Chapter 11

Late the next morning, back behind her desk after a morning in court, Kara picked up the phone and pressed the button to call her mom. On the walk with Seymour last night, they had decided to see if Lauren, Kara’s mother, was free for lunch on Saturday.

When she was directed to voicemail, she said, “Hey Mom, I talked to Madison and I think that Saturday would work best for getting together so you can meet her. Call me back when you get this so we can figure it out.”

That afternoon, after Kara had finished with her afternoon hearings, her cell rang as she was walking from the City County Building back to her office. Looking at the screen before answering, she saw it was her mom returning her earlier call.

“Hi, Mom. How are you?”

“I’m doing great sweetie, and Saturday sounds fine to me. What time do you think you two will head this way?”

“I was thinking eleven or so. And maybe I can take you out to lunch someplace around you.”

“That sounds good to me. Give me a call when you two are headed up here.”

“I’ll do that, Mom. I’m back at my office, so I’m gonna let you go. Have a good day, Mom. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Kara. Talk to you later.”

Walking down the hall to her office, Kara tapped out a text to Madison, “Hey, Mom’s in for lunch Saturday. Want to stay at my place Friday night?”

They had decided that in order to avoid moving too much faster than they already were, they would keep their physical distance until the weekend, hopefully allowing both of them to get the work done that they needed to accomplish so they could fully focus on each other over the weekend. As the week moved on, Kara found herself unable to fill her time effectively without Madison to spend it with.

Kara wasn’t the only one experiencing this problem; Madison found herself at a complete loss. She researched for her article and spent several hours writing, but she was constantly distracted by thoughts of the tall redhead she’d fallen in love with. Neither woman was able to completely maintain her distance, so they tended to spend the days exchanging the occasional text message and the evenings would find both of them on their couches, watching TV with their laptops open, chatting back and forth for several hours. Their days ended with long phone calls and heartfelt ‘I love you’s’ before falling asleep.

The week seemed to drag until Friday evening rolled around and Kara could finally slide behind the wheel of her car and drive home. She called Madison to let her know she was on her way and learned that Madison would be getting there sometime after she got home. She went inside and changed out of her skirt suit into a coral dress that complimented her pale skin. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard the back door open and Seymour’s tail banging against the dryer. She padded towards the backdoor and met Madison in the kitchen, wrapping her lover in her long arms.

“God, I’ve missed you this week,” she said, pressing her lips against the professor’s.

“I’ve missed you too, baby. So very much. It feels so right in your arms. But, I managed to get plenty done, if only to avoid thinking about how much I missed you.”

“Yeah, me too, but it still sucks not being with you. So anyway, what do you want for dinner? Cause I’m starving.”

Kara’s stomach chose that moment to let out a loud growl, punctuating her point. They decided on making some blackened trout with rice and green beans. Madison sat on the island, sipping a wheat beer while watching Kara work in front of the range, taking long breaks to step between the brunette’s legs and place kisses all over her lips and neck, building their anticipation for the love making they’d share later that night.

Once the food was ready, and they were sitting at the table with Seymour curled up under the table, his body laying across Kara’s feet, they continued talking about their respective weeks, sharing the funny things that had happened to them, the things that had annoyed them, and other things that were worth sharing in person, but had proved too complex to fully express on the phone or through instant message.

After the kitchen was clean, they attached Seymour’s leash and took him for a brief walk, allowing him to sniff at the various aromas that caught his attention while they stood by, hand in hand. Seymour got tired of being out after a couple of blocks and began to pull Kara towards home.

Once inside, they sat on the couch and turned on the TV to a Doctor Who rerun. Neither of them was sure who made the first move, but before long, they were wrapped in each other’s arms lips pressing together, hands exploring soft skin and curves.

Madison pushed Kara onto her back and kissed down over her lover’s neck and shoulders before pulling the straps of the redhead’s dress down off her arms, followed closely by the taller woman’s bra. With Kara’s pale breasts now completely bare, Madison began forcefully covering first one then the other with kisses, sucks, and light bites, making her squirm, moan, and gasp beneath her.

