“I don’t want to dream tonite.” Bette said, still shaking. Water dripped from her hair and she look mournfully at Helena as she was pushed down onto the bed.

“You won’t dream anything you don’t have to dream.” Helena insisted. “Everything is going to be ok…” Her voice lulled Bette to sleep almost immediately. She could feel and see her own breath caress Bette’s hair as she watched her sleep. Her arms stayed tight around Bette’s torso as she kept watch.

At half past three in the morning, Helena woke to see an unfamiliar blonde woman in their room.

“Hello.” She said, sitting up. She was still fully clothed, but for some reason, she registered that both of her legs were intact. Something was definitely off, but she felt ok that this reality was not a permanent one. “Are you Tina?” She asked.

The blonde woman nodded, smiling.

“Well…” Helena looked Tina over. “You look all right.”

“I am all right.” Tina said calmly. “You need to tell Bette that.” She nodded toward the sleeping woman between them. Bette’s forehead was furrowed with fear and stress. “No such thing as death…” She said.

“Only a change of worlds.” Helena finished. “You should tell her yourself.” She added.

“I will…but she’s not ready to hear it all yet. Bette is far too insistent that life not move on—it’s not her fault, but she believes that grief necessitates holding onto the past.” Tina sat carefully beside Bette, looking lovingly down at her.

“I’m so sorry.” Helena said sadly.

“It’s ok. I mean it’s not, but it is…you know?” Tina replied. “Your daughter is really beautiful.” Her face seemed to glow as Helena looked at her. “New life always follows death, like spring follows winter…” Her words chased Helena into waking life.

Bette’s head lay heavily upon Helena’s chest when she opened her eyes. 

“Sweetheart…darling…wake up.” Helena murmured against the top of Bette’s head, burrowing her nose in thick hair.

“wha…” Bette woke anxiously. “everything ok?” She glanced over beside the bed, to where their daughter slept.

“Absolutely ok.” Helena replied, sitting up and roughly pulling off her shirt. Bette helped her to remove her pants before covering them both with blankets and cuddling close.

The baby cooed in her sleep and they both looked over, waiting. They relaxed again when Caiohme’s breathing evened out again.

“I know it’s strange…” Helena began.

“What’s strange?” Bette asked quietly. Her limbs were tired and cold and she pressed them as close to her girlfriend as she could.

“This…life…” Helena said. “But…we have to embrace it somehow.”

Bette sighed, trailing warm air across Helena’s neck. “Ok.” She said simply. She shivered again, partly for effect, and Helena complied by wrapping her arms more tightly around her. “I love you.” She murmured, falling into dreamless sleep again.

Helena smiled, thinking again that this would all turn out all right somehow. “I love you.” She replied.