B.L. Miller - Crystal's Heart

"Hey Doc, I'm going to have a smoke before the guys get here. Come out and keep me company?" Crystal said, moving toward the sliding glass door without waiting for an answer. As she had expected, Jenny followed her out to the deck, sliding the door closed behind her. "Yes?" Jenny asked expectantly.

Crystal pulled her cigarettes from her pocket and lit one. "So," she said, moving so the smoke blew away from where Jenny was standing. "We still on for our regular sessions?"

"Of course," Jenny said.

"Good." Crystal turned away and concentrated on the blue smoke trailing from the end of the cigarette. "I was worried, you know." "About?" Jenny prodded.

"I was worried you wouldn't want to help me anymore because I'm involved with Laura," Crystal said, shaking her head. "Hell, for a while there I was even worried that you'd try and get her back."

"I would never do that," Jenny said, leaning against the rail and staring out at the leafless trees mixed with pines. "Laura and I just had some unresolved issues, that's all."

"Uh huh," Crystal said. "And they're completely resolved now, right?"

"For the most part," Jenny said.

"You're the one who's always telling me that change doesn't happen overnight," Crystal said, taking another drag off her cigarette.

Jenny turned and gave her a knowing smile. "You know I hate it when my own words are used against me." She paused. "But it's true. Laura and I have a significant history together and it's hard for me to see her with someone else." She moved closer to Crystal. "But I also want her to be happy and she's made it clear that to her, that means being with you."

"Do you think we have a chance?" Crystal asked, nervously flicking her ashes into the wind.

"It doesn't matter what I think," Jenny said.

"It does to me," Crystal said firmly, walking over to the table and extinguishing the cigarette in the ashtray.

"Do I think you two have a chance to make this relationship work? Absolutely," Jenny said. "Do I think it's going to be easy? No. It's going to take a lot of sacrifices and compromises to make it work but if you love each other enough, it'll be worth it. Now can we go inside? It's freezing out here."

"Yeah," Crystal said. She took a step toward the door, then stopped. "Hey Doc?"

"Yes?"

"You know

I thought I was so messed up that no one would ever want to be with me much less that I would fall in love." Crystal looked down at the deck, pausing to find the right words. "But

I see things differently than I did four months ago. I've

I've"

"Grown?" Jenny offered.

Crystal shrugged. "I guess so. What I'm trying to say is this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you."

Jenny moved closer. "It was all you, my friend," she said, poking Crystal with her forefinger. "I'm not the reason for your change, I'm just the one who helped you to see that change was possible. Remember, you're the one that came to me looking for help. You took that first step. Now" She put her hands on Crystal's shoulders. "Let's go before I freeze to death out here."

"Thanks," Crystal said. "For everything."

"You're welcome," Jenny said, pulling her into a loose hug. "For what it's worth, I hope the two of you are very happy together." Crystal tightened her hold. "It's worth a lot," she said quietly.

"All right, enough of this," Jenny said as they separated. "Let's get inside."

Chapter Sixteenth

"Damn," Crystal swore as Laura steered the Jeep into Patty's driveway. "I can't believe I agreed to this."

"You could have canceled," Laura said.

"And say what? Sorry I can't make it to your son's birthday party? How is Thomas going to understand that?" Crystal said, tossing her sunglasses on the dash. "No, I can't do that to him. I have to go." She shook her head and reached for the door handle. "I'll just have to deal with it." "I'll be right there with you," Laura reminded her. "You don't have to stay long."

"Ten minutes in the same room with my mother is too long," Crystal said as opened the door and stepped out. She took a deep breath, knowing an open display of hostility toward her mother would upset the children. "All right, let's get this over with."

"Don't forget his present," Laura said just as the screen door swung open and the now seven year old came running out, his older sister right behind him.

"Aunt Crystal, Aunt Crystal, did you bring me a present for my birthday?" he asked.

"Mommy says you're not supposed to ask for presents," Jessica said in her best reprimanding tone when they both reached Crystal. "Aunt Crystal, I got an A on my test."

"Oh very good," Crystal said. "And yes, Thomas, we brought you a present."

"See?" he said to Jessica. "I told you I'd get a present."

Jessica crossed her arms and pouted. "I didn't get a present for my birthday."

At that moment Crystal was grateful for Laura's suggestion when they were in the toy store. "Jess," she said, drawing the girl's attention. "I think if you look in the back seat you'll find a belated birthday present."

Jessica's eyes widened in direct proportion to her smile. "A present for me?"

"Yup," Crystal said, looking over the girl's head to share a smile with Laura. "One for you and one for your brother."

Laura curtailed Thomas as he tried to get the back door open. "Hang on, slugger. I'll get it," she said, gently moving him aside and opening the door. "Yours is the one in the long flat box. I'll get Jessica's."

"Hey, her box is bigger than mine," he said in a childish whine.

Laura knelt down next to him. "But yours has more pieces," she said. "Trust me, you'll like it. Now, no peeking in the bag until we get inside, okay?" "Okay," he said, tugging his present out of the car and immediately trying to lift the flap of the paper bag where it was stapled shut.

"All right," Laura said, lifting the package out of his hands. "I'll tell you what. You go tell your mother we're here and Aunt Crystal and I will bring the presents inside."

The colorful decorations caught Crystal's eye when she entered the living room. Blue and white streamers were draped in a crisscross pattern across the ceiling while brightly colored balloons were bunched in the corners. The coffee table in front of the couch was littered with torn wrapping paper. Patty, who had been sitting in the recliner reading the instructions for Thomas' newest video game, rose from her chair when Crystal entered, meeting her halfway for a hug. "I'm glad you made it," the elder sister said, taking the present from Crystal's hands and putting it on the coffee table.

"We can't stay long," Crystal lied, looking around for the woman she wanted to avoid. "Where is she?"

"In the kitchen frosting his cake," Patty said. "Don't worry, she's not going to say anything to you."

"I wasn't," Crystal said with feigned casualness.

"I want open my present from Aunt Crystal," Thomas said, reaching for the present.

Patty paused for only a second before giving in. "All right, but you'll have to wait until after your cake and ice cream before you can open your other presents."

Thomas nodded and tugged open the bag holding his present. "Okay." The black plastic was no match for the seven year old, opening to reveal a race car track set. "Oh boy, thanks Aunt Crystal."

"It's from me and Laura," Crystal said, leaning over to receive the offered hug.

Thomas let go of her neck and turned to Laura. "Thanks Aunt Laura," he said. Crystal exchanged a smile with her lover as Laura bent down to accept the child's hug.

"I want to open my present now too," Jessica said, tugging open the staples and pulling pushing the plastic off the large box. "It's a Singing Suzy make-up center and jewelry box," she said, immediately opening the box. "Thank you."