“We were pathetic.” Alice said.

“You weren’t that bad, but wow, I cringe watching myself try to flirt.”

Alice burst out laughing, “That was not flirting Dana.”

“I’m really embarrassed to say, it was.”

“Oh, I’m sorry babe, but that was horrible.”

“I know it was. It was really bad. I beat myself up for a long time for that.”

“Really? Why?”

Dana looked away, “Why? Because I knew. I knew the moment you smiled at me on the street that you were meant to be something in my life. I was still trying to figure out for sure if I was going to live the gay life, but I knew you were going to me something significant and I thought I screwed it up.”

“Seriously? You aren’t just saying that because, well, you know, because you’re dead and trying to make me feel better.”

Dana reached for Alice’s hand, “Al, I swear. From your first smile you had me. I just didn’t think you wanted me.”

“I did Dana. At first I thought I would just scare you off, then you were my friend. And we became such good friends so quickly, that I didn’t want to risk losing you.”

Both were quiet thinking the same thing. “I’m very sorry Alice.”

This took Alice out of her own thoughts, “Why? What for?”

“For all the time I wasted being scared. I thought we had forever. We were so young. I never could have imagined that I would be gone so soon.”

Alice pulled Dana into a hug, “Don’t do this Dana. Please. If we open those doors to all of the what if’s and regrets…please don’t.” She paused to try to control her emotion, though she was failing, “We were both scared and both of us didn’t act. And never in a million years could I have imagined that you would be gone from my life. So please, let’s not get into the regrets. I have enough to last a lifetime. I don’t want to add any more.”

Dana reveled in being in Alice’s arms, but knew that Alice was right and her time tonight was limited. Dana didn’t want to waste her last chance to show Alice how she really felt beneath the fears and beneath her cowardly actions. There was still more to do tonight. She pulled away from Alice, “You’re right. And you’re due for a show and tell now. Ready?”