The two texted every day and called as often as possible for almost a year before it happened. It was baby Kassandra’s first birthday and April was a little late because of an emergency at the hospital but she hadn't missed much. “I'm here, I'm here! How's the birthday girl?” April huffs, out of breath.
“She’s amazing. She’s all dressed up and ready for her first cake, isn't that right?” Jacob coos at the infant earning a smile and a curious look from April.
“He's very excited. Just wait till her eighteenth birthday,” Ellena smiles, handing April a drink.
“Wait until she starts dating,” April mumbles into the cup.
“Bite your tongue,” Jacob says in a sweet voice still occupied with his little girl, “If I have anything to do with it she won't date, ever.”
“What if she likes girls? Who’s gonna keep them away?” April chuckles.
“Cleo’s got that covered,” Jacob shrugged.
“I don't care who she likes as long as she's happy and you two don't kill them,” Ellena smiles, gesturing for Jacob to hand the baby over.
“Five more minutes!”
“You've had her all day!” Ellena wines.
“You held her for nine months straight! I'm making up for lost time,” Jacob says, turning away from his wife as she reaches for the baby.
“You two could just share,” April laughs.
“No!” the couple yells in unison.
“Hey!” Cleo parts the two, “If you two can't share…I’ll take the baby.” Cleo finishes grabbing for the baby only to have Jacob move out of the way, “Oh come on! You've had her a whole damn year!”
“She had her for almost a year and nine months!” Jacob points to his wife.
“I birthed her! I think I deserve to enjoy the very thing that came out of me!” Ellena yells.
“Hi, Kassie! Do you need grandma to take you away from these crazy people?” Mrs. Lancaster smiles plucking the one-year-old out of her father's arms.
“But mom-”
“But nothing. I went through 29 years of keeping you alive and then three years trying to keep Ellena from seeing just how crazy we really are so I could have half my dream come true of having an amazing daughter-in-law and so I could have my first grandbaby,” Mrs. Lancaster says in the sweetest baby voice, her attention focused on her granddaughter, “I deserve this. Besides god only knows how long I’ll have to wait for my second daughter-in-law,” Mrs. Lancaster smiles at her children before noticing the redhead among the group, “Cleopatra Lancaster!”
“Mom, no!” Cleo mumbles stepping in front of her mother.
“Honey! You didn't tell me you had a new girlfriend,” Mrs. Lancaster smiles, swatting her son's hands away as he reaches for his daughter.
“Because I don't,” Cleo says through gritted teeth.
“Yet. Never too late,” Mrs. Lancaster winks at April earning a steely look from her daughter and a quick laugh from April before the redhead could cover her mouth.
“She’s not even gay!” Cleo whisper-shouts.
“Yet.” April bursts out laughing earning a pleading look from Cleo.
“Don’t encourage her!” Cleo whines.
“See she's cute! She can cook and she can fix anything! Plus, I hear she's pretty good in bed! Everything you want in a butch lesbian!” Mrs. Lancaster gestures like an advertisement.
“Oh my god,” Cleo covers her face as April laughs even harder.
“What? I'm just trying to help!” Mrs. Lancaster smiles, swatting Jacob and Ellena away.
“April, will you help me here?” Cleo turns to the redhead.
“She’s right Mrs. Lancaster. I'm straight actually, I'm in a relationship already.” April smiles.
“Ah, well worth the shot,” Mrs. Lancaster shrugs, “You're still my daughter-in-law even if Miss Antisocial marries someone.”
“Thank you,” April says a little more seriously.
“Of course, now come see your niece.”
“Your mothers quite the woman. I haven't met someone so amazing in a while,” April gushes.
“That’s my mom,” Cleo smiles, “There aren't many people who can match her energy.”
“Well she got lucky,” Cleo raised her brow, “She has you and Jacob! You guys match her energy perfectly.”
“Not as perfectly as Dad could. They were perfect for each other,” Cleo smiles into her drink.
“Where is your dad?” April smiles.
