When Buckeye had me ground under his figurative, and sometimes literal, heel, there had been a sense of weakness that accompanied the situation. When I laid there in the hospital for weeks while finding the simple task of breathing a great chore, that had come with another kind of weakness. I was experiencing yet another version of the sensation at this moment. It was mid-afternoon, yet I couldn't believe it. All that time we spent in the courthouse felt like it took up an eternity. There had been papers to sign, seats to sit in for ridiculous amounts of time as our case kept getting pushed back due to other cases going over, the actual meeting with the judge that included me having to be in a room with Mimosa for almost way longer than I could handle, and the repercussions of the judge's decision, which included a bit more paperwork and a series of unique new emotions.
We delayed going home, because Uncle Al and Aunt Dahlia were taking Mimosa straight home. It seriously was the most awkward thing having this tension riddled case with the other when we could so easily see the other person through our respective front windows everyday. Getting away from the stress was next to impossible, which was why dad had had the smart idea to take all of us to Mr. Mosaic's bookstore. It was empty at this time of the day, I had a nice corner to hide myself in, and the rest of my family had items they could use as excuses to keep themselves away from me.
Mom, dad, and Uncle Blaze had all tried their hand at getting me to perk up, of course, though. Their attempts did help, but I was too exhausted for them to mean much. I'd hardly had any rest since the previous morning, and the severe nervous wreck I'd been had not done me any favors. Now I was crashing, and crashing hard. It took Holly, who'd come with us instead of going home with her family, standing right in front of me for me to realize she was there. She tried to sit next to me, but my head couldn't get up.
"Coal, you look as if you lost," Holly spoke to me, still having trouble looking me in the eye even with her sitting before me, "But you won. You do realize that, right?"
I tried to smile as the tone of her voice signified loving teasing, but my lips barely twitched.
"I know," my voice was a whisper, "I'm just too drained. Now that all the crazy emotions have left, everything's blank."
With a gentle smile being easy for her, Holly tenderly placed one hand on my knee while the other lightly ruffled my hair and scratched my scalp. My body that was only recognizing the most basic things took that calming touch in eagerly- getting my shoulders to loosen more.
"Well, now you can relax a bit." she encouraged.
"No, I can't," I refuted, and I hated that I had to, "I've got to keep freaking out over this week. I can't believe that's all the time the judge decided would pass between this temporary ruling and the real one. I mean, I know my lawyer basically has our argument all set, so that's not the problem. I just...I don't know. Yeah, the judge ruled in my favor this time, but I can't help but feel that's simply because he needed more time to ponder the matter. It doesn't necessarily mean he's swaying to my side. I don't dare get my hopes up or think I'm safe lest I get screwed over next week."
Though Holly's smile faltered a bit, it remained. She cupped my cheek in her palm and managed to lift my head to the point where I could make basic eye contact.
"Even if he does decide Mimosa retains her right to an abortion, things can still work out. She waited all that time even when she had the option to get rid of the baby. It might be possible to convince her to continue the pregnancy. I don't really know how exactly, but..."
"What would you think if I got engaged to her? If I pretended to be engaged to her?"
As expected, that got a curious and confused frown out of her.
"It was something Mal suggested yesterday. That I string her along with a fake engagement until the baby grows too much for her to abort it."
Holly retracted away from me. She sat more on the ground, frowned harder, and appeared to be deep in thought. I envisioned her chastising me for thinking like that, but an abrupt smirk took over her face before I could begin to fret.
"It's devious. I like it," she praised, sitting back up to wrap her arms around me, "I don't mind. Go ahead and give her a taste of her own medicine if that's what you want to do."
"I can't be engaged to her and be your boyfriend at the same time though. Not in her eyes, at least. We would have to pretend we separated. I would have to let her hug me, maybe kiss me to make the ploy work."
Which I had hesitations about. Mimosa's presence seriously sickened me. Pretending to suddenly love her would be difficult enough, and I feared I might actually freak out if she tried to get touchy like I'm sure she would.
"I wouldn't mind, because I'd know the truth. It would be worth it to see you get what you deserve. I don't care how annoying the pregnancy is. Her discomfort is not enough of an excuse to continue to get her way after how she manipulated you and is threatening your child's life to continue to do so. It's despicable."
My arms, already clutching Holly close, pulled her tight up against me. She placed a kiss on the side of my head while I drank in that familiar scent of hers as the thought that I had once thought I was unsure if I truly loved her softly smacked me in rebuke. There was no doubting what I felt now.
Holly kept the conversation going, and over the next couple minutes I perked up enough to function on a basic level. Daffodil showed up with snacks for us all, and poor Umber had the hardest time trying to explain to Mr. Mosaic what was going on with dad and I as he grew horribly confused with who was who now that we were both right in front of him. The time came for us to head home, and I seriously did crash then. I remember my exhaustion took a big swing. Dad once again had to help me stumble as I walked, and mom insisted it happened as much as I denied her sitting in my room with me as I ate the tray dinner she brought because I couldn't remember one moment of it. I collapsed into bed, I woke up late the next morning, and that was all my memory gave me.
Me working that week was a non-issue. Daffodil and Umber clearly saw how stressed out I was, and they gave me the week off even before dad volunteered to take my shifts. With mom's cancer and my disappearance and recovery, he hadn't had much of a chance to catch up on all the astronomy things he'd missed to resume his own normal job just yet. However, dad looked rather ecstatic at the prospect of taking a trip down memory lane working his old high school part-time job once more. He had left by the time I woke up. The house was relatively quiet, so I got a quick breakfast before slinking back to my room thinking I could take the chance to numb my brain for a bit with something pointless.
I only wish I could have had that break. Bringing up my browser on my computer to watch some random videos brought on a whole new problem. I was just getting into the thick of it when Desire knocked before entering and coming over.
"What are you looking at?" she wondered.
Unable to say much, I simply scrolled back up to show her.
"Oh, a news article about the case," she said dryly, "I was hoping we could avoid that, but I did seem some reporters skulking about when we left the courthouse yesterday. What does the article say?"
"The article is not the problem. It just says how the hearing went down. It's the comments at the bottom that are the issue."
"Coal, you should never look at the comments for these kind of things. You know how horrible and ridiculous people are when they can hide behind anonymity."
"How am I supposed to ignore it? Look at some of the stuff people have written," I professed in exasperation, scrolling back down to the comment I'd been at before to read it to my sister, "'This case is bullshit, and the guy who is pushing it forward needs to get hit by a truck. He couldn't keep it in his pants, and now when he got caught he thinks he can cry 'rape' and go on about this baby he clearly doesn't want to turn himself into the victim? All he wants is pity and for his rich family to bribe him out of his mistakes. That poor girl he slept with is mentally ill. She wouldn't have been able to consent. He took advantage of her. How the hell does he think he has the right to tell her to suffer through months of agonizing pain only to leave her to care for the child of her rapist? There's no doubt he's going to abandon them both once he gets his way. What I wouldn't give to find him and beam him in the stomach for nine months straight with a large stick to show him a hint of the cruelty he's putting his victim through. It's the least of what he deserves'."
