“No.” Gail said, reaching out to take Holly’s hands in hers, “I mean, I can’t do this here. This couch is killing me!”

She watched Holly’s face go from hurt, to concerned, to amused, in a matter of seconds.

“Oh.” Holly said simply.

“Do you think we could lay down on the bed?” Gail asked, watching Holly intently. “I just can’t sit anymore.”

“Oh, ok.” Holly said, backing up to sit on the bed.

Gail scooted, and pushed, and reached for her cane, but it was too far away.

“I’m sorry” She explained, “I’m still healing, and getting stronger, but sometimes it just doesn’t seem to work.”

“What do you need?” Holly asked

“Shit.” Gail muttered to herself, and then “Can you help me reach my cane, and then help me get up?”

Holly complied. Gail wobbled and limped, but soon they were lying face to face on the big hotel bed. Holly was watching her calmly, with liquid brown eyes that Gail wanted to fall into.

“Tell me everything.” Holly whispered again.

Gail sighed and licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry. Holly reached for her, and moved carefully closer, slipping her arm across Gail’s waist. She waited.

Gail licked her lips again and began.

“I died you know. I died, and when they brought me back, all I could think about was you.”

“I didn’t know.” Holly said touching her face with soft fingers.

“I know.” Gail shrugged as best she could, “I didn’t want you to.”

Holly just looked at her with eyes full of pain. She looked away.

“This is why I had to go,” She continued, ‘everybody leaves, everybody dies. I have been waiting my whole life for something like this to happen, and I couldn’t.. I couldn’t…” She was crying now. It was like opening a vein. She was bleeding and she couldn’t stop. “I know what I did to Traci when Jerry died for me, and to Chris, and to Nick and even to you… And I couldn’t do that to you again…”

“No!” Holly said in a sharp tone that made Gail stop and look at her. “I love you! I would have done anything to get you to stay. Anything!” Tears were running down her face too.

Gail held her breath. Holly sat up sharply and began gesturing wildly with her hands as she spoke.

“Who do you think you are?” Holly continued, anger in her voice now, “What gives you the right to make these choices for other people? How dare you shut me out and wreck our happiness together!”

Holly was angrier than Gail had ever seen her. It was daunting and yet beautiful at the same time.

“I didn’t want to come here.” She continued, “My boss insisted I go to this damn conference. I had no intention of ever seeing you again. And then Chris found me, freezing my ass off in front of the Morgue last night, God only knows why I went there, and told me what had happened. Damn you Gail! Holly glared, After all these years, can’t you just let yourself be loved?”

Gail did the only thing she could do under the circumstances. She reached up to grab the collar of Holly’s shirt and pulled Holly to her, kissing her hard, sobs unwittingly exploding from her chest. Holly kissed her back, wrapping one arm around he ribs, the other hand gripping the back of her head. It hurt. She didn’t care, as she tasted the salt of their tears. This kiss was war, it was a grenade, it was Hiroshima, leveling the landscape of her world in a single blast. As the pulled apart, Holly gripped her shoulder, knowing her fingers would leave marks on the pale flesh.

“Come home with me.” Holly whispered

Gail could only nod, and lean in to kiss Holly again. This time it was more like CPR.