Although Brianna couldn't see it, she heard the shrug in Charisma's voice. "It's something you were good at, Bri - and something you enjoyed doing... once you got past the idea of someone else reading it." Charisma hesitated when Brianna didn't acknowledge her words at all. "Why didn't you tell me?" She didn't move from her spot about an arm's length from Brianna, so she saw the stiffening in Brianna's spine as soon as the words left her lips.

It took a moment, but Brianna relaxed, then she turned to face Charisma. "Tell you what, Charisma? You've got to give me a little more than that."

"Why didn't you tell me about you and Kay? I would have understood, Bri. You were my best friend, and I'm not a homophobe - I never was."

Brianna met Charisma's eyes without flinching and Charisma had to bite her lip to keep from gasping at the pain she saw in those green depths. "Kay and I were a couple after you and I... I met Kay at Harvard - she was in her last year of residency when I entered law school."

"I see," Charisma said slowly, and Brianna wondered if she was putting the pieces together or trying desperately to keep them from reaching their inevitable conclusion. "And I guess you didn't know she would be here today?" the non-sequitor a little hard for Brianna to follow. Her mind had been on another train entirely.

"I wasn't sure," she replied honestly. "She and the family have always been here when I was, but today was a little different than normal. I really didn't know what Okasa was going to do."

She held Charisma's eyes, and blue eyes were the first to turn away. Charisma looked out across the yard that had been prepared for the coming winter and shivered a little at the deadness of it. She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the chill she felt. Without turning her head to see Brianna, she asked softly, "Did she make you happy, Brianna? Did you cry for days when you broke up?"

"She did make me happy, Charisma - it just wasn't enough for either of us. And no, I didn't cry for days... but I did cry. Kay was very special to me - she still is. And I'm lucky... we stayed friends and I count her husband as a very dear friend as well."

"They sound... impossible," Charisma said on a choked breath.

"They're lovely people, Charisma... if you give them a chance."

Now Charisma turned and faced Brianna squarely. "Would that make you happy, Bri - for me to give them a chance?" Brianna nodded but didn't say a word. "All right - I'll give them a chance... for you." Charisma covered one hand briefly and squeezed, then turned and headed inside. Just before she reached the door, she looked back. "You need to come in soon - it's too cold to be out here without a jacket." Then she crossed the threshold and closed the door behind her.


Chapter LXII

It was coming on dark when families started gathering at the door preparing to leave. The children were reluctantly snugged into their outerwear by parents who knew that the chilly day had given way to a frigid evening. Most submitted to it with a long-suffering sigh, and parents exchanged eye rolls as each child was bundled up for the weather.

Esmeralda and Saphira had said their goodbyes earlier, when Esmeralda had started showing signs of exhaustion again. The girls had watched them go with concerned frowns, but Saphira and Esmeralda never noticed. Esmeralda had taken a good nap, and now she and Saphira snuck down to the staircase landing at her behest to watch the proceedings with interest.

The kids saw Okasa and Patrick emerge from the kitchen with containers of leftovers, and they cheered - the older ones stepped forward to relieve them of their burdens and receive a hug and kiss. As they bid their grandparents goodbye, they headed outside to escape the congestion and free up some space in the now overcrowded foyer.

Brianna walked out with them, not wanting them to be outside alone in the near darkness. Harley just rolled his eyes - knowing he was old enough and responsible enough to be left out here alone, but secretly glad Brianna cared enough to help him keep an eye on his siblings and cousins. For all his grumbling some days, he certainly didn't want anything to happen to any of them.

"I hope your friends are all right, Aunt Bri," he offered as he and Michelle came up to stand beside her next to the Williams van. Brianna turned and looked at him with a question in her eyes. He cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "No... no one said anything, but I've got eyes that can see. I saw how upset you and the rest were when they excused themselves and went upstairs early. I figure one of them must be pretty sick... maybe even terminal or something." He shrugged. "I just hope they're okay. They seem like really nice people, and it was funny to see Saphira blow Dad's sock off at dinner."

Brianna chuckled. "Yeah, she did kind of floor him, didn't she?"

"I'll say," Michelle agreed, waving her brother and sister over as her parents stepped from the house. "That was so much fun - and the look on his face...." She reached up and gave Brianna a hug that she gladly returned in equal measure. "I'm glad you were here, Aunt Bri. I've missed you since you went to Washington."

Brianna smirked. "You can still call me there, you know. The phone still works that far away." Michelle stuck out her tongue, causing the three of them to laugh and Kay to question as she walked up beside them.

"Should I even ask?" looking at the three of them. "Probably not," she added with a laugh when they gave her their cheesiest grins. Lee bumped by them with a smile as he started loading the two younger children into the vehicle. Harley held out his hand to Michelle and they made their way to stand at the back of the van to say a semi-private goodbye. Kay turned to Brianna and opened her arms; Brianna stepped right into them and wrapped Kay in a firm grip.

"I'm so glad you were here," Brianna offered somewhat muffled.

Kay returned the hug fervently. "Even with everything...?"

"Even with."

Kay smiled and pulled slightly out of the embrace, enough so she could look into Brianna's face half hidden in shadows. "I don't know what you said to her, but thanks. If Charisma didn't exactly warm up to me, at least she stopped resenting every breath I took."

Brianna chuckled. "That's progress - I'll take it."

Before Kay could reply, there was a commotion at the front door and Adam ran out. Without thought, Brianna released Kay and ran towards him, snatching him up and lifting him into her arms. He struggled for a moment.

"Hey, Little Man... where's the fire?"

