Archive of Our Own ^beta

Kate

When I followed Victoria into her apartment, I was shocked at how big it was. She looked far too young to be able to afford a place like that. I wondered if maybe she had a rich husband, or perhaps she shared it with some friends. As she took off her coat, I could see that her clothes looked expensive too. Of course, it might just have been that I’d gotten too used to the height of luxury being new-to-me clothes from a thrift store, and a rare night spent in a shelter. When she led me into the bathroom, I gaped at the old-fashioned high-back, claw-foot tub. “Wow!”

She smiled at me. “Gorgeous, isn’t it? I’d spend as much time in there as I do in my bed, only I’d end up looking like a prune.” She started the taps running, then poured something in that tinted the water pale blue while producing a prodigious amount of bubbles and filling the air with a relaxing scent. Victoria turned and stared intently at my face. “How’s your eye? Do you need any painkillers?” she asked in a concerned voice.

I blinked experimentally, and then tried opening my eyes one at a time. “It seems to be okay. It doesn’t quite open all the way, but I can see out of it just fine. It really stung at first, but that’s already mostly faded, so I should be alright.” I thought it would probably rude to say that I really didn’t know her well enough yet to trust any pills she might give me.

She nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. Help yourself to anything you need,” she said, gesturing at a long shelf crammed with bottles, tubs, and cans. She rummaged around in a cabinet and produced a fresh toothbrush and razor, still sealed in their packets, which she passed to me. “You probably wouldn’t want to share mine.”

I laughed. “Thank-you so much. This is… incredible. I keep expecting that any moment now I’m going to wake up, tucked into a cardboard box.” A dark shadow flitted across her face at the mention of my usual sleeping arrangements.

“I’ll get the spare bed made up for you while you’re in the bath, but first I need to get dinner sorted. Is lasagne alright with you?”

“That sounds delicious!” Never mind that something as simple as fresh bread and clean water would have sounded pretty darn good right about then; just the idea of such rich fare had my mouth watering.

“Great. It won’t be ready for the best part of a couple of hours, so soak for as long as you like. If you put your clothes outside before you get in, I can pop them in the washer for you. There’s a bathrobe on the back of the door you can use.” I froze; I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of being without my clothes, certainly not when I didn’t know who else might be in the apartment.

Victoria must have guessed the cause of my distress. “Don’t worry, there’s nobody else here; I live alone.” There was a slight hint of sadness in her voice, but she immediately pressed on. “Feel free to lock the door if that makes you more comfortable. Oh, and I almost forgot…” She pulled a huge, fluffy towel out of a hamper. “You’re going to want one of these.” She turned off the taps, dipped a hand in the water and nodded approvingly. “I’ll leave you to it. Enjoy!” She left the room, shutting the door behind her.

I hesitated for a moment before quickly stripping off my clothes, then I dug into my bag and pulled out my spare T-shirt and underwear. I bundled it all up, then nervously opened the door just far enough to deposit the whole lot outside, before closing and locking it. I padded over to the bath and gingerly dipped a foot in – then immediately drew it back, wondering if the tub was filled not with water, but with molten lava. I considered adding some more cold, then forced myself to try again. This time I decided that it was, in fact, water after all – albeit almost unbearably hot. ‘Almost,’ I could work with.

Slowly, I lowered myself down, until I was submerged up to my neck. The heat soaked into me, melting away the aches that had become so much a part of my daily life that I’d almost forgotten they were there. A soft moan escaped my lips; I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so good. Victoria’s comment about how much time she wanted to spend in the tub made perfect sense. I lost track of time as I just lay there, enjoying the sensations. I was startled out of my reverie by a soft knock on the door. “Yes?” I called.

“Dinner should be ready in about half an hour,” came Victoria’s gentle voice. “No need to rush, I just wanted to let you know.”

“Thanks. I’ll start getting myself sorted out. It’s been a while since I last had the chance to shower, so it’ll probably take that long to wash all the dirt off!” Looking at the rather grey water, I realized that a lot of it already had – the unfortunate downside of a bath. I eyed the sprayer head resting above the taps, and decided that I was going to need it for my hair – and probably the rest of me too. I started looking through the shelf of toiletries to find what I needed.

I hoped that less than half an hour had passed when I finally climbed out, rinsing off as I went. Clean hair, clean skin, smooth legs – it was amazing how much better that made me feel. I quickly dried off, then pulled on the soft toweling robe. The poor bathtub looked rather the worse for wear; I used the sprayer to rinse off the worst of the dirt, but resolved to ask Victoria where she kept her cleaning supplies and do a proper job of it later.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, clutching my bag, dinner was in the air. I took a long breath in through my nose. “Oh my gosh, that smells fantastic!” Victoria’s head popped up over the back of the couch, and she smiled at me.

“Thanks! I just hope it tastes as good.” She got up, clutching a battered paperback in one hand, and a glass of red wine in the other. “How was your bath?”

“Heavenly! As in, I thought I’d died and gone to. You have no idea how good it feels to be truly clean again, and I haven’t had a soak like that since…” I stopped for a moment, fighting back the tears that suddenly threatened. “A long time ago,” I finished, lamely.

Victoria looked like she was going to say something, then thought better of it; a fact for which I was extremely grateful. Instead, she deposited her book and glass on the table and came over to me. “Let me show you to your room.” She led me all of six feet before opening another door. “I’ve put out some of my things you can wear; we’re close enough to the same size that they should fit you. I’ll have dinner on the table in five.”

I ducked my head; why was she being so nice to me? “Thank-you.” I found some flannel pajamas laid out on the queen-size bed, and a pair of bunny slippers next to it. The room seemed bigger and more… lived in than I expected for a guest room. I dropped my bag on a chair, then pulled on the pajamas and slippers. I grabbed the robe and returned it to the bathroom, before heading over to the kitchen area.

Victoria was serving portions of lasagne from a large dish. It was obviously home-made, as attested to by all the pans and utensils lying around. “I’m afraid I’m a bit of a messy cook,” she said, noticing my gaze. “I guess I got into bad habits when I had someone around to clean up after me.”

“Well, I don’t mind doing that. It’s the very least I can do to repay your hospitality.”

“I’m not going to even pretend that I wouldn’t appreciate that. Don’t feel you have to do it tonight, though; I normally just put the worst of the pans in the sink to soak, and then deal with them in the morning.” She paused. “Actually, that’s a lie: it’s usually more like two or three days later…”

I laughed. “I promise not to leave it that long.”

Victoria set the plates on the kitchen table. “Sit down, tuck in,” she said. “Would you like some wine?”

“No, thank-you, I prefer to avoid alcohol.” Over the previous year, I’d seen far too much of what it could do to people who tried to use it to escape from their troubles. I’d long since resolved never to touch the stuff other than at communion.

“Not a problem. I have some juice in the fridge if you’d like.”

“That would be lovely.” She poured me a glass, and left the bottle on the table in easy reach. I sipped some, then started on the food; I think my eyes might have actually rolled back in their sockets. “Oh, wow! This tastes even better than it smelled; are you a professional chef or something?”

Victoria blushed. “No, I just like to cook. I’ve been living by myself for the last few months, and cooking for one isn’t really as much fun. It’s nice to have the excuse to do something more fancy.”

“So you weren’t always alone here? I though that the room you put me in felt a bit too homey to have just been a spare.”

“No, I moved in here with my friend Max about a year and a half ago. Mind you, there were about six months when that room wasn’t getting much use because we were sharing mine, but then that ran its course.”

“I’m sorry. Is that why Max moved out?”

“Nothing to be sorry about. We went from ‘best friends’ to ‘best friends who also have a lot of really great sex.’” I blushed at that, and Victoria grinned. “Eventually we realized that it was never going to become anything more, so we decided we should go back to just being friends. A couple of months later, Max decided things were getting a bit too awkward, so she moved out and got a place with a childhood friend of hers who’d just come down to LA.”

