DISCLAIMER: ER is the property of Constant C Productions, Amblin Entertainment, and Warner Brothers Television. No infringement intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Why do a Kim/Kerry story after all this time? Why not? Every year or so, I re-watch their episodes and every time I'm struck by something new and it occurred to me that the Kerry Weaver that left County General was not the same that watched Kim as she left County. Even more interesting is that Kim would now be around the same age Kerry was when they started dating.
FEEDBACK: To i_think_youre_wonderful[at]hotmail.com
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Now That It's Done
By wildwildwood
Part One
"These symptoms, however misleading, are actually all from the underlying condition of..." Dr. Kim Legaspi looked out towards the sea of countless doctors seated before her from her vantage point up on the lectern. Some jotting notes, others politely doodling to keep from looking bored or quietly whispering to one another. The most hostile faces were the ones hovering above the crossed arms, resentful of the fact they had to be here, listening. She couldn't begrudge them - she had been in their position too often to count, listening to some blowhard babble on towards something that bared little to no impact on the lives of her patients. "What this means, other than the fact that it gives us something to talk about over the pigs in a blanket at the nightly mixer is that we're missing the actual issues being faced by our patients and misdiagnosing and perhaps mis-medicating them."
With her weak joke she managed to jar at least some of her peers back to reality and decided to switch tactics to keep their attention now that she managed to capture it. She began to remove her glasses as she stepped out from her podium when something caught her eye from the back of the room. It shouldn't have. Not really. People walked in and out of these medical conferences all the time, but there was something very familiar about the figure who slipped in quietly through the doors and stood against the far wall. The hair had changed, the clothes had changed but still, 200 feet away, Kim still recognized her. Shaking her head, Kim continued her lecture, determined not to be distracted by this sudden appearance. At the very least, she wasn't going to humiliate herself. Through her presentation, Kim found herself glancing towards the other woman but not looking at her. She couldn't bring herself to do that, not yet - but knowing she was there pushed Kim to pretend as if she didn't see her, and didn't care. She smiled more towards the sea of doctors, flirted with them, engaged with them and managed to make the facts and statistics as entertaining as possible. She knew that she was performing for the other woman, compensating for any one of 17 complex and varied emotions she was feeling due to the unexpected presence of the slim woman from her past who was now in the back of the room, watching her intently.
A clear of the throat from the moderator reminded Kim to wrap up with a quick summary and a reminder she'd be available to discuss the presented subject. She smiled through the polite clapping and then walked down the steps from the stage towards the back of the room. "Kim, that was great!" A short man sweating through his shirt popped out in front of her, thrusting out his meaty hand. "Larry, Dr. Larry Carpenter from Michigan! We met at the last conference?"
"Right! Hi Larry!"
"Look, really enjoyed your preso." (Kim shuddered internally at the thought of anyone actively referring to something as her 'preso') "Do you have a minute to talk about it? I have some -"
"I'd love to Larry but I've got to run and meet someone. I'm so sorry! Listen -" Kim tried to peer around all the bodies who had risen, but couldn't see the small woman in the crowd. "Send me an e-mail and we'll set up a time to chat, kay?" She patted him on his arm and quickly dodged by. She managed to take another two steps before she was stopped again. And again after that. By the time she made it to the back of the room, Kerry Weaver was long gone, with nothing to prove she was ever actually there. She could've after all been nothing more than a figment of Kim's imagination, brought about by the stress of having to present her supervisor's finding for her, it could've been the jet lag, or the venti black-eye coffee from Starbucks coupled with her breakfast of cold chinese take out left over from last night's dinner. It could've been any number of things, ranging from the mundane to the insane, but the fact of the matter was, she had been 200 feet away from Kerry Anne Weaver.
Kim walked out of the room and into the hall and leaned against the wall, trying to calm her rapid breathing. Funny, she hadn't noticed it had sped up. What had just happened? Where did Kerry come from and where did she go? More importantly, what did she want?
"Ok Weaver, let's see if you can get this in one shot!" The gruff voice called out from behind the camera positioned towards her.
"One shot's all I need Carl, let's just make sure you remember to keep me in focus this time, all right?" She teased back, adjusting the front of suit and taking a deep breath.
"Yeah, yeah. Ready in...three...two..." He wordlessly mimed the number one and pointed towards Kerry Weaver, standing before him with a microphone in her hand.
