"Oh? Anyone I know?" he asked with an understanding smile.

Charisma shrugged. "I'm hoping to have lunch with Brianna, but...." The phone rang at that moment and Charisma looked at the display with a frown. "Excuse me." Kent nodded though she was already moving away from him. He watched her go, then extended his hand to Adam.

"C'mon Boy... let's go get your coat and go see some dinosaurs."

"And Br'anna?" Adam asked guilelessly.

Kent looked in Charisma's direction. "I don't know about that, Son. I don't know if Brianna will be at the Mall today. But we'll go see the dinosaurs - that'll be fun, right?"

"YES!" Adam declared vehemently, then he took Kent's proffered hand and together they headed upstairs to Adam's room. Kent chanced to look back just as they reached the landing, and saw Charisma's shoulders slump slightly before she straightened and nodded. When she hung up the phone, she went into her office without a backwards glance and Kent and Adam continued on to Adam's room.

Within minutes Adam was kitted out and ready to go, and he dashed down the stairs to find Charisma. Kent followed at a much more leisurely pace, not surprised to see Charisma step from her office and close the door behind her before Adam reached her.

She reached down and lifted him off the ground with a groan. "You're soon going to be too big for Mama to pick you up like this anymore, Son. You go have a good time with Daddy, and I'll see you boys later, all right?"

Adam hugged her tightly, then used her body as a catapult to launch himself in Kent's direction. Only good reflexes kept it from being a disaster, and Kent scooped Adam out of mid-air even as Charisma tried to catch her breath. Kent turned concerned eyes on her.

"You all right?"

She grimaced and nodded. "It's been a while since he stepped there; I think he was still on the inside then and he wasn't quite as heavy as he is now. You boys go have a good time; I'll be here when you get ho... back."

"I take it lunch is a no-go then," Kent spoke as he set Adam down to retrieve his outerwear.

"You'd be right," Charisma replied, not meeting his eyes.

"Pa?"

"I need to get ready, Boy, then we'll go all right? I need to put on my coat and things so we match."

"Kay." Kent looked back at Charisma, and noted her attention was focused on Adam. Kent finished adjusting his coat over his body and flattened his collar, then stepped into Charisma's personal space and lifted her chin.

"You wanna talk about it?"

Charisma shook her head emphatically, driving him to free her chin from his grasp. "No! That would just be... weird. I can't talk to you about this."

He buttoned his coat and pulled a hat from his pocket, pulling it low over his ears, but not so low as to inhibit conversation.

"Why?" He held up his hand to keep her from answering. "Charisma, we were friends first and you are still one of my very best friends, remember? Friends are there for each other and I don't think there are going to be many other people you can really talk to about this - not that will try to understand and support you. I mean, there's Brianna of course, but I don't think it's a good idea to talk to her until you've got things clear in your own heart and mind. There's Okasa, but that could get awkward considering she loves you both like her own. I suppose you could talk to your friend Esmeralda - she does have the advantage of being a lesbian in a long-term relationship. I don't really know her well enough to know if she could offer the kind of support you need though. We won't even go into your political colleagues and acquaintances," smirking when Charisma shivered delicately. "So as I see it, I'm your best bet." He paused when a flash of honest confusion washed over Charisma features.

"Why? Why would you want her to take your place?"

This time he took her face in both hands and forced her to look at him when he spoke. He wanted her to see his sincerity and to know he meant what he was saying. He also wanted her to recognize the truth of his words.

"Charisma, Brianna Walker will never take my place. For years she's had a place in your heart and your mind that I will never touch - she doesn't need mine. So when you get ready to talk and you need someone to talk to, call me. I'll be there for you."

"Why?" she asked again.

"Because you deserve to find real happiness, and you need Brianna Walker to do that."

Kent leaned forward and brushed a kiss over Charisma's forehead, noting her stiffening that melted almost immediately. She covered the hands that cupped her face and pressed them with her fingers gently before releasing it and stepping through the kitchen towards the back door. Kent took her cue and turned to the alarm, keying in the code, then nodding at her. She opened the door, and Kent grasped Adam's hand and together they walked to the SUV. Kent got Adam secured into his car seat, then he pulled out of the garage as they headed out to hunt dinosaurs. Adam turned and waved, and Charisma stood at the door and waved back. Kent just gave her a crooked smile, and it reminded her why she'd married him.

She waited until Kent closed the garage door behind them, then she shut the door and moved back towards her study. It was going to be a long day.

************

One of the nicest things about having a politically-minded wife, Kent Rockwell decided, was having access to a parking garage within the city limits of Washington, D.C. proper. He pulled the SUV into Charisma's space, then removed Adam from all the belts and buckles holding him fast in his car seat. Adam knew to wait for Kent, so he clutched Kent's pant leg until he could take his daddy's hand. Then together they crossed the garage to the elevator and headed out towards the Mall.

The day was cold, but not biting and it was a nice walk across the street to the Mall. Adam held Kent's hand tightly and looked around with wide eyes.

"Br'anna?" he finally asked, recognizing the place where they'd run into her the week before. Kent looked around carefully and shook his head.