“Wait… Max is a girl?” I asked. Suddenly I was hopeful that I could risk telling the truth when Victoria inevitably asked about my past.

She eyed me for a moment, as if trying to decide if I was judging her; I smiled, and she quickly followed suit. “Yeah, she always hated being called Maxine. Did you really think your room looked like it was decorated by a guy?”

I thought about that. “You do have a point.”

Kate

Waking up the next morning was disorientating. Instead of lying on the cold, hard ground in my threadbare sleeping bag and a nest of cardboard, I was in a soft, warm bed. It took a while for the events of the previous evening to come back to me. Victoria wanted to be my friend; I wasn’t yet sure what that meant, but I hoped that at least I wasn’t going to get kicked back out onto the street straight away. Whatever happened, I’d got one comfortable night out of it; beyond that I would take things as they came.

That all changed when I opened the door and saw what Victoria had attached to the outside. A plain sheet of paper with two simple words on it: ‘Kate’s Room’. The clear message that sign conveyed floored me – she wanted me to stay! I slumped down in the doorway and cried tears of joy and relief. I still wasn’t sure how long this was going to last, but for the first time in over a year I allowed myself to envision a future where I had a home.

After popping into the bathroom to freshen up, I headed over to the kitchen to survey the damage; it certainly looked like Victoria had used pretty much every weapon in her arsenal the previous evening. One small advantage of life on the streets had been a lack of chores, but a pile of washing up was a price I would gladly pay to get away from that. Rolling up my sleeves, I got stuck in. Not knowing where everything lived, I decided to simply leave it in neat piles on the worktop.

With that done, I made a more thorough exploration of the kitchen, and scrounged up the ingredients to make some pancake batter. It was something I’d always loved doing for my sisters, and Victoria even had real maple syrup rather than the fake stuff which was all we’d ever got at home. Once that was done, and I had the coffee machine ready to go, I borrowed a book from Victoria’s shelves and settled in on the couch to wait.

About half an hour later, I heard signs of life from what I’d deduced must be Victoria’s bedroom. I scurried back to the kitchen to turn on the coffee machine and get a pan heating up. A couple of minutes later, she emerged, sniffed the air, and broke out into a big grin. “I could get used to this!” she said as she walked over to me.

I promptly threw my arms around her in a big hug. “Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!”

“What was that for?” she asked when I released her. I simply gestured at the sign. “Oh, right. I just wanted to make sure that you knew you were welcome here. This is your home for as long as you want it.” That was a little too much for me to process right then, so I put it aside to consider later.

I ladled the first of the batter into the pan. “It’s been more than a year since I had anywhere I could really call home. To find one so suddenly and unexpectedly is a little bit… overwhelming.” I hesitated, then hurried on, “in a good way, of course!”

“So you’ll stay?” Victoria asked as I flipped the pancake.

“Gee, let me think. Comfy bed… hot bath… good food… or life on the street…” I made a show of considering it as I deposited the pancake on Victoria’s plate. “Of course I’ll stay! Although you may change your mind after you’ve tasted that. It’s been a long time since I’ve done any sort of cooking.”

She doused it in syrup and took a bite. “Mpff. S’delicious.” I laughed and started on making more, while she poured the coffee. “How’s your eye?” she asked, as if suddenly remembering.

“Better than it looks.” I’d seen the bruising in the mirror earlier. “I can open it all the way now, and my face only aches if I actually poke at it. Hopefully I should be good as new in another day or two.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” she said with a smile.

After breakfast, Victoria went for a shower while I cleaned up. She came back fully dressed. “I need to head out and run some errands. Will you be okay on your own for a couple of hours?”

“Of course. I’ve already raided your bookshelves; there’s enough to keep me entertained for a few weeks at least. I’ve been dying to read the Marisol Mendez series for years; my mother wouldn’t let any sort of fantasy books into the house – well, except for Narnia, and that’s just blatant Christian allegory.”

Victoria smiled. “I hope you enjoy them, and I’m happy that you’re making yourself at home. Here, these are for you.” She passed me a keyring. “The silver key is for the main door into the building, the gold one will get you back into the apartment. I don’t want you to feel trapped in here, although I would appreciate it if you let me know if you do go out. I’m guessing you don’t have a cellphone.” I shook my head, and she gave me a slip of paper. “This is my number; you can call me from the landline,” she gestured at the ’phone hanging on the wall, “if you need anything.” She headed over to the door, and then hesitated. “You will still be here when I get back?”

“I promise,” I replied, smiling at her. She gave me a relieved nod, and then slipped out the door. I retrieved my book, and curled up on the couch to read.

About an hour and a half later, I heard a knock at the apartment door. I hesitated a moment before going over and opening it. A young woman with brown hair and freckles walked straight in. “Hey, Daniel let me in, so I came on up…” She stopped, and did a double-take. “Hi… I’m Max,” she said, clearly thrown, “is Tori home?”

“Uh… no, she said she had to run some errands, but I don’t think she should be much longer.” I wasn’t quite sure what to do, but I didn’t think that Victoria would want me to throw her friend out. Besides, this used to be Max’s home too. “You’re welcome to stay, Victoria has told me about you.”

“Some of it good, I hope,” Max joked.

“None of it bad,” I replied, honestly.

“Give it time,” she said with a smile, “I’m sure that will change. You must be Kate,” she continued, indicating the sign, “I see Tori’s given you my old room. I’m glad, she’s been getting kinda lonesome of late – although I guess that’s my fault; I’ve been spending most of my time with Chloe.”

I sat back down on the couch, and Max took the other end. “Victoria said you’d got a new place with an old friend.”

“Girlfriend, now,” Max said with a goofy grin. “Chloe and I grew up together in Arcadia Bay, a small town up in Oregon. My family moved down here when I was thirteen. I hadn’t heard from her in years when she called me out of the blue to say she’d moved to LA. We met up and suddenly it was just like no time had passed at all, except now we were all grown up and both hella gay. Once I realized I had feelings for Chloe, sharing a place with my ex got kinda awkward.”

“That’s understandable,” I said, “I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks. So, how did you meet Tori? She didn’t mention having a new… roommate when we talked a couple of days ago.”

“That’s because we only met yesterday, in the alley round the corner. Victoria rescued me from a guy who was trying to steal my sleeping spot.” Max just blinked owlishly. “Short version: my parents threw me out of the house when I told them I was gay. I’ve been mostly living on the streets since then.”

“God, that’s awful.” She looked like she was itching to ask for more. “I guess you gave Tori the long version last night, so I’m not gonna ask you to dig it up again.”

I let out a relieved sigh. She understood. “Thanks, Max. I appreciate that.”

“Any chance of more details on what happened with Tori, though?”

I smiled. “Sure. It was yesterday evening; I was staking out a spot in a corner of the alley where I’d been sleeping the last few nights, and this guy I’ve seen around a few times came along and claimed it was his spot. I wasn’t going to give it up that easily, but he hit me and knocked me down.” Max gestured at my bruised face, and I nodded.

“And then Victoria came round the corner like some avenging angel. She walked straight over to me, spraying the guy in the face with something as she went past. She took him down without even looking at him! Then she helped me up, told me to grab my stuff and brought me back here. She ran me a bath, made lasagne, and gave me a bed to sleep in. I would have thought it was all a dream if it wasn’t for the mountain of washing up I did this morning.”

Max laughed. “That used to be my job. I swear that Tori manages to use twice as many pans and utensils when cooking as anyone else I’ve ever come across.”

“Anyway, when I opened the bedroom door this morning and saw that sign, I just lost it. I want to believe that she means what it says, that I’m not going to find myself back on the streets in a few days.” I looked at Max for some sort of confirmation that her friend was the person I hoped for.

She sat back and stared into space for a few seconds. “I’ve known Tori for a long time; she was the first friend I made when we moved down here. I’ll freely admit that she can be a total bitch, but once she decides that you’re one of her people, she will stick with you until the ends of the Earth – and you’d have to do something pretty fucking terrible to change that.”

