My mind races, ” Oh, what are you out on the prowl while the little misses is at home keeping house for you? I think we’ve been down this road before, Dane.” I pace the floor.

Shane warned me that Dana and I’s relationship during the Tonya days was “Karmaicly wrong”. Turns out she was right. I did steal Dana from anotherI just thought I was different. I was special. And with Tonya cheating, I thought karma was evened out.

Dana shakes her head, running her hand through her tangled hair, “No Al, its not like that at all itswould you please sit down. You’re going to wear a groove into the floor.”

I stop. I don’t want to do what she tells me to out of pettiness, but I pull a chair from my dinning table, sitting down. “There, happy? Now what do you need Dana,” I say as I push stray strands of hair behind my ear.

She smiles, hope returning to her beautiful eyes.

“What?” I demand.

“Nothing. It’s just” she searches for the words. She is so cute when she gets tongue-tied. ” I, justI mean we haven’t, you know, been in the same room together talking, looking at each other in months. I justI miss you, Al.”

I look at her, speechless. I mean what can I say back to that? God how I’ve missed her. Her smell, her looks, her touch, the goofy-faces she makes, and how she dances like a clown to make me smile after a long day. I have to bury those emotions deep, “Well I haven’t really had time to think of you much. I’ve been pretty busy with Sarah and work.”

I know she can see straight through my bullshit, “Right, Sarah, the girl from The Planet?”

“Yeah,” I say almost cockily.

“Uh huh the one you left dumbfound on the dance floor,” she gives me the ‘don’t lie to me Alice look’.

***** I had almost forgotten I left Sarah. “You know that has nothing to do with you and quite frankly whatever we are doing here is getting old,” I start to pace again.

“I’m sorryIt’s just,” she knows she has struck a nerve.

“Dana, please what do you need to tell me?”

“I didn’t mean to cross a line.”

“Dana, please, get on with it.”

“Ok well, I don’t know how to say this”she stumbles.

“Just tell me. Are you and Lara getting married and you want me to come so you can rub”

“I have cancer, Al,” she cuts me off.

I shut my mouth. My hearing must be going. “What? I must have seen one too many shows because it sounded like you said you havehavecan-” I can’t say it.

“I did Alice and I do have cancer. II just found out last week. I wanted to be the one who told you.” She now has tears running down her face.

I take a seat next to her, resting my arm across her back, rubbing her head, “hey, I’m sorry Dane I” In my years of knowing Dana, I’ve only seen her cry on a few occasions, but tonighttonight she seems so fragile. What do I say now? ” I didn’t know. Who else have you told?”

She tries to wipe away her hears, sniffling, “Well, Lara knows, but I wanted to tell you before anyone else.”

Sadly enough, hearing that makes me feel good. Redemption, of sorts.

She sighs, “Alice, I know I hurt you so incredibly bad, butI justwell I thoughtGod, I’m such an idiot.” She rises, ” I should go, I shouldn’t bother you Al. I don’t know what I was thinking.” She heads for my door.

She’s right though. When she left me, it felt like someone kicked me in the gut, then pulled my heart from my chest. I don’t want to let myself get hurt like that again. But Dana was my friend before any of that. She was there every time Gabby destroyed me and the times when I tried to destroy myself.

I get to my feet, reaching her before she is out my door. I grab her arm, pulling her into my embrace. “You’re rightyou are an idiot,” I say jokingly. I can feel her chuckle into my chest.

I sigh. What am I getting myself into?