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“The flight was fine.” Rebecca shared a quick kiss with her girlfriend before reclaiming her breathing space. “But you know Noah is a great pilot. You hired him.”

“Nobody lands like he does.” After Caitlyn booped Rebecca’s nose, she turned to her mother. “Thanks for going to get her, Mom. I know it’s like two hours away.”

“Oh, no worries! Was a bit boring going there, but we chatted the whole way here! It flew by. Oh! We did stop at the storein town so we could get Rebecca some snacks. And myself. I wanted snacks.”

“Yeah, I’m not on a diet.” Rebecca shrugged. “I want snacks.”

“Snacks?” Izzy bounded through the screen door, nearly barreling over Caitlyn and Rebecca as she went to help bring in groceries. “I’m starving!”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “She never makes it all the way to the competition. Solidarity dieting my ass.”

“Youareeating though, right?”

Caitlyn grinned. “You hear that? She’s concerned for my wellbeing.” After another laugh, she continued, “Of course I am, Becca. Just nothing exciting. Food is a fuel right now, not so much a source of life’s pleasure.”

“You’re eating a bunch of greens, I’m guessing.”

“Greensandbeans. Ooh, you get to sleep with me.”

“Between you and Jane’s diets, I’m used to it.”

They had kept dinner warm for Rebecca and Christine. The cauliflower crust pizza with goat cheese and vegetables made Rebecca scrunch her mouth to eat, but she claimed to be too hungry to care. Christine said nothing, because she had long learned to stop questioning how her daughter ate before a competition.

Caitlyn grilled her partner on how things were back east, from Jane, to Cecelia, to the business.I know I get daily updates, but it’s not the same as hearing it from someone’s mouth right in front of you.Just like it wasn’t the same for Rebecca tohearthat Caitlyn was fine in rural Iowa without seeing it for herself.

“Everyone is the same as usual. Oh, but Willow made an impromptu appearance to check in on the fact that Cecelia went to homecoming with awhiteboy.”

While Caitlyn gasped, Izzy asked, “Who the hell is Willow?”

Apparently, Caitlyn had forgotten to clue her coach in on the biggest thorn in the family’s side. “She’s more bark than bite,”she explained to Izzy, who was enraptured to hear about the kind of mother-in-law fit for a Korean drama, “but when shedoesbite, you better hope you can get a rabies shot.”

“Willow’s always been nice and polite to me.” Christine began washing the dishes in the sink. “Which means she probably hates me or sees me as someone of no consequence to her.”

Basically.Caitlyn offered her partner some decaf coffee, but they settled on some red wine to celebrate their reunion. Izzy indulged in a glass while Christine insisted she shouldn’t.

“Last I heard from Jane, she was going out to the Italian bistro for dinner. I guess Cecelia went to a friend’s party to watch horror movies,” Rebecca said.

“Yes, that’s what she last told me too. Kinda weird for her to be quiet all night. Maybe she turned in early.”

“Yeah, I texted her that we were almost here and I’ve got nothing.”

Caitlyn shrugged. “She’s probably sulking because we left her for a week.”

“A week flies bysoquickly.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice. I’ve somehow been here for three and it feels like… well, like three months. Especially with Izzy.”

“I don’thaveto be here, you know,” the coach, who sat right between them, said. “But thank you, Cait. Glad to know I can slow your life down for you.”

“Likewise.”

After dinner and wine, Caitlyn showed Rebecca to their room, which had its linens refreshed that day. There were a few other things Caitlyn had added as well, because she knew exactly what Jane felt like being alone after getting so used to having not just one, but two other lovers around.

“Oh, my.” Rebecca lingered in the bathroom doorway, giggling. “You went all out.”

Rose petals on the bathtub, candles ready to be lit, and a Bluetooth speaker playing only the best mix ‘90s pop (for Caitlyn) and 2000s RnB (for Rebecca.) It was the playlist they both messed around with to send messages to one another during the day. Right now, when Caitlyn pressed the button on her phone, Boyz II Men began their sensual serenade.

“Did you think you were getting away forone nightwithout someone coming on to you?” Caitlyn wrapped her arms around Rebecca from behind, growling into the crook of her girlfriend’s neck and swaying them back and forth in the doorway. “I’ve been surviving on vibrators and living vicariously through you and Jane.”