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“Is it working?”

“Only because I’m the one who suggested waiting for serious talks. But I will remember that. One more thing before you start kissing me like that again, and my brain melts.”

Cass grinned. “Yeah?”

“Can we go upstairs to our bed?”

Cass popped up off the couch with ease. She gave the mess a fleeting thought before scooping Rebecca up into her arms.

“I hope you’re ready for me, baby,” Cass murmured in Rebecca’s ear. “It has been a long time.”

“For me, it feels like it has been twenty long years, Cassidy. I’m ready.”

Cass stretched, wincing with a smile, when the soreness kicked in. Since she could feel the sun on her face, Cass assumed she had survived the night and didn’t die of pure pleasure. Damn, if she thought making love, fucking, and everything in between with Rebecca was heaven before, last night proved there was another level. She turned to cuddle with her wife and was met with a cold, empty bed.

“Becca?” Cass listened for an answer or the sound of the shower and heard neither. She jumped out of bed, pulling on a pair of boxers and slipping a tank top over her head as she hurried downstairs. “Becca!”

The living room had been tidied up, yet Rebecca was nowhere in sight. Cass made her way into the kitchen, where a fresh pot of coffee was brewed but otherwise empty. She ran downstairs to the gym, hoping to find Rebecca meditating. Nothing.

“Becca!” Cass reached for her phone before remembering she only had boxers on without pockets and had left her phone upstairs. “Shit!” Cass took the stairs two at a time back up to the living room. Cass was about to go into full-blown panic mode when she heard a faint sound coming from outside. Out on the deck, Rebecca sat drinking coffee, seemingly without a care in the world. “Becca?”

Rebecca blinked, coming out of her pensiveness, and smiled at Cassidy. “Good morning, baby.”

“What the hell, Rebecca? You can’t just disappear like that!” Cass’s body shook with adrenaline, but she couldn’t determine whether she felt fear or anger.

Rebecca set her coffee on the table beside her, frowning. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” She held her hand out to Cassidy, breathing a sigh of relief when Cassidy didn’t hesitate to take it.

“Why are you awake?” Cass straddled the chaise lounge Rebecca was sitting on, draping Rebecca’s legs over her thighs.

“I couldn’t sleep.” Rebecca tapped her temple. “My mind is going a mile a minute.”

Cass caressed Rebecca’s cheek. “Are you in pain?” When Rebecca shook her head, Cass continued. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You looked so peaceful. I’m guessing you haven’t slept well since all this began. I didn’t want to disturb you, baby.”

Cass nodded but still felt a little unsettled. “You’re not usually awake at this time.”

Rebecca suspected Cassidy was scared that Rebecca’s memory had gone away again. It would explain why Cassidy was so agitated when she found Rebecca out on the deck.

“I’ve gotten a little used to the peace during this time of the day. It’s quite beautiful. Quiet, cool, calm.” Cassidy was watching Rebecca with such intensity that it nearly made Rebecca squirm. She had to do something to put Cassidy at ease. “Do you remember The Great Thunderstorm of 2022 when we lost power for almost thirteen hours? It was chilly, but luckily, we had a gas fireplace, so we stayed downstairs in front of that fire the entire time. We talked, played games, and made love with the rolling thunder as our soundtrack,” Rebecca chuckled. “We ate all the ice cream before it melted. Los Angeles was in chaos, but inside this house, we were living our best lives. I’ll never forget it.”

But you did. Cass didn’t say that out loud, though. Instead, she smiled, relieved that Rebecca’s memory was still intact. “I remember that night very well. Especially the part where you licked the ice cream off my body.”

“Oh, yeah,” Rebecca purred. “Best flavor of ice cream ever.”

“It’s available whenever you want it, babe.” Cass stroked Rebecca’s thighs with the pads of her thumbs. “What were you thinking about when I came out here?”

Rebecca inhaled and hummed as she let the breath out. “I was thinking about unretiring.”

“I thought we weren’t calling it that.”

Rebecca rolled her eyes teasingly. “I was thinking about un-slowing down.” She stuck her tongue out at Cassidy, who chuckled at her. “I can’t help but wonder if the tumor was the main culprit in my fatigue. And, despite that last disaster of a meeting, I think I can handle expanding beyond our group of friends. Perhaps not as far as before, but enough to keep my mind busy.”

Cass dropped eye contact for a moment. That last disaster of a meeting was the Buck McEnroe incident. Rebecca didn’t know about that. She knew the dude didn’t exist, but not why.

“Um, about that last meeting.”

Rebecca raised a brow. “McEnroe? Did you find out who hired him to impersonate… an idiot?” She expected Cassidy to give her at least a courtesy chuckle for that, but her expression remained stoic. “Cassidy?”