Note:
Welcome to the fourth of five chapters! As usual, I'm so appreciative of the response I received for the last chapter – lots of good feedback and constructive criticism. Thank you so much, and please keep it coming! I'm still "learning the ropes" so to speak, so knowing what you like and don't like is important to me. Again, this is a story about fictional consenting adults. Thank you again for taking the time to read.
*****
Amara peered out the tiny aircraft window at the white carpet of clouds below the bright, blue sky. It was hard to get a good view past Dani and Anne. Dani was in the window seat and Anne was out of her child restraint harness and perched on Dani's lap to get a better view. Amara didn't mind ceding the window to them; neither had ever flown before and Amara had taken many flights over the years.
The idea to bring them along to the 'HR Everywhere' conference in Vancouver had been a spur-of-the-moment stroke of genius. Amara could attend the work sessions during the day, then enjoy the company of her two favourite people in the evenings. Anne would get an educational visit to one of Canada's most beautiful and diverse cities and Dani could experience the unique culture of the west coast.
It had shocked Amara to learn it would be Dani's first-ever trip away from the Greater Toronto area. How could anyone spend twenty-two years in the same city, never exploring beyond its confines? But of course life had been a struggle for the younger woman; she'd had to deal with more immediate and pressing concerns than touring. All told, Amara felt Dani had done an admirable job building a life despite an unfortunate and probably tragic childhood. That resilience and inner strength were two of the things Amara found attractive about her young lover.
"This is amazing," Dani said with an excited glance back at Amara. "If you wanted to see, we could switch seats..."
Amara smiled and shook her head and Dani turned back to the window as Anne excitedly pointed at something passing far below. Dani made a show of being impressed. Or maybe it wasn't a show. There were moments – rare, fleeting moments – where Dani seemed almost child-like herself. Those brief glimpses didn't last long and never failed to draw a smile. There was much about Dani to like.
Much to love, in fact.
Dani was generous. Attentive. The younger woman was upbeat, hard-working and competent. No-nonsense but not impatient. A skillful lover – sometimes urgent and passionate, sometimes tender and giving; her touch was always welcome and appreciated.
It was unthinkable that Amara had known Dani only eight weeks and already the word 'love' was beginning to swirl around in her brain. They'd been living together for a month and sharing the same bed every night for just two weeks. Two weeks! Surely it was crazy to be thinking long-term with the relationship still in its infancy.
But those thoughts were occurring more and more frequently, and Amara found it increasingly difficult to picture her life without Dani in it.
And that was the ulterior motive for bringing her to Vancouver.
It was one thing to privately nurse feelings for another woman, or to express them in the safety and seclusion of her own home. There was nothing wrong with it and Amara had embraced the chance to explore these new feelings, to discover a part of herself that had somehow lain dormant and undetected for the first forty years of her life. The rewards had been beyond her expectations.
But in order for her relationship with Dani to continue to grow it would eventually need to come out of the shadows. Dani couldn't be Amara's 'dirty little secret' forever. It was unfair and insulting to the younger woman. Her worth and importance deserved to be acknowledged openly, not hidden away and covered up.
But going public with their relationship presented...issues...and Amara was too much of a realist to dismiss them offhand. There was a lot to consider.
Would it affect Anne? Would having 'two moms' change the way Anne was treated in school or by her friends' parents? Would her daughter be teased? Ostracized?
Could her soon-to-be ex-husband somehow use Dani against Amara in a custody battle? Would a same-sex relationship prejudice a judge against her?
How would Amara's younger sister and her conservative husband react? What about her three nephews – would they find it weird? Would they treat Anne differently? Would it drive a wedge between Amara and her only living family?
Would it affect Amara's career; her credibility with senior management or with the employees she dealt with day in and day out? Would it cost her opportunities? Respect? Would she lose professional standing?
In addition to all that, Amara was apprehensive about how it would 'feel'. How would it feel to hold hands with Dani in a shopping mall? To kiss her in public? To feel the stares of people she passed on the street? Would there be snide comments directed at her? Slurs? Assaults? She'd read and heard plenty of stories over the years...
And Dani was half Amara's age. Yet another complication in an already tricky set of circumstances.
Amara hated the idea that these concerns were holding her back. In this day and age, to be thinking such thoughts seemed...weak, somehow. Cowardly. Unworthy of an educated woman with progressive values. Nevertheless, the thoughts were there, and very real. She knew to deny or dismiss them carelessly would only create problems further down the road. A big decision like this wasn't something to make in haste or without the proper consideration.
And that was why Vancouver was the perfect trip at the perfect time.
She didn't know anyone there, and no one knew her. In Vancouver she could express her feelings for Dani openly, publicly, and – best of all – anonymously. Vancouver would be a trial run for a new lifestyle, a laboratory where she could experiment without consequences to her established life in Toronto. By the end of the trip she would have the answers to at least some of her questions.
**
"So? What are you in the mood for? Dinner? A little exploring?" Amara asked.
They were in their hotel room. Dani was busy unpacking their two suitcases, hanging what needed to be hung and folding everything else neatly in the drawers. Anne was sitting on one of the two queen-sized beds, sipping an apple juice box and watching the cartoon network on TV.
"I'm game for anything. I'm not super-hungry but I could eat."
"Swimming!" Anne cried. She'd slept on the plane for much of the trip so her energy was still high and she'd been looking forward to swimming ever since she'd heard the hotel had a pool.
"Yeah, I could go for that. I don't have a swim suit but I could watch. Or you could take her and I could do some ironing."
Amara rooted through her carry-on luggage and pulled out a plastic shopping bag. "You do have a swim suit." She tossed the bag onto the mattress near Dani. "I guessed at your size but I'm pretty sure it's right. I already hand-washed it. Try it on – I want to see how it fits."
Dani stopped packing and picked up the bag, then flashed a grateful smile at Amara. "That was really thoughtful – thanks. Believe it or not, this is my first-ever swim suit."
"If you can't figure out how to put it on, call me," Amara teased.
"Funny," Dani said, then grabbed the bag and retreated to the washroom.
Amara helped Anne into her bathing suit as Dani changed.
"Wow...this is, uh, really form-fitting," Dani said from behind the closed door. Amara smiled at the nervousness in the younger woman's voice.
