‘I’m going to be here for you Lara’, Dana insisted. ‘We’ll get through this, together’. Lara walked from her bedroom and approached her lover, allowing her eyes to bear straight through her. ‘I’m not going to let you do this Dana’, she began, almost choking on her words. ‘We’ve only been back together for a while, and this has come as such a shock to me. I can’t feel somehow like you’re with me because you’re obligated to be. I don’t even know how serious this illness is yet, but i refuse to put it all on you’. Dana’s hands clutched onto Lara’s ‘I’m with you because i want to be Lara, don’t you see that.’ Lara smiled at Dana, ‘You’re a wonderful person, and i do believe you when you tell me that you love me…but i also know that you love her too. Otherwise you wouldn’t be calling her name in your sleep.’ Dana sighed, ‘Lara, this isn’t about Alice’. The red head nodded and pulled Dana into a hug whispering in her ear, ‘I know this isn’t, this is about us. And i can’t be with you like this. I’m going to go to my mums and i’m going to try to get through this…i’m not saying it’s over. God knows i don’t want it to be. I’m doing this because I love you Dana’. Dana would not accept this response. ‘That’s bull ***** Lara, if you loved me you would stay.’ Lara allowed a few tears to flow down her cheek before her departing words, ‘If you only knew how much i loved you…Goodbye ‘ and reluctantly exited the apartment. Dana walked to the door and and sat with her back to it. She cried freely unaware that on the opposite side of the door Lara was mirroring her actions…

‘She didn’t want to put her illness on me’ Dana admitted to Alice. ‘I tried to tell her Al’ Dana continued, crying softly. Alice allowed Dana’s head to fall onto her lap. ‘Shhh, it’s ok Dane, it’ll all work out you’ll see’. Dana sniffed comforted by the arms of her best friend. ‘I’m so sorry Alice, i shouldn’t be putting this on you’. Alice breathed in. It was hard for her to hold the only woman she had ever loved in her arms while she mourned the loss of someone else but she was grateful simply to be holding her. She knew that she was the only person who could really see Dana through this. ‘It’s o.k’ Alice continued, her heart breaking as she held Dana in her arms, ‘It’s o.k.’