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THE NEW DAWN FOUND Boo and Jamie still tangled in each other’s arms, their legs entwined.
The light peeked in through the blinds as Boo stirred first. She lay quietly, luxuriating in the memory of each orgasm of the previous night. Reliving Jamie’s sweet kisses was cut short as she remembered she needed to be up and ready to leave with María on their long drive.
Jamie’s head rested on Boo’s shoulder. Boo lightly caressed the side of Jamie’s face, gently guiding it up toward hers. She kissed Jamie softly on the forehead, then her nose, and finally her lips.
Jamie moaned as her body twitched awake, caught between an erotic dream and immediate lustful urges. Her body buzzed with aroused nerves. Stretching to seek out the rest of Boo’s body, Jamie breathed in the scent of sex still in the air from the previous night’s activity.
“Mmmmm, I like waking up this way,” Jamie pulled Boo closer.
“Mmmmm, me too. I’d like to...but we need to get out of bed, make some breakfast for Max and María.” Boo sighed, kissing Jamie’s delicious lips one final time.
Jamie and Boo reluctantly crawled from the bed, searching for clothes scattered about the room. Jamie washed her face and wanted to suggest a joint shower, but that would seriously delay their appearance in the kitchen. Max would be starved by the time they finished.
Boo and Jamie held hands as they walked into the kitchen. They were surprised to find Max and María there, quietly cooking breakfast. Neither Boo nor Jamie could contain a blush.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” María gave the two a self-satisfied smile as she flipped an omelet in the pan.
“Look, Boo, María and I are making you and mom breakfast,” Max stated with pride.
“Thank you, buddy. This looks great. I’m famished.” Boo had worked up an appetite overnight.
“Thank you, mijo. This is very thoughtful. How long have you two been up?” Jamie was curious how María managed to keep Max quiet. Usually a mother’s ears picked up on the sounds of a stirring child anywhere in the house.
“We wanted to surprise you!” Max was pleased the plan had worked.
“Did the thunder and lightning keep you two kids up late last night? You look a little sleep deprived.” María was clearly enjoying teasing the new lovers.
“Nope, slept just great.” Boo shook her head at María, not bothering to contain a guilty grin.
“I thought we would eat, then pack and head out. Jamie, I hope you don’t mind if we leave early?” María, concerned about Jamie’s feelings, wanted to include both Jamie and Max as part of the planned departure.
“Sooner you get on the road, the sooner you’ll be back home with Isabella, and Roxie and Zoe.” Jamie engaged her acting skills to cover her feelings of desperately wanting to hold onto Boo and not allow her to depart.
Breakfast included discussion of the planned trip as well as some of the upcoming events Jamie and her family had planned. Jamie made it clear that María and Isabella were welcome in her home at any time. “Without even a moment’s notice,” Jamie added with a wink.
After breakfast, María asked Max for help loading the bags and cooler in the car, giving Jamie and Boo a final moment alone together.
“I will be back.” Boo tenderly pulled Jamie into an embrace, speaking directly into Jamie’s ear, “I promise.”
Jamie closed her eyes tight to prevent tears from spilling out. Releasing their hold on each other, they stoically walked outside. Boo hugged Max, leaving him with the same message of promised return.
As María drove along the driveway toward the highway, she glanced at Boo. Boo’s eyes were not filled with tears as she expected. The golden brown eyes of her friend, and soon to be ex-spouse, were resolute, focused, and clear.
The drive to María and Isabella’s house was long, giving Boo and María hours to talk. Boo asked questions and María told all of the stories she could remember about Boo’s past. After their years together, María knew almost all there was to know about Boo’s life. The stories helped to restore many memories as recognition led to recall, and recall led to connections to other memories.
“Did we ever want to have kids?” Boo wondered if her attachment to Max was a long time desire or something new.
“We talked about it. But with us both working and trying to bring my family here, it just never became a part of our plan.”
“I can see having a family with Jamie. I hope I would be a good parent. I expect to be around for you and Isabella’s kids.”
“You’ll be a great parent, and a great godmother,” María assured Boo.
Boo drove for a couple of hours, giving María a break. Her driving skills were rusty, but quickly refreshed on the relatively quiet interstate. The duo passed the time by checking in with Isabella and Jamie, texting amusing pictures from the car.
“So, how was it last night?” María had waited as long as she could possibly stand before asking directly.
