"I supposed I should get to work, and I'm sure you probably have other things you need to be doing as well." She paused. "Thank you, Charisma." Charisma's brow furrowed.

"For what, Es?"

"Being a friend," Esmeralda replied. Charisma brushed a kiss over her forehead and stood, offering her hand to Esmeralda and pulling her up as well.

"You were a friend first, Es. And you were a friend when I needed one the most."

"I'm glad."

"Me too... even when I was angry with you," smiling when Esmeralda's eyes widened. "I was angry because you were right, and because you had the guts to say something to us about it in front of each other."

"And now?"

"Now I'm wishing you had kicked us in the backsides a long time ago - because she gave me that other chance, and I'm determined to try."

"I think you might just succeed," Esmeralda said as she moved back to her cart and began removing her supplies and tools.

"I hope so," Charisma replied softly. "I would like to be happy again, and I would love to be the one that makes her smile for the rest of her life."

Esmeralda's eyes widened, but she kept them on the duster as she moved around the room. "That um... that sounds pretty serious, Charisma."

"Especially from someone who's been living in Narnia for twenty years?"

"Well... yeah - exactly."

"I'm not ready to say the 'L' word yet - either of them. I'm pretty sure that's going to take me a while... just like looking into a career that isn't politics is going to be a slow-moving process for me. But I've had time to regret a number of things in my life, and in the past few months, I've come to accept a few hard truths as well. I don't want to be the cause of her pain anymore, Es."

"If it makes you feel any better, Charisma, I think this is gonna be a good thing for both of you. And of course I'm willing to listen any time you need to talk."

"That goes both ways, my friend," Charisma answered. "Now let me get out of your way. I need to get home and make sure the family hasn't toilet papered the inside of my house," laughing aloud at the expression on Esmeralda's face. "Trust me... they've done it before - it's not pretty."

"I'm not even gonna ask."

"Good choice. OH - before I forget - Mama said to tell you that she expects to see you this week before everyone heads home. They're leaving Sunday afternoon."

"I'll try."

"Hard, Es," Charisma warned with a finger pointed at her. "You don't want to know what will happen if Mama has to come looking for you."

"Probably not," putting the dusting materials away and unwinding the cord on the vacuum. "Go check on your family. And I want pictures if they've redecorated the interior of your home."

Charisma rolled her eyes. "I'll see what I can do." She packed away her laptop and shouldered her briefcase, then gave Esmeralda a wave and left her to her work.

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

Brianna glanced at the clock when a knock sounded on her door, a little surprised. Esmeralda must be ahead of schedule tonight she thought, and called out, "C'mon in, Es." She was therefore more than a little surprised to see a dark head and blue eyes peer around the doorframe.

"I'm not Es - can I come in anyway?"

Brianna chuckled and shook her head at Charisma's playfulness - this, like the phone call they had shared the night before, reminded her so much of why she and Charisma had become friends in the first place. She motioned Charisma in.

"What can I do for you, Charisma?" Brianna asked, the smile lingering on her lips.

"I won't stay but a minute, Brianna, because I know you're waiting to talk to Es. I was just wondering if you'd give me a call when you got home tonight."

"Didn't I do the calling last night? Isn't it your turn to call?" her voice alight with a hint of laughter.

"It would be... if I wasn't going to be home well ahead of you with no idea of when you will be arriving."

Brianna nodded slowly and looked at her watch. "How about you call around eleven-thirty? I'll be home and we should both be winding down by then."

"Fair enough," Charisma agreed. "I want to talk to you about H.A. Fontana."

Brianna winced and scratched the back of her neck. "Oh you've heard about that, have you?"

"Laura was quick to inform me this morning. I'm not mad - except at myself for not catching on to it sooner. She's one of my favorite authors, you know."

"Really?"

"Um hmm - she's always made me feel like part of her stories."

Brianna couldn't stop the smile that crossed her face. ""Mission accomplished then."

Charisma couldn't stop the slight blush that crept up her cheeks and she cleared the throat. "I'll just let you get back to it," she said, motioning around Brianna's office. "Expect the phone to ring at eleven-thirty." Then she was out the door and closing it behind her before Brianna could say a word.

"Well... all righty then," Brianna offered to the empty room, then turned her attention back to the work on her desk.

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

"So how are you doing, Brianna?" Esmeralda asked as she accepted the bottle of chocolate milk Brianna offered. Brianna drank a deep draught of milk, swishing it around in her mouth before swallowing. Then she shrugged.

"I'm trying to decide if I'm an idiot or just a fool," smiling slightly when Esmeralda frowned. "Despite my best intentions - despite myself... despite everything - I agreed to trying again with her... to starting over and seeing what that could be for us. Do I love her so much that I'm willing to do anything to see that she's happy?

"Isn't that part of loving someone, Brianna? Doing what's best for them even if it's not what's best for us?"

"This will break me, Es - if it doesn't work, it will... I'm not sure...." Brianna sighed.

"Do you think it won't?"

"Do you think it will? Es, I don't know what to think anymore. I'm not sure I can trust my judgment because I want this so... so much. I thought I could walk away again... that things would be like they were before and I'd adjust to her not being in my life once more. But I couldn't stay mad and now...."