Madison sat up and grabbed the hem of Kara’s dress, pushing it up over her hips, Kara raising them to assist in her girlfriend’s efforts to disrobe her. Now clad in nothing but her panties, Kara’s breath was coming in gasps as Madison placed kisses on the flat stomach, her head moving steadily downward. When she reached the edge of the panties, she ran her hands up the smooth thighs toward the waistband of the lace panties. When Kara helplessly thrust her hips upward, Madison seized the opportunity to pull the panties down and off.

Without giving a second thought to what she was about to do, Madison placed her lips against the head of Kara’s penis and kissed it softly. Kara gasped and the sound was sweeter to Madison than anything she had ever heard. She continued placing soft kisses over the surprisingly soft and feminine skin, her tongue darting out to lick the sweet tasting skin. Shutting off her mind and just reveling in the sensations, she opened her mouth and took Kara inside.

Kara gasped, her hips thrusting involuntarily as her left hand gripped her breast and her right tangled itself in Madison’s hair. Her mind went completely blank as it felt like her entire body was feeling the sensations being caused by the brunette. She began to moan and gasp, her head tossing from side to side on the armrest of the couch. Her breath came faster and faster to the point where she felt like she was beginning to hyperventilate as the pleasure built throughout her body before it felt like it became a white hot ball of light centered where Madison was touching her that finally exploded and filled her with a heavenly pleasure.

Madison continued to move her lips over Kara’s hot flesh, feeling it spasm in her mouth. Once again, she was surprised by the lack of fluid, but what little Kara had produced was very neutral in flavor. Madison pulled her head back, letting Kara slide out of her mouth before moving up her lover’s body, placing soft gentle kisses on Kara’s stomach and breasts, finally taking Kara’s lips in a gentle kiss, conveying her love to the redhead.

Kara turned in Madison’s arms and pressed herself against the older woman, resting her head on Madison’s shoulder. Her breathing was still erratic and she felt light headed and tingly all over. Her eyes slid shut and she allowed herself to just enjoy the sensation of being completely sated, in her lover’s arms, with Madison lightly running her short, blunt nails over the skin of her back while placing occasional kisses against her forehead.

“You are such an incredibly beautiful woman,” Madison whispered. “And you are so stunning when you come.”

“I love you with all my heart,” Kara replied, her breathing finally beginning to even out. “Why are you still dressed?”

“You want to do something about that?”

In response, Kara got up and held out her hand for Madison to take, pulling the brunette to her feet before leading her upstairs, being sure to add a little extra sway to her hips for the benefit of her lover following behind her. Once they reached Kara’s bedroom, the redhead grabbed the hem of Madison’s t-shirt and swiftly pulled it over her head before fastening her lips to the older woman’s shoulder while reaching down to undo the button and zipper of her lover’s shorts, swiftly pushing them, and her panties, down. Moving her lips across Madison’s upper chest, she nipped at the tan skin covering a prominent clavicle, running her hands from the toned ass up the smooth skin of her lover’s back to the clasp of her bra.

With a quick motion, the bra was undone and quickly removed from Madison’s body. With a gentle shove, Kara pushed Madison down onto the bed. Her lips kissed all over the small breasts, gently nipping the skin between her teeth, eliciting soft gasps from the older woman. She continued to move her head down the long body toward the source of the heady smell filling her nostrils.

“Please, Kara, don’t tease. I need you now.”

Changing her plans to prolong the experience, she let her tongue dart out and dragged it in a long firm stroke up the length of Madison’s slit. She moaned at the wonderful sweet flavor coating her tongue and began to focus her efforts on Madison’s clit, while at the same time sliding two fingers inside, pushing them in and out, and making sure to drag them over the older woman’s g-spot on every out stroke.

Madison’s hands flew down and the long fingers buried themselves in the silky red hair, pushing the younger woman’s mouth more firmly against where it was so desperately needed. As she began to moan and cry out her lover’s name, Kara kept up her relentless efforts, never once letting up or changing her pace even as Madison began to pulse around her fingers and moisture flooded out.

“God, I need you inside me Kara. Please, please fuck me.”

Kara pulled her head away and withdrew her fingers from Madison’s welcoming warmth, making a show of sucking them clean and enjoying the look of lust that crossed the brunette’s features. She reached in the bedside table and after donning the condom, she lowered her hips between her lover’s legs. With one gentle push, she was in, both women gasping at the sensation of being so intimately and completely connected to each other. Their hips began to move together without conscious thought on either of their parts. Madison’s hands ran over her lover’s back, gripping her shoulders to pull her lover closer to her. Their lips pressed together in fiery kisses, both women moaning out each other’s names and declarations of love.

