Chapter LVI

Margaret had quietly apologized for her assumptions and was sitting in the living room when the SUV pulled up in front of the house. Adam had been sitting on her lap while she read to him, but the minute he heard the car door slam he struggled to get down.. "Mama?"

Charisma held out her hand. "Come on, son. It should be...."

"BR'ANNA!" he shouted, seeing the twinkle in Charisma's eyes. He rushed for the door. Outside, the three women exchanged glances and chuckled.

"Well, Brianna," Saphira offered with a smile. "It looks like at least your arrival is anticipated." Just then, Charisma opened the door and Adam ran out with a glad cry... right into Brianna's arms as she knelt to intercept him. He pulled back just enough to cup her face in his hands rubbing their noses together and giggling. Then he released her and ran straight for Saphira's kneecaps. She caught him just before he reached her and swung him up high into the air and into her arms.

"PHIRA!" he hollered, squealing in laughter when she blew raspberries over his belly. "ES!!" he added, screaming, reaching for her. Adam got his arms around Esmeralda's neck while Saphira held onto his bottom half. He looked at her in frustration.

"Where's my hug?" Adam pulled back from Esmeralda, who helped him lean back into Saphira to give her a hug and a wet kiss. Then he jumped at Esmeralda, and she just managed to catch him with Saphira stepping up beside her to help balance them. They didn't even realize the audience that had gathered at the doorway watching them until Adam turned around and cheered.

"MAMA!!"

Charisma stepped out of the house and the rest spilled out behind her. Adam wiggled and Esmeralda put him on the ground, then he ran back to his family and took Charisma by the hand.

"Mama, come!" tugging until she followed him out onto the lawn where her guests were still standing where they'd stopped when Adam came running out. Only after she was standing in front of them did she realize everyone else was right behind her waiting for introductions. Charisma took a moment, giving each of them a hug before she turned back to her family.

"Ladies," she said to Brianna, Saphira and Esmeralda. "This is my family - my husband Kent, my mother-in-law Margaret, my mother Okasa and my father Patrick. My brothers and their families will be here tomorrow," she explained, then went on with the introductions. "Guys, this is Brianna, Saphira and Esmeralda... my friends."

There was a long moment of exchanged handshakes and greetings before Patrick turned to Kent. "What do you say we help these young ladies bring their things inside, and then you and me and Adam can go to town for some ice cream."

Kent smiled and nodded. "I think that's a fine plan, Paddy." He glanced between the three new arrivals. "Would one of you mind popping the hatch so we can get started?"

Brianna pressed the unlock button, then crossed to the back of the truck. Both men turned and looked at her with a questioning expression. Brianna rolled her eyes. "You fellas might need a little help - we brought the chocolate cakes Charisma ordered before we left DC."

They looked at her, then at the boxes stacked in front of the luggage. "Got it," Kent replied. "Good thinking."

Brianna chuckled. "Yes - I'm trying not to let my skills rust while I'm in Washington," causing the two men to laugh in sympathy with her attitude. Charisma just snorted.

"Good luck with that, lass," Patrick joked, placing a cake box into either hand. Then he reached around her to hand Charisma two and Saphira stepped up and took the last two and they followed Okasa into the house where Adam had already led Esmeralda inside, and Margaret had followed them more slowly.

Now they entered to find Adam comfortably ensconced on Esmeralda's lap, telling her a story from the book Margaret had been reading earlier. Margaret was watching them with a curious expression, but Esmeralda didn't even seem to notice. Charisma, Brianna and Saphira followed Okasa down the hall and into the kitchen, then to a walk-in pantry. She motioned them where to set the cakes, then turned to Saphira and Brianna.

"Have you girls eaten?"

"Yes ma'am." Saphira replied, causing Okasa's brows to fly into her hairline.

"Saphira, we don't stand on formality here. I'm Okasa or Mama, but not ma'am."

Saphira blushed and shook her head. "We'll try, Okasa, but you're going against a lifetime of habit."

"Something your mama taught you from a child?"

"Yes ma'am... something like that."

Okasa chuckled and shook her head. "All right. Let's go into the living room," turning to find Charisma behind her with a tray of assorted drinks. Okasa didn't ask - she just nodded her approval and led the way back to where Margaret and Esmeralda were now sharing a bit of quiet conversation. Obviously it hadn't taken Paddy and Kent long to unload the SUV and claim Adam.

Charisma played the dutiful hostess, handing out favorite drinks to each woman, then taking a seat beside Esmeralda on the couch. "It's so good to have you guys here," Charisma commented as she reached over and squeezed Esmeralda's hand. "I'm really glad you came."

"*We're* glad they came," Okasa corrected firmly. "I've heard so much about you both; it's wonderful to have you in my home." She turned to Brianna. "And I'm thrilled to have you back with us again," reaching out to the woman she considered a second daughter. "It's about time."

"Hear! Hear!" Charisma muttered under her breath, though everyone heard her. Her words caused a myriad of reactions around the room. Brianna blushed; Okasa smiled; Saphira's and Esmeralda's eyes met and they nodded slightly; and Margaret frowned.

Okasa noticed, and before Margaret could say anything, she looked at Charisma. "Do I want to know why there are six chocolate cakes sitting in my pantry?" chuckling at the flummoxed look on Margaret's face.

"Oh Mama - wait til you taste this cake. It is spectacular," seeing Brianna and Esmeralda nodding their heads in agreement. Margaret tilted her head at Saphira.

"You don't like it?"

"Oh... yes, ma'am, I do. But I prefer the banana pudding. Matilda serves an amazing banana pudding - her mama's recipe."

