Solace And Rosanna Ch 23

First, I would like to thank you, Faithful Reader, for sticking with the story. I would also like to send a special thanks to those who took the time to vote. That really meant a great deal to me. Perhaps I should have posted this work in Romance, as it was probably not as spicy as most would have liked. But I am a novice at this and will think before I post next time. Until then, happy reading and writing to you all! –Alacia

I would also like to apologize for the late posting of this part. I accidently spilled liquid in my laptop hard drive and killed it. I then had to go through the process of securing a new password so I could post it. I sincerely hope it was worth the wait for those of you who are following the story. Again—I thank you all.

2003: Oh, my poor song thought Solace as she plunked out the accompaniment to one of her favorite standards. Couldn’t Emily hear that she was not in tune? Solace played the melody as stridently as possible but to no avail. It was almost too painful for her to continue playing, but Emily was intent on becoming a pop singer and she had paid the fee—in full, which was more than most students were able to afford. For the thousandth time Solace ruminated on the irony that the students who were the least talented were the most dedicated, practiced regularly—probably to the consternation (and murderous intent) of their families, friends, and neighbors—and never missed a single lesson. She wondered evilly if this young woman had ever had the police knock on her door to announce that she was being cited for disturbing the peace. She removed her fingers from the keys because she simply could not endure the torture any longer. They would have to go back to the basics of her playing simple tunes and having Emily sing them back—hopefully singing at least one note on the correct pitch.

“Um, Emily? Do you have a cold today?”

“No, Solace. Why?” Emily asked innocently. She was a bit disappointed that Solace had interrupted the song before its ending as she was prepared to belt her heart out at the end trying for a dramatic finish.

“Um… Well, I was wondering if you were having difficulty hearing the accompaniment. You’re pitch is a bit under the actual note,” A bit? What was she saying? It was almost as if Solace were playing in one key and Emily was deliberately singing in another.

“You know, Solace, I had the sniffles at the beginning of the week but I took some over-the-counter stuff and it cleared it up right away.” Emily smiled sweetly.

Why did Emily have to be so damned nice, thought Solace. It meant that she was forever trying to be diplomatic and gentle in her criticism of the fledgling singer. What she really wanted to tell her was that she should stick to being a librarian and never attempt to sing (or in her case, butcher) another song ever again in this lifetime—or even the next. She sighed and quickly tried to compose herself. Damn! Well, that answer had killed that. She couldn’t even blame the horrific performance on Emily’s ears being blocked.

“And I really worked on it, too. So much that my parents offered to help me look for an apartment this weekend. I was really surprised at that. They’ve been hinting at my finding my own place for about six weeks or so.” Emily stated this with absolutely no sign that six weeks coincided with her start of voice lessons. Solace’s professional demeanor did not in any way betray the fact that she was mentally dropping her jaw in utter disbelief at the young woman’s naiveté.

Emily Haslen had never sung a real song in front of an audience in her life. In their initial meeting, though, she told Solace that one morning she awakened from a dream in which she had been giving the performance of her life. She confided that she had never felt such a rush and she could still hear the tumultuous applause of the sold-out audience. Later, Solace would think: Yes, Emily, they were probably applauding because they were ecstatic that the piece had mercifully come to an end and their hearing was still in tact. Did you notice in your dream whether there was a stampede to the exit? She often chided herself for these sarcastic musings, but felt justified that she had rarely let them slip from her smiling lips. She was known throughout the school as a patient, supportive instructor and unless she had a complete breakdown, her reputation was safe. Several students, however, were pushing her to that brink of musical madness. They had dreams of becoming pop stars, Broadway babies and cabaret crooners. Why was it that she seemed to be drawing more and more of these types? She cursed the “Sorting Cap”, as they’d begun to call it since the appearance of the “Sorting Hat” in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter.

Each semester the names of voice students were placed in a New York Yankees baseball cap. That was another source of contention for Solace. She was convinced that she continually drew the less talented students because she was not a fan of the popular baseball team. Why couldn't the names be placed in a top hat—at least that was nearer to the theatre. Four anxious voice instructors would stand around the cap, which lay on the director’s desk, and pick three new students. Only once the names had been drawn were they given folders with basic information.