"Thanks Tammy! I'm standing here in the Miami's Marriott hotel where countless doctors and medical practitioners have descended on our city in search of fun and sun in between the topics being discussed at the 19th annual..." And for a moment, Kerry forgot everything she had planned to say. She just stood there frozen in her spot, as the door to one of the convention rooms opened and an all-too-familar voice echoes out towards her.
"Weaver? Weaver! Oy! Kerry!" Carl called out, snapping his fingers towards her.
"I just screwed that take didn't I?" She asked, returning to reality as the door before her shut.
"Oh yeah, big time. Luckily we're just going to tape. What happened there?" He glanced behind his shoulder but seeing nothing more than a smattering of suited stuffy doctors. "An ex or something?" He could see Kerry fitting in with this crowd. It wasn't meant to be a dig towards her, it was just she didn't seem to fit in to the station or its politics. She seemed too smart, too unambitious to rise in its ranks beyond producer and occasional on-air talent. Didn't really matter to Carl though, she showed up on early, ready to work, rarely needed more than one or two takes to nail her piece and occasionally helped him strike his equipment - that's all that concerned him.
"Or something like that." Kerry smiled sadly, leaning to her side for moment before shaking herself alert and setting her shoulder back. "Ready when you are!" She said, launching back into her segment.
After wrapping up, Kerry found herself pushing open the door towards the conference room. She promised herself she was just going to peek in, to make sure that the mess of blonde curls and the familiar voice really did add up to Kim Legaspi, but once the door was open and Kim was sighted, Kerry couldn't help but ease into the room and hang around the back of the room, praying she wouldn't be spotted. It had been years since she'd seen Kim. It had been 10 years or so - it must have been right before Kim left Chicago - Kerry went down to river one afternoon and promptly turned around when she saw Legaspi standing there, gazing at the water. She had done well for herself, Kerry thought as she occasionally stumbled upon her name in some of the medical journals - she published enough to keep her job safe yet her writing was scant enough to allow her to actually help her patients. She had forgotten how captivating she was - not just as a lover, but as a human being. She seemed to smile to everyone her eyes reached, she managed to put them at ease and make something dull interesting, even if only for a few moments. Kerry found a smile creep across her face as she watched the blonde with an odd sense of pride. For a few months, she had been lucky enough to have known Kim. Time hadn't so much erased the pain of being abandoned by Kim, or lessened her own sense of shame at abandoning her - it simply allowed for the distance to gain perspective and forgive. At least it did for her, she wasn't sure if Kim would ever forgive.
Kerry stepped back further in the shadows of the back wall as the lecture began to wrap up. She began to feel her breath begin to turn shallow and a familiar discomfort arose in her chest. It didn't rise often anymore, occasionally late at night when she would watch Henry sleeping from the doorway, aware that Sandy should be there with her. Or when she'd reach into her closet and accidentally pull out Kim's blue shirt, unable to get rid of it after all those years. She watched as the doctors applauded Kim as she left the stage and was embraced by a friend. Pressing her hand towards her chest to relieve the discomfort, Kerry turned and walked out.
Part Two
"Are you sure you don't mind?" Carla asked, glancing at the blonde in the seat next to her.
"Carla - I've got sun, I've got a convertible, and I've got a weekend free from that conference - trust me, I don't mind running a last minute errand - especially in your car!" Kim sighed in pleasure, letting her fair skin soak up the sun as it shone down on both women in the convertible. San Francisco, while nice in its consistent, tepid weather grew boring day after day, year after year. Almost every day began with fog rolling out across the Sunset and being blocked by Twin Peaks; it would then be dazzling in the Mission and Castro, but dark Downtown in the shadows of the buildings and North Beach...well sadly, she wasn't 23 anymore. "Where are we off to anyways?"
"I promised Pete I'd drop off some files. After that, the day is yours milady!"
"Perfect! I expect a lot of sun and a lot pretty ladies! I deserve it after all!"
"Yes you do, after all that hard work you did at the seminar. How long was your speech, 45 minutes? You're a brave little soldier!" Carla laughed as she pulled her car into the visitor's parking lot behind a long, sprawl of a building.
"You looking forward to dinner tonight?"
"YES!" Kim exclaimed, following her friend into a lobby. "I can't wait to see everybody! Not to mention the civiche! Oh my god - if it's not fish, it's not going into my mouth tonight! Shut up." She smirked, preemptively cutting off Carla's smart-ass comment.
"I didn't say anything! You need your I.D."
