"I was just thinking what my body's going to look like after this. You may never want to touch me again I'll be so hideous." The word hideous was dragged out so long in Mimi's whine, Jolly thought she would pa.s.s out from a lack of oxygen.

"So the truth comes out does it?" Jolly tried to sound stern as she moved behind her partner again to hold her.

"What?" Mimi asked through a hiccup.

"You must think I'm some sort of old leach who married you just for your body. A hot blonde who fulfills my every desire and s.e.xual fantasy."

"You mean I don't?" The teasing tone Jolly was using got Mimi to stop crying.

"And then some, sweetheart. Only you're so much more to me."

Mimi leaned further into Jolly loving the way the warm body behind her made her feel wanted. "I've loved you for so long, Jolly. More than anything I want to be whatever will make you happy."

"Love, you don't have to do anything special to do that. The day we met I was busy being angry at what I felt was one more imposition on my father's part. I had met your mother a couple of times before that so I wasn't holding out too much hope her sp.a.w.n would be much better. How surprised do you think I was when I laid eyes on you?"

An embarra.s.sed giggle escaped Mimi as she remembered that luncheon. Jolly had made her so nervous she couldn't stop talking the most important thing she remembered was Jolly didn't laugh when she confessed to the young architect she was going to be a great artist.

"I was some stupid kid huh?"

The valet looked at the old truck with a mixture of disdain and disbelief. One of the perks of the job was driving the kind of cars he could only afford with a winning lottery ticket in his hand. He already drove a piece of c.r.a.p; he didn't want to have to park one.

"Should I just pull it around myself, or are you taking a break?" The tall woman standing next to the open cab door pulled him out of his revelry.

Maybe her other car is broken, thought the restaurant employee when he got a good look at the expensive suit she was wearing. "No, ma'am, let me just grab a ticket." He ripped one off the booklet he carried around in his back pocket. "Name?"

"Jolly."

"You're certainly tall enough to be a giant," the young mean joked.

"How original." With a frustrated hand running through her hair, Jolly dropped the truck's keys into the kid's hand and started for the door. Stopping and turning around when her hand was on the k.n.o.b. "Try to not put any dents in it."

He put his hands on his hips and tried to figure out if she was joking. There was sawdust falling from the cab floor from the open door, and it was hard to find a place on the vehicle that wasn't dented. "You're kidding right?"

"Don't let my name fool you, kid. I'm not at all happy to be here, so no, I'm not kidding."

Great another one of those places where people like to be seen and serves tiny food. I see a trip to a good burger place after this. The thought occurred to Jolly as she waited for the hostess with a foreign accent to help the couple in front of her. Her father loved frequenting restaurants like this especially now that he had the attractive Kelly hanging on his arm. "It could be worse I guess. She could be nineteen."

"May I help you?"

"Yes, you can pour me a very large drink with vodka and whatever you want to mix in with it then give me directions to the Holland party."

The hostess put her hand up and motioned for Jolly to follow her. From the sound of the table they were headed to, her father was holding court as his new subjects were informed of the laws of the land Holland built. Two of the three blondes she didn't recognize were shaking their heads hanging on Anthony's every word.

"Jolly, how nice of you to join us. Only thirty minutes late. It's a new record for you, isn't it? I thought I told you this was important?" Anthony spoke in a low chilling voice, one he used as a means to intimidate.

"I'm here, aren't I? That should supercede when I arrived."

"Jolly, I want you to meet your new family." Kelly stood and went to stand behind her eldest son before the situation got too explosive. "This is Richard," pointing to her the next child, "That's Henry, and on the end there is Madeline."

Each of the boys stood and shook her hand to be polite. Their mother had told them enough about Jolly to know that to align with her was the quickest way for Anthony to write you off. There were two empty chairs and the Mulle boys were happy when Jolly chose to sit next to their sister.

"Hi there. Having fun?" Jolly asked the young blonde.

"It beats having to do this at some sporting event or something else just as hideous. Is your name really Jolly?" Mimi put her elbows on the tabletop and smiled at the new arrival.

"It's really Jolly, and if you don't like sports it may hinder your chance at becoming a full fledged Holland."

"I'm a full fledged Mulle, so that's not a problem."

The rich laugh spilling out of the tall, good looking newcomer made Mimi happy for some reason. It was when Jolly wiped away a tear that she noticed how blue her eyes were. "That's a good thing, Madeline. You should always try to stand up for the things you believe and you love."

"Please call me Mimi."

With no menu ever looked at by anyone at the table the appetizers arrived and Anthony's order of "Eat," set everyone's fork in motion except for Mimi's. "I don't like caviar so you're welcomed to mine if you like." She pushed the plate toward Jolly. For her part Jolly ignored her plate as well and took a sip of the drink the waiter had delivered. With a snap of her fingers the brunette got the man in charge of their table to come back.

"Could you bring the young woman and I a menu and take this back from whatever fish lost it?"

"What's wrong with it?" Anthony asked with food still in his mouth.

"We didn't order it, so we're sending it back."