“Victoria said last night that she would like to be my friend,” I said hopefully, “and then this morning she said I was welcome to stay here for as long as I wanted…”

Max smiled. “In that case, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. And if Tori does try to prove me wrong, give me a call and I’ll come over and ‘re-educate’ her. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

I laughed. “Thanks, Max, I appreciate that.”

“So, on an unrelated note, did you happen to notice if there was any of that lasagne left over?”

“It was pretty big; even after how much I ate, there must have been half of it left.”

“Awesome. I remember just how delicious it was; alas, Chloe’s cooking just isn’t as good, and mine’s plain awful. I’ll have to see if I can sweet-talk Tori into giving me…” she trailed off.

“Sweet-talk me into giving you what?” asked Victoria as she breezed in through the apartment door. She shot me a questioning look; I smiled and nodded back.

“Some of your left over lasagne. I’ve not tasted it in months!”

“And what do I get in return?”

“When we get to the point in our conversation where Kate asks me about your embarrassing secrets, I conveniently forget them all.”

“Oh, no, I know you. Something like that you’ll just weasel your way out of. I have a better idea: you take it home to share with Chloe, and only afterwards do you have to tell her that’s she’s just been enjoying your ex’s excellent cooking.”

“That’s evil,” said Max in obvious delight. Watching their playful banter, it was clear why they were such good friends. Then Max took on a more serious tone. “I guess you must be making up for all the good you did yesterday.”

Victoria looked embarrassed. “You would have done the same thing.”

“Would I?” asked Max, rhetorically. “I’m not so sure. I mean, I’d like to think that I would, but put me in that situation for real… I have a horrible feeling that I’d just walk on by. Don’t minimize what you did, Tori. I’m pretty sure you changed someone’s life yesterday.”

“She’s not wrong about that, Victoria.” I said, then, trying to lighten the mood, “you’re my hero!” I batted my eyelashes, and Max giggled.

“Fine!” said Victoria with a small smile. “Just, don’t tell anyone. I have my reputation as a stone cold bitch to uphold.” She hesitated for a moment. “Oh, and Kate? You may have noticed that my friends call me Tori.”

“Okay, I’ll be sure not to tell anyone else the tale of your heroism, Tori.” The big, beaming smile she gave me in response to that gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

“Oh, I got you something while I was out.” She fished a cellphone out of her bag. “I’ve already programmed my number in it, so you’ll always be able to get hold of me.”

“I… I don’t know if I can accept that. Not on top of giving me a place to live, and…” I stopped, seeing the darkening expression on Tori’s face.

Max intervened. “Let me give you some free advice, Kate. Tori here may not be super-rich since her parents disowned her, but she’s still pretty well-heeled. And if there’s one thing she really doesn’t like, it’s people turning down her gifts.” She grabbed the phone off Tori, flipped it open, and tapped away for a few seconds. Her own phone rang for a moment, then stopped as she flipped mine closed and tossed it to me. “You have to keep this now; how else can I get in touch to invite you for dinner with me and Chloe?”

I smiled. “Thanks, Max; and thank-you again, Tori.” I got up. “Anyway, I should give you two some time to catch up.”

“You don’t need to do that,” protested Tori.

“No, it’s fine. You see, I just remembered that I have an actual bed again. That’s something I’d like to take advantage of. It was really nice to meet you, Max.”

“You too. I’ll call you about that dinner sometime.”

I stopped by Tori, and told her softly, “I think Max deserves to hear the full story of what happened to me; I just couldn’t face telling it again.” She gave me a nod, and I headed back to my room.

Kate

There was a soft knock at my door. “Come in,” I called.

“How’re you doing?” asked Tori, leaning in the doorway.

“I’m great,” I said with a smile. “This bed is about twice as wide and five times as comfortable as anything I’ve ever slept in before. Hence several happy hours having a nap and then curling up with a book.”

She returned the smile. “Always a favorite pastime of mine, too. Look, what Max said about me, and money, and gifts. I don’t want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, but I would like to help you, if you’ll allow me. How about if rather than me just getting you ‘gifts’, I talk to you first, and you tell me if you’re comfortable, or set limits, or… whatever. I don’t want you to end up feeling beholden to me.”

“I… I guess that sounds okay,” I said.

“Don’t worry,” said Tori with a grin, “I am capable of showing restraint. You will note that I got you an el cheapo cell and not the latest iPhone. I do have one more fancy gift for you, though.” She tossed something to me. I saw what it was and laughed: a five-pack of plain cotton panties with the legend ‘Kate’s Secret’ scrawled across the label in marker pen.

“Thank-you, this is actually really thoughtful. I guess I don’t have to ask where you shop for lingerie,” I said with a smile.

“Well, sometimes; there are better places, to be honest.” She paused, reaching for something behind her. “I also did my bi-monthly wardrobe prune,” she said, producing a couple of bags filled with clothes. “Normally I just take this stuff to a local thrift shop, but I thought I’d give you first pick. Hopefully there should be some things in there that suit you, to tide you over until I can persuade you to let me take you shopping.”

“Thanks again. I really don’t think you could have done a better job of making me feel welcome. And… about letting you buy stuff for me, I’ll try to work on that.”

“In that case, I’ll just say one more thing. I’m fortunate enough to have plenty of money, and one of the things that allows me to do is to buy stuff for the people I care about without really needing to worry if I can afford it. Doing that makes me happy, and helps me feel a little less bad about the fact that I have this financial privilege. What I’m trying to say, in a rather long-winded way, is that you don’t need to worry about how I feel about me buying you stuff; you just need to decide how you feel about it.”

I considered that and smiled. “I think I get your point.”

“So, after going all-out in the kitchen yesterday, I’d rather like to be lazy tonight. How would you feel about ordering in some pizza and watching a bunch of movies?”

“That sounds wonderfully normal. The sort of normal thing normal people do on a normal evening. I’ve always wanted to try that.”

Tori laughed. “In that case, I’m happy to bring you this dose of normality. So, what do you like on your pizza? You can have whatever you want, as long as you’re not one of those weirdos who likes pineapple on pizza.”

“Wait,” I said, matching her teasing tone, “are you one of those weirdos who doesn’t like pineapple on pizza?”

“That’s it, I’m revoking your pizza selection privileges. You’re relegated to choosing DVDs instead.” Tori led me out to the main room and pointed me in the direction of a cabinet in the corner. Unsurprisingly, she had a large selection, including an awful lot of films I’d never seen. Allowing myself to believe that there would be many more of these movie nights in my future, rather than agonizing over my choices, I grabbed the first three that really jumped out at me.

By the time I was done, Tori was closing her laptop. “Food is on the way,” she announced. “So, what have you picked for us to watch?”

“Um, there are three. I wanted to give you at least some choice.” I passed them to her.

Tori looked at me oddly. “We’ll watch all of them! It’s not a proper movie night if you only see one film.” She looked at the DVDs and raised an eyebrow. “Well, you’ve certainly chosen three of the most quotable movies of all time.” She held up the first. “You do realize that this one pokes fun at your religion?”

“Of course. My mother denounced it as the work of Satan, so naturally I’ve been wanting to see it ever since.”

Tori nodded. “Fair enough, Life of Brian it is.”

An hour and a half later, we were sprawled on the couch, gleefully whistling along with Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. I eyed the near-empty pizza boxes, but decided I’d probably already had one slice too many. “So,” asked Tori after the credits ended, “on a scale of one to ten, just how offended are you?”

“Hmmm. Maybe a three? It wasn’t really poking fun at Christianity per se, more at people who blindly follow any sort of belief system, rather than thinking for themselves.” I mused this for a moment. “Maybe that’s why my mother found it so offensive…”

Tori laughed. “Casablanca next? I can’t believe you’ve never seen one of the greatest films of all time!”

