Guardian Angel - Part 3
Chapter VII
Before I take you back to present day Charisma Tagherty, I think I need fill in a few of the blanks.
When Brianna and Charisma returned to the States, Brianna took steps to distance herself from Charisma. The first involved a visit to the Tagherty home as soon as she knew Charisma was in Washington.
************
Okasa opened the door at Brianna’s knock, a wide, welcoming smile on her face as she ushered the younger woman inside. “Brianna… this is an unexpected surprise. Come in, come in,” opening her arms for a hug. Brianna was happy to oblige, holding onto Okasa tightly and rocking her gently. Okasa felt the trembling in Brianna’s frame and pulled back slightly so she could look the younger woman in the eye.
“Brianna? What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
Brianna took a deep breath and steadied herself. She had sworn she wouldn’t cry, but she’d never expected it to hurt this much. “Can we sit down?”
“Of course, of course. Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, thank you, Mama O. I’m not going to be here very long. I just… I came to say goodbye.”
Okasa blinked. “Um… okay. Where are you going and when will you be back?” heart sinking at the look in Brianna’s eyes. She suddenly understood what Brianna was saying, but she shook her head against the truth she knew was coming.
“I’m not coming back, Mama O.”
Okasa took Brianna by the arm and seated her on the couch, immediately taking a place beside her. She covered Brianna’s hands and gazed at her for a long moment, seeing an aching sadness peering back at her. “Talk to me, Little Bri. What’s going on?”
“Nothing’s going on, Mama. It’s just time for me to grow up and I can’t….” She trailed off when Okasa shook her head furiously.
“Don’t lie to me, Brianna Walker. I know how you feel about Charisma. I’ve seen it in your eyes… in your actions. And I know how she feels about you.”
“Then you know why I have to do this, Okasa.”
“No I don’t. What you have....”
“What we have Charisma will never acknowledge. She can’t... not and be the person she needs to be for her own peace of mind.”
“What about her happiness?”
“I don’t think they’re mutually exclusive. But I’m not willing to hang around and watch her pull away and become more distant because I can no longer hide how I feel. Or worse, have her continue on with her life acting as though nothing is different. I love her, Mama, but I’m not going to become a martyr because of it.”
“Brianna, you’re not being fair. You’re not giving her the chance to choose.”
“Okasa, I’m not disappearing from the face of the planet. If she wants to find me, she’ll be able to. I’m just taking myself out of the mainstream of her life.”
“I’ll talk to he....”
“NO! No, Okasa. You and Patrick and the boys have to stay out of this. I mean it - stay out of this or I will disappear. She figures things out on her own or she doesn’t - either way it needs to be her decision.”
“If we stay out of it, you’ll keep in touch?”
“Yes.” Brianna took a deep breath and Okasa could see exactly what the decision was costing her. She silently cursed the foolishness and folly of youth, but marveled at Brianna’s determination. “I don’t want to lose any of you, Mama O. You’ve become more my family than my family ever was. I’m just can’t stand in her way, Mama, and I don’t know how much longer I can pretend.”
“Can I ask what changed? Brianna, you were roommates for four years. You just spent three months in each other’s back pockets touring around Europe.”
“Exactly - I just spent three months coming to the realization that I can never have the one thing… the one person… that makes me happy despite everything. I need some space from her, Mama.”
“And once you have the space?”
“I can learn how to be happy without her.”
“And if she comes looking for you?”
Brianna couldn’t stop the tears from coming to her eyes, but she kept them from rolling down her face. She smiled sadly, biting her lip before shaking her head at Okasa. “She won’t, Okasa.”
“You’re sure.”
“Yeah. She loves me, but she can’t love me. So she’ll let me go. It makes everything easier.”
“I think you’re wrong.”
“I hope you’re right, Mama O.”
************
Of course, Brianna was right. But she was also true to her word and kept in touch with the Tagherty family, spending time with them when Charisma wasn’t around. It was sometimes difficult trying coordinate their schedules, but when it became clear that Brianna had been correct about Charisma’s reaction, Okasa was determined to ensure Brianna didn’t lose touch with them.
At Okasa’s request and because she couldn’t seem to walk away completely, Brianna sent cards and letters to Charisma in care of Okasa. She trusted Mama O not to open them, but to give them to Charisma if the day ever came that she asked after Brianna - or if the right set of circumstances ever presented themselves. Okasa kept them in a locked box in her closet, hoping that one day Charisma would talk about Brianna or ask if Okasa ever heard from her. But she never did.
So while the Tagherty family shared their lives and holidays with Charisma, they also made an effort to do the same with Brianna. Without Charisma’s presence they celebrated holidays and birthdays together on odd weekends, and Brianna fell more in love with the family she had come to appreciate as her own. Sometimes it hurt so much to be with them, but Brianna treasured the time she was able to spend with them.
And so life went on.
Brianna finished law school at the top of her class, and was immediately snapped up by the most prestigious firm in the city. She spent inordinate amounts of time making a name for herself, and soon she was as respected and feared outside of the courtroom as much as she was in it.
When the District Attorney approached her to join his office, she chuckled wryly. “Are you sure you want to work with someone from the dark side?”
He laughed, appreciating her cutting sense of humor in a way that many didn’t understand. “Ms Walker, if I could lure you from the dark side, I wouldn’t be facing you across the aisle in the courtroom. What better incentive could I possibly need?”
“And what’s in it for me? I am exceptionally good at what I do and I am paid very lucratively for it. Why would I want to give it all up to become a public servant?”
