That woman could make he dead laugh.  I turn myself around and put my legs up on the table in front of me.

“What’s so funny?”  Alice asked, as usual blissfully unaware of reality.  “You all think Dana’s a cute cowette, right?”

Dana honked, a mix between a swan and a large truck.  “Al, what the fuck?”  She questioned, assuming that we would all guess from this bizarre exchange that they were, to quote Shane, “bumping uglies.”

“It’s not like she is telling us that she is sleeping with you Dana.  I wouldn’t worry.”  Helena said, trying to defuse the escalating tensions of the pair…

“Who told you?!?”  Alice yelled, jumping to her feet surprised.  Drunkenly, she leans into Helena, who grasps her upper arms steadying her, “shush, it’s a secret.”  Alice informs, in a loud voice.

Wincing, Helena carefully deposits Alice back into her seat.  “Not anymore,” Helena smiles.

“Sorry Dana,”  she said, ruefully.  “I didn’t think you two had…”  She petered out, not wanting to draw more attention to it.  “Sorry anyway.”

“I’m good in bed!” Alice exclaimed, assuming that Helena was putting down her skills.

Kit appeared, seemingly out of no where and put her hand on Alice’s shoulder.  “Sober up girl.  You’re gonna regret this later.”

For reasons unknown, this piece of motherly advice sent Helena, Shane and I into peels of laughter again.

There was a peace in these moments, lost in the insanity of my framily, the people I love the most in the world.  A place where being lost is a bit like going to Cheers – a place where everyone knows you name, and in the case of these people, where everyone either know – or suspects – your game.  There are few masks here, and when they show up, they tend to be quickly ripped off.

As they say, laughter is good for the soul.  Tonight, I feel like I a flying.

“Girls, would you be serious.”  Kit asks, annoyed at our inability to take the moment seriously.  I throw a look to Dana, who is quietly seething and stewing in her own embarrassment, and I try and calm down.  The last thing I want to do is upset the girl.

“Al, how would you remember?”  Dana asks, completely deadpan, startling us all.