The Florencia Lozano Homepage - Fan Fiction
Chapter 13
Tea’s fingers traveled along the spine of the legal volume in her hand, its brown leather binding and raised gold lettering smooth and elegant to the touch. This library, a bit ostentatious for such a humble law practice, had been a gift from Todd. Understanding her inexplicable love of the law, Todd had gone through the great trouble and expense of having the volumes hand bound and embossed with her name on the inside cover. “From the Library of Tea Delgado-Manning, Esquire” they all read.
The night he had the library stocked and installed, unbeknownst to her, he’d brought her in blind-folded and then turned on the light, letting her walk around in wonderment among the neatly stacked and shelved books as he stood by proudly. It was at those moments that she loved him more than life…not for his generosity, he was a rich man, after all, and could well afford to be generous…but, for the thought and effort he’d put into pleasing her and giving her something she’d love…something of her very own. Afterwards, they drank champagne and made sweet love on the conference table to celebrate and she read him her favorite precedents as they sat around discussing the law…something that amused Todd almost as much as Tea. She loved to manipulate it…he loved to break it.
Tears rose to her eyes as she put the volume back in its place, the memories of their time together now too painful to recall. As she struggled with her emotions she heard the intrusive buzz of the phone and reaching over she hit the button on the speaker-phone with annoyance.
“Yes, Rosa…what is it?” she asked.
“Your step-daughter, Starr is on the line.”
“Put her through,” said Tea, as she sat down quickly.
“Tee?”
She hadn’t heard Starr’s voice for weeks and it’s soft, childish familiarity brought tears to Tea’s eyes.
“Estrella…I’m so happy you called. How are you sweetheart…we miss you so much.”
“Tee…I…need you,” she whimpered into the phone.
Tea looked at her watch, it was only 10:30 in the morning.
“Honey, where are you? Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“I…I left school and took the bus home. I…I’m sick…and, mommy’s not home. I don’t know what to do, Tee,” she cried.
“Honey…you stay right where you are…I’ll be right over.”
Tea ran into her office and grabbed her purse. Rushing out into the reception area she walked over to Rosa, a young, black law-student who interned as her receptionist.
“Rosa…call Judge Miller. Tell him I need a postponement on the trial this afternoon. I have a family emergency. Tell Antonio, I’ll call him later,” she said before hurrying out the door.
* * * * *
Tea ran out of the elevator and to Blair’s apartment, knocking quickly on the door. Starr opened it in seconds as if she’d been waiting right behind it. Walking in, Starr flew into her arms holding on to her tightly as she cried.
“Starr…honey…what’s wrong,” asked Tea, pulling away from her.
“I’m…sick. I’m bleeding,” whimpered Starr.
Tea stepped away from her and looked her over quickly. Starr was wearing her school uniform and checking over all the exposed areas of skin, Tea saw nothing.
“Bleeding? Honey…I don’t see anything. Where are you bleeding?”
Starr looked embarrassed as she pointed downward, placing her hand on her pelvis.
“Down there,” she said quietly. “An it hurts in my belly.”
Suddenly Tea understood and, heaving a sigh of relief, she smiled and hugged her.
“Oh, mi querida…that’s your period, Starr. You’re menstruating. Do you know what that is, sweetie?”
Starr nodded shyly and looked down at her feet.
“Come on. Where’s you’re bedroom?”
Starr took Tea’s hand and they walked to her room.
“Starr…what you need is to get these clothes off, clean yourself up and then…I’ll show you what to do. Don’t be scared, this is totally normal…and perfectly natural. Okay?” Tea looked around and pulled Starr into the bathroom with her and reaching into the shower, turned on the water.
Starr nodded and looked a little more relaxed as Tea helped her to undress. When she removed her cotton underwear, Tea noticed the small red spots in the crotch and quickly folded them up, throwing them into the hamper. As Starr undressed, Tea noticed her childish, hairless body, that smooth tabula rasa that is the beauty of a child’s figure before it is sexually defined by hormones.
“Now…hop in there and wash up…all over, okay,” she said, handing her soap and a washcloth.
Starr got in the shower and Tea walked back into the bedroom. Checking through her drawers, she pulled out some comfortable sweats along with clean underwear and socks. Walking out of Starr’s room she went further down the hallway, past what looked like Jack’s room and to Blair’s bedroom at the end of the hall. Finding Blair’s bathroom she looked around for some sanitary napkins, which she found in the vanity, and looked through her medicine cabinet for some aspirin. When she had what she needed she walked out of the dark bedroom noticing the dark décor and the mirrored wall on her way out.
“Starr? How are you doing?”
Starr shut the water off and pulled back the curtain. Tea smiled as she looked at her, all shiny-wet and clean-scrubbed, and helping her out of the tub she began to rub her gently and lovingly with a large bath towel, drying her skin and her hair quickly so that she wouldn’t get cold.