“It’s a little weird telling my wife about sleeping with another woman.” Boo ducked the question without expecting the dodge to work. After all, she now remembered that María had not been reticent about sharing details when she and Isabella started their relationship.
“Oh, get over yourself,” María chided Boo.
“It was wonderful. Intense. Will it offend you if I say it was the best sex I’ve ever had? But it wasn’t just sex, it was way more.”
“I’ll try to console myself by pretending you just don’t remember the fabulous sex we had.” María’s exaggerated attempt to appear offended dissolved into a guffaw. “I’m happy for you. Really, truly happy. You deserve to find someone. I like Jamie, and Max, and the rest of the family. It’s obvious how much they adore you. That makes me happy.”
***
PART OF JAMIE WANTED to do nothing except curl up on the bed and wallow in self-pity. Instead, she packed a lunch for herself and Max, and drove to town. She called her mother and father, asking if she and Max could join them for the day. She would work in the garden at the shelter house, fix bicycles, whatever they had planned. She needed the company of family, distraction, movement, activity—anything to keep her mind off Boo’s leaving. She wanted someplace to hide from missing Boo and the fear she would never see Boo again.
Jamie found Philip at the shelter working in the garden with several of the women who were staying there. Max joined the other children at the small adjacent playground, while Jamie pulled weeds and staked tomato cages.
The women in the garden recognized Jamie. Their initial greeting was stand-offish, suspicious that her appearance among them was a publicity stunt. Their eyes roamed the surroundings searching for photographers or video cameras. When they realized this was not a photo op, and Jamie was just as sweaty and dirty as they were, they relaxed and included her in the conversation.
During lunch break, Jamie took a short walk, texting Boo, Working in the garden with Dad and several wonderful women. Missing you a lot. Hope the trip is going well. Talk soon. Hard physical work was good for ignoring the excitement in her body leftover from the previous night’s activities, but she could not shake the wistful feelings Boo’s absence created in her life.
After a long day laboring in the shelter garden, Jamie and Max joined her parents for dinner. She had little desire to go home to the empty guest room, the empty chair at the table, and the empty spot next to her in bed.
“Would you two like to stay here tonight? We can watch a movie? Eat ice cream?” Lessa’s eyes made contact with her daughter’s as if she could read her mind.
“That would be nice, Mom, but aren’t you tired and busy?” Jamie was aware of her mother’s real motivations.
“We’re all tired, right Max?” Lessa pulled Max into the conversation, counting on her grandson to take her side.
Max looked at his mom with long lashes framing soft brown eyes.
“Okay, we’ll stay.” Jamie snuggled Max on one side of her on the couch as her mother sat close on the other side. “Thanks, Mom.”
***
AS THEY NEARED THEIR destination, Boo asked if she could spend the night with María and Isabella.
“I don’t think I can face my place yet. Not alone.” Boo was scared to enter her condo, not remembering anything about how it felt to be there. She was also afraid of falling back into old habits, forgetting Jamie and Max.
They parked and practically ran up the steps to the house. Isabella greeted Boo at the door as if she were a long lost puppy who journeyed thousands of miles to return home.
“Boo, I’m glad you’re okay. You had us worried. Well, a lot of things had us worried, but mostly you.” Isabella combed her fingers through Boo’s short hair looking for the new scar.
“Thank you for supporting the rescue mission.” Boo gave Isabella a wet kiss on the cheek to show her appreciation.
“From what I hear, you hardly needed rescue. More like...reminding. And you found someone special?” Isabella had heard all about Jamie and Boo’s budding romance from María and could hear the excitement in Boo’s voice on the phone when she talked about Jamie and Max.
“Yes, she is special,” Boo cheeks burned red. “And Max, too.” This was all Boo could say without prompting tearful eyes. She missed them already, causing renewed determination to put her life in order before returning to Crestwood.
“What can we do to help with your re-entry?”
“María has been telling me stories for the last couple of days. I may need you to provide a reality check. I suspect she may have exaggerated a little here and there for her own benefit.” Boo winked at Isabella. “Seriously, would you two mind going with me to my place tomorrow? I can’t do it alone right now.”
Having never seen their friend feeling this vulnerable, María and Isabella nodded their agreement. Over dinner, plans for the next day were made.
