Dar felt a sense of relief. "We're heading back home at one. Can I give her some Advil until we get back?" She looked down into Kerry's inquisitive eyes. She held up the pill bottle and rattled it. "I'll make sure she doesn't take any more of this."
Kerry's face relaxed a little.
"You can do that, rugrat," Dr. Steve said. "I'll see you when you get here, right?"
"Right. Thanks Doc." Dar hung up the phone. "He doesn't like the script."
Kerry blinked a little. "That makes sense," she said. "I didn't start feeling this crappy until after I started taking it. When I got back from the hospital I was fine the whole night." She stifled a yawn and let her cheek rest against Dar's body again. "I'll be fine here until we leave."
Dar tucked the bottle of pills into the cushion. She glanced up as Cynthia returned her attention to them, apparently done with Alastair. She saw the woman's eyes fall on her partner's half bared chest and belatedly realized her tattoo was showing, the snake's head saucily exposed.
Covering it with her shirt would be only too obvious. Dar rested her hand on Kerry's bare belly instead, rubbing lightly the skin just over her navel.
"Kerry, is that--" Cynthia leaned closer. "Is that a tattoo?"
Kerry's eyes went wide, and her nostrils flared. Her hand twitched,as it lay right next to Dar's, and her breathing sped up.
"Isn't it gorgeous?" Dar gallantly came to her rescue. "It's an oraborus, a symbol of eternity, curled around my name." She lifted her hand and traced the design, moving the edge of Kerry's sports bra over so her mother could see it better. "Look at those scales."
"Ah." Cynthia edged closer and peered, not without hesitation."How interesting." She cleared her throat. "Angela did mention something about that."
"I can always count on Angie." Kerry now dared turn her head and peek at her mother. "She saw it when I stayed at her house last week. Was it last week?" Her brow creased. "Seems like a long time ago."
"Yes, it does." Her mother recovered. "It's quite intricate."
"You don't like it," Kerry said, in a mild tone. "It's okay if you don't."
"Well," Cynthia said, "no, I don't. I don't think it's right for a young woman to mark herself up in that way." She paused. "So, no, in fact, I do not like it."
Kerry felt refreshed by the honesty. "That's okay. I didn't expect you to," she replied with equal candor. "A lot of people don't."
Her mother paused for a long moment, and then shook her head. "Why did you do it then? I am curious."
Kerry looked back up at Dar. "Why did I do it?" She mused. "I think I just wanted that statement, that emotion to be as vivid on the outside of me as it is on the inside." She closed her eyes again and exhaled, another wave of lethargy passing over her.
"I see," her mother murmured.
"I heard Angie's good news." Kerry decided a change in subject was probably a good idea. She could hear her mother struggling to keep her thoughts to herself and she had no desire to spark an argument at the moment.
"Yes." Cynthia sat back, with a genuine smile. "I'm so pleased." She seemed glad of the change as well. "It was a great surprise, but a very welcome one."
Dar cleared her throat gently.
Kerry forced her eyes open to see the raised brows. "Brian proposed to my sister. Angie was as freaked out as you were when I proposed to you."
Dar produced a big grin at that. Then she glanced up at Cynthia. "Congratulations."
"Thank you," Cynthia said, taking a deep breath. "Well, I'm glad these things worked themselves out. I believe I must go back and meet with my colleagues, and then perhaps we might attend a working dinner with the vice president."
"By then we'll be home." Kerry exhaled. "Thank god."She turned her head and opened one eye. "Hope it turns out okay for you."
"And a safe trip to both of you as well." Cynthia concluded. "I'm sure we'll be speaking, Kerry. Angela has told me she wishes you to stand with her at the wedding."
Kerry nodded. "I told her absolutely," she said, getting a smile from her mother. "I'm really happy for her."
"As am I." Cynthia stood up. "Hope you feel better soon, Kerry.I'm sure you're well taken care of here." She gave Dar a nod. "And it was nice meeting you, Mr. McLean. Thank you for explaining things to me."
"My pleasure."Alastair was still sitting quietly in his chair. "Nice meeting you too."
Cynthia gave them all a wave and turned, making her way out of the room.
Dar gently buttoned up her partner's shirt and settled her arm protectively over Kerry's middle again. "Take a nap, champ," she told her obviously groggy companion. "I'll wake you up when it's time for us to leave."
"Gotta--" Kerry muttered. "Damn this stuff's kicking my butt."She gave in to the desire to sleep, as Dar's fingertips gently massaged her temples. "Dar, I'm gonna have to come up with something more radical."
"Huh?"
"I'm outta things to shock my mother with."
Dar chuckled faintly, and that was the last thing Kerry remembered before she let the room slip away.
Chapter Eighteen
CYNTHIA CROSSED THE lobby of the building and approached the front door. She paused, when she spotted Andrew Roberts entering. "Oh, Commander." She waved at him.
The tall ex-seal altered course and intercepted her. He had two overnight bags slung over his shoulder. "Lo."
"I just wanted to bid my farewell to you," Cynthia said. "I assume you are heading home as well."
"That's true." Andrew glanced around. "You want a cup of coffee fore you go? Ah just saw pictures of them people back at the exchanged and it's crazy there."
Cynthia hesitated, and then she nodded. "I could use a cup of coffee," she admitted. "There's a nice café, will you join me?"
"Sure." Andrew followed her over to one of the seats and they took over one of the tables in the little café to one side of the lobby. It was before lunchtime, so it was still quiet, and a waitress scooted right over to them when she saw them sit down.
Andrew set the bags down and exhaled. "Biggest cup of coffee you got," he told the girl, who nodded.
"Do you have tea?" Cynthia asked. "I'd prefer that, please."
"Sure, be right back." The waitress left, still scribbling.
"You look tired, Commander. I know it must have been a long week for you as well."
"Yeap," Andrew admitted. "Ah will be glad to get home to mah wife and mah boat, I will tell you. I do not regret coming here to help the kids out, but ah will be very happy to see that there airplane shortly."
"I do understand." Cynthia commiserated. "I didn't want to come here, you know. I wanted to stay in Michigan, dealing with the issues we have there. But I was told it would be highly unpatriotic if I did not come to support the city, so I did."
Andrew snorted. "Patriotism. Most these people round the gov'mint don't know how to even spell that word less what it means."
Cynthia studied him. "It's so interesting that you say that." She looked up as the waiter arrived, and deposited their drinks. "May I also have, perhaps, a tuna on croissant?"
"Sure." The waitress looked at Andrew expectantly.
"Ya'll got hamburgers?" Andrew asked.
"Sure."
"Have me one with cheese and some fries."
"No problem." The waitress whisked off, in a better mood.
Andrew took a sip of his coffee. "You going back home today?"
Cynthia sighed. "Probably tomorrow. As much as I am not enjoying this position I accepted, one does have to stand up for it, you know."
"Yeap."
"Though, I have to admit, I do not think it matters whether or not I go. I am not going to continue in this post, and therefore, the decision really should be mine."
"Yeap," Andrew agreed. "Thought I had to live up to stuff fore I almost lost everything I ever had for that. Don't go there no more." He shook his head. "Figured out I love my family more than my country."