"I already ordered for everyone to save time." Richard Mulle plucked a piece of lettuce off his shirt when Anthony spit in his direction.

"That was sweet when we were two, but we're all big now and just like in houses, people have their own tastes in food."

The man at the head of the table looked like Jolly had just hit his last nerve, but in the interest of getting through the lunch he let it go. Quiet conversations followed after more food was brought out, but Mimi could have cared less. She answered all of Jolly's questions and tried to mix in a little humor with her answers so she would get one more smile out of the newly minted architect.

"What do you want to do when you get out of school, Mimi?"

"I'm going to be an artist. I love painting and I want to see if I can make a living at it."

"She's going to be a decorator, that's something more practical," Anthony boomed from his end.

"That's right, Mimi. Your father's an architect so you'll have a good built in clientele." Kelly looked at Anthony as she answered getting him to curl his lips up in a smile.

"My father's a construction worker and he said he'd help."

"The guy's a deadbeat, so I wouldn't count on it, girlie. I'll pay for school, but not for no artist. That's nothing but a waste."

"If that's what you're interested in, Mimi, I'll help you."

Jolly had seen the fire in Mimi from that first day. Her father had thought her offer of help was a boast to get under his skin, but nothing could have been further from the truth. She had wanted to give Mimi the world to see her happy. It had never been a sacrifice to provide the means to making her dreams come true. "More like a warm, funny, bright kid who stole my heart in one afternoon. I've loved you for a long time and it was never the way a sister loves a sibling. For a long time I was afraid to admit even to myself how I felt about you."

Mimi turned her head wanting to see Jolly's face. "Why? You had to know how I felt."

"No, I didn't know. For years I cooked every Monday, escorted you to art openings and cuddled with you on the sofa when we watched movies. I thought that's all I could hope for, and it would've been enough if you were happy with your life. To be totally honest though, the thought of you with someone else would've killed me." A warm set of lips pressed to hers stopped Jolly's confession for a long sweet moment. "You know what made me realize I had to take a chance?"

"What?"

"It's more like who. Christina."

Mimi pinched Jolly's arm for mentioning the woman's name in their bed. "Just for future reference, honey, when you're trying to make me feel better it's not a good idea to bring up old flames."

The tall body behind Mimi shook the mattress with laughter. "I'm mentioning her name because she's the one who made me face just how often you're on my mind. The thing that makes me the happiest now is I can finally admit to myself that I plan my life around you. I've done it for years but it makes me happy for you to know you're the center of my world."

"You know something, Jolly?"

"What?"

Mimi kissed her before answering. "I wish we could make love too."

"Soon, baby. I promise."

"Call me if you need anything, and I mean anything. I shouldn't be long." Jolly stood in front of the closet tucking in her shirt. She had an appointment with Harry that morning to remove her st.i.tches. She was upset with herself for not accepting the doctor's offer of coming to the house to do it. After their long talk the night before Jolly wasn't anxious to leave Mimi alone.

"I'm sure you wont' be long, I'll be ok. Stop worrying so much."

"Just remember, Madeline, there will be no birthing of babies until I get back."

Mimi laughed and crooked her finger at Jolly to get her to get closer to the bed. "When you get back I'm tempted to defy Ellie and throw caution to h.e.l.l. If an o.r.g.a.s.m lands us with some kids and the ability for me to hug you, I'm all for it."

With a gentleness Jolly always used with Mimi she ran her hand over the expanding midsection. There was movement under her fingers, and like it always did, the awe of what it represented choked the architect to the point she couldn't speak. "We'll be fine, love, we promise," Mimi swore. Jolly nodded, loving the adoring look Mimi was giving her.

At the doctor's office Jolly didn't have to wait didn't have to wait long, and was surprised to see it was Harry who came out to escort her to an exam room. "The pain almost gone?" asked Harry as she removed the bandages on Jolly's chest. The x-rays showed her ribs were setting nicely pleasing Harry with her progress.

"I've tried to ignore it so it's not too bad. It'll be nice when I can start swinging a hammer again and it not bother me."

"Won't be long now. I should've recognized you name as quickly as I recognized your partner's. Some friends of ours got you to design their house for them and they're always raving about it."

They continued talking about different topics as Harry probed Jolly's side, finally landing on Mimi and how she was holding up in her last trimester. "You told her you wanted to make love to her?" asked Harry. She spoke slowly like Jolly was mentally challenged as she pulled the st.i.tches out of her chest. Having been where Jolly found herself it was easy to poke fun.

"Well I thought it would be a compliment. You know, since we can't. I didn't want her to think I find her hideous as she so lovingly put it last night. Do the hormones eventually calm down?" Jolly laughed when Harry let out a laugh of her own. She had looked so down when she got to the office that Dr. Harry had been giving her some friendly advice on how to deal with pregnant partners.

"Trust me, buddy, she doesn't want you to comment on her body one way or another. If you tell her how beautiful she looks, she'll think you're just being nice. On the other hand if you don't ever comment on it, she'll think you're disgusted." Harry shook her head remembering Desi breaking out into tears more than a few times after a compliment on how beautiful she looked.

