The morning sun crept through the shades and beckoned Bette to wake. She stretched and yawned, gathering her thoughts as she awoke in new surroundings. There was no presence in her bed, cold and empty, not as she remembered leaving it when she slipped into slumber. Tina was already awake and making preparations for breakfast for her ‘children’. She thrived at this time of morning, refreshed and ready to take on the new day. Bette shuffled into the bathroom before going out to greet Tina.

A chainsaw buzzed noisily outside the middle bedroom window, buzzards circling and calling with shrill screams. The music suddenly rang out, Megadeth, so soothing in the morning, and inconsiderate workers were drilling somewhere around the cabin and shouting at each other. Dana sat up, face clenched in agony as she covered her ears. She looked around the room for the source of the deafening noise. Alice was asleep beside her, snoring softly. Two sparrows sang a beautiful morning song on the window sill. The clock-radio was playing soothing classical music. In the kitchen Tina was grinding coffee beans and stirring her cup as she quietly chatted to Shane across the kitchen bench. Dana suddenly remembered why she was feeling so lousy, slumping back into bed and covering her head with a pillow.

Bette entered the kitchen greeting Shane and Tina as she passed them. “G’morning ladies … sleep well?” Bette asked, finding a bowl in the cupboard for her cereal. “Well good morning, I slept like a log, how about you?” Tina replied, pouring Bette a cup. Bette stepped up behind Tina and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek then continued to the fridge as she spoke “Best nights sleep I’ve had in a long time, I didn’t wake you up or anything did I Tee?”. Shane smiled at seeing the interactions of the two, glad that things were going back to what she knew as normality. “Nope, and even if you did snore, I wouldn’t have heard it over Dana, that girl puts a grizzly bear to shame” Tina joked, laughing with the others.

“Sleeping beauty hasn’t surfaced yet then?” Bette asked. “Not yet …” Shane said as she hit her hand on the kitchen bench for her caffeine dealer to give her another hit of espresso, “… neither has Prince Charming for that matter”. Tina slid Shane her shot, bartender style, as Shane continued. “And I use the term ‘charming’ loosely … it was real windy in the grizzly bear’s cave this morning … no more nachos for Alice”. Bette and Tina laughed out loud at this new piece of info they had over Alice, who as if on cue, wandered out of the bedroom scratching her butt and yawning. “Morning guys” she mumbled, sitting down at the bench thumping the table like Shane did. “Espresso, comin up” Tina called as she wiped down the ‘bar’.

“So Al …” Tina began, “… did you hear the wild winds this morning?”. Shane struggled to keep a straight face. “Nope, why? Was something blown away?” Alice asked, a little confused. “Nooo thank goodness, but the winds were coming from your bedroom, we were a little concerned about losing Dana” Shane continued. “Oh I see, you’re worried about Dana, but not me?” Alice grumbled. “Well no … since YOU were the source of the wind!” Bette chuckled, soon joined by Tina and Shane. “Ohhh har har very funny … but I beg to differ … the NACHOS were the source, I was merely the vehicle” Alice retorted, joining in the fun at her expense.

“Willlll yooou shuuuuuuuduuuuuuup!” came the war cry from the middle bedroom, stopping the ladies’ laughter. They looked at each other, knowing full well what to do next. “Ooooooooooooooooh!” they squealed in unison sarcastically before bursting into laughter again. Alice walked briskly toward the bedroom to soothe her poor hung over lil grizzly. “Are you okay honey?” she asked concernedly. “NO … I feel like ***** Al” Dana grumpily replied. “Awww babycakes, why don’t you have a nice hot shower and take a little something for the head throbbing” Doctor Al prescribed. She gave her little patient a kiss on the forehead and rubbed her back gently as Dana shuffled slowly into the bathroom.

After around half an hour, Dana finally surfaced from the bedroom. She was all dressed and ready to go, the shower reviving her somewhat. “Aww baby you look much better, how ya feeling?” Alice questioned, “I’ll manage … I could be better, but come on … there’s SNOW out there … and I’m gonna get right in it!” she enthusiastically responded. “Atta girl” Shane encouraged, sliding Dana a strong espresso. Alice was a little less enthused, knowing that she had the task of teaching the goofball to stay upright on skis. How prophetic Dana’s words were, “I’m gonna get right in it”, “You don’t know how right you are” Alice thought to herself.