"You were thinking it." Kim responded, digging through the chaotic contents of her purse until she fished out her California Driver's license and handed it to the guard who was checking them in. They stood in the lobby of a television studio she guessed, with call letters and large, glossy photos of various newscasters and television personalities decorating the bright area. They took the I.D. badges handed to them and were directed to the back elevators.
"I can't believe you bribed the DMV to retake your photo 7 times Kim!" Carla laughed, snatching the card from Kim's hand and examining it as they waited for elevator.
"Well, I couldn't be sure which shirt would look better, so I brought a few. Always be prepared has always been my motto!"
"Since when?"
"Since ... now?" The blonde laughed and grabbed the card back and tossed it into her purse.
"It's a miracle you find anything down there!"
"Carla," Kim began, looking at the lanky brunette who made her look short, "How long have you known me? Since college? When have I ever lost anything of mine?"
"Lost?" Carla thought it over as she stepped onto the waiting elevator, joined by two cameramen, talking to themselves. "Never. Misplaced permanently, now that's another story. There was my mid-term, my textbook, my car keys the day were were about to start our road trip, my favorite..."
"I can't believe that Weaver did it - I mean, they always talk about it, but damn - if it wasn't so cold, it'd be amazing!" The elevator stopped and the two got off, continuing their conversation as the doors slid shut. Kim felt the blood rush to her head. Weaver? They couldn't mean WEAVER Weaver, could they? She wasn't even sure it was her at the back of-
"Come to think of it," Carla continued, finally exhausting her list of things lost by Legaspi, and snapping her out of her thoughts, "Most of the things you've lost have been mine!" She began to lead them down the hall, with Kim trailing behind her.
"Hey Car - who've we come to see?"
"Just dropping off some files right...here!" She stopped short at the last office, a nondescript door with a simple engraved nameplate: K. Weaver.
"You know, I think I'll just wait for you down at-"
"Don't worry -" Carla quickly rapped upon the door and threw Kim a smile. "We'll just be a second! Besides, I think you'll like her."
"Yeah, it's just -" Kim could feel her breakfast rising up to her throat. 10 years and the thought of running into Kerry Weaver still made her nauseous. She quickly ran her hands through her hair and skimmed her teeth with her tongue, hoping nothing was stuck. Apparently the possibility of seeing Kerry again also made her rethink every decision regarding her appearance today. In all likelihood, Kerry was somewhere in Chicago, freezing as she waited for the El, or being puked on or bled on by some patient, not here in a television studio in Miami, she told herself, the thoughts allowing herself to relax.
And then the door flew open and the floor fell out from beneath Kim. On the other side of the door was indeed Kerry Weaver. She had a phone wedged between her head and her shoulder and was murmuring frequent sounds in the affirmative as she reviewed and signed off on a clipboard in her hand. She didn't even look up at them, simply opened the door and stepped back inside. Carla strolled in and motioned for Kim to do the same. With hesitation, Kim followed and watched as Kerry handed the clipboard to a waiting P.A. who rushed out of the office. "You would NOT believe how scared they all are of her here!" Carla whispered to Kim. "And apparently she says she's a LOT calmer now than she was before she got here! Get a bottle of Merlot into her and she's a pussycat!" Kim smiled in spite of herself at the foggy thoughts of cold Chicago nights spent staying warm with a bottle of red and the redhead before her.
Kim began to look around the office, anything to keep from looking at the woman behind the desk - who looked younger now than she ever did when they were together. The office was painted a tastefully neutral beige. It held a brown leather couch and a brown leather chair behind massive modern metal desk. An interesting design choice, but not incongruous. Large windows let in light and the wall against which she and Carla stood against was lined with countless shelves of books, DVD's and a giant television muted but showing a live feed of the studio, presumably downstairs. She didn't know what to think, Kim turned around and began to inspect the shelves in an attempt to try to glean some more information about who this woman was, now. Also - she just really didn't want to see her. Maybe, Kim thought to herself, she could get through this without Kerry recognizing her, she could...hide behind her hair? Spend the entire interaction with her back to the other woman? She picked up a small framed photo of a little boy, around 5 or 6 (but then again, she was awful at these things, much to disappointment of her parents, her siblings and her numerous nieces and nephews all eager for another addition). The boy, with his dark curls and brown eyes looked nothing like Kerry, save for a quiet and contained energy, a sparkle in his eyes. "Isn't he cute?" Carla asked, "He's the sweetest kid I've met! If I could guarantee progeny like Henry, I'd be barefoot and in my kitchen already!"
