—–
Rosemary Porter took no time in getting Emma Kennard’s phone number from Melvin and ringing her old college friend up. As well as fixing up a dinner date for the three old friends to meet up the women also arranged a lunch time date to swap stories and have the sort of conversations that would bore Melvin. Which was why Rosemary taking a long lunch break on Thursday and was sitting in a café near Central Park waiting for Emma Kennard to appear. Right on the stroke of one the door swung open and a slim blonde walked in – she was wearing a crisp grey business suit and heels that made her taller than her usual 5ft 6. Rosemary stood up – that could only be Emma. The blonde looked around until she saw the tall brunette – Emma never forgot a pretty face and this was most certainly one she had admired for a long time over three decades ago.
“Rosemary!! “
Emma hurried across and they greeted one another with a hug
“Oh, let me look at you – oh you look as gorgeous as ever “
“So, do you Emma – just as head turning “
More hugs and kisses followed before they sat down and ordered coffee and sandwiches. Emma was grinning with delighted
“That old fox Melvin always did have excellent taste “
“I gather you had a thing about me “
“Oh, I did – there was just something about you “
“Now you tell me – over 30 years later – if I had known “
“If you had known that Robert Redford fancied you it would not have mattered – -you only had eyes for Melvin and I have to say that I cannot blame you – he’s just as handsome and charming as ever “Emma said
Rosemary laughed – Emma was as sharp as always.
“It’s so good to see you – tell me everything “Rosemary said
“In an hour?”
“Oh no – this is the first of many hours we are going to need to tell one another everything”
“That sounds a marvellous idea – it was brilliant of you to suggest that we have a girl get together”
“Well I know Melvin – he is such a sweet man but he does get restless when he’s forced to listen to girls talk “
Emma laughed “It was so good to see him – I just loved the two of you so much “
“It was mutual – I admired how out you were about your sexuality “
“Melvin had his civil rights; you had your anti-vivisection as I recall and I had my gay rights – what a bunch of Trots we must have looked “
“And look what pillars of society we have all become – your own law firm I hear “
“Oh yes – me with my law firm and Melvin so highly regarded as a State Prosecutor and he sounds so proud of your work at the library “Emma said
“Not as grand as what you are doing “
“Nonsense – being a librarian is a wonderful thing “
There was a brief pause
“Melvin told me your partner died a couple of years ago “
“Yes – three years ago to be exact. I was with Kate for 28 years. We loved each other and for 28 years we never slept apart once. It was hard when she was ill “Emma swallowed back the lump in her throat that still surfaced whenever she discussed her former life partner.
“You have a daughter Melvin tells me “
Emma smiled seeing the need to change the subject.
“Tina – yes. I am very proud of her – I worry about her so much. You have a daughter too?”
“Bette – I know that so much of her life is going well. I am a mother like you – I want her to settle down. She has it all – a fantastic business, she is beautiful and loving and witty. She is the best daughter I could imagine having – but I wish she would settle down with one woman”
Emma smiled “Trust me Rosemary – it’s difficult whatever your daughter does. Tina “she shook her head
“Tina is with a woman who doesn’t deserve her. Tina is the most gentle and sweet of girls and Steph who is her girlfriend doesn’t treat her like she deserves to be treated. I pick her off the floor at least once a week. if I have my way Tina will not be with this woman much longer “
Rosemary recognised the protective streak in Emma was the same as hers when it came to their daughters
“My problem with Bette is the women she dates are beautiful and very pleasing on the eye – they are no intellectual match for her. I will say one thing about her. She gets this from her father — she treats women like princesses “
Emma smiled “That’s what Tina needs – to be worshipped and loved. She’s had a number of relationships that have just sapped her self-confidence. It breaks my heart – after Kate died Tina just seemed to lose her way – she misses her other mom very much. I don’t know what to do – she has so much to offer and I hate seeing her settle for these women who does not get how special she is “
“What does Tina do?”
Emma sighed
“She was the PA to a studio executive in CBS. After she lost her mother, she took time off which eventually led her to resign for her own reasons. She drifts between volunteer jobs – at the moment she seems to be the number one doormat at a social centre in a less than safe area. I don’t know what she’s looking for in life “
“Sounds like she took her mother’s death hard “
“She did – at first she was the one holding me together – she was strong and made all the arrangements and was the one keeping me together. A couple of months later she just started to crumble – crying all the time and going more and more into her shell. Three years after Kate died, she has changed in the most unrecognisable way. I don’t think she is still grieving – she has just let herself go and she doesn’t know her way back”
Rosemary could feel the pain that Emma was experiencing – she was worried for her child and didn’t know what to do for the best. All she knew was that her current partner was not making things better – only worse. Rosemary thought that Bette’s problem was that she was so controlled that she didn’t know how to let go. The women she dated knew better than to make any demands of Bette in terms of love and affection. She only gave the tiniest part of herself away – leaving the most loving and kind side to her personality locked away. She had been so hopeful of getting Bette and Tina together – but it sounded like they were in totally different places and they wouldn’t be able to find a way to make a relationship work. All the same it was worth seeing what happened if the two younger women did meet – maybe there would be some sort of spark that might lead to a flame burning. A flame that would strip away Bette’s reserve and Tina’s pain.
Emma looked up “I want Tina happy – you know that regardless of anything else in your child’s life you want them to find a peace that you and I have both experienced”
“Melvin said that you would like to get our girls together “
“From how you describe Bette it sounds as if she is just the sort of woman that Tina needs. The question is how can we get them together without them knowing that the three of us are in cahoots “
“They might not be attracted to one another “Rosemary said
“And they might be very attracted to one another “Emma pointed out
Rosemary was forced to agree – it would be an ideal situation – or it could backfire. Was it worth the risk? she knew the answer to that – to make Bette happy was worth a gamble with longer odds than Tina Kennard.