Callie's Gift Page 22

  "Mom, my god, you must think I'm a monster. Do you know everything?"

  "Every one of us has secrets Callie, bad things we've done, or thought. I have never ventured to learn your secrets, please don't try to learn mine. I think it's up to God to forgive us for our sins. The Sisters are about evenly divided on what they believe."

  "But, how can you believe in God, knowing what you know?"

  "How can you not? Can you be sure that the Sisters aren't just doing God's bidding? I'm not sure why some good people have faith, and some don't. I know that you're a good person Callie, and I have to believe that you'll be rewarded for that someday. I can't make you believe, it's not like Math, there's not one right answer. Someday, you may change your mind."

  "Was it you, that made me run from the shooting? It was so powerful, not like anything the Sisters had ever done. I wanted to stay there but I couldn't. I thought I could stop him."

  "We have a strong connection Callie. You're my daughter, and I had to get you out of there, no matter what. Teresa intentionally put you in harm's way, as a test. She didn't have the right to do that. She knows me well, and there will be a reckoning, I promise you. I have stayed out her way, but I won't let her mess up your life anymore. That's why I left the group early on. They don't worry enough about unintended consequences. Some of the Elders thought they could predict how things would work out. I always believed that fate is unpredictable. You save that busload of kids that she always talks about, probably a good thing, right? But what happens if one of those kids grows up to be the next Hitler? I wasn't comfortable with making those decisions. I'm not saying you shouldn't be a part of it, or that there isn't some good work to be done, just be careful. Teresa is a brilliant woman. Brilliant and devious. I would be very careful about believing anything she says or reveals to you. She has a hidden motive for everything."

  "So how do I know what to believe? Can't she make me doubt everything?"

  "You're very strong Callie. Ultimately, stronger than her. And you have me. It's not as if you don't have free will, but she may have made some things appear hopeless, when they're not." Callie's mother gave her a pointed look.

  "Are you talking about Jenny now?"

  "Fortunately, as you may have realized, it's not given to any of us, even the best of us, to see our own fate, and I would never tell you yours. That isn't something anyone should know about themselves. You just have to live your life the best way you know how. That's all anyone can do Callie, from the simplest to the wisest. Talk to Jenny, she cares about you, and she'll be here soon."

  "You can see that?" Her mother chuckled, got up and dumped out the remains of her coffee into the sink.

  "No Callie, nothing mystical. She called me twenty minutes ago when you wouldn't answer your phone. She got off work about five minutes ago, and she said she would be camping out here until you talked to her. She's a wonderful person Callie, you don't need to be psychic to know that." Callie ran up to her room and grabbed the small box she had gift wrapped the day before. No matter how things went, she wanted Jenny to have it. Then she returned to the kitchen and waited nervously. She heard a car door slam and the bumping noise as Jenny kicked the snow off her shoes. The back door opened and Jenny walked into the kitchen, flipping her shoes off as she glared at Callie. Callie smiled weakly and slid the small box forward into the middle of the table.

  "It's going to take more than that little box for me not to be pissed at you. You almost get shot or blown up and you send me one little text?" The redhead suddenly rushed across the room and hugged Callie to her chest. She held onto her for a while, whispering into her ear. "God Callie, I was so damn scared."

  "Jeez, Jen, take it easy, you're stronger than you look." Jenny yanked the chair next to Callie away from the table and sat down quickly, glaring again.

  "Smarter than I look too," She snickered in spite of herself. "Well, maybe not. But I am smart enough to know that something weird is going on with you. I know you cared a lot about that roommate of yours, and I'm sorry she died. But Travis said that she did a lot of drugs. Did she get you hooked too? Or were you in love with her, is that it? We can get past that, if that's what it is. Please, you need to tell me what's going on, the honest to God's truth." Callie looked at Jenny, momentarily lost for words.

  "It's too much, Jen. If I tell you everything, I mean everything, you'll think I'm crazy. And if I tell you everything, you will hate me. Even you, as sweet and wonderful as you are, Jen, you would hate me." Jenny blinked, staring at Callie. Callie decided if Jenny insisted, she would tell her about Davis, how she had basically murdered Greg.

