‘Well I’d better, look like I have some catching up to do,’

‘Hey Peggy,’ said Alice and Peggy gave cursory nods to the whole group, never having been a big fan of Helena’s eclectic group of friends save for Bette.

Alexa stood up to get Peggy a drink and the group watched as Peggy greeted her with a certain amount of warmth.  ‘Well, well you found somebody your mom likes?’

‘Uh huh,’ agreed Helena.  ‘I think she’s even getting her to like me.  She’s amazing isn’t she?’

‘Your mom or Alexa?’ asked Jenny.

‘Alexa!  She’s amazingly clever and funny and we have the most mind blowing sex!’

All the girls laughed at a drunken Helena spilling her secrets to the group at her engagement party that Alexa would surely kill her for.  ‘What’s so funny?’ asked Alexa as she and Peggy came back out.

‘You had to be here,’ said Shane.

‘So is this going to be the wedding of the century or what?’ asked Alice.  ‘I’m seeing castles and horse drawn carriages and chocolate fountains.’

Alexa and Helena screwed up their faces.  ‘Actually we’re thinking much smaller than that Alice,’ said Helena.

‘For real?’

‘Yes, we want something more intimate and more fun than traditional.’

‘Here in L.A?’

‘Yeah probably.’

‘Well that’s a relief.  We were worried you might want to go and do it back in England because you spent most of your time their as a kid Hel and of course with Alexa’s parents and friends being over there.’

Alexa looked away.  The only downside to their wedding was the constant reminder that she really had no guests to invite.

‘My family won’t be attending,’ she said softly.

‘What are they raging homophobes?  You have to have your family at your wedding!’ said Alice.

Peggy and Helena both saw the pain in Alexa’s eyes and a look passed between mother and daughter that became an understanding.  Peggy took Alexa’s hand in her own as she sat beside her.  ‘Alexa may not have the family she was born into at the wedding but she will have the one she belongs to now.’

Helena had never been more grateful to anyone than she was to her mother in that moment, for protecting Alexa, for telling her and everybody else that she considered her a part of her family.  ‘Thank you,’ she mouthed to her as Peggy looked her way.