Canela y Clavo Ch. 09-12

"I really have to get back to the kids," Tessa says, using the small distance Irene has given her to slip into the hallway. She begins to walk back to the kitchen, Irene stalking after her. Her nose has begun to grow hot, tears pricking at her ducts. "I've left them alone for long enough, already. I just made some popcorn to go with their movie," she says a bit louder.

"Popcorn?" one of the twins' voices calls from the living room. It will be seconds before the baby is at Tessa's feet, hands grabbing. (Today is full of things Mama doesn't usually allow: nonstop TV, and now popcorn.)

"Everyone else is out back, right through that door," Tessa smiles, as not one but both twins run into the kitchen.

"Well, you get back to your job," Irene frowns. "I hope we'll talk again, before the day's over."

Tessa nods, scooping both bowls of popcorn into her arms as the twins grab at her legs, giggling. Finally, Irene exits the kitchen to join Angie. Tessa exhales much deeper than she expected. "Come on, babies," she says, walking to the living room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How does it feel to be twenty-six, Angie?" Danica asks brightly.

"Well," Angie breathes out. "I reckon it don't feel too different from being twenty-five!" she guffaws, her friends joining her in laughter.

"You know, Angie, twenty-six is the beginning of the end. It's time for you to start getting old like the rest of us, darling," Susan says before laughing at herself. "I still can't believe that your last name is Darling, Darlin'."

Angie smiles tastefully. She has heard this joke many times before...and it's just like Susan to make it. "You know, when I was running for Miss America," (Running, as if it were for political office.) "They used to call me 'Arkansas's Darlin', Angie Lee,'" she smiles. This is met with a chorus of laughter and pleased sighs.

Angie's eyes twinkle with excitement. "But that's enough about me. Y'all should see our new little postman," she says quickly, changing the subject. "He is just the handsomest thing. When he puts the packages down, he looks like he's about to bust out of his shirt. What I wouldn't give just to see them muscles!" she smiles.

All of her friends laugh along, and for a moment, Angie feels accepted. It is not her fault that when she is near men, she is repelled by almost a magnetic force. Two negative ends, when one needs to be positive. The ever-present longing she has for human touch is restricted to female. And at this moment, out walks Angie's constant reminder of this fact.

Reyna is wearing a copper, V-neck blouse and dark blue jeans. Around her neck is a gold necklace that descends straight down into the crevice of her modest breasts. Her curls cascade down her back and shoulders in a dark waterfall. It is times like this where Angie is rudely reawakened to why she married her wife. Even in no makeup and jeans, Reyna is beautiful. Standing up, Angie walks to Reyna to put her arm around her waist. Appearances (as Angie well knows) are important.

"Y'all, this is my wife, Reyna," Angie says, monotone. "Honey, this is Danica, Pam, Irene, and Susan. I think Irene's the only one you haven't met," Angie qualifies before turning back to her friends.

"Y'all can thank Reyna for letting me host today, and y'all can also complain to her if the food tastes like shit."

A chorus of feminine laughter sounds from the table. Reyna smiles politely, already slipping out of Angie's grasp and turning to enter the house again. Angie's friends are all so like her...and so white.

When Reyna returns to the kitchen, Tessa is filling up five sippy cups with water. Her eyes widen and then light up when she sees Reyna.

"Where have you been?" she asks, dropping everything to drape her arms around Reyna's neck. Reyna smells good and clean and delightful. Tessa kisses her over and over.

"I took a very relaxing bath," Reyna says, smiling. She removes Tessa's arms from her neck and places them by her sides, much to the girl's dismay.

"Baby, everyone's outside, and you look so hot right now. Why can't we--"

"What are you guys talking about?" Gianna's small, intelligent voice says from the entryway to the living room. "Can I talk about it?"

"No, chiquita," Reyna says, immediately releasing Tessa's wrists to approach the little girl. "Why are you over here and not watching the movie?"

"It's boring."

Reyna smiles, bending to her knees. "What movie is it?" she asks.

"Luca," Gianna responds. "I've seen it before."

"Is that so?" Reyna asks. Tessa smiles, watching Reyna speak to Gia as if she is one of her own children (though Reyna rarely speaks to her children in English). "Well, maybe we can go and watch Luca, and then you can choose the next movie?"

"Really?"

"Of course," Reyna winks up at Tessa. "Come, let's go sit with your friends."

