The Parent Trap

chapter ten

Charlotte pulled up to the Bishop Vineyard in her bright red Mercedes with music blasting on the speakers. She parked the car and slowly got out of it, headed straight to the patio where Maya was sitting at.

Charlotte walked over to Maya and sat in her lap. "Hi, doll.", she said. "Aw, you look stressed, baby." Charlotte ran her fingers through Maya's hair and deeply kissed her. "How about a martini?"

Maya smiled weakly at her. "How about a double?"

Charlotte smiled and opened her bag, still sitting on Maya's lap. She grabbed a little red box and snapped it open, revealing a little silver bell. She held it up and rang it while Maya frowned at her, confusion written all over her face. "Andy! Andy!" Charlotte yelled out. "Don't you love it? It's just what we need, it's such a big house." She told Maya.

Andy entered the patio not long after with her arms crossed and arched an eyebrow at Maya, definitely not amused. "You rang?" She mocked.

"Will you do us a favor and make two martinis, please?" Charlotte innocently smiled. "Make Maya's a double."

Andy incredulously stood there and didn't move. "You know I don't work here, right? I'm Maya's friend." She scoffed.

Maya pouted at her. "Will you, though? Please, Andy. I'm getting a migraine."

Andy glared at Maya and left without a word. "I don't even know how to fucking make a martini!" She complained under her breath.

"I told Luna." Maya said.

Charlotte gave her a fake gasp and smiled. "You did? And?"

"She went ballistic. She started yelling in Italian. I didn't even know she spoke Italian! Apparently she learned it at camp but she spoke it so perfectly. I don't know what's gotten into her." Maya sighed as Charlotte got up from her lap and went to stand behind her chair, giving Maya a massage.

"Oh, May. This reaction is textbook 'Mommy is Getting Remarried 101'. I'd be worried if she didn't act like this." Charlotte smiled sweetly at Maya. "Look, why don't I go talk to her? Maybe I can help." She kissed Maya's shoulder.

"I think she's a little sensitive about you right now, babe."

"That's why I need to do it. We've got to break the ice sometime." She gave Maya a kiss as she unbuttoned a few of the buttons' of Maya's shirt. "Wear your shirt like this. I like to see more cleavage." She kissed the top of Maya's head and went after Caterina. Maya stared at Charlotte as she left and looked down at her half unbuttoned shirt, quickly buttoning it all back again.

Charlotte walked over to a double porch swing where Caterina was sitting staring at the ground. She knocked on the wood of the swing. "Knock, knock. May I join you?" Caterina stared at her for a few seconds and shrugged.

"Sure."

Charlotte sat in front of Caterina on the opposite swing and sighed. "Guess the news of the engagement came as a bit of a shock, huh?"

Caterina slightly scoffed. "Basically."

"You know, I remember what it was like to be eleven." Charlotte said. "I had my first beau when I was eleven. It's a great age, you start feeling like a woman and, believe it or not, soon you'll understand what it's like to be in love."

Caterina shook her head and gave Charlotte a small smile. "Me? I don't think so. I don't even have my molars yet."

Charlotte laughed. "Take it from someone who got their molars early. Being in love is a fantastic mystery between two people on a magical journey-"

"I don't mean to be a jerk when you're being all mushy and everything, but I know what mystery my mom sees in you." Caterina cut her off. Charlotte was taken aback and raised her eyebrows.