Chapter Twenty-Three
Over the next few weeks, Marin and Charlotte settled into their new relationship.
They spent plenty of time together at home, but they also went snow tubing and took a pottery class at the community center, taught by Audrey.
They did all the couply things Marin had been yearning for, although they couldn’t acknowledge that they were a couple when they were in public since Charlotte wasn’t out yet.
And that was fine. Marin would give her all the time she needed.
She was happy, truly happy, maybe for the first time in her life.
Sure, she’d been reasonably content since the divorce as she made strides in her new life, but there’d always been a missing piece, a yearning she’d known wouldn’t be satisfied until she found a life partner.
She’d never dared hope that person would be Charlotte.
Nor had she imagined herself as the more “experienced” person in her first sapphic relationship, but actually, she loved helping to guide Charlotte through her sexual awakening.
Marin hadn’t had many opportunities in her life to provide guidance or nurturing.
Now she found herself in that role not only with Charlotte but also in raising Ember and mentoring students on campus. It was incredibly gratifying.
As March became April, the snow finally melted, and the trees began to bud.
Spring had officially arrived, although spring in Vermont also meant mud.
Ember got into endless messy situations outside.
Marin had to wipe her down multiple times a day, but she didn’t really mind, because she loved her puppy so much.
Not that Ember looked much like a puppy these days. Gone was the tiny runt of the litter Marin had brought home back in January. Ember was big now, full of energy but also settling nicely into adolescence.
There was still one thing weighing Marin down, though, and that was Nancy’s rejection.
The sibling group chat had proceeded as usual, but Marin couldn’t help noticing how superficial it had gotten, as if Jed, Fran, and Tom were all waiting for Nancy and Marin to patch things up. If only Marin knew how . . .
She strolled through the campus quad, enjoying the daffodils and crocuses as they bloomed along the sidewalks. It was the second week in April, and her weather app was calling for heavy rain later this evening, but right now, it was a perfect spring afternoon.
She and Charlotte were going on a double date tonight with Audrey and Michelle, and Marin could hardly wait. She walked faster, impatient to get home, even though she had plenty of time before she needed to start getting ready.
“Professor Easterly!”
She turned to find Brianna on the sidewalk behind her. “Hi, Brianna. How are you?”
“I’m good.” There was a bounce to Brianna’s step that hadn’t been there when Marin first talked to her over the winter, and she was so glad to see it. “I was actually planning to stop by your office soon to tell you, but I did come out to my best friend, and she’s been great about it.”
“That’s wonderful,” Marin exclaimed.
“Yeah. So far I’m only out to her, but that feels okay for now. I can swoon over the cute girls in the TV shows that we watch together, and she points out girls on campus that she thinks I might like.” Brianna grinned. “I feel like me when I’m around her.”
“I’m so glad.” Marin was so proud of Brianna, and happy for her. “I’ve been thinking about you and hoping you were doing okay.”
“Yeah. Sorry for being so dramatic before.” Brianna rolled her eyes, and Marin chuckled. “I was in such a rush to come out to my parents, but you were right . . . I’ve got time.”
“You do,” Marin said. “You’ve got plenty of time, but I’m really glad you have someone you can be yourself with now. That’s a great feeling, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is.” Brianna’s smile was luminous. “Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks. See you at the next Pride Coalition meeting?”
“Yes,” Marin said. “See you there.”
Marin walked to her car with a newfound bounce in her step.
At home, she fed and walked Ember, then changed from her work clothes into date-night attire.
She decided on fitted black slacks and a royal blue top.
By the time she’d finished getting ready, it was almost time for Charlotte to pick her up.
They were meeting Audrey and Michelle at a new restaurant in town, and everything about the evening promised to be wonderful.
Her phone rang, and Marin rushed to find it, hoping nothing had come up with dinner, but it was her niece Jen’s name on the screen.
Marin’s chest tightened. She hadn’t talked to Jen since her falling-out with Nancy, unsure what to say or how Jen felt about the whole thing, which was probably cowardly of her in hindsight. “Jen, hi.”
