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“You know what? It’s pretty late,” Autumnsaid. “Can we talk about this another time?” Of course, Autumn knew thelikelihood of hearing from Vicky anytime soon would depend wholly on what sheneeded from Autumn.

“I took a cab here,” Vicky said. She pickedup her bag and rooted around inside. “But I’m not sure that I—”

“Here,” Autumn said, pulling forty dollarsfrom her wallet. She wasn’t an idiot. She knew what was up. “All yours.”

That seemed to appease Vicky. She turned toKate. “It was nice meeting you. What was your name?”

“Kate.”

“Kate,” she repeated, then laughed. “Thatshirt. Are you dating my daughter? Is this who you’re dating, Autumn? She’spretty.”

Kate opened her mouth, but Autumn beat herthere. “We’re friends.”

“If you say so…”

Autumn waited on the porch with Vicky untilthe cab arrived, feeling like the evening had taken a definite hit. She madeher way back inside and found Kate sitting on the side of her bed.

She glanced up as Autumn entered. “I’m sorryshe wasn’t more supportive.”

“S’okay,” Autumn said. “Nothing new. I’m sorryshe interrupted our evening. I’m also sorry she wasn’t nicer to you. If I hadto guess, she’d already had a Chardonnay or two before arriving. Vicky loves agood white wine.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

“But I do.” They stared at each other untilKate finally nodded and kissed the back of Autumn’s hand.

“Want to sleep over?” she asked, touchingKate’s cheek. Maybe after everything, Kate would just want to get the hell outof there.

“I’d like that,” Kate said, touching herchin. “And I like you.”

“I like you, too,” Autumn said. Her heartsoared and she kissed Kate softly, then lingered just beyond her mouth beforepulling away. “Even though you hustled me hardcore at Scrabble.”

“Did not,” Kate said, pulling Autumn into bedwith her. “I just happen to be a quick study.”

“Oh? So that’s why, when I think sex with youcan’t get any better, it does?” Autumn asked. “That’s a huge compliment, by theway.”

“I try to pay attention.” The little strip ofmoonlight that slashed across the bed allowed Autumn to see Kate’s very tellingblush, and she happened to love it.

They didn’t name it, what was happeningbetween them, but as the days passed, the bond between them only grew. Somehowapplying a label felt too permanent, like naming the lost dog you knew wouldeventually go back to his owners. Instead, they soaked up the time together.Kate stopped by Pajamas once, sometimes twice a day, and Autumn popped over toKate’s during her down time. They chatted about their days, the things thatweighed heavily on their minds. For Autumn, her fear that her child would oneday grow up to feel that Autumn was a burden in her life, like Vicky. For Kate,the hovering concern that she’d somehow lost a part of herself the day of thefire. It was something she talked about openly now, which only brought themcloser.

“I’m not reliving it as much, which isprogress. But there’s still this cloud that follows me, you know?” They werecozy on Kate’s couch one afternoon, Autumn’s legs across Kate’s lap, Kate’sarms wrapped around them.

“It’s going to take time,” Autumn said,stroking the back of Kate’s neck. “But I already notice a change in you. You’reless, I don’t know, pent up. You talk about it now, and that has to act as somekind of release.”

“Because you make it easy,” Kate said, meetingher gaze and not letting go. “I’ve never talked to anyone the way I talk toyou. You seem to just…get me.”

Autumn sat up a little straighter, needing todeviate from the conversation briefly, because the way Kate was looking at herwas everything. The way shealwayslooked at her. “Where did you learn this type of eye contact, anyway?” Autumnasked. “It’s like you see straight through me. It’s…intense.”

“What are you talking about?” Kate asked, hereyes widening playfully as she moved her face closer to Autumn.

“That’s terrifying. Stop that,” Autumn said,holding up a finger and backing away.

“Can’t,” she said, making them even wider.

“That’s not dreamy, like usual. Bring backthe dreamy stare! You’re trying to scare me!” She scrambled from the couch andraced across the room, only Kate had shaped her hand into a hook, crossed hereyes, and wandered toward Autumn like a pirate zombie on a mission.

“What? I don’t see the problem,” Kate said,her voice nonchalant.

“I don’t watch horror movies for a reason, Kate!Ahhh!” She shrieked and ran out of the apartment, laughing the whole time, Katefast on her heels. Once she hit the middle of the courtyard, Kate closed thedistance, catching her by the waist, lifting her, and turning her in a circle.