They both reached their peak at the same time, Madison’s legs wrapping around the taller woman’s hips to pull her in deeper even as Kara thrust herself forward in an effort to bury herself in her lover as she cried out in pleasure. For a few minutes, neither woman moved except to place soft kisses on each other’s cheeks and foreheads, whispering their love to each other.

After gathering her strength, Kara sat up and threw away the condom before she pulled back the covers and climbed in bed beside Madison, curling up with her head on the smooth skin of her lover’s shoulder, covered them both back up, and drifted off to sleep, completely sated.

***

The next morning, they sat in Kara’s car, driving north toward her mother’s home as Madison fidgeted with her phone, going through old text messages to see which ones should be deleted. Anything to take her mind off meeting Kara’s mom.

“Sweetheart, you need to calm down. My mom’s really nice and I’m sure she’ll love you.”

“That’s easy for you to say. When it’s your turn to meet my mom, I bet you’ll be singing a different tune.”

“You’re probably right, but I’m good at hiding when I’m nervous. It comes with being a trial lawyer. That reminds me, my mom may start in on me about my job. That’s just normal for us. She doesn’t see why everyone should get a good defense and she really doesn’t see why I’m the one providing it.”

“Not big on social justice, I take it?”

“Not really. She has faith in the system and little sympathy for those the system sweeps up in their crackdowns who are more victims of circumstance than anything else. I just don’t see how you can trust a system that has for profit prisons.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. So if she starts in on that, what do you want me to do?”

“I don’t really care. I can handle it if she does. It bores me more than anything else at this point. We’ll never agree and she knows I have good reasons for doing what I do, but she just won’t drop it. Other than that though, she’s great. She teaches at an inner city elementary school so it’s kind of weird that she can’t see where I’m coming from on this.”

“Okay. Well, if she does start in on you, I’ll let you handle it. Though just know I’ll be there holding your hand the entire time.”

The rest of the drive was short and uneventful, both women quietly listening to the music from Kara’s iPod as they pulled in to Lauren’s driveway in a small, neatly tended subdivision. The house was older and was in a cookie cutter neighborhood so common in the suburbs. Kara waited for Madison to come around the car and took her hand before walking the few feet to the front door. She knocked lightly before taking the door knob in her hand and letting them in.

"Hi, Mom. We’re here,” Kara called out to the seemingly empty house.

“Hey sweetie,” Lauren said, walking around the corner from the kitchen to the main room of the house. She stepped up to Kara and wrapped her in a hug. “It’s so great to see you. And who is this?”

“Mom, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Madison Roberts. Maddie, this is my mom, Lauren Jenkins.”

“It’s nice to meet you Ms. Jenkins,” Madison said holding out her hand for the shorter woman to shake.

Lauren waved the hand aside and wrapped Madison in a hug. Not as all encompassing a hug as the one she had given her daughter, but still enough to give Madison the sense that there was already a degree of approval.

“None of that Ms. Jenkins stuff. Call me Lauren. Come on girls, let’s sit down.”

She led the women over to the living room where she sat on the love seat which was perpendicular to the couch, both pieces of furniture facing the TV sat at an angle in the corner of the room. The love seat served to frame a sort of hallway leading to the hall at the back of the house off of which sat the three bedrooms and the guest bathroom. The couch had its back to the dining table, and the combination served to delineate a distinct feel of separate dining and living rooms, despite the open floor plan of the room.

Madison sat on the couch at the end closest to the wall and Kara took a seat directly beside her, wrapping her left arm over the other woman’s shoulders while using her right hand to hold Madison’s. Madison looked around the room and saw plenty of family photos, noticing that there were few of Kara, though there was one with two young boys, one with red hair and the other blonde and a baby girl. So that’s what she must have looked like as a kid.

“So Madison, do you mind me asking how you two met? Kara didn’t tell me much about you when we talked.”