"Coal." Desire chastised shortly, frowning and trying to swipe the mouse, which I kept a firm grip on.
"This is another good one," I continued, "'Screw them keeping this guys' identity anonymous for the sake of his 'privacy and respect'. Show his face to the world. This case is going to make a mockery of the rights that poor girl should have, but at least he'll have everyone know what a douchebag he is. I bet you if people knew who he was and he saw how everyone hated him and how no one would want to hire a scumbag like him that he would drop his charges. I've actually already started a petition demanding they let us know who he is. That judge won't give the real victim justice, so we'll have to do it ourselves. The link is here'."
Desire inhaled and went to speak, but I found another gem to start reading before she got more than a word or two out.
"What is going on at that courthouse? Did an absolute idiot knock out the real judge, steal his clothes, and preside over a case for fun? The law is so fucking clear. Who really cares what happened? The girl is pregnant. She doesn't want to be pregnant. She has the right to get rid of what's essentially a leech. End of story. The guy should just be happy he had a fun time. I'm sorry his pampered, spoiled ass can't handle getting what he wants for once, but-"
Desire successfully snatched the mouse away from my hand. She was able turn off the monitor and pull me to my feet in two smooth movements, and she forced me to look her in the eye.
"Coal, they're internet scum. They have the truth, and they're choosing to ignore it because it doesn't fit into their black and white view of the world. They're acting as if they're being so noble with their words, yet all they're doing is making themselves as awful a person as they're making you out to be."
"They have a poi-"
Desire gave me a gentle shake and interrupted me again.
"No, they don't. Mimosa slept with you purposely trying to get pregnant. She sabotaged your means of stopping that. She stole your choice away, and by doing so she threw away her ability to choose now. People need to stop acting as if pregnancy is sheer torture. She can suck it up for a few more months."
"I can really say that you've convinced me or that I agree..." I spoke quietly but smiled lightly, "But, thanks, Desi. I know I haven't been myself and that I won't be myself for a while to come, so it's good to have your support. Maybe it might not do anything, but it is nice to hear that I'm not that person those commentors believe I am."
I paused to give my sister a large hug.
"I'm seriously going to miss you. Do you really have to move to Tinseltown?"
"I think I really do," Desire smiled sympathetically, "I know mom and dad don't consider me a burden, but I feel like one. It's frustrating relying on them living here after I'd grown accustomed to being an adult on my own. I need to get back to where I was, and there's so many opportunities for me in Tinseltown. Me living with Pris will also allow him to get that dog he wants."
"Well, that alone is good enough reason to move to the other side of the country." I chuckled softly.
It was about another hour before I left my room. Desire eventually revealed that the reason she came in was to tell me that she would be babysitting Tangerine for a bit. I closed down my browser, pulled up one of my favorite games, and finally got some brain numbing from that until I heard the downstairs door open and close. Rushing down in an instant, I scooped my niece up before anyone else could claim her.
"Good you win, Unc'oal." she encouraged me with her best toddler attempt at a sentence as she got hoisted into my arms.
"Thank you, Riny."
"Happy now?"
I kissed her on the tip of her nose, which was one of her favorite things. I had naturally not been very cheerful around her recently, and it had affected her as well.
"Yeah, I'm very happy now." I lied with a big grin.
Tangerine grew wholly ecstatic at that and clung at me with the best hug she could give. I returned that and soaked up the relief holding her gave me. My niece being around somehow gave me the sense I would be holding my own child before too long. However, it also made me extremely curious as well. I already loved Tangerine as much as I thought it was possible to love a person. If that kind of love was supposed to be even more intense with your own kids, that actually terrified me a bit.
Mom and Uncle Blaze were out, so it was me alone with my three sisters and Tangerine. I became thoroughly confused when they began pulling out things for lunch until I realized I had woken up and had breakfast super late in the morning. With it being a lazy day, lunch wasn't fancy in the slightest. It was more we all pulled out random snacks to munch on.
"I want to go see a movie." Cerise made sure to state.
"But I want to go rollerskating." Glade proposed.
"Well, I want to go to that new shop that opened down on Wheat Street." Desire added.
They were discussing their wishes for what to do with the day, and with limited transportation and time they were having trouble coming to a consensus. Planning to not leave the house myself, I kept my opinions out of the discussion. Except for...
"You do realize you're the one supposed to be babysitting Riny, right?" I reminded Desire.
"That's why I want to go to the shop. I can take her there. I can't take her to a movie or go rollerskating."
"Yeah, but the shop is close. You can walk there. Glade and I would need the car." Cerise said.
"What good is the car if you have no one to drive you?"
My two youngest sisters immediately looked to me, which had me putting my spare hand up to stop them from even asking. I was going to be free from being their chauffeur for one day.
The gentle debating and bickering most likely would have continued on forever had an unexpected thing not happened. The doorbell rang, but that wasn't the weird part. It was who rang the doorbell. We all glanced over, and Cerise recognized the visitor first.
"It's Jasper." she pointed out with controlled disdain.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Desire mumbled bitterly, "He hasn't even tried to talk to me in two months."
It seemed at first as if she was going to completely ignore his presence, but he was able to see us as easily as we could see him. I went to move to at least let the guy know he was wasting his time waiting around hoping someone would open the door. However, that apparently got Desire shooting up out of her seat to go take care of the matter herself. The conversation took place outside, and it didn't appear to be going so well for my sister's ex-boyfriend.
I got distracted entertaining Tangerine by throwing candy into the air and catching the pieces in my mouth, so much so that I barely acknowledged Cerise and Glade deciding to see if Uncle Frost or Aunt Sunflower would take them where they wanted to go. I also didn't realize quite how long Desire was actually talking to Jasper until I discovered neither of them were around. It had probably been a good twenty minutes at that point. They weren't in the house, and they weren't in the yard. I texted my sister to see what was going on, but there wasn't a response. Perplexed but not overly worried, I took over babysitting Tangerine like I figured would happen. Her presence kept me from getting all stressed out again though, so I didn't mind.
Finally, a whole two hours later, Desire returned. I plopped a sleepy Tangerine on my bed so she could take a nap before I followed Desire into her and Cerise's room.
"So?" I questioned curiously.
"He wanted to talk, which I really didn't want to at first, but," Desire sighed heavily, "It did need to happen at some point."
"And how did it go? Where did you go?"
"Sorry about that, and sorry about making you have to look after Riny instead. We went to that nearby coffee shop to discuss things more maturely than we were doing on the porch."
Desire fidgeted timidly.
"Coal," she began so softly I could barely hear her, "Do you think it's wrong for me to still want me and Jasper to work?"
"As a couple?"
She nodded.
"I mean, no, I don't think it's wrong. He's done bad by letting his parents treat you like they did, and ending your relationship because of their influence was stupid. He's not a bad guy though. However, you two would have to have some serious conversations and especially sort out his parent problem."
"Which Jasper did." Desire practically whispered.
"He did?"