Solace had been lobbying for the upgrade of the music school for several years, but since September 11, she was told that the school was just barely able to meet its expenses because donations had dwindled to a slow trickle. Also, as a result of their community music school status, they were obliged to accept any student who was able to pay.

“Solace, I want you to hear the ending. Let me know if I’m going in the right direction or not, okay? I’m trying to get into the interpretation of the song more and just let the notes take care of themselves.”

Dear Goddess! Well, that explained that. Emily didn’t care whether she was in tune or not; she was only interested in her interpretation. Ugh! Newbies! Solace surreptitiously checked her Braille watch. Groaning inwardly, she realized they still had another twenty minutes before she could send Emily packing with her usual non-committal statement of “Keep working at it, Em.” She started the introduction to the piece and waited for Emily to begin her off-key rendition. Towards the end of the song, Emily flung herself onto the cover of the piano as she held the last note for an excruciating length of time. Solace improvised a hasty ending.

“Wow, Em! That was really something.”

“Thank you, Solace. Your praise means a lot to me.” Emily breathed.

Solace, you are going to have to become firmer with this child or she’ll think you’re completely pleased with her work, and that will not be a good thing—for anyone, she admonished herself. For now, though, she would hustle Emily out of her studio and rush to Mt. Sinai. As she grabbed her backpack and cane, she smiled remembering her meeting with Rosanna. The smile quickly faded as she realized that they needed to have a make-or-break discussion about their relationship. They were to meet this evening to do just that. Against her will, she became flushed recalling the intense kisses they had shared during their impromptu stay at L. D.’s penthouse. She willed those thoughts out of her mind and concentrated on the little blessings she was about to encounter.

Rosanna strode into The Women’s Pavilion at Mt. Sinai Hospital and stopped just inside the entrance. Checking the directions Solace had sent to her via e-mail, she headed for the Nursery. At the desk sat a young woman in a white uniform reading a fashion magazine. She was so engrossed in the images in the glossy pages that she failed to hear Rosanna’s approach.

“Excuse me.” The young woman practically jumped off her stool. “Can you tell me what room Solace Tynan might be in? She gave me directions but neglected to add the room number.” Rosanna smiled affably.

“Is she your…er…wife? Are you an expectant mother…I mean, father…I mean parent?” The student nurse thought she certainly would love to have a spouse or parent who looked like this woman. She scanned a patient list affixed to a bulletin board. She wished that Molly, the Head Nurse, would return from her break soon as she did not feel confident dealing with the public alone.

Rosanna smiled. “None of the above…yet. Solace Tynan is a volunteer here; she holds babies…or rocks them.”

The young woman blushed. “We have a program like that here?” she asked in surprise. “Wow! How sweet.”

“Uh, I guess you do since Solace is here. You don’t know about it?” Rosanna asked, her eyebrows lifting slightly.

“I’m new here, but let me check the computer.”

Rosanna waited patiently as the young woman turned to what she could tell was a Pentium 3 computer system and began moving the mouse furiously around the screen, pointing and clicking on various icons.

“I’ll have it in just a minute.” She assured Rosanna. She seemed to be going deeper and deeper into the system without coming up with the requested information.

“Do you need some help?” Rosanna offered.

“Oh, no. This is an old system. It’s really slow,” she said without turning from her task.

Rosanna followed her movements as best she could. She became suspicious when the Icons disappeared and were replaced by a plain black screen with the old c prompt and blinking cursor.

“Are you sure I can’t help? I’m the director of a computer training facility and I’m familiar with that operating system.” Rosanna said with growing impatience.

“Oh, no. I got it. I’m on the computer all the time. You just have to type in this code and--.” She hunted and pecked out a series of alpha-numeric characters and tapped on the enter key. They stood silent as the computer shut down and the screen went black.

“Oops. Maybe that was the emergency shut down code. I keep getting them mixed up.” She began biting her right thumbnail. “She must have signed in, though. Everyone is required to sign in.” She snatched up a clipboard and flipped through the sheets. “I don’t see any Solace Tynan here.”

Knowing Solace as she did, Rosanna thought she would have had someone sign in for her or not signed at all. She despised her signature and only scrawled the hated scribble when absolutely necessary.

