Mother of Darkwaters: Book one of the Vessel series (101 page)

   “That’s my fault,” Tamara confesses, “I wouldn’t let them. Caroline, Becca, and Jen took care of those guys that seem to be at their beck and call. I suppose your orders to do whatever they say is followed to a tee. I just didn’t know what to say to you.”

   “How about I’m alive?”

   “You’re right, I should have done that. But then the days turned into weeks, and then months. And before long, I got it in my head that you would hate me for waiting for so long. I got scared. I couldn’t handle the idea of you hating me.”

   “I could never hate you,” Julianna says sadly, “I love you so badly it hurts. Didn’t you understand that?”

   Tamara’s eyes water, “I’m sorry. I truly am. Believe me, I wish I could go back and make that call soon as he killed himself. I can’t. But I’m here now. And if you can forgive me, I will never scare you like that again. I don’t care what anyone tries to tell me. It won’t happen…”

   Tamara pauses. She adores Julianna with eyes she can barely see out of, “…Even if I have to kick somebody’s ass, I’ll make that call.”

   Julianna embraces Tamara with a hug. She feels the woman kiss the top of her head.  

   “There’s nothing to forgive. I love you, Tam. I always have.”

   Jennifer watches as her bff nudges Julianna’s chin upward. They part each other’s lips. Jennifer sticks her right pointer finger in her mouth and makes a gagging sound.

   “You said it sister,” Alexandria agrees.

   “You two need to grow up,” Gale chastises.

   Caroline looks at Jennifer, “You’ve been excited about this for three months.”

   “Doesn’t mean I wanted to watch
that
,” Jennifer counters with a wrinkled nose.

   “I think they look good together,” Rebecca replies.

   Caroline and Jennifer turn their stares towards Rebecca.

   “What the hell are you two looking at?”, Rebecca becomes huffy. She shrugs her shoulders, “I thought they looked cute at the party. Who cares if they’re both women? I’m with Gale, there’s too many children around here.”

   Rebecca looks down at her tight pink shirt before glancing up at Jennifer, “Besides, you didn’t seem to mind at the blood…”

   “Stop!”, Jennifer demands while closing her ears with both hands.

 
Becca and Jenny…sittin’ in a tree…

   Jennifer glares at Caroline while lowering her hands.

   “Demons don’t count,” Jennifer gives her answer. Black ink darts across her left eye.

   “Hmm,” Caroline ponders, “I wonder if that’s…
bullshit
?”

   Rebecca laughs.

   Jennifer looks in the direction of Gazebo Twelve.

   “Hey!”, Jennifer hollers out, “You two lesbos can take that crap inside. You’re about to cause Caroline’s death. And I am
not
joking!”

   She rolls her eyes as Julianna and Tamara both exchange their kiss for laughter. The two women turn with their arms around each other and begin walking towards the house. Jennifer gives Caroline a daring stare.

   “Reeear,” Caroline makes a cat sound while pawing at the air with her right hand, “Fffft-fffft.”

   Rebecca laughs – as normally, that is her move.

   Jennifer shakes her head within her frustration and makes eye contact with Alexandria. The woman holds up both palms in a defensive stance.

   “No need on my account,” Alexandria teases.

   Jennifer angrily looks back at Rebecca. Her eyes drift down to the hot pink tee shirt. She covers her mouth and gags.

   Caroline and Rebecca back up. Jennifer turns and runs about ten feet before dropping to her knees. She vomits.

   “It wasn’t
that
bad,” Rebecca sounds slightly hurt.

   “Don’t take it personal,” Gale says while watching Jennifer puke. She continues staring as though she has no care in the world, “Some try it and hop on over.”

   Gale looks at Rebecca, “Some do it and regret it forever. Others never consider it. And everyone else is in denial. It’s just how it is.”

   Rebecca looks at Jennifer. Her nose crinkles as Jennifer’s stomach releases all of her breakfast.

   “Personally, I prefer the added company with a guy,” Gale confesses, “It livens things up.”

   Alexandria stares at her bff, “You did not just say that.”

   Gale grins, “Justin likes it. You know how guys are.”

   “That doesn’t mean you have to give in, Gale. I can’t believe you just said that.”

   “Who said Justin had to ask more than once?”

