‘Alexa’ sang out the unexpected voice of Fiona.  ‘Hey, come inside the lines are huge.  I can’t believe I haven’t seen you all week!  Did you give her a ride Ms Peabody? I hope I get to work with you again sometime.’

‘Fiona, hi,’ said Alexa and Helena nodded, perturbed by the interruption.

Fiona grabbed Alexa’s bag starting to wheel it inside.  ‘C’mon Alexa, don’t want to miss the flight.’

‘Right,’ said Alexa, her stomach gripped in a tight fist at the thought that this was the way she’d say goodbye to Helena, under Fiona’s watchful eye, it was so rushed, there were still so many things she wanted to say.

‘You should go Lex,’ said Helena in a low voice seeing her conflict.  ‘We’ll speak later ok?’

‘Yeah’ said Alexa and smiled falsely.  She knew it shouldn’t matter the exact moment they said goodbye, they’d spent two weeks together but she’d needed one more second, one more poignant moment with the women she loved before she re-entered her familiar sea of loneliness and conflict.

But Alexa had no choice, under the spotlight of the other students so she simply took Helena’s hand and kissed her cheek quickly, like colleagues or friends, nothing more nothing less and it felt so cold, so wrong that this would be their last memory for the next month. 

‘Bye Alexa,’ said Helena, swallowing a lump in her own throat, she knew it had to be this way. She knew it wouldn’t be forever but hated the way they had to part like virtual strangers.

‘Bye Helena,’ said Alexa, choking on the word and rushed to join Fiona with their bags.  Helena climbed slowly back into the car and tried to hold back her tears that threatened to fall.

Alexa walked into the airport feeling sick.  ‘You know what Fiona, look after my bag a minute, I left my jacket in Helena’s car ok?’

Alexa ran outside and was relieved to find the limo still there.  She flung open the door and shocked Helena by climbing inside.

 ‘Now let’s try this goodbye thing again,’ said Alexa and kissed Helena fiercely.  She felt Helena lips part and she memorised her taste, the little moans she made and the sounds of her heavy breathing when they pulled back.