An Indispensable Woman Ch. 04

She was finishing up a Friday afternoon by doing a little filing when her cell vibrated with a call. The display said it was from her sister in Edmonton.

"Katie! This is a surprise." It was rare to get a call from her sister. They were emotionally close, but with Amara's work and Katie having a husband and three boys it was difficult to find the time to chat.

"Hey 'Mara."

Her sister's tone didn't sound right; it was too weak, too tentative. She sounded unsteady, and Amara felt a sense of dread creep in. What had happened?

"What's wrong?"

There was a terrible silence on the other end of the line. "It's over between Joe and me. I'm leaving him. The boys and I are in a hotel now.

"What happened?"

"Lots...too much to talk about on the phone with the boys in earshot. Look, I know you're super-busy and all, but...could we come over and stay a while? I don't have anyone else to turn to right now, and we haven't seen you and Anne since dad's funeral and...I just want to be around family for a little while. It's all so overwhelming and..."

"Yes! Yes, of course. There's plenty of room here," Amara said, an almost automatic response. If her little sister needed her, Amara would do anything to help. He mind filled with possible reasons why Katie would be leaving her husband of ten years, and what advice she could offer to help make her sister feel better.

"Thanks. Really...thanks. We won't be in the way; don't take any time off work or anything."

"You're never in the way! You know that. You can stay as long as you like."

"That's awesome...I can't tell you what it means to me. I've got a few things to handle here, but we should be there by the end of the week, if that's okay?"

"Anytime is great. Just let me know the details and I'll get you at the airport."

It wasn't until a few minutes after Amara had hung up that she realized what it would mean for Katie and the boys to be staying at her house. There were four bedrooms; Anne could share a bed with the youngest boy, Katie could get the third room and the older two boys could share the fourth.

Where would Dani sleep?

For over five weeks she'd been sharing Amara's bed. That couldn't continue with her sister and nephews staying over. Could it? Was Amara ready to disclose that part of her life to her only sister? It wouldn't be fair to Katie if Amara compounded an emotionally stressful time with shocking revelations about Amara's own personal life. Maybe later, but now wasn't the time.

Or...maybe now was the perfect time. With so many changes in her sister's personal life, maybe this was the time to make the announcement about Dani. Get everything out in the open all at once, so it could all be discussed and normalized. Katie would be there to meet Dani and hopefully see why Amara felt the younger woman was so wonderful. And Dani's reassuring presence might even make Katie feel better. Having an extra set of hands to look after three boys would be a real help, right? Maybe Dani could look after the kids for an afternoon so Amara and Katie could have a heart-to-heart about Joe.

Amara debated the issue in her mind for the rest of the day.

**

"Everything okay?" Dani asked, looking up from the laptop. Amara had found adult literacy websites online and Dani had been diligently working her way through some of the lessons, with Amara providing assistance when needed.

Amara looked up from the couch where she'd been staring at the pages of a book. "Hmm?"

"You're quiet tonight."

"Just reading."

"Must be interesting stuff. You've been staring at the same page for twenty minutes."

Busted! Ever since her sister had called she'd been buried in an avalanche of thoughts. Katie would be distraught and in need of good advice. Amara would have to explain the situation to Anne, leaving the door open to more questions about why Amara and Anne's dad were separated – not a topic she was eager to revisit with her baby.

Most of all she was debating whether to ask Dani to move out of the house for the duration of Katie's visit.

At first it had been the obvious choice, but the more she thought about it, the more opposed to the idea she became.

For starters, she couldn't imagine how that conversation with Dani would go. 'Someone important is coming, get out'? Dani's feelings would be crushed, and rightly so. It would hurt her and possibly shake her confidence in Amara's commitment to the relationship.

Plus there were dozens of reasons why Amara liked having Dani around. She felt they had a real connection, and without Dani there, Amara would feel the loss. And how long would they be apart? Katie probably wouldn't need too long to get back on her feet, but what if she did? Would Dani be gone for a week? A month? Was that reasonable – to spend a month apart from someone she loved and desired? A month apart from someone who was such an integral and treasured part of her life? And how long before Dani decided it wasn't worth waiting around...

