Salt & Vinegar Ch. 06

How would Alex react?

Should I be open, or should I pretend ignorance?

I had a knife in my hand and a bunch of carrots I'd done nothing with for ten minutes. I'd wrestled with my thoughts and was no closer to an answer.

Two girls appeared in the kitchen. Holding hands. Justine bashful although she was meeting my eyes. Lena...

I'd last seen her in a dress and her hair braided. She now wore jeans shorts - very short jeans shorts - and a tight-fitting tee. Her hair was loose after the bath, still damp and cascaded around her in black ringlets. One arm fully tattooed. The girl had sex appeal in spades. She too was meeting my eyes, but no trace of embarrassment there. Not quite a challenge, but certainly cool and confident.

To my surprise, it was Justine who spoke first.

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JUSTINE

I was nervous as hell, but Lena gave my hand a little squeeze. C'mon, Justine, time to wear your big girl pants.

"Mom, I'm sorry for not saying this earlier. I just wasn't sure how to. Or how you'd feel about it. Lena and I are not just good friends, we're lovers. She's asked me to marry her and I've said yes. I love her more than anything."

Mom blanched.

"And I'm sorry if you felt awkward before, you know, at the bathroom..."

I could see Mom wrestling with herself. Lena gave my hand another squeeze. Then Mom sighed.

"I knew Justine, I knew."

"What, really!?"

"Well, not about the engagement - that was a bit of a shock - but I knew about your relationship. There are some things you can't hide from your mother even if you don't say them."

She smiled at me.

"I knew from the way you talked about her. The way you look at each other. Ironically, the fact that you didn't tell me confirmed it."

"I can't say that I'm pleased about it - and I've got no idea what your father is going to say - but I truly am happy for you. And you're still my daughter and I love you to bits."

Mom walked around the bench and enveloped me in a hug.

"Really, Rabbit. You could have told me", she murmured.

"Thanks Mom", I said, stifling a little sniffle. "That means a lot, it really does."

She turned to Lena.

"I always wanted another daughter."

And the look on Lena's face was priceless. Utter astonishment as she too was enveloped in a similar embrace.

"My goodness, you're built like Artemis", Mom said as she broke away.

"Like what?" said Lena, confused.

"Greco-Roman goddess, babe. I think Mom's thinking of Artemis Ephesia, depicted as having well developed... assets."

I pointed at her chest which her tight tee emphasised in a very attractive way. Well, attractive to me. And, to be fair, attractive to half the world if my experiences with Lena over the last year and a half were any indication. Mom blushed.

"Well, as they say, 'if you've got it flaunt it'."

"What? Who says that? I don't think you know anyone who says that!"

Mom blushed again.

"Well, no, but I'm aware that it's a saying."

Mom looked at us both.

"Girls, I really am happy for you. And I understand too about wanting to... you know... fool around. Just be a little bit discreet, please. OK?"

"Sure Mary, we will", said Lena. "And thanks."

Mom sighed.

"I know what it's like to be young and in love - don't you dare give me that cringey look, young lady after what you just pulled - but I too fooled around a bit before Alex and I were married. In fact, ahem, you were a little bit 'early', Justine if you know what I mean."

"What!? You mean Dad is not my... actual Dad?"

"No, silly, I mean..."

A deep, breathy voice echoed into the kitchen from the hallway.

"NO, JUSTINE, I AM YOUR FATHER!"

And Jackson popped his head around the doorway.

"Of course he's your Dad, Teenie. Everyone knows you were 'early' though."

Now it was Mom's turn.

"What!? Who knows!? You mean everyone at church..."

"Actually, no. Probably no one really. Dad just told me once when he was giving me, you know, 'the talk'. Told me to take precautions and all that."

"Tiny, you've got to be careful saying things like that. And don't pretend to be the Dark Lord of the Sith either, you know you can't do it right."

"Yeah, my bad. Good to see you though, Sis..."

He broke off as he suddenly realised there was a third person in the kitchen. I smirked as I saw him realise that the third person was also an awesomely hot girl. And then I grinned as he went bright red and stammered out a 'um, hi.'

"Tiny, this is Lena. Lena, my little brother Jackson."

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LENA

"Tiny? Hell, your 'little' brother has to be, what, six foot fucking four at least!?"

Jackson's jaw dropped and Mary's hand flew to her mouth.

"What, he's fucking taller?"