"Matilda?"

"My boss, and the woman who made the cakes. She and her husband Joe own a diner just outside the city. It's how we met Brianna."

Now Charisma's ears perked up. "I don't think I've heard this story. Share?"

"I'd like to hear how all of you met, actually," Margaret confessed. "I mean... Charisma told us how she and Esmeralda met, but you just seem like such an unlikely group of friends. It's almost like Fate stepped in and brought you together or something."

"Do you believe in Fate, Margaret?" Esmeralda questioned.

Margaret studied her a long moment, interested despite her unwillingness to be. Having actually met Esmeralda, she could understand Charisma's earlier words. There was something about the younger woman that drew people to her - that inspired confidence and trust. She found that she was curious... and more than that, she was concerned about this woman she had just met, yet seemed to know.

"You know - sometimes, I think I do. And then there are times that I wonder why we choose the outcomes we do." She smirked. "I think it depends on the kind of day I'm having."

Charisma chuckled. "I think we all have days like that, Margaret." She looked around the room. "So we were going to hear about how you three met." Saphira and Esmeralda turned to Brianna whose eyes widened comically.

"Why me?"

"Two reasons," Esmeralda said. "It started with you and you're the writer here," garnering a light laugh from Charisma. Brianna directed a glare towards her and Charisma held up her hands in surrender.

"Don't blame me - I didn't say a word. Professor Mac would be thrilled by the description though."

"Wait," Margaret pled, pinching the bridge of her nose before rubbing her forehead. "Am I missing something else?"

"Brianna and I were roommates in college. She had a double major - law and theatre."

"That's an... interesting choice," Margaret said slowly. "Though it does make a certain amount of sense. And let me guess - writing was one of the criteria for the theatre major."

"Yes," Brianna answered uneasily.

"Do you still practice?"

"Writing?" Brianna asked, waiting for Margaret to nod. "Um... not really. Practicing law has kept me pretty busy, and this whole political thing is just something else again." She looked at Charisma. "I have to admire your fortitude. I don't think I could make a career out of politics," raising her glass in salute.

Charisma returned the salute. "That's okay - I think it takes a special breed of animal to be a politician."

"Oh the things I can think of to say to that," Okasa quipped, drawing an irked stare from her daughter and laughter from the remainder of the women in the room. After a moment, Charisma yielded the field and stuck her tongue out at her mother before she smirked. Margaret turned back to Brianna.

"So how did you end up in politics? I apparently missed something... several somethings, it seems... while I was abroad and you're quite obviously un-enamored of the whole idea."

Thus the next little while was spent filling Margaret in on what she had missed, though no one went into too much detail, especially concerning their friendship. For one thing, Brianna and Charisma were on less than stable ground, and for another, Saphira and Esmeralda had no idea how this new variable factored into the equation they were already well into solving.

So they glossed over much of their history together and instead told funny little anecdotes about other things. Margaret and Okasa were both intrigued to hear Saphira's and Esmeralda's tale, and wondered aloud at what kind of Father would dismiss a child so heartlessly that he would leave them to suffer so badly.

"And have you recovered, my dear?" Margaret asked Esmeralda solicitously... in complete contrast to her strident accusations early that morning. Having met the woman in question, she understood Charisma's defense of her and now was concerned with the fact that Esmeralda's health did not appear to be retuning to her as it should. "Is there anything we can do to help speed the process for you?"

Esmeralda smiled shyly and briefly covered Margaret's hand with her own. "It's lovely of you to be so concerned with someone you don't even know Margaret. Thank you for that. But we have been assured it's gonna be a slow recovery - the only thing that will make this better is time."

"Would you do any less?" Margaret asked, causing Esmeralda to frown in confusion. "Wasn't it your care and concern for both Charisma and Brianna when they were mere strangers to you that created the friendship you share now?" Esmeralda nodded. "Then allow me the courtesy of the same. I have a feeling you and Saphira would make magnificent friends if given the chance. I'd like to give you that chance and perhaps have it offered in return."

"Quite a change from this morning," Okasa commented.

"I was wrong this morning," Margaret confessed. She looked first at Esmeralda, then Saphira. "I judged without knowing... without giving you the opportunity to speak for yourself. That was wrong of me and I'm sorry," flinching slightly at the fire she felt burning from Saphira's eyes. It was Esmeralda's touch and her compassion that caught her attention though.

"We would never have known if you hadn't told us, Margaret, and we've all been guilty of it for far less reason. Consider yourself forgiven."

"Thank you, Esmeralda. Now are you sure there's nothing we can do?"

"I'm getting as much rest as I can manage, which right now is a lot." She turned and looked at Charisma. "I love holiday break," she said with a smile.

"Are we having a break?" Charisma groaned theatrically. "I must have missed the memo. I am still working as hard as I was when we were in session."

A chorus of 'Awws' and 'Poor Baby's' rang out along with laughter at Charisma's response which was to maturely stick out her tongue, throw a pillow and crossed her arms over her chest. At that moment, the men of the group returned and decided it was time for dinner. Just the suggestion of food made a number of tummies rumble and the large group headed towards the kitchen to make pizza.

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

"So what do you think?" Saphira asked Esmeralda once they were settled into bed much later that evening. After pizza, they had adjourned to the living room once more, with the exception of Saphira and Adam. He had chosen her as his bath buddy, so with much adieu-ing and many goodnights, she had taken him upstairs for his bath, just managing to keep him from streaking downstairs and through the house. Once he was clean, she had tucked him in and read to him, staying with him until he fell asleep. So she missed quite a bit of the adult interaction that had taken place.