Handing her the clean panties, she showed her how to put the sanitary napkin and affix it in place…then she helped her get dressed. When Starr had finished dressing Tea handed her two aspirin and a glass of water.
“You’re a little young to get your period, but…I got mine early too.”
“Lisa Webster has it. She’s in my class.”
“Well…you’ll be getting it every month from now on. And the pain in your belly…those are cramps…they’re a bit uncomfortable, but usually tolerable. You’ll probably only get those on the first day, but just take a few aspirin and that should take care of them. It usually lasts from 3 to 5 days, bleeding less and less as the days go on. You should change the sanitary napkins every three or four hours, or when you need to, and just remember to wash up every day that way you’ll feel more comfortable. This is something every young woman gets, Starr…it’s a sign that you’re growing up. Soon your body will start changing…your breasts and your hips will become rounder and you’ll get more body hair…on your legs, under your arms and also…in your…private area…around your vagina.”
“Yuck. That’s just gross. I don’t want to grow up.”
Tea laughed and hugged her. She walked her out into the bedroom, sat her on the bed and picked a hairbrush off the dresser. As she sat beside her she began to brush out her long wet hair.
“I know it seems…uh, gross…but it’s not. This is a beautiful thing for a woman Starr. Menstruation means that…your body is able to give birth…to have a baby. And…though that won’t happen for a long time…it’s something to remember. Soon…you’ll be interested in boys…and they’ll be interested in you and…you’ll develop certain feelings.”
“I hate boys.”
“I use to hate them too when I was your age,” laughed Tea, “but then, it changed. Starr…do you know about…sex?”
Starr blushed brightly and looked away.
“Yuck. Lisa Webster always tells us about it. She watches HBO.”
Tea smiled.
“This Lisa Webster seems to know an awful lot. What did she tell you.”
“That grown ups like to get naked and have sex all the time. And that…boys put their…thing...inside the girls and they get all sweaty and noisy…and they like it. And that’s how baby’s are made.”
Tea laughed and hugged her.
“Well, yes…that’s pretty much what happens…technically. But…it’s something that should happen when two people are grown up, when two people love each other and are prepared for the consequences…that means…sex leads to pregnancy. And until one is ready to be a parent…sex should not be an option. There will come a time Starr…many years from now…when you meet someone you will love…and you’ll want to be close to them in that way…but, you don’t have to think about that for a very long time.”
Starr stared up at her, a frightened look on her pretty, young face, then suddenly leapt off the bed.
“I’m never going to let a boy do that to me…that’s rape.”
The hairbrush fell from Tea’s hand, bouncing on the ballet-pink comforter of Starr’s bed, as the word “rape” resonated in her head, a word that sounded vulgar and foreign in this girly room, a word that up until now she’d never heard Starr use.
“Starr…sex isn’t rape. Sex is about loving someone and expressing it. Rape is a crime…an act of violence…something done in anger to hurt someone else. Where did you get such an idea?”
Tears filled Starr’s eyes as she fell into Tea’s arms, crestfallen and sobbing.
“That’s what daddy did. That’s what mommy told me. She said daddy’s a rapist…he rapes people. Is it true, Tea? Is it…is it?”
Tea gasped as she held her, everything suddenly coming into a sharp, ugly focus…the confusion of the last few weeks suddenly becoming all too clear. Blair had told Starr about Todd’s past, driving him completely over the edge.
“Yes, Starr…it is true…your daddy did do those things. But…they were a long time ago…when he was young…and very angry and troubled. He went to prison for his crime and suffered a lot over it.”
Starr pulled away from her and wiped her eyes.
“Starr…you need to speak to your father about this.”
“No…I don’t want to see him. I’m afraid.”
“Afraid? Starr…your father loves you more than anything…he’d never, ever hurt you.”
“Mommy said that he might. That’s why I can’t live with him.”
Tea placed her hands on either side of Starr’s face and pulled her closer.
“Listen to me, Starr. You’re father would never hurt you…and I think deep down you know that. I don’t know what your mother told you, but…your daddy would give his life to protect you. Nothing in his past could change his love for you. And…I live with him, and so does Alma…and I know he’d never hurt us. You need to speak with your father Starr…it’s only fair that you hear his side…from him. Don’t condemn him, sweetie…not until you’ve heard his side, then and only then can you decide how you feel.”
Tea sat on the bed and rocked Starr against her for a few moments when she heard the door slam.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH MY DAUGHTER?” shrieked Blair.
Blair was standing there in black leather jacket and pants, her spike-heeled boots digging into the carpeting as she glared at Tea who sat quietly with her arms around Starr.