   “Wow,” Alexandria replies, “You think you know somebody.”

   “I would have invited you, but…”

   “Don’t finish that sentence,” Alexandria warns, “I mean it. I love you, but we are
not
having this conversation…
ever
. And we’re going to have some new rules,
roomie
.”

   “Do all guys want that?”, an innocent sounding voice questions.

   Alexandria looks over at Caroline, “Unfortunately, most of them do, yeah. Guys can be disgusting. But you don’t have to give into that. Boys are just morons at times. I’m a Johnson girl through and through. And have
never
regretted it.”

   Alexandria, slowly, turns her head and looks at Gale, “
Ever.
”

   “I want a hug,” Gale pouts with her arms extended, “I’m sad.”

   “I’ll drown you, hoe,” Alexandria threatens.

   Gale lowers her arms, “My bff hates me.”

   “No, I love you. But I’m not playing along. Forget it.”

   Gale looks over at Caroline and winks. Alexandria pretends to be horrified and runs over to Caroline. She spreads her arms outward to make a solid shield between Gale and Caroline.

   “Nooooo,” Alexandria panics, “You can’t have her. She’s on
my
team.”

   Caroline blushes. Alexandria grins.

   “Who’s team?”, Tamara questions as she approaches the conversation. She looks over at Jennifer who remains on all fours, “What’s wrong with her?”

   Alexandria lowers her arms and turns around to face Julianna and Tamara.

   “Identity crisis.”

   Jennifer’s stomach convulses again as Alexandria’s words replay images of a pink tee shirt.

   “Huh?”

   “We were having a medical discussion about sexuality,” Gale says.

   Tamara’s brows narrow as she observes Jennifer spitting, “So why’s she throwing up like that?”

   “It doesn’t matter,” Rebecca sounds highly agitated, “She’s being Jennifer. What do you expect?”

   “Whoa,” Tamara holds out her left palm, “Sorry. Didn’t mean to set you off.”

   Tamara looks at Julianna, “I think we’re going to go inside.”

   The girl looks back at Rebecca, “You all can do whatever it is you were doing. It’s none of my business. Sorry we interrupted ya.”

   Rebecca shakes her head while rolling her eyes. She turns and walks towards the rear door of the house.

   “I’m going swimming,” Alexandria says while turning to look at Caroline, “You coming with?
Someone
needs to protect you.”

   Gale pokes out her tongue as Alexandria gives her a teasing glare.

   “You alright, Jennifer?”

   Jennifer, through her dry-heaves, uses her left hand to wave off Julianna’s question.

   Julianna looks at Gale, “Could you help them get acquainted with the house? They’ve never been here before.”

   “I got it. You two go have fun.”

   Gale notices a nervous look on Julianna’s face, but decides to keep her mouth shut.

   “Becca might be lost by the time you get in there,” Julianna speaks to Gale.

   “It’s Becca.”

   Julianna looks at her cousin. She momentarily thinks about the statement before agreeing with a single shoulder shrug. Long fingers trace down her spine. Julianna grins.

   “Ready?”, Tamara quietly questions in Julianna’s left ear.

   Julianna fights against her speeding heart rate with a nod. She staggers in a breath and begins walking – her palms sweating profusely.

   Tamara follows Julianna up the stairs to the second floor. As they walk down the hallway, Tamara grins.

   “Nice she-devil.”

   The subtle reference to her butt, via the she devil on the rear pocket of her short-shorts, causes Julianna to smile.  

   “Devia helped me to get these,” Julianna confesses, “You all are going to love her. She can get any kind of clothes in the world. That’s where that dress came from.”

   “For real?”

   “She picks up the phone and people listen.”

   “Becca would lose her mind with a connection like that. We’d never see her again.”

   “It might be fun to watch.”

   “Or terrifying.”

   Julianna laughs. But it is brief as she approaches the door to her bedroom. She nervously takes hold of the handle.

   “Wait,” Tamara says while gently touching Julianna’s outstretched hand. The woman with black hair stares at the oak wood door.

   “We don’t have to do this right now.”

   “I’m scared this is a dream,” Julianna answers, “I’m afraid that I’m going to wake up and start crying…like I always do.”

   “I’m
really
here, Julianna,” Tamara replies, “And I will be here tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. I will be here until you make me leave. But not before then.”

