Helena once again found herself in a place with which she had become very familiar as of late.  Crouched on a chaise on her deck, she stared listlessly out at the ocean before her.  She took in the sights, sounds, and smells of the vista engaging her.  Closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, she allowed herself a few moments of tranquility before confronting the multitude of tasks awaiting her.

It had been just days since her world had come crashing down around her.  As a result of her careless, albeit generous heart, she had lost everything.  She had never before experienced such humiliation as that which accompanied her mother’s decision to disinherit her—in front of all her friends, no less!  As if that weren’t enough, she now faced a bleak and obscure future utterly alone.   Indeed, her pursuit to subjugate her loneliness was partly responsible for landing her in the present muddle, but she could not ignore the ache in her heart. 

Despite everything—the betrayal, the heartache, the embarrassment—she still longed for Dylan and believed she could make it through anything, even her newfound penury, if only she had Dylan by her side.  But Dylan was gone and not likely to return.  Her silence at the mediation was louder than any declaration she could have made and the goodbye tape she had sent Helena was clear and resolute.

She contemplated turning to Alice for consolation, but Alice was in the middle of coping with her own loss right now.  Everyone was still reeling from Dana’s death, but obviously Alice had felt the blow harder than anyone.  Truth be told, Alice was the only woman in the group to whom Helena felt close enough to share her sorrows.  She still felt like she was on the outside looking in with the rest of the group and felt the constant need to prove herself to the rest, which was quite exhausting.  Besides they were all dealing with their own dramas to give hers much thought.  Bette and Tina were in the middle of a custody battle after Bette had taken Angelica for fear of losing her.  Shane had disappeared and no one knew where she was.  Jenny…what the fuck was up with Jenny?  And Carmen had found herself in a situation similar to Helena’s.  The love of her life had left her.