  "Callie, I love you, and I doubt I could ever hate you. But fine. Don't tell me about whatever that is. I wouldn't want to know anything that bad about you. Tell me what you can. Tell me if you don't have feelings for me. We'll be best friends, no matter what, I promise I won't let that change. But I really thought you wanted this, you and I, as a couple. Has that changed? Is that little box the only thing I'm going to get for Christmas?"

  "I drove over last night, Jenny. I was going to surprise you with that." Callie motioned to the gift. "I saw you with Travis." Jenny knitted her brow as Callie continue earnestly. "It's okay! I can't be selfish, I've done that long enough. You should have someone like him, Jenny. You could have the life you want, a husband, and three kids, like you said. He's a great guy, he deserves someone as great as you."

  "Callie, is this about you being gay, because you never had a girlfriend until now? What is it, that makes you think you don't deserve to be happy too? You're so smart and wonderful, anybody would be lucky to have you. Why would I want Travis, if I could have you?" Callie was struggling, she still had the picture in her mind of Jenny, with a husband, of her dancing with Travis.

  "But it's your destiny Jen, to have a man, to be a mother, to be a grandmother."

  "Callie, that's bullshit. Our lives aren't set in stone. Okay, maybe some things. Maybe it was fate that my baby died. Maybe some things like that are beyond our control. And some things are just luck, good or bad. But mostly we get to decide Callie, what kind of person we want to be, who we want to fall in love with, otherwise what's the point of living? Besides, I don't need a man to have kids, it's the twenty-first century for crying out loud." Callie looked at her for a long moment, then spoke slowly.

  "But I saw you, through your window, dancing with Travis, he kissed you." Jenny glared at her again.

  "First, you shouldn't be running around, looking in people's windows, that's creepy. Things aren't always what they appear from the outside looking in. I should be mad and let you stew, but I love you too much. God Callie, I was just showing Travis how to dance, because he's a dork, and he needs to find a girlfriend. He has a date with Holly and he wants to take her dancing. He kissed me on the cheek, because I was upset. I was crying because you weren't calling me back." They sat looking at each other for a few moments, then Callie spoke, quietly.

  "Oh, well, okay then." She bit her lip, looking at the floor for a while. Jenny took her hand, smiling slightly. Callie finally looked up. "Okay, I may have misinterpreted things, and over reacted. But Jenny, it's just so complicated. I may have to go back, I haven't decided yet. It's hard to explain, I may be able to help a lot of people. But it would mean that I have to spend a lot more time in Minneapolis, I don't know how it's going to work with us."

  "Callie, I told you, you're meant to do big things. But it isn't complicated, not between us. I asked you before, do you or do you not want us to be together? It's a simple question, yes or no." Jenny squeeze her hand softly, but Callie resisted.

  "But it's not that easy!"

  "Yes, yes, it is! Yes, or no?" Do you want us to be in a relationship?" Callie swallowed, overwhelmed.

  "Of course I do, more than anything, ever." Jenny leaned forward and kissed her softly.

  "Then what's complicated? If you need to go back to the Cities, fine. Maybe I'll come with you, or stay here part of the time. But you don't need to worry
about Travis or anyone else. I choose you Callie, and if Fate has different plans for us, it can just kiss my fat ass."

  Callie laughed, throwing her arms around the redhead. Maybe it was that simple.

  "So, I know you're dying to open your present." She slid the small box toward Jenny. The redhead burst into laughter.

  "You did promise me something else, but I guess that can wait until tonight." Callie watched as Jenny tore into the box, giggling happily. Fate and the Sisters were just going to have to wait for a little while, this was way more important.

  *****

  Callie's mother stepped from the shower. She wiped the steam from her mirror and smiled at her own reflection. She spoke softly, as much in her head, as from her lips.

  "And there it is Teresa. You and Fate better get the hell out of Callie Fisher's way."

  *End*