Luckily, after the movie has ended, the children's mothers are herding them outside to make them plates and allow them some time in the sun. This leaves Reyna and Tessa on the couch, Tessa's head in Reyna's lap, ready to spring up as soon as she hears a door handle. The thrill of being so close to Angie sends shockwaves down Tessa's veins. Reyna strokes her hair, smiling.

"Rey, I need to talk to you," Tessa says, a bit disheveled.

Reyna brushes Tessa's hair out of her eyes. "What's wrong, baby?" she asks.

Tessa turns around in Reyna's lap, her eyes now peering up into Reyna's. "I think Angie's having another affair," the girl says. Tessa's voice is so low that Reyna has to crook her neck to hear her. "Irene told me that she and Angie still have individual um...sessions."

"Okay," Reyna says. "That doesn't surprise me. It's okay."

Tessa frowns. "Okay."

"Does it surprise you?"

Tessa frowns. "I guess not. Just...I don't know. I didn't expect her to cheat on me. I guess I thought that I was enough for her."

Reyna nods slowly. She rests her head on the back of the couch before releasing a deep sigh. "I know, baby. There was a time where I did too. But Angie is like a cyclone. The more she sucks in, the more she wants. You and I are satiable. She is not."

Tessa quickly wipes a sole tear from her eye. She takes slow and steady breaths, in through her nose and out through her mouth. Reyna wraps her arms around her mistress and holds her tight against her stomach. Then, she leans down close to Tessa's ear.

"I hope you're not too upset about that, sweetheart. You had an idea of what Angie was like already. She obviously has difficulty keeping her legs closed."

Tessa releases a laugh against her will. "I know," she says. "I also wanted to tell you...Irene was flirting with me and, like, really close to me and it kind of made me uncomfortable."

Now, Reyna is very serious. She pulls Tessa up into her lap until Tessa is straddling her and looking into her eyes. "Did she put her hands on you?" Reyna asks directly.

"On my hip and my face," Tessa whispers, resting her head on Reyna's shoulder. Reyna's arms snake around her form, soothing and warm. Tessa can tell that she wants to jump to action, but Tessa is her first priority.

"I'm going to have a talk with her, alright? And I will have her leave if you want her to. That is not something that I will tolerate under my roof."

"Please don't talk to her," Tessa says quickly. "It's okay."

Reyna places a peck to Tessa's lips before releasing her from her hold. She searches Tessa's eyes for a moment, still worried about her mistress. "Do you promise me you're okay, Tessa? You don't need me to do anything more?"

Tessa nods, pressing her cheek to Reyna's. She is such a strong girl. Reyna has only seen her cry once before today. Once before today. This thought makes Reyna frown.

"Tessa, did I ever make you feel like that?" she asks softly. She uses her fingertips to push Tessa away to look at her.

"No, well, not anymore," Tessa says. "You were really forward, but no."

"Did I coerce you?" Reyna asks plainly.

"No."

Reyna is silent and so is Tessa. Outside is the wanton sound of excited children and the splashing of the pool. The women content themselves just to listen. Tessa runs the tips of her fingers through the tips of Reyna's hair. At the bottom of her curls so that she won't destroy their definition. She kisses Reyna's neck; she pretends to forget where she is. She knows where she is and so does Reyna, but Reyna doesn't stop her.

"I'm surprised Angie hasn't come in here yet," Tessa says between kisses. "I really don't want to see your wife right now."

Reyna chuckles. "What reason would she have to come inside?"

"When the kids are done eating, she'll probably want me to play lifeguard too," she grins with her dimple.

"I can see a very big bonus in your future," Reyna chuckles. "And by the way, you're being very clingy today."

"Says you," Tessa smiles, swinging her leg off of Reyna's lap so that she is only sitting next to her. "I didn't forget how you kissed me on the porch."

Instead of responding, Reyna moves her lips to Tessa's neck. She slips an arm around Tessa's back to caress her. Reyna knows as well as anyone how much her mistress enjoyed being kissed on the porch. And how much she is enjoying being kissed on the couch with her 'girlfriend' only two doors away.

"I wish we could do this all the time," Tessa moans as her back arches off of the couch. "I wish I didn't have to have gone through Angie to get to you."

Reyna pulls away and frowns. "I know, but we can't do this all of the time, Tessa. What we have is good for now."

"I know," Tessa sighs, leaning in to kiss Reyna again. But the kitchen door clangs open loudly and Tessa quickly jumps away. She pretends to pay no attention to Reyna, which is better than too much.