“Because beneath that cutthroat demeanor beats the heart of a poet. I read the play you produced in college,” he continued in answer to her startled look. “It was exceptional.” He cleared his throat. “You have an eighty-six percent win ratio in court; ninety-seven if you include the deals made outside it. With those stats, you could have my job in a few years if you really wanted it. And you could use it as a stepping stone to other, bigger things - judge, state representative, even Congress.”
The mention of Washington made her eye twitch slightly and the man watching her didn’t miss her reaction. But he hadn’t gotten to his position by being stupid - he knew when to push and when to back off. “Think about it, Ms Walker. You could do great things.”
Brianna didn’t take his offer immediately. She had no desire to do more than be the best lawyer she could; she certainly had no desire to end up in Washington - not with all the effort she’d put into staying out of Charisma Tagherty’s life.
Still, the District Attorney was persistent and eventually Brianna gave in, becoming a rising star in his office before being appointed by him as his successor. That was when she started to really come into her own.
Meanwhile, Charisma had done her internship in Washington, making a number of contacts and impressing the hell out of those she came in contact with. It didn’t take long for the party to take notice of her and soon they were grooming her for a position in Congress.
Charisma missed Brianna’s presence in her life, but she had reconciled herself to the fact that for whatever reason, Brianna had said goodbye forever when she’d walked out of her life at the end of their trip. She’d decided to wait for Brianna to contact her again, not delving too deeply into the reason she was willing to let Brianna go so easily.
She wanted to ask her mother about Brianna - sure in the depths of her being that Okasa would never allow Brianna to simply leave the family, no matter what excuse she used. But Charisma had no desire to have her mother question the reasons behind her estrangement from Brianna - not sure she had answers to share and unwilling to look deep enough to find anything that might satisfy Okasa.
So Charisma went along - making time for her family on holidays and birthdays, but otherwise keeping to Washington until it came time for her to start stumping for a seat in the House of Representatives. Then she schmoozed her way across the state, collecting votes and support as she went, and when all was said and done, the Honorable Charisma Tagherty was a junior congresswoman in the House of Representatives.
“So how do you like being a hotshot Congressional Representative, sis? Everything you thought it’d be?”
“Eh,” pinching the bridge of her nose. “It’s not the Presidency, but it’s a start.”
Her brothers laughed. “Figures you’d want to start at the top. Does it at least keep you busy?”
“Yes, Hunter. That would be why we have to schedule time together,” Charisma replied dryly. The brothers exchanged glances, knowing that wasn’t the only reason they had to schedule time with Charisma. They each wanted so badly to say something… anything… to Charisma about Brianna. But Okasa had given them strict orders not to, and none of them were stupid enough to go against Mama.
Time passed and Charisma’s responsibilities in Congress took more and more of her time. When it came time for re-election after her third term, Charisma surprised everyone including her family, by declaring her intention to run for the Senate instead. And she won by a landslide.
That was when her life started to change.
************
I’m going to show you something - something I think you need to see instead of me just filling in the blanks to bring you up to speed. If we had the time, I’d prefer to show you everything - from both Charisma’s and Brianna’s lives from the moment they separated at the airport up to this point. But we don’t - I’m on a schedule and I can’t make that kind of investment just to satisfy your curiosity for detail.
However, I do need to show you the next bit of excerpts to get you to the same page I’m on. And I need you to understand the importance of what I’ve told you so far.
When Charisma first arrived in Washington, she was young and single and for the most part, idealistic. Of course that last bit didn’t last very long - it couldn’t if she wanted to become a real player on the political stage. But she had a good mentor… someone who taught her the ins and outs of life in the political arena that is the Nation’s capital. So by the time she became a representative, Charisma Tagherty was quite a force to be reckoned with.
Charisma was smart and she had learned from the best. She kept her nose clean and made a name for herself - sponsoring bills and making impassioned speeches that attracted voters and congressmen alike to her fold.
And all was well for a time, because you just can’t argue with success.
As the end of her first tenure as a senator approached, however, people started to talk. You see, Charisma Tagherty was a wildly successful woman that employed only women. Not that this fact in and of itself was a matter for gossip and speculation. As Charisma herself was so fond of pointing out, there was absolutely no reason she shouldn’t give other competent, successful women the chance to earn equal pay and establish a reputation for excellence. Because let’s face it - when someone of Charisma Tagherty’s caliber recommended your work, others tended to sit up and take notice.
No… where the difficulty arose was that Charisma Tagherty was not only a wildly successful woman, but she was a wildly successful *single* woman. A single woman who seemed to have little or no time to dedicate to finding the right man and settling down as her peers had already done.
Oh, don’t get me wrong - she dated, if you could call it that. Hooked up with influential men by well-meaning friends and occasionally escorted to events by a friend of one or another of her brothers or by her brothers themselves. Unfortunately, except where her brothers and their friends were concerned, most of the men she was introduced to either simply wanted to bed her or desired her to be a wife and mother first and foremost. The friends knew better - they had been warned ahead of time and knew the score.
And although Charisma’s biological clock had started ticking rather loudly as she approached her fortieth birthday, none of the men she dated were willing to accept a second or third place role in her life. As far as she was concerned, none of them were worth giving up her career for.
So the rumors started flying - about her frigidness; her unwillingness to settle; her demand for perfection and her concern for image. Then of course were the rumors about her girls - the women she employed for everything from household chores and landscaping to her personal assistant and office workers.
It infuriated her - she had worked so hard to maintain a sterling reputation in both her private and personal lives and suddenly she was under attack for not adhering to someone else’s goals for her life. Finally, she had enough and took off one weekend to talk to her father.
