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Serena Campbell is nervous. Decidedly so. Standing in front of her bedroom mirror, she checks her hair and makeup for the tenth time in what might have been thirty minutes, but felt like days. Tugs at the neckline of her new dress, again. Strokes her hands along her sides and over her hips to straighten out non existent creases. Huffs at herself, at the concern she can see etched on her face.
A soft knock and a second later, her partner shoves her head through the opened door.
“May I come in?”
“Of course. I’m just... checking.” Serena tries to come up with a sane explanation, but fails to do so.
“Your appearance for the umpteenth time?” Bernie says with a fond chuckle, taking two steps towards the brunette to take her into her arms. They stand like this for some time, watching themselves in the mirror, Serena securely ensconced in the blonde’s arms. Her wine-coloured dress goes very well with the blondes grey trousers and her dark green shirt. They look festive together.
“You know that you're beautiful, don’t you?” Bernie nuzzles her nose into Serena’s hair and presses her lips against the side of her neck. “There’s no need to be nervous. Cam is already fond of you and Charlie will be just the same.” Serena just sighs, tries to let go of her concerns and sinks further into her partner’s arms.
“I know I’m exaggerating. I just... want her to be ok with me - with us. You already had a falling out and now that you’re talking again, here I come and-”
“You make me very happy. You know that, don’t you, Serena Wendy Campbell?” The blonde tightens her arms a bit more around her partner and gives her a reassuring look.
“You make me very happy, too, Berenice Griselda Wolfe.“ Serena says with a smile, knowing exactly how the use of her full name will make Bernie groan in exaggeration.
"Let’s get down and take care of the last things to do in the kitchen? Also, how about we leave off the formalities for tonight?” Bernie takes a step back and swings a surprised Serena around with one hand while thrusting her other hand at her. “Hi, I’m Bernie. Bernie Wolfe.”
Serena just laughs out loud at her antics, but takes the offered hand and shakes it in mock earnestness nevertheless.
“Serena Campbell. Lovely to meet you.”
They both almost dissolve into laughter and hug again.
“Really, really lovely to have met you, Serena,” Bernie whispers into her hair. “Such a pity we still have to take care of dinner, otherwise I would...”
Serena fondly swats Bernie’s wandering hand away from her bottom. “Don’t even think about it! I certainly don’t want to meet your daughter for the first time with Christmas dinner not ready, because we decided to take a quick tumble onto the bed. I’d be mortified. And don’t you dare mess up my hair any further. Keep your hands to yourself.”
Bernie takes two steps away and raises her hands in mock surrender. “Ma’am, as you wish, Ma’am. Will report to dinner duty down in the kitchen immediately.”
“That’s the spirit! Off we go, soldier.” Serena says over her shoulder, already on her way downstairs.
Serena has their to-do list lying in front of her on the kitchen table and is taking a critical look at the oven and the pots simmering on the stove when Bernie enters the room.
“Probably best if you just tell me what to do.”
“Did you set the table?” Serena looks at the list again.
“Did that, yes.”
“Then you should have crossed it off the list, darling." The brunette takes a pen and crosses it off the list.
"We both know that paperwork isn’t my strong point.“ Bernie just smiles and goes up to the table to take a look at the list herself.
„I could prepare the drinks?“ she says, sidestepping the more complicated kitchen works, knowing full well that her partner would probably be more comfortable with keeping those reins in her own hand. “If you need me to stir at a pot or help you get this monster out of the oven,” Bernie nods at the turkey sizzling in the oven, “I’ll come and help.”
“You do that. I’ll call for help if needed.” Serena has already turned away from the table and is preoccupied with checking one of the pots, distractedly trying to tie her apron behind her back.
Bernie takes a step towards her, takes the ties out of her hands and knots them into a little bow.
“And remember: No fretting. I love you. Cam loves you. And Charlie will love you, too. If not, I’ll just give her up for adoption, due to lack of good taste.”
Serena just snorts.
“You wouldn’t.”
“No,” Bernie says, “probably not. Although I would make it perfectly clear to her that I have every intention to keep you, regardless of her opinion.”
“Darling, please go and get the drinks ready. If you're going to get me all emotional, I’ll have to redo my makeup and I'll be very cross.”
Bernie just pats her on her back and turns towards their living room.
“And Bernie...“ Serena knows that the other woman has stopped, even though she doesn’t turn around. “I love you too.”
With the table decked out festively, the Christmas tree standing proudly next to the lit fireplace and drinks and dinner prepared, both women are just happy to take a small breather on the couch before their respective families come.
