They looked at her, then at the boxes stacked in front of the luggage. "Got it," Kent replied. "Good thinking."
Brianna chuckled. "Yes - I'm trying not to let my skills rust while I'm in Washington," causing the two men to laugh in sympathy with her attitude. Charisma just snorted.
"Good luck with that, lass," Patrick joked, placing a cake box into either hand. Then he reached around her to hand Charisma two and Saphira stepped up and took the last two and they followed Okasa into the house where Adam had already led Esmeralda inside, and Margaret had followed them more slowly.
Now they entered to find Adam comfortably ensconced on Esmeralda's lap, telling her a story from the book Margaret had been reading earlier. Margaret was watching them with a curious expression, but Esmeralda didn't even seem to notice. Charisma, Brianna and Saphira followed Okasa down the hall and into the kitchen, then to a walk-in pantry. She motioned them where to set the cakes, then turned to Saphira and Brianna.
"Have you girls eaten?"
"Yes ma'am." Saphira replied, causing Okasa's brows to fly into her hairline.
"Saphira, we don't stand on formality here. I'm Okasa or Mama, but not ma'am."
Saphira blushed and shook her head. "We'll try, Okasa, but you're going against a lifetime of habit."
"Something your mama taught you from a child?"
"Yes ma'am... something like that."
Okasa chuckled and shook her head. "All right. Let's go into the living room," turning to find Charisma behind her with a tray of assorted drinks. Okasa didn't ask - she just nodded her approval and led the way back to where Margaret and Esmeralda were now sharing a bit of quiet conversation. Obviously it hadn't taken Paddy and Kent long to unload the SUV and claim Adam.
Charisma played the dutiful hostess, handing out favorite drinks to each woman, then taking a seat beside Esmeralda on the couch. "It's so good to have you guys here," Charisma commented as she reached over and squeezed Esmeralda's hand. "I'm really glad you came."
"*We're* glad they came," Okasa corrected firmly. "I've heard so much about you both; it's wonderful to have you in my home." She turned to Brianna. "And I'm thrilled to have you back with us again," reaching out to the woman she considered a second daughter. "It's about time."
"Hear! Hear!" Charisma muttered under her breath, though everyone heard her. Her words caused a myriad of reactions around the room. Brianna blushed; Okasa smiled; Saphira's and Esmeralda's eyes met and they nodded slightly; and Margaret frowned.
Okasa noticed, and before Margaret could say anything, she looked at Charisma. "Do I want to know why there are six chocolate cakes sitting in my pantry?" chuckling at the flummoxed look on Margaret's face.
"Oh Mama - wait til you taste this cake. It is spectacular," seeing Brianna and Esmeralda nodding their heads in agreement. Margaret tilted her head at Saphira.
"You don't like it?"
"Oh... yes, ma'am, I do. But I prefer the banana pudding. Matilda serves an amazing banana pudding - her mama's recipe."
"Matilda?"
"My boss, and the woman who made the cakes. She and her husband Joe own a diner just outside the city. It's how we met Brianna."
Now Charisma's ears perked up. "I don't think I've heard this story. Share?"
"I'd like to hear how all of you met, actually," Margaret confessed. "I mean... Charisma told us how she and Esmeralda met, but you just seem like such an unlikely group of friends. It's almost like Fate stepped in and brought you together or something."
"Do you believe in Fate, Margaret?" Esmeralda questioned.
Margaret studied her a long moment, interested despite her unwillingness to be. Having actually met Esmeralda, she could understand Charisma's earlier words. There was something about the younger woman that drew people to her - that inspired confidence and trust. She found that she was curious... and more than that, she was concerned about this woman she had just met, yet seemed to know.
"You know - sometimes, I think I do. And then there are times that I wonder why we choose the outcomes we do." She smirked. "I think it depends on the kind of day I'm having."
Charisma chuckled. "I think we all have days like that, Margaret." She looked around the room. "So we were going to hear about how you three met." Saphira and Esmeralda turned to Brianna whose eyes widened comically.
"Why me?"
"Two reasons," Esmeralda said. "It started with you and you're the writer here," garnering a light laugh from Charisma. Brianna directed a glare towards her and Charisma held up her hands in surrender.
"Don't blame me - I didn't say a word. Professor Mac would be thrilled by the description though."
"Wait," Margaret pled, pinching the bridge of her nose before rubbing her forehead. "Am I missing something else?"
"Brianna and I were roommates in college. She had a double major - law and theatre."
"That's an... interesting choice," Margaret said slowly. "Though it does make a certain amount of sense. And let me guess - writing was one of the criteria for the theatre major."
"Yes," Brianna answered uneasily.
"Do you still practice?"
"Writing?" Brianna asked, waiting for Margaret to nod. "Um... not really. Practicing law has kept me pretty busy, and this whole political thing is just something else again." She looked at Charisma. "I have to admire your fortitude. I don't think I could make a career out of politics," raising her glass in salute.
Charisma returned the salute. "That's okay - I think it takes a special breed of animal to be a politician."
"Oh the things I can think of to say to that," Okasa quipped, drawing an irked stare from her daughter and laughter from the remainder of the women in the room. After a moment, Charisma yielded the field and stuck her tongue out at her mother before she smirked. Margaret turned back to Brianna.
"So how did you end up in politics? I apparently missed something... several somethings, it seems... while I was abroad and you're quite obviously un-enamored of the whole idea."
Thus the next little while was spent filling Margaret in on what she had missed, though no one went into too much detail, especially concerning their friendship. For one thing, Brianna and Charisma were on less than stable ground, and for another, Saphira and Esmeralda had no idea how this new variable factored into the equation they were already well into solving.
So they glossed over much of their history together and instead told funny little anecdotes about other things. Margaret and Okasa were both intrigued to hear Saphira's and Esmeralda's tale, and wondered aloud at what kind of Father would dismiss a child so heartlessly that he would leave them to suffer so badly.
"And have you recovered, my dear?" Margaret asked Esmeralda solicitously... in complete contrast to her strident accusations early that morning. Having met the woman in question, she understood Charisma's defense of her and now was concerned with the fact that Esmeralda's health did not appear to be retuning to her as it should. "Is there anything we can do to help speed the process for you?"
Esmeralda smiled shyly and briefly covered Margaret's hand with her own. "It's lovely of you to be so concerned with someone you don't even know Margaret. Thank you for that. But we have been assured it's gonna be a slow recovery - the only thing that will make this better is time."
"Would you do any less?" Margaret asked, causing Esmeralda to frown in confusion. "Wasn't it your care and concern for both Charisma and Brianna when they were mere strangers to you that created the friendship you share now?" Esmeralda nodded. "Then allow me the courtesy of the same. I have a feeling you and Saphira would make magnificent friends if given the chance. I'd like to give you that chance and perhaps have it offered in return."