“So I just came from Mom and Dad’s house,” Jen said, sounding pissed, and Marin sat abruptly on her bed.
“Dad finally clued me in about what’s been going on between you two, and first of all, I gave Mom a huge piece of my mind over how homophobic she’s being, but secondly, why didn’t you tell me, Aunt Marin? ”
The hurt in her voice was unmistakable, and Marin’s stomach plummeted. “I’m sorry. I should have. I guess . . . coming out to my siblings felt like all I could handle, and I figured I’d let them tell the rest of the family.”
“But you and I are close,” Jen protested. “We’ve chatted so much since you adopted Ember. You didn’t think I’m a homophobic asshole, too, did you?”
“No.” Although the truth was, she hadn’t been sure. Maybe she’d been afraid to find out, afraid of losing Jen too.
“Well, I’m a little pissed at you for not telling me, but also really proud of you for living your truth. Are you seeing anyone?”
“I am,” Marin admitted with a smile. “Things are going really well. I’m . . . happy.”
“That’s awesome. You deserve all the happiness, and now that tax season is finally almost over, maybe I can drive up and see your new house and meet Ember . . . and your girlfriend.”
“I’d like that.”
“Great. Oh, and leave Mom to me. I’ll get through to her,” Jen said. “She’s not hopeless, at least I don’t think she is. She’s just set in her ways, which is a lame excuse, I know, but she loves you. I’ll make her realize how ridiculous she’s being.”
Marin sighed. “I appreciate that, but please . . . I don’t want to come between you and your mom.”
“You aren’t. This is all on her, but I’m going to fix it.”
Marin heard the sound of Charlotte’s SUV pulling into the driveway. “Thank you. I really appreciate that, and I wish I could talk longer, but my girlfriend just got here. We’re going out to dinner with another couple tonight.”
“Ooh, a lesbian double date,” Jen said with a laugh. “Sounds awesome. Okay, enjoy dinner, and email me with some dates that work for me to visit. My schedule’s about to be wide open, so let’s plan something.”
“Count on it. And good luck getting everyone’s taxes filed on time.”
Jen groaned. “I’ll need it. Thanks.”
Marin ended the call feeling cautiously hopeful.
Whether or not Jen could get through to Nancy, her support meant a lot.
Marin hurried to the front door. She saw Charlotte almost every day, and yet the anticipation and the chemistry she felt in Charlotte’s presence never seemed to diminish.
Charlotte was the highlight of her day, every day.
Marin opened the front door. Charlotte had on a green knit dress and black boots. The pink-and-green scarf she’d been wearing when they met on the bus was at her throat. It went perfectly with the dress while evoking an avalanche of memories. “You look amazing.”
“Thanks. You look great too.” Charlotte pulled her in for a quick kiss as Ember darted out the front door and began to run in circles around her. “And hi to you, too, Ember.”
“At this point, it’s hard to say who’s more excited to see you,” Marin joked. She felt pleasantly warm just from having Charlotte’s hand on her hip.
“You, I hope.” Charlotte kissed her again, and Marin’s pulse got even faster.
“Keep that up, and I won’t even want to go to dinner.”
“Liar.” Charlotte’s eyes sparkled. “You’ve talked about nothing but our double date with Audrey and Michelle all week.”
“That’s true,” Marin admitted. “But afterward . . . stay here tonight?”
Charlotte nodded. “I brought an overnight bag with me.”
Marin pulled her in for another kiss. “Perfect.”
Charlotte had been a little bit intimidated about going on a double date with another sapphic couple, but she needn’t have been, because Michelle and Audrey were great.
Charlotte was really enjoying herself. Although she was the only person at the table without a background in academia, her parents were both professors, so she could hold her own when the conversation inevitably turned to Northshire University.
“I don’t miss it a bit,” Michelle said as she lifted her wineglass. “That place was sucking me dry.”
That drew a surprised chuckle from Charlotte. “Really? I thought everyone loved teaching there.”
Michelle shook her head. “Not me.”
“You loved it once upon a time . . .” Audrey gave her fiancée a bump with her shoulder.
Their dessert arrived before Michelle could respond.