************
“Well, well,” Patrick drawled out his brogue, pulling a smile from Charisma’s face. “What brings Senator Tagherty to my humble abode?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye - a twinkle that diminished when he noted the sadness lurking in her blue eyes. “What’s wrong, Princess?”
She followed him into his study, but where he took a seat in front of the fireplace, Charisma continued walking until she was looking down into the darkened fireplace.
“I think it is time for me to find a husband,” she stated bluntly. “There are things being said that could destroy my career.”
“Are they true?” watching her head jerk up. He saw her eyes shutter and he wondered at the secrets she was keeping from herself before they pinned him in place.
“I am going to pretend you didn’t just ask me that,” she replied, keeping her voice low and even. “You know me better than that.”
“Well, since you haven’t shared with me what any of these rumors are, how am I supposed to know, baby girl? Obviously they are bothering you or you wouldn’t be here making pronouncements about needing to get married right this instant.”
She slumped just slightly and Patrick patted the seat beside him. “C’mon and tell your old man what’s going on, Charisma. I can’t help you until I know.”
So Charisma told him - of her non-existent dating life; of the strong women she surrounded herself with; of the stories and rumors that were going around because she did not fit the congressional definition of family values. When she was done she blew out a frustrated breath and looked at Patrick desperately.
“So what do I do?”
Patrick chewed his lip carefully, knowing any advice he gave could turn the tide in a number of directions.
“The real question is - what do you want to do? Are you ready to commit to someone and settle down for the rest of your life? Do you want a husband and family?”
“I’d like a baby,” she answered without hesitation. “I always saw a child in my future and if I wait much later….”
“Lots of women your age and even older are giving birth now, Charisma. There shouldn’t be any urgency influencing your decision on that account. However, you do need a husband first. Despite what your constituents do or do not do as far as matrimony and wedlock is concerned, they expect you to be a moral example. And frankly, your mother would kill you if you didn’t marry before you had a child.”
Charisma laughed, knowing Patrick spoke the truth.
“So the question remains - what do you want to do?”
Charisma sighed then gazed at Patrick unflinching. “I need to find a husband - someone who will like me for who I am and not for who they want me to be for them. Someone who will be willing to take a backseat to my career.”
“And love?”
“Not a real priority at the moment, Daddy, though I would like to like them too. Maybe someone who can make me laugh.”
Patrick bit his lip. This was shaping up to be a disaster.
************
It wasn’t really a disaster. Kent Rockwell met all of Charisma’s qualifications and then some. He was handsome, well-mannered, wealthy enough to dabble in the theatre without having to dedicate himself to it to earn a living and good enough to do the occasional gig that interested him. He made her laugh and he understood from the outset that he would never be as important in her life as her career was and he was content with that. He liked her - found her fascinating... knowledgeable about a great many things and passionate about the things she cared about.
They discussed it quite calmly and decided that it would be in their mutual best interests to wed. She would give him a wife his mother would accept and appreciate and he in turn would not only quell the rumors surrounding her, but also add stability to her life and reputation.
So it was agreed upon, and Charisma brought Kent home to meet the family.
And oh… wasn’t that an interesting day in the life of the Tagherty family.
Chapter VIII
Charisma had gotten in touch with her parents to let them know she was bringing someone home with her and was more than a little surprised when not only were her brothers and their families not present, but her folks had not gone to any trouble to have anything prepared. A frown crossed Charisma’s face when Okasa opened the door and sedately welcomed them into her home.
“Mama, where’s the family?” Charisma asked as she embraced her mother briefly before pulling back to look Okasa in the eye. “I’ve brought someone I wanted everyone to meet,” motioning to the man who stood discretely behind her.
“Your father is in the den,” Okasa said with a wave of her hand in that general direction. “I thought….” trailing off without finishing her sentence. “It doesn’t matter,” she continued without blinking at the man who was waiting for acknowledgment. She graciously extended her hand to him, inviting him into her home. He shook it gently and accepted her invitation, following her inside and waiting for Charisma to introduce him.
“Mama, I’d like you to meet Kent Rockwell… my fiancÈ.”
Okasa smiled at the handsome man, though it never quite reached her eyes. “How do you do, Mr. Rockwell? This is an unexpected surprise.”
“Though not an unwelcome one, I hope,” he replied. “And please call me Kent.”
“Well then, Kent… please come in,” leading them both towards the den where Patrick was currently ensconced. “I’m Okasa and Charisma’s father is Patrick, though the girls all call us Papa Paddy and Mama O if you think you’d be comfortable with that. Patrick?” calling out as they reached the door. She opened it without waiting for his response and ushered the two younger people inside in front of her.
Patrick looked up from his desk, then bade someone goodbye before hanging up the phone. He rose to greet them, taking Charisma in his arms and rocking her for a long moment before releasing her and looking her over with a jaundiced eye. With a faint nod, he turned his attention to the man who had accompanied her.
Kent stepped forward on his own this time, extending a hand and waiting for Patrick to take his measure. “My name is Kent Rockwell, sir.”
“He is my fiancÈ, Daddy,” Charisma cut in before Kent could say anything more.
Surprise flashed through Patrick’s eyes, though it was gone so quickly Charisma wondered if she had imagined it. Without hesitating, he accepted Kent’s hand, shaking it firmly and smiling slightly at the firm strength he found there.
“Can I offer you as drink, son?” giving Okasa the slightest nod. She took Charisma’s elbow to lead her from the room. Charisma didn’t refuse but arched an eyebrow in question.