“Uh…he died…Jacob was eighteen and about to go off to college. A few months later Jacob met Ellena….She saved him.” Cleo mumbles.
“Saved him?” April frowns.
“Yeah,” Cleo sighs, “Just wish I had someone like her back then, hell I wish I had someone like her now.” April gave Cleo a confused look, “When our dad was alive he had depression, he got it from his dad who got it from his mom who got it from her father, etc. It's hereditary. Our family has a history of…suicide…For a while, we worried Jacob had gotten the family trait but it was just your normal grief. And having Ellena…it lessened the blow a lot. So much so that if she wasn't there I don't know if he'd be here,” Cleo frowns.
“I'm sorry…”
“No…no it's fine. He's fine-”
“What about you?” April presses.
“What?”
“Have you ever felt depressed?”
“I'm fine.” Cleo tenses.
“That's not a no,” April steps in front of the other woman, “Cleo-”
“I have my good days and my bad but I'm okay. I have a therapist, I'm on meds. I'm okay,” Cleo smiles.
“And if you're ever not?” April asks, taking Cleo’s hands in hers.
“Then I can call you or my mother or my brother or Ellena. I have people. I'm okay!”
“Okay…I just care about you a lot-”
Cleo pulls the redhead in for a hug, “You know if you need anything you can talk to me, right?” Cleo smiles, feeling a slight nod from the redhead in her arms.
New Year's Eve was the first time the two women were in the same room for more than a few hours. Lancaster Inc. Threw its annual New Year's Eve party for family, friends, and business associates. April had only managed glimpses of Cleo, the brunette was too busy greeting everyone. “I know it sucks, not being able to spend the entire night with them but at least we have each other,” Ellena smiles while holding up her champagne glass.
April forces a fake smile, “To us,” the two women toast. It was ten minutes before midnight before the two were able to get ahold of the Lancaster siblings and by then the two women had had a few too many drinks.
“How much longer?” April asks turning to Ellena.
“I don’t know, they should have been done greeting guests an hour ago,” Ellena groans.
“They haven’t found you yet?” Mrs. Lancaster asks walking up behind the two girls.
“No, not yet,” Ellena huffs.
“That’s it. I’m just going to go find her,” April announces making her way through the crowd with the two women following. “What are you doing?”
“What?” Cleo asks turning around, “April! I’ve been looking for you, where have you been?”
“Waiting for you! At the bar,” April almost hollars catching a shoosh from Ellena.
“What? No, I’ve been by this door all night. How did you get past me?” Cleo thinks aloud running her hand through her hair.
“I came with Ellena. I didn’t say hi 'cause I didn’t want to interrupt your business talks,” April points around the room.
“Interrupt? No, no you wouldn’t have. No “business” conversation I would have been having would have been more important than seeing you. I talk business all the time, I only get to see you every once and a while. I am not wasting that time ever again.” Cleo smiles holding April’s hand. “I’m sorry, is there any way I could make it up to you?”
“Well,” April smiles mischievously, “You could spend the rest of the party with me.”
“Deal.”
“Why haven’t you asked her out?” Ellena asks from her spot on the kitchen island, quickly popping a grape into her mouth.
“What?” Cleo squeaks almost dropping the eggs.
“Why haven’t you asked-”
“I heard you the first time,” the brunette frowns at her sister-in-law, “She’s my friend…Plus I’m not her type.”
“Her type?” Ellena smiles.
“I’m not a guy,” Cleo turns back to the dish.
“You don’t know that!” Ellena almost yells. Cleo raises a brow causing Ellena to grimace, “Okay…so she’s dated a lot of guys, but that doesn’t mean she can’t fall for a woman! Like you said, love is love, the heart loves who it loves no matter gender, race, hair color,” Ellena smiles, “I mean look at Jacob and I! We absolutely hated each other, we were complete opposites or at least that was what we wanted to believe,” Ellena chuckles, the memories flooding back.
“I just don’t want to ruin what we do have,” Cleo sighs, mixing the ingredients together.
