Lara Perkins normally loved her job at the country club, but the day had been rough. The image of a defeated Dana walking away left it’s mark and she found herself having troubles concentrating on her work. But she had somehow made it through the day and now sat in the locker room finally taking a moment to herself, catching the tears falling from her face once again.

Why couldn’t she have just forgotten about the other night and taken her back? It’s what she wanted to do. It’s what she wished she had done. Sitting alone in the very room where they had shared their first kiss, she couldn’t help but wish they could turn back the hands of time. Go back to when their relationship was free from the outside world. When it could just be the two of them and no one else mattered. But Dana had reminded her the night before that she wasn’t like her, that she cared what other people thought.

“Well, ‘I don’t’ care what anyone thinks,” she declared to the empty room as she stood to open her locker. Lara quickly changed into her street clothes and practically slammed her locker shut, from sad to angry in a flash of a memory. Why couldn’t I fall in love with someone who was out for a change?! That sure would make my life a lot easier!
~~~~

Dana lay in bed, the side reserved for Lara when she spent the night. She could still smell her perfume on the pillow. It was a small source of comfort for her, but at the same time, it cut like a knife. Being reminded of her recent presence, but knowing that she’d never feel her arms around her again. It was too much to handle.

Mr. Piddles, Dana’s furry feline friend lay next to her purring. Animals could always sense when their owners were in distress, not that he wasn’t always at her side regardless. But he did his best to show that he loved her as she pet the side of his face and kissed the top of his head, wiping her tears in between. He calmly swished his tail back and forth, squinting his eyes as he soaked up the loving attention.

Dana felt lost in her sadness and self loathing. She knew it was all her fault and wished more than anything that she could take back everything and just be happy again. God, I would do anything. She sniffled and wiped her gentle tears once again.

Her cell phone lay within arms reach as she intently watched it, hoping for signs of life, wishing that Lara would call her. But there was nothing. It wasn’t vibrating, it wasn’t lighting up and it’s ring tone wasn’t playing their song. Nothing to indicate that Lara was even thinking about calling her.

There was a huge emptiness swelling inside her. “You still love me, don’t you Mister Piddles?” Dana asked as she sniffled through another round of tears. She kissed his head again, causing him to purr louder. At least she knew someone would always love her, simply for who she was.

‘Lara loved you for who you are and you fucked that up, didn’t you?’ her inner voice scolded her. What am I going to do? Struggling with her thoughts and feelings, she had already reached for the phone several times, intent on calling Lara, but then stopping herself. She doesn’t want to hear from me. She wouldn’t even talk to me in person, why would she talk to me on the phone? She had absolutely no reason to think that a phone call from her would be any more welcome than her visit earlier that day.
~~~~

Lara had finally arrived home again after a long draining day at work. She threw her keys on the counter and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before heading to the living room. Instantly glancing at the answering machine, disappointed to find a huge glaring zero in the display. Not that she was expecting Dana to call her, but a part of her hoped even so.

Sitting down heavily on the sofa, she twisted off the cap to her water bottle and swallowed a mouth full. Closing her eyes briefly. Then setting the bottle on the coffee table, she noticed the envelope still laying there.

Staring, unmoving, she focused on the envelope containing her latest attempts of photographic artistry. Dana, of course, being her main subject. She had only skimmed through them briefly one evening before Dana had come over. She had plans of making a collage of ‘Dana Fairbanks, professional tennis player.’ She always looked so at home and confident on the court, she couldn’t resist wanting to capture that.

She always tried her best to show Dana how desirable she was to her, how much she wanted her and loved her. Of course, it all came naturally. She’d never been with anyone she found so adorable, yet incredibly ***** all at the same time. But all that only served to push her away.

Feeling another pang of heartache, she involuntarily reached for the packet of photos. With a deep breath she released the pictures from their trapping. “Dana Fairbanks, professional tennis player… foolish keeper of my heart.”

Grabbing her water, she swallowed another mouth full as she leaned back into the cushions. Gazing at the first photograph in the series, she thought about grabbing something a little stronger to drink, but thought better of it, remembering that she had already learned that lesson. “Ugggh, God, how stupid I used to be. Right,” she laughed. “How stupid I still am sometimes,” she said aloud to herself with a sigh.

