Alice’s head popped out of the water and she screamed, “Holy fuck that’s cold,” and began doggy paddling her way over to them. “What are you doing?” Alice reached up and grabbed the edge to steady herself, “Well, hello to you too—just checking in. Tina, you’re lookin good.”

Bette looked around and said, “Where’s Dana,” to which Alice replied, “She’s on a date,” before disappearing under the water. Tina, confused, said, “I thought she was dating Dana,” and Bette quickly replied, “I know that, you know that, everyone knows that but them.”

Alice surfaced again, “Oh, and she’s bringing her to your dinner party.”

“She’s bringing a date to my dinner party? And, how do you feel…”

“Hey, look,” Alice interrupted, “It’s her life and she’s free to do whatever she wants, we both are, so—I’m bringing a date too.”

Alice once again disappeared under the water. “That’s just great, as if I didn’t have enough drama…”

“It will be fine. Everything will be fine,” Tina said. “Just remember to breathe, and everything will be just fine.”

“Who are you trying to convince, me or you?”

Jenny sat on the bed and pulling the pillow from Shane’s hands, hugged it tight. “You have two sisters—and they’re dating, is that what you’re telling me?”

“Three,” Shane said, holding up three fingers. “I have three sisters—Bette, Tina and Gracie.”

“How the fuck did that happen?”

“Well, Tina’s father—Bette’s mother…”

“You have a father—is he alive?” Shane shook her head, “I don’t think so, at least, they didn’t confirm it either way, but I got the feeling that he wasn’t.” Jenny rolled onto her back and looked at the ceiling, “You didn’t ask? I would’ve asked. Why didn’t you…”

“Because it didn’t come up, there was too much—other—going on.”

“What “other” was going on, Shane, I can’t believe that didn’t come up—you should find out if your father is still alive…I’m sure he’d want to see you…”

“Jenny, I don’t know if I want to see him, okay, I didn’t plan on the whole “parent” thing, I just wanted to meet her.”

“And, instead, you met…them,” she said, as she stroked Shane’s thigh. “Well, that’s not all that happened.” Shane grabbed Jenny’s hand and kissed it quick, before standing and pulling down the top of her jeans. “What is that, did you get a tattoo?” Shane laughed, “Not exactly,” and peeling back the bandage, revealed the puncture mark on her hip. “What—what is that?” Jenny crawled over and knelt in front of Shane, lightly running her fingers over the small incision. “What did they do to you?”

“They didn’t do it—a doctor did it.”

“Why did a doctor do this?”

Shane didn’t say anything. She just looked into Jenny’s eyes. “Tell me what this is,” Jenny repeated, until finally, Shane said, “She was dying, Jenny.”

Alice’s eyes opened when she felt Dana kicking gently at her leg. “What are you doing here?” She rubbed her eyes, “Well, you wouldn’t answer your phone, so, I thought I’d just come over.” Dana smiled as Alice looked around, “You didn’t bring her home, did you, is she here…”

“No, she went home,” she said, and took a seat next to Alice on the couch. “Is it okay that I’m here?” Dana nodded, “Yes, it is—I’m just a little surprised to see you. I thought for sure you’d be out on a date or something.”

“I should go,” Alice nonchalantly said, and Dana pulled her down, “No, don’t, you’re here now, so, you might as well stay.”

A few moments had passed with awkward silence, until Dana stood up and said, “Let’s go to bed.”