“Well, it’s a funny story. I was going for a walk downtown. I live in an apartment on Meridian and thought I’d take a stroll along Mass Ave that morning. As I was passing by the fountain, I saw this stunning redhead with a very annoyed look on her face while some guy was obviously bothering her. I noticed she was reading a lesbian romance novel that I’d read, so I decided to pretend to be her girlfriend meeting her in order to get her out of the situation.”

Lauren burst out laughing. “What was the man’s reaction?”

“He actually seemed to think it improved his chances, but we high tailed it out of there and went to lunch, so it was kind of a moot point what he thought.”

“Yeah, I offered to buy her lunch as a thank you for rescuing me, but it ended up turning into a date and we spent the entire day together.”

The women were gazing intently into each other’s eyes, remembering how wonderful that first day had felt. Lauren looked on, filled with joy that her daughter, who had experienced so much pain over the last few years was finally happy.

“The funniest part was that we forgot to exchange numbers, so I ended up calling the Public Defender’s office to get her contact information and send her flowers. Fortunately it worked and we were able to go out again and things just went from there.”

“So, are you girls hungry? I always find that food is a perfect complement to getting to know someone.”

“I am, Mom,” Kara said as Madison added her own affirmative response to Lauren’s question. “What did you have in mind for lunch?”

“Well, I was thinking we could go out to this new Mexican place just down the road.”

“Sounds good to me,” Madison said, turning to see Kara’s nod.

“Well, let’s go then, shall we?” Lauren said as she stood up and headed to her bedroom to retrieve her purse. Madison and Kara stood and headed toward the front door. “Let me make sure I’ve got my keys. Okay. Are you driving, Kara?”

“Sure, that works.”

The trio got in the car and drove to the restaurant Lauren had suggested, while she continued to ask questions to get to know her daughter’s lover better. As they ate, the conversation continued to flow easily and Lauren had no difficulty seeing how much the professor meant to Kara.

Finally, she asked the question that Kara had warned Madison would most likely be coming. “Madison, does it bother you at all that Kara decided to take all those years of school and devote it to defending criminals?”

Kara shot her mom a caustic glare, “Mom, this is neither the time nor the place to get into this.”

“Don’t get all defensive Kara, I’m just curious about what she thinks.”

Kara was soothed by Madison’s hand rubbing in circles on her back as she spoke. “It’s okay, Kar, I don’t mind answering her questions. Lauren, it not only doesn’t bother me, but I’m very proud to have a girlfriend who cares so much about justice that she’s willing to make herself the target of attacks by people who aren’t familiar enough with the system we have to understand just how vital a part she plays in it. Without people like Kara, willing to risk the wrath of people who don’t know any better, the prosecutors and police would operate in such a way that thousands of innocent people would be sent to prison for crimes they didn’t commit. Particularly minorities and the poor.

“I’m a history professor, and before we had safeguards people like Kara give us, that was exactly what happened. So I don’t consider Kara’s role to be defending criminals so much as defending society from a potentially corrupt justice system. She acts as a check to the power of the prosecutor.”

“Well I’m glad you can stick up for my little girl like that. She needs someone in her life to act as her defender and it looks like she’s got one. It takes guts to tell me I don’t know any better when you’re actively trying to make a good impression. Well done. Looks you found a keeper, Kara.”

Looking at her girlfriend with a love-filled expression, Kara said, “Looks like I have, Mom. Looks like I have.”

***

The following Wednesday, Kara received a text from Madison, asking if she wanted to get together that night for dinner. After Kara replied in the affirmative they decided on Madison coming to Kara’s and bringing Chinese. Kara was somewhat surprised when she finally got through what she needed to do for the day and saw it was only six. She packed up her things and headed out to her car. As she was unlocking her car, her phone began to ring.

“Damn it,” she muttered, hurriedly tossing her briefcase into the passenger seat and digging in her purse for her phone. As she fished it out she was surprised to see Jessica’s name displayed.

“Hey, Jess, what’s up?”

“Kara, can we talk?”

“Sure, you know I’m always here if you need me. What do you want to talk about?”

“Actually, could we do this in person?”

“Yeah, I actually just left work, so I’m headed home. You mind coming over to my place?”

“That’s fine, I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

Kara stared at the phone for a moment before starting the car, puzzled as to why Jessica was so cryptic on the phone. She headed home, and went inside, setting her briefcase down on the dining room table and sliding her feet out of her pumps, sighing with relief at finally having the shoes off her feet. She loved cute shoes in spite of the impracticality and lack of comfort, but by the end of the day, she always ended up cursing at the level of discomfort.

