What are you thinking about? Now that the morning sun was streaming into the lodge room, Jodi chose to communicate in sign, as she did often after she and Bette had been intimate.

Bette pointed her index finger towards Jodi. You.

Jodi playfully nipped at the finger, to which Bette responded with an exaggerated pout. What?

The sad look remained on Bette’s face. “I leave on Sunday.”

With an unexpected suddenness, Jodi threw her body over Bette’s, her hands capturing Bette’s above her head. “I’ll keep you here until then.”

“It’s Friday, you work today.”

“I’m the boss.” Jodi let loose Bette’s hands, and had braced herself, beginning to move her hips against Bette. “I’ll take the day off.”

Bette shifted to maximize the impact of Jodi’s movements, trying to revel in the moment. But deep within, a nagging voice kept reminding her that it was only two more days, she must address this now.

“You’re the boss.” Jodi continued both her words and her actions. “Take more time.”

How easy it would be to just sink into this routine. Being here, with Jodi. Making love to Jodi. Watching Jodi create art. And…what? Bette was suddenly struck by the memory of her time before finding the position at CU. A time when she tried redefining herself, only to find herself lost. Lost, alone, and on the verge of losing her daughter. “I can’t.”

“You can.” Jodi said, insistent, before moving to nuzzle into Bette’s neck, placing kisses. “You can,” she repeated, speaking her words against the soft skin, so that Bette felt, more than heard, the phrase.

But the emptiness remained. Bette placed a hand on each side of Jodi’s face, using a soft grip to gently glide Jodi to where Jodi could again see her mouth. “No,” Bette said, her eyes touched with sadness. “We need to talk now.”

With a moan, Jodi rolled off Bette and onto her side. “Why now? We’ve got two days. Let’s have those two days.”

“We have two days, but I want to know what to expect. What happens in two days? Two weeks?” Dare she go further? “Two months?” Bette added, as she decided to forge ahead with the thought.

Jodi rolled off of the bed, and started gathering her clothes off the floor. She turned as Bette tapped her on the shoulder.

“Jodi?”

“I have to go to work.”

“Please? Don’t shut me out.”

Jodi leaned in, capturing Bette’s lips. “Later,” she said. We’ll talk later.

(the end)