It would be so easy. And it wouldn’t be the first time.

Her mind wandered to the conversation she had with Lucia at the restaurant just a few days ago, and she saw herself in the Latina’s shoes. There she was… Sunday morning in bed… the crossword puzzle section of the New York Times sprawled on her lap… and the weight of a warm and loving arm draped over her waist. To her surprise, Jodi didn’t find the image unpleasant at all. In fact, it made her wonder if she’ll ever get a chance to experience it for real.

“I shouldn’t,” was the answer that came out of the artist’s mouth.

Disappointment dawned over Mary’s face, and she took a few steps back until she was leaning against the stairs banister. She seemed to have been physically weakened by Jodi’s reply. Releasing a sigh, she finally asked, “Is this about Alex? Are you completely put off by the fact that I have a son?”

The redhead took the time to actually think about the question before answering. “I was… worried about that, yes… but this isn’t about your son anymore.”

“You don’t find me attractive? Is that it?”

The fact that Mary doubted herself so much shook Jodi to her very core. The redhead closed the distance between them and took Mary’s hands in her own. Their eyes met, and Jodi hoped hers conveyed the honesty of her words. “That’s certainly not it, Mary… you are a beautiful, beautiful woman. And I find you incredibly attractive. And I want you…” She joked nervously. “Shit, this is so hard!” The look of befuddlement on Mary’s face prompted her to complete her thought, “But you know what I want more? I want to do things the right way.”

“The right way?” the girl repeated, not quite sure she got the meaning of Jodi’s words.

Once again, Jodi took Mary’s face in her hands. “I want to take things slow.”

Although visibly relieved, Mary’s confusion seemed to have grown exponentially. “But I thought… I mean… you…”

“Mary,” Jodi elaborated, “if I go upstairs with you now, I can promise you we are going to have a magical night. I can also tell you that I’ll probably leave in the morning and you won’t hear from me for a long time… maybe forever. That is how I operate. I see… I use… I move on.” The young woman seemed to have been stunned into silence. “And you deserve so much more than that,” the redhead added with a smile. She paused in order to think yet again about how she wanted to proceed. Staring into Mary’s emerald eyes, she grew positive about her decision. “And I want to try to give it to you. I… I have a lot to relearn… but I think I can do it. If you are interested, that is.”

Now Mary was the one who took her time to speak, but the answer came in the form of a glorious smile and a soft kiss on the lips.