Alice took hold of Kerry’s hand and leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. The two women had been dating for a little over a month and were content with their casual relationship. They had formed a strong bond that resulted from their common struggle to conquer their broken hearts.

Alice glanced around The Planet hoping Shane, Carmen, Bette, Tina, and Jenny would arrive soon. She had set up the meeting to finally introduce Kerry to the gang.

Kerry noticed the nervous look in Alice’s eyes, “Hey, if you’re not ready for this then I can leave.”

Alice shook her head, “No, I’m ready. It just feels weird, calling a family meeting, but leaving Dana out. I know I’m not prepared to rebuild our friendship, but I guess for the first time I’m realizing how incomplete the group feels without her.”

Kerry gave the writer a sincere smile and reached for her hand, “You know I’m here for you, and whenever you’re ready to face Dana I promise I will give you all the support you need.”

Before Alice could respond the brunette’s pager went off. Kerry picked up the beeping object and sighed in frustration, “It’s the hospital. I’m gonna go call them and see what’s up. Are you going to be ok?” Alice nodded her head as Kerry stood up from her seat and made her way towards the exit.

Leaning on her elbows, Alice let her head fall into her hands. She took a few deep breaths while closing her eyes. Three months had passed since her relationship with Dana had ended. By no means had she put her feelings for the tennis player behind her, but she was learning to cope with her immense feeling of loss. Alice could have easily fallen into an abyss of self-pity, but with the help of her friends and Kerry she had kept her head above the dark waters, and was slowly learning how to swim again.

Opening her eyes and raising her head to see if Kerry was on her way back in; Alice spotted Shane and Carmen entering the building. A large smile spread across her lips, and she waved her hand in the air to grab their attention.