Faye Wagner heard the tapping at the back door and smiled when she looked up at the kitchen clock and saw that it was precisely 7 o'clock. The visitor was nothing if not precise, and the middle aged woman didn't even bother to peek through the curtains because she knew who it was.
"It's me, your albatross!" the tall drink of water chirped after the door was opened, and Faye shook her head as she stepped aside.
"You said that last night if I recall," she reminded her neighbor. "And I said..."
"You told me to knock it off and that you were always happy to see me," April Maddox interrupted, but the kiss she gave Faye on her forehead was not part of her usual routine. "And I warned you that you might regret saying that one day."
"And I told you to knock it off," Faye said with a grin.
"Sorry. I'm a slow learner."
"And I also told you to stop saying you're sorry about everything."
"Sor - oops. How about if I promise to try? Old habits die hard."
"How was work?" Faye asked.
"Busy, and the customers were nasty," April complained, not enamored of her job as a cashier at Walmart.
"I think having to shop there puts people in a bad mood to begin with," the older woman opined. "Not that there's many choices around here."
I guess. You're lucky you don't have to go to work until Monday."
"Working 10 hours four nights a week on the midnight shift? Nothing lucky about that," Faye mused aloud. "I'm getting too old for that."
"I don't know about that. Hey, are you going to let me cut your hair tonight?"
"Are you suggesting my hair needs help?" Faye joked, because even she had to admit that the woman she went to for cuts wasn't very good.
"I couldn't do worse than that lady you go to at A Cut Above," April said while pulling off her jacket. "I know you're loyal and all but still."
"Well if you do it of course I'll pay you what I pay her."
"No, however I will take another shot of that brandy you broke out last weekend as pay," April suggested.
"AFTER you cut it."
"Of course, and I brought my scissors too," April added as she went into her bag.
"A professional."
"I took cosmetology in high school," Faye was reminded. "I used to do Mom's hair near the end."
"I know," Faye said as the mention of April's mother made both of the women somber.
April's mother Sylvia was the connection that they had because Faye had known April's Mom since the Maddox family moved in soon after April was born. Faye and Sylvia formed a bond, with Faye comforting Sylvia when the abusive jerk she had married was especially cruel, and when Faye's long time lover passed Sylvia was equally comforting.
The comforting evolved into something much more, but that was something that Faye was certain April knew nothing about, and she wasn't about to tell the girl that they had been very discrete lovers. April's behavior of late had changed over the six months or so she had come over to visit nightly. At first Faye thought that the girl was looking for a substitute for her late mother, and because they were both now alone and rather lonely Faye had welcomed the company, but now April was - was it flirting? Faye thought that was crazy when she first thought that but now she wasn't so sure.
If the girl was flirting, Faye was flattered since she was more than twice April's age, but in fact Faye was attracted to the girl. This felt wrong because she had watched April grow up and being so much older made her feel a bit like a predator. Not the age factor by itself because the middle aged lesbian had always been a bit attracted to younger prey. The attraction wasn't because April looked like her mother because there was little resemblance.
Sylvia Maddox was a knockout in her time, a shapely woman with flaming red hair who looked a bit like Rita Hayworth. She turned a lot of heads, and that was what got her screamed at and her butt kicked by her louse of a husband, even though she neither welcomed the attention or did anything to warrant the jealousy. Eventually Mack Maddox abandoned Sylvia and April, which was good for them but by then the damage had been done to Sylvia, who had lost her glow and then concentrated on raising her daughter alone.
April didn't seem the worse for it all, although the girl had often retreated into a shell as she grew up. As for her looks, while Faye loved the kid April inherited more of her old man's looks than Mom's. April was pleasant enough looking but was rather plain, and her red hair was a dull tone. April was plenty tall, not that far away from 6', but her frame was very slender and for the most part lacked curves, with her hips larger than her bust.
"That's a pretty blouse April. New?"
"Actually it's so old it's probably back in style," April said of the floral top with cap sleeves. "It's from way back in high school."
"Oh yeah, way back then," Faye mocked comically, since high school was only two years ago.
"Feels like forever, and I know I feel older than 20."
"You aren't going to be 20 for a couple of weeks," Faye reminded the willowy redhead. "Don't rush it because believe it or not I vaguely remember 20 even though it was almost 30 years ago."
April gave Faye one of her toothy grins that never failed to warm her heart, much like her button nose and the smattering of freckles around it, and the rugged butch momentarily melted as the teen had her sit at a chair in the kitchen and explained that she was just going to cut Faye's hair and then sweep up the floor, not bothering with a sheet around her..
"Some will go down your neck though," April cautioned.
"I thought you were just going to trim it?"
"I am but - well - if you want to spend the rest of the night scratching like a hound..."
"Okay, you win," Faye grumbled while unbuttoning the plain baggy blouse and peeling it off her shoulders, and after setting it aside sat back upright.
