24: I've Thought About It

"What's going on?" Cora sat in the large conference room. The chaplain schedules were so strained that the hospital administrators rarely called meetings to gather all of them together.

Rabbi Paul grimaced as he sat. "I have idea. Do they fire chaplains here?" Cora shrugged and sat waiting for everyone to settle and the meeting to start.

"Okay, folks, thank you for coming in." Cora's direct supervisor Father Michael stood at the head of the conference table. "I do not have any kind of crisis, this is good news. It will take about 15 minutes of your time. We wanted to get you together to thank you for your good work."

There entire room relaxed. Cora was certain everyone was rolling down through the possible crises that might occur which would require nearly every chaplain at Seton in the same room together.

"I have two points of business. I received word from our hospital board that there has been an anonymous donation in two forms. , a grant has been established for a paid internship for chaplains in training here at Seton. The grant will cover a year-long internship for the next five years." Murmurs of appreciation and awe moved through the room.

"There is a : the donor requests specific training be developed for grief counseling for teens and children. We need to begin the process of developing that program and training, as well as the application requirements for candidates. If you're interested in sitting on either committee, please email me by the end of the week. , they have also bought you lunch."

Father Michael grinned. " lunches." He passed around two piles of gift cards for The restaurants were well-known haunts for the hospital staff, each just a short walk from the hospital.

"Take one each of both cards. They are loaded with $250.00 for your personal use. I have several extras. I will leave them in the office, please come and get them as needed. We will use them to take the families of our patients out for a bite to eat or coffee when they need a break."

"You said anonymous?" one of Cora's colleagues asked. Everyone leaned forward and chattered, speculating.

"Yes, I have no idea where this is coming from. All I know is that the same group provided grants for both the cardiac ward and the neonatal for medical equipment as well."

----

Cora drove immediately out to the Basilio warehouse after her 3 AM - 3 PM shift.

Marge saw her moving across the floor and smiled in greeting. "Hello, Miss Sims! It's so nice to see you again. Zola tells me you had a wonderful time in Rimini but she's not here right now."

Cora did not respond. She closed the distance and wrapped her arms around the stunned woman. She held her for a moment and then whispered softly,"Thank you, Marge. Thank you for everything. I have nothing to give you. I didn't come here for Zola, I came here for ."

Marge felt her arms rise naturally and she held Cora. "Of course, dear. There is nothing like seeing the joy in Zola's eyes when she speaks of you."

Cora pulled back from Marge, her eyes glistening with emotion. "I love her, Marge. That joy is shared."

"I can see that, Ms. Sims."

----

"Wait ... wait ... wait. . You're saying the grants that came through were from Zola?"

"Who else, Edra? Cardiac, that's you and Joce. Neonatal, Erin. Chaplains, me. All the same source. Also, I went to see Marge and she didn't admit it, but she wasn't surprised and she didn't deny it."

"Jesus! No offense."

Cora laughed. "No, it's okay, Joce, that was my thought exactly!"

"Cora, does Erin know?"

"I don't know why she would, Edra. Should I tell her? I mean, she doesn't really need to know. And she might feel weird about it."

"No. You're right. Say nothing." Jocelyn was unusually calm and extremely certain. "It will be hard for her to see past Zola to the good the money is doing. She'll feel inadequate. It's just her nature."

Cora and Edra exchanged a look of surprise at Jocelyn's insight.

"What?! I can't have something meaningful to say?! ! !"

"Have you seen Zola yet?"

"No." Cora sighed in frustration. "We keep missing each other. We talk or text everyday but my shifts are crazy right now and she's in the throes of post Fashion Week production. Everyone wants the latest and greatest styles. It's only been three days. I'll see her tonight. I get off at 5:00 and then my next shift is tomorrow at 3:00 PM." Cora hesitated. "And something went down at the end of our visit but I don't know what. Zola was upset."

----

", ! I've missed you so much!" Cora stepped off the elevator and laughed as Zola practically jumped into her arms. " (my heart), you smell amazing."

"I've missed you too. You feel amazing." Cora pressed her lips into Zola's and she heard Zola sigh at the contact, opening her mouth and allowing Zola to taste and touch every part of her mouth.

"Come on, Baby, let's eat." Cora held up take-out sushi.

"No, , let's eat later. We can work on your Italian again." Cora laughed, giving in without a moment's hesitation.

----

Cora worked hard to focus on her food. She found that her attention seemed to be naturally drawn to Zola and it felt incredible. "Zola, an anonymous group made some substantial donations to the hospital this week. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Zola grinned into her wine glass. "Hmmm, sounds like a mystery."

"Baby, you wouldn't lie to me, would you?"

"Never, ! I haven't lied to you."

"But you didn't answer my question."

", I heard about the gifts. It sounds like they are expressions of compassion, kindness, and deep gratitude."

"Yes, I think so too. The gifts will resonate across so many lives."