Adam stopped trying to escape the moment he heard her voice. Instead he snuggled down into her hold and buried his nose in her neck. "Br'anna good," he murmured.

"ADAM ROCKWELL!!" came Charisma's shouted voice from the doorway as she exited on a run....

... only to discover him in the arms of her erstwhile best friend. She inhaled deeply, struggling to get her temper under control. Adam had scared the living daylights out of her when he'd jerked way from her and run pell-mell outside, and after everything else that had been thrown at her all day long, she had reached her breaking point. Brianna, having recognized the sheer terror in Charisma's eyes, headed her way immediately with Adam still nestled in her arms.

Kent, realizing that Charisma was torn between panic and fury, slid out the door and intercepted Brianna before she reached Charisma. Brianna understood that he wanted to remove Adam from what could quickly become a field of battle, and she moved to release Adam into Kent's arms. Unfortunately for Brianna, that just made Adam cling to her tighter.

She leaned back, tilting his head up until blue eyes met serious green. "Adam, you need to let go - you're hurting me, Little Man."

"Love Br'anna."

"I love you too, but you need to go with Daddy now. You scared him and Mama when you ran off like that. Do you remember the talk we had with Saphira, after you ran in front of my car?" He poked out his lip in a pout but nodded slowly. "This is the same thing."

"No go!" he commanded and frowned.

"Adam, I'm not going anywhere tonight, and you'll get to see your cousins again before you go home, all right?" He held her eyes for a long moment, then nodded, nuzzling back into her neck. "Okay, but for right now, you need to go with Daddy."

"C'mon, son. I think Gramma was getting out some leftovers for you to have a snack. Are you hungry?" smiling when Adam nodded and released his stranglehold on Brianna's neck. Kent lifted Adam into his arms and leaned forward to brush a kiss over Brianna's cheek. "Thank you," he whispered. "If anything had happened to him...."

"I'm glad I was there, Kent."

Kent nodded. "Seems like you've been there a lot for him. Maybe you're like his Guardian Angel."

"God, I hope not," Brianna said with a laugh. "I couldn't possibly keep up," breaking the tension of those around them. The motion that had frozen at Charisma's bellow resumed and Kent just chuckled in sympathy with her. Then he shook his head and walked back inside, pausing by Charisma a moment before returning indoors.

Brianna looked at Charisma, but when she moved to go to her, Charisma shook her head and turned to walk around the side of the house. Brianna watched her disappear into the darkness, not surprised to feel Kay's hand drop onto her shoulder.

"Talk to her, Bri. It's been a hard day for her, and this was her last straw, I think."

Brianna nodded and patted the hand on her shoulder, then turned to embrace Kay once more. "Thanks, Kay. It means so much to me that you guys came today."

Kay let go and Brianna found herself engulfed in Lee's arms. "We were happy to be here, Bri," he assured her. "But don't you get yourself caught up in that whole political scene down in DC, all right? We're all counting the days until you come home."

Brianna chuckled. "Me too," she admitted. "But we'll be here for a couple more days, so let's make sure to put the time to good use. We'll get together again, right?" The rest of the family - brothers and their wives - cheered at that suggestion as they gathered around for their goodbyes, and then they were all leaving one full vehicle at a time.

Brianna moved to stand on the front steps, not seeing Okasa and Patrick come up behind her as she waved goodbye. Only when she turned did she realize they were there, and she was glad for their steadying hands when she nearly took a backwards header off the steps.

"You all right, Little Bri?" Paddy asked when she was steady again. Brianna nodded.

"Yes, Paddy. You and Mama just surprised me. I thought I was by myself."

"Would you prefer to be?" Okasa asked, searching green eyes carefully.

"No, Mama. I love knowing you and Paddy have my back. I just expected you two to be inside with Kent and Adam."

"Oh no," Okasa stated emphatically. "Aside from wanting to make sure everyone got away safely, Kent was going to give Adam a good talking to. Paddy and I would just be a distraction." She looked around the now dark and empty yard. "Speaking of distractions, where is my daughter? I know Adam nearly gave her heart failure when he ran out. I expected her to be the one to bring him in, reading the riot act or something similar."

Brianna smiled sadly. "I think it all got to be too much. But I have a good idea where she went. Do you think I could get a thermos of hot chocolate?"

Okasa smiled and nodded. "Sure. C'mon inside and we'll make it up. It won't take but a minute."

Together they entered the kitchen, only to find Esmeralda at the stove stirring what smelled like homemade hot chocolate. Saphira was busy shaving chocolate into the pot on the stove while Kent was cleaning up a nearly sleeping Adam. As Brianna, Okasa and Patrick entered the kitchen, he hefted Adam from the chair and into his arms.

"I'm just going to go give him a quick bath and put him to bed. I think all the excitement tuckered him out."

Patrick chuckled. "All the excitement tired me out too."

"We'll be up to say good night in a few minutes," Okasa volunteered. Kent nodded and left the room. The five remaining adults in the room looked at each other for a long, silent moment, before Esmeralda shrugged sheepishly.

"I hope you don't mind. It sounded like a good idea with everyone standing around outside in the cold... especially after Kent told us what happened with Adam."

Okasa marched over to the stove and took a spoon from the drawer beside it. She stirred it around in the hot liquid for a moment, then scooped up a portion, blowing on it lightly before letting it flow across her tongue and down her throat. She closed her eyes to savor the flavor, then opened them and stared at Esmeralda sternly. "If you think you're leaving here without giving me that recipe, young lady, you've certainly got another think coming," her face breaking into a smile. "That's amazing." She leaned over the pot and breathed in deeply. "You fixed enough for everyone, right?"