To Shane, always happy to analyze these things, she had always taken it to mean that Dana’s heart had really just remained with Alice.  She had assumed that time would allow for them to work things out.  She realised now, that never at any stage during Dana’s illness, did she ever let herself even consider the possibility that Dana would not survive.  Perhaps if she had, she would have talked more with the athlete about what she really wanted and been able to encourage her to declare her feelings for Alice.  As painful as it would have been for both of them at the end, Shane felt certain that having that time together would have been good for them both.

The way things were, they were all faced with offering Alice reassurances that even they could not be sure of – that Dana had still loved her, that Dana would want her to move on, that her happiness would be the thing that was most important to the athlete not when or who Alice ever dated again.  Despite feeling quite guilty for having read the note, Shane was kind of glad she had.  She could now reiterate all those things to Alice secure in the knowledge that they were true, and encourage her to try to find a way to move forward with her life while still honouring Dana’s memory and the profound place she would always have in Alice’s heart.

Lost in her thoughts, Shane hadn’t noticed how close she was to the spot where they had said their last good-byes to Dana.  She paused, fully aware that Alice needed her to be strong at this time.   She always regretted her outburst that day, despite the fact that she still believed most of what she had said to be true, with time and distance she understood that at a time of loss people seek solace in whatever platitudes they can cling to.  Bette had only been trying to help.  On that day though, it had seemed to her like a further denial of the truth.  After the horrendous service Dana’s parents had put together she had wanted to at least feel that there was an honesty to the farewell they gave her. 

She had never returned here since.  She had thought of it often, on days when she felt the desire to be close to her friend she had considered making the journey.  The truth was, denial still pervaded her thoughts when it came to Dana’s death.  Somehow coming here, to what was in essence her resting place, gave weight to the reality that she was truly gone.  The decision now had been taken from her.   She was fairly certain that around the next corner she would find her best friend, the question was in what state, and what if anything could she do to try and help her.  She collected her thoughts one last time and proceeded on down the last piece of track.