She and Audrey had ordered an enormous slice of carrot cake to share, while Charlotte and Marin had chosen separate desserts, a chocolate torte for Marin and crème br?lée for Charlotte.
Marin had asked if she wanted to share something, but that felt too much like a date activity.
Charlotte was still wary of people she knew seeing her and realizing this was a date instead of an outing with friends.
She hated feeling like she had one foot in the closet and the other one out, double-dating with Marin while not being ready to acknowledge Marin as her girlfriend to anyone else she knew. She had to make up her mind about coming out, and soon.
While they ate dessert, Audrey entertained them with tales of mishaps at the pottery wheel, and then they split the check and walked outside. It had begun to rain, and the temperature had dropped. Charlotte shivered as they lingered under the awning to say good night.
“We should do this again sometime,” Audrey said. “It’s so fun having another sapphic couple to hang out with.”
“Definitely,” Marin agreed, then darted a hesitant glance at Charlotte. “If you think so too?”
“I do.” Charlotte grabbed Marin’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “That sounds really nice.”
As they got into their respective cars and pulled out of the parking lot, Charlotte was reminded that Audrey and Michelle lived just down the road from Marin, because she and Marin ended up following them out of downtown Middleton and onto the winding series of rural roads that led toward their houses.
The rain had really picked up now, making the already muddy roads even worse. Charlotte truly hated mud season in Vermont. What a mess. Luckily Marin’s Outback had all-wheel drive and enough ground clearance to make it through unscathed.
“Dinner was fantastic, but I hope you’re not too full.” Marin glanced at her with a coy smile.
“Why’s that?” Charlotte asked, although the warmth in her stomach said she already knew.
“Because I’d really like to take that dress off you when we get home.”
“I’m fully on board with that plan,” Charlotte confirmed.
The sun was setting to their right, although it wasn’t much to see this evening through the heavy rain, just a hazy golden blob over the mountains. Ahead of them, the red taillights of Michelle’s BMW were just visible in the gloom.
A pickup truck came over the hill in front of them, careening down the muddy road.
Charlotte opened her mouth to make a comment about careless drivers, but before she could speak, the truck swerved directly into the BMW’s path.
For a moment, it looked like the two vehicles would hit head-on, but then the BMW turned sharply.
It lost traction in the mud and veered off the side of the road onto the steep embankment.
“Oh shit!” Charlotte exclaimed as adrenaline punched her in the stomach. The black BMW plunged through a gap between trees and disappeared from view.
“Oh my god.” Marin’s voice sounded high and tight as she slammed on the brakes, bringing the Outback to a stop at the side of the road.
“Fuck. Fuck.” Charlotte looked around wildly, trying to see where the car had gone. Through the trees, she glimpsed a lake below. A big lake. As she watched, the BMW careened down the bank and splashed into its dark depths.
This was bad. So bad. Charlotte fumbled for her seat belt, yanking at it with frantic hands. Vaguely, she was aware of Marin punching the button for the hazard lights before they both scrambled out onto the muddy roadside.
Marin had her cell phone in hand. “No service,” she said grimly.
“Fuck,” Charlotte cried again. It was hardly surprising on this rural road.
The mountains around here often blocked cell service, but it was extremely unfortunate during an actual emergency.
Charlotte spun in the road, blinking cold rain from her eyes.
The pickup truck had stopped at the bottom of the hill.
Its driver, a middle-aged man, was just stepping out of the cab.
“Go find cell service and call 911,” Charlotte shouted.
He nodded and climbed back in his truck.
Mud sucked at Charlotte’s boots as she grabbed Marin’s hand and started half climbing, half sliding down the rain-slick embankment toward the lake, following the trail of destruction left by the car.
The BMW’s red taillights were still illuminated.
The rear of the car stuck up almost vertically out of the water now, but it was sinking fast. Were Audrey and Michelle okay?
Charlotte’s knees shook, and tears pricked her eyes. She and Marin skidded down the muddy slope, tripping over rocks and tree roots to the water’s edge, just as the BMW’s taillights disappeared from view, slipping below the surface of the water.