And what about Anne? For a couple of months, Dani had been a constant and stabilizing presence in her baby's life. Dani was growing into a great co-parent and Anne had started to form a deep connection with her. If Dani left for a few weeks, what effect would it have on Anne, who was already emotionally fragile from her dad walking out months ago?

But...if Dani wasn't leaving it would mean revealing everything to her sister and nephews, and Amara wasn't sure how THAT conversation would go, either. She'd been working through scenarios in her mind, trying to find the right phrasing.

"...After Henry left, I went on a healing journey of self-discovery..." No – too flaky.

"...Dani was a ray of light in my darkest moment..." Ugh. Overblown and melodramatic.

"...So this is the new me. What do you think?" Too flippant.

"...Yes, she's young, but she's got an old soul..." Why apologize for Dani's age? That was just dumb!

Surely in the vast expanse of the English language there had to be some combination of words that would make the whole situation sound reasonable and perfectly normal. This wasn't a difficult concept. Dani was a wonderful young woman and Amara was in love with her. How hard was that to understand?

And it wasn't like her sister was closed-minded. She was a woman of the times. She'd get it. She'd cope. She'd probably be supportive, right? Right?

"Um, Amara?" Dani said, waving her hand. "You still with me?"

Amara sighed, then looked up at Dani. "I got a call from my sister today."

"Everything okay?"

"No. She's separating from her husband. She wants to come and stay here a while until she gets her feet under her again."

Dani stood up and sat next to Amara on the couch. "That sucks about her husband. She's got kids, right?"

"Yes, three boys. They're coming too. Now word on how long they're staying."

There was a brief silence.

"So...you're trying to think of a nice way to ask me to move out of the house, right?" Dani said with a brave smile.

"The thought had occurred, but no," Amara said. "You're not getting away from me THAT easily."

Dani's smile became more genuine and she leaned in to deliver a quick peck on the lips. "Then what's wrong?"

"I'm trying to figure out how to explain US to my sister and three nephews."

"Is it that big a deal?"

"I don't know. Am I over-thinking things? Or is it going to be even harder than I'm imagining?"

The younger woman shrugged. "I guess that depends on your sister. Is she the type that's likely to freak out?"

Amara considered briefly, then shook her head. "No. I don't think so."

"So? Just tell her."

"And what about the follow-up questions? A big change like this? There are going to be plenty of questions." Amara shook her head. "Even I don't know how to explain it. It's like...one minute I'm married to a guy and the next I'm in love with a woman. Doesn't it sound nuts? How do I explain something like that?"

"Did you say...you're in love?" Surprise and elation dawned on Dani's face.

Amara chided herself for tossing the word 'love' out so carelessly. Although she was certain of her own feelings, she hadn't wanted to further complicate matters – especially when there was still so much to iron out – or to set any unreasonable expectations. But the word was out there now. In for a penny, in for a pound...

"Yes, and it's all YOUR fault," Amara said.

The mock accusation re-set the mood, and Dani's mouth turned up in a wry smile. "Hey...it's not MY fault you have a thing for younger women."

"I do NOT have a 'thing'," Amara said. "Besides, you're not even that young."

Dani laughed; that wonderful, out-of-character, uninhibited laugh. It was so gleeful that Amara found herself joining in, and wrapped the younger woman up in a tight hug.

"Yes, I love you. It's awfully hard not to," Amara said.

Dani tightened the embrace. "I love you too. It makes me so happy to hear you say it. Like, you have no idea..." Dani didn't finish, and Amara wondered if she was fighting for control. Just in case, she prolonged the hug for several minutes.

At last Amara pulled back. "Now, can we focus on MY problem? My sister's going to think I've lost my mind!"

"If your sister came out to you, would you think she was crazy?"

"Of course not. I mean, I'd be surprised at first – it would take some getting used to. But it wouldn't change anything between us. She's my sister."

"Okay. So what's the big deal?" Dani said.

Amara paused to think it through.

Dani rested her hand on Amara's thigh. "If you want me to make myself scarce while she's here, I'm cool with that. I've got someplace I can stay. You shouldn't feel pressured to-"

"No," Amara said, surprised at the certainty in her own voice. "I want you here. Anne wants you here. You're staying. I'll call my sister and bring her up to speed. The rest will be up to her, I guess."

"Only if you're sure."

Amara put her hand on top of Dani's.

"I'm sure."

**