“You won’t. Trust me,” Ellena smiles mischievously.
————————-
“What?!” April chokes out through her coughing.
“Ask her out,” Ellena says, patting her friend on the back.
“No,” Ellena frowns at the redhead, “I'm not even her type!” Ellena smiles, “What?” April grimaced she knew that whatever Ellena was about to say she wasn't going to like it.
“Nothing, just interesting how the first thing out of your mouth was ‘No I'm not her type’ instead of ‘Dude, I'm straight,” Ellena smiles into her glass of wine.
“Uh…I…” April stumbles, “Look I'm still figuring this out, okay?” Ellena nods, “I like her I do, I just don't know if I'm ready to do anything with these feelings. I mean how am I supposed to tell someone how I feel when I don't even know how I feel.”
“Okay….One, you can always talk to me,” Ellena holds a finger up, “Two, you don't have to act on these feelings until you are ready, and three! I know just who to go to!” Ellena smiles.
“Elena”
“Come on she's perfect, not only do you get advice from someone you already know and trust but maybe you get to feel out the water. You know,” Elena raises her eyebrows, elbowing the redhead.
“I'll think about it,” April frowns taking a sip of her wine.
“Can I tell you something?”
“Yeah, of course,” Cleo smiles, her eyes not leaving the road.
“I think I'm bi!” April rushes out as Cleo pulls into the parking space, jumping out before the car even begins to stop.
“What?” Cleo blurts, slamming on the brakes. April ignores the question, instead, beginning to walk toward the theater doors as Cleo yells after her.
“April!” Cleo whispers, barely catching up before April speeds up. “April!”
“Hi-”
“Hi, I'd like two tickets for Dragon Queen,” April rushes, slamming a twenty-dollar bill down on the counter.
“Uh, here are your tickets,” the woman frowns, noticing Cleo catching up.
“Here,” April shoves a ticket into Cleo’s hand.
“What? You said-”
“I think I'm bi,” April blurts, speed-walking to the room their movie was playing in.
“Yeah, why- I mean…Do you want to talk about it?” Cleo stammers, stopping to hold the door open.
“I don't know,” April mumbles, stepping into the screening room.
Cleo stops her, gently grabbing her arm and turning her around, “You want to wait till after the movie?” April nods, too caught up in staring into Cleo’s eyes to speak. “Okay, where do you want to sit?”
“So, did you like the movie?” Cleo asks, a smile on her face as she holds the car door open for April.
“I did, but not nearly as much as I enjoyed spending time with you,” April blushes, quickly closing the door. Cleo chuckles as she rounds the car.
“We should do it again.”
“Yeah, a date.”
Cleo freezes, “A…date?”
“Yeah, if you want to cause if you don't want to”
“No, no I want to. I just can't imagine why you’d want to go on a date with me,” Cleo laughs.
“Why wouldn't I?” April frowns, “You’re smart, kind, funny, loving, caring. You remember all my likes and dislikes.
The fact that you make time for us to talk whether it's through text or calls or in person! You are an amazing human being and I would be honored to be lucky enough to have you as my girlfriend.” April yells.
“You, honored?” Cleo laughs, “I’m honored to be breathing in the same air as you let alone being asked on a date by you!”
“Are you serious? What the hell have I done?”
“You have been an amazing, caring, lovable brat who I am honored to have been annoyed by.” Cleo clasps her hand over her heart.
“Brat?! When have I been a brat?”
“Right now!” Cleo smiles trying her best not to laugh as she leans over the center console.
“What did I do? I complimented you!” April laughs, following Cleo’s lead.
“You won't take a well-deserved compliment!” Cleo chuckles, her eyes drifting from April’s eyes to her lips.
“Well if I'm a brat then you're a brat,” April smiles playfully poking Cleo.
“Heh, want to be brats together?” Cleo smiles, holding her hand out.
“Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?” April’s eyebrow raises.
“A date first?” Cleo offers.
“Deal,” April whispers before gently kissing Cleo.
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