Bridges 41

Chapter 41

*Before…

And I’m with Cass…and the baby and last night.

I step into the shower with her and I hug here again. “You’re amazing y’know.”

“I am?”

“Yeah with the chopper and everything it all could have flooded back on my after
everything calmed down but it didn’t. And that’s you…”

“Sam……”

I tilt her head up and I kiss her.

“Thank you for loving me Casey Chase.”

*And Now…

We get dressed and head out and it’s actually one of the things that I like about winter. That it’s winter. It’s just not the same in a lot of places and I know I’m lucky living out here in British Columbia and not freezing my butt off every winter like so many other parts of the country.

I like winter because I can dress the part too.

And my clothes are here…or some of them.

Because I’m staying the weekend here with Cass and because at some point last night when Cass and I were together and everything was just awesome Brandon drove all the way down here to drop me off a bag of my things.

And then he drove back.

We got a wake-up call from the front desk and there they were and him gone headed back home.

There was just this note in Brandon’s handwriting that says. “Have a good weekend girls.”

I really, really do love him.

I mean he’s just.

He’s going to be a great father I think.

I wear a tee-shirt but a cream fluffy sweater over it and these nice faun brown corduroys and some wool socks and my hiking boots. Some girls are all into those Ugg boots but I just can’t they remind me of the space boots that we had in elementary school back when I was a kid.

Or a boot liner.

I think that they can look like boot liners sometimes too.

Cass goes with her jeans and a tee-shirt from the Olympics and a Team Canada hockey jersey and a cute knit hat with ear flaps and her jacket and we head out and we actually walk it.

It’s really not that cold out even for winter here and it’s kind of grey and heavy out but it’s still just pretty nice I mean it’s just the weather is actually a little too warm and humid. Not exactly the best thing for the Winter Olympics but it’s okay.

Because cutting through town with Cass is…

Holding hands and it’s The Winter games and it’s right on the heels of Christmas and New year’s and everyone’s still in a kind of a good mood from the holidays and there lots of people around and all sorts of different people around and tourists and stuff.

We get a lot of looks two grown women holding hands and if there were questions about if we’re together or not they’re answered when Cass and I kiss at the lights while we’re waiting for the lights so we can cross.

But by and large the looks are actually accompanied with smiles.

It’s about a half hour walk to get to Ohana’s but that was fine, more that it’s time with me and her and it’s nice to just go for a walk together even if we are going someplace.

It’s actually in the back of a building off the main part of the street so it can take advantage of the parking lot next door and I see a lot of vehicles from the base and some with just the plate markers and it looks like the place might be a military place.

Hey with the military presence here there’s bound to be some places that are favored by the forces.

That’s alright by me.

The outside is nice the awning is brushed aluminum like for those old airstream trailers and in that design and there’s some stuff painted in decals in the windows like a hula dancer and palm trees.

There are signs.

Bottomless coffee for vets and servicemen.

$5.00 Buy a soldiers breakfast…. That leaves a lump in my throat… “Pay a toonie and buy a breakfast for vet or serviceman.”

Even in Canada…there are vets here that fall through the cracks and there are some that end up on the streets and Vancouver for all its great points because it’s so warm it’s the homeless capital of Canada.

It’s something that you don’t think you’ll think about or face going into the service when you sigh up.

We head inside and it smells amazing and it’s packed and I see just lots of regular people and there are some guys that yeah they look like they could be on the streets but they’re sitting with some of the regulars and some of the troops and I look at Cass.

“Did you?”

“Some of the other Mounties and security guys have served and recommended it hon…are you okay? It’s not triggering anything is it?”

“No…but dammit if I’d know this was here I’d been making this a stop every time I came to the city.”

“So…good?”

I nod. “Very good.”

We have to wait to get a booth and we’re both blushing as the four guys are from the states in navy uniforms and they finish up fast when they noticed us before the waitress did and they actually got up and offered the booth to Cass and me and bussed it to boot.

“Ladies….” Was said with a smile.

Yep…blushing and getting that mannerly treatment from four guys with uniforms on is just.