"Err, no babe, language", Justine murmured out of the side of her mouth.

"Oh shit, sorry. Oops, sorry again. Bad habit of mine, I'll try to keep it cleaner."

I eyed him up. Tall as hell, broad shoulders, lithe well-muscled figure. Laughing blue eyes. A mop of sandy hair and an impish smile on a masculine version of Justine's face. This kid must have every girl on campus weak at the knees. I wouldn't have minded a go with him myself.

"Pleased to meet you", I said.

I held out my hand as I moved closer. He took it carefully and backed away at the same time as if I was a rattlesnake. Hmm, curiously innocent this one. He would be fun to play with if I wasn't already taken.

A little cough from behind me.

Yeah, thanks Jus. I know I need to behave myself. Just teasing.

"So, Tiny, huh? Sounds fu... ahem, sounds a bit ironic."

"Jackson couldn't say my name properly when he was little", said Justine. "He called me 'Teenie'. So obviously he became 'Tiny', being my little brother and all. Well, used-to-be-little brother. How was track and field practice?"

"Yeah, good. Times are getting better. I'll be in good shape for the meet later this month."

"You'll have no problems at all. You'll knock the others out with your manly odour. You stink, Bro - go shower."

"Hah. Later, Sis. Nice to meet ya, Lena."

"Dinner will be ready around six, Jackson", Mary said as he left leaving behind the smell of male sweat.

It wasn't that bad. I reckoned there was a fair percentage of pheromones in it. Or maybe that was just my libido talking.

We helped Mary finish preparing the vegetables and then we were dismissed from kitchen duty.

"I'll do the chickens myself, if you two want to run along and play."

She blushed and muttered something that sounded like 'phrasing' and tried again.

"If you two want to find something to do before dinner."

Poker face. Justine and I looked at each other and grinned.

"Just go, already!"

We laughed.

"C'mon, Lena. I'll show you Dad's vinyl collection before he gets home and wants to hole up in the study."

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JUSTINE

We sat on the floor looking through the shelves of records.

"What's this, now?" said Lena. "Your Dad really listens to this?"

It was Billy Idol's White Wedding single.

"Haha, no. That one's mine."

"Speaking of, what do you want to do?"

"Do what?"

"For our wedding."

Oh, of course.

"I hadn't really thought about it. I guess a church wedding is not going to happen."

"Probably not in your folks' church anyway."

"No. And they'd probably not be comfortable in another one either if it married us."

"Civil ceremony, then?"

"Guess so. What about just a small service with my family and some close friends? Unless you want a big thing?"

"Fine with me. I don't really care about the ceremony, it's you I want."

She smiled at me. It was a nice smile. I went all gooey inside.

"Can I wear a white dress? What do you want to wear?"

"I don't want to wear a suit and tie doing the whole I'm-a-pretend-groom thing. Besides, these girls aren't made for suits."

She pushed her chest out proudly.

"You could wear the jacket without the shirt underneath. That'd cause a sensation. You'd look pretty hot actually."

"Hah! Yeah, no. For you babe, yes. But not in front of your parents."

"Wait! I know!"

I hunted through the album covers. There it was. Herb Alpert's Whipped Cream & Other Delights.

"Here you go. This even looks a bit like you!"

"She's hot! And, yeah, that's my abuela."

"No way! You're shitting me, right? Dolores Erickson is your grandma!?"

She looked at me with a huge grin.

"You said she looked like me... but, no, I am shitting you. I've got no fucking idea who that is."

I had to refrain myself from throwing it at her.

I took another look. The resemblance was uncanny. I looked back at Lena with my eyes narrowed.

"Seriously, babe, I really am shitting you. Not a relative."

"You had me going, I'll give you that..."

"So, the dress?"

"Shaving cream and chiffon."

"Really, let me see that again? Hell yeah, that is fucking awesome. And she really is hot. I don't care, she's now my grandma for real. I'm adopting her."

We laughed.

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LENA

Justine put the album on. It might have been old, but it was definitely the sound of the border. There was something incongruous about hearing it in a 150-year-old house in Michigan, but I still got nostalgic. I imagined myself back in San Diego within a stone's throw of Tijuana.

"Hello, girls. That sounds like Tangerine. Haven't heard that in a while."

"Dad!"

Justine jumped up to greet her father.

