“Ughhhh, who the ***** is ringing our doorbell at three in the ***** morning?” Tonya grumbled angrily, lifting her pillow and shoving her head under it.

“Hmmm, I have no idea, Ill go see who it is, you can stay here babe.” Dana whispered gently, lightly rubbing Tonyas back.

“Please do, Im ***** exhausted” was Tonyas response.

Dana yawned, climbed gingerly out of the bed and shuffled over to the bedroom window that overlooked the front porch. She squinted, adjusting her eyes to the glow of the street lamps. Looking down, she recognized the person on her doorstep instantly. “Alice?” she whispered quietly to herself. She left the bedroom and went downstairs to open the front door.

“Hey Al, is everything ok?” Dana asked with concern.

The look on Alices face was one of anxiety, confusion and nervousness. These were not emotions that Alice generally portrayed, and Dana was genuinely worried that something was wrong. It took a moment for Alice to respond. “Ummm, actually no” her voice trailed off. “The thing is, Dana, you cant marry Tonya.” Alice stared timidly at her feet, waiting for Danas response

Dana stared at her friends face, unable to blink, unsure of whether she understood what she had just heard. Were her ears deceiving her? She stared at her friend with a confused look on her face. “Al, what are you why? Why cant I marry Tonya?” was all she could manage to stammer.

“Wellbecause.because..”

Then, before Dana knew what hit her, something amazing happened.

A few minutes earlier, as Dana had crawled out from under the covers, Tonya had pulled the blankets up around her chin, hoping this wouldnt take long. She didnt want to be woken up a second time when Dana climbed back into bed. She had heard Dana move over to the window to look outside before going downstairs. From the bed, Tonya had just made out the name Dana had whispered to herself when she looked out the window. Alice. Upon hearing that name, Tonyas eyes had shot open, she was now fully awake When she was sure Dana was out of the room and down the stairs, she tiptoed out of bed and over to the window.

The truth was, Tonya had never really gotten on well with Alice. Something in their personalities just seemed to clash, and she swore she had caught Alice casting her a bitter look after she and Dana had announced their engagement. When she had told Dana, Dana had insisted that it was just her imagination. Since then, Tonyas dislike for the blonde had only intensified. Now, she stared bitterly out the window as she tried to decipher what the two women were saying.

She wasnt able to make out their exact words, but from the look on Alices face, it seemed as if she was having trouble getting them out. Why the ***** are you here Alice Tonya wondered to herself, feeling her anger grow at the prospect of this other woman coming over in the middle of the night to talk to her fiance. She fidgeted and crossed her arms, glowering silently out the window. After a minute or so, and still trying to read Alices lips, Tonya suddenly found herself choking and out of breath when the unthinkable happened. Alice had leaned in and kissed Dana, on the lips.

At that moment Dana felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her muscles stiffened, yet at the same time she felt a spark go off in every nerve in her body. While Alices lips had only lingered a millisecond, it seemed like an eternity. The kiss over, she saw Alice divert her eyes to the ground again, and she could think of only one thing to do.

“What the *****? Who the ***** does that ***** think she is?” Tonya gasped under her breath. She felt a flush of rage wash over her face and she clenched her fists tightly at her sides. She was about to charge downstairs and rip into Alice, but paused a moment at the window to see Danas reaction to the kiss. Tonya was aware of the control she had over Dana, and she predicted that Dana would freak out and scream at Alice to leave, maybe even slap her, something Tonya didnt want to miss.

What she actually saw nearly made Tonya fall to the floor. Dana did not yell at Alice. She did not slap her, yell, or even turn away. She had hesitated a moment, but then leaned in, and kissed Alice back. Really kissed her, with feeling, and intensity. Tonyas jaw clenched, her legs buckled and she felt that at any moment she could leap through the window and beat Alice to death with her bare hands. Yet, frozen in her rage, she was unable to move. She could do nothing but stare out the window as Alice walked towards her car, and drove away. In the back of her mind, she heard the front door open and close, then footsteps padding up the stairs. When Dana reentered the bedroom, Tonyas eyes were still locked out the window and on the front porch.

Danas eyes looked at the bed for Tonya, and when she realized she was not in it, her eyes flashed to the window. Sure enough, there was Tonya, her face beet red, chest heaving, and hands clenched so tightly that her knuckles were white. Dana suddenly felt the wind knocked out of her, for the second time that night.

“Tonya”