“May I see the list?” Rosanna said in a tone that was more command than request. The young woman handed her the clipboard and she ran a finger down the rows of names, flipped the sheet over and spotted Solace’s name written too neatly to have come from the hand of her friend.

“Room 111.” Rosanna repeated. “Can you tell me what direction that would be in?” she tentatively asked the nurse.

The young woman pointed first to the left and then to the right, confusion evident on her face.

“Uh, it’s either that way or that way. I have to be standing where you are to get my bearings.”

“Thank you. I’ll find it.” Rosanna walked to the right to a set of double doors and attempted to open them, but they were locked. She turned back to the young nurse, who stood watching her struggle.

“You have to be buzzed in.” she offered.

“Well, do you think you could do that?” Rosanna asked through gritted teeth, her accent evident in her exasperation. She heard a buzz, the doors opened smoothly and she hurried through them to find that she was in the 200 corridor. She back-tracked and flew through the doors, the young would-be nurse watching her every move. Rosanna looked up and saw the number 100 written in large black letters. She glared at the student nurse, who gave her a blank stare. Rosanna gestured towards the door and it finally dawned on the young woman to buzz her in. Aye Dios Mio! Where do they get these kids, Rosanna muttered to herself.

As she neared Room 111, she heard the unmistakable sound of Solace singing. Her smooth tones sent shivers through Rosanna’s entire body. She stopped in the entrance to the room and beheld a sight that would stay in her mind's eye forever. In the midst of a cheerfully-lit, brightly-colored room filled with stuffed animals and toys of every description, sat Solace cradling a tiny, wrapped bundle of newborn.

Rosanna could not discern the gender of the baby but it seemed to be nestled peacefully in Solace's arms. How could she have doubted that Solace would make an excellent mother? Solace was tender and gentle, but firm and stubborn when necessary. Why had they never even discussed the issue? Even after all of their years together, Rosanna was still hesitant to broach certain subjects. Well, they would be discussing a lot of topics soon. She was startled out of her musings by Solace's quiet voice.

"Are you going to stand there or are you going to come in, Sanna?"

"How did you know I was here, Sol?" Rosanna brushed nervously at a stray lock of hair.

"Your fragrance gives you away, silly. I've told you that a thousand times. Now come on over here and meet Brook." Rosanna walked towards Solace, butterflies dancing a Polka in her stomach. As she entered the room, she caught the pleasant fragrance of baby powder. It reminded her of the nurseries she had visited with her mother. Rosanna knew they had to talk about their future. She would do or say anything to get Solace back—and she would mean it. She missed her desperately. She tentatively approached her love. For that is what Solace Tynan was—her love. Goddess, she couldn't believe it. She had been the one who was blind. Tears sprang to her eyes and she swiped quickly at them. What a cliché! As she came closer to Solace, she could see a little caramel-colored baby with a cap of silky brown hair. She reached out and ran a finger lightly over the baby's cheek.

"I'm thinking Brook is a she."

"You'd be thinking right." Solace answered quietly, nuzzling the baby close to her own cheek.

"Would you like to hold her?"

Before Rosanna could reply, the little bundle was pressed against her middle and she reflexively took Baby Brook in her arms.

"She's beautiful. Is her mom still recovering from the birth?"

"The woman who gave birth to her skipped out without even naming her. I asked the nurses if I could and they agreed."

"Oh my God! My mom's seen that too many times to mention. I just don't know how these girls can do it," came Rosanna's angry tone.

"I could never give up my baby." Solace stated with conviction.

"You wouldn't have to." Rosanna whispered. Changing the subject, she asked,

"How did you settle on the name Brook?"

"Well, I didn't like ocean; and stream wouldn't do. I thought of pond, but it reminded me too much of that cold cream, minus the S, of course." Solace replied in mock seriousness.

"Sol, you are so crazy!"

"I’m crazy? I'm not the one who left me." The words spilled out of Solace's mouth before she could stop them. She felt her cheeks begin to burn. Again, she had blurted out words that were probably best left unspoken. Well, she would just have to wait.

Stung, Rosanna stood for a few seconds absorbing the blow. She placed the baby back in Solace's arms.