Boo spent an hour after dinner on the couch scratching Roxie and Zoe’s heads, listening to them purr. “I missed you two. I was searching for you in my dreams.”
After Boo retired to the guest room, exhausted from the emotional stress of the journey, María and Isabella closed the door to their bedroom to process.
“She is obviously in love,” Isabella observed. “The way she talked about Jamie during dinner...mmmm, mmm. How are we going to get those two together?”
“First, we will finalize the divorce. Then, we’re packing up her condo, which should not be difficult because she has barely unpacked anything since she moved in. Then, we are driving her to Crestwood. She can sit in the front seat like a big girl, or we can box her up, too.”
“Seems simple.” Isabella smiled at how María’s straightforward approach actually seemed to be the most sensible. “Any idea if she’ll go along willingly?”
“That’s not my problem.” María laughed as she settled under the sheets, wrapping her soon-to-be wife in her arms.
***
JAMIE AWOKE EARLY FROM a restless sleep. She found her father sitting on the back porch, deep in his own thoughts.
“Morning, Dad. Thanks for letting me crash the garden party yesterday. Is there something I can help with today?”
“I was happy to have you. I think the women really enjoyed it too, once they started to trust you. It’s hard for them to trust someone new.” Philip worked hard to recognize his position around the women at the shelter and appreciate the difficult journey the women there were on.
Jamie often thought about how privileged her life was and what responsibilities came with that. The lessons she learned from her father and mother informed the way she raised Max. Those lessons were also influencing her plans for future work and family, which she hoped included Boo.
“Would you like to help with the Bikes-for-Kids rollout? We are planning a party to present the children with their new bikes weekend after next. We have a load of bikes to take to Fairfield to the shops and bring back the ones they have already repaired and reconditioned. Would you mind making the trip? Later, maybe you could help me with the party planning?” Philip proposed.
“Absolutely. Sounds like a plan. Time for breakfast and let’s get this day started.”
***
MARÍA AND ISABELLA slept in an hour later than usual. When they came down the stairs, Boo was in the kitchen cooking breakfast.
“Excuse me? What have you done with my Jirafa?...What?...You say she’s been replaced by someone named Boo who can actually cook?” Isabella teased. “Well, I’ll be...I like this new person.”
“Seems I may have picked up a new skill or two,” Boo blushed slightly, pleased with herself. The cats had been fed and Boo was enjoying being among friends who could help her remember her past, although cooking breakfast reminded her of mornings with Jamie and Max. Her heart ached as she thought about how much she missed them.
After breakfast, María and Isabella drove Boo to her condo. The short commute across town allowed Boo to recognize places along the way, although given the recent move, there was not much to remember.
Walking into the living room, as María predicted, was like walking into a storage unit. Boxes were stacked against the walls. The same was true of all the other rooms. The furniture, what little there was, sat where the movers had put it down. Clothes were still in bags and boxes, opened enough to find what Boo needed, but no more.
“Okay, this is rather depressing, but it will make it easier when we move you.” María put her plan in motion.
“Move? Move where? I just got here,” Boo protested.
“That’s right. Don’t get too comfortable. You are headed back to Crestwood as soon as we can hire a moving truck.”
“What will I do there? I can’t move in with Jamie. We don’t even...” Boo realized she didn’t know what was unknown.
“Blah, blah, blah. You own your own business, you can do your job from anywhere. Check. You have no ties here except me and Isabella and the cats. You’ll visit us, we’ll visit you. We’ll send you pictures of the cats. La marca. You don’t have to live with her. You have the money from selling the house. We’ll find you a place. Check. You love this woman. You love her kid. You love her family. They love you. Check, check, la marca.” María was on a roll. “Any questions?”
“Just one—how can you be certain she wants me to move there? It might be too soon.” Boo wanted to take her relationship with Jamie seriously, making such a move seem presumptuous.
“Really? If it doesn’t work out, what have you lost?” María pretended to wait for Boo to answer. “And if it does work out, then you’ll thank us later, at the wedding. Your wedding.”
“Whoa, that’s way too fast,” Boo resisted although she was surprised to realize she did not find the idea as scary as she might think she would. “You’re right. I don’t have anything to lose, and I have everything to gain. Would you two please help me figure this out?”
Isabella was impressed by how María brought Boo around in a matter of minutes. She enjoyed watching her soon-to-be wife use her powers for the forces of good. Now, if they could just keep Boo on track.