"That's what I like to hear! Ladies barefoot and pregnant and in the kitchen!" Kerry teased, her voice ringing out and startling the blonde, who thankfully avoided knocking the photo over. "Sorry Carla, he wouldn't get off the phone! How are you?" Kerry apologized, her voice growing closer and closer. Kim stood awkwardly, her back to the women who she was sure had embraced behind her. She could feel Kerry's eyes on her. How on earth did she manage to do that? 1200 miles away and still, she managed to make others feel like delinquent children.
"No worries - this seems calm for you today! Kerry, this is a friend of mine, Kim Legaspi. Kim," She finally had to turn around, forced by Carla's introduction, "This is Kerry Weaver. She works with Pete and has been trying to get together a human interest piece to drum up some attention for the shelter." Kim couldn't think. She couldn't move. She couldn't do anything except stare at the woman before her. For all she knew, Carla may have introduced Kerry as the second coming and it would've gone over her head as she took in every detail of Kerry Weaver. She had fantasized about this moment more often than she'd care to admit: on the treadmill, on muni, stuck in an exceptionally long line at Whole Foods - she'd be on a date with Christina Hendrick's identical lesbian twin and catch a glimpse of a faded Kerry staring at her longingly. While not healthy, it wasn't out of the ordinary to have reunion fantasies - and now it seems, was completely inaccurate. The woman before her looked anything but faded - her hair was a darker red then when she'd last seen Kerry by the river in Chicago, her blue-green eyes definitely leaning towards the blue end of the spectrum, she seemed lighter, different in her slim jeans and silk blouse yet the same air of sensibility and strength. And her effect over Kim hadn't changed much either - fight as she may, she could feel the same stupid grin spread across her face the way it did when she spotted the other woman in the halls of County. A sharp nudge in the form of Carla's elbow in her ribs shook her out of haze of reflection. "Owww." Kim yelped, rubbing her side and shooting Carla a nasty look. "What was that for?"
"Sorry Kerry, little known fact about Kimmy here is that she was raised by wolves. True story." Carla smirked at the tall blonde, "It explains for the lack of manners."
"I'd say it's shock. It's good to see you again Kim." Kerry said, her hand outstretched towards her.
"Yeah, Kerry. You too." She took Kerry's hand and shook it, only then feeling the slight tremor of the other woman's hand. "God, how long has it been?" Kim asked, feigning indifference.
"Ten years." The smaller woman responded, each word weighted. "How've you been?"
"Good. Same old, how 'bout you?"
"Same old." Kerry smiled.
"Last I checked, same old wasn't a television studio in Miami." Kim laughed, shaking her hair off her shoulders. She had fallen back into flirting with the other woman. She hadn't thought about it, it had just happened. Why? She wasn't even that into redheads...anymore.
"Well, it's been a while." Kerry responded, her eyes clouding over momentarily.
"So, I take it you two know each other?" Carla interjected, reminding the two women of her presence.
"We used to work together." Kerry explained, providing the Cliffsnotes version. There was no need to exhume the whole of the relationship for others - a trait that went against the very nature of most of her gay friends who did nothing but unpack, dissect and disseminate every relationship they'd ever had.
"It was in Chicago." Kim completed. "Right before I left."
"I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye before you left." Kerry murmured, lowering her eyes.
"So, you dated? And Kim dumped you for San Francisco?" Carla concluded, a twinkle in her eye at the uncovered truth.
"Has anyone ever commented on your remarkable level of tact?" The redhead remarked as she made her way back to the safety behind her desk.
"Tact is just prettying up the truth!"
"See Kerry, where I got my aversion for tact from?" Kim asked eyeing Kerry. Something seemed different but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. "As for who dumped who, I think it was...more complicated than San Francisco." Kim confessed.
"But that was so very long ago - back when Kim was the tender age of -"
"Shut it!" Kim shouted, shooting daggers at her friend. Her age was a sore spot, one best remedied with ice cream whenever the subject came up.
"Speaking of, Kerr - tonight, you free?" Carla asked. Kim felt her stomach churn. She knew that tone in Carla's voice. She'd heard it too many times to think it held the promise of anything good. That tone got her in trouble more times than she could count.
"Tonight, why?"
"Well, we've been talking about meeting up for dinner and we just haven't had the chance? Well, a bunch of us are having dinner before Kimmy leaves - you should join us!"