The fab five grabbed their gear and headed out to the slopes. Bette, Tina and Alice strutted onwards with their skis over their shoulders looking like utter professionals. Dana on the other hand, clumsily struggled to keep up, awkwardly carrying her gear, skis and poles akimbo. They all decided to meet up at lunch time at “Blizzard”, the popular little cafe at the base of the slopes. Bette and Tina head up to the top on the next chairlift. Dana and Alice stayed on relatively flat ground for some practice. Shane wandered over to the ski hire place to seek out Natasha.

Shane looked in the window before entering, wanting to make sure that her entrance was cool and calm. There were an unusual amount of butterflies circling her stomach, an uncommon thing for Shane. She walked up to the counter and asked the staff member (Janet) “Hi, is Natasha around?”. “I think she’s out taking a lesson … lemme check” Janet went into the store room to see if Natasha was there. She came back and opened a black appointment book. “Here we go, yeah, she’s conducting lessons from 9am till noon”. Shane thought for a moment, then decided to go for it “sooo, can I book in for a lesson?”. Janet chuckled softly “Ummm well she teaches KIDS”. Shane was a little embarassed “oh … well I’ve never skied before, so maybe a kids level class is just what I need” she raised an eyebrow and smiled at Janet who appeared to understand Shane’s intentions. “What was your name?” she asked with a friendly smile as she booked Shane into the 10.30am to 12noon lesson.

On a small slope nearby, Alice was helping Dana put her skis on before clicking into her own. “OK baby lets …” Alice stopped as she saw Dana on the snow already. “I can’t do this Al, it’s too embarassing” Dana whined, struggling to get to her feet. “Look baby …” Alice began, “everyone falls down, it’s not that big a deal. Most people give you a score out of ten then move on to the next poor sucker.” Dana was gobsmacked “Oh God … “, the thought of that humiliation putting her off the whole idea. “Oh relax, you’ll be yelling out scores yourself when you see someone go A over T” Alice joked trying to comfort Dana who gave her a puzzled look “A over T? ***** over *****, falling over … come on, let’s do this thang” Alice ordered. She went over some of the basics, bending your knees, using your poles for balance, snow plow. Dana looked very stiff and awkward. “Geez Dana how can someone so gifted at one sport be such an unco at another?” Dana went to slap Al’s arm, instead she slapped air as she fell to the snow once more. “It’s gonna be a long day” Alice sighed to herself, “perhaps I should be teaching her how to fall with style” she joked, helping her honey up yet again.

Bette and Tina enjoyed their time floating up in the chairlifts and racing down the slopes together. They chatted to other skiers as they rode the chairlift up to the top, and tried out most of the runs. They found themselves on a chairlift alone together, enjoying the tranquility of being so high up. The silence seemed even more silent at that height. “I’m really glad you’re here” Bette blurted in order to ease the awkwardness somehow. “I’m glad I’m here with you” Tina responded, surprising Bette a little. “You really mean that?” she asked, slowly taking her right glove off finger by finger. “Of course, and I’m also glad we survived that plane ride” Tina joked. “Oh yeah me too, but … had we not survived, I would have already been in heaven” Bette softly confessed.

She noticed Tina look down at her hands in her lap, she was blushing and hesitating in her response. Bette realised she needed to lighten things up, “Oh God, is that sappy or what?” she giggled nervously, as did Tina. “No, actually … I think it’s sweet” she eased Bette’s mind. “As a matter of fact …” Tina continued, “being up here, so high, the breathtaking view, the fluffy white clouds and snow, with you, here, right now … this could just be heaven to me”. Tina poured her heart into her words, touching Bette in a way she never thought would be possible again from this woman she loved so dearly. Tina laughed at herself “now who’s being sappy?” she chuckled.

Bette smiled lovingly, raising her finger to press to Tina’s lips, shushing her gently. Their eyes were fixated on each other, Bette’s hand slowly running down the sleeve of Tina’s jacket. Bette took Tina’s left hand and gently started to pull at her glove, removing it and holding it tightly in her gloved left hand with her own right glove. Their hands were bare, and starting to feel the cold until their fingers interlaced and held each other tight, a simple reconnection. Bette inched her face towards Tina who was mirroring her movements. Their lips met and melted into a breathtaking kiss high up in the sky in their own private heaven.

***********

~tbc~