I shrugged, “it’s something I always meant to see, I just… never got around to it when I still had the chance.” Thankfully, the film lived up to its billing, one powerful scene made even more so by Tori standing up to belt out La Marseillaise with tears in her eyes. At the end of the movie, she turned to me and joined in with the last line.

“Katie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” I turned to look at her and saw… something in her eyes. “I mean that,” she continued softly. “I wasn’t just quoting the film. I know that it’s barely a day since we first met, but already I feel like we have this… connection.” Her eyes were searching my face, looking for a response.

“I feel something too,” I admitted, “I’m just not sure what yet. I mean, right now I’m so incredibly grateful to you for everything you’ve done for me that any other emotions I have are all mixed up with that. I guess what I’m saying is that I need a little time to untangle my feelings. Does that make any kind of sense?”

I saw something flash across Tori’s face – disappointment, perhaps? – and then her smile dropped into place. “Of course, I’m sorry. I forget we’re coming at this from very different angles.” Her voice took on a more teasing tone. “Me, the knight in shining armor, you the damsel in distress…”

“A damsel? True. In distress? Maybe, but I could have handled it!” I paused, “Still, I’m very glad I didn’t have to. Then I wouldn’t have made a really awesome new friend.” I reached out to touch her cheek briefly. “My feelings may be confused, but that much I’m sure of.”

Tori’s smile was now more genuine. “Thank-you.” We both sat there silently for a few moments. “So, ready for The Princess Bride?”

“Does it have a damsel in distress?”

“Actually, it does, although the closest thing to a knight in shining armor is a villain rather than a hero…” By this point we’d given up all pretense of sitting at opposite ends of the couch. Instead, I spent most of the movie with my feet tucked under me and my head resting on Tori’s shoulder, laughing while she gleefully recited what seemed like half the dialogue.

By the time the credits rolled, it was getting late. “Thanks for a really great evening,” I said, hiding a yawn, “I haven’t enjoyed myself this much in a very, very long time.”

“You’re welcome. I always love sharing some of my favorite movies with a new audience.”

“Well, I’d be more than happy to do it again whenever you fancy.”

“Gosh, you’re a cheap date!” said Tori, fighting back her own yawn, “but I think it’s time for us to get to bed… er… beds.”

“Probably a good idea,” I agreed, getting up and heading to my room.

“’Night, Kate.”

“Goodnight, Tori.” I shut the door, then leaned back heavily. My body might have been tired, but my mind was racing.

Kate

I woke up disoriented for the second morning in a row. I was in a bed again, but this time I was tangled up with another woman. When I remembered what had brought me there, I felt a rush of shame wash over me. The things I’d implied about Tori… I was thankful that she’d been so understanding and forgiving. I raised my head, looking around in the dim light until I saw the faintly glowing digits of a clock on the bedside table. I had a little while before I needed to get up.

Apparently that small movement was enough to disturb Tori. “Katie?” she asked in a sleepy voice, “you getting up?” Her arm tightened its grip, as if she didn’t want me to leave.

“Soon,” I replied, “I’d like to have a shower before I head to church.”

“Oh, right, it’s Sunday.” She rolled onto her back. “I hope you don’t mind if I stay in bed.”

“Of course not!” I turned to face her. “Look… I wanted to apologize again for last night. I was so wrapped up in my own issues that I didn’t realize how incredibly insulting my assumptions were. You’ve shown me nothing but kindness, and that was a poor way to repay you. I’m sorry.”

Tori reached up and pulled me into a fierce hug. “It’s okay, Katie, you’ve been through so much. It’s going to take you time to adjust, and I’m not going to judge you for that.” I realized that I was practically lying on top of her, and was suddenly acutely aware of all the places out bodies were pressed together, with just a couple of thin layers of fabric separating us. Summoning my courage, I placed a brief, tender kiss on her lips. “Katie…” she said, a warning tone in her voice.

“I want this,” I whispered. “Just this, nothing more, but I want it.” After a moment, I felt a hand slide to the back of my head and gently pull me in. The kiss that followed was anything but brief. “Wow,” I said afterwards, “now I understand what all the fuss is about!”

“Well, I wanted to make sure you had some sins worth confessing.” That made me laugh. “You probably want to be careful about stroking my ego like that, though.”

“Oh, I can think of other parts of you I’d rather stroke.” It felt good to tease Tori; I kissed her again before she could find a response. “Unfortunately I don’t have time for that right now.” Reluctantly, her arms released me and I slipped out of the bed. “You get some more beauty sleep, and I’ll see you later.”

“Mmmkay. Don’t forget your keys, and please take your phone with you.”

“As you wish,” I whispered as I left the room.

Freshly showered, and wearing some of the clothes Tori had given me, I headed out of the apartment. I felt like a completely different person from the one who first set foot in there barely a day and a half before. I walked the few blocks to the church with a new-found spring in my step. I’d been going there on and off over the past year, along with half a dozen others depending on where in the city I happened to be come Sunday morning. This one was my favorite, though, so I was pleased that it was the closest to Tori’s apartment.

I took my usual pew near the back, away from the regulars. Given my sporadic attendance, and the shame I’d felt at my homelessness and its cause, I’d never been comfortable with the idea of really becoming a part of the congregation. Usually, I just slipped in and out without ever interacting with anyone else. Thinking on my recently improved circumstances, I hoped that perhaps that could change.

It came as a shock when Father Ray stepped up to give his sermon, and chose as his topic the parable of the Good Samaritan, a story that suddenly felt achingly relevant to me. He talked about how, although we might live in the City of Angels, people’s first – and often only – instinct was usually to walk on by. I knew he was telling the truth; in all my time on the streets, Tori was the first passerby to do more for me than to drop a few coins in my begging cup.

After the sermon, the Father asked, as was his wont, if anyone had a story to share. I’d been tempted in the past to talk about some of my experiences but, uncertain as to how some of the details would be received, had preferred to keep my anonymity. Today, however, I felt compelled to walk up the aisle. The Father smiled at me, shook my hand, and led me over to the lectern. I looked nervously at my audience; this would be my first experience of public speaking, and I was going to have to ad-lib the whole thing.

“Hi, my name is Kate. Some of you might recognize me; I’ve been coming here once a month or so, sitting at the back with unkempt hair and dirty clothes. That’s because for the last year, I’ve been homeless, living on the streets since my parents threw me out.” There were a few small gasps from the congregation. “In that time, I’ve experienced first hand what Father Ray described in his sermon. We have a big problem with homelessness in this city, and people just don’t want to know about it. They prefer to simply ignore us.”

“For me, that all changed on Friday night when I found my very own Good Samaritan. Victoria rescued me from a guy who was going to beat me up over a place to sleep, and took me back to her apartment. She gave me a hot meal, a comfortable bed and, most precious of all, her friendship. In the morning, she told me I was welcome to stay as long as I needed, and asked for nothing in return. With that, she gave me something I was worried I would never have again: a home, and a chance to build a future for myself.”

“Now, I appreciate that few of us have the capacity or the opportunity for such a grand gesture, but next time you see someone in need, stop and think. If all you do is spare them some change and a kind word instead of walking on by, even that helps; believe me, I know. I’m not asking you to go out and change someone’s life, but if we could all be a little bit more like Victoria, imagine how much better the world would be. Thank-you.”

I hurried back down the aisle, then almost tripped over my own feet when I saw a familiar face right at the back, her eyes bright with tears. Tori slid along the pew, leaving a space for me. I sat down next to her; she wrapped an arm around my back and rested her head on my shoulder. We sat like that, neither moving nor speaking, until the end of the service.

“So,” I said conversationally, “fancy meeting you here.”

Tori had the good grace to look embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Kate. As you were leaving, I had this sudden irrational fear that you weren’t coming back.”

“You do realize that I have literally nowhere else to go, right?”

“I know, I know. Hence ‘irrational’. You can imagine what an ass I felt when you were standing up there making me out to be a saint. You do realize that I can never live up to that picture you painted.”

