Bette smiled and quickly caught up with Tina to hug her from behind as they walked down the hall towards the staircase, whispering, “I love you, more, T…”

Tina smiled inwardly as she held Bette’s arms so that they would stay wrapped around her.  “Well, I love you more…”

 Alice looked up in the direction of the hall and saw them approach the top of the landing.  She shook her head as they slowly descended the staircase, Bette’s arms wrapped around Tina, whispering something in Tina’s ear.

“What are you, a couple of teenagers or something?” she asked teasingly.  She had a big smile on her face as she gave them a joint hug, and then kissed each one’s cheek.

“Were you having sex?  You must have been!  Took you long enough to walk out of your bedroom, and with Bette here hugging the life out of you, apparently not done, yet!” she teased Tina, who blushed and shook her head at Alice in denial, and shot a knowing look at Bette.  Last night, it had actually been the other way around, and as they exchanged a secret smile, they both remembered the series of orgasms the blonde had induced in the brunette all through the night.

Bette turned to look at Alice, giving their friend a warm welcoming smile, albeit with a worried look in her eyes.  She bent to give Alice another kiss on her forehead.  “So Al … what in the world can get you on a red-eye in the middle of winter?  Will you tell us what this is about?”

Tina sensed the initial levity in their friend dissipate, as Alice silently turned her eyes towards Bette, looking lost.  Tina took Alice’s bag from her then, while Bette released her hold on Tina as they each took one side of Alice, and led her towards the kitchen.  Bette motioned to Tina that she had prepared breakfast for them.  Tina nodded her understanding, and pointed her chin at the table, to signal Bette that they should guide Alice towards the table.

Alice sat down heavily on a chair in the breakfast table, which Bette and Tina had moved to the far side of the kitchen, under the skylights, positioned next to a “vertical garden” that Bette had added recently.  Bette had been inspired by Chicago’s O’Hare airport’s “urban garden,” which supplied herbs to well-known restaurants that had opened outposts in the airport.  Bette had also planted light-weight herbs, like rosemary, thyme, basil, and parsley, and some orchids, in their vertical garden.