“Have you talked to her about it?” Dr. Hawthorne asked pouring a cup of tea into Alice’s mug.

“No. Of course not, she’s to fragile to be thinking about that kind of thing,” Alice started.

“Maybe that’s what makes you so drawn to her,” the doctor suggested.

“Maybe. I mean it’s nice to feel needed isn’t it?” Alice questioned. Dr. Hawthorne smiled.

“Did you feel anything for her before this all started?” There it was, the question. Alice puzzled. The driving, the dinners, the lunches, the late nights at Helena’s house. She had had a good time. She had even remembered that she thought Bette might have had her pegged all wrong. She had seen such a different side of her. Such a helpless side.

She walked in, her shades still on from the glaring sun outside. Walking up to the cafe she ordered her capucino with cinamon and looked around the bar. She smiled and walked over to a crowd of women sitting on a green sofa suite when one rose and practically wrenched her off the ground.

“Good to see you too, Shane,” Will said and patted Shane’s back.

Alice walked in carrying containers in a plastic white bag at her side to the sound of a tea kettle boiling. Ugh more tea, she thought placing the bag on the kitchen bench. She reached over the kettle to turn off the stove when, “OW!” The steam had burned her hand.

Helena had emerged from seemingly nowhere and was drying her hands with a rag. “Oh no, steam burn. Happens to me all the time,” Helena commented as she ran some cool water in the sink. She turned off the stove and moved the kettle before taking Alice’s hands softly and placing it under the running water. It stung a little but it began to cool as Helena’s hand rubbed the sore sport just under the water. The water dripped and ran down their fingers intertwined as Helena tended to Alice’s wound. Her skin slipped over the surface rubbing gingerly as Alice watched Helena’s hand dip into a small and slow pool of water, disapearing in and out of it’s surface. As Helena turned to ask Alice if her hand felt better Alice leaned forward and kissed Helena. Thier lips touched for only a few moments but long enough to cause their hearts to thump louder than the water still pouring into the sink. They stood their, lips pressed, hands together in the water sharing their embrace.

The rest of the group stared as Will was standing in Shane’s arms. Shane had never much shown a deep embrace beyound groping a girl in the corner before which came only slightly less amazing as Willemena Carvington standing very much alive in the corner of the planet. Gaped mouths and white faces paraded the women who now gawped at the scene before them. Jenny grinned uncontrollably.

“Um, Shane, you can let go now,” Will said reassuringly. Shane slowly began to let go and took a step back before punching Will in the arm. “Ow, what was that for?” Will asked rubbing her arm.

“You scared me to death. Where the ***** have you been?” Shane scolded. The rest of the women having forgotten for a moment how solemn they had been over the death of Will, forgetting their momentary relief, had now turn to frustration.

“Yeah, where have you been. Like, the whole world has been looking for you,” Carmen joined in.

“I was in New York, why?” Will replied still rubing her arm.

“Why? Haven’t you seen the news?” Jenny asked looking puzzled. She was in New York? For how long? Wouldn’t it have been romantic if she had come out to see her but had just missed her at the airport and… ok now is not the time… focus Jenny.

“Pretty remote place really,” Will answered thanking the waitress for the coffee and sitting down. Will looked at the group surronding her as she sipped her coffee. A sea of unbelieving faces and awed gasps while dressed in mourning black. “Sheesh who died,” she murmured.