“That’s okay,” I said, bumping shoulders with her. “I don’t want the saintly Victoria, I just want my friend Tori. Come on, let’s go home.”

“Yes, let’s. What you just said makes me want to do things to you that aren’t appropriate for church.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were the one who said we should take things slowly.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Miss… I-don’t-actually-know-what-your-last-name-is! I was merely referring to some sweet lesbian kisses.”

“Marsh,” I said, “Kate Beverly Marsh.”

“Victoria Maribeth Chase,” she replied, sticking out her hand, “it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” I shook it, and we both laughed. As we headed out of the church, we were politely accosted by Father Ray.

“Kate, thank-you so much for sharing your story with us. I think you gave my congregation something to think about.” He glanced at my companion. “Is this perhaps Victoria?”

“Guilty as charged,” she muttered.

“You are an inspiration to us all, young lady.”

Tori was clearly embarrassed. “Would you believe me if I told you I was lonely and this was just a desperate attempt to pick up a new housemate?”

He chuckled. “A good deed is still a good deed, whatever the motivation. You ladies look after each other, and I hope to see you next week.”

“What did he mean by ‘look after each other’?” asked Tori as we walked away. “Do you think he knows we’re…”

“Madly in love?” I suggested, grinning.

“You know what I mean!”

“Well, ministers tend to be a fairly perceptive bunch. It’s pretty much a requirement of the job…”

Kate

I’m not sure how long we spent making out on the couch. It was a while. To be honest, I didn’t want it to end; kissing Tori was intoxicating. Eventually, I pulled back because I was starting to get a little bit too tempted to ditch the go-slow plan. Tori was already moving forward again when the phone rang. “Saved by the bell!” she said with a smirk; then, after a couple of seconds, “are you going to answer that?”

I’d forgotten I had a phone, and to be fair, I hadn’t known until then what the ringtone was. I grabbed it off the table, and flipped it open to answer. “Hi, Max,” I said, knowing that nobody else had my number.

“Hey, Kate! We were wondering if you and Tori wanted to come over and hang out with us this afternoon. We can play a bunch of board games, and Chloe claims she can manage something edible for dinner.”

“I heard that!” came a faint voice in the background.

I looked over at Tori. “Max and Chloe have invited us over for the afternoon. What do you think?”

“Sounds good!” she replied, eagerly.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” laughed Max, obviously having heard her. “Just come over whenever you’re ready. We’ll see you soon.”

“Okay, bye.” I hung up. “She said we can go over whenever.”

“Cool. There’s just something I want to ask you first.” She slid down off the sofa, landing on one knee, and took my hand. I barely had time to react before she popped the question: “Kate Marsh, will you do me the honor of being… my girlfriend?”

I gaped at her for a moment. “You almost gave me a heart attack! I meant what I said earlier, but still…”

“I’m sorry,” she said, with a marked lack of contrition. “You haven’t answered my question, through.”

“Yes, you dummy!” I replied, and followed through with a kiss; which turned into several more.

“So, do you mind if we walk over to Max and Chloe’s place rather than drive? It’s less than half an hour, and that means I can drink if I want to. We can always call an Uber if it gets late and we don’t want to walk back.”

“That’s fine; trust me, I’m used to walking everywhere.” As promised, it took about twenty-five minutes to get there, not counting a quick stop for us to pick up some drinks. The door was opened by a striking young woman with blue hair and a tattooed arm.

“Hi, Victoria, good to see you again.”

“You too, Chloe; I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Kate.”

She blinked slowly, then stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Kate.”

I shook it, smiling at her. “Likewise. Thanks for inviting me over.”

“Uh, Max,” she called back into the apartment, “is there an itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny little thing that you forgot to mention?”

Max hurried into view, drying off her hands on a tea-towel. “Hi Tori, hi Kate.” Then to Chloe, “what do you mean?”

“You told me that Victoria had a new roommate, not a new girlfriend. I thought you said they only met on Friday night.”

“Wait, what?” Max looked at Tori, “you’re kidding?” My girlfriend shook her head. Max looked at me, apparently the more trustworthy one. “You’re not kidding?”

“She went down on one knee, and everything.” I struck a dramatic pose with the back of one hand against my forehead. “It was so romantic.”

“Or a desperate attempt to lure Kate back into my bed.”

“Back?” asked the all-too-observant Max.

I decided to answer quickly, before Tori dug us any deeper. “I had a bit of… an emotional rough spot last night. Tori made sure I didn’t have to go through it alone. Sorry to disappoint you, but nothing past first base.” Then, sotto voce, “story of my life.”

Max looked at me, then at Tori. “Trust me, she’s worth the wait.” I felt my cheeks flushing.

Chloe elbowed her in the ribs. “Hey! I’m standing right here.”

“I waited much longer for you,” said Max; then in a deep, husky voice, “and it was so worth it.”

Chloe grinned. “Nice recovery! Anyway, you guys should come on in.” Their apartment was rather smaller than Tori’s, and looked to have only one bedroom. The décor couldn’t have been more different, either. There was an eclectic selection of furniture, and the walls were covered in posters and photographs; one was a single massive collage of Polaroids.

“So,” Max asked me, “ready to play some games? Don’t worry if you haven’t seen any of them before, we’re good at teaching, and they’re all a lot of fun. Somehow you don’t strike me as the hyper-competitive sort who throws a hissy fit if they don’t win.”

I smiled at her. “No, indeed not. That wouldn’t be very Christian of me, would it?” Chloe was setting up a game on the dining table; it seemed to involve a map of the country and lots of cards with pictures of train carriages on. Max explained the rules to me, and it seemed straightforward enough. Chloe dealt us all a hand of cards, we picked our colors and the game was on. It was all very civilized to start with; we chatted happily away while we played. Soon, though, things started to go wrong.

As Tori claimed a section of track, Max glared at her. “Oh, come on, Tori! Did you really have to do that? It was obvious I needed to go there!”

“I don’t see your name on it,” she retorted. “Besides, I needed that track too!”

“Fear not,” declared Chloe, who was next, “I shall avenge you!” She laid some of her trains down, taking the one section of track needed to join the two halves of Tori’s network together.

“Well, that was really mature,” said Tori, her voice dripping with sarcasm

“Plus,” said Max, “you’ve blocked off my only alternative route!” After that, the three of them spent much of the rest of the game gleefully blocking each other, leaving me to monopolize the east coast and Canadian border with little opposition. Seeing as I was the only one who actually seemed to be playing to win, when we counted up the final scores at the end of the game the result wasn’t much of a surprise.

“Victory goes to the gaming virgin!” Chloe announced, gleefully.

I flushed. “Only because the rest of you were too busy sabotaging each other to complete your own tickets…”

“Yes, well,” said Tori, slightly embarrassed, “we’re not normally like that. Usually we manage somewhat more adult behavior.”

“Speak for yourself,” muttered Max, shooting a mock glare at Chloe – who merely grinned broadly in response. “Anyway, I think it’s time for us to start on the beer.” Tori retrieved our bags from the door and passed drinks around, including a Diet Coke for me. Our hosts busied themselves clearing the table and setting up the next game, which seemed to be a somewhat convoluted process involving a lot of hexagonal tiles and numbered tokens. “Don’t worry,” said Max with a grin. “It’s not as complicated as it looks; just don’t expect your beginner’s luck to work as well this time.”

Her warning proved true. It quickly became obvious that thanks to not knowing what I was doing, I’d pretty much taken myself out of contention with the placement of my initial settlements. Still, I was hoping that there were plenty more afternoons like this in my future, so I used the game as a learning experience in the hope that I could do better next time. In any case, win or lose, I was having a lot of fun both with the game, and with the banter around the table. “So…” began Chloe, “I’ve got wood for sheep.”

Max groaned, and I flushed when I realized why. From her pained expression, I had a feeling that this was not a new joke. Tori was more vocal. “Really, Price? You don’t even have the equipment for that.”