I saw where Jackson got his height. Alex McIntyre was an older version of his son. Tall, lean, broad shoulders. Well-defined features which indicated a strong personality coupled with the silver hair of experience. His eyes smiled at Justine and I could tell he really doted on her. Fingers crossed it was enough.

"Hi, Rabbit", he said fondly. "And this must be Lena. Hello and welcome to our home. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

The smile didn't quite reach his eyes like it had for Justine. I figured Mary had already spoken with him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to meet you when you arrived, but I got back from the college as soon as I was able. Justine, your mother was asking for you."

Justine glanced at me and I nodded. We knew where this was going. This wasn't going to be easy.

When she'd gone, Alex turned to me.

"Take a seat, Lena, I'd like to talk with you."

It clearly wasn't optional. There were some easy chairs in the study near the shelves of vinyl and books and we each took one. I felt the full force of Alex's attention and I now knew where my girl got her 'look' from. Justine might have got a lot from Mary, but this gaze which pierced you all the way through was clearly all her father's.

Let's get this fucking done, then. I looked straight back at him.

"Alex, I want to marry Justine."

"Straight to the point, eh? Were you asking or telling me?"

"Both, I guess. I'll marry her whether you like it or not because I love Justine more than I've ever loved anything in my life. But I'm also asking because I know how much her family means to her, and it would break her heart to have to choose. I don't want her to have to."

"I see."

He thought for a long moment.

"We've wanted to meet you for a long time, Lena. We are very, very grateful for how you cared for Justine after her accident. It wasn't until weeks after she was out of hospital that Justine contacted us and, by then, it was obvious she was recovering well. We were still overseas - I was on a study trip - and we couldn't get back in any case. I gather it was serious. Justine has told us some of the story, but I get the feeling she's left a lot out."

I bet she did. And I wasn't about to volunteer them either. If her daughter's lesbian relationship was going to be a hurdle, then gritty details of the underbelly of the BDSM scene were unlikely to be helpful. Not to mention that it was my idiocy which indirectly put her in hospital.

"It was serious. She was very fortunate her injuries weren't fatal. But she's recovered well without any complications or long-term effects. If she didn't share everything with you it's probably because she didn't want you to worry."

"Yes, we thought so too. It's one of the frustrations of being a parent" - a wry smile - "that you want to always be there for your children, but you can't. You have to acknowledge that they grow into adults who are independent and responsible for themselves. And you must respect the decisions they make."

"I can't pretend that we are thrilled about you and Justine. Your relationship conflicts with our beliefs and values."

I stiffened.

"But", he continued, "I know my daughter very well. Any decision that Justine makes will have been thought through carefully with both her head and her heart. And we will support her in any life choice she feels as strongly about as she obviously does with you. All we ask is that you please continue to love and care for her as you have done until now."

Honesty compelled my confession.

"I can't promise that, Alex. I haven't always treated Justine as well as she deserves. But I swear to you that I love Justine with all my heart and will do everything I can to make her happy now and always. I will fuck up (shit, sorry) - probably often; but I am learning, and I try to do better for her each day. That's all I can do."

"Thank you, Lena. That means more to me than an empty promise with words you thought I might have wanted to hear. So, I won't say you have our blessing..."

He stood and held out his hand.

"... and I'm not one for hugging, but welcome to our family."

I took his hand and shook it. This time the smile reached his eyes.

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JUSTINE

Dinner was an interesting affair.

Mom had been apologetic when I entered the kitchen. She hadn't really needed me, of course. I'd said that I knew Dad wanted a talk with Lena. Mom gave me an encouraging hug and said everything would be alright. I wasn't as sure but, when they both came up a quarter hour later, they seemed to be on good terms. Lena gave me a wink and I breathed a sigh of relief as we all sat down for the meal.

Except no one had told Jackson.

He caught the flash of my ring as I picked up my fork.

"Sis, that's a ring!"

"Yes, well spotted brother mine. Indeed, it is a ring."

"You know, you shouldn't wear it on that finger though unless you're... nooo, wait... you're not, are you?

"Yep."

"For real!? Who's the lucky guy? Do I know him? Why does no one ever tell me anything!?"

Mom looked at Dad and I looked at Lena. Lena grinned and held up her hand as well.

"And you as well, Lena! Congratulations to you too! Must be something in the water in Cali."

My brother can be seriously clueless.

"Tiny, we are engaged to each other."

His jaw dropped.

"Oh, I see. Cool!"

And that was it. Jackson went back to shovelling food into his mouth.