She stepped into the living room and was surprised to see Jessica sitting on her couch. “Hey, you. You got here fast.”

“Well, I was kind of already in the neighborhood when I called.” Jessica was slouched over, her shoulders slumped and she was staring at her hands which were pressed together between her knees. Kara thought that she had not seen her so depressed since the final months of their marriage.

Sitting down beside her, Kara began to rub Jessica’s back in soothing circles, trying to comfort the younger woman. “Is this because of everything with Bill? Do you need to talk about it?”

“In a way it is, but in another it’s not. I’ve been thinking a lot about what happened with Bill. Why I didn’t tell him about our past, why I tried to stay close to you and came to you with my problems and concerns before anyone else, why I’ve never been able to go a full week without talking to you. And I came to a realization. The reason that I didn’t try to cut you out of my life is that I wanted to have everything. Still have my first love but also a man I was attracted to. If I couldn’t have them in the same person then so be it, I’d make do with what I had. But I was wrong. I was so wrong. Kara, I still love you. You’re the one I want to be with, not Bill. I’m sorry I was such an idiot for so long, but you’re the one I love.”

Kara was stunned by this admission and even more stunned when Jessica leaned in and placed her lips on Kara’s. For a brief moment, Kara felt how wonderful this was, having the woman she had loved for so long kissing her and telling her that she loved her, but then she thought of Madison and how Madison accepted her for the woman she was and not the man she had wanted her to be. Just as she placed her hands on Jessica’s shoulders to push her away, she heard a gasp and looked over her shoulder to see Madison standing there.

“Madison, wait,” she cried out as the brunette started to turn and leave.

“Why? Why should I wait? How can you do this to me, Kara? I thought you loved me. I can’t believe this is happening to me again.” She fell to the floor, buried her face in her hands, and began to sob.

Leaving the couch and striding quickly to her lover’s side she tried to wrap her arms around her, only to be pushed away. Kneeling beside her, Kara tried to explain. “Madison, please believe me. This is not what it looks like. That’s Jessica, my ex-wife. She came over to talk to me but didn’t say what she wanted to talk about. Her fiancée just called off their wedding and I thought it was about that. What you saw was her kissing me. That was the first time we’ve kissed in more than three years, I swear. But you have to believe me, I don’t want her, I only want you.”

Kara heard Jessica sob behind her and turned to face her ex. “I’m sorry Jess, but you need to hear this, too. You broke my heart three years ago because you couldn’t be with a woman. Even a woman you had spent the better part of a decade with. I can’t trust you to stay with me through anything that might happen. I do trust Madison. She loves me for who I am, not who she wants me to be.

“Jess, I think we should take some time apart. I still want to be your friend, I really do, but you need to take some time and get over me. Find a man you can love with your whole heart and don’t use me to get your emotional fix while giving your body to someone you don’t love completely. You’ll be a lot happier if you do.”

“I understand,” Jessica said so softly that Kara had to strain to hear. “I’ll be going now. I promise I won’t bother you again.”

“Jess, I’m not saying we can never be friends, just take some time. Give yourself a few months without contacting me. You need to move on. I’ll always be your friend, but for now, it’s best if we don’t have any contact. Take care of yourself and I look forward to talking to you again, just not soon.” She looked at Madison, who nodded at her, understanding what the redhead was asking. Placing a gentle kiss on Madison’s lips, Kara stood and walked over to Jessica, wrapping her in a warm hug. “I’ll miss you, Jess. Call me when you’re ready to be friends… and just friends.”

Jessica wiped the tears from her eyes, nodded and tightened her arms around Kara, knowing this was the last time she would do so in a long time. Stepping back, she turned and walked out the door without a backwards glance.

Kara briskly rubbed her eyes, trying to remove the unshed tears she had been holding back during the emotionally intense moment. She took a deep breath and turned back to Madison. She took her by the hands and lifted her up and wrapped her arms around her. “I’m so sorry, baby. I had no idea she was going to do that. Please believe me when I say I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you. I love you so much. I never knew I could love someone as much as I love you.”