“We’ll just go get some dinner started,” Okasa stated as she eased them from the room. Charisma followed without comment, smiling as they walked the familiar hallways to the large kitchen… until one particular picture caught her peripheral vision. She quickly turned away from the photograph and hurriedly crossed the threshold of the kitchen behind Okasa, running from the memories it and the crystal frame that surrounded it brought back. Okasa cocked her head and glanced at her briefly before opening the refrigerator door.
“Everything all right, baby girl?”
“Hmm? Oh… yes - fine, Mama.”
“You sure? You came in here like the hounds of hell were on your heels and there’s a frown putting deep creases in your forehead. Shouldn’t you be happy?”
“I *am* happy, Mama. But where is everyone?”
“I don’t know, Charisma. Did you let them know they needed to be here?”
“No. I figured when I told you I was bringing someone home, you would have let them know. I just assumed you understood what that meant. I expected some excitement… something. I mean, here I am after thirty-seven years finally bringing someone home to meet the folks.”
Okasa shook her head and proceeded to get out her largest stew pot even as she directed Charisma to begin cutting up vegetables. Charisma didn’t even hesitate; here in this house, she was Okasa’s daughter… not a United States Senator. There was no way she was going to let her mother down by not helping prepare the meal they would soon share.
“You’ve brought people home before, baby girl.”
“Not like this… and not in a very long time,” her voice dropping to a whisper at the last.
Okasa bit her lip to keep the questions she wanted to ask about Brianna from escaping - as Brianna had been the last person Charisma had brought home for the family to meet. Instead she cleared her throat and asked about Kent with all the enthusiasm she could muster. “So… tell me about your young man. Where did you meet? What does he do? How long have you known him?”
Charisma smiled, though her eyes didn’t twinkle. Okasa wondered what on earth Charisma had gotten herself into. “Mama, only you would refer to a grown man like Kent as young. We were introduced several months ago by a mutual friend at a party in Washington. Kent is from a wealthy family, so he doesn’t have a singular interest. He does some acting, some investing, some traveling….”
Charisma sighed when Okasa’s eyes narrowed. She’d known that tidbit wasn’t going to go over well. Her parents firmly believed in a strong work ethic and Kent’s genteel manner would not make up for the fact that he was essentially a playboy. Still she forged ahead. “We like a lot of the same things… we have a lot in common. He’s bright, funny… he makes me laugh. I like him.”
“You like him,” Okasa repeated flatly. “You’re engaged to marry this man, ready to commit your life to him and bring him into the family, and all you can say is you like him?”
“You don’t think it’s important to like the per… man you’re going to marry?”
Okasa took Charisma into her arms and met her eyes squarely. “Charisma, of course I do,” not commenting on Charisma’s slip of the tongue. She was a grown woman after all - capable of making and living with her mistakes. “If your Daddy and I hadn’t liked each other tremendously, the love we’ve shared for the last forty-something years wouldn’t have been enough to carry us through any number of tough situations we lived through.”
Okasa sighed and looked away for a long moment before bringing her eyes back to meet Charisma’s. “But baby girl, simply liking someone isn’t necessarily a good foundation for creating a life together.”
“The love will come, Mama.”
“And if it doesn’t? Will it be enough, Charisma?”
“It will have to be, Mama. At least he’s a good man who comes from a good family. He’ll be a good partner… a good father.”
Okasa held Charisma’s gaze for a long moment before finally nodding her agreement. “All right, baby girl. I just hope you know what you’re doing.” Then she turned back to her preparations. Charisma sighed and shook her head. It could have gone a lot better… and a lot worse.
************
“So, Kent…” Patrick said, motioning the younger man to a seat in front of the fireplace before moving from behind his desk and over towards the bar. “What’s your pleasure?”
“Whatever you’re having is fine, sir. Personally, I like a good Scotch.”
“Glenlivet?”
“That would be great, sir… thank you.”
Patrick poured three fingers’ worth into a glass and passed it to Kent. Then he poured something else for himself and took the seat opposite. He smiled. “I prefer an Irish Whiskey myself.” He tilted his glass in Kent’s direction.
Kent nodded his head and raised his glass. “To new beginnings.”
Each man took a swallow of his chosen alcohol, taking one another’s measure. Then Patrick cleared his throat. “Tell me about yourself, Kent. You’ll forgive an old man his bluntness, but this is the first we’ve heard about you. It’d be nice to know a little bit about you before you marry my only daughter.”
Kent smiled easily. “Yes sir. I guess it must have been something of a shock.”
“My boy, you’re a master of understatement. So…?”
Kent chuckled and launched into his personal history, telling Patrick about his family and his childhood. He told anecdotes that made Patrick chuckle with the telling and went on about his interests. From there he told Patrick how he and Charisma had met, what they had in common and how they had come to be engaged.
“So she proposed to you, hmm?”
“Not exactly… well, she suggested it first, and we talked and decided it was a good idea. I’ll admit it was something of a surprise when she brought it up. I mean… I always thought we were a good match, and my mother loves her. But I didn’t realize she was ready to settle down - I know how important Charisma’s career is to her - it comes first. Otherwise, I’d have already asked her.”
Patrick nodded, hearing what was said as well as what wasn’t. But unlike Okasa with Charisma, he didn’t really know the man currently sitting in front of him and he had no way of knowing just how honest with Kent Charisma had actually been. So he tried a little more subtle approach.
“So you’re happy together?”
“Yes, sir. And we have so much in common; we like many of the same things. Charisma and I have fun together and we enjoy each other’s company. We’re friends first.”
