"Comfy?"
"Well, turnabout is fair play."
Bianca was settled on top of Marissa, her head resting against her shoulder.
Marissa smiled as she ran her fingers through a curl of Bianca's hair.
"Mmm hmm." said Marissa with a grin.
Bianca pulled herself up onto her elbows.
"…unless you're uncomfortable. You'd tell me, right? I'm not hurting you."
Marissa pulled her back down into her arms.
"You're definitely not hurting me."
Bianca snuggled closer.
"So are you going to tell me about your dream." she asked, looking up at her girlfriend with warm chocolate brown eyes.
Marissa sighed. She didn't want to talk about it. Why