“I figured you might need to decompress after your trip. And I got the flight info from James.” 

Shane didn’t lie. She did get the flight information from James. She just omitted Tina’s part in the equation. 

Bette smiled because Shane was right. She did need to decompress. She had a great deal to process from the last few days and she knew Shane would allow her the space to do just that without inundating her with questions. She exhaled and saw Shane looking at her.

“What?”

“That’s what you chose to wear for a 6am flight?”

Bette looked down at her attire in bewilderment. 

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

Shane laughed and shook her head. 

“Nothing, Bette. Absolutely nothing. I wouldn’t expect anything less. But you are going to have to change for where we are going?”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

Shane knew Bette hated surprises. She felt Bette looking at her and Shane smiled bigger. 

“Shane…” Bette said in her apprehensive tone. 

“You’ll see.”

Bette sighed. 

“Get in the car. It’ll be okay.”

“Fine. But I’m doing it under protest.”

“Noted.”

Shane laughed and opened the door. She motioned to the seat with her left hand signifying for the taller brunette to get in. Bette rolled her eyes. Shane watched Bette climb into the passenger seat wearing a tailored three-piece navy blue suit with a white collared button down. Her flight was at 6am on a Sunday. Shane shook her head. Her thoughts turned to the call she received at the crack of dawn. At least it felt like the crack of dawn.

***

It was 7:25am when Shane was startled awake by a loud ringtone breaking through the silence of the morning. Shane usually didn’t begin thinking about getting out of bed until after 11. Typically 1pm depending on how reckless she was the night before. She fumbled for the phone to make the incessant noise stop. She accidentally clicked the answer button instead. 

“Shane?”

Shane heard a familiar voice echo in her ears.

“Shane?”

Shane grunted. 

“Did I wake you?”

“Yes,” Shane mumbled.

“Sorry.”

Neither of them said anything for a beat. Shane heard Tina audibly sigh. She opened one eye and blinked several times trying to bring herself into awareness.