"Apparently, Grandpa Jac talked to him," she revealed with a slight smile, "Since he went through a similar situation with his parents, he realized he might be able to help Jasper sort through the mess to discover what he really wanted. According to what Jasper told me, his parents started shooting off their mouths about me and the baby when Jasper mentioned me planning to move to Tinseltown. The conversation he had with Grandpa Jac really sunk in at that moment. He yelled at them that he'd had enough. He wouldn't let them say one more bad thing about me. They could disown him if they wanted, but he was going to be around for me and our daughter even if I shunned him every step of the way."
I kept silent as Desire composed herself before continuing.
"I can tell that Jasper's earnest about that. I know he does care about me, and he does care about our child. Make no mistake that I'm canceling my move to Tinseltown though. I have no intention of just getting back together with him. After everything that happened, I need to see that he's serious about this for the long run."
"I think that's perfectly fair. Jasper does have to prove himself before he can get back what he threw away so quickly."
Desire nodded solemnly.
"I hope he does well. As angry as I've been with him, I have been hoping to sort through the tension. I want my daughter to have parents who can get along, even if getting back together doesn't work out. I look at mom and dad, and the thought of having her grow up with the opposite of that makes me want to cry. Well, everything makes me cry these days, but that's beside the point."
I gave her a hug hearing that.
Desire relieved me of the task of watching Tangerine, although I didn't do anything of note with my freedom. I played more video games, watched television downstairs, gorged myself on junk food, and spent whatever time I had left calling my friends. The next several days consisted of much of the same. Holly and I spent a lot of time together though, and the others constantly came and went as well. It was the fifth day when I ignored everyone to find some isolation. A plan had to be made. In two more days I would be finding out if I would be able to keep my baby, if Mimosa would get her way once and for all, or if I had to bury all my reservations to pull off the greatest acting I'd ever done in my life.
Home was crowded with people, so the park became my destination. With the spring festival being over, there was no one around save for the few random workers here and there taking everything down. I wished as I walked that I'd been able to enjoy it more, but I'd forgotten about the festivities thanks to the big mess that was my life.
The playground did have a few people around. To be precise, two boys used the open space to throw a frisbee back and forth. They weren't having the greatest luck. Not so much from a lack of skill, but because of the heavy winds whipping around. No doubt we'd be getting a big storm off the ocean in the upcoming days. That frisbee went up and down erratically, and it tumbled on the ground more than it flew in the air. There was one great moment where it soared, but it soared far above the head of the boy closest to me to clip the flower bush before clattering at my feet. With a smile, I collected it and tossed it back before the wind could try such a thing again.
Before the boy could throw the toy back to his companion, an older female voice spoke to him something I couldn't quite make out. It was safe to say the woman was the boy's mother or similar. Planning on saying a quick hello as I walked by before continuing on my way, I froze in place and made sure I was completely hidden when a voice I recognized picked up the conversation between the two of them that had apparently been going on for some time.
"You really don't have to give me anything," Mimosa denied the woman softly, in the voice that was truly hers, the one I hadn't heard in a long time, "I didn't do much."
"You were a great help. She has been so fussy today, and it's been driving me crazy. You coming over and calming her down is a serious blessing." the woman praised.
I silently took a sneaky peek to catch glimpse of a little girl perhaps a bit younger than Tangerine sitting at the feet of Mimosa and the woman playing contentedly with a stuffed bear.
"It was nice just getting to play with her. I don't need anything past that." Mimosa smiled.
Her smile didn't last. She shifted guiltily and glanced all around with a somber stare. The woman placed her hand on her knee.
"Worried about what it will be like to look after the little one you have coming?" she guessed, "From what I've seen, you'll be a perfectly wonderful mother."
"Thank you," Mimosa accepted gently, sighing afterwards, "That's not what's been bothering me so much though. I...I made some really horrible choices, and I'm afraid I've screwed everything up with everyone I care about."
"Oh?"
The woman wasn't quite sure how to take that in. I, myself, listened even harder for what Mimosa would say next.
"I got the luck of being born with a mental disease. When I take my medicine, it hardly affects me. When I don't, well, my emotions completely take control, and I end up doing the worst things. I made some people I thought were friends, they lost their interest in me long ago now of course, and I was stupid enough to be convinced by them to abandon my medication. The result is that half of the people I used to know don't want anything to do with me, and the others who have been trying to put up with me I continue to hurt."
"You seem to understand now how you were wrong. It sounds like you want to make it all right."
"I do. The father," Mimosa softly touched her swelled stomach, "He pointed it out to me once how miserable I was letting my disease take control. I didn't think anything of his words until a few days ago. My twin sister, she's...she's one of the ones I've hurt the most. I pretended to be her in order to sleep with her boyfriend, the one whose baby this is, because I liked him too."
A heavier silence wrapped over the woman. She kept eye contact with Mimosa, but said nothing further.
"I've treated both of them horribly. I'm sure they absolutely hate me. My sister and I were arguing. It was about whether or not I would be keeping the baby, because I've been threatening to abort it to get her boyfriend to like me instead. She should have hit me a hundred times at this point. I thought she was going to storm out my room like always when things got badly heated. Yet, she didn't do that. She...She started crying. She got down on her knees and started pleading, begging for me to keep the baby."
My heart stopped at that. Clearly, I had no idea this had happened. Over the several days since this apparently took place, Holly gave no indication that she'd gone to such an extreme.
"That was when those words of her boyfriend sunk in. I realized how much I'd broken my family and friends around me. I was able to see how miserable I was and how miserable they were. I want that to stop. I want to make things right. I've started taking my medicine again, but I have no clue how to begin fixing the mess I've made."
I listened and waited. Mimosa listened and waited as well. The woman looked forward, training her eye on her daughter, and thought long and hard for a while.
"You're already well on your way," she finally spoke with a firm yet quiet confidence, "You've accepted the fault for your actions, and you've taken the first major step towards preventing yourself for making more poor choices. You want to make amends."
She paused once more before motioning to the toddler and the boy playing frisbee unaware of the conversation.
"I almost lost them. My ex-husband, he's not quite father material. He stopped having anything to do with them as soon as she was born. Instead of being there for them, I did the opposite of what you did. I started taking 'medications'. All the support I had turned away because I pushed them away. I made people miserable. I made my children miserable. Even worse, I put them in danger. It took them almost being taken away for the realization that I needed to shape up to hit me. I continued to suffer a lot. Those in my life who I'd lost, not all of them came back. My life was horrible, but I kept trying. Eventually, the pieces started to put themselves together. People can be a lot more forgiving than you think," she smiled sympathetically, "I worked hard, accepted the consequences of my actions, and here I am today. Things are definitely not perfect, but these two are happy and healthy. I've gotten myself under control. I can look forward to the future with them."
This time her hand ended up on Mimosa's shoulder.
"Definitely stop using your baby as an ultimatum. I think you already know that though. Past that, I don't have specific advice for you without knowing more about what's going on. However, just keep doing what you can. Apologize and mend the tiny hurts first. Give it time, be open and honest, and let everyone cope with the situation with the respect they deserve. That will make things better."
