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Zara’s heart raced as she kissed Tess, a quiet release unfurling within her, fear and doubt melting away with every passing second. Long, slow, and deliberate, Zara let herself pour everything into it, every ounce of the love she felt for Tess. She could feel Tess do the same.

The kiss was a promise between them. Zara had never had a kiss like it in all her life. She wanted to live in it, in the warmth of their love.

Then the protestors started clapping for them. Zara drew back and rolled her eyes at Tess, who grinned back at her. She turned to the crowd, unsurprised to see Fi leading the clap.

‘No, thank you,’ Tess called to them. ‘We don’t need that.’

‘Ahh!’ they moaned, disappointed.

‘Appreciate the affirmation, though,’ Tess said with a sarcastic thumbs up.

Zara and Tess turned back to each other. ‘You know,’ Zara said, her voice laced with mischief, ‘I think Star Wars has merit.’

Tess’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. ‘Merit? It’s lightsabres and incest.’

Zara laughed, shaking her head. ‘Come on! It’s about hope, resilience, and the fight against oppression.’ She gestured behind them at the glowing marquee of the cinema, standing strong against all odds. ‘That’s the story of The Eclipse. Also, the incest is very light.’

Tess gave her an examining look. ‘You’re a bloody Star Wars fan.’ She shook her head. ‘I love a Star Wars fan. My mother would disown me if she was still here.’

The mention of Tess’s mother brought a flicker of hesitation to Zara’s confidence. She bit her lip, her nerves showing for the first time. ‘How would your mother feel about you falling in love with someone from the evil bank who wants to take the place?’

‘Unless I’ve misunderstood, you’re not with them anymore,’ Tess pointed out.

‘I was with them when you took the loan that screwed the place,’ Zara batted back.

Tess didn’t answer right away. Her gaze drifted to the crowd behind them, then to the cinema that loomed over the square, its history and soul woven into the fabric of Tess’s life.

‘Honestly,’ Tess said, her voice low and steady. ‘She probably wouldn’t have understood that.’

‘No?’ Zara asked nervously.

‘No. Because she never had someone as wonderful as you,’ Tess told her with such sincerity that Zara felt slightly faint.

‘Damn,’ Zara said, trying to keep the moment light even as her voice wavered slightly. ‘You’re smooth tonight.’

Tess shook her head, grinning. ‘I’ve never been smooth. I just need you to stay.’

Zara had felt like she might never earn Tess’s love. But Tess’s words, her eyes, the way she looked at Zara like she was the only person in the world… Zara couldn’t mistake it now.

‘I was always going to stay,’ Zara said, her voice barely above a whisper. ‘I just wasn’t sure if you wanted me to.’

‘I want you to,’ Tess said simply, with a weight that made the words feel undeniable.

‘Then I will,’ Zara promised.

They looked into each other’s eyes for as long as they could before Tess gave a giant sigh. ‘I hate to kill the moment, but I just have to check in on you because you’re being weirdly calm about being sacked,’ Tess said.

‘I am, aren’t I?’ Zara nodded.

‘That makes no sense. I’ve never known anyone who plans like you. And now you’re just untethered. Where’s the freakout?’

‘Not sure,’ Zara said. She, too, wondered if she might start panicking soon. Somehow, she didn’t think so. She had this weird feeling she was going to be OK. Because she had Tess. And all the rest would just slot into place.

However, it would probably be a good idea to look at her CV tomorrow, update it, tighten it. She hadn’t lost her mind completely.

‘So, what do you want to do?’ Tess asked. ‘If we’re both gonna be unemployed?’

Zara thought about it. ‘I’d like to watch a lot of movies with you.’

Tess smiled. ‘That could work.’

‘But you can’t make fun of me if I want to watch something that doesn’t make the critics’ lists,’ Zara warned her.

‘What are we talking about, exactly?’ Tess said nervously. ‘Because there has to be a limit. I can’t be watching, like, Mamma Mia.’

‘Who said Mamma Mia?’ Zara asked, annoyed. ‘I’ve literally never mentioned that movie to you, ever.’ She paused. ‘I don’t hate it, though.’

Tess looked sick. ‘I’m gonna need to put you on a diet of German Expressionism, stat. From there, we can dip into Italian Neorealism, a bit of French New Wave, perhaps some Dogme 95. It’s not too late for you. I really believe that.’

‘Oh god, here we go…’ Zara said with an eye roll.

They were still bickering about movies when they rejoined the protest. The argument was silly yet passionate. Zara loved every minute of it.