And yes there are American troops in Vancouver a fair amount. It’s not uncommon to see them here because of some reason to be docked even if it’s just to pick something up or to do maneuvers and stuff like that so you can see them here or even on base a lot despite there being their own right across the border.

We settle in and Cass and I get the menus from the little holder and start to look through the menus and I really don’t know about some of this stuff. I mean they have it all spelled out what things are but the stuff it some of these things seems a bit different to me.

The girl comes around to take our orders and I do like that she open’s with Oloha.

She looks at us both but when she sees my tags she kind of changes. It’s that look that you get from people who actually give a damn about if you served or not.

Y’know….there are days when someone will do that and it’s actually worth it.

And something inside me that is always looking inside at the stuff I’ve seen actually stops and looks away if even for a few minutes.

And I get why this place is packed even more.

Cass orders fried spam and sunshine eggs and she has a side of coconut taro and I order something called the Bacon Moko-loko and we both get an order of toast with the house made marmalade.

I like marmalade; I’ve liked it ever since I was little and found out that Paddington bear liked it.

The food comes and Cass’s indeed has fried spam…its several slices that have been cut into triangles and it looks like something like fried bologna. It smells okay though. And her eggs are this big pile of scrambled eggs and they smell good.

Ask anyone in the services about scrambled eggs and they will tell you that one…they hate them and never want to see them again or that they’re really fussy on how they like their eggs.

These are actually scrambled with some chopped hot peppers and I think green onion but there’s pineapple chunks in there.

I snag a forkful before Cass commits egg-murder by slathering them in ketchup.

Alone they’re not too bad actually they taste like a mix of sweet and savory. Actually that whole thing you find sometimes in Asian food and especially when they’re dealing with like eggs.

When I was on leave in Thailand I had these great coconut eggs.

Not like sweet but they had like real fresh coconut and it was cooked first of something then the eggs were added and it wasn’t sweet or savory but right there in that middle. These are kind of like that but in a different way and would be good if Cass hadn’t just drowned them in ketchup.

It’s not a craving either it’s something she does period.

On her fries and onion rings and with steak (bleah) it’s just something that Cass does.

“I don’t know how you can eat that stuff.”

“What stuff?”

“Ketchup.”

“Ketchup’s good for you it’s a vegetable.”

“Ketchup’s not a vegetable.”

She’s grinning and smearing a triangle of spam into the ketchup with her fork. “That all depends on where you’re from hon.” And then she almost gleefully stuffs the dripping mass in her mouth.

“You have so much on the plate I can smell the vinegar from here.”

“Mmmm…yeah, my second favorite kind of chip.”

“What is?”

“Salt and Vinegar.”

“Ick.”

“No…yummy you want to know my favorite?”

“Gee I don’t know…ketchup?”

“Actually no…smoky bacon, not the sour cream and bacon either but smoky bacon like you’d get from humpty dumpty.”

“Oh okay yum…actually my dad used to love those and he’d even cook with them?’

Cass looks at me raising her eyebrows but paying attention. She does that a lot when I talk about my family.

Really, there is so much more to our relationship than I think even I thought about or imagined that I’d have.

“Cook with them?”

I nod. “He’d take them and grind them up really fine and then he’d add a little shake and bake mix to them and use it all as a coating for his smoky fried chicken.”

“Ohmigawd that sounds so good! You’ll make that for us when we get home right?”

I smile. “I’ll try it’s one of those dad things though.”

She smiles. “Yeah my mom can’t make doughnuts anywhere good as my dad does. It drives her nuts and of course he won’t write down the recipe.”

I smile and my food comes and it’s Bacon Moko-Loko and it’s a trio of spam slices each with a slice of bacon wrapped around them and fried until crispy and two scoops of steamed rice on the side of it and topped with a runny yolked sunny side up egg and then there’s red-eye gravy drizzled over that.

I don’t hate stuff like spam it’s actually something I never really had growing up and stuff so it’s just different but I like red-eye gravy the few times I’ve had it and I’ve been around enough that the rice isn’t that abnormal to me. Actually it’s the rice that makes it for me. It’s just plain white steamed rice and it’s just starchy enough to offset the salty flavor from the rest of the stuff and then there’s the runny yolk.