Sitting the photos in her lap and her water on the table, she reached for the cordless phone behind her. It was a number she knew by heart, yet she hesitated before actually dialing it.
~~~~

Dana rolled over, slapping the snooze button on the clock radio, trying to turn it off. Why isn’t it turning off?! Growing irritated and still mostly asleep, she continued to fumble with it.

If Mr. Piddles really was human he would have been laughing. But all he could do was meow and try to help his mommy wake up by stepping all over her. That crazy cell phone always did freak him out and the sooner she woke up and answered it, the better!

“What the…” Confused, a still groggy Dana rubbed her eyes and reached for her cell phone in the darkness. She flipped it open and proceeded to yawn into the microphone, barely getting out the word as she asked, “Hello?”

“Dana?”

“Yeah?” She yawned again, still trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

“Hey… it’s me.”

She looked over to her clock radio, but realized she had accidentally knocked it to the ground. *****, I hate it when that happens. “What time is it?”

“It’s eight o’clock, are you okay?”

Oh *****! “Lara??” I must be dreaming, oh God, don’t let this be a dream.

“Yeah. Did I call at a bad time?” She sounds so tired. Lara smiled remembering how adorably groggy Dana always seemed the first couple of minutes after waking up.

“No, I just… I guess I just fell asleep.” She sat up a little, leaning back against the headboard.

Poor baby. This is so hard for both of us right now, isn’t it? “Do you want me to let you go?”

“No! Please, don’t. You have no idea.” Tears formed in Dana’s eyes again, even though she thought she was all cried out.

Oh, I think I do. “Is that Mister Piddles I hear meowing, wanting to talk to me?”

Dana sniffled and pulled him into her lap. “Yeah… he says he misses you terribly.” I miss you terribly.

“Tell him I know how he feels.” She cleared her throat. “I just … wanted to call, make sure that you were alright.”

I’m far from alright. What am I supposed to say to that? I’m not alright. I’m not even okay or fine.

“And… to say that I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier. I just couldn’t deal, you know?” Can everything be okay now please? God, if only it were all that simple. I could be there right now. I would be there right now.

“Yeah… I know. Believe me, I know.” She paused to find some courage. “Do you think… do you think maybe we could talk sometime?”

After a moment of silence, Dana continued, “I mean, I understand if you don’t want to… after everything that I’ve done.” God, why would she want to talk to me? I don’t blame her. “I told you I always mess things up.” Dana sniffled as she wiped her tears. I would give anything just to have you here right now. I know you’d make it all better.

Mr. Piddles decided to meow then purr right into the phone this time. “Mister Piddles, stop that.” He just meowed again. “Okay,” she tried to laugh. “Sometimes, I think he likes you more than he likes me.”

“Maybe he’d like it if I came by sometime?” Lara asked. Of course, this was code for ‘I miss you and want to see you, I just can’t actually say the words right now for some stupid reason’. But you know, something always gets lost in translation.

“I… Yeah, I think he would love it.” She couldn’t help the smile shining through her disbelief that this was actually happening.

Lara let out her breath. “Great… uhhh, maybe sometime tomorrow?” She still wasn’t sure that she was doing the right thing. But she couldn’t help but want to see her. She missed her too much.

Tomorrow! Yes! “Okay…. yeah. We’ll be here.” Definitely. Nothing in the world could stop me from being here tomorrow.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight Dana.” I love you.

“Night Lara.” I love you.

Dana waited until she heard Lara hang up, then she flipped her phone shut. Oh my God. “You hear that Mr. Piddles?? Lara’s coming over tomorrow. She says she misses you.” But I know that means she misses me. Dana’s heart filled with a new hope that Lara would take her back. That everything could be the way it was again and they could be happy.

She kissed Mr. Piddles’ head and hugged him. “Now, you’re going to look all cute and cuddly and be on your best behavior, right?” She laughed for the first time in what felt like an eternity.