"So good doctor, what's your best advice?"

Harry used a small set of tweezers to gently remove the sutures on Jolly's chest. The tight weave she had used would help minimize the scar. Some doctors didn't take the time anymore using the universally acceptable staples, but Harry didn't want Mimi to have a visual reminder of the traumatic accident every time she saw her partner's chest.

"There's no good advice here, Jolly. Pregnant women are like fingerprints. No two are alike, so there's no rule of thumb. With Desi the things that made her feel better were threatening me with imminent death if she gained another pound or if I got close to her if she wasn't in the mood, and chicken salad. She ate so much of it I was waiting for her to lay an egg instead of going into labor with Jack. In the end I think she loved the stuff more than me, but it made her feel better so I wasn't complaining. The one thing to remember is keep all conversations away from her body if at all possible when she brings it up. You bring it up, and be honest about what you see. Unless you're an idiot, you'll agree with me and there's nothing more beautiful on this earth than the sight of your partner carrying your children."

"But I do love the way Mimi looks now." She accepted her shirt back from Harry and started to get dressed. The nurse who had a.s.sisted Harry laughed softly at her predicament before stepping out so they could finish their talk.

"I know you do, and if you tell her that often enough eventually she'll believe you. Desi and I agreed to have only two kids, but you're right, if I could talk her into five, I'd love it. We were separated by circ.u.mstances for a long time, so you can imagine the joy of getting her back was unbelievable. But seeing her carrying our second makes me sit and cry sometimes just like the first time around. I know physically it's hard on her, but she's just beautiful right now." As Harry made the very personal admission Jolly nodded her head in agreement. In the hall, out of sight, Desi wiped a tear away. For the millionth time since finding Harry again she thanked G.o.d for the life she'd been gifted with.

"Talk about me like that and I'll give you six little namesakes," Desi said softly from the doorway.

"You weren't supposed to hear that, but it's true nonetheless. Jolly, you remember Desi right?"

"Nice to see you again, Jolly. How's Mimi holding up?" Desi stepped in and leaned against Harry's seated form. "I can't fathom having three in one shot. She must be miserable."

"I think we pa.s.sed miserable about two months ago, but Mimi's a trooper. Aside from being tired and not being able to find a comfortable spot in any position, she'd doing great. Maybe I can call Mona and get her recipe for chicken salad."

Desi laughed but she understood. "Why don't you two come to dinner tonight? If Mona can't cheer her up with a good meal she's a lost cause until labor sets in."

"Thanks for the offer, but I doubt she'll want to leave the house unless it's on fire. I'm betting though, she'd love company. Why don't you all come to our place and I'll cook? Bring Mona and Jack too."

The doctor could feel her wife's excitement at being that much closer to Mimi's art collection. "Are you sure?" asked Harry.

"I'm positive. Mimi's not finished with the babies' room but she's dying to show it off. It's not canvases but I keep thinking about three small blondes looking at those walls as they drift off to sleep. I'll bet they set off on some great nighttime adventures with the inspirations their mama's provided them."

"I'd love to see it, Jolly. What time do you want us?" asked Desi.

"Come whenever you like this afternoon. I'm working from the house now so if after Harry's appointments are done is good for the two of you, come on over, we'll be waiting. Mimi will be thrilled she'll have someone to talk to besides me."

"The way that girl looks at you makes me think you could be reading stock quotes and she'd love you anyway." Harry stood up and shook hands with Jolly before she left. "What brings you down here, beautiful?" she asked Desi, as she leaned her against the exam table.

"Our boy had a play date with Mona and his little buddies at the park so I thought I'd take my brilliant spouse out to lunch if she's available. Though, after hearing all that nice stuff you said about me, could I interest you in a hotel room instead?"

The lab coat Harry was wearing opened slightly as her partner ran her hands up hers sides. The move made Harry step closer until she felt the swell of their growing baby between them. "For once in my life I wish I dug ditches for a living."

Desi pulled away from the line of kisses she was placing up Harry's neck and looked at her in total confusion. "This ought to be good, please go on."

"It's raining outside today so I'd have the day off, but since I chose a profession that works inside, I have a huge patient load this afternoon. Considering what I've got in mind for you it's going to take me longer than lunch to get done." The kiss that followed the declaration made Desi moan into Harry's mouth.

"We could go sit and make out on the sofa in your office."

"Feeling frisky today, are we?" Harry took her hand and pulled Desi toward her office.

"I was just thinking we only had a couple of weeks on that old swing when we were kids. It's nice sometimes to just pretend life after that would've followed the course we were both hoping for."

There was a wistfulness in Desi's voice that was an echo of the young woman who'd dreamed of being courted and romanced, only to be thrown into a miserable situation. "Miss Thompson, would you like to have lunch with me?"

The use of her maiden name was odd, but Desi was willing to play along. "I don't know, don't you have to study or something?"

"If you say yes I don't think anything else is important enough to keep me from going. I promise to walk you home after we're done." Their joined hands sawing between them, both of them enjoying the reminiscing and pretending.

"Are you going to try and kiss me? I have a curfew after all."