I saw Mimosa nod, and then I made eye contact with the little girl. My hand fumbled into my pocket knowing what was coming. Sure enough, the curious toddler excitedly pointed in my direction and mumbled an incoherent call of alert. There was no way I could hide, and traveling in the opposite direction would make it obvious I'd been eavesdropping. The best choice was for me to pretend to be doing something on my phone, even though it was locked and dark, and make it look as if I'd been walking in their direction as if I'd been oblivious to their presence. I held my breath as I waited to be called out, but, by some miracle, the ruse worked. The woman gave me an acknowledging smile and nod while Mimosa shot to her feet. I found when she rushed over to me that my stomach didn't really react with disgust like it had done previously.
"Coal, I know...I know how unhappy you are with me, but I'd really like to talk to you. I need to." she pleaded.
In that moment, Mimosa was Jasper and I was my sister. The situations were totally different, but I understood why Desire had given in to let the talk happen despite having been so furious.
"Sure, I don't mind," I accepted, and very nearly almost smiled at the look of shock on Mimosa's face, "I'd actually really like to talk to you too."
Stunned, Mimosa followed silently as I led her across the park to a quiet, shaded corner.
"Did Holly really do that?" I questioned before she could open her mouth.
"Huh?"
"Sorry, but I was eavesdropping a bit," I revealed, "Did Holly really get down on her knees and beg for my case?"
"I...um," Mimosa stuttered, embarrassed, "She did. I-I didn't like it. Holly, even though I've put her through some rough times growing up, she's supported me with all her might. I seriously hate that I drove her to do such a thing."
"Did it change your mind?"
Mimosa stared at me, blinking a few times to press back the slight wetness in her eyes threatening tears. However, as soon as she inhaled to respond I changed the topic.
"You look like you." I said.
Expectantly, Mimosa tilted her head in curiosity and confusion.
"The person I've been dealing with the past months, she's not the person I remember. She's truly someone different. Yet, now, I look at you, and I see the person I used to love to call my friend."
"I want to be that person again, Coal. I'm trying so hard to bring her back," Mimosa promised, taking a deep breath and blinking back more tears, "I don't understand why it was difficult for me to accept that everyone was right and I was wrong. Even I can't comprehend how I thought I was happy this past half year."
"Having a brain that doesn't work correctly can have that happen."
"That's not an excuse. I won't accept it as one anyway. No matter how deluded I got, I always knew the difference between right and wrong. I knew what I should and shouldn't do. I just didn't care. But, everything has really changed these past days. Having mom and dad being happy that you won the first hearing instead of me, Holly going so far as to beg me to change my mind...it did change my mind. The craziness has to stop. I get that people aren't going to like me right away. I have no problem if everyone still doesn't want to be my friend right now. What I want, I just want to make there be a chance that they might like to call me their friend in the future."
Studying Mimosa closely, I eventually nodded.
"That's basically what I think. It goes without saying that I am incredibly upset and angry with you. I'm finally getting some relief seeing you come around, but I don't want to be your friend at this point in time. However, in the future...if this mess is sorted out as it should...then...someday. Someday will be friends again. I can't say how long it will take, but I believe it can happen."
"That's fine," Mimosa responded eagerly with heartfelt seriousness, "Like I said, I just want that chance to be there. And I'll even do anything to prove that I want things right. I'll have the baby. If you want all the custody, you can have it. I'll plead guilty to the judge in two days, and I'll accept the compromise you and your lawyer proposed. I'll go to the counseling twice as long if you want me to."
I very nearly opened my mouth to tell her it wasn't necessary for her to plead guilty, for us to finish the trial if she would have the baby. Then I realized it was necessary. Being friends with Mimosa all my life hadn't stopped her when she went off the rails. I wanted to trust that she would never slip again, but my faith in her obviously wasn't high at the moment. Even with a promise, I wouldn't be able to sleep soundly without her having legal weight hanging over her keeping her in line.
"That sounds like a fair start to me. I'll call my lawyer when I get home. She can talk to yours, and they can start working to make sure the actual ruling is a quick pop-in-get-it-done-pop-out situation."
"Alright. That's fine. I was already going to let my lawyer know today that I wanted to let you have the win." Mimosa accepted with mild enthusiasm.
The wetness in her eyes vanished, and the tension between us wasn't so bad. For a moment, I could actually remember the good relationship we'd had instead of the hurt she'd put me through recently.
"So, um," Mimosa continued, now a little nervous again, "I swear I'll follow through with that, and I know it's not really my place to ask for anything from you...but I have a request."
"What is it?" I questioned a bit hesitantly.
"My doctor has recommended I come in for my next checkup for the baby on Monday. It would be really nice if you came. She said I'm plenty far along enough to be able to see whether its a boy or a girl."
"You know what, I'd actually really like that," I admitted, unable to stop myself from smiling at the thought of knowing the gender of the child I definitely would be having, "Let me know the time and the place, and I'll be there."
"Great," Mimosa said excitedly, "Thank you, Coal."
"Thank you, Mimi."
And those tears were right back in her eyes. They were the ones caused by pregnancy hormones Desire dealt with on a daily basis, and Mimosa smiled widely as she quickly wiped away the few that rolled down her cheeks. She stretched her hand out for me to shake, but I got her again when I ignored her hand to give her the quickest of quick hugs. Mimosa didn't have time to recognize what I was doing by the point when I'd already pulled back.
"I suppose I'll talk to you later then." I said.
"Yeah." Mimosa agreed, her voice a happy, breathless whisper.
My body started to quiver as I departed from the park. My breathing suddenly grew heavy as if I'd run a mile impossibly fast, and an exhaustion dragged my steps down. Strangely enough, the abrupt sensations were most welcome. Experiencing them made me feel good. The burden of stress, anger, and worry rolled off my body like a mist as I shook it away. My mind replayed everything over again. That couldn't have been it, right? There had to be some sort of catch. Some sort of trick. There was no way the worst of my problems had vanished with a quick conversation that barely took two minutes.
"Hey, Coal. What's up?" Holly answered as I called her while I walked down the street, "Change your mind about doing your own thing today?"
"Kinda. I ran into Mimosa just a moment ago."
"Oh no. What happened?"
"Actually...nothing bad. I think...I think we worked things out for the most part."
"What? Really? How in the world did that happen?"
And so I told her. I let Holly know everything that I heard and discussed since I first hid behind the bush. Holly, naturally, was embarrassed finding out that I'd found out about the drastic action she took with her sister, but she eagerly invited me to join her, Midas, and Azure where they waited for me at the nearby cafe.
Midas pat me on the back.
"Sounds like the universe is finally letting you have a break if what Holly told us is true." he beamed a big smile.
"I'm a little bit in shock. Okay, no, I'm completely in shock. I was so prepared to have to keep fighting and battling tooth and nail these next several months, and Mimosa simply comes to her senses and wants to do the right thing now? It can't be that easy." I spoke, stupefied and amazed.
"Surprisingly, I think it can be. It's amazing what can happen when people decide to be decent human beings."
"Well, all I know is that I might actually be able to get some good sleep leading up to Saturday," I sighed in relief, "If last Saturday turns out to be the harder appearance before the judge and this the easier one than the other way around, I consider that a miracle."
