–…I want to hate her for how much she hurt you…– Anara finally said.

–It’s not her fault. It’s no one’s… and it worked out in the end, didn’t it?– Kes told her, moving to kiss her with fondness, love, and a return of the devotion she knew Anara felt for her.

–It did.– Anara replied as they continued to kiss.

Kes felt so close to Anara right now. She’d just shared her most private hurts with her and Anara had only accepted them and her and soothed her troubles as she had. It was an amazing gift… And more than that, she could feel Anara’s passion and love for her and it was the most wonderful, life-affirming, amazing feeling she’d ever felt. That feeling of yearning inside of her welled up with almost startling intensity and it thrilled her as she turned her lover over onto her back and began to make love to her again. The world outside of the bed, the worlds of the past and the future all fell away in that familiar way until everything she felt was Anara… the feel of her skin, the taste of her lips, the perfect swell of her breasts, the way her wife’s fingers felt like poetry on her skin, they way Anara seemed to know just the right ways to touch her to make her feel so much bliss…

Later in the night, after they’d made love again several times, they’d laid there just talking in their minds for how long Kes didn’t know. At one point, she got up to get them some water, and when she came back, Anara seemed troubled by something. –What is it?– She asked softly as she sat down and folded her knees under her as she offered her wife the water.

They drank and Kes put the canteen down by the side of their cot, then turned around and cradled her wife in her arms and caressed her soothingly, kissing her just softly. –You can tell me… whatever it is, you can…– Kes offered softly.

–…There is something… you have the right to know…– Anara spoke. ”It’s not easy for me…” She spoke aloud.

”Would it… be easier if we spoke aloud?” Kes asked softly.

”…Maybe…” Anara spoke softly.