"I don't see her, Boy," his shoulders dropping just the least bit. He'd been hoping for luck today - he wanted to talk to her and Kent had the distinct feeling that Adam's presence might be the icebreaker they needed. Still, he wasn't going to go traipsing through the National Gallery looking for her. If he was to stumble upon her here, it was going to have to happen like it did before. Otherwise, he would make it a point to seek her out privately... either at her apartment or in her Senate office.

Kent looked down at Adam. "C'mon, Son." He pointed to another museum down from the gallery. "That's where we're going. That's where the dinosaurs are." Adam grinned and started tugging on Kent's hand, laughing infectiously when Kent scooped him up and spun them around. Then Kent set Adam back on his feet and they raced off across the Mall for the museum.

************

Brianna stood on the steps of the National Gallery, hidden behind a column but still able to see the tableau taking place just below her. She smiled wistfully at the happiness she was witnessing. Then she turned her back and made her way into the gallery itself. Maybe a few more minutes spent looking at Diana would restore a measure of her peace.

************

Charisma seated herself at her desk and pulled her work forward, determined to get something productive done while she waited for Kent and Adam to return from their outing. She assumed it wouldn't be a problem - many were the Sundays when she'd buried herself in her study to work while Kent and Adam were elsewhere. But today she couldn't seem to settle down and concentrate on much of anything. She blew out an impatient breath when she realized she'd checked the clock six times in five minutes.

With a frustrated sigh, Charisma pushed the papers away from her and stood, crossing to the window to stare sightlessly across the yard that still held snow in the shady spots. She glanced at the clock again - despite what Kent had implied earlier, there was actually something she could talk to Okasa about regarding the whole situation. She just had to wait until her parents were back from Mass.

Thankfully, they tended to go to early service, which meant they should be home shortly. Patrick and Okasa always went out to brunch with friends after church, but they were still usually home in the very earliest part of the afternoon.

Charisma decided to go fix herself a cup of coffee to pass a bit of time, and when she returned to her office, she decided to chance a phone call.

The phone rang three times before it was answered and when it was picked up, Patrick was on the other end. "Hello?"

"Hi Daddy."

"Hi Princess," he replied and Charisma could hear the smile in his voice. "How's my baby girl today?" Patrick wondered what was going on. Charisma never called at this time of day... even on Sunday - she was always working.

"Not much. Kent took Adam to the Natural History Museum a little while ago."

"That's nice," wondering any number of things, but mostly why Charisma was indulging in small talk. "Is everything okay, Charisma?"

"Yes, Daddy. I just... is Mama there?"

"She's getting changed out of her Sunday clothes. Hang on a second."

Charisma could hear the rustle of material as Patrick moved, and then there was a low murmur of voices. It seemed like only a minute passed before Okasa spoke into the receiver. "Charisma? What's wrong, Baby Girl?"

Charisma took a deep breath, and Okasa waited patiently. They had a fairly regular schedule that they followed and had for years - it meant they knew when to expect visits and phone calls so they could plan accordingly. So for Charisma to call unexpectedly out of the blue meant something was up.

Okasa suddenly realized that had happened... especially the phone calls... with much greater frequency since Brianna had crashed back into Charisma's life, and she wondered fleetingly if that was what this was about as well. Then Charisma was speaking and she didn't have time to wonder anything except how honest to be.

"Mama, how did you respond when Brianna told you how she felt... about me, I mean?"

There was silence for a moment while Okasa considered her answer. "She never told me, Charisma. I knew. Just as I knew...." Okasa trailed off, not willing to start down that road with Charisma... especially over the phone.

"You knew what, Mama?"

"I knew that Brianna loved you, Charisma."

"That wasn't what you were going to say, Mama," Charisma accused but Okasa remained silent, waiting for Charisma to pursue that line of thought. Instead, Charisma took a deep breath. "Tell me what your reaction was when you discovered Brianna was in love with me?"

"What do you want to know, Charisma? I had a long time to understand what was happening - I watched it take place in front of me over the course of years. It didn't change how I felt about either of you - you're still my children... both of you."

"And how did you reconcile that with the teachings of the Church?"

Okasa blinked. Whatever she'd expected, this hadn't been on the list of possibilities. She was well aware that Charisma only attended church with the family when she was home because it was expected of her. But Okasa didn't know what Charisma really believed or what had turned her away from the Church in the first place. Okasa bit her lips as she considered her words carefully.

"Over the years, there has been more than one occasion when the Church's doctrine and my personal faith haven't meshed for any number of reasons. This would be one of those instances. I cannot believe that the God who loved the world so much He gave His Son for it would condemn love of any kind. Do you remember your Catechism - I Corinthians thirteen?"

"The love chapter," Charisma whispered.

"Yes... the love chapter. Love never fails - so the Church and I go our separate ways on this issue. For me it's a matter of faith... what I believe in my heart."

"And it never bothered you that Brianna was a woman?"

"I never quite understood the desire to be with another woman that way myself. But did it bother me?" Okasa pinched her lip between her fingers while she pondered Charisma's question. "No... I can honestly say it didn't bother me. I know Brianna's heart - she is a wonderful, caring human being. And frankly speaking, she's a beautiful woman. What's not to love?"

Charisma smiled at the truth of her mother's words, then the smile faded and her expression grew pensive. The silence grew so large Okasa was finally compelled to break it.