   Julianna turns the gold handle and eases the door open. She steps inside. Her eyes widen – her words stolen away.

   “It was tough getting those girls in the blue dresses to go along with this,” Tamara says while walking across the door’s threshold, “I thought one of them was going to have a stroke when I asked her to open the door. Captain Woods helped me to convince them.”

   “It’s beautiful,” Julianna barely whispers out the words. She looks down. Beneath her bare feet, red rose petals separate her skin from the hardwood flooring. She follows the trail of petals with her awe-stricken eyes. They lead to her bed located in the room’s center near the far wall. The red petals cover over the entire king-size mattress. The only evidence left of her blue bedspread, is found on the edges where the spread overhangs. She finds it difficult to breathe as long fingers intertwine with her left hand. She, slowly, looks up. Tamara smiles back with inviting eyes.

   “Do you like it?”

   Julianna looks back at her bed. Two sticks are tied with a blue ribbon – one a switch, the other thick and unforgiving. They lay diagonal across the bed’s center. Julianna remembers them from the farmhouse.

   Tamara watches Julianna stare at the sticks with distant memories. She gently sweeps Julianna up in her arms and cradles her while walking towards the bed. Julianna searches her eyes for answers. Tamara can still see the doubt on her face of whether or not she believes this is even real. She stops by the bed’s right side and carefully lays Julianna down on her back.

   Tamara reaches over the speechless woman and takes hold of the sticks, “We don’t need these. Not this time.”

   Julianna staggers in another nervous breath while Tamara lays the sticks upon the floor. The woman stands and slips her dress off – the offering of her present now exposed. Julianna refuses to move her eyes from Tamara’s gaze. But her peripheral vision still reveals the scar’s reminder of Tamara’s living nightmare.

   Tamara lies down by the love of her life. She softly caresses her long fingers up Julianna’s left leg.

   “We can take it slow,” Tamara whispers, “We have the rest of our lives.”

   She lifts Julianna’s white tee shirt enough to expose her belly. She lowers her head. A small hand fingers through the back of her short bleach blond hair.

   Julianna closes her eyes with a quiet sigh as Tamara kisses her belly – a kiss that is gentle within its intent.

Chapter 24

   Family Bonds

   “Look who decided to join us,” Rebecca announces to everyone in the pool room.

   “Hello you two,” Gale grins knowingly, “You both look exhausted. You must be ready for bed.”

   Julianna’s wide smile turns into a giggle. Alexandria grins as Tamara and Julianna walk towards the bar on the other side of the pool.

   Rebecca taps the top of her empty glass sitting on the bar.

   “Yes, ma’am,” a man wearing a white tuxedo says from behind the bar. He pulls the glass and puts it in a tray beneath the bar. He places a clean glass back onto the counter’s surface and begins making a Tequila Sunrise for the blond hair woman.

   “How’s everyone doing?”

   Rebecca looks at Tamara as she escorts Julianna towards the bar. She observes the unwavering smile upon Julianna’s face.

   “Apparently not as good as you two,” Rebecca gives her response.

   “Wow, is
that
what it’s like?”, Caroline questions.

   Alexandria and Gale laugh.

   “Not for me,” Rebecca watches the bartender make her drink, “First, he was like
I love you
. And then he had his fun. And after that, I never heard from him again. I felt like a real champion afterwards. Stupid ass jocks.”

   “Oh,” Caroline replies to her bff’s answer by feeling really awkward. She sips on her drink from the bar stool next to Rebecca’s right side.

   “Don’t get in any hurry about it,” Jennifer speaks. She sits in one of the white lawn chairs positioned by the pool. To her left, Gale and Alexandria laze within the next two chairs. The furniture is positioned so that the ladies can view the pool in front of them and the bar to their right.

   “What do you want?”

   Julianna looks up at Tamara with animated eyes, “Crown Royal.”

   “Heh,” Jennifer amuses while her mind recalls the night in which Julianna changed her life.

   Tamara holds up two fingers while looking at the bartender, “Two shots of Crown Royal.”

   “Better just get the bottle,” Jennifer calls out.

   “Yes ma’am,” the man behind the bar follows Tamara’s order instead of Jennifer’s suggestion. He turns and reaches for two shot glasses.