Serena could not find her stethoscope. It was highly annoying.
Walking into the office in a slight temper, she found a very familiar item on her desk. Wrapped around the stethoscope was a note, tied with a purple ribbon. Serena unravelled it and read 'Sorry, had to borrow it off you for a bit. This stethoscope is property of Sappho.'
Serena had to laugh at that. She collapsed into her chair and cried with laughter at the thought of Sappho's stethoscope. Bernie had a wry sense of humour at times and sometimes she could really surprise her. She put the ribbon in her bag. She thought she'd better keep that note safe and away from prying eyes. It was put in her purse for safekeeping. Nobody would know.
Bernie would know though, especially as the previously red handled instrument looked suspiciously purple the next time she saw it, draped around Serena's neck. She goggled at the marvel of spray paint and blushed slightly when she looked up to catch Serena's slight wink aimed at her.
Sappho's stethoscope become a joke between them, a stop gap to bridge their undeniable sexual chemistry at bay until the real thing spilled over into their lives like a raging tide.
'You kept it.'
Bernie had scooped up the bits and pieces of fluff that had cascaded from Serena's wallet and found the note, the one she'd written all that time ago. She had no idea Serena still had it.
Serena shrugged.
'Sometimes I've got nothing to read on the train.'
She kept her tone light but Bernie knew what it meant. She wished she had known earlier. They could have wasted less time faffing around to get to where they were now. She handed it back and watched Serena touch her lips to the paper before sliding it back into its rightful place, wordlessly telling Bernie how much she was in love with her. Bernie had rarely felt more appreciated in her life.