“You mean, you love me more than you loved her?”

“God yes. I did love Jess, but what I have with you is so much more real. I meant what I said. She loved who she thought I was. You love me. That means so much to me, to feel wanted and desired the way you make me feel. She never made me feel that way once in eight years. Even at our best, I never felt like I could be the real me and the second I started trying to be who I am, she started to pull away from me. She only wanted the façade, you want it all.”

“I do. More than anything. I love you, Kara.”

“And I you. We’ll be alright, sweetheart, I promise. Believe me, if I have anything to say about it, for the rest of my life my lips are only going to be touching yours. You have my word.”

At that, Kara pressed her lips against Madison’s, tasting the salt of the tears that were still rolling down the brunette’s cheeks. She tried to convey through the kiss all the love she felt for Madison and to express her devotion for the older woman. It was more than an expression of love, it was a promise of thousands of kisses yet to come.

Epilogue

One year later

Kara was sitting as still as she could in the room she had been given to use to get ready. As she sat there in a robe, Heather, one of Madison’s friends, was busily working with her hair, trying to get it looking sleek and stylish in a way that would complement her dress as well as the look Madison was going for in another room. In addition to the primping going on behind her, her sister-in-law, Rebecca, was carefully applying her makeup.

“There, all done. Take a look,” said Heather, finally having won a battle with Kara’s hair that Kara herself almost never fought, usually doing only one of three things, leaving it down, putting it in a ponytail or tying it back in a French braid.

“Oh my god. I look so amazing, thank you both so much for helping me get ready.”

She hugged them both before Heather left to take her seat and Rebecca stayed behind to help her into her dress. It was a white satin dress with a square cut neckline that gathered at the wide waist before falling gracefully to the floor. It was sleek and simple and a look that suited Kara perfectly.

“Kara, you look beautiful. I’m gonna go take my seat. Mike will be in soon. He’ll let you know when it’s time to walk down the aisle. Good luck.”

“Thanks. I’m so happy I could burst right now.”

“I remember the feeling. It’s how you should feel on your wedding day.” With one more hug, Rebecca left.

Not wanting to sit down and risk wrinkling her dress, Kara began to pace back and forth in the confines of the small room, continually glancing at the clock. Hearing a knock at the door, she turned towards it and told whoever it was to come in. She smiled as she saw Jessica standing there nervously, her belly just beginning to bulge out under her sleek blue dress. After several months of no contact, the two had got back in touch and resumed their friendship, this time with boundaries firmly in place.

Kara hugged her, placing her hands on her ex-wife’s stomach as she let go.

“Look at you. You’re starting to show. Pregnancy really suits you Jess.”

“Thanks. We found out this week that we’re having a boy. Bill couldn’t be more excited.”

“He’s gonna be a great dad.”

“He really is. How about you, are you ready for this?”

“Without a doubt. How are you doing?”

“I’m good. A little disappointed I didn’t get to be your maid of honor, but I’ll cope,” she joked.

“Well, if we had gone with attendants, there’s no one else I would have rather had standing at my side.” This was true, and the primary reason they had decided against attendants in the first place. Kara had no desire to make Madison share the spotlight with the other woman she had once loved.

“I know. I’m so happy for you Kar. If anyone deserves to be happy like this, it’s you.”

Kara wrapped Jessica in a brief hug, whispering a heartfelt “Thank you.”

“Well, I just wanted to stop by and say congratulations. I’m gonna go sit.”

Kara smiled at her and resumed her pacing once the door had been closed. After a few more minutes passed, there was a knock on the door and without waiting for a reply, her brother opened it and stepped inside, looking quite sharp in his uniform, his close cropped blonde hair almost invisible due to how light it was. He wrapped his big sister in a hug before holding out his arm for her take.

“Well, sis, I’m happy for you. I’ve got to say, Madison is absolutely perfect for you. You hit the jackpot with that one.”

“Thanks, Mike. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than I am at this moment.”

They finally arrived at the door to the sanctuary and she saw Madison, standing there resplendent in her own white dress, with her hair styled in a simple twist with strands falling in soft curls to frame her face. As their eyes met and Kara began to walk down the aisle toward the woman she would spend the rest of her life with, she knew for certain that this was without any doubts or reservations, the happiest day of her life.

The End