Mavis Applewater - Finding My Way

“Breath stupid.” Nicole whispered to me as she gave me a playful nudge.

I choked as I finally allowed the air to enter my lungs. Allison approached me and bent down and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “You look incredibly beautiful.” She purred into my ear. “Happy New Year.” She added and began to pull away. I clasped her head and drew her back down to face me and then with all of the strength I could muster I growled. “I want you now.” Nicole choked on her beverage at my bravado. I scanned the room quickly and was relieved that only my lover and her sister seemed to have heard my comment.

Allison was blushing at my comment and squeezed my hand tightly as she whispered, “Later.”. I spent the rest of the evening trying to capture her under the mistletoe. Some of the guest were disappointed that no alcohol would be served during the evening but the majority did not seem to care. I was thankful for two years in college I tended bar for extra money. New Years Eve is known in the business as amateur night. For the first time in my life I watched midnight approach without witnessing a single drunken occurrence. Allison and I shared a kiss at midnight, which soon proved to be over powering. Quickly we disappeared without saying our goodnights to anyone. Once safely locked in our room we began our own celebration.

The following day we stayed in bed longer than we should have. After finally dragging ourselves out of each other’s embrace and out of bed we quickly showered and packed the car. We returned to the house and said goodbye to the family. Gaia stopped us on our way out. I adored Gaia but she was beginning to creep me out. She handed Allison a present. “It is for both of you.” Gaia explained. “And it is for neither of you.”

“Gaia someday you are just going to say what you mean.” Allison laughed as she opened the package. I looked on to see what the gift was. Inside the box lay two beautiful circles adorned with beads and feathers.

“What are they?” I asked.

“Dream catchers.” Allison said mystified. The family seemed stunned as they asked to see them. Then they just stared at Allison and myself with a wide-eyed expression. Their reaction was odd to say the least.

“Gaia you made these?” Allison questioned the elderly woman. Gaia just nodded her head. “How do you think that this is going to happen?” Allison asked her in confusion.

“Window shopping.” Was all Gaia offered as an explanation.

“Uh huh.” Allison just stared at her then shook her head in amusement. “Thank you they are beautiful.”

When we returned home I unpacked as Allison put on a pot of coffee and then went across the street to check on Mrs. Giavanni. I started the laundry once everything with exception of Gaia’s gift had been put away. I simply left that on the coffee table wondering what they were. Allison returned and I asked after Mrs. Giavanni. Allison informed me that she was well and sent her regards.

“What should we do with this?” I asked as I motioned towards Gaia’s gift. “They are very beautiful. What exactly is a dream catcher? I know I have seen them at the mall but I never quite understood what they were.”

“The mall.” Allison sneered. “Yes those were probably made in Taiwan.” Allison scoffed. “A dream catcher is Native American Tradition. It is hung above your bed and it catches your dreams, allowing only the good ones to pass through and keeping the bad ones.”

“How sweet.” I said with a smile and I began to wonder why the family had reacted so oddly to them. “If there is two of them does Gaia think we sleep apart?” I question hoping that would explain her odd reaction.

“I doubt it.” Allison chuckled lightly. “That woman knew that David was coming home on Christmas Eve. I’m positive she knows that we are sleeping together. These are not for us.”

I stared at her blankly as she ran her fingers over the delicate weavings. “Gaia made my Mother’s and mine as well ones for David and Nicole. It is a tradition … Gaia’s way of announcing a new arrival to the family. Sometimes before the parents even know that a little one is on the way. My Mother still has my dream catcher hanging in her office. “From what I understand when she gave my parents my dream catcher it was a little upsetting. They had only recently become engaged, I was a little early.”

“Okay now I am even more confused.” I mumbled at the implication of Gaia’s gift as I left the room to retrieve some coffee for the both of us.

