At that Julia stood, dumped her tea out, and washed her cup. After drying her hands, she pulled a card out of her pocket and dropped it on the table. “I hope I hear from you. I know I was a failure in many ways, and I don’t understand your choice to be with women but I’ll try to understand if you let me.”
Kaelee stood and stared at her.
“I hope we can at least talk occasionally, but even if not, I’m going to put a stop to Tripp’s and Kyle’s behavior.” Then she walked to the door and let herself out.
39Kaelee
After Julia left, Kaelee looked around her tiny studio and thought about whatshewanted. She’d let her fears of her father rising up like a boogeyman cage her, and she’d let the image of marriage that she had from her mother limit her vision. Kaelee thought about the last few weeks; she deserved love as much as anyone.
Kaelee opened the app and selected her dormant conversation with Marie.
Lee:I wanted to let you know I met someone. Her name is Greta.
Marie:Oh?
Lee:You were the first step in figuring out what I wanted.
Marie:What’s that?
Lee:Great sex, which you provided, but also love.
Marie:Love?
Lee:The sort that can evolve into forever.
Marie:So what does that mean?
Lee:I can’t do casual sex or dating without a future, Marie. I love Greta and want to build a future with her.
Marie:…
Marie:Greta is a lucky woman. Good luck to you both.
Kaelee waited for a moment, and her phone rang. She knew without looking that it was her. Smiling, she answered the phone.
“Do you mean it?” Greta asked.
“Mean what?” Kaelee asked.
“That you’re… that you…”
“Want a future with the woman I’m in love with? Yes. Idomean that.” Kaelee grabbed a few odds and ends and tossed them in her bag. She could go anywhere. Writers weren’t locked to a location, and her degree plan meant she was taking this term and the next off. So she had no obligations tying her to DC other than a rent payment that was low and on auto-draft.
“What does that mean? How am I to reply tothat?”
“You have a little under four hours to figure it out.” Kaelee laughed, feeling freer than she had in a lot of years. “Honestly, I have no fucking idea what we do now, but I’m going to Union Station and heading to New York to tell my person I love her and ask if we can figure out a futuretogether.”
“We can. We will.” Greta sounded stunned. “Let me know when to pick you up at the train station…?”
“In about four hours if my train schedule is right,” Kaelee said. She paused then. “Is this okay? Just showing up?”
“It would be better if you didn’t leave.” Greta sighed. “I’ve missed you so much, and I wasn’t sure if pressuring you for a visit was too soon or—”
“Not too soon.”
“I can spend weekends in DC if you want to spend weekdays in Manhattan,” Greta offered.
“Or I can put my stuff in storage and spend the semester up there,” Kaelee countered, heart racing too fast at the thought of staying in New York, staying with Greta, trying this relationship every day. “My lease ends in two months anyhow, and I didn’t renew because of the whole business with Tripp. I thought I might have to… run away from here.”