“Starr called me at work. She came home…and there was no one here. She wasn’t feeling well,” Tea said very calmly, biting down painfully on her tongue as she suppressed the urge to run at Blair and strike her.
Blair ran over and pulled Starr away from Tea and off the bed.
“Honey, what’s wrong?”
“I…I got my…period, mommy.”
“Your period? Oh, sweetie…I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you.”
“It’s okay. Tee showed me what to do and told me all about it. I’m okay…but…I think I’m going to need some more of those napkin thingys.”
Blair threw Tea a hateful look. Tea stole another precious moment between her and Starr, usurping her rights as Starr’s mother once more. Tea bent down and spoke to Starr.
“Honey, now that your mother’s here, I’m going to go, okay? You should take a nap…that’s the best thing for cramps,” she said, as she bent to kiss her and Starr gave her a long hug, much to Blair’s displeasure.
“Thanks, Tee…tell…Alma I miss her,” she said as her eyes filled with tears.
“I will. And I’ll give her a big kiss for you, okay,” she said as she grabbed her purse and walked out.
“Honey, you go ahead and lay down…I’ll be right back,” said Blair as she hurried out of the room and closed the door behind her. Hurrying down the hall she caught Tea before she walked out.
“Don’t you EVER come to MY house and try to mother MY daughter. MY DAUGHTER!”
Tea turned slowly, her anger choking her as she tried to restrain herself from lunging at Blair’s throat and gauging her ugly eyes out.
“You evil, vindictive woman! How could you do that to her? How could you tell Starr about Todd’s past…it wasn’t your place.”
Blair looked away, suppressing her conscience.
“I did it FOR Starr.”
“Liar. You did it for yourself. You did it to hurt Todd because he committed the cardinal sin in Blairworld…he left you…for me. If there’s one thing that will always rule in your shallow universe its your selfishness…your sick vanity and pride…and if you have to devastate your daughter’s life in the process…so be it, right Blair? As long as your blood-thirst is sated, that’s really all that matters to you, isn’t it?”
“I did it to protect her.”
Tea walked right up to her though Blair towered above her.
“Oh, please! Who do you think you’re talking to? You weren’t protecting Starr…you were getting back at Todd for leaving you. Don’t hide your ugly motives behind your saintly veil of motherhood…you don’t fool me for an instant. I gave you the benefit of the doubt for Starr’s sake, thinking that your maternal instincts would always choose to protect her…but, I was so wrong. Todd was right about you…you are evil…you have no soul.”
“Oh…who needs a pesky little soul…I have Starr!” she gloated.
“Not for long…not if I have anything to do with it. You’ve abused your maternal privileges…and I’ll do anything I can to keep her away from you.”
Blair pushed Tea slightly and backed her up against the wall.
“Don’t threaten me, Chiquita…you can’t win. And besides…Todd has custody of Starr, not you. And…I hear he’s not in very good shape lately, certainly not capable of taking care of his daughter.”
“He’s suffering…because of you.”
Blair laughed.
“Good…he deserves to suffer after the things he’s done. That Todd…he’s so predictable…falling apart like that, right on schedule. No court in this land is going to give that drunken wreck an adolescent girl to raise. He’s sunk. And…I heard he left you and the little bambina…living at the penthouse again. Poor, poor Todd,” she laughed.
“You’re completely depraved…devoid of any human feeling, aren’t you?”
“What I am is…resourceful. I do what I have to do to get what I want. There was a time when Todd was the same way before you turned him into the pathetic wimp he’s become. Maybe that’s why he has to turn to other women to get off…”
Tea looked up at her.
“What did you say?”
Blair turned away from her, aware that she’d said way too much.
“Never mind. Get out of my house, Tea. Todd is finished and so is your marriage. Starr is staying with me and tomorrow Sam is filing custody papers for me. If you’re lucky you’ll wind up a rich woman. Cut your losses and move on…that’s what I did.”
“Go to hell, Blair. I’d hardly consider taking marital advice from you,” said Tea, opening the door.
“Tell me,chica…how does it feel to lose everything? Your man…your family…your little fairytale life, gone…just like that. Not so great, is it?” gloated Blair.
Tea stared into her malicious green eyes and her ugly sneer, resisting the urge to slap her across the face…but, she just refused to degrade herself, to wrestle in the mire with this woman. Suddenly, Tea felt a wave of pity for Blair…seeing beyond the hard, slick veneer to the sad, desperate woman who’s misguided instincts would always lead her onto a self-destructive path…doomed to a life of misery and loneliness.
“I pity you, Blair…because…you’re need vengeance will never allow you to be happy.”
Finally Tea just walked out and slammed the door behind her.
Blair stared at the door silently…then smiled and did a little dance around her livingroom, raising her arms up high into the air victoriously.
“And the winner is…BLAIR!”
*****
2003 Copyright by Trog
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