor stayed behind hoping to get an honest assessment on how !imi was really doing. (ea$ing children in the hospital e$en o$er night was traumati1ing to young parents. "s she holding up ok. *o, but you and the hospital can fi# that. The more &olly thought about her formulating plan, the bigger her smile got. Sam crossed her arms and waited for the e#planation of how !imi needed a roll away bed or something brought in to be closer to her babies. /ow's that. &olly pointed to the spotless beige walls and started with her pitch. )or the one place in the hospital where most people are supposed to be happy, it looks like a prison. /ospitals don't ha$e money to decorate, &olly, much less buy art. Think of the new babies as our decorations. All you ha$e to do is look through the glass for works of art. True, but lucky for you, the new daughters of one of the city's most talented artists are hanging out here for the ne#t month or so. " bet if you asked real nice she'd li$en up these walls for you. The arms stayed crossed but Sam did crack a smile. (ike " said, administration won't spend money on something like that. "'$e seen what !imi's pieces go for, we can't afford her. /ow about you feed her, get her a comfortable chair to work out of and let her hold the girls whene$er she wants. &olly had her hand out waiting for Sam to seal the deal. "t's a great opportunity that'll make us all happy. " think we can swing that past administration, especially when " tell them it's !imi !ulle doing the painting. "t's !imi Andolini now, doc. " don't want my kids and me to ha$e different names, so try and remember that. !imi stepped out with 4llie and caught the last part of the con$ersation. And what e#actly am " painting. The doctor and !imi's partner e#plained what they had in mind watching as !imi's smile grew brighter and brighter. Since she was herself still reco$ering, !imi was talked into starting with the half wall under the obser$ation windows to keep her off her feet. After the initial e#citement !imi got %uiet and walked the hall slowly. Sam and 4llie were about to tell her not to worry about taking on the project if it was going to be too much for her when &olly ga$e them a lesson in understanding !imi. 4ach foot she passes is one more section of art completed in her head. She gets really focused when she plans, and becomes totally absorbed when she starts. " ha$e a feeling there'll be three new reasons who might change that now. "'ll be the one she forgets about now. /ow can " forget you when you're always looking out for me. !imi eased her way back into the circle of &olly's arms and e#haled into her chest. " lo$e the way you know me. Thanks for thinking of a way to make me not go cra1y by the time this is all o$er. " lo$e you, &olly.

" lo$e you too, sweetheart. Come on, let's get you home to your sketchbooks. They went home until !imi's breasts felt like they were going to burst. +nce she had fed the kids some of the staff watched in ama1ement as images started to appear under the wa# pencil !imi had brought with her. -efore the afternoon was o$er, the hospital administrator took o$er twenty minutes to thank !imi for her selfless act making /arry, 4llie and Sam laugh. The man was usually one big scowl and his fa$orite word was no, so to see him be so demonstrati$e and nice was a welcomed change. "n the ne#t weeks, e$eryone one in the natal unit watched as !imi added color to her outline and the three Andolini girls gained weight. The day the tape came off the small sets of eyes, with both !imi and &olly looking on, was the day the first section was completed !imi was so full of energy. "t was both strange and wonderful to find colors so familiar in the small faces. The twins )rancis and (aine both had bright green eyes like hers and (ee had inherited &olly's blues. When the girls started to close in on their goal weight, the staff was almost sorry. *ot that they wished the children ill, but with their departure so would the fireball !imi. "t was fun to see the faces of new big brothers and sisters when they came to $isit new siblings. The fantasy world !imi had created made them sometimes just stand in the middle of the ward's hall and stare. There were dragons flying on the ceiling with flowers in their claws, children playing an assortment of things, bears peeking form behind multicolored trees, dinosaurs that ser$ed as slides, and in the middle, three small babies holding small hammers in their hands building a rainbow. The hospital had arranged a dedication ceremony the day the new parents were gi$en the go ahead to take the girls home. All that was left was for !imi to sign her name to the mural and it would be done. Thanks for all this, !imi. When you ha$e the ne#t batch maybe you could spruce up the lobby, joked Sam. /ow about if " just agree to do it no matter what. This long stay was a one shot deal. 4llie frowned and wondered if the trauma had turned !imi off to ha$ing any other children. 8on't worry, 4llie, it's just ne#t time " plan to be here only o$er night then "'m taking e$eryone home with me. They dro$e home slowly with the new car seats securely fastened, looking forward to starting their family life without all the onlookers. Sophia and 0icky were waiting at home, an#ious to get a turn holding their new granddaughters. The only sad thing !imi had e#perienced was her mother not calling to congratulate them or ask about her new granddaughters, which meant Anthony hadn't called &olly either. -efore it depressed her too much, 8esi had come by with her business partner Tony. The two of them had talked her into a new show before the $isit was o$er, so she would ha$e plenty of other things to think about to dwell on her mother. Tony reminded !imi so much of herself it was hard to think about anything negati$e when he was around. 3ou're sure you're ready for this. asked !imi when they pulled into the dri$eway. All it's going to take is about eighteen years to get them ready to lea$e for college, so yeah. This will be a piece of cake. (aine was the last one to be fed that night, and like her sisters, she was rocked and sung to by !imi until she fell asleep. When she did !imi put her in the same bed as )rancis and (ee. 7ntil they were bigger, !imi was planning to keep them together since they seemed to do better when they were in close pro#imity. +nce she was con$inced they were all sleeping !imi went to join &olly on the other rocker in the room. "t was still amusing to watch &olly when she looked at the girls. !imi had seen more than one deep breath that ended with a big smile and a puffed up chest full of pride. Ama1ing isn't it. asked !imi. "t's like Christmas e$ery time " walk in here and see them. " lo$e you for gi$ing me so much. After a long kiss, !imi playfully pulled on &olly's ponytail and made her an offer. The baby monitor is setup, you want to take me to bed.

