Saphira's eyes widened and her eyebrows jumped to her hairline. "You're kidding me, right?" she asked dryly.
"Not at all," Esmeralda assured her with a smile, then held up a hand before Saphira could protest. "On a surface level, I understand - this has been the first real time off we've had together in a very long time. That in and of itself would make it a good weekend for either of us. But I get the distinct feeling that it has as much to do with being here with these people in these circumstances as it does with our time together."
"You're a pretty smart cookie," Saphira commented with a laugh, causing Esmeralda to stick out her tongue. "You sure you're all right?" her tone turning to one of concern. Esmeralda clasped the hand that had covered her forehead and tugged Saphira closer until she was sitting on the bed. As a matter of course, Esmeralda shifted her body from the pillow to Saphira's lap and Saphira naturally obliged her by running long fingers through blonde hair to scratch lightly at the nape of Esmeralda's neck. Esmeralda purred like a pussycat and Saphira chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Esmeralda asked, twisting her body so she could comfortably look up Saphira's torso to meet her eyes.
"You are," Saphira said succinctly, then rolled her eyes when an arched brow and a poke in the belly prompted her to continue. "You're purring like a kitten." She smiled sadly. "You haven't done that in a long time. I've missed it."
"I feel good," Esmeralda offered with a smile. "I mean, I'm really tired after the last few days - even having Ruby and the girls living with us is nothing like this whole family activity thing the Tagherty's have had going on since we've been here. But it's a good kind of tired - the kind of tired that I earned from being busy and doing things instead of just feeling run down."
"That's about the best thing I've heard from you in a long time, Es. I can't tell you...." Saphira's words stopped when Esmeralda covered her lips with a finger.
"Sweetheart, you don't have to. I know, remember? Just like you do." She frowned a moment. "You said about the best thing - should I ask what the best thing is?"
Saphira's grin was broad. "That you love me - that will ALWAYS be the best thing I can hear from you. And I never get tired of hearing it either."
"Lucky for you then, that I never get tired of saying it. I do love you, Saphira."
"I know Es... I love you too."
"So tell me why you think this has been one of our more interesting weekends - aside from the obvious, I mean. I'd like to hear your impressions."
Saphira tapped Esmeralda's shoulder, causing her to lift her upper body enough that Saphira could shift into a more comfortable position against the headboard. When she was sure Saphira was settled, Esmeralda resumed her place on Saphira's lap, and Saphira continued to gently comb her fingers through Esmeralda's hair. Then she cleared her throat and let her eyes focus beyond the bedroom they were sitting in as she tried to put her observations into words.
"I think maybe Brianna and Charisma have finally reached a place where they are truly comfortable together again... a place where they can really jumpstart their friendship and actually move forward. I'm not really sure why it took a confrontation about Brianna's past to make that happen, but it was obviously something Charisma needed to know. I'd like to think that Charisma might finally be able to accept what is really between them, but quite frankly, I don't trust her to know what that is... much less acknowledge it," she said starkly, looking down to meet Esmeralda's eyes where she found nothing but calm acceptance of her words. Saphira nodded and moved her concentration back to the far wall as she thought.
"The boys and their wives are trying their very best not to be involved in the whole situation, beyond supporting both Charisma and Brianna. I know Charisma was thrilled to get some time alone with her brothers while the rest of us went shopping yesterday."
"I wonder if she knows that was Brianna's doing?"
"Excuse me?" Saphira tugged gently on Esmeralda's hair, forcing Esmeralda to open her eyes and look at Saphira. She butted Saphira's belly with her head and closed her eyes, scowling and peeking at Saphira until the gentle scalp massage resumed. She gave Saphira a satisfied smile and closed her eyes with a sigh. Before Saphira could prompt her again Esmeralda spoke.
"Charisma Tagherty may not know Brianna Walker as she is now, but Brianna Walker has a pretty good handle on Charisma Tagherty. In fairness, one reason is because Brianna never lost contact with the Tagherty family - she knows what makes them... and Charisma by extension... happy." She paused to clear her throat and Saphira offered her a sip of water that Esmeralda accepted gratefully before she lay back down and continued.
"Aside from the tension that Kay's presence caused for several reasons, Charisma was just discombobulated by the whole altered dynamic that this holiday was. Even though she wanted Brianna here - invited her even - actually having her here threw off the whole relationship she's used to having with her brothers."
"Not following," Saphira offered tersely. Esmeralda sighed.
"When Charisma first brought Brianna home with her from college, she instructed the boys to treat her like family - Brianna was one of them, and as such, she was part of the sibling gathering at every get together. Brianna and Charisma splitting up didn't change anything as far as the boys were concerned; Brianna was still one of the family and they treated her as such... even welcoming Kay when Brianna brought her home - once Kay had been properly vetted, of course. But they always had time when it was just the siblings - no parents, no children and no significant others. And although they certainly considered Brianna to be Charisma's significant other, they understood that wasn't what Charisma had meant when she'd called Brianna family. So every holiday, there has always been a little while when it's just been the Tagherty's grown kids - the five of them, during Charisma's college years, then just the boys and Charisma or the boys and Brianna once the girls were no longer together. It was quite a shock when Charisma realized that Brianna really was still as much a part of the Tagherty family as she was, and Brianna recognized that. She spoke to Hunter about it before he left on Thursday night."
"You overheard?"
Esmeralda smirked. "Naturally."
************
"Brianna?"
"Trust me, Hunter. As much as I want to be included, Charisma *needs* it to be just the four of you."
"It's not right!" he stated adamantly, and she smiled at him sadly and shook her head in agreement. "You're still part of the family - that's never changed."
"I know... and you don't know what that means to me... what it's always meant. And no, it really isn't very fair, but life rarely is," she said softly. "Be that as it may, Charisma needs the surety of her brothers right now. I'm pretty sure meeting Kay rocked her world... and not in a good way - she wasn't ready for that." A beat. "It's little enough for me to do for her. And I'll come back around to see you guys again... promise."
"You still love her," he whispered, his smile growing as wistful as Brianna's.
"I never stopped, Hunter. You know that."
He nodded. "I did... I do. We all do. I just wish...."
"So do I," Brianna admitted. "But we both know it will never happen. She won't let it. Besides, Kent seems like a great guy... very stable and level-headed. He makes her happy and I would never do anything to jeopardize that for either of them... or Adam."
"No... no I don't think he does." Hunter held up his hands to keep Brianna from interrupting. "Don't get me wrong, Bri - even though we were shocked when Charisma brought him home as her fiancй, we all liked Kent once we got to know him. He is a good man and a great dad. But he doesn't make Charisma happy - he makes her content. There's a huge difference."