Melissa Good: Winds of Change

“Asshole.” Dar muttered back, aware of the press now moving forward to get a shot of them. “Tried to pull a guilt trip on your mother.”

Kerry sighed.

“Not over you.” Her partner gave one of the nearest reporters a smile. “Matter of fact, it didn't get that far. Started on Angie having an affair and then my mother lit into him.”

“Ah.”

“Said she was an immoral whore.”

“Your mother??” Kerry straightened.

“Yours.” Dar bumped her. “My mother started chanting some sort of pagan curse at him.”

“Fucking asshole.” Kerry said, audible enough for the front rows to hear her. “Let me get out of this dress and I'm going to go kick box him into February.” She got down off the raised platform and headed off, but had to pull up short as two reporters blocked her way.

Dar caught up with her as she stopped. “Hon.”

“Ms Stuart.” The older of the two reporters said. “Would you mind speaking to us for a moment?”

“Kerrison.” Cynthia arrived at her elbow. “We've sent the staff back to the house to prepare for the reception, with all the difficulties.” She glanced at the press. “Excuse us please, gentlemen. This is a private social affair.”

Dar was surprised when the press nodded and backed off. “Sorry about that, Senator.” The older one said. “We were just looking for a few minutes with your daughter.”

“Some other time.” Cynthia said, firmly.

They retreated. “I hear the pastor caused some problems.” Kerry said, in a quiet tone, as her mother turned back to her.

Her mother exhaled. “He was unkind.” She admitted. “But we mustn't dwell on it. This is a happy occasion, and I'm determined it will stay that way.” She said. “Now, shall we go? I have been told this power outage is quite extensive. I'm sure someone will want to talk to me about it.” She gestured them forward. “As though I could actually do something.”

Kerry's mother was, Dar considered, becoming a lot stronger minded than she had been when they'd first met. “I”m surprised someone hasn't called me to see if I could do something about it.” She remarked. “They must have forgotten I'm here.”

Cynthia regarded her. “Could you?” She asked, hesitantly. “Do something?”

“Depends on what the problem is.” Dar admitted. “If a tanker truck ran into the power station, probably not. If it's a computer glitch...” She lifted her hands, then let them drop.

“I see.” The Senator mused. “Well, never mind. You're a guest here. Let someone else who's probably being paid a lot of our budget dollars fix it.” She took the lead and the crowd parted as her aides cleared a path. “Excuse us please!”

“Hm.” Kerry tucked her hand inside Dar's elbow and suffered the resulting flash bulbs. “My mother's growing on me.” She felt the faint chuckle rippled through her partner's body. “She's getting a lot more ..uh.. “

“Ballsy.” Dar concluded, glad enough to follow down the aisle and out of the church, getting through the crowd all talking in the antechamber as Ceci and Andrew joined them. “We're heading out.”

“Good.” Ceci remarked. “The overbearing stench of orthodoxy is making me want to light a passion fruit firecracker in this place.”

“Lord.” Andrew handed them their coats. “Had me more fun at Navy training.”

Kerry covered her mouth hastily, muffling a laugh as they were hustled outside by Cynthia's aides, who kept the crowd back as they walked down the steps and headed past the waiting limos, escaping the line of the press who had stopped the Senator at the door to hers and were questioning her.

“Hon.” Kerry put her hand on Dar's back. “Better let me drive back. The lights are all out and I still probably know this place better than you do.”

Dar handed her the keys and they got inside, waiting for the doors to thump closed before being subjected to Ceci's bursting into speech. “What a son of a bitch that man is.” She said. “Kerry, if that's the church you grew up in, my hats off to you not turning out to be a wing nut.”

“Who says I'm not?” Kerry felt her guts relax as she adjusted the seat and started the car up. “But yeah, he's always been very conservative.” She got the defroster on, and flexed her hands. “I have no idea how they're going to do the reception without any power. This is a little crazy.”

“Yeap.” Andrew folded his arms over his chest. “Just a little bit.”

Ceci made a snorting sound.

The snow was coming down harder, and there were no lights working. Kerry was grateful that she knew where she was going as she carefully navigated through the storm. “Not all the people in that church were like that.” She found herself saying. “I remember when I was graduating from high school, there was a big thing about him, because his wife was caught embezzling money from the church and then she ran away, ended up crashing into a tree and killing herself.”

Ceci cleared her throat. “I'll try to refrain from commenting about judgments from God.”

“Mm.” Kerry turned up the street her childhood home was on and accelerated cautiously. “He certainly doesn't like me. Never did, matter of fact. Said was impertinent and that my father should punish me more.” She turned in at the gate and paused, as the security guard came over, shielding his face from the snow as she opened the window. “Hey John. Just us.”

“Ms. Kerry.” The man waved them through. “What a day, huh?”

“What a day.”

It was cold inside. Dar pondered the possibility of having to wear thermal underwear to the reception as she waited for Kerry to get off her cell phone. They'd left them in the house, and she had two voice mails on hers, but she'd felt no inclination to listen to them.

It had become hard to remain engaged with work. Dar folded her arms and regarded the window, watching the snow fall in thick, drifting waves. She'd gotten to a place where she wanted to move on, and as hard as she was trying to tie things up, it was even harder to get people to realize she was serious, and wanted out.

They kept trying to drag her back in.

“Dar?”

“Hm?” She turned as Kerry came over, folding her phone shut “What's up?”

“Lansing's on generator. Just wanted to let me know they're mostly online, and just monitoring stuff. Said it was pretty quiet. Some people called but they know the blackout is what it is.”

“Good.” Dar leaned her arm on Kerry's shoulder. “What's the protocol for wearing a bearskin rug to your sister's shindig?”

Kerry chuckled. “If this keeps up, we're going to have to find a way to keep warm tonight. There's no fireplace in this room.”

“I'm sure.” Dar tilted her head and gently blew in her partner's ear. “We'll think of something.”

“Maybe we should start working on ideas right now.” Kerry turned her head and their lips met. “At least this gives me an excuse to change out of my scandalous dress and into something more comfortable.” She rested her head against Dar's. “Wonder if they figured out what the power problem is yet?”

“Change.” Dar gave her another kiss. “I'll call around and see if I can find that out for ya.” She angled around behind her and unzipped the strapless gown, running a finger across the back of Kerry's neck.

“Didn't need more goosebumps, hon.” Kerry smiled, getting out of her gown while Dar picked up her phone, and opened it, her partner already dressed in a pair of casual pants and a blue knitted sweater. The chill hit her and she hurriedly changed herself, reluctantly bypassing her jeans for a pair of wool slacks and adding sweater of her own to them.

Dar waited for the phone to answer. “Wonder how long the cell sites'll be up.” She mused. “Batteries can't last that long.” She listened. “Yeah, this is Dar Roberts.” She announced. “Yeah, happy new years to you too. Listen. There's a power outage up here in Michigan. Do a search and tell me what the deal is, will ya?”