Patrick smiled. “That sounds very much like Okasa and me. We were friends who liked each other long before we ever fell in love with one another. It’s made our lives together and our marriage a much smoother journey.”
“To smoother journeys,” Kent said, raising his glass again.
“And a long life together,” Patrick agreed.
************
After a short and pointed argument that Okasa won due to Kent’s agreement and capitulation - Mama, I’m thirty-seven years old and we’re engaged for God’s sakes! That is not the point, Charisma… this is still my house, and in my house only married couples share a room and a bed. You knew that. It was that way with your brothers and I’m not changing it for you despite your age and position. Honey, it’s all right. It won’t hurt us to respect the rules your mother set up. We’ll probably do the same thing to our kids one day - everyone was finally settled into bed for the night.
“Well,” Patrick drawled, looking over his glasses at Okasa as she climbed under the cover and picked up her book. “That was interesting.”
“Which part?” Okasa asked drolly. “The part where Charisma sprang a fiancÈ on us? The one where I realized this is a disaster in the making? Or the part where Kent agreed with me to keep the peace in the house even though Charisma will be in a snit about it for days where he is concerned?”
Patrick’s eyebrows rose into his hairline. “Well when you put it that way… maybe we should start at the beginning. We obviously had some serious differences in our day. I think we need to compare notes.”
“Where would you like to start? Surely you weren’t aware she was bringing a fiancÈ home??”
“No… not at all. I thought… I mean I was hoping when she said she was bringing someone home….” Patrick trailed off, knowing Okasa knew where he was headed with his train of thought.
“So was I, Paddy. I really expected Brianna….” Okasa cleared her throat and spoke quietly. “So you got to talk to him alone. What do you think of Kent Rockwell?”
“I think Charisma chose him for several reasons - he’s nice looking, has a good family background, apparently is well off enough not to have to do anything seriously and he obviously cares for her.” Patrick hesitated, then continued. “Charisma suggested marriage to him… not the other way around. She even had the ring.”
Okasa’s head whipped around so fast Patrick heard the bones in her neck pop. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me, old woman. Charisma did the proposing and purchased the ring she wanted him to give her.”
Okasa shook her head. “What is that girl thinking?”
“She’s a grown woman, love.”
“Then she needs to act like it!” Okasa blew out a frustrated breath trying to bring her emotions under control. “Honestly, Paddy… this is one screwed up pickle of a mess. Charisma admitted to me that she doesn’t love him,” she said in a near whisper, not wanting this conversation to carry.
“She said that?”
Okasa nodded. “She likes him - thinks he will make a good husband and father. But love doesn’t fit into the equation - not right now at least. She hopes it will eventually, but it doesn’t seem to be a priority for her.” She bit her lip in thought. “Obviously, Charisma had her mind set to get married and Kent Rockwell fit the criteria she was looking for in an acceptable husband.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. I knew she was looking. I didn’t know she was so determined.”
“What do you mean - you knew she was looking?” Okasa turned to face him again and crossed her arms over her chest. “*How* did you know she was looking??”
“She told me. When she came to see me several months ago - I told you about her visit remember… you were working that day - she informed me that it was time for her to find a husband. Apparently there were some folks in Washington - hell, maybe they were here, I dunno - that were making noise about the fact that she was still unmarried and pretty much without prospects.”
Okasa frowned. “She may be unmarried, but she’s never been without prospects, Patrick Tagherty.”
“I am well aware of that, me love. I am simply telling you of the rumors that were flying around. They disturbed Charisma enough she decided to do something about them. She decided to find a husband.”
“Of all the…” Okasa broke off before she could launch into a tirade. “So what do we do now?”
Patrick pulled his glasses off and set them aside before sliding down and reaching for the light. Okasa followed his example and they faced one another in the nearly dark room. He sighed and she waited, then he took her hand in his and sighed again.
“We do what we’ve always done, Okasa. We watch and pray.”
“I was afraid you were gonna say that.”
************
The following day, Okasa called the boys and their families to come over and meet the newest member of the clan. And while they were welcoming and cordial enough so that Kent felt comfortable, Charisma recognized their distance and coolness. So when the girls pulled Kent into the kitchen to grill him about the details of their romance they knew Charisma wouldn’t share with them, Charisma took the boys to task.
“What the hell is wrong with you three?” They stared at her unflinching, though none of them spoke up to answer her question. She gazed into the crackling fireplace to regain her composure before meeting each of their eyes squarely. “I know you don’t like Kent - what I don’t understand is why. You don’t even know him. Don’t you think you should give him a chance first?”
The boys exchanged glances before Hunter, as the eldest, stepped up to speak for all of them. “We have nothing against Kent, Chari. He seems like a pretty decent guy and he seems to be gone on you.”
“So what’s your issue then? Why are you treating him like he has the plague?” Silence. Charisma felt the anger blossom in her chest and she looked at them with hard eyes. “Why?? I deserve an answer.”
The boys exchanged long looks this time, reminding Charisma of their growing up years when they were trying to keep things from her. Before she could call them on it, Hunter spoke again. “Because anyone with half an eye can see you don’t feel the same.” He paused then plowed forward, hoping his mother would forgive him for his next words. “Because he isn’t Brianna!”
Charisma sucked in air like she’d been sucker-punched, then straightened and turned and left the room without another word to any of them. They stayed behind for another minute, waiting for Okasa to show up to ream them for bringing up Brianna’s name in front of Charisma, but as the minutes passed, they realized she wasn’t going to. Did she not know? Or did it not matter now that Charisma was engaged to marry Kent?