"Everything looks very festive." Bernie gazes around almost reverently. "I love it. I love doing this with you."
Serena, currently ensconced into the other woman's arms with her legs folded onto the couch, hums in agreement.
"I missed a lot of Christmases, you know. So when I finally managed to be around for once, I felt… out of sync, almost intruding. Like everyone else instinctively knew what to do, but I was always one step behind, always in need of advice for what to do. I tried so hard to fit in again, it always felt a bit like I was performing, you know? Of course one could say that a part of it has always been a performance, but I hadn't realised by then."
Serena takes hold of Bernie's hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.
"Now it feels like we are pretty much in sync. Equals, at work and in private." The blonde nuzzles her partner’s hair. "You make me feel like I finally found a place where I fully belong."
Serena looks up into brown eyes looking at her. She smiles and kisses the blonde lightly on the lips.
"You, my love, make me feel like I’m finally able to share my life again without regrets."
They continue to lovingly gaze at each other, until they suddenly hear the front door open and close.
"Auntie Serena, Auntie Bernie? I’m home!" they hear Jason shout from the hallway. Serena’s nephew had deemed their Christmas dinner preparations too much for his liking and opted to go and stay a night at Alan’s after they prepared the Christmas tree together.
"Are you all done?" The young man steps into the room and expectedly looks at them.
"Yes, dear. Everything is prepared and we're ready to start on time." Serena smiles at her nephew.
"That's good then. Alan and I took a walk through the park and I'd like to have dinner on time. I'll go up to my room and get changed." And with this, he turns around and walks up the stairs.
"I hope the kids will all be on time!" Bernie muses. "For someone who has to adhere to a strict schedule at work, Cameron is awfully lax about being on time in private. I wouldn't want Jason to be stressed out even before we sit down to eat."
"May I remind you of what you said before? Relax, darling. Everything will be alright." Serena gives Bernie a final pat and stands up with a sigh. "Let's have a final look at everything. They should be here in twenty minutes."
Just after Jason comes down, dressed in his favourite dark trousers and a smart fitting blue shirt, there’s a knock on the front door. Serena looks at Bernie, takes a deep breath and shoves the blonde in front of her towards the hallway.
"Go on, open the door. Has to be your two, because Ellie certainly won't be punctual." Serena smiles nervously at the blonde, who gives her hand a quick tug and goes to open the front door. Why, oh, why is she nervous like this? Is it because she never met a partner's family before? Must be, because she's used to meeting young people all the time on her ward. Their ward. Their ward. The nervousness suddenly ebs away. Their ward. Their house. Their life. Their decisions. Their love for each other. Nobody can take this all away from them. Serena realises that there's laughter coming from the front door - her daughter's laughter. She straightens her back and goes to investigate.
All three of their kids are standing at the front door, tugging at their shoes and jackets, hats and scarves. Ellie is supporting a young blonde, who’s almost toppled over in her attempt to pull off one of her boots. They are laughing loudly, while Cameron and Bernie just stand there, looking at them in mock exasperation.
"For real, sis, I thought you'd be able to handle a pair of shoes by now." Cameron finally decides to help and takes the handbag and another bag which seems to contain some presents. Still laughing, the young woman manages to straighten up. Her eyes fall onto Serena and for a moment they seem to be frozen. Charlotte looks so much like her mother, Serena has to take a moment to adjust. Suddenly a wide smile lightens up Charlotte's face.
"You must be Serena." She shakes the offending boot from her foot and takes hobbled steps towards the brunette. "I've heard so much about you." Serena shoots Cameron a bit of an anxious look, at which he just shrugs and grins.
"Only told her the best stories, of course," he says.
"I hope so. Otherwise we would have to have a talk about the stories I could tell about you." Serena quips in mock exasperation at him before smiling at Charlotte again. "Lovely to finally meet you! I've also heard a lot about you from your mum." She tries to shake the young woman's hand, but suddenly finds herself drawn into a hug instead.
"I heard you are a hugger." The blonde laughs. "So, let's hug. It's what families do, isn't it?" Serena takes a look over Charlotte’s shoulder to see Bernie looking equally delighted and embarrassed and Cameron just laughing, probably at the look of astonishment on her face.
The hug ends as suddenly as it began and while Charlotte hobbles back to the shoe rack, to finally get rid of her second boot, Elinor gives Serena a small wave while leaning on the wall across from her.
"Hi Mum," she says with a smile. "Hope you noticed that I'm in fact on time."