"It's been a good day for good news all around then." Holly said merrily.
Glancing her way curiously, she directed my attention towards Azure. He shifted for a moment before putting on a silly smile.
"That job I was offered, to be an instructor at that resort, I decided to take it. I went through the process of letting my school know I wouldn't be returning in the fall, and mom and dad are helping me look for a nice place up there in Alpine Hills. I'll probably be gone within the month."
"Azure, that's great. A bit sad that you'll be so far away, but great."
This time around I could say that without hesitation. The secret cringing and reluctance to be properly happy for my friend that had been there the first time he announced this plan was gone. It hadn't really been that long since the day I disappeared in the grand scheme of things, but from my perspective I might as well have lived a full life in that time. It was a no brainer to be happy for Azure and him finding his footing in life.
"Hey, so since you won't be around for too much longer, let's call Mary. Let's go hang out while we got the chance." Holly proposed.
We did just that. Rosemary met us on our way to the beach, our chosen destination, to revel in all the positive changes. She also detailed how things were going with Uncle Eden and Malachite's reunion with Mantis and Beryl, which now included Mantis and Beryl deciding to fly Malachite's brother and sister in. I participated when required, but I otherwise listened, walked hand in hand with Holly, and let reality sink in. It some ways it made sense that months of a chaotic whirlwind would halt as suddenly as a raging storm would dissipate without pause to allow a shining sun and clear skies once more.
The ocean water was far too cold to swim in, and none of us had that in mind to begin with. The place was simply familiar. Memory upon memory was built into the sand. As we grew up and took our determined paths, being together like before wouldn't be so easy. The fact remained, however, that such a thought actually promised instead that there would still be times where we could all gather as we once had. Those moments would be even more special. I was already smiling before we reach the beach, but when my shoes hit the sand I smiled wider. Dread of the coming days no longer pinned me down. In fact, I wanted the days to fly by. I wanted to reach that point where there would be the six of us instead of the five. I didn't doubt that it wouldn't happen. The difficult battle had come out of nowhere, but piece by piece we were building the foundation where we wouldn't ever be knocked down again
My arms, already clutching Holly close, pulled her tight up against me. She placed a kiss on the side of my head while I drank in that familiar scent of hers as the thought that I had once thought I was unsure if I truly loved her softly smacked me in rebuke. There was no doubting what I felt now.
Holly kept the conversation going, and over the next couple minutes I perked up enough to function on a basic level. Daffodil showed up with snacks for us all, and poor Umber had the hardest time trying to explain to Mr. Mosaic what was going on with dad and I as he grew horribly confused with who was who now that we were both right in front of him. The time came for us to head home, and I seriously did crash then. I remember my exhaustion took a big swing. Dad once again had to help me stumble as I walked, and mom insisted it happened as much as I denied her sitting in my room with me as I ate the tray dinner she brought because I couldn't remember one moment of it. I collapsed into bed, I woke up late the next morning, and that was all my memory gave me.
Me working that week was a non-issue. Daffodil and Umber clearly saw how stressed out I was, and they gave me the week off even before dad volunteered to take my shifts. With mom's cancer and my disappearance and recovery, he hadn't had much of a chance to catch up on all the astronomy things he'd missed to resume his own normal job just yet. However, dad looked rather ecstatic at the prospect of taking a trip down memory lane working his old high school part-time job once more. He had left by the time I woke up. The house was relatively quiet, so I got a quick breakfast before slinking back to my room thinking I could take the chance to numb my brain for a bit with something pointless.
I only wish I could have had that break. Bringing up my browser on my computer to watch some random videos brought on a whole new problem. I was just getting into the thick of it when Desire knocked before entering and coming over.
"What are you looking at?" she wondered.
Unable to say much, I simply scrolled back up to show her.
"Oh, a news article about the case," she said dryly, "I was hoping we could avoid that, but I did seem some reporters skulking about when we left the courthouse yesterday. What does the article say?"
"The article is not the problem. It just says how the hearing went down. It's the comments at the bottom that are the issue."
"Coal, you should never look at the comments for these kind of things. You know how horrible and ridiculous people are when they can hide behind anonymity."
"How am I supposed to ignore it? Look at some of the stuff people have written," I professed in exasperation, scrolling back down to the comment I'd been at before to read it to my sister, "'This case is bullshit, and the guy who is pushing it forward needs to get hit by a truck. He couldn't keep it in his pants, and now when he got caught he thinks he can cry 'rape' and go on about this baby he clearly doesn't want to turn himself into the victim? All he wants is pity and for his rich family to bribe him out of his mistakes. That poor girl he slept with is mentally ill. She wouldn't have been able to consent. He took advantage of her. How the hell does he think he has the right to tell her to suffer through months of agonizing pain only to leave her to care for the child of her rapist? There's no doubt he's going to abandon them both once he gets his way. What I wouldn't give to find him and beam him in the stomach for nine months straight with a large stick to show him a hint of the cruelty he's putting his victim through. It's the least of what he deserves'."
"Coal." Desire chastised shortly, frowning and trying to swipe the mouse, which I kept a firm grip on.
"This is another good one," I continued, "'Screw them keeping this guys' identity anonymous for the sake of his 'privacy and respect'. Show his face to the world. This case is going to make a mockery of the rights that poor girl should have, but at least he'll have everyone know what a douchebag he is. I bet you if people knew who he was and he saw how everyone hated him and how no one would want to hire a scumbag like him that he would drop his charges. I've actually already started a petition demanding they let us know who he is. That judge won't give the real victim justice, so we'll have to do it ourselves. The link is here'."
Desire inhaled and went to speak, but I found another gem to start reading before she got more than a word or two out.
"What is going on at that courthouse? Did an absolute idiot knock out the real judge, steal his clothes, and preside over a case for fun? The law is so fucking clear. Who really cares what happened? The girl is pregnant. She doesn't want to be pregnant. She has the right to get rid of what's essentially a leech. End of story. The guy should just be happy he had a fun time. I'm sorry his pampered, spoiled ass can't handle getting what he wants for once, but-"
Desire successfully snatched the mouse away from my hand. She was able turn off the monitor and pull me to my feet in two smooth movements, and she forced me to look her in the eye.
"Coal, they're internet scum. They have the truth, and they're choosing to ignore it because it doesn't fit into their black and white view of the world. They're acting as if they're being so noble with their words, yet all they're doing is making themselves as awful a person as they're making you out to be."
"They have a poi-"
Desire gave me a gentle shake and interrupted me again.
"No, they don't. Mimosa slept with you purposely trying to get pregnant. She sabotaged your means of stopping that. She stole your choice away, and by doing so she threw away her ability to choose now. People need to stop acting as if pregnancy is sheer torture. She can suck it up for a few more months."
"I can really say that you've convinced me or that I agree..." I spoke quietly but smiled lightly, "But, thanks, Desi. I know I haven't been myself and that I won't be myself for a while to come, so it's good to have your support. Maybe it might not do anything, but it is nice to hear that I'm not that person those commentors believe I am."
I paused to give my sister a large hug.
