"Leave it off... please?"
"Do you find the darkness comforting, Charisma?"
"Sometimes it seems like my only friend."
"Can I help?"
"I don't think so, Es," Charisma replied resignedly. "No one can help. I need to work through this on my own."
"What if I reintroduced you?" Esmeralda offered quietly. "Nothing public, just...."
"NO!" Charisma lashed out. "No!" she said again a little quieter, but no less forcefully. "I will not be subjected to meeting with her outside of an occupational venue! I may be forced to deal with her professionally, but otherwise, I will tolerate no interaction with her! Do you understand me??"
"Charisma...."
"No, Esmeralda! Do. You. Understand. Me?"
Esmeralda rose and nodded her head sadly, her eyes never leaving Charisma's even in the darkness. "I understand, Charisma, more than you know... even if I don't understand why." She moved back over to her cart. "I do know one thing," she added as she picked up her spray bottle again.
"What's that, Es?" Charisma asked, her voice tired and defeated.
"You will never find peace or happiness until you settle things with Brianna."
"Things were settled with Brianna Walker twenty years ago, Esmeralda... when she walked out of my life without even saying goodbye!"
"And you never made an effort to find out why, did you? Doesn't that make you equally culpable?"
Charisma's blue eyes hardened and iced over. "Get. Out."
Esmeralda sucked in a sharp breath, but otherwise gave no outward reaction to the bite in Charisma's words. Instead, she put her things away without further acknowledgment and headed to the door. She placed a hand on the doorknob, then turned back to Charisma.
"One day - maybe sooner, maybe later - you're going to have to face one another. Whether that happens publicly or privately is entirely up to the two of you, but it will happen, Charisma. It's only a matter of when and where." Esmeralda sighed. "I hope... I had hoped you would let me help be a part of your reconciliation, but you obviously have no intention...." She trailed off and shrugged. "You've made it clear it's not my business. However, Saphira is and she would still like to meet you if you're still willing. So if you can let me know when would be a good time for you, we'll arrange something soon." She held up a hand. "And I promise, no funny business. Goodnight, Senator."
Esmeralda was out the door with it closed behind her before Charisma had a chance to recover her wits. She blinked and the tears rolled silently down her face. It was a long time before Charisma called for her car to take her home.
Chapter XVI
"Brianna?" Saphira welcomed hesitantly as the Senator crossed the threshold of the diner, not having expected to see the woman here alone at this time of day. "Please, come in," she added a little more firmly, seeing the uncertainty in Brianna's expression morph into something less frightened and more sure of herself. She gave Saphira a big smile and glanced around the busy restaurant, then back at Saphira who took the opportunity to ask, "Would you like a table, booth or a seat at the counter?"
"I'd like a seat at the counter," Brianna replied softly, "if you will be the one waiting on me."
Saphira smiled graciously while wondering what had sent Brianna running from Esmeralda to her. She nodded her head. "I'm sure we can work something out to make that possible. C'mon," leading her around the counter to the far side. It was quieter here and Saphira suspected Brianna had come looking for sanctuary. Saphira went around to the back of the counter and poured Brianna a glass of ice water and placed that and a menu in front of her. "Here," she offered. "You take a look at this while I go take care of those folks," motioning to a nearby table. "All right? Then I'll be right back."
Brianna blinked and nodded. "Take your time, Saphira. I'm fine here by myself for now."
"You sure?"
Brianna looked around again cautiously, realizing it was probably the dinner hour rush at the diner. Not wanting to cause Saphira to lose tips on her account, she nodded firmly. "Absolutely. As long as you don't mind me hanging around for a while, I'm great."
Saphira awkwardly patted her hand. "You're welcome to stay as long as you need to, Brianna. Look over the menu and I'll be back in a few."
"Thanks, Saphira." Then Brianna watched as Saphira melted away to take care of her other customers.
A few minutes later, Saphira returned to where Brianna was sitting. She arched an eyebrow in question, causing Brianna to blush and chuckle simultaneously. "I'm sorry," Brianna said with only a hint of the embarrassment currently flooding her fair complexion. "I never realized...." Her voice trailed off thoughtfully and her expression sobered before her head dropped. "Doesn't matter now, I guess."
Saphira worried her lip between her teeth, contemplating her options. This was actually Esmeralda's field of expertise and Saphira felt like a fish out of water. Still, she was an angel and there was a part of her that knew only too well how Brianna felt, having faced the possibility of losing Esmeralda for the rest of their immortal lifetimes. It wasn't something she'd wish on her worst enemy and as an Angel of Retribution, that was saying a lot. The fact that this woman had chosen this path, thinking it was the right thing to do for the woman she loved more than anything simply made it worse.
Saphira took a deep breath and cupped Brianna's chin gently but firmly in her hand. She urged Brianna's face up, then stroked her jaw line, causing Brianna's eyes to fly open and meet her blue ones in startlement. "It does matter, Brianna Walker. It matters more than anything else in the world."
"How do you...?" Then Brianna sucked in a pained breath, seeing the depth of agony and sorrow Saphira was allowing her to witness. Brianna clasped the hand that still tenderly held her face and brought it down to the counter between them, covering it with her other hand. "You really do understand, don't you? You know...."
"All too well, Brianna."
A crashing sound brought them out of their private reverie and Saphira straightened, though she did not pull away from Brianna's hold. Brianna, however, appreciating that Saphira was still at work, released her hold and made a weak shooing motion.
"Go on," she encouraged. "I know you've got more important things to do than to mollycoddle me."
Saphira met Brianna's eyes fiercely and Brianna froze. "There is nothing more important than this," she replied softly, putting a hand over her own heart. "But if you want to talk privately, I do need to finish up here first and get folks on their way."
Brianna patted the hand that remained on the counter. "No one understands better than I do that responsibilities have to come first. Go on," she said again. "I'm not going anywhere."
Saphira gave her a long look, then nodded. "I'll be back. You be deciding what you're gonna want to eat in the meantime, all right?"
"Deal."
Brianna watched as Saphira wove in and out of tables, expertly taking orders, refilling glasses and bringing plates as fast as Joe called out, 'order up'. In a very brief amount of time, Saphira had been to every table and was back in front of her.
"You know what you want yet?" asked with a smile. Brianna smiled in response.
"Yep. I think I'll have the blue plate special."
"Great choice; lemme go put it in. It shouldn't take but a few minutes. That's been real popular today. You want something else to drink?"
"No, thanks - I'm good with water right now."
Saphira nodded. "All right. I'll be back."
Saphira stopped at the window and placed Brianna's order with Joe, then headed out around the corner to check on the other tables again. Just before she headed back to Brianna, Jade and Coral stepped into the diner. Her eyebrow arched, but she allowed them to seat themselves. She wasn't surprised when they took a booth near the door that allowed them ample sight of the entire room, but particularly Brianna. Saphira scooped up two menus and headed over to them.