"Okay," Saphira conceded, "but that doesn't explain your home wrecker comment."
Brianna rubbed her forehead hard enough to leave crease marks. "That had nothing to do with Charisma or the state of her marriage particularly. In my book, married women are off-limits."
"Lesson learned the hard way?"
"Something like that," Brianna muttered. "It would have been ugly for me if I hadn't found out before anything happened. Besides, who needs that kind of drama in their life?? I've got enough going on without someone else's issues crowding my plate." Her voice was sardonic.
Esmeralda grinned. "Don't we all?"
Brianna laughed for a long moment before she sobered. "I will miss getting to know Adam and watch him grow up, though. He's a firecracker and I'm betting he'll be a heartbreaker some day."
"I have to say... as much as Saphira and I would like to be able to have children, I'm not sure the world is ready for what our offspring would be."
Brianna cocked her head. Saphira just chuckled and nodded her affirmation to Esmeralda's words. "Why do you say that?" she queried, looking between them. "Do you think they'd be born with super powers or something?" She paused in thought a moment. "That could actually be kind of cool... as long as you got super powers too - preferably better ones."
Esmeralda snorted. "Trust me, Brianna - even having super powers wouldn't help. Our kids would be hellions."
"You say that so factually... like you already know."
"Brianna," Esmeralda said in her driest tone. "Saphira and I grew up together. We know what we were like as children. Putting all that mischief into a single body...." She shuddered. "Not a good idea."
"Maybe," Brianna agreed with a grin. "But you have to admit they'd be adorable."
Saphira snorted. "Yeah... this planet needs more of that - brats that some people find adorable that the rest of us want to strangle on principle. I get enough of those in my day job. I sure wouldn't want to come home to them."
Brianna grimaced. "Ew... good point. Kind of a shame though - you two would make beautiful children together."
"What about you, Brianna? You ever thought about having kids?"
Brianna's eyes widened. "Me?? Um... no. Not really. Not at all, actually. I wouldn't know how to raise one."
"Isn't it all learned by trial and error?"
"I can't say, but I do know I'd prefer to skip the trial so I can avoid the error." Saphira and Esmeralda chuckled at Brianna's matter-of-fact statement and she smiled at them. "So tell me more about the two of you," she asked. "Es said you grew up together. What was that like for you?"
Before either of them could answer, Ruby stuck her head in the living room. Esmeralda motioned her in. "Brianna, this is Ruby, a dear friend who came to help us out while I'm recovering. Ruby, please meet Senator Brianna Walker."
"How do you do, Senator? It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine, Ruby, and I'm Brianna out of the office."
"I'm sorry to intrude, ladies, but I was gonna get started on lunch. Only I'm not quite sure what lunch is supposed to be now," she added ruefully.
Esmeralda grinned and looked at the other two women in the room. "What do you two say to moving this party to the kitchen so we can take a look at what we've got to work with?"
"I think that sounds like an excellent idea," Saphira said as she rose from her spot. "Besides, I could use a refill," holding up her empty glass. "How about you, Brianna?"
"I'm doing good, actually, but I never turn down a chance to be in the kitchen. I have yet to not learn something while I was there - whether it was a new recipe or cooking method or just the latest gossip."
Esmeralda smirked at Ruby, knowing she would go along with the tease. "See, I told you the kitchen was better than those rag mags you like to read in the checkout line." Ruby hip-checked her and they laughingly made their way into the kitchen. A hand on Saphira's arm made her hang back with Brianna and she arched a brow in silent question.
"How is Es... really, Saphira? I gotta tell you - she scared the lot of us on the floor the other day when she missed work."
Saphira sighed. "She scared me too, but we're taking it one day at a time. It's all we can do at this point. But thank you for asking, Brianna. It's nice to know that folks care."
Brianna smiled. "I think you'll find that Es has a lot of friends that care. Now c'mon," she instructed, linking her arm with Saphira's. "We better get in there before Es decides we've gotten lost again."
"Too late," Esmeralda said with a soft laugh as they stepped from the living room. "I've already figured out that the two of you are working on some sort of government conspiracy cover-up." She narrowed her eyes at them. "But I'll figure it out."
Saphira leaned forward and brushed Esmeralda's cheek with her lips. "Just remember to have mercy when you discover we're plotting to take over the world by means of ice cream infiltration."
Her words and deadpan delivery got her laughter and Saphira grinned in response. Then Esmeralda swatted her on the behind and shook her head. "Ice cream infiltration indeed. Maybe you should see if Ruby needs some help."
"Yes, dear," Saphira and Brianna chimed in sync, bursting into giggles as they crossed into the kitchen. Ruby just looked at them; Esmeralda shook her head and went to follow them when a knock sounded on the front door.
She frowned, but called out, "I've got it." Then she stepped to the door and looked out the peephole. "Oh boy," she muttered. "This could get interesting."
Chapter XXXIII
Charisma groaned as the early morning light from the partially open curtains landed squarely on her face. She wiped her eyes, blinking furiously at the burning sensation she felt coursing through them. She pulled a pillow on top of her head, hoping the world would pass her by for a little while so she could grab a little more sleep. Then she heard Adam stirring and groaned again. This time, however, she flung the pillow off her face and rolled to the edge of the bed, mumbling and cursing under her breath about her stupidity the night before. There wasn't one part of her not protesting, and most parts were doing so on a number of levels.
She shifted slowly, wincing as her body snapped and popped with every movement. When she was finally in an upright position, she twisted her back, realigning her spine bone by bone. Then she turned the other direction and the album caught her eye.
With a sigh, she pulled it towards her and let it fall open of its own volition. Not surprisingly, it fell naturally to the page she'd spent the better part of twenty years and a good portion of the prior evening simply staring at. Reverently, she slid the photograph from the book and gazed at it, gently tracing her fingers over it.
Charisma took a shuddering breath and blinked the tears from her eyes when she heard Adam's footsteps running down the hallway in the direction of her bedroom. Carefully, she eased the picture back into its protective plastic sleeve and closed the album... just in time to turn and catch her son as he leaped in her direction.
"Oof!" she gasped, though the sound was lost in Adam's laughter.
"MAMA!" he squealed, holding her face in his hands and pressing a sloppy kiss to her cheek. Charisma held Adam tightly and brushed a kiss over his hair.
"Good morning, Adam! How is mama's big boy today?"
"GOOD!" Adam confirmed as he leaned back lo look his mother in the eye. "Hungry," he added with an impish grin, knowing Charisma would return his smile.
"Oh, you are?" she queried, a smile turning up the corners of her lips even though she could still feel the tears burning in the back of her throat. "Well maybe we should see about getting breakfast then, hmm, little man?"
"PANCAKES!" Adam voted loudly and Charisma winced as he had determined to cast his vote right next to her ear. She had a passing thought to wonder why it was kids in general and her offspring particularly felt the need to shout to be heard. Putting it down to a desire to ensure they were heard, she shook her head and set Adam on his feet.