"I'm seriously going to miss you. Do you really have to move to Tinseltown?"
"I think I really do," Desire smiled sympathetically, "I know mom and dad don't consider me a burden, but I feel like one. It's frustrating relying on them living here after I'd grown accustomed to being an adult on my own. I need to get back to where I was, and there's so many opportunities for me in Tinseltown. Me living with Pris will also allow him to get that dog he wants."
"Well, that alone is good enough reason to move to the other side of the country." I chuckled softly.
It was about another hour before I left my room. Desire eventually revealed that the reason she came in was to tell me that she would be babysitting Tangerine for a bit. I closed down my browser, pulled up one of my favorite games, and finally got some brain numbing from that until I heard the downstairs door open and close. Rushing down in an instant, I scooped my niece up before anyone else could claim her.
"Good you win, Unc'oal." she encouraged me with her best toddler attempt at a sentence as she got hoisted into my arms.
"Thank you, Riny."
"Happy now?"
I kissed her on the tip of her nose, which was one of her favorite things. I had naturally not been very cheerful around her recently, and it had affected her as well.
"Yeah, I'm very happy now." I lied with a big grin.
Tangerine grew wholly ecstatic at that and clung at me with the best hug she could give. I returned that and soaked up the relief holding her gave me. My niece being around somehow gave me the sense I would be holding my own child before too long. However, it also made me extremely curious as well. I already loved Tangerine as much as I thought it was possible to love a person. If that kind of love was supposed to be even more intense with your own kids, that actually terrified me a bit.
Mom and Uncle Blaze were out, so it was me alone with my three sisters and Tangerine. I became thoroughly confused when they began pulling out things for lunch until I realized I had woken up and had breakfast super late in the morning. With it being a lazy day, lunch wasn't fancy in the slightest. It was more we all pulled out random snacks to munch on.
"I want to go see a movie." Cerise made sure to state.
"But I want to go rollerskating." Glade proposed.
"Well, I want to go to that new shop that opened down on Wheat Street." Desire added.
They were discussing their wishes for what to do with the day, and with limited transportation and time they were having trouble coming to a consensus. Planning to not leave the house myself, I kept my opinions out of the discussion. Except for...
"You do realize you're the one supposed to be babysitting Riny, right?" I reminded Desire.
"That's why I want to go to the shop. I can take her there. I can't take her to a movie or go rollerskating."
"Yeah, but the shop is close. You can walk there. Glade and I would need the car." Cerise said.
"What good is the car if you have no one to drive you?"
My two youngest sisters immediately looked to me, which had me putting my spare hand up to stop them from even asking. I was going to be free from being their chauffeur for one day.
The gentle debating and bickering most likely would have continued on forever had an unexpected thing not happened. The doorbell rang, but that wasn't the weird part. It was who rang the doorbell. We all glanced over, and Cerise recognized the visitor first.
"It's Jasper." she pointed out with controlled disdain.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Desire mumbled bitterly, "He hasn't even tried to talk to me in two months."
It seemed at first as if she was going to completely ignore his presence, but he was able to see us as easily as we could see him. I went to move to at least let the guy know he was wasting his time waiting around hoping someone would open the door. However, that apparently got Desire shooting up out of her seat to go take care of the matter herself. The conversation took place outside, and it didn't appear to be going so well for my sister's ex-boyfriend.
I got distracted entertaining Tangerine by throwing candy into the air and catching the pieces in my mouth, so much so that I barely acknowledged Cerise and Glade deciding to see if Uncle Frost or Aunt Sunflower would take them where they wanted to go. I also didn't realize quite how long Desire was actually talking to Jasper until I discovered neither of them were around. It had probably been a good twenty minutes at that point. They weren't in the house, and they weren't in the yard. I texted my sister to see what was going on, but there wasn't a response. Perplexed but not overly worried, I took over babysitting Tangerine like I figured would happen. Her presence kept me from getting all stressed out again though, so I didn't mind.
Finally, a whole two hours later, Desire returned. I plopped a sleepy Tangerine on my bed so she could take a nap before I followed Desire into her and Cerise's room.
"So?" I questioned curiously.
"He wanted to talk, which I really didn't want to at first, but," Desire sighed heavily, "It did need to happen at some point."
"And how did it go? Where did you go?"
"Sorry about that, and sorry about making you have to look after Riny instead. We went to that nearby coffee shop to discuss things more maturely than we were doing on the porch."
Desire fidgeted timidly.
"Coal," she began so softly I could barely hear her, "Do you think it's wrong for me to still want me and Jasper to work?"
"As a couple?"
She nodded.
"I mean, no, I don't think it's wrong. He's done bad by letting his parents treat you like they did, and ending your relationship because of their influence was stupid. He's not a bad guy though. However, you two would have to have some serious conversations and especially sort out his parent problem."
"Which Jasper did." Desire practically whispered.
"He did?"
"Apparently, Grandpa Jac talked to him," she revealed with a slight smile, "Since he went through a similar situation with his parents, he realized he might be able to help Jasper sort through the mess to discover what he really wanted. According to what Jasper told me, his parents started shooting off their mouths about me and the baby when Jasper mentioned me planning to move to Tinseltown. The conversation he had with Grandpa Jac really sunk in at that moment. He yelled at them that he'd had enough. He wouldn't let them say one more bad thing about me. They could disown him if they wanted, but he was going to be around for me and our daughter even if I shunned him every step of the way."
I kept silent as Desire composed herself before continuing.
"I can tell that Jasper's earnest about that. I know he does care about me, and he does care about our child. Make no mistake that I'm canceling my move to Tinseltown though. I have no intention of just getting back together with him. After everything that happened, I need to see that he's serious about this for the long run."
"I think that's perfectly fair. Jasper does have to prove himself before he can get back what he threw away so quickly."
Desire nodded solemnly.
"I hope he does well. As angry as I've been with him, I have been hoping to sort through the tension. I want my daughter to have parents who can get along, even if getting back together doesn't work out. I look at mom and dad, and the thought of having her grow up with the opposite of that makes me want to cry. Well, everything makes me cry these days, but that's beside the point."
I gave her a hug hearing that.
Desire relieved me of the task of watching Tangerine, although I didn't do anything of note with my freedom. I played more video games, watched television downstairs, gorged myself on junk food, and spent whatever time I had left calling my friends. The next several days consisted of much of the same. Holly and I spent a lot of time together though, and the others constantly came and went as well. It was the fifth day when I ignored everyone to find some isolation. A plan had to be made. In two more days I would be finding out if I would be able to keep my baby, if Mimosa would get her way once and for all, or if I had to bury all my reservations to pull off the greatest acting I'd ever done in my life.
Home was crowded with people, so the park became my destination. With the spring festival being over, there was no one around save for the few random workers here and there taking everything down. I wished as I walked that I'd been able to enjoy it more, but I'd forgotten about the festivities thanks to the big mess that was my life.