Mom was determined to move the conversation into safer territory. She asked about my new job. We then discussed Lena's work and interest in photography. Naturally that lead to the Art Fair and whether we were planning to take a look. I said we'd planned to tomorrow before taking a run into Detroit for the evening.

"You won't be home for dinner tomorrow night, then?"

"No, thanks Mary. But this is seriously awesome chicken", said Lena. "Is it your own recipe?"

Mom loves cooking and loves anyone who takes an interest in her food. Lena couldn't have asked a better question if she'd planned it.

"Not really, but the secret is in the preparation. To get that golden brown finish for the roast you butter up your fingers and slide them underneath the skin and massage it into the breasts. Having greasy fingers also makes it easier when you stuff it. It really helps you be able to push the filling right up into the cavity."

The problem was that Mom was miming the actions as she was talking. Lena and I looked sideways at each other. Jackson's eyes were round. Dad had his hand over his eyes and was shaking his head.

"What? What's the matter with you all?"

And then she realised the innuendo and went as red as a beet. She stood up so quickly her chair fell backwards. She threw her napkin down on the table.

"Justine Letitia McIntyre, this is all your fault!", she wailed and fled the room.

Lena and I held it together just long enough for her to be out of earshot and then erupted in laughter.

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JUSTINE

I ran Mom to ground in her bedroom after dinner. She was lying in bed reading. She looked at me a little sheepishly when I poked my head in the door.

"Sorry about dinner, love", she said. "It's all a bit sudden and my thoughts are still catching up with my feelings."

I sat on the bed beside her and took her hand.

"I'm sorry, too, Mom. I've been wanting to tell you for a while. I just didn't really know how. And I wanted you to meet Lena - and like her - although I'll be the first to admit she's an acquired taste... oh, crap, now you've got me doing it!"

We looked at each other and chuckled. Like mother, like daughter, I guess.

That eased the tension and we settled in for a good talk. She wanted to know how we met. I told her about the gallery at La Jolla and how I fell in love as soon as I saw Lena. How we had slowly grown together then I'd asked her to move in with me. That she was the other half of me I never knew I needed: Lena the wildness I wasn't brave enough to express, me the softness she struggled to acknowledge in herself. Together we were better, bigger, more alive, more balanced.

Of course, there were some details I didn't share. I didn't think Mom wanted - or needed - to hear about the more degenerate aspects of our sex life, some of our more interesting friends or the backstory to my hospitalization. But she got enough of the picture, I think, to be reassured that I knew what I was doing, that I was in this relationship with my eyes open and that my feelings for Lena were reciprocated.

"You really love her, don't you?"

"Yeah, Mom. I do. I really, really do."

I smiled goofily and she gave me a hug.

"This isn't easy for your father and me, honey, but I truly am happy for you."

Lena walked in holding two cups of hot chocolate.

"Oh, you wonderful girl!" exclaimed Mom.

"Nah, Jus is the wonderful one. I'm just occasionally good. But I'm getting better", she said with a smile. "I'm pretty tired, so I'm going up to bed. Come say goodnight when you're done, babe."

She kissed the top of my head.

"How on earth did something like that fall for you, Rabbit?" said Mom, when Lena had left. "I mean, she's good looking, got an incredible figure - she could have had anyone, and she proposed to you!?"

"Gee, thanks Mom", I said wryly.

But, to be honest, I'd often wondered the same thing. Truth told Lena had had many people before me. It wasn't like I was her one and only. Not even her last. But I was her longest and forever.

"I didn't mean it like that, honey. I know how beautiful a person you are. I'm just glad that in this world of superficiality and sex that someone like her can see beneath the surface and appreciate the real you."

"She's not superficial at all, Mom. What you see is a façade. Underneath, she's perceptive, sensitive and more than a little insecure. She's not as brave or wild as she makes out. The posturing is so you don't look too close at the girl underneath. This weekend has been hard for her and I'm so proud of her."

"I'm glad she came. And I meant what I said, I did always want another daughter. I'll love her like I love you, honey."

"Thanks Mom."

She chucked me under the chin and wiped away a little tear from my cheek.

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LENA

I went looking for Mary the following morning to tell her Justine and I were going to the Art Fair. I'd slept in and missed breakfast. Just like at home, really. I found her hanging laundry behind the house.

"Morning, Mary. Justine and I were thinking of walking up to check out the Art Fair. You need anything while we're out?"