I returned to the living room to find Allison studying the gift careful. I handed her a cup of coffee and settled in next to her. She took a long sip of the brew and set her cup down and then set down my mug as well. “Okay let me see if I can explain this.” She offered tenderly. “Now let me see if I can remember this.” She said as she held up the dream catchers. “It is a little difficult because Gaia herself is missing a lot of her traditions. At the time she was born the Catholics were converting her people. So a great deal of the folklore was passed on in secret. Similar to slaves on plantations. If I am reading these correctly then they are for children.”

“Excuse me?” My eyes widen as she finally said what I had suspected since this conversation began.

“One for a boy and the other is for a girl.” Allison explained as she pointed to the beadwork. “But they are mirrors.”

“Twins?” I said with a smile.

“Apparently.” Allison responded as she shook her head in dismay.

“So this is Gaia’s way of telling us that we are going to be parents.” I smiled at the thought. “I think it is a little early in our relationship to be talking about this.” I offered. “And it is not like it is going to happen by accident despite your boasting in the emergency room.”

“You’re right.” Allison agreed and put Gaia’s gift in the bedroom closet.

We let the conversation go for now and then we focused on what little time we had left together. For the next few days we rarely left the bedroom. We made love continuously until it was time for me to drive Allison to Logan Airport. She waited until the final boarding call for her flight to California before leaving my side. She kissed with such passion I thought my already unsteady legs would give out entirely. As she made her way to the gate I noticed the shocked expressions on some people’s faces and I didn’t care. I wanted the world to know that I loved this woman. “Get over it.” I snapped at one woman who seemed overly horrified.

Allison’s absence proved to be both painful and interesting. She called me the moment she landed and we each expressed how we were already missing the other. I knew deep in my heart that we would not only survive this but we would also become closer because of it. We spoke to each other two or three times a day and thanks to modern technology we also exchanged some rather intimate emails. The day prior to the start of the new semester I was greeted with another surprise. One that I was quite unprepared for. I had been working on the finishing touches to the first draft of our manuscript when suddenly a loud crash from downstairs alarmed me. I raced out the door and down the staircase to my old apartment. Just inside the doorway I found a petite red head picking up the shattered remains of something as she cursed loudly. The new tenant had arrived with a bang.

“Need a hand?” I offered as I approached her. She looked up as her piercing green eyes stared back and I gasped in recognition.

“Stephanie?” She responded with equal surprise.

“Caroline?” I gasped.

Caroline Jennings was the woman who would be subletting my apartment. This was more than a little bit of a surprise. This had the potential of becoming a full-fledged disaster. Caroline and I had met at Yale and became very close. In fact one night we became a little too close. It was one of my nights of drunken experimentation. The memory came flooding back to me. That night in her dorm room with our bodies wrapped together in passion as we kissed. If there was a God Caroline would develop total amnesia right on the spot and forget about that night. Forget how I ran away and never spoke to her again.

“What a surprise.” Caroline offered with a smile. “You don’t by any chance have a broom do you?” Caroline asked quickly easing the tension between us.

“There is one in the closet over there.” I explained as I released a sigh of relief. I rushed over to the tiny closet off of the kitchen and quickly retrieved the broom and dustpan. “I’ll get this while you unload your stuff when I’m finished I can give you a hand.” I offered cheerfully.

“Thanks.” Caroline agreed and left me alone I quickly swept up the broken glass and deposited the remains into the trash. I replaced the broom and dustpan and then joined Caroline outside as she began to unload the UHaul. We didn’t really speak much as we carefully unloaded her belongings. There was more than I had expected and I began to wonder how long Caroline planned on staying. The only real exchange of dialogue occurred as we brought in her futon. Even then the chatter was limited to which would be the best way to maneuver the piece of furniture into the apartment.

Once everything was unloaded I began to help her unpack. “You seem to know this place pretty well. Do you live in the building?” She asked.

“You could say that.” I laughed slightly. “This is or this was my apartment.” I explained not really certain that I would ever be moving back down here.

“Oh?” She responded in a curious tone.

“I’m taking care of Allison’s I mean Professor Kendell’s place while she is away.” I explained as a faint blush crept across my cheeks.