Chloe leaned forward with an enormous grin. “Oh, but I do, Victoria. Would you like me to fetch it for you?”

“I really did not need to know that,” she replied with a faintly nauseated expression.

Max gave Chloe a weak punch to the shoulder. “Seriously, Chloe, not cool. I prefer to keep our… private life private, especially with my ex in the room. Plus, you seem to have turned poor Kate the color of an over-ripe tomato.” I had, by that point, figured out exactly what Chloe had been referring to.

“Sorry,” said Chloe unrepentantly. Then, looking at me, she repeated it more gently. “I really am sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“That’s okay,” I said slowly. For some reason, that simple apology was the final straw. The way that these three women had welcomed me into their lives stood in stark contrast to the way that my own mother had rejected me. It was time to return the favor; to shake off the last vestiges of parental dogma. I’d been given a second chance, and I was damned if I wasn’t going to grab it with both hands; to embrace these people who cared about me and not just themselves. I schooled my face into a carefully innocent expression. “If you let me know where you picked it up, we can call it quits.”

Tori choked on her beer. Max’s eyes went as wide as saucers. Chloe’s face took on a distinctly gleeful expression and she reached forward to offer me a high five. “I like you,” she said with feeling as I slapped my hand against hers. “Victoria, you need to make sure that Kate stays. I have a hunch that she isn’t going to stand for any of your bullshit.”

“I was already planning on it,” said Tori, “and now it seems that my future will be even more… interesting,” she finished with a smirk, before turning to me. “Not quite what I was expecting after seeing you in church this morning.”

“Wait,” said Max, “Kate got you to go to church?”

“More like she stalked me there,” I clarified, “worried that I was going to run out on her.”

“I’m not worried any more,” she said softly, kissing me on the cheek. “So, whose turn was it?”

Chloe lit up. “I’ve got…”

“We remember,” Max cut her off. “Here’s your bleating sheep…” It took us another hour or so for us to finish the game, with Max claiming the laurels. We decided on one more game before we ate; this time something cooperative where we tried to save the world from multiple virus outbreaks. On our first attempt, we barely survived for fifteen minutes before the Black Death wiped out most of Russia and the Middle East.

Our second attempt went somewhat better as we raced against time to finish the final two cures, while I flew around the board healing the populations of the afflicted cities. Chloe punched the air in victory as we succeeded with a scant two turns to spare; then she got up to make a start on dinner while the others packed the game away. Once Tori and Max got into an involved discussion about photographic techniques, I decided to see if I could help out in the kitchen.

“Hey,” I said to Chloe, “could you use a sous-chef?”

“Yes, please! There’s not much chance of me getting any help out of those two now that they’ve started one of their little debates.” Chloe soon had me cutting up tomatoes, bell peppers and onions; she mashed avocados, chopped chillies and sliced chicken breasts. Once that was done, she got a wok set up on the stove. “Do you mind starting on the frying while I finish up the pico and guac?”

I smiled, “of course not. Other than making pancakes for Tori yesterday, this is the first cooking I’ve done in ages.” My expression darkened. “It’s about the only thing I remember enjoying doing with my mother.” Chloe rested her hand on my shoulder for a moment, and I could see from the compassion in her eyes that Max had told her my tale. I braced myself to have the past dredged up again, but instead she just gave me a brief squeeze, then explained what she needed me to do.

Kate

I simply stared at Tori, my mind reeling, trying to process how I felt about what she’d just said, how I felt about her. I’d spent a vast amount of time over the previous couple of days working to untangle all of my emotions towards this woman, without much success. Then I remembered the words I’d spoken – almost unconsciously – as I was leaving her room that morning, and I realized that I already had my reply.

I felt a huge smile spread across my face, and I pulled Tori back into a crushing embrace. “I love you too,” I whispered in her ear. We stayed like that for a few moments before continuing the journey home. Our hands instinctively found each other, and we walked the rest of the way in contented silence.

The moment our apartment door closed behind us, we were kissing. I’m honestly not sure which of us started it, but neither of us had the slightest interest in stopping. I stumbled backwards and fell onto the couch with Tori on top of me. Her lips left mine and kissed a trail across my cheek and round my neck. Her hands roamed across my body, and when one moved to cup my breast, I gasped.

She immediately sat up. “I’m so sorry, Katie, I got carried away, and for a moment there I forgot…”

Sitting up, I cupped her cheek with my hand. “That’s okay,” I said, then kissed her softly. “You have nothing to apologize for.” I could tell she was still upset, though. “Why don’t I make us some hot chocolate, and then we can talk about this?”

After a moment, Tori nodded. “That does sound good,” she admitted with a small smile. I busied myself in the kitchen, remembering where everything I needed was from my investigations the previous morning. Soon, I had two steaming mugs ready, and took them back to the couch where Tori was waiting for me. She sipped at the drink I gave her. “Thanks, Kate.”

“First things first,” I said, looking straight at her. “You’ve done nothing wrong. The moment you even suspected that I might be uncomfortable, you stopped what you were doing, gave me space, and apologized. Do you have any idea how safe, how cared for that makes me feel?”

Tori ducked her head, seemingly trying to avoid the compliment. “But I touched your… I touched you without permission, after we’d agreed we were going to take things slowly.”

“Your hand wandered onto my breast – over clothes – while we were in the middle of a heavy make out session that I was eagerly participating in and clearly enjoying. So you got slightly carried away in the heat of the moment; at worst that was a little bit forward, but maybe it was simply the next step of the go-slow plan.”

Tori seemed somewhat, if not entirely convinced. “But the way you reacted…”

“Could simply have been surprise at a touch which was unexpected, but not unwelcome. It might even have been a noise of pleasure. Just because you assumed the worst doesn’t make it so.” I very deliberately reached out, took Tori’s hand, and placed it back where it had been. At first, she froze; then, after I gave her an encouraging smile, she began to move her hand. After a few seconds, she pulled back.

“Well,” she said with a rueful smile, “it feels like you’re wearing a padded T-shirt bra, so I’m not sure that was going to do much for either of us.”

“See? Nothing to worry about,” I said. “Although you might want to wait until I’m wearing some more grope-friendly attire before trying that again.” I grinned as Tori flushed a little. “Speaking of which, I should probably go and get changed for bed soon.” Seeing how flustered she looked, I relented and took on a more serious tone. “Are we okay?”

“Yes.” Tori smiled. “Yes we are. I’m sorry; I’m just having a little trouble reconciling the serious Kate who stood up and made that speech in church this morning with the flirty Katie who managed to joke about a strap-on this afternoon. I guess I’m little bit confused and unsure about how to act with you when it comes to… this stuff,” she finished lamely.

That gave me pause. “I guess I have been sending you somewhat mixed signals, so let me try and clear that up. When I said I want to take our physical relationship slowly, I didn’t mean that I want to stop moving forward, just that I don’t want to rush anything. Your little boob-grope was fine; sticking your hand down my panties would not have been.”

“I would never do that!” exclaimed Tori.

I raised an eyebrow. “I’m kinda hoping that you will, just… not for a while yet.” I ignored the fact that Tori now had her face in her hands and pressed on. “I want you to push the boundaries; just, do it slowly, and one small step at a time. Give me a chance to stop you, or to say ‘no’ – or simply ask first. I trust you not to go too far, and you can trust me to let you know if anything you do makes me uncomfortable.”

Tori looked at me for a moment; processing, I guess. “Okay,” she said at last, smiling. “I can work with that.”

“Good. So, do you have any ground rules for me?”

She appeared to consider that for a moment, then shook her head. “Go as far as you want, as fast as you want; I trust you to stop if I ask you to. But don’t do anything to me that you’re not ready for me to do to you.”

