“Hey guys”

Dana greeted her friends cheerfully as she took her seat to join them for breakfast.   When there was no immediate response forthcoming she looked at the faces around her and was met with grim demeanours.  

“What?”  she enquired a nagging feeling of panic starting to set in.

Shane’s movement caught her eye as the hairdresser slunk down in her seat suddenly fascinated by her coffee.  Bette, Tina and Kit exchanged looks.  It was Jenny though who spoke.

“She’s going to find out eventually”

“Find out what?” Dana demanded the panic of earlier registering in the tone of her words.

Bette shot Jenny a look that reprimanded her for her now legendary tactlessness.

“It’s Alice” Bette replied her tone measured as she gauged the response.   “Her father died suddenly while you were away at your tournament.  She left for the funeral this morning.”

“Oh my god, why didn’t she call me?”

This earned raised eyebrows from the assembled friends.

“Oh come on, surely for something like this she knows she can still call me?”  Dana implored

“Dane, it’s not that simple.  You don’t realise how badly Alice has been taking the break-up.  At a time like this she feels she needs to be strong.  I don’t think she feels she can be that with you right now.” Tina offered gently

“Well what the hell are you guys all doing here then?” Dana asked defensively not yet ready to fully hear what Tina was telling her.

“Alice was very clear with us that she wanted to go alone.  We all offered.  She even came by before she left and told us that she knew we’d think after she left that she didn’t really mean it and take it upon ourselves to go down for the service.  She was very clear she didn’t want us there.  We’ll be here to support her when she gets back.”  Bette informed Dana.

“That’s bullshit!” Dana exclaimed as she pushed her seat out from the table grabbing her keys and headed for the exit.

Those assembled looked at one another wondering what to do next.  It was Shane who moved.  She followed Dana outside and found her fumbling with her cell cursing under her breath.

“Dane!, Dana” she called as she approached.

“Look Shane I need to call my travel agent.  I’m sorry I don’t really want to talk about this with you right now.”

Shane ran her fingers through her hair and re-adjusted her stance her actions reflecting the discomfort she felt internally.   Involving herself in her friends’ business when she clearly wasn’t wanted was something she rarely did.  With Alice and Dana though she found herself breaking her own rules from time to time over the years.  She watched the woman before her for a few moments as she frantically searched through her numbers her brow knit with tension and she felt compelled to offer more than she usually would.

“Dane you know me.  I’m not going to tell you what to do.  I just, I know this has been a difficult time for you.  I know irrespective of everything else that you want to keep your friendship with Al but you have to understand that she’s still not in that place right now.  If you go there to be with her you can’t expect her to welcome you with open arms.  She’s hurting and she needs to have boundaries to get through this.  I don’t think you can be the person to be there for her right now.  I’m just asking you to think about it.”

Her piece said, Shane turned on her heel and walked away not even waiting for a response from the athlete.