"I don't think -"
"Don't think! Just show up!" Carla exclaimed, her efforts at playing Match Maker painfully obvious. "Kim, tell her, it's been 10 years, entirely too long." Kim could only stand there, staring at her shoes. She didn't want to see Kerry again. Not for dinner, not for lunch, and most definitely not for breakfast. Except that she did. She didn't want to, but she did. "What Kimberly means, by standing there all shy and modest is that it's been entirely too long and she'd very much like it if you come."
"I'd love to - I really would Carla, but I've got plans. I am sorry Kim."
"Well, just think it over. It's at 8 at Peces if you can make it. We'd love to see you." Carla hooked her arm in Kim's and proceeded to escort her out of the room and back down the hall they walked down 10 minutes ago.
Had it really only been 10 minutes? "Well, that went well. Except for that whole frozen in place thing you did. Who knows, maybe she found it endearing?" The elevator appeared and its doors slid open.
"Listen, Carla - I'll meet you downstairs in 5, ok?" She turned on her heel and marched her way down the hall, but every step became more and more hesitant until she approached the open door and raised her hand to knock, but instead ducked her head into the door way and watched as Kerry stood behind her desk in the same position behind her desk, rifling her papers aimlessly.
"Ker?" Kim softly announced her presence.
"Kim. Come in."
"I, uh, left Carla by the elevator. I just wanted to say, I know you're probably busy and it is short notice, but if you could make it tonight, I'd really like it." Kim looked up at Kerry, who was wearing an inscrutable look across her face. "I mean, it'd be good to see you again." Kim quickly turned back down the hallway before she had time to think about what she'd just done.
Part Three
She had to hurry - she only had a few minutes before she had to run out to get to Henry's school in time. She had hoped to get there with more time to spare, but between the last minute equipment breakdown and traffic on the way due to the accident on the 1, not to mention finding a florist open this late... Kerry sighed and ran her hand through her hair. She hadn't had time to swing by home to change. At least she had managed to dig out a pair of heels and some lipstick from the bottom of her emergency bag at the office, it didn't do much, but at least it dressed up her jeans and her blouse. Heels were a new hobby of Kerry's - well, newish, and the brown leather heeled boots were amongst one of her favorites, comfortable, practical, and if she was honest, cute.
Not that it mattered.
It never mattered what she wore, contrasted against the lanky blonde, she always seemed to fade into the background, which was fine, it was where she had always been most comfortable. It was good, Kerry thought, that she wasn't able to get too dressed up. It saved her the hassle of having to worry about what to wear or what to do with her hair - now, all she had to worry about is how to act. Seeing Kim at the conference was one thing, she had been anonymous and safe but when she showed up with Carla, that was startling and entirely too close for comfort. She was proud that she'd been able to get through the entire meeting without stumbling over her words or staring at her too long, she had even resisted the urge to reach out and touch her, make sure she was real.
When Kim left for San Francisco, Kerry treated it as if she had died - had mourned her, convinced she'd never recover, then moved on to fall in love all over again with Sandy. And it was Sandy who taught her the difference between mourning someone who left and someone who was taken. She wasn't sure why she came, except that Kim had asked and that now she wanted to see if what had drawn the two of them together was still there. In all likelyhood, it wasn't - it had been years and they were completely different people in completely different circumstances, but Kerry, so far from home (funny to think of Chicago as home) seemed drawn to the woman who was drawn to who she was there. It may have come across as narcism but it wasn't - Kerry had lost, not counting her mothers, two women she'd loved very much, one couldn't come back, and the other did and she wanted to see if who she was now fit with who Kim was now.
This was all too heavy a thought for 8.15 on a Friday night, with a cool breeze blowing off the Atlantic. She was glad to see Kim again. That is all she'd allow herself to feel. Kerry repeated this thought to herself as entered the restaurant and crossed the floor towards the ocean fronted patio where the group was sitting. Carla had said 'some people' but there was easily 10 or 12 people there - only a handful whom she recognized - with Kim seated at the head with the table and the ocean spread out before her. She was glad to see Kim again. She repeated, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves and slow the rapidly increasing heartbeats that echoed in her chest. She was glad to see Kim again.
Before she could change her mind, Kerry moved forward to the table, lightly dropping a hand on the blonde woman's shoulder and presenting her with the small bouquet of hydrangeas and lilacs. "Kerry!" She exclaimed, rising quickly to envelope the other woman in a quick but unexpected hug. "I'm so glad you came!" Kim spoke softly, pulling away swiftly. Perhaps, Kerry thought, she remembers she's supposed to hate me? "I can't stay, but I said I'd try. So, I'm here. These are for you." She handed Kim the flowers and felt her breath catch as their hands brushed. "Ker, they're beautiful. Lilacs are my favorite! I can't believe you'd remember." Kim rose the flowers to her face and inhaled deeply and Kerry felt her stomach drop. "Ker - you made it! Here, sit down!" Pete stood, offering her his chair.