The playground did have a few people around. To be precise, two boys used the open space to throw a frisbee back and forth. They weren't having the greatest luck. Not so much from a lack of skill, but because of the heavy winds whipping around. No doubt we'd be getting a big storm off the ocean in the upcoming days. That frisbee went up and down erratically, and it tumbled on the ground more than it flew in the air. There was one great moment where it soared, but it soared far above the head of the boy closest to me to clip the flower bush before clattering at my feet. With a smile, I collected it and tossed it back before the wind could try such a thing again.
Before the boy could throw the toy back to his companion, an older female voice spoke to him something I couldn't quite make out. It was safe to say the woman was the boy's mother or similar. Planning on saying a quick hello as I walked by before continuing on my way, I froze in place and made sure I was completely hidden when a voice I recognized picked up the conversation between the two of them that had apparently been going on for some time.
"You really don't have to give me anything," Mimosa denied the woman softly, in the voice that was truly hers, the one I hadn't heard in a long time, "I didn't do much."
"You were a great help. She has been so fussy today, and it's been driving me crazy. You coming over and calming her down is a serious blessing." the woman praised.
I silently took a sneaky peek to catch glimpse of a little girl perhaps a bit younger than Tangerine sitting at the feet of Mimosa and the woman playing contentedly with a stuffed bear.
"It was nice just getting to play with her. I don't need anything past that." Mimosa smiled.
Her smile didn't last. She shifted guiltily and glanced all around with a somber stare. The woman placed her hand on her knee.
"Worried about what it will be like to look after the little one you have coming?" she guessed, "From what I've seen, you'll be a perfectly wonderful mother."
"Thank you," Mimosa accepted gently, sighing afterwards, "That's not what's been bothering me so much though. I...I made some really horrible choices, and I'm afraid I've screwed everything up with everyone I care about."
"Oh?"
The woman wasn't quite sure how to take that in. I, myself, listened even harder for what Mimosa would say next.
"I got the luck of being born with a mental disease. When I take my medicine, it hardly affects me. When I don't, well, my emotions completely take control, and I end up doing the worst things. I made some people I thought were friends, they lost their interest in me long ago now of course, and I was stupid enough to be convinced by them to abandon my medication. The result is that half of the people I used to know don't want anything to do with me, and the others who have been trying to put up with me I continue to hurt."
"You seem to understand now how you were wrong. It sounds like you want to make it all right."
"I do. The father," Mimosa softly touched her swelled stomach, "He pointed it out to me once how miserable I was letting my disease take control. I didn't think anything of his words until a few days ago. My twin sister, she's...she's one of the ones I've hurt the most. I pretended to be her in order to sleep with her boyfriend, the one whose baby this is, because I liked him too."
A heavier silence wrapped over the woman. She kept eye contact with Mimosa, but said nothing further.
"I've treated both of them horribly. I'm sure they absolutely hate me. My sister and I were arguing. It was about whether or not I would be keeping the baby, because I've been threatening to abort it to get her boyfriend to like me instead. She should have hit me a hundred times at this point. I thought she was going to storm out my room like always when things got badly heated. Yet, she didn't do that. She...She started crying. She got down on her knees and started pleading, begging for me to keep the baby."
My heart stopped at that. Clearly, I had no idea this had happened. Over the several days since this apparently took place, Holly gave no indication that she'd gone to such an extreme.
"That was when those words of her boyfriend sunk in. I realized how much I'd broken my family and friends around me. I was able to see how miserable I was and how miserable they were. I want that to stop. I want to make things right. I've started taking my medicine again, but I have no clue how to begin fixing the mess I've made."
I listened and waited. Mimosa listened and waited as well. The woman looked forward, training her eye on her daughter, and thought long and hard for a while.
"You're already well on your way," she finally spoke with a firm yet quiet confidence, "You've accepted the fault for your actions, and you've taken the first major step towards preventing yourself for making more poor choices. You want to make amends."
She paused once more before motioning to the toddler and the boy playing frisbee unaware of the conversation.
"I almost lost them. My ex-husband, he's not quite father material. He stopped having anything to do with them as soon as she was born. Instead of being there for them, I did the opposite of what you did. I started taking 'medications'. All the support I had turned away because I pushed them away. I made people miserable. I made my children miserable. Even worse, I put them in danger. It took them almost being taken away for the realization that I needed to shape up to hit me. I continued to suffer a lot. Those in my life who I'd lost, not all of them came back. My life was horrible, but I kept trying. Eventually, the pieces started to put themselves together. People can be a lot more forgiving than you think," she smiled sympathetically, "I worked hard, accepted the consequences of my actions, and here I am today. Things are definitely not perfect, but these two are happy and healthy. I've gotten myself under control. I can look forward to the future with them."
This time her hand ended up on Mimosa's shoulder.
"Definitely stop using your baby as an ultimatum. I think you already know that though. Past that, I don't have specific advice for you without knowing more about what's going on. However, just keep doing what you can. Apologize and mend the tiny hurts first. Give it time, be open and honest, and let everyone cope with the situation with the respect they deserve. That will make things better."
I saw Mimosa nod, and then I made eye contact with the little girl. My hand fumbled into my pocket knowing what was coming. Sure enough, the curious toddler excitedly pointed in my direction and mumbled an incoherent call of alert. There was no way I could hide, and traveling in the opposite direction would make it obvious I'd been eavesdropping. The best choice was for me to pretend to be doing something on my phone, even though it was locked and dark, and make it look as if I'd been walking in their direction as if I'd been oblivious to their presence. I held my breath as I waited to be called out, but, by some miracle, the ruse worked. The woman gave me an acknowledging smile and nod while Mimosa shot to her feet. I found when she rushed over to me that my stomach didn't really react with disgust like it had done previously.
"Coal, I know...I know how unhappy you are with me, but I'd really like to talk to you. I need to." she pleaded.
In that moment, Mimosa was Jasper and I was my sister. The situations were totally different, but I understood why Desire had given in to let the talk happen despite having been so furious.
"Sure, I don't mind," I accepted, and very nearly almost smiled at the look of shock on Mimosa's face, "I'd actually really like to talk to you too."
Stunned, Mimosa followed silently as I led her across the park to a quiet, shaded corner.
"Did Holly really do that?" I questioned before she could open her mouth.
"Huh?"
"Sorry, but I was eavesdropping a bit," I revealed, "Did Holly really get down on her knees and beg for my case?"
"I...um," Mimosa stuttered, embarrassed, "She did. I-I didn't like it. Holly, even though I've put her through some rough times growing up, she's supported me with all her might. I seriously hate that I drove her to do such a thing."
"Did it change your mind?"
Mimosa stared at me, blinking a few times to press back the slight wetness in her eyes threatening tears. However, as soon as she inhaled to respond I changed the topic.
"You look like you." I said.
Expectantly, Mimosa tilted her head in curiosity and confusion.
"The person I've been dealing with the past months, she's not the person I remember. She's truly someone different. Yet, now, I look at you, and I see the person I used to love to call my friend."
"I want to be that person again, Coal. I'm trying so hard to bring her back," Mimosa promised, taking a deep breath and blinking back more tears, "I don't understand why it was difficult for me to accept that everyone was right and I was wrong. Even I can't comprehend how I thought I was happy this past half year."