", you resonate across my life. You are always in my thoughts." Zola moved around the table and sat on Cora's lap. "Cora, will you stay with me tonight?" She leaned down and began to frame Cora's face with light kisses.

"I don't want to be anywhere else but with you. I love you, of course I'll stay." Cora looked up into Zola's eyes and she could see her feelings mirrored in the cinnamon seas but also hesitation.

Cora smiled softly, compassion thick in her voice. "What is it, Zo? You can to me. It's kind of my job."

", it's nothing, I'm just tired, still jet-lagged. I'm sure I'll feel much better if I wake in your arms tomorrow."

Cora smiled, knowing that Zola wasn't just tired. "Okay, Baby. I'll always be here for you, when you're ready."

----

In the following weeks, both Cora and Zola began to find their rhythm at work and in their relationship. They connected everyday in some way, and Cora was spending more and more time at Zola's condo. April brought much warmer days in Austin, the heat of the summer just around the corner.

"So, what have you heard?" Edra and Jocelyn looked at the pile of paperwork in front of Cora.

"Well, Reagan is out, but Sloan Kettering and Duke are still on the board. I have roughly a month to review the information and respond, and I should take a trip to visit both hospitals."

Edra sighed. "So one step closer to losing you."

"Wait, what about Zola?! Have you told her?"

"Not yet, Joce. I'll see her tomorrow. I didn't want to put the cart before the horse. I wanted to see which programs I'd get into."

"! No offense. You've been stalling because you are in LaLa land and you don't want to rock the boat."

Edra, surprisingly, did not verbally slap Jocelyn's wrist. She just shrugged in agreement.

"Okay, guilty." Cora grimaced.

"Cora, would you seriously consider leaving her?"

"It's different with Zola. She can go anywhere and travel around the country like she's driving to the grocery store. Flights for me are cheap, Austin to RDU and Newark. It could work and ..." Cora hesitated, almost afraid to say it out loud.

Edra and Joce leaned in. "What?!"

"She seems pretty content with our sleepovers."

"Oh, you mean you want her to ask you to move in."

"Uh, yeah, Joce, I've thought about it. I'm pretty sure if I asked her to move into my place, she'd balk."

"How is the sex?"

"Joce!"

"Hey, I'm serious! You've been together for almost three months now."

"Fine, Joce, my language lessons continue." Cora grinned. "Zola drives me crazy, constantly whispering loving words in Italian. I understand most of it now. It's the phrases that I don't understand that keep me spinning, usually they're rated Mature. If I don't completely understand what she's saying, she shows me."

Jocelyn's eyes widened and she whispered softly, "Jesus, so it's not 'cooling down'?"

"No, Joce. Like you said, it's only been a few months. So maybe I'm wrong for feeling the way I do."

Edra smiled. "Well, at the very least, you'll get a trip with Zola out of it, right?! You'll invite her to go with you?"

"Oh, yes. Cora Sims style. So jet-setting on Southwest Airlines!"

----

"Dom, I'm going to ask her. Papa is going to have to deal with that." Zola sighed with exasperation. An early June wedding of a Basilio cousin was creeping up quickly on Zola's social calendar.

"Zolita, Papa is not asking." Dominic's tone was even and very much that of an older brother.

"Why didn't he call me, Dom?! Why are you the 'heavy' in this scenario?"

"Zo, he thought you'd listen to me."

"And you feel the same way too?! You are what, embarrassed? Not Catholic enough for you?" Zola's frustration and anger was building.

"Calm down! You know I'm not but this is a family wedding."

"Dom she's coming or I'm not."

"Zo ... please ... please."

"No. No one cares about my love for a woman but Papa and the old zie (aunts). It's not like she's going to brust in to flames when she walks in the church! Papa needs to come to terms with this or ..."

"Or what?! Or you'll run away with Cora? Leave the family? Stop coming for Christmas? To Rimini? Come on! Be real!"

"Fuck you! Why do you and Papa think this is anything less than a legitimate relationship? Why don't you think I'm capable of anything more than a fling?" Zola's voice was broken with building emotion.

"Zola, do I really need to say her name?! How many times did you buy a ticket for that merry-go-round? And, you've known Cora for how long?"

Zola took a deep breath, focusing. Her voice was soft and sincere, "It's this time, Dom. Cora and Harper are apart. You that."

Dom sighed in defeat. He was unwilling to lump Cora into the same category as Haper. ", Zola. You're right. Cora is definitely not Harper."

"Do you like her, Dom?"

", I do. Marie does too. She's been scowling at me this whole time." Zola smiled, loving Marie intensely in that moment.

"Then please, please help me with Papa."

Dom could hear the need and pain in his sister's voice. "Okay, Zo, but you better brace yourself for the worst possible outcome. Papa might draw a line in the sand."

"I will, Dom. I'll talk to Cora. Please, help me, Dominic. (I love her desperately)."