"Tessa Mae!" Angie's voice sings into the room. "Babydoll, you've gotta come outside and try some of these vegan meatballs. You know Irene and Pam have gone vegan now. And I didn't put too much faith in Reyna ordering the food, but she did pretty good."

"Tess?" Angie inflects, swaying into the living room. She smiles when she sees Tessa on the couch, but frowns when she sees who Tessa is next to. "Oh, there you are, sugar cookie. Why don't you come on out and make yourself a plate? 'Least we can do is feed you, hon."

"I was talking to Reyna," Tessa says monotone, unhappy feelings swirling around her mind and soul at the sight of Angie. Today, it has been made clear to her that Angie is treating Tessa the same way she treats her wife. Spite and anger bubble around Tessa's stomach until she feels sick, as if something could come up at any second.

"Oh," Angie frowns, eyeing Reyna. "Well, you've gotta be hungry, Tess. Right?"

It is around this time that Tessa realizes that Reyna never removed her hand from her back. As Angie's mouth talks itself in circles, Reyna's hand draws red circles into Tessa's soft skin. Reyna dips her fingernails into Tessa's flesh, caressing her in a way that appears inconspicuous to her wife. Her fingers are cool against Tessa's hot flesh, driving her crazy.

"Sure," Tessa responds, trying desperately not to flinch as Reyna touches her. Tessa focuses all of her energy on staying still, on keeping her eyes forward on Angie. Reyna does not stop, going as far as slipping her nail under the bow of Tessa's bikini, threatening to untie it. (Tessa's bikini bottoms are growing wetter, despite the pool being outside.)

"And Reyna hadn't had nothing to eat neither, have you, honey?" Angie continues. "Both of y'all need to come out and socialize. It's my birthday."

Tessa nods, allowing Angie to pull her out of Reyna's clutches by her elbow. She releases an unexpected sigh, her shoulders descending with the breath. Once outside, Tessa inhales the fresh, summer air and curses Reyna under her breath. (That was too close.)

"Tess? What were you and Reyna talking about?" Angie asks quietly.

Tessa turns to her side to find Angie's curious green eyes. It is only now that she notices who she is alone with, only now that she notices what a good job Reyna did of distracting her.

"It was nothing, Ang. Nothing," Tessa says flatly. (Being around Angie is inviting very unpleasant sentiments in her chest.) She tries again. "Just about how I had the kids watching movies. You know she doesn't like the TV."

Angie rolls her eyes dramatically, releasing a relieved, exasperated sigh. "That woman and that damn television..." she begins to rant, and Tessa slips right back into her trance until Angie has made her entire plate. She rests her eyes on a different part of Angie at each pan of food. First, her hair, dry and in a neat bun on the top of her head. Then, the droplets of water on the back of her neck and down her tan back. Lastly, Tessa rests her eyes on Angie's bikini. It is bright and sunny, a beautiful contrast to Angie's tan skin. It is revealing but does a remarkable job of hiding Angie's assets from the world. A better job than Angie, at least.

"Well, that's enough about my wife. It's my birthday, and I plan to enjoy it. Here you go, Tess," Angie smiles, offering the plate to Tessa. "Come and sit with me and my friends."

"Okay." (Tessa is not okay with this.)

"Come on. Hopefully, they didn't put their coverups on. Did you see Dan's ass, Tess?" Angie whispers in her ear like a schoolgirl. "Oooh, this is so fun! Reminds me of backstage at the pageant shows."

Angie's objectification of her friends is interrupted by a chorus of greetings to Tessa. Angie makes a fuss out of pulling out a chair for her 'nanny', making sure that she is comfortable before sitting in her own seat. (Tessa wonders fleetingly if she did the same for Irene.)

"I thought you were going in to get your wife," Pam inflects.

"You know what. I guess her food will just have to be cold. It's just like Reyna to stay inside after I specifically requested her to come out."

Danica laughs brightly. "Antonio is the same way. He doesn't want anything to do with my 'lady friends.'"

"Well, you'd think she'd want to come out here since she's a lady too," Angie huffs. The women sing a chorus of laughter.

Tessa is the only person frowning. She wonders what it is Reyna did to Angie to deserve the way that Angie treats her. (What she did to deserve the way that Angie treats her.) Maybe Reyna just married Angie. Maybe, the pressure of committing to her truth wore Angie down until she couldn't stand the thought of her wife--distracting herself from Reyna became much easier in comparison. Distracting herself from Tessa was even better.