"Having a brain that doesn't work correctly can have that happen."
"That's not an excuse. I won't accept it as one anyway. No matter how deluded I got, I always knew the difference between right and wrong. I knew what I should and shouldn't do. I just didn't care. But, everything has really changed these past days. Having mom and dad being happy that you won the first hearing instead of me, Holly going so far as to beg me to change my mind...it did change my mind. The craziness has to stop. I get that people aren't going to like me right away. I have no problem if everyone still doesn't want to be my friend right now. What I want, I just want to make there be a chance that they might like to call me their friend in the future."
Studying Mimosa closely, I eventually nodded.
"That's basically what I think. It goes without saying that I am incredibly upset and angry with you. I'm finally getting some relief seeing you come around, but I don't want to be your friend at this point in time. However, in the future...if this mess is sorted out as it should...then...someday. Someday will be friends again. I can't say how long it will take, but I believe it can happen."
"That's fine," Mimosa responded eagerly with heartfelt seriousness, "Like I said, I just want that chance to be there. And I'll even do anything to prove that I want things right. I'll have the baby. If you want all the custody, you can have it. I'll plead guilty to the judge in two days, and I'll accept the compromise you and your lawyer proposed. I'll go to the counseling twice as long if you want me to."
I very nearly opened my mouth to tell her it wasn't necessary for her to plead guilty, for us to finish the trial if she would have the baby. Then I realized it was necessary. Being friends with Mimosa all my life hadn't stopped her when she went off the rails. I wanted to trust that she would never slip again, but my faith in her obviously wasn't high at the moment. Even with a promise, I wouldn't be able to sleep soundly without her having legal weight hanging over her keeping her in line.
"That sounds like a fair start to me. I'll call my lawyer when I get home. She can talk to yours, and they can start working to make sure the actual ruling is a quick pop-in-get-it-done-pop-out situation."
"Alright. That's fine. I was already going to let my lawyer know today that I wanted to let you have the win." Mimosa accepted with mild enthusiasm.
The wetness in her eyes vanished, and the tension between us wasn't so bad. For a moment, I could actually remember the good relationship we'd had instead of the hurt she'd put me through recently.
"So, um," Mimosa continued, now a little nervous again, "I swear I'll follow through with that, and I know it's not really my place to ask for anything from you...but I have a request."
"What is it?" I questioned a bit hesitantly.
"My doctor has recommended I come in for my next checkup for the baby on Monday. It would be really nice if you came. She said I'm plenty far along enough to be able to see whether its a boy or a girl."
"You know what, I'd actually really like that," I admitted, unable to stop myself from smiling at the thought of knowing the gender of the child I definitely would be having, "Let me know the time and the place, and I'll be there."
"Great," Mimosa said excitedly, "Thank you, Coal."
"Thank you, Mimi."
And those tears were right back in her eyes. They were the ones caused by pregnancy hormones Desire dealt with on a daily basis, and Mimosa smiled widely as she quickly wiped away the few that rolled down her cheeks. She stretched her hand out for me to shake, but I got her again when I ignored her hand to give her the quickest of quick hugs. Mimosa didn't have time to recognize what I was doing by the point when I'd already pulled back.
"I suppose I'll talk to you later then." I said.
"Yeah." Mimosa agreed, her voice a happy, breathless whisper.
My body started to quiver as I departed from the park. My breathing suddenly grew heavy as if I'd run a mile impossibly fast, and an exhaustion dragged my steps down. Strangely enough, the abrupt sensations were most welcome. Experiencing them made me feel good. The burden of stress, anger, and worry rolled off my body like a mist as I shook it away. My mind replayed everything over again. That couldn't have been it, right? There had to be some sort of catch. Some sort of trick. There was no way the worst of my problems had vanished with a quick conversation that barely took two minutes.
"Hey, Coal. What's up?" Holly answered as I called her while I walked down the street, "Change your mind about doing your own thing today?"
"Kinda. I ran into Mimosa just a moment ago."
"Oh no. What happened?"
"Actually...nothing bad. I think...I think we worked things out for the most part."
"What? Really? How in the world did that happen?"
And so I told her. I let Holly know everything that I heard and discussed since I first hid behind the bush. Holly, naturally, was embarrassed finding out that I'd found out about the drastic action she took with her sister, but she eagerly invited me to join her, Midas, and Azure where they waited for me at the nearby cafe.
Midas pat me on the back.
"Sounds like the universe is finally letting you have a break if what Holly told us is true." he beamed a big smile.
"I'm a little bit in shock. Okay, no, I'm completely in shock. I was so prepared to have to keep fighting and battling tooth and nail these next several months, and Mimosa simply comes to her senses and wants to do the right thing now? It can't be that easy." I spoke, stupefied and amazed.
"Surprisingly, I think it can be. It's amazing what can happen when people decide to be decent human beings."
"Well, all I know is that I might actually be able to get some good sleep leading up to Saturday," I sighed in relief, "If last Saturday turns out to be the harder appearance before the judge and this the easier one than the other way around, I consider that a miracle."
"It's been a good day for good news all around then." Holly said merrily.
Glancing her way curiously, she directed my attention towards Azure. He shifted for a moment before putting on a silly smile.
"That job I was offered, to be an instructor at that resort, I decided to take it. I went through the process of letting my school know I wouldn't be returning in the fall, and mom and dad are helping me look for a nice place up there in Alpine Hills. I'll probably be gone within the month."
"Azure, that's great. A bit sad that you'll be so far away, but great."
This time around I could say that without hesitation. The secret cringing and reluctance to be properly happy for my friend that had been there the first time he announced this plan was gone. It hadn't really been that long since the day I disappeared in the grand scheme of things, but from my perspective I might as well have lived a full life in that time. It was a no brainer to be happy for Azure and him finding his footing in life.
"Hey, so since you won't be around for too much longer, let's call Mary. Let's go hang out while we got the chance." Holly proposed.
We did just that. Rosemary met us on our way to the beach, our chosen destination, to revel in all the positive changes. She also detailed how things were going with Uncle Eden and Malachite's reunion with Mantis and Beryl, which now included Mantis and Beryl deciding to fly Malachite's brother and sister in. I participated when required, but I otherwise listened, walked hand in hand with Holly, and let reality sink in. It some ways it made sense that months of a chaotic whirlwind would halt as suddenly as a raging storm would dissipate without pause to allow a shining sun and clear skies once more.
The ocean water was far too cold to swim in, and none of us had that in mind to begin with. The place was simply familiar. Memory upon memory was built into the sand. As we grew up and took our determined paths, being together like before wouldn't be so easy. The fact remained, however, that such a thought actually promised instead that there would still be times where we could all gather as we once had. Those moments would be even more special. I was already smiling before we reach the beach, but when my shoes hit the sand I smiled wider. Dread of the coming days no longer pinned me down. In fact, I wanted the days to fly by. I wanted to reach that point where there would be the six of us instead of the five. I didn't doubt that it wouldn't happen. The difficult battle had come out of nowhere, but piece by piece we were building the foundation where we wouldn't ever be knocked down again
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