"Which wasn't an easy feat, I swear." Cameron mumbles, only to be hit on the head by one of Ellie's gloves.
"As if you're the epitome of punctuality, Cameron." Charlotte huffs at her brother. "Remember last week, when I told you to meet me at the shopping centre? You were about an hour late! I almost took the offer of a random man to replace you as my shopping companion. Although I think he might have had ulterior motives."
"Everyone," Bernie's voice can suddenly be heard over the siblings banter, "how about we go and have a drink in the sitting room now that you've taken care of your coats and shoes? As lovely as it is that you're all here on time, the hallway seems a bit crowded right now." Serena smiles and almost sighs in relief. Leave it to the Major to bring order to the chaos, she thinks fondly, while turning towards the sitting room, where Jason patiently sits in his armchair to await a less chaotic opportunity to welcome everyone.
After everyone's settled down and drinks have been served - Serena's question about a designated driver being answered with "We'll take a taxi." - Serena finds herself sharing their second armchair with Bernie. The blonde is perched partly on the armrest, with one of her legs halfway on Serena's lap, who's sitting in the chair. She doesn't mind Bernie's haphazard approach to the usage of chairs or sofas, though. In fact, she thinks it's endearing. Bernie sitting down on her desk instead of her office chair always makes her heart flutter and her mind wander, but she's quite good at suppressing that feeling at work now. Stopping herself from drifting off into her own head, she turns her attention back to their sitting room. The kids share their sofa, with Cameron being absorbed in a discussion with Jason, Ellie and Charlotte telling both Bernie and Serena how it came to be that they actually know each other.
"It was the most tedious party, really. The host ran out of drinks about an hour into the sorry affair and their stereo broke down. So someone played music on their phone-" Elinor said, only to be interrupted by Charlotte.
"We'd probably have been better off without any music at all. That guy's taste in music was horrible. So, there we were, suffering through this, because we had nothing better to do that evening, when Elinor goes into the kitchen. I immediately got suspicious and followed her, only to find her take a hearty draught of wine, directly from a bottle she managed to squirrel away!"
Bernie snorts and gives Serena a fond pat on her shoulder, completely ignoring the brunette's glare. "Her mother's daughter, after all! I bet that you've spent at least one tedious work function tucked away into a corner, drinking wine directly from the bottle."
Serena goodnaturedly huffs at her and swears to herself to never let Bernie know about Ric Griffin's university alumni party. Or the one function, where… She realises that three pairs of eyes are on her, "I wouldn't. Really, what do you take me for - a savage?"
"Mum!" comes Elinor's protest at being called a savage by proxy. She huffs, but continues the story. "I had no other choice, but to share with her. Really, the puppy dog eyes she gave me? Unbelievable." Charlotte just laughs at this.
"Speaking about mother's daughters, darling," Serena mumbles into Bernie's ear.
"You like me making puppy dog eyes at you. I know you do," comes the equally low whispered response.
Serena takes Bernie's hand and turns her attention back to the girls.
"So here we were getting sloshed as best as we could under dire circumstances, when one of the guys comes into the kitchen and wouldn't leave us alone. He must have had some alcohol stashed away, too, because he was awfully drunk and started to hit on both of us." Elinor rolled her eyes in remembrance.
"It was awful and awkward. Suddenly I just had enough and told the guy to sod off and leave me and my girlfriend alone. You should have seen Ellie! She was unfortunately taking a sip from the bottle at exactly that moment and almost choked. The guy tried to help her, but I kind of shouldered him out of the way and told him that his help wasn't needed, while I patted her back to help her breathe again." Charlotte laughs out loud, a sudden honking noise, not exactly like Bernie's laugh, but similar enough.
"Interesting. Must be in the genes?" Serena wonders out loud and looks at Bernie.
"Don't. I'm sorry enough to have burdened her with that. Imagine the both of us, in public, having a laughing fit at the same time? Marcus used to edge away from us to go and hide as soon as we started."
"I wouldn't. It's unusual for sure, but it also makes me smile everytime I hear you laugh. You keep that in mind, ok?" Serena keeps looking at her partner, willing Bernie to see that she's being serious.
"Will do," Bernie smiles back at her before she turns towards her daughter. "Everything all right?"
"I'll live, mum." The younger blonde wipes some tears from her face with the help of her sleeves.
"Anyway, managed to catch my breath in time, only to see the guy slink his way out of the kitchen. Really… here I was, just minding my own business, getting drunk in someone else's kitchen and suddenly I've got to share my sole bottle of wine," Elinor huffs theatrically at that, "because I've got a girlfriend? I'm not the bisexual in this family."