The three left the study and returned to the family room where everyone else was gathered. The visiting continued as though the incident in the study had never happened - Charisma was well-versed in the art of politics and knew how to put on a game face for the world. Not that it fooled her brothers, but it was enough to get through the visit and convince the family that despite whatever doubts and misgivings they felt about the situation, Charisma was not unhappy about her decision to wed. Even the boys could see that.
So the nuptials came and went. It was a small, intimate affair - only family and the very closest of friends were invited. And not long after she and Kent were settled into married life, Charisma announced she was expecting.
************
Despite all the misgivings, that was actually a happy occasion in the Tagherty household. Okasa and Patrick had been waiting a long time to welcome a grandchild from Charisma and the boys and their wives were equally excited. And that excitement went a long way towards healing the anger Charisma felt towards her brothers for their attitude towards Kent… especially since she knew their reaction was honest. She really couldn’t stay mad when they were only looking out for her, no matter how misguided their concern.
Adam was born on summer solstice - the longest day of the year. Charisma swore he brought sunshine into her life. And if everything wasn’t perfect, Adam made her remember the good things in her life. And so life went, bringing us to the present point in time.
Chapter IX
Let me catch you up a little more, because there are a few things you need to understand before we pick up our story in the present day.
Their marriage, while it made Kent’s mother ecstatic, quickly became a thing of convenience for both of them, though to anyone looking from the outside they are happy enough. Like many of their peers, they have separate careers and in some ways, separate lives, but on the occasions they are together, they present a united, happy front.
Now, don’t misunderstand me, Kent does love Charisma in his own way, but it soon became apparent to him that she does not return his affection to the same degree. She does care for him, but she sees him as a friend and a father to her son - not a husband or a lover. And it isn’t something he knows how to overcome.
While sex is not non-existent between them, it is performed more as a duty than a pleasure. Once Charisma became pregnant, there was even less of an obligation between them. And when Adam was born, the expectation between them slipped even farther.
Charisma spends her time between Washington and her home state; Kent divides his time between being a house-husband and father in Washington and an actor working in Manhattan. Once or twice, Charisma has made an effort to support her husband’s career by attending a production but by and large, he leads his life and she leads hers.
As for Adam - he stays with Charisma. Kent takes care of him when he is in Washington, but when he leaves to go work in Manhattan, Adam is strictly Charisma’s son.
That brings us back to the present. Hopefully from here on out, you can see things in real time. Now, I don’t know how things will go precisely, but one of the cool things about being a guardian angel means I can see the possibilities. So hold onto your horses - this promises to be a bumpy ride.
************
Esmeralda quietly cleaned the office, conscious of the two individuals resting on the couch just a few feet away. When she was finished, Esmeralda crossed back over to the couch and gently touched Charisma’s shoulder, watching the blue eyes open alertly and gaze at her in confusion for a brief moment before clearing.
“Es?” Charisma whispered, one hand cupping her son’s back while the other pushed the hair from her eyes. “What time is it?”
“Late,” Esmeralda returned. “I was just getting ready to leave.”
Charisma reached out a hand and Esmeralda took the hint, helping Charisma to sit up without losing the hold she had on her sleeping son. Then she pushed her hair back from her face, frowning as she tried to find a semblance of coherent wakefulness. Without seeming to impose, Esmeralda scooped Adam from Charisma’s arms, giving her the opportunity to stand and gather her things together.
Charisma watched them for a long moment, smiling at the precious picture they made. Adam had always been shy around strangers - very particular about whom he let in his personal space even as a baby. And yet, seemingly without effort, Esmeralda had charmed Adam so quickly, he was actually squealing in laughter. Charisma smiled sympathetically.
“You must have some sort of magic,” Charisma commented softly as she crossed the room to collect her purse and jacket as well as Adam’s things. “He’s never warmed up to anyone so quickly. It took three days before Kent could hold him without Adam screaming bloody murder, and he’s Adam’s father.” Charisma chuckled. “We figured out it was the scent of greasepaint and the theatre that seemed to bother him. Once Kent came home and immediately took a shower before coming near him, Adam stopped wailing like a banshee.” She brushed her hair back again and smiled at the joyful expression on Esmeralda’s face.
“Children and babies love me,” Es confided, cooing at Adam while gently rocking him back to sleep. Charisma watched amazed as her son’s eyes closed again.
“Obviously,” she agreed. “I think you’re in the wrong line of work.” A beat. “Do you and Saphira have children?”
Esmeralda shook her head. “No,” she said sadly. “Neither of us is able to have children and because of who and what we are to one another, we can’t adopt. But there’s a reason for everything, Charisma. I think I’m right where I need to be.”
Charisma gazed speculatively at her for a long moment. “Maybe you are,” she muttered mostly to herself, though Esmeralda clearly understood her. She picked up the receiver and called for her car. “Can I offer you a lift… home?”
Esmeralda smiled and shook her head, easily transferring the toddler in her arms back into his mother’s embrace. Then she moved to collect her cart. “As nice as that sounds, I still need to put away my things and I don’t want to hold you up. You need to get your little guy to bed… and it wouldn’t hurt you to get a little rest as well,” she scolded, opening the door and motioning for Charisma to go in front of her. “Besides,” Esmeralda added as she pushed her cleaning cart through the door and turned to lock it behind her, “I’m not going home.”
Charisma smiled. “Late night date with your lady, then?”
Es smiled bashfully. “Something like that. Her shift at the diner will be over by the time I get there and we’ll go home together.”