*o. This time the tug on &olly's hair was a little harder. *o. 3ou ha$e plans to go out on the town or something. &olly stood and took !imi's hand leading her to the back of the house. Actually " ha$e plans on surprising you. " wanted you to ha$e something to remember their birth by aside from the masterpiece you created, so " ha$e a surprise for you. &olly, " ha$e you that's all " need. Then think of this as a place " can take you to starga1e and hold you. And since we ha$e so much fun doing it, a place to dance. *estled under one of the big oaks in the yard stood !imi's new ga1ebo. &olly had left the roof just a series of beams knowing how much !imi lo$ed open spaces. The climbing $ine she had planted, whose flowers would one day pro$ide a dark purple tint to !imi's paints, would e$entually pro$ide shade once it wo$e through the top, but for now the sky pro$ided a good canopy. +n a small pla%ue o$er the opening were three names with a date of birth. (aine, )rancis and (ee Andolini, all sharing the same birthday. !imi laughed when she saw other spaces for the names that would come after the first three. This would be a perfect place to celebrate all the birthdays in their future. Thank you for my wonderful life, !imi. &olly turned on the outside speakers and waited for !imi to finish looking and touching some of the hand car$ed surfaces. While !imi spent her days at the hospital creating something for new families to enjoy for years, &olly had spent her time creating something for !imi alone. "f she could &olly would spend a lifetime making things for !imi to show her how special she was. (o$e, it's you who makes mine complete. 8ance with me. asked &olly holding her arms open. There was no hesitation on !imi's part. She wanted to be held by the woman who held her heart. "t was something she had missed when standing for any amount of time had become impossible. !imi swayed along with &olly praying the girls would sleep for at least a couple of hours. " ha$e a surprise for you too. 3ou're not pregnant are you. teased &olly. *ot yet, but "'m finally reco$ered from being pregnant and "'m really happy. !imi ran her hands up &olly's chest $ery slowly, stopping when they were linked behind the taller woman's neck where they only stayed for a moment before starting their roaming again. 0eally happy. 8elirious, said !imi mo$ing her hands to &olly's backside. Gotta lo$e happy, said &olly as she scooped a laughing !imi into her arms. The soft music filtered through the night forgotten as the two lo$ers headed inside. Standing at the fence watching them was their neighbor, !r. 5erret. -en still brought !imi tomatoes and other things from his garden, only now it amused him to no end the blush his $isits caused. /e figured they were caused from the noises he heard coming out of her bedroom now. 4$er since the architect had mo$ed in the blinds were closed more often and his young blonde neighbor looked like someone had gi$en her the world as a gift she was so happy. 8ancing. "s that what they call it these days. /e said to himself as he mo$ed the hose to the ne#t section of garden.

-en laughed when the dark wooden blinds shut for the night, but not before &olly ga$e him a %uick wa$e and a wink. 3ou're one lucky bastard, &olly. !ay you both enjoy a lot of dances for years to come. The s%ueal from !imi muffled by the outer bedroom wall told him they would.