I nodded. “That’s fair enough.” We both sat quietly for a little while, waiting to see if the other had anything else to say. Eventually, I drained the last of my chocolate and then broke the silence. “I’m really glad we had this talk, but if we’re done, I’d like to get back to the kissing; although maybe we should leave the wandering hands for another day.” Tori gave me a wicked grin, so I climbed into her lap and picked up where we’d left off.

I’m not sure how long we stayed like that, but at last Tori gently pushed me back. “Much as I’d love to continue this, I need to head to bed; I have early classes tomorrow.”

I looked at her blankly for a moment before I realize. “Oh, right, it’s Monday tomorrow.” I smiled. “My favorite day of the week.”

Tori looked at me like I’d grown an extra head or something. “Really? Almost everyone I know hates Mondays.”

I shrugged. “The life I was living… one day is pretty much the same as another. On some Mondays, though, my mother works in the admin office at her church. That means there’s a chance I can safely spend a couple of hours with my sisters after school, and they’ll still be home before she is.” I hesitated for a moment. “What time do you get off classes tomorrow?”

“Four,” replied Tori. “Why? Did you want a ride?”

“No, it’s actually an easy trip on the bus from here. I… I was wondering if maybe you’d be willing to meet them. I know it’s really soon, but obviously they’re going to pick up that that I’ve had a change of circumstances. Knowing Lynn and Ruth, they’re going to want to thank you.”

Tori just looked at me for a moment, her expression unreadable, then she smiled. “I’d love to. It means a lot that you want them to meet me. Besides, I already inflicted Max and Chloe on you, so it only seems fair!”

“Thanks for doing this, Tori.” I explained to her where my sisters’ school was. “Text me when you get out of class, and I’ll let you know if they’re able to spend time with me, and exactly where we are.” We both got up; I went to the kitchen to wash up the mugs and pan, Tori to the bathroom. Upon emerging, she gave me one last, minty kiss, then we said our goodnights and headed to bed.

Kate

I’d been living with Tori for just under a month when I felt like I’d pulled myself together enough to start thinking about my future; the first step was for me to complete my education. I was nervous about discussing it with her, as it entailed the possibility of me leaving LA… moving away from her. I’d spent most of the day preparing a special meal to soften her up before that conversation.

When Tori came home to find me in the second-hand finery of what I supposed must be a cocktail dress, she gave me a big smile. “You look ravishing. What’s all this in aid of?” She gestured at the table, topped with a cloth and candles.

I smiled back. “I wanted to do something nice for you, get your weekend off to a good start. There is something I need to talk to you about, but that can wait until after we’ve eaten. Dinner should be ready in about half an hour; why don’t you go change into something more comfortable?”

Tori sniffed the air. “Whatever it is smells incredible.” She gave me a brief kiss. “I’ll grab a quick shower, and then I think I should dress up rather than down!”

It was much later, while we were lingering over the chocolate mousse, that I finally broached the subject. “So, yesterday I started seriously thinking about going back to university. I made a couple of calls, and there’s a pretty good chance that I could get back into my old school; failing that I can definitely transfer my credits to another course elsewhere. It’s just… there’s a good chance this is going to mean me moving away, and…” I hesitated. “I know you said you were happy to pay for it, but I can’t ask you to do that if it ends up with us not being together any more.”

Tori simply smiled at me. “Well, there’s a simple answer to your dilemma. I’m guessing that either way, you wouldn’t be starting until the fall?” I nodded. “My course finishes this summer, and I don’t really have anything specific planned after that. Something to do with photography, almost certainly, and that doesn’t need to be tied to one place. Yes, this apartment is our home, and I’m not sure I’m ready to completely leave it behind, but there’s no reason we can’t get another place wherever you end up going, and come back here in the holidays, and the odd weekend when we feel like it.”

“You… you would come with me?”

“Of course! I don’t want to do the long distance thing, and I certainly don’t want to break up with you, so that’s a no-brainer. I’m not saying there won’t be times when we’re apart for a few days, but I’d like that to be the exception rather than the rule. I mean… if that’s okay with you?”

I leaned over and kissed her. “That sounds wonderful.”

“Then go for it. Whether it’s back to your old school, or somewhere else, find the course that’s best for you; we can worry about the logistics later.”

I got off my chair and pulled her into another, longer kiss. “What did I ever do to deserve you?” It was a rhetorical question, so I kissed Tori again to spare her from trying to find an answer. Then, I made a quick decision: it was time. I gave her one last, brief kiss on the lips and then pulled back. “I think I’m going to head to bed early tonight; I can do the dishes in the morning.”

Tori didn’t quite manage to hide her disappointment, but she smiled nonetheless. “That’s okay, there’s a book I wanted to finish. Sleep well, Katie.”

After a brief detour to the bathroom, I went to my room. I stripped off the dress and plain undergarments, then looked at my naked body in the full-length mirror. I’d put on a fair bit of weight over the past few weeks. Rather than having prominent bones showing through my skin, I had feminine curves. Sure, I wasn’t as beautiful as Tori, but I had to admit that I looked pretty damn good.

I opened my underwear drawer and took out a couple of items I’d bought earlier in the week, having decided that I was almost ready for what I was now about to do. I slipped into the lacy thong, and a sheer camisole that left very little to the imagination. I’d felt a little bit guilty at how much of the ‘spending money’ Tori had insisted on giving me I’d dropped on them – until I realized that they were more for her benefit than mine. I took a deep breath and stepped out into the living area.

True to her word, Tori was curled up on the couch, reading a book. “I thought you were going to sleep,” she said, not looking up.

“I said I was going to bed,” I replied softly, “I never mentioned anything about sleep. In fact, I have other plans – and I would very much like it if you’d join me.” That got Tori’s attention, and her eyes widened as she took in my outfit. I did a slow twirl to give her the full effect.

“You’re… you’re wearing a thong,” she managed at last.

“Yes, and I had no idea how uncomfortable they are,” I said with feeling. “I was rather hoping that you might help me out of it,” I finished shyly.

Slowly, Tori got up and came over to me. “Are you sure about that? You’re not just doing his because…”

I cut her off with a shake of my head. “No. I’ve been pretty much ready for this for a while now; I was just waiting for… the right moment.” I hesitated for a moment, then continued. “And that’s enough talking for now. I’ve got better things to do with my mouth.”

Tori pulled me into a passionate kiss. “Like that?”

“A good start,” I replied, “but not the lips I was thinking of licking…” I turned, and sauntered into the bedroom. Tori wasn’t far behind.

Kate

It was a Saturday morning in late April when a knock came at the apartment door – we’d long since accepted that it was far too easy for people to get into the building without us having to buzz them through. Waiting outside when I opened it was a woman who looked to be around fifty or so; she seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn’t quite figure out why. From the look she gave me, I clearly wasn’t who she was expecting.

“Is Victoria home?” she asked, uncertainly.

“Yes, she’s just in the shower.” There was an awkward silence, and I decided I should introduce myself. “I’m Kate, Tori’s fiancée.” The woman’s eyes widened in shock. “And you are…?”

It took her a few moments to collect herself. “I’m Anne, Victoria’s mother.” The one who threw her out for being gay, just like mine did. I suddenly found myself in an incredibly awkward situation: as sure as I was that Tori wouldn’t want to see her mother, it really wasn’t my place to send her away.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Chase,” I said, lying through my teeth. I let her into the apartment and gestured towards the couch. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable, I’ll let Tori know that you’re here.” Not waiting for an answer, I hurried to our bedroom, grabbed some clothes, and then slipped into the bathroom.

Tori was just stepping out of the shower, and I couldn’t help admiring her wet, naked body. “I’m afraid you missed the show,” she said, smirking as she wrapped herself in a towel; then she caught my expression. “What is it?”

“Your mother is here.”

“What? Here as in ‘at our door?’”

“Here as in ‘on our couch.’”

“You let her in?”

“She’d managed to get past the front door. What else was I supposed to do?” Tori sighed and shrugged. “I brought you some clothes; I thought you’d prefer not to face her in nothing but a towel.”