“I can still drop you….” Charisma started, but stopped when the blonde head shook negatively.
“Not that I don’t appreciate it, Charisma, because I do… more than I can make you understand. And I promise you’ll get to meet her soon. You let me know when’s good for you and we’ll make it happen. But trust me when I tell you it’s better for you not to do this for me right now.”
Charisma’s face hardened. “Oh… I see. You want to be some sort of reverse snob,” she said, but Esmeralda cut her off before she could continue.
“Don’t, Charisma - you know better,” Es replied fiercely. “But can you really afford to be seen in a government vehicle riding around at this time of night with an out lesbian who happens to be part of the janitorial staff in your Senate building? Regardless of the fact that you’d be taking me to meet my mate, I don’t think your constituents would take too kindly to it despite the fact that there really is nothing more untoward about it than you offering someone less fortunate a bit of consideration. You’ve worked too long and too hard to establish the reputation you have to throw it away on an unnecessary kindness.”
“I’m sorry, Es - you’re right. I don’t know why I’m so raw today. But you shouldn’t be catching the brunt of my pissiness.” She paused. “Is there such a thing… as unnecessary kindness, I mean?”
“In this case, yes.” Esmeralda unlocked the janitorial closet and pushed her cart in, taking care to restock just as she did every night even though she was still very aware of Charisma’s presence. “It’s been a long day for you and Adam - you should focus on getting the two of you home and settled. I’ll be all right, Charisma - I promise. I do this every night. In fact,” she added as she exited the closet and locked it behind her, “it would probably freak Saphira out if your car pulled up in front of the diner at this time of night with no warning. She’d think something bad had happened to me.”
Charisma nodded - she hadn’t thought of it like that before and she knew without asking that neither of them had cell phones. “But you promise I’ll get to meet her soon? And that you’ll be okay walking there by yourself? I know I sound paranoid - I guess I never really considered….”
“I promise, Charisma. You get me a date and time that will work for you and we’ll arrange something. And I’ll be fine - I’ve got a guardian angel watching over me,” rubbing the tiny pin attached to her blouse
“I wish I had one of those,” Charisma mumbled.
“I’m sure you do, Senator,” motioning the other woman ahead of her as they approached the garage. Esmeralda held the door for Charisma to slip through with Adam, then followed behind her. “But here,” removing the pin and carefully sticking it on Charisma’s jacket. “Now you have a visible reminder.”
“Oh Es,” Charisma protested. “I can’t take this from you. It’s your guardian angel.”
Esmeralda smiled and Charisma was overwhelmed by the sheer radiance of it. “No, Charisma. It is merely a reminder. My guardian angel is a little more ethereal than the pin and she sticks pretty close.”
“She, huh?”
“In most cases, yes. I think the male angels are busy posturing and talking politics and completely missing the big picture around them… no offense.”
Charisma couldn’t stop the laughter that welled up at the assessment and she slid into her vehicle still chuckling. Es held the door until Charisma got Adam settled in his car seat and turned back to look at her.
“Thank you, Es - for being such a good friend. Most would have taken my bitchiness personally. Be safe tonight, all right?”
Es nodded. “See you tomorrow night, Senator Tagherty.”
Charisma rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile before sitting back and letting Esmeralda shut the door firmly behind her. Es patted the roof and the driver pulled off. She stood and watched the car out of sight, nodding in approval when Amber took up the job of looking out for them. Then she turned and headed out of the garage, anxious to meet Saphira at the diner.
************
Sorry… cutting in again very briefly to explain something. What I said was true - most guardian angels don’t do the protection gig. There aren’t enough of us to do that for every single person on the planet twenty-four/seven/three-sixty-five. But when a complete fubar like this one is thrown at the clean-up detail, we have a little more leeway and can call upon whatever resources we need to get things straightened out. We try not to overextend everyone else’s departments or leave any one section short-handed for an extended period of time, but we do take what we need to resolve the situation we’ve been handed with all expediency.
To that end, I have enlisted several friends and cohorts to help me fix this mess. Saphira is truly my mate, though she is not a guardian angel of any kind. And I hope I do not need to call upon her true skills beyond supporting me before this is all over. Amber is my best friend other than Saphira - she’s a guide guardian… the kind Rafe was before he created this debacle. I’m convinced if Charisma had been her charge, we wouldn’t be cleaning up crap now. Hence my snarky comment to Charisma about male angels. Honestly, there are some things most of them just shouldn’t try to handle - they don’t do as well as their female counterparts.
There are a few other guardians I have on stand-by for if and when they are needed. But at the moment, Amber, Saphira and I and the rest have things well in hand and under control.
************
Esmeralda made her way from the metro station towards the diner, a smile on her face as she approached. It had been a long and interesting day and she was anxious to share her experiences with Saphira. Besides, things should be happening on the flip side of things soon, and Es was anxious to hear how things were progressing. And it didn’t hurt that Matilda made the most awesome apple pie and always saved a piece for them to share before they headed home.
She was smiling as she opened the door and it grew to a genuine grin when Saphira’s eyes met hers. “Hey, beautiful,” Saphira greeted as Esmeralda took a stool at the counter. “How was your night?”
“Interesting. Yours?”
“Busy,” placing a glass of milk in front of Esmeralda and pulling the slice of pie from the case and slipping it into the warming oven. “Not that you can tell at the moment,” indicating the fairly empty restaurant with a sigh. “Hey, Joe!” calling out to the grill cook. He peeked through the window with a frown on his face until he caught a glimpse of Esmeralda. Then he grinned and came out of the kitchen for a hug. The embrace was brief and Joe pulled back to peer at her.
