It wasn’t until she found herself sitting on the plane that Dana finally allowed herself to think about what Shane had said to her.  Dana knew that she had hurt Alice.  Of course she knew that.  How could Shane even think about questioning it.  She was the one that was in the apartment that night as Alice told her she didn’t think she could live without her.  She was the one that had to tell Alice that she couldn’t stay.  She was the one who walked away down the corridor listening to the sobs echoing in her ears.

She was of course also the one who went down the stairs and got into Lara’s car.  Lara.  Dana hadn’t thought to call her before she left.  They were supposed to be having dinner tonight.   Dana sighed and tried to stretch her legs in the confined seat that she found herself in.   How was it all such a mess she wondered.  It wasn’t that long ago that Alice was her best friend.  The person she confided everything in.  The person who’s opinion she valued the most, who’s advice she was most likely to follow and now, who’s heart she had trampled all over. 

It had never been her intention.  Things just got so intense so quickly.  In her relationship with Alice she had felt suffocated, pressurised, inadequate and unsure.   Then there was Lara.  She arrived back out of nowhere and suddenly all these feelings Dana had never really dealt with resurfaced.  It was all too much.  All of this confusion was swarming around in her head and she could see that beside her Alice was struggling with her own issues.  The best-friend in her wanted to reach out and help her.  When she thought about it though as Alice’s friend and not her girl-friend she looked at the relationship and thought that it was not a good one for the author. 

That was what had given her the strength to walk out the door that night.  She didn’t have the strength to work through the issues of the relationship but she was able to walk away from it when she realised it wasn’t good for either of them.  She hadn’t thought past that though.  She hadn’t considered that ending her relationship would mean losing her best-friend.  Nor had she thought of the consequences to Alice.  The effect the demise of their relationship would have on the dynamics of their family of friends.  She should have realised that despite everything, despite the hurt that she had caused that Alice wouldn’t allow Dana to be scapegoated. 

Thus , Dana now found herself  on this flight.  Alice had distanced herself subtly from the group over the last few months.  It wasn’t that she didn’t see everyone still but no more was she the first one at The Planet in the morning and the last one to leave.  It was no longer Alice who pestered the rest of them to get together to celebrate the smallest milestone in their lives.  Now, here was Alice facing this traumatic milestone and threatening to do it all alone.

Dana understood Shane’s concern.  She even semi-agreed with her.   It wasn’t like she had suddenly worked it all out.  Despite all that though she knew this one thing.  At this time, on this day Alice needed someone and that someone was going to be her.

The wheels had barely hit the runway and Dana had her seat-belt undone.  Despite their collective agreement that the idea of this trip was a bad idea her friends had at least agreed to help Dana in getting where she needed to go.  Bette had texted her the name and address of the church where the service was to be held.  She knew she was being a little deceptive.  Her argument however was that Alice had not specifically told her not to come.  She hadn’t been there when the order had been handed down  to the others and although if she answered totally honestly she may come to a different conclusion she was currently choosing to believe that if she had been there Alice wouldn’t have asked the same of her.

As she stood in the aisle waiting for the doors to open she felt herself become more and more irritated.  She glanced at her watch and her irritation only intensified.  She had barely an hour to make it in time.