"I'm glad you rescheduled," Carla teased, tugging on Kerry's sleeve from her chair. "Otherwise Pete and I'd feel neglected!"
"Hi guys!" Kerry bent to give Carla's cheek a kiss, then rose to do the same for lanky, handsome Pete.
"Guys, this is Kerry, we used to work together in Chicago, like, years ago!" Kim announced to the group who was curiously looking on at the other woman's arrival.
"Sit, sit!" Pete offered, looking around to snag another chair.
"I'd love to, I really would," Kerry explained, "But I've really got to go and pick up Henry from school, rehearsal will be over soon. I just wanted to stop by and..." And what, Kerry thought. What did she think she'd accomplish in ten minutes, with Kim being surrounded by friends. She was surprised that aside from one or two eyebrows raised in recognition, she got out of the introductions relatively unscathed. "Anyways, I just wanted to stop by - it was good to see you again." Kerry smiled at Kim one of her rare, real smiles which revealed her teeth and crinkled her eyes. "It was nice to meet you all," Kerry called out the the table in front of her, "Pete, Monday?"
"Monday." He repeated, before he sat back down.
"Ker - let me, at least walk you out."
"Stay Kim." Kerry said, clasping her hand around Kim's for a moment before letting go.
"No. I'm walking you out, Weaver." She placed a protective hand on the small of Kerry's back and followed her through the restaurant. "Sure I can't talk you to stay? When I said I'd love to see you, I hoped for a little longer than a few moments."
"I know, I'm sorry. It was good to see you again." Kerry spoke as they stood outside the restaurant, oblivious to the pedestrians walking past them.
"Come over."
"What?" Kerry hadn't heard her correctly. That's all there was to it. She was not standing on a sandy sidewalk of a restaurant, with the sun setting behind Kimberly Legaspi as she was asking her over. She just wasn't. Twelve hours ago, this wasn't in the realm of possibility.
"Come over. Tonight."
"Kim, I...can't." She couldn't.
"I understand." You couldn't.
"I, I have Henry." She watched as Kim's eyes grew wide in understanding. "My son. It was his picture you were looking at earlier."
"Right, God, Kerry, I'm so sorry. I just saw you and you weren't wearing a ring and Carla didn't mention anyone but I didn't ask a-"
"Kim," Kerry took her hand, "It's fine, I just can't come over. But, if you'd like..." She couldn't believe she was doing this, "You could come over?"
"I could."
"You could. If you wanted. But you have a table full of people who want your time as well, so if you don't get a chance to, I understand."
"Kerry Weaver, you're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"Dismissing yourself."
"You know," Kerry smiled, squeezing her hand, "I'm suddenly reminded why I stopped dating psychiatrists."
"Well, once you go psych, you never go back." Kim teased, tossing out a smile.
"I should go." Kerry announced, but not moving away from the other woman.
"I should too." Neither did Kim move away from her. After a moment, both women laughed and the moment was broken. Kerry smiled and Kim pulled her in for another hug. This one was longer, with both women holding the other as they rediscovered the sweet spots where they could nestle into each other. Kerry could feel Kim stroking her hair, getting lost the the gentle sensation. They finally broke apart, and Kerry headed across the street, towards her car, still enjoying the thought of the other woman when she turned around to make sure Kim was real, and the moment had happened. Kim was indeed real, she stood across the street, watching Kerry, the flowers still in her hand. The flowers - that's right! "Hey Kim!" She shouted out.
"Yeah?"
"Happy Birthday!" Kerry watched as joy spread out across the other woman's face and she burst out laughing, burying her face into her flowers.
As Kerry drove to Henry's school she made sure to note every detail of that exchange. She never wanted to loose that moment. There were certain moments she'd file away deep into her memories so she could pull them up as if these were cards in an antiquated catalogue system - one of laughing Sandy on a Tuesday morning as Kerry unexpectedly nailed her with a snow ball; of Henry's first word; of the look of pride on her ex-husband's face the first (and only) time he'd made her breakfast in bed. And now this - to be filed next to the memory of watching Kim dry her wet hair in the dark of an early morning. No matter who Kim was, or what their relationship was or would be, she would know that she once made Kim Legaspi giggle with glee.