I like a runny yolk, always have. I think it goes back to family things. Mom liked a soft boiled egg and toast soldiers and dad used to do a really nice poached egg every now and then. There wasn’t actually a whole lot of sugary cereal in the house really.

Cass is making a face. “Ugh…I don’t know how you can eat that…”

“What?”

“Snotty eggs they’re gross.”

“I like them and they’re cooked. They’re just not over done.”

“Runny isn’t cooked Sam, noses run.”

“Ha-ha funny.”

She has that look on her face and I’m right in the middle of a nice forkful when she says. “Bowels run Sam.”

I have to stop chewing for a minute and it’s not because I’m grossed out I’m a battle field nurse but it’s to breathe and keep from losing my food from laughing and it’s hard to do because a couple of people turned and looked at her and well it’s kind of a military hang out so instead of being grossed out there’s a few thumbs up and some grins and some poor guy’s getting hid back pounded on because he’s choking on his coffee.

She’s kind of twisted and she’s funny and she’s beautiful and she’s just so damned easy to love.

Not to mention just how frigging awesome it is to have someone like that to love and that loves me back.

Even with me being transgender.

The ex…yeah she’d never get that and I know a few others too that would be less than happy about Cass and me being together.

I swallow that mouthful and wipe off my mouth and take a long rinsing drink of my coffee.

“You almost wore that missus.”

“Nope, you wouldn’t.”

“And how do you know?”

She does this sort of Sandra Bullock impression that she loves to do. It’s from Miss Congeniality and she’s smiling and leaning over the table.

“Because you looooooove me…you think I’m special….you want to kiss me….”

I lean over the rest of the way and give her a long, sweet, deep over and over again kiss in front of everyone.

I don’t stop for the ketchup.

And I don’t stop for the spoons being tapped on the table over and over either.

They could be a lot more…

But they’re not.

Not even the U.S. people here.

I served with enough; I’ve seen people hook up even being the same sex.

There’s DADT yeah sure….and that sucks but sometimes in the field life gets to those times when you just need someone…so there’s a lot more people in the forces that are willing to just not throw a hissy fit over things than some of the non-military people.

But troops don’t get to make policy.

Sorry…my soap box…stuff I’ve seen.

Canadian, American I don’t care what country I personally think that unless you served you shouldn’t get a say in military policy…makes about as much sense as old fifty year rich guys making decisions on women’s health.

Yeah likely more on that sometime….Cass easily pulls those thoughts away from my brain and back into the kissing as she leans in more and does one of those things that she does with her tongue that makes my nipples harden as my brain fires off an oh yes please!

We break the kiss and she’s grinning at the people there and I’m blushing, like seriously blushing because I’m not that open and yet kissing her first seemed like such the good idea….but I’m still pretty shy most of the time.

Cass…Cass isn’t.

And watching her talking to people and shaking hands with then just striking up a conversation I’m pretty sure that I need her…I mean I kind of know me and I kind of know the way I act because of stuff that happened and Cass, she won’t let me hide away…it’s just.

I’m lucky to have her.

The waitress comes by and she is doing the check upon the old school hand written receipt book. I nod to her. “I’ll get that….and that buy a vet’s breakfast…” I take my purse and look in my wallet and I give her all my twenties…it’s like a hundred and forty and It’s going to really tap me out but I’m comfortable, I have a home and family and I can actually afford to be a little uncomfortable for a while.

She looks at me and she nods and she smiles at me "Yes Ma'am." and Cass looks at the cash and she doesn’t freak out or say anything except to kiss me again lightly but sweetly.

She breaks the kiss and she gives me that smile…that I love you in her eyes and take your breath away smile.

“God I love you Samaritan Chase.”

I smile and blush and there’s almost tears there from that because I’ve never heard a woman, never heard anyone use my full name and love in the same sentence.

It’s not Samantha but she made it sound like it…it kind of feels like this sweet little impact in my heart.

Her…my name but as a girl…as a woman and she’s telling me she loves me.