Life: Still Altered – 4.03

“You’re going to be a
grandmother.” Dana
teased Alice, who was still in shock, two hours
later, at Daisy’s stunning announcement.
Pregnant, Alice
thought to herself. Dana,
Alice, and Shane
were sitting by the outside fireplace.
Each with a glass of the superb wine that Sam
had brought, being warmed by the fire, the three musketeers.

“I’m not old enough,
no way,” lamented Alice. Dana giggled
as Shane Shane leaned
over, kissing Dana‘s wine drenched lips, Dana
grabbed her neck, kissing her hard. Shane refilled her glass of wine.
pulled away, smiling sheepishly.

“You are,” stated Shane. “What happened, with Quin?” asked Shane
finally. Alice
sighed softly, looking over to Quin, who was talking to Daisy. Both Peabody‘s
sitting close, Rosita talking to Carmen and Lara
just a few feet away.

“I screwed up. I pushed her until she quit playing in a
band, quit playing period. Then got
pissed when she got all cold Quin on me.
I was in New York,
and Helena,
whose wife died not so long ago, was I
don’t know, it happened, and I didn’t tell Quin. Helena
told her, confessing, or actually, apologizing.
She thought I’d told Quin. She
didn’t tell me she knew for a month.
Then just popped me with it, ‘I know’.
That’s what she told me. I fucked
up.”

“You slept with Helena?”
asked Dana, mouth hanging open, forcing Shane
to reach over and lift her jaw closed.

“Yeah” said Alice,
then wiped a stray tear, “I gave up the best thing to ever grace my life, for a
radio show and fame.” Alice
watched as Daisy and Quin spoke to each other in quiet tones.

~*~*~*~*~

“What made you decide
now?” Asked Quin. Daisy leaned against her, watching Rosita as
her girlfriend sat down at the table with Carman,
Lara, Tina, and
Cassandra with a domino set. Soft laugher
and easy banter could be heard from where Quin and Daisy were sitting.