The Southern California sunset streaked across the sky in oranges, blues and grays, it’s slender fingers reaching in from the beach and across the Westside to kiss the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Such beauty, on a mundane Thursday night, stopped Dana in her tracks as she and Alice walked to the car from their quick run to Whole Foods.

“So, I was thinking that after the scan on Monday, we might swing down and have dinner with your parents,” Alice said in a casually rehearsed voice. She hadn’t noticed that Dana had stopped a half dozen steps behind her. “Dane?” She turned and saw Dana staring at the sky, a huge smile painted on her face. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” Dana said sheepishly. “It’s just that these colors are amazing and I was wondering if it’s always this way and I never notice, or if this is more spectacular than usual.”

Rather than laughing her off, Alice returned to her side and studied the sky wordlessly for a full minute.

“I have to say,” she said thoughtfully, “that this is probably one of the most gorgeous sunsets I’ve ever seen.” She kissed Dana on the cheek. “Thank you for sharing it. Now let’s go make dinner. I’m starving.”

Assuming all went well on Monday, Dana was scheduled to start her fifth round of chemo the following Thursday. While she knew she would feel shitty for several days afterward, she also knew that she was feeling better than she had since before her diagnosis. She’d bounced back from this last cycle in less than a week and was making measurable progress in her physical therapy. For the first time in months, she felt like the end to this nightmare was in sight.

Rubbing her almond lotion into her legs as they prepared to go to bed, Alice broached the subject of dinner with the Fairbanks again.

“Gimme,” Dana said, indicating the lotion. Alice squeezed some into her open palm.

“I know you heard me,” Alice said gently. “What do you think?”

“I think my parents have been unforgivably rude to you and I can’t imagine why you would want to see them, let alone break bread with them.”

“They were scared Dana and, yes, they took it out on me, but that’s because Sharon still has it in her head that if you and I had never met, you wouldn’t be a lesbian.”