Alice sat at her place waiting for Dana who’d never shown up at The Planet like they’d planned. She had called more times than she could count and had just about given up. She was sitting on the couch feet tucked up under her, her laptop on her table in front of her. She was staring at the blank page, unable to put any thoughts into words. Then the phone rang, she snatched it up, eyes lighting up as she saw that it was Dana on the ID caller.

            “DANA! Where are you?” Alice almost yelled relieved that her girlfriend was ok, not laying in a ditch somewhere maimed.

            “Alice, are you sitting down? Like really sitting down? My mom left my dad! She left him! She’s babbling about girlfriends and falling in love! Alice, what do I do?” Alice was stunned, she sat up slowly unfolding her legs and standing up, both her feet stinging and tingly from having been sitting on them for so long.

            “Dana, how about you slow down and I’ll be over in like, 20 minutes? She left him?” Alice said, sliding her feet into her shoes as she dug around for her keys. She found them, and jiggled them around as Dana kept babbling Alice rolled her eyes and thought that Dana must have gotten the babbling thing from her mother.  “Dane! Dana! I’m going over let the expert deal with this.” She hung up the phone, turning to the empty room and said.  “How the hell do we fix this?”

*****

            Tim slid into the bed trying not to wake the slumbering Vanessa, he failed and she turned to him. She grabbed his shoulder and pulled him close kissing his chest as he lay next to her, gathering her in his arms.

            “Feeling better?” Tim asked softly and she nodded reaching up and he kissed her lips, she sighed softly against him.

            “Tim?” She said in a soft voice and he nodded his eyebrows shooting up in questioning.

            “Yeah?” Tim said back, tired and wanting to get some sleep.

            “How about we push back the wedding, how about a Christmas wedding? So that Alex can get back on her feet?” Tim regarded her for a long moment and smiled kissing her up turned nose and she pinched his cheek.

            “We can wait ’til spring if you want anything. I have one question to ask.” He said in a serious voice and she nodded.

            “Is your sister going to wear a dress? Because I think Alex would look hot in a dress, and I’m not sure how you’re going to feel about me thinking your sister is hot and such….” He said and she figured out that he was playing and she pushed him onto his back straddling him. She began to tickle him and he laughed, tossing her onto her back and leaning down to kiss her.

            “Whenever you want Nessa now or tomorrow or in a month or a year we can get married.” Vanessa pulled him close and kissed him pulling the covers up over their head and laughing. Sleeping could most definitely wait a while.


*****
Regret
9/11/04
Jaded-Rogue

I’m not longer alone
My memories live with me
Partners in my home
Regret is her name

Now I feel free
Unbridled
I finally express all the things I feel
I watch the new days sun rise

Someday I’ll find peace
Within myself
Today is a new day
Let the sun rise

I’ve lost myself
In my daily life
Lost my way
In my heart

I’ve purged myself
Of my love
Cleansed my soul
With all my sin

I know there is no going back