Page 2 of Common Grounds

The truth is, Cass didn’t get herself knocked up and everyone knows it. She and Violet looked meticulously for a sperm donor for years before undergoing two rounds of IVF. Cass has wanted to be a mom since we were kids, and she was determined not to let a little thing like marrying a woman stop her.

Violet, speak of the devil, sneaks up behind Donna and wraps her arms around Donna’s ample middle, putting her chin on her shoulder and whispering, “Boo!”

Donna jumps, but quickly realizes who is behind her, and then it’s Vi’s turn to get a swat with the notepad. Vi just giggles and slides into the booth next to Cass.

“Oh, you girls keep me on my toes,” Donna mutters, flipping her weapon to a blank page and clicking her pen. “What can I get you?”

“It’s cute how you pretend that we aren’t going to get the same thing we’ve ordered for the past twenty years.” I tease.

Cass raises her hand. “I’m not. I need red meat, Donna. A huge burger. With cheese. And pickles.” She says the last part of her order dreamily. Violet and I exchange glances, both of our eyebrows raised.

“You got it, honey. Milkshakes for the two of you?” She indicates Vi and me. We both nod vigorously. “Coming right up,” she says as she wanders away to put our order in.

Violet slouches in her seat, wrapping her arm around Cass’s shoulders and nuzzling her nose against her temple. Cass practically melts into her, her eyelids fluttering closed briefly, and her shoulders relaxing away from her ears. She sighs and rests her head on Vi’s shoulder, settling into the embrace.

They’ve always been like this. Completely in love and absolutely perfect for each other. That is, after they finally told me about their relationship. They hid it from me as long as they could, worried that I’d be upset my best friend was dating my sister. To be fair, I was worried it would fundamentally change our friendship. But only for, like, a minute.

I love how much they love each other. Seeing them together all those years ago was one of the first clues I had that my marriage wasn’t working out. Well, it would have been, had I been ready to admit it to myself. Now, as a thirty-seven-year-old divorcée, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m not meant to have the kind of shared moments these two have. I have my vibrator, and when that’s not enough, Vi makes a great wingwoman.

I grab another fry off the plate in the center of the table and use it to point between the two of them. “Why aren’t you giving Vi shit about being late, too?” I punctuate the accusation by popping the fry in my mouth.

“Because she’s not late. She told me she’d be here at five-thirty. You said five.” Cass breathes, her voice sounding like she’s sinking into a warm bath rather than sitting in a dingy diner booth with her wife.

Violet tips her head back and forth, eyeing me. “Yeah. At least I’m accurate in my estimation of arrival times.”

I pick up a fry and throw it at her. She catches it and eats it, smiling. Suddenly, her smile turns to a grimace. “How much salt is on these? Jeez, Cass. You’re going to skyrocket your blood pressure with these things.”

Cass groans, her eyes still closed as she leans against Violet’s shoulder. “Don’t start. It’s not my fault you don’t like flavor.”

I chuckle quietly as Violet scowls. If it were up to her, all food would be free of seasoning, sauce, and spice. Which is ironic considering most days she dresses like the spiciest girl at the ball. Today, her hair is bright purple—a little too on the nose, if you ask me, but to each her own—which matches the purple horseshoe lip ring she’s sporting. She’s wearing a flowing, emerald green, cotton dress paired with her ever-present black combat boots. It’s a look only Vi can pull off. She’s like a deadly butterfly. Gorgeously colorful, perfectly coordinated, but lethal.

“Besides,” Cass continues. “Baby gets what baby wants. And baby wants salt, red meat, and pickles.” She wiggles in her seat in excitement at her upcoming meal.

Vi’s scowl turns into the cheesiest grin I’ve ever seen, and it completely transforms her face. Her blue eyes light up, and the normally harsh lines of her mouth disappear. She puts a hand on Cass’s belly and kisses her forehead. A soft smile plays at Cass’s lips.

“Oh, come on,” I moan, completely ruining their moment. “You’re not going to give her crap about touching your belly either?”

Cass opens one eye to scowl at me. “It’s Vi’s baby. She’s allowed touch.” She closes the eye again.

“I’m the auntie!” I protest.

“Don’t care,” Cass sighs irreverently.

Violet shoots me an apologetic look and shrugs the shoulder Cass isn’t leaning on. I shake my head incredulously.

Just then, our food is delivered. Cass practically bounces up and takes a huge bite of her burger, ketchup sliding out the other side of it and plopping onto the plate. She lets out a moan that sounds vaguely sexual. Vi’s cheeks turn a bright pink, and she coughs on the sip of her milkshake she had just taken. A corner of Cass’s mouth turns up as she looks at Vi suggestively, licking a bit of ketchup off her bottom lip without breaking eye contact. Vi turns even more red.

My eyes dart back and forth between the two of them. “Y’all need some privacy?” I ask. When Vi’s expression changes from horny to horrified, I cackle.

Vi groans. “You’re the absolute worst,” she says on a grimace. Cass, as usual, is completely unbothered by my teasing. Violet, however, is adamant that it’s always going to be a little weird to be my best friend and be married to my little sister. It doesn’t really bother me, but I also try not to think about it too hard.

Vi clears her throat. “So, Em, do you still want to grab drinks later?”

“She definitely needs a drink or two after that story she had to do about Onion Breath and his two new puppies,” Cass says around a mouthful of hamburger.

Violet looks at me questioningly, but I shake my head. “Not worth explaining. Yes, drinks would be awesome. I’ll swing by at around eight?” I ask.

“She probably means eight-fifteen,” Cass interjects, taking another huge bite of her burger.

---