"Just a little butch if you ask me."
I wasn't asking you, Crystal thought to herself. "Whatever. Where did Laura go?"
"She went to see her mother. I was there this morning but Gail was too busy being her usual post menopausal self to have any worthwhile conversation."
"At least she's doing better and you had a chance to see her again."
"Pshaw." Helen waved her hand dismissively. "That battle ax is going to be around for a long time to come, just like me. I should have just called to check up on her but I was due for a stateside vacation anyway."
"Well I'm sure your sister appreciates you coming so far to see her." Raising the bottle to her lips, Crystal was surprised to find it empty. I knew I should have bought more when I was at the store.
"Appreciate? Please." Helen made a disgusted look. "That woman hasn't appreciated one thing I've done for her in all my life." "Well, I don't know Mrs. Taylor that well so I can't say anything but I know I'd give my right arm to know where my sister is right now." Realizing she said more than she wanted to, Crystal set the bottle down on the counter and opened the refrigerator. "I'd better get dinner started." "You don't know where your sister is?" Helen asked. "Did you two have a fight?"
Crystal shook her head. "No. Patty ran away when she was a teenager. I haven't seen her since." Pulling the leftover chicken out and setting it on the counter, Crystal debated with herself for a moment before turning to face Helen. "You know, it's none of my business but Mrs. Taylor is your sister. Don't you care anything about her?"
"Of course I do," Helen said, bristling. "That's not the point."
"Then what is the point?" Crystal sighed. "Does it really matter that her house has a few drafts or her taste in politics is different than yours? You chose a life of parties and people, jetsetting all over the world. She chose a family and that is her world. Can't you just accept that you two are different and get over it?" Pulling a pan out from under the counter, she set it down with a bang. "Don't you think it's scary for her to be stuck in that hospital knowing if her son wasn't home she could have died?" The pan of chicken was put into the oven none too quietly. "Don't you think Laura is worried and upset over her mother? The last thing she needs is to come home and listen to you bring up the same old fights over and over again. Does it really matter who is right and who is wrong?"
"I didn't realize you felt so strongly about it," Helen said, her tone more subdued. "Usually you talk to Laura and then disappear upstairs." "Yeah well I'm not family so I try to stay out of it unless Laura needs to talk."
"Not to mention a certain herb I smell coming out of your room."
Crystal colored slightly. "Yeah well"
"I've been meaning to ask you about that. It seems I didn't pack any when I left."
"Oh." Understanding the hint, Crystal nodded. "I'm only allowed to smoke pot in my room. I can smoke cigarettes there and of course out on the decks. Laura's afraid if I light up a joint on the deck that one of the neighbors will see it."
"That's one way to make friends with your neighbors," the older woman said. "I find mine are always appreciative of sharing the herb now and again."
"I never would have pegged you for a pot smoker," Crystal said, the anger of their previous conversation leaving her. She leaned against the counter, fighting the urge to join Laura's aunt at the table.
"Compared to my niece I'm sure I seem like quite the rebel. I was very much into the disco scene of the seventies but I'm certain Laura isn't aware of that. Her mother tended to shelter her from the more 'seamy' side of life, as she called it." Helen waved her over. "Come sit down with me. I hate talking across the room." Crystal hesitated, then did as requested, taking a seat directly across from the older woman. "There, that's better. I'll have to admit you aren't like Laura's other girlfriends."
"We're not girlfriends," the blonde reminded.
"I meant as friends who happen to be women, not as lesbian lovers," Helen said. "Although I will admit it must have taken a lot of courage for Laura to come out to her mother."
"Laura has a lot of courage," Crystal agreed.
"I never told her this but I am proud that she stuck to her guns about it and didn't let her mother talk her into seeing a psychiatrist." A smirk came to the older woman's lips. "I dare say I've been known to jump over the fence once or twice. You remember the old Wagon Wheel series? The actress that played Carol, I could tell you stories about her."
The reference went over Crystal's head, knowing the show only as something that was in reruns when she was a young child but she understood the meaning clearly. "So you're bi?"
"I suppose I am. I haven't been with a woman in quite a few years but I suppose anything is still possible. What about you?" "I'm straight," Crystal replied.
"Oh, any men in your life right now? I know this absolutely devilishly handsome young man who would just die for a pretty blonde like you." Crystal gave a short laugh and shook her head. "I don't think so. I'm not looking."
"What a shame. Bad breakup?"
"No." As was her habit, Crystal looked down at the table when talking about herself. "I haven't ever been in any serious relationship."
"Now that's a real shame. You're a young thing but isn't it about time you start looking for a love to share your life with?" Helen reached out and slapped her hand atop Crystal's. "Take it from this old broad, deary. There is nothing lonelier than not having someone to love you at the end of the day. Personally I think you're limiting yourself by not looking at the other side of the fence. My niece is really quite the catch, you know. Accomplished author, college graduate and she certainly isn't hard to look at, is she?"
Crystal saw the mischievous glint in Helen's eye and smiled. "No, she isn't. Laura's a very nice person but it's just not like that between us. Besides, I'm far from her type."
"I don't know about that, deary. My little pumpkin seems to think very highly of you."
"What did she say about me?"
"Ah, curious aren't you?" Helen said knowingly. "I'll tell you what. We have at least twenty minutes for dinner, right?"
"Yeah. At least."
"If you would be kind enough to share a hit or two I might be persuaded to reveal certain things Laura has said about you." Crystal didn't need to be asked twice. "Let's go."
Chapter Twelfth
Laura was bone tired when she finally pulled into her parking space but pleased to see the familiar Omni parked next to her. That meant Crystal was home and hopefully had driven Aunt Helen to retire early for the evening. Remembering the bag of cleaners in the back seat, Laura retrieved them and headed inside.
Setting the bag on the side table, she was surprised not to find either woman downstairs. What did not surprise Laura, however, was the mess in the living room. The kitchen was better, clean dishes drying on the rack but clearly done by her right handed roommate, the strainer on the opposite side of the sink than usual. Laura took a few minutes to rearrange the kitchen back to the way she wanted before heading upstairs.
"Hello?" Laura called when she was halfway up the stairs, hearing voices.
"We're in here," Crystal called, letting the writer know which room they were in.
Laura couldn't resist raising an eyebrow at this new development. Her Aunt Helen and Crystal were in the same room and from the sounds of it, getting along quite nicely. The pungent smell wafting under the door gave Laura her answer as to why they were in Crystal's room. Opening the door, the first thing the fastidious woman noticed was the pile of laundry strewn about, jeans flung carelessly over the back of the orange chair and Crystal's work boots laying where they were apparently kicked off earlier. Crystal was propped comfortably on her bed while Helen was sitting in the orange chair, using the bed as a footrest.