Serena shrinks a bit under her daughter's judgemental look. Feels Bernie squeeze her hand and suddenly doesn't care anymore what her daughter thinks about her new found sapphic persuasions.
"Well, you do you, dear, and I'll do me." Serena says and takes a sip from her glass.
"She let me know in no uncertain words that I overstepped my mark." Charlotte takes over again, probably sensing the quick moment of discomfort. "So I just shrugged my shoulders and told her that I could go and get the creepy guy back for her. Which she also declined. Bit fussy sometimes, she is." Charlotte just ignores Elinor's grumbled response. "I refused to be intimidated by her huffing and puffing and told her that I was just interested in getting the guy to leave. Pretending to be her girlfriend only came to my mind because that was the day you finally told me about Serena, mum."
"Oh. That was then." Bernie sighs. "Were you feeling bad about it?"
"Bollocks." Charlotte catches herself and looks around with wide eyes. "I'm sorry. But I didn't feel bad. I liked that you seemed happy, finally. It was just on my mind. I told Ellie what you told me and she sat down on the kitchen floor beside me, looking totally shocked and asked me if I was pulling her leg."
"What else should I have thought?" Elinor takes over again. "Here I was, at a party, talking to a stranger, who practically tells me the mirror story of my mum's love life? I thought I was being pranked."
"Imagine me, when she told me the story of her mum and her new partner. I just sat there and couldn't believe how small the world can be." Charlotte shakes her head, which sends her hair flying a bit like Bernie's. "We decided to skip the party after that. Went to a pub and talked for hours. While drinking wine - out of glasses."
"Yeah, we actually discussed if we should tell you guys that we met, but decided against it." Elinor grins widely "We wanted to save that for a good occasion."
"Cameron knew of course." Charlotte chimes in. Serena automatically looks at Bernie's son, who obviously heard his name and looked back at her with a smile.
"Did he," Serena says and raises an eyebrow at the young man. "Keeping secrets from his superiors, hmm?"
"Well it's not like it's work related, is it?" Bernie pokes her into the side and Serena gives an unladylike yelp. The blonde stands up and holds her hands out to her, to help her out of the armchair. Serena lets herself be helped without protest. She loves to feel Bernie's strength now and then.
"How about we serve dinner now that we know about our daughters plotting behind our backs? I think it will be an extra large serving of Brussels sprouts for both of them and we'll go easy on the turkey, love?"
The girls protest is immediate and almost loud enough to drown out Bernie's laugh. Serena shakes her head at her partner's retreating back and starts to follow her into the kitchen. She stops in the doorway and turns back towards their sitting room.
She sees Jason, Cameron, Charlotte and Elinor sitting there, the fire and the decked out Christmas tree painting the room in the loveliest light. They are already absorbed in their conversation. Obviously Jason asked something, maybe what they laughed about and the girls start to tell their story again. She feels her heart swell with pride and love. Has to take a deep breath to keep sudden tears at bay. Joyous ones, but nevertheless this seems not to be the time for tears. Suddenly she notices Bernie coming back, slipping her arms around her waist from behind her. Feels herself being tucked against the woman she so unexpectedly has fallen in love with. Unexpectedly, but certainly welcomed after the initial shock of realisation. Serena lets herself sink against the blondes body. She feels warm and loved and cherished and save all at once. Wouldn't mind this moment to last forever.
"Feeling better, darling?" The blonde whispers into her ear.
"I feel wonderful, Bernie. Truly blessed if I may say so." Serena nods at their kids. "Everything worked out fine, did it?"
"I told you that everything would be ok. They love you. I love you. We all do." Bernie places a light kiss on Serena's cheek.
"I love you, too. All of you - but you especially." Serena sighs and turns around to face the other woman.
"Mistletoe!" four voices can be heard shouting from behind.
Serena looks above her even though she knows that Bernie placed the small twig of mistletoe there. As a kind of joke, she'd said, to be able to steal some unexpected kisses from Serena. Well, it seems like the joke is on them for now. She suddenly feels shy for a moment, a bit lost in the brown eyes full of love right in front of her, but also very aware of four other pairs of eyes trained on her back, eyeing her every movement. Bernie gives her a reassuring smile, tightens her hold around her waist and suddenly Serena doesn't care about what their kids might think and kisses Bernie wholeheartedly. Maybe there is some whooping - and groaning, Cameron probably - to be heard in the background, but that soon fades away, doesn’t matter at all, while she just concentrates on kissing the love of her life.