“You’re too skinny there, Essie. Let me fix you something to go with that pie.”
“I’m all right, Joe,” she started, then continued when she saw him start to frown again, “but a burger would be nice, thanks.”
“Good girl… maybe you can get this one to eat something too,” he added with a glower in Saphira’s direction before returning to he kitchen. Esmeralda turned to look at her mate.
“Joe giving you a hard time?” noting the weariness in Saphira’s eyes and body language. Saphira smiled at her.
“No more than usual - he’s just concerned. Remember, as far as he knows I lost my job taking care of you during your illness. And I’ve been working doubles here to pay the bills.”
“Well,” Es agreed quietly. “That’s mostly true. You did give up your job, you did take care of me while I was sick and you have been working doubles here. The rest….”
“The rest will work itself out in His time - I know. I just… sometimes I don’t know how you can do this all the time, Es. I just want to get in there and fix things.”
Esmeralda smiled. “I know you do, Phira. That’s your calling, and you’re the best at what you do. But that’s not what guardians do. This requires a little more finesse and finagling than brute strength and brilliance.”
Saphira snorted. “Nice save, though we both know there is an enormous amount of brilliance that goes into these rescue missions,” she said with a smirk, then rose from her stool. “Let me lock the door,” she said as the last customer left with a wave. “Then we can eat in peace before we go home for some sleep.”
She reached for the lock, turning it with a snick and grabbing the blinds. Before she could snap them closed she heard a desperate voice calling out, “Wait, please! Wait!”
Saphira’s shoulders dropped, but she had long since learned not to ignore a plea for help when one was heard. You never knew who or what lay behind the call nor the difference you could make by taking the time to listen. With a sigh, she unlocked the door and motioned the woman forward and into the diner.
The woman crossed the threshold with a sigh of relief and a sincere thank you as she glanced around. She was pulling two large suitcases as well as a tote bag and looked completely lost and out of place. Esmeralda recognized her immediately, but she waited for the woman to speak.
“Thank you so much,” she said to Saphira again, taking the stool the woman offered her and accepting a menu. “I somehow missed my driver at the airport and I’m pretty sure I got off the wrong Metro stop as well.”
“Is this your first visit to Washington?”
The woman blushed and nodded her head. “I’ve been all over this country and all over the world, but I’ve never had the opportunity to come here until now.” Not the complete truth, but she had no way of knowing they already knew that.
“So what brings you here - business or pleasure?” Esmeralda asked, eyes widening when Joe plopped the biggest burger she’d seen in a while in front of her. She turned her gaze to Saphira who understood her unspoken request, pulling another plate from behind the counter and proceeded to remove about half the food onto it. Saphira cocked an eyebrow at the other woman who was staring at the hamburger and fries like she hadn’t eaten in days, then slid the plate over to sit in front of her. The woman immediately began to protest.
“Oh no… I can’t take your food from you. Please.”
Saphira just ignored her and poured up two more glasses of cold milk then refilled Esmeralda’s. Esmeralda put her hand on top of the woman’s and silenced her with it a look. “Please, don’t insult us by refusing the food. It’s obvious you’re very hungry aside from being lost and alone. We can’t afford to buy you a whole meal, but we can share what we have.”
The woman’s mouth snapped shut on her argument and she bowed her head in the face of such simple generosity. “Thank you,” she murmured.
“Besides,” Es added with a smile, hoping to chase away the woman’s embarrassment. “Joe fixed enough to feed a family here and it will just go to waste otherwise.”
The woman took a satisfying bite of her burger and her face lit up in a smile. “Oh, I don’t think you have to worry about that. Man, this is great!” seeing Joe pop up from the back with a smile at her expression of pleasure. “I haven’t had real food this good in ages.”
“Well then,” Saphira said around her own bite. “I’m glad I held the door open for you.”
The woman moaned. “Me too. This place is going to be a regular stop for me while I’m here.”
“So are you here for business or pleasure?” Esmeralda asked again.
“Business. I’ve just been appointed the junior Senator from my state to replace Richard Whitman.” Saphira and Esmeralda nodded. Richard Whitman had been in the news for weeks due to a medical condition that had slowly left him incapacitated and unable to serve in the Senate any longer. Many had been waiting for the governor of his state to name his replacement, but nothing had been finalized in the press, though apparently the decision had already been made.
“It was supposed to be announced last week, but….” She shrugged. “The timing was never right - either the governor or I always had some sort of scheduling conflict that kept getting in the way of making an announcement together. I think now the governor is planning to call a press conference here on the capital steps tomorrow - make a big to do over the whole thing.”
“And how do you feel about it?”
“The job or the press conference?” the woman asked with a smile.
“Yes,” Esmeralda said as she munched on a few fries.
“Well, it’s not like it’s my first press conference,” she confessed, wiping her mouth and taking a swallow of milk. “Man, that’s good stuff.” She shook her head. “I learned a long time ago that the press and paparazzi are a part of public life, like them or not. As for the job….” She shrugged and looked t her plate thoughtfully. “I’m not sure yet,” she replied honestly. “This isn’t really something I set out to do in my life - politics don’t particularly interest me, but the governor felt I was the best choice for the job. Fortunately, I only have to do it for two years before the people can elect another candidate of their choice.”
“And if they decide that choice is you?”
“I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” The woman chewed and swallowed, wiping her hands on her napkin before extending them. “By the way, my name is Brianna Walker.”