She managed a small smile. “Thanks, Katie, I appreciate that. Um… would you mind putting some coffee on? I have a feeling I’m going to need it.”

I returned to the main room. “Tori will be out in a little while. Can I get you anything to drink?”

“A black coffee would be lovely, thank-you.” I busied myself with that; thankfully, Anne had the good grace not to try and make conversation.

A couple of minutes later, Tori emerged from the bathroom. “Hello, mother,” she said coldly.

Anne got up slowly and turned to look at her daughter. “Oh, Victoria,” she said, “I am so very sorry.” And then she promptly burst into tears. Tori shot me a look filled with surprise and confusion. Hesitantly, she stepped forward and enfolded her mother in an awkward embrace. After a minute or two, she guided her back to the couch and sat down next to her. I took that as my cue take over their coffees. I was wondering whether I should retreat to the bedroom and give them some privacy, but Tori gave me a look that clearly said she wanted me to stay, so I sat on her other side.

“Why?” Tori asked simply. I wasn’t sure exactly what she was asking; I don’t know if even she did. Nonetheless, her mother seemed to understand what answer was needed.

“When you came out to us, I was completely blindsided; I hadn’t seen the slightest hint that you might be gay. It was a shock, and my immediate response came from a place of prejudice and hatred. I have no excuse for that, and the deep regret I’ve come to feel about it is something I’m going to have to carry with me forever. By the time my initial reaction had burned out, you were long gone, and I was too proud to admit that I was wrong. Once I’d finally got past that, it was too late, and I didn’t feel like I deserved you any more.”

She paused. “May I ask you one question?” Tori studied her, then slowly nodded. “Are you happy?”

Tori turned to me, and we shared a look filled with all of our love. “Yes,” she said, “I’ve never been happier.”

Anne bowed her head. “Then that’s all I needed to know; to be happy for you, and to be sure that I was wrong. I know that I must be the most terrible mother ever, but I hope that someday you will be able to find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“You’re not,” I said.

“I’m sorry?”

“You’re not the most terrible mother ever. You may have disowned Tori, but you knew she had somewhere to go, and more than enough money to support herself. My mother threw me out on the streets with nothing but the clothes I was wearing, then made sure that there wasn’t anything left of my old life for me to go back to – and that’s not even the worst of it. I’d been homeless for over a year before Tori rescued me and gave me a place to stay.”

Anne looked stricken. “I didn’t even think about that.”

“And what if I had been in Kate’s position?” asked Tori.

“I… I hope that when I realized what I’d done, I would have put aside my anger and my pride, and done whatever was necessary to bring you home.” She paused, and then whispered, “that’s what I should have done anyway.”

“Yes, you should,” said Tori hoarsely, but now she was crying too. Suddenly, the two of them were clinging to each other, sobbing. They stayed like that for a good few minutes before finally settling back. “Why now?” asked Tori.

“It’s because of your father,” she replied. “The cancer came back.” Seeing Tori’s stony-faced reaction, she continued, “knowing that I’m probably going to lose him, and there’s nothing I can do about it… That made me realize that I’d already lost you, and that it was entirely my own fault; but that perhaps it wasn’t too late to undo some of the damage.”

“What about him, is he okay with this now?” Anne’s reply was a sad shake of the head. “Then I can’t come home, not unless he can find it in himself to accept who I am, and accept Kate.” She pulled me into a sideways hug. “If you can do that, then you’re welcome to visit us here.”

Anne looked Tori right in the eye. “If I wasn’t ready to accept who you are, then I would never have come here in the first place. If I couldn’t accept Kate, then I would have simply walked away when she told me that you two are engaged. Congratulations, by the way,” she finished warmly.

“Thank-you,” said Tori, and it seemed genuine. After a moment, she turned to me with a frown. “Why would you tell my mother that?”

“I didn’t know she was your mother,” I shrugged. “When a stranger at the door asked if you were home, I simply introduced myself as your fiancée.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Tori turned back to her mother. “So, how long are you in town?”

“Just for the weekend; I got in late last night, and I need to fly back tomorrow at the latest; your father has more chemo on Monday.”

Tori considered for a moment. “Well, if you don’t already have a place sorted for tonight, you’re welcome to stay here.”

I hadn’t expected that and neither, it seemed, had her mother. “Thank-you, that’s very kind; I think I’d like that. It would be really nice to be able to spend some time with you again. We have a lot of lost time to make up for, and I know that’s entirely my fault. I’d also like to get to know my future daughter-in-law.”

Victoria finally smiled. “That sounds good. I should warn you that we’re expecting company this evening. You remember my friend Max?” Anne nodded. “She and her girlfriend are coming over for dinner tonight.”

“I’d like to see Max again. She moved in here with you initially, didn’t she?”

“Yes, she was here until late last year.”

Anne hesitated. “Were you and Max…? I’m sorry, that’s none of my business.”

I thought I understood why she was asking, and it seemed that Tori did too. “It’s okay, and no, that’s not the reason we moved in together. We did end up dating for a few months – she was my first girlfriend – but that was much later, after… you and I were no longer talking. Anyway, Max and I soon figured out that we worked better as just best friends, and we’re both the happier for it.” She leaned over and gave me a kiss.

Anne smiled. “I’m just glad that you’ve got people around you who do understand and accept who you are.”

“Thanks, mom. I wouldn’t have believed an hour ago that I’d be saying this, but I’m actually really happy you’re here.” Well, it was a start.

Kate

The day had finally come. Lynn and Ruth were helping me into my dress, and somewhere nearby Max and Chloe would be helping Tori into hers. Thankfully, I’d never been one to imagine a big church wedding, because obviously that wasn’t an option for us. Instead, we were having a small civil ceremony in the beautiful garden of the Chase house – Tori had finally been willing to go there again after her father passed away.

It was strange to look back at the road which had led me there. Those long months of homelessness felt like a distant nightmare, and yet I wouldn’t wish them away even if I could. That time shaped what I wanted to do with my life, causing me to refocus my studies away from my art and into social work. Now that I had my degree, I was looking forward to using it to help people who were going through the same thing that I did. More importantly, it was my time on the streets that led me to Tori, and I would gladly go through all of that again rather than give her up.

At last, I was ready to go, and opened the doors to where my father was waiting for me. He sat down heavily, and began dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief. “Oh, Katie, you look so beautiful.”

I smiled at him. “Thanks, daddy.” We’d made good progress over the past few months, started to rebuild our relationship. That day when I introduced Tori to my parents was the first time he’d stood up to my mother, chosen me over her, and he’d continued to do so – not just for me, but for Ruth and Lynn too. I knew in my heart of hearts that if it had just been him, I would never have been thrown out, or sent to the conversion camp – but he still went along with my mother, and I wasn’t ready to completely forgive him yet.

He led me downstairs, and out into the garden. When I saw Tori and Anne emerging from the other end of the house, my heart and feet stopped. It was, of course, the first time I’d seen her dress, and the sight of her in it was the most beautiful thing I could have ever imagined. When I saw the same awestruck look on her face that I was sure must be on my own, my heart leapt with joy. After a moment, I managed to start walking again, up the short aisle flanked by our friends, to where Father Ray was waiting for us. A few moments later, Tori was beside me, taking my hand and giving me her dazzling smile.

The Father had long since admitted that he suspected there was something between Tori and me that very first time we met him – not least because he guessed the unspoken reason behind my homelessness. He’d always been supportive and accepting, both when I went to church alone, or on those rare occasions when Tori went with me. When I told him we were getting married, he’d immediately volunteered his services, even if it was only as a civil celebrant rather than in his official capacity.

“Dearly beloved,” he began in the time-honored fashion. Most of the ceremony feels like a blur now; reciting the vows we’d written, exchanging the rings, and the kiss the sealed it. But one moment is still etched on my memory: when I stared into Tori’s eyes and uttered those two simple words.

“I do.”