Blessed Hearts Series

Sandy's Romance Part Seven Decisions!   by Andrea Lena DiMaggio for my dear sweet sister Alison   East of the sun and west of the moon We'll build a dream house of love dear Close to the sun in the day

After a few moments, the tension had completely dissipated, leaving both women relaxed and with their guards completely down. Dana put her head back on the headrest and breathed out a relaxed sigh. Persis looked at her and burst into tears. Dana turned her head and smile and said softly,

Previously

Persis tried to pat her on the back to comfort her but all that did was send Dana into the wall of the elevator. She leaned too close, perhaps, and when Dana turned around they were face to face. Dana’s eyes got wide as she relaxed in every way possible save one, which actually was ultimately unfortunate or fortunate as it turned out for her. She tried to push away from the wall at the moment the elevator stopped on the ground floor abruptly, causing her to lose her balance. She fell forward into Persis’ arms, and their lips met.

“That’s okay…we’ll take the next car.” The old man chuckled as the doors closed and the elevator began its return ascent carrying two women, both decidedly red-faced but also decidedly okay!

"Oh God...I've never done anything like that before,” Dana put her hand over her face. Any casual observer might have thought she was crying, but she was trying to stop laughing. She held Persis hand as they sat in her car, reeling with almost a hilarious afterglow from the kiss...THE KISS.

"Oh, like I'm experienced in this..." Persis began to chuckle, mostly out of nervous tension. She had wanted to approach Dana with her concerns over the feelings she had suddenly developed, but this was too much.

"Well, you could have fooled me." She leaned closer to tease, as if she were going to kiss Persis again. And of course Persis took it the wrong way, happily, and leaned in as well and kissed Dana again. They made all the nice sounds we all like to hear...mmm'ing and oooohhh'ing for all they were worth. After a few moments, the tension had completely dissipated, leaving both women relaxed and with their guards completely down. Dana put her head back on the headrest and breathed out a relaxed sigh. Persis looked at her and burst into tears. Dana turned her head and smile and said softly,

"It's okay...I understand." She bit her lip and tears came to her eyes.

"This was fun...and sweet and wonderful and special...but I know this was...you know...us helping each other." She shook her head slightly and continued, but in a softer, sadder tone.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to be so selfish...and I'm presuming too much. You were so kind and tender. I can't expect you to know how much that meant. I didn't want to put anything on you, but you've been so...nice to me since we met." She closed her eyes and began to weep softly herself until she felt a hand touch her face.

"No...Dana...I...I wanted that for me...not to appease...not to placate the hurt. I saw you in the hospital. Even in your pain and sadness, you had the most precious look I had ever seen. I've loved you since that moment. It is I who should apologize for taking advantage. I feel so ashamed." She buried her face in the back of the seat. This time a hand caressed her cheek and she found herself being kissed again, this time with none of the playfulness of the previous moments but all of the tenderness and warmth; this time accompanied by a soft whisper.

"No shame....you said to me...'It's okay' I looked it up...you comforted me and loved me in that one moment like no other human being." She began kissing Persis all over her face.

"And I say to you, Anh Yeu Em...Pardon, Je vous aime, ma douce Persis." Dana kissed Persis ear as she spoke.

"You...you love me? Dana? Oh God....NO...you can't...I ....noooo." Persis covered her face and wept.

"I'm not...I can't ...." She pled. Dana redoubled her effort and kissed Persis' nose, kissing away her tears.

"I can't either...remember." Dana began to sob softly, but she kept kissing Persis.

"Yoooo...yoooo saved meeee.....I....cannnn't thank....only way....." She kept kissed Persis until their lips met once again. This time...The Third Time, as some say, was the charm. From exploration to apprehension and self-doubt to certain and sure and earnestly true love.

Asheghetam, Anh Yeu Em, Je vous aime...all saying I love you in harmony as the two began to find their blessings in each other as well as feel alive; providing joy and comfort and love, perhaps for the very first time in a way that fulfilled them.

After several minutes, they parted lips, only to find a very surprised and happy older couple standing next to the car in the garage. The two smiled at them and the gentleman pointed to his ring finger while mouthing,

"Forty-six years tomorrow." He kissed his wife on the cheek before adding with a smile,

"Be happy!"

At the Pevour home a few weeks later

"Okay, you've got to sit still. I know you haven't worn makeup that much, but that doens't mean it won't look good." Dana smiled as she applied a light dusting of powder to Dale's face.

"We may not be identical, but you're every bit as pretty as me...maybe more so because you got Mom's cheeks." She smiled and began working on Dale's eyelids with some shadow.

"Where's the mirror, sis. Just what are you doing to me?" Dale squirmed, almost as if she were a boy whose sister was dressing him up, so foreign and strange had she felt all her life. But she was all girl, as they say, even if she was only realizing it for the first time in recent weeks.

"Oh, no, sister! NO peeking. We agreed. You just have to trust me on this, okay?" Dana pouted and scowled in mock disappointment.

"Okay...just be sure that I don't come out looking like a French whore!" Dale teased until she realized just who was in the room with her.

"Oh..pardon mon mere!" She said as she turned to Collette, who frowned once before laughing.

"No one in my family like that...of course zat doesn't take into account my cousine Marie," she said, enhancing her accent for the occasion.

"Oh mon Dieu vous áªtes trá¨s belle!" Collette actually opened her mouth after she spoke and left it open in pleasant surprise.

"What...what???" Dale looked up at Dana, who was beginning to cry.

"What's wrong?" She cried out, afraid of what she'd seen Dana turned the mirror toward her and she beheld one of the prettiest faces she had ever seen. With a hint of eastern mystique from her mother and soft pale skin adorned with a sprinkle of freckles courtesy of her father, she was pretty in the truest sense of the word. Her face featured an uncharacteristic broad smile and her eyes seem to sparkle with life never seen before. Dana leaned closer and hugged her. They embraced as only sisters can until they heard another voice coming from living room.

"Et nous avons ici une autre belle fille!" Persis said as she walked into the kitchen, a figure trailing behind her, nervously clasping her hand.

"Mesdames, permettez-moi d'introduire Mademoselle Sandra Pevour." She stepped out of the way and used her hand in a broad gesture to point to a pretty girl. Not a beauty in the classic sense, never the less she was as beautiful as Dale imagined she would be. Dana handed the mirror to Persis, who in turn handed it to Collette.

"Ma douce fille vous fera une belle mariée! (My sweet daughter, you will make a beautiful bride.)

"Oh gosh...is this me?" Sandy looked in the mirror as if she were meeting a new friend for the first time. Dale stood up and walked to her, pulling her in for an embrace.

"Yes, and you're all mine." She smiled and spoke, almost as if to everyone.

"At the risk of spoiling my makeup..." And they kissed.

And so the girl from Galveston and the boy from Sandusky were married. Shortly after the ceremony, the boy had all of her pesky details adjusted and doctors visited and pyschologists consulted and so on until one day a few years later the girl from Galveston was now married to the girl from Sandusky.

And the girl from Baltimore who lived in Sandusky and the other girl from Galevston who also lived in Sandusky drove to Iowa, where they became the spouses from Counsel Bluffs. And they raised their daughter Carrie and adopted a little boy named Sergei.

And while everyone had some bumps and glitches like we all do from time to time in real life, I am thrilled to say....

Illustration adapted from
"Maud Cook" 1895, a painting by
Thomas Eakins 1844 - 1916

East of the Sun
words and music by
Brooks Bowman
as performed by Diana Krall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS9bYIvu73c