Every afternoon should be like this.
The thought flew across Kim’s mind as she stepped out onto the deck, with a tray of iced teas. The mid-August sun beat down on their back garden, as Kerry sunbathed and Claudia played under the sprinkler.
Both doctors had had a tough week at work, where Kerry seemed to have spent all of her time dealing with major traumas, bringing the paperwork home every evening. Kim had been on nights up in psych, and had gotten home a half-hour before Kerry left. The two had barely spoken, but now, thought Kim, everything was as it should be. Kerry, love, a family. Everything Kim had thought she’d never have was now laid out before her, and she released a deep sigh of contentment.
When they'd brought this house, four years ago, Kim had stood dreamily on the deck and looked over the back yard, seeing almost this exact scene. Kerry had called her to come in, and when Kim had failed to respond for the fifth time, Kerry had gone out to find exactly what had captivated the psychiatrist more than their first time sex in their new house. Kim had been so exciting, she had gone right ahead and described the scene she saw to Kerry, Claudia and all, without thinking.
Now, she was glad she’d been so bold.
After some serious discussion, the two had decided they did want kids, and that Kim would have to carry them - Kerry's hip was too weak to stand up to carrying and delivering a child. A year and a half later, Claudia had been born, and had proved a constant delight to the happy couple. From the first time she’d seen their daughter, as Kerry had proudly carried her over and laid her on Kim’s chest, Kim had been captivated by the beauty and old-world magic of the tiny form that lay before her. She had fallen instantly in love and knew at that moment that she would do whatever was required to ensure this child had the best life she could give it.
Now, she took advantage of that old-world magic, placing the tray down on the table and calling Claudia over for a drink. Kim picked the four-year old up as she ran towards Kim, calling “mama, mama”. Claudia shrieked as Kim swung her around in the air, eliciting a groan from Kerry as Claudia’s cries disturbed her nap. Kim set Claudia down, where she swiftly jumped on Kerry, making sure she was awake. Kerry sat up in shock, her sleep fully broken, and quickly set to tickling her daughter, till the toddler was again shrieking with laughter.
As Claudia calmed down and sat on Kerry’s lap, her head resting against Kerry’s shoulder, Kim came and sat down next to Kerry’s sunlounger. She kissed Kerry on the cheek and gave her her iced tea. “Welcome back sweetheart, did Claudia wake you up?” The innocent tone in Kim’s voice didn’t fool Kerry for a moment, and she shot her wife a look that would turn any resident to jell-o. Kim just smiled back and gave Kerry a slightly longer kiss on the lips. Kerry then turned to address her daughter. “Claudia, do not ever try and win an argument with your mother. You can’t do it”. When Claudia made no response, Kerry looked down to see her dark lashes almost touching her cheeks, and could see by the slow movements of the child’s chest that Claudia was asleep. Kerry echoed Kim’s earlier sigh of contentment, and turned to smile at her wife.
“How does she do it, Kim? It’s been an awful week, I’ve hardly seen you or Claudia, and yet just lying here, with her asleep in my lap and you by my side makes it all worthwhile.” Kerry’s eyes reflected her inner joy and peace, and Kim just said, “Do you remember when she was born? You’d been at work for almost 36 hours, then you got a call from OB saying I was in labour, so you ran upstairs for some of the longest and most painful hours of my life, looking as if you were about to collapse, yet when we sat there with Claudia, when she was 20 minutes old, it was like none of it had ever happened. It was perfect. I don’t know how she does it, but I’m so glad she does. Every time. No matter how crummy the week, or how tired I am”.
Kerry chuckled in reply and said, “Yeah, and then she started screaming, because she wanted to feed. Greedy little cookie monster.” She kissed Claudia on the head, who stirred slightly but remained asleep. Stroking the child’s head, she lay her head back on the sunlounger and went back to sleep, the iced tea untouched. Kim lifted Claudia off Kerry to allow the redhead a chance to sleep, and when the motion woke Claudia, Kim carried her inside for a fresh application of sunscreen before letting her run back out the door to play under the sprinkler.
Kim looked around the kitchen, traditionally Kerry’s domain, although Claudia was starting to enjoy basic cookery, and loved to sit and watch Kerry cook. Kim remembered when she used to just sit and watch Kerry as she read a journal, or prepared a meal, or ironed. It was one time when time would stop and all her focus was on the red hair and lean body before her. Whilst watching Kerry, Kim could forget that she had patients, paperwork, a life outside of that particular room. Her world made sense with Kerry in it, and the addition of a daughter had only made that world more complete, if that was possible.
She felt a tiny touch of air on the back of her neck, and jumped. A second later, small lips touched the spot where the air had been, and Kim felt Kerry’s arms slide round her waist. She pulled the redhead around in front of her, and both just stood looking out of the window. “What were you thinking, honey?” Kerry whispered the question, almost afraid that a raised voice would break the spell that seemed to have fallen over this perfect afternoon.
“Just…how perfect all this is. It’s just like I imagined. When I’m here with you and Claudia, the world’s complete. Thank you, Kerry. For everything.” Kim bent her head down and kissed her wife, letting her know more completely than mere words ever could the love she felt at this moment.
“Kim?” Once the kiss had ended, Kerry had just leant back into her lover’s arms and watched her daughter playing, trying to escape the sprinkler’s jets, failing and shrieking as the cold water hit her sun-warmed body.
“Mmm-hmm” Kim replied lazily, with just a touch of suspicion in her voice. When Kerry said her name like that, it usually meant she had a plan of some description in mind.
“When was the last time you played under a sprinkler?”
“No way.” Kim’s reply was definite.
“Tough. I’ll race you.” With that, Kerry threaded her arm through her crutch and took off down the garden; grabbing her daughter and holding her over the sprinkler, she let the jets tickle her stomach. Before long, both mother and daughter were soaked, and as Kim walked towards them, shaking her head, Claudia jumped up and flung her arms around Kim’s neck, soaking her T-shirt. Kerry just stood under the sprinkler and beckoned to her wife, saying “C’mon, you’re wet now. It’s a great way to cool off”. Kim admitted defeat, and still holding Claudia, came to stand under the cold jets, gasping as the cold water hit her body.
The three fooled around in the garden for a little longer, splashing water at each other and generally enjoying the sun. Eventually first Claudia, and then Kim and Kerry lay on the ground, looking up together at the early evening sky, each revelling in the balminess of this, the perfect end to a perfect afternoon.