"Can I tell you something?" waiting for Brianna to nod. "It's okay to be scared, Brianna. You've been on the wrong end of a bad situation for a long time. But I've seen how she looks at you - it's the same way you look at her - the same way Saphira and I looked at one another." She paused to draw a shaky breath and she sipped on her milk so she wouldn't choke when she tried to swallow down a swollen throat. "The fact that she wants to start over from the beginning... to get to know the person you are instead of who she remembers or imagines you to be - that's significant progress. I think it will lead to happiness for both of you if you'll let it."

Brianna smiled. "Always the optimist, Es?"

"It makes my day better than if I focus on the negatives, Brianna. Besides," she added as she glanced around the room until her eyes landed on the crystal frame that was once again displayed prominently on the desk. "I'm pretty sure you're an optimist too."

Brianna chuckled deprecatingly. "Maybe a little. Maybe I just want... a lot."

"It's okay to want, Brianna. And if it helps, I'm wanting for you too."

"I'll take all the good vibes I can get at this point."

"And if you want to talk...."

"That goes both ways, Es. I'm pretty sure I would have gone screaming back home before I even got settled here if not for you and Saphira, so don't hesitate to ask if you need anything, all right? I'd like to think I can be the kind of friend that doesn't forget about their friends no matter what else is happening in my life."

"Thank you, Brianna. You'll never know how much...."

"That's okay - I'm pretty sure you won't either. But I'll always appreciate it. Now c'mon. It's time to get out of here."

"But my work...."

"... will wait until tomorrow. It's not like I'm an exceptionally messy person, and you've done enough for one day. I'm sure it will all be here tomorrow for you to take care of, and if it makes you feel better...." Brianna lifted the shredded trash and dropped it into Esmeralda's cart. "There - all done."

Esmeralda laughed and shook her head. "All right, Senator. I can take a hint. You must have a hot date tonight."

Brianna flushed. "Not quite, but I am looking forward to a phone call," matching Esmeralda's smile with one of her own. "And I'm not leaving you here alone tonight. So let's go... chop, chop."

Esmeralda couldn't argue, so she laughed and put things away, then together they walked out of Brianna's office. Tomorrow would definitely be another day.


Chapter CV

Brianna was comfortably propped up in bed, sipping a cup of hot chocolate and looking over some notes from her editor when the phone rang. She couldn't stop the smile that crossed her face when Charisma's name flashed on the screen. Still she was careful to greet Charisma warmly without giving away a hint of the racing heart she could feel beating in her chest.

"Hello, Charisma."

"Hey, Brianna Brianna. You wouldn't happen to want to help me dispose of the dead bodies that will soon be occupying my house, would you?"

Brianna's brows popped into her hairline, but she couldn't halt the snort of laughter that escaped her throat. "Do I even want to ask?" hearing Charisma shut a door and wondering where she was that she was just closing everyone out.

Charisma sighed. "My brothers - you remember them right? Tall, annoying... law enforcement personnel - yes, well they decided that the family needed a little levity after the funeral and wake yesterday. So they utilized those illegal skills they have acquired as police officers to pick the lock on my office door," moaning slightly when she stretched out on the bed.

"Oh dear," Brianna murmured. "Toilet paper?" she asked sympathetically, remembering when the boys had decorated their apartment like that after having helped them move in senior year.

"If only," Charisma lamented and sighed again. "Silly string."

Brianna laughed even as she groaned aloud at the visual. "They didn't!"

"Oh yes they did. Mama is standing in the doorway with a broom as we speak, directing their clean-up of the mess. I'm pretty sure they're going to have to replace a couple pieces of furniture."

"Yea for Mama," Brianna commented, setting her cup on the bedside table and pushing her editing to the far side of the bed.

"Yes, and speaking of...."

"I'll try," Brianna cut in.

"You don't know what I was going to say."

"Sure I do, Charisma. We may be just starting to learn about one another again, but Mama hasn't changed in twenty-five years... not about some things anyway. You were going to tell me that I need to try to come over again before the family leaves."

"Too damn smart for your own good," Charisma mumbled, smiling when Brianna's chuckle came across the line. "So tell me about H.A. Fontana."

"There's not much to tell, really - I found that giving up writing was harder than I thought it would be. I was... distracted from my day job because of the stories I wanted to tell. And losing you - Fontana was a way for me to remember without it being too personal, because I could make the stories about the characters instead of us. And it fulfilled my need to write."

"So Mac was right then - you should have become a writer."

"Mac was right," Brianna agreed with a smile in her tone. "I wrote and told him about it a long time ago. He was gracious about it - he never said 'I told you so'; he just asked for a first edition of each book and tickets to the premiere when... *if* it goes beyond the book."

"Do you think they will?"

"There's been talk," Brianna admitted. "But talk is all it's been for a while. It doesn't matter right now though. I don't have time for it to be more than it already is."

"Maybe someday?" Charisma's voice a little wistful.

"Maybe."

"And your pen name? That came from our European trip, didn't it?"

"It did indeed - some of my fondest memories are tied up in that name."

"Mine too," Charisma confessed. "Did you talk to Es?" feeling Brianna's hesitation. "I know she's a wonderful confidante, Brianna, and I'm not asking you to spill secrets. I was wondering how you thought she was doing."

Brianna tilted her head thoughtfully even though Charisma couldn't see the action. "I think... you know, I'm not really sure. Part of me wants to believe she's going to get through this despite everything, and another part of me wonders if that's even possible. I've never met two people so in tune with one another before."