"Sol, I…I'm sorry. I don't know how I could have done that to you."

"I don't know either, but I do know that I can't go through that again. I won't. You're going to have to decide whether you are able to make a commitment or not, Sanna. It's going to hurt like hell, but if you can't, I'll have to go on without you," Solace said, a lump the size of a boulder lodging in her throat.

"You won't have to go on without me, Sol. I love you and I want to be with you always." Rosanna's throat was also dry and she felt cool beads of perspiration trickle down the back of her blouse.

"You what?" Solace needed Rosanna to repeat those three little words to be sure that she was not dreaming.

"I love you, Sol."

Solace knew her heart would and could probably stop, but she would die an extremely happy woman. She found it difficult to come back to earth, but she said soberly,

"Sanna, I have waited so long to hear you say those words. I love you so much, but how do I know I can trust you. You have to promise me that if we have any problems, you'll come to me first and not seek out someone else. I really couldn't take this again," she sighed, her voice trembling.

"I promise. I'll do whatever I have to do to prove it to you, Sol. Please give me a chance."

"I should probably make you walk over hot coals or something to prove you'll be faithful to me," Solace said with a slight smirk.

"I assure you, Sol, that won't be necessary." Rosanna leaned over and claimed the soft, sensuous lips of her Solace. And in return, Solace surrendered completely to her Rosanna. Little Brook slept on between them, oblivious to the kiss that would renew their union..

Neither woman was aware of a young student nurse standing in the doorway, a far-away, rapt look in her eyes and the hint of a blush on her cheeks. They made such a gorgeous, touching threesome!

"I thought you had the tickets, Ace." Isolinda sobbed, her ever-present handkerchief dabbing at her eyes.

"I do, Honey. I just have to figure out what pocket they're in." Ace answered, thrusting his hand into the breast pocket of his shirt for what seemed the hundredth time. "I know I had them. They're here somewhere." Next he explored the pockets of his dress pants.

"Why didn't you give them to me, Acey. You know you're always losing something. This is why Solace is the way she is."

"I don't lose things, Lena, I misplace them. I always find them eventually."

They stepped out of the line to allow the people behind them to step up to the box office. Ace Tynan then set his attention on his wallet, rifling through his identification and credit cards, scowling at each offending piece when it did not turn out to be the tickets. Isolinda sighed.

"We're going to miss the recital," she whined..

"No, we're not, Hon. I've got 'em. Really." He continued his rummaging. They both jumped as Miranda and David walked up to them.

"Why aren't you guys standing on line?" she asked, staring at the long cue.

"Your father has lost our tickets, Mira. We're going to miss the performance." Isolinda blew her nose.

"Dad, don't you remember you gave the tickets to me?" She produced a handful of tickets from her purse.

"Of course, I remember. I was just playing a trick on your mother." Ace smiled sheepishly. Isolinda smacked him with her small handbag.

"I am going to play some tricks on you, Mr. Tynan." Isolinda said innocently. She did not notice the raised eyebrows of some of their fellow audience members.

"There's Carla." David announced.

"I wonder where the boys are." Ace said, craning his neck to see over the crowd, not an easy feat considering he only stood five feet six inches..

"Late, of course." Answered Miranda.

"We can't leave Robby and A. C." Isolinda wailed.

"We'll leave the tickets at the door, Lena." Ace said as he ushered his wife towards the line. Carla put a reassuring arm on Isolinda's shoulder, Miranda and David trailed behind, rolling their eyes..

Rosanna sat stiffly as she watched Solace glide gracefully across the stage in the arms of L. D. Jansen. Their movements were smooth and fluid as they swayed to Billy Ocean's "Love Zone." I should be dancing with her, she thought. She felt Sam place a hand atop hers.

"Calm down, Rosie. They're only dancing," he whispered.

"And if I have anything to do with it, it'll be their last dance." Rosanna growled.

"No, it won't be. They look great together and you shouldn't be so controlling."

"Who's side are you on here, Sam?"

"I'm on the right side, of course," he grinned. "Now, be quiet. People are starting to stare." Rosanna opened her mouth to say something, but closed it just as quickly. She could not win with this man. She sighed because she knew he was, of course, right—this time.