"Tess, Ms. Irene was saying that I should bring you to yoga one day. We could leave the chilluns with Gianna and you could come with me. Doesn't that sound like fun?" Pam and Danica smile at Tessa in agreement. Susan is engaged in her phone.

Tessa's eyes snap up to Irene's. She is smiling almost imperceptibly, her chin rested on her hand. Tessa quickly dampens her scowl into indifference. "No, I'm okay. I start school soon anyway," she says slowly.

"Oh, that's right," Angie pouts. "Well, let me know if you change your mind, Tess. Could be fun," she winks at Irene.

Tessa looks down quickly at her phone. She pretends to scroll through Instagram or Twitter until everyone has moved on from her as a conversation topic. Bile has climbed up her throat, her palms have started to sweat. It is not possible for Angie to be this oblivious. Tessa watches the clock of her phone as the minutes pass, as Angie's and her friends' voices turn into the children playing in their sandbox, turn into the sound of the pool.

A small, sandy hand is placed on Tessa's face. A sandy toddler is attached to it, giggling with glee. Tessa smiles, lifting the baby into her lap.

"Tessa, wanna go in the pool," the toddler asks. "Please!"

"You're going to have to wash some of the sand off of you first," Tessa smiles.

After everyone has a rinse in the sprinkler, Tessa is smiling, lifting one of the twins into the air in the pool. The toddler is giggling wildly, legs kicking in the air. Tessa laughs loud, bringing the baby quickly down to the surface of the water. The resounding splash is met with a delighted scream. And then, all of the children are smiling, waving their floaties in the air to ask for their turn at being thrown (lowered) into the water. The children have brightened Tessa's mood substantially. That is what they're good at.

"There you are, honey," Angie says, exasperated. From the pool, Tessa sees Reyna right outside of the door, her expression neutral. In a second, Angie is standing from her seat to hound her wife for staying away for so long. She pulls a plate from the food table and starts to shovel food onto it, complaining about how it's going to be too cold for Reyna to enjoy. Tessa notices that despite all of Angie's transgressions...despite the way that she talks about and treats her wife, she will not be caught dead letting the woman make her own plate. (In fact, she has made them now for herself, her two children, Tessa, and now her wife.) Angie is an enigma.

When Angie announces that she wants a picture of her family and friends, Tessa is the designated photographer. The children are dripping with pool water, giggling maniacally, and restless with energy as their mothers try to consolidate them for a picture.

"Act like y'all been out the barn before!" Angie hollers at the playful children, which is met with laughter from everyone. Finally, Reyna manages to wrestle one of the soaking wet twins into her arms, while Angie grabs the other. Everyone is ready for the picture.

"Say cheese!" Tessa smiles, looking from person to person as she snaps fifty pictures of Angie surrounded by her loved ones on her special day. As she makes silly faces at the innumerable children, she seems to be smiling brighter than anyone in the picture.

Reyna cannot bring herself to smile. This is likely the last time her family will be together like this in a picture. They will not last until Christmas, certainly not until Easter, and it is all because of the woman at Reyna's side. The only reason it will last that long at all is the woman holding Angie's iPhone as a camera. Reyna is overcome with a gratefulness, a warm feeling for Tessa in this moment.

Reyna allows her lips to grin. Tessa is the glue holding Reyna's family together.

11

The month is September. The weather is just as abrasive (for Michigan) as it was in August, but the school year has started, nonetheless. As a result, Tessa rarely has time for Reyna anymore. It is good that Tessa is enjoying herself, also that Reyna found an apartment so close to campus...otherwise, she would never see the girl.

"Hi, baby," Reyna says over the phone.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Don't start. I haven't heard from you in two weeks. The twins keep asking where Tessa is, so I assume you haven't seen Angie."

Tessa frowns, resting her ear on the speaker of her phone. "No, I haven't seen Angie since the party. I went on a trip to visit my cousins and then school started," she explains before adding "And I'm sorry, Rey. How are the twins? I've been so busy with, like, classes and stuff."

"Stuff like parties?" Reyna says. "You haven't been home very often in your brand-new car."

"Yeah," Tessa giggles. "Maybe a couple of parties."

"And might I ask where on campus you've been staying?"

"Reeeeey," Tessa whines through the phone. "You said I could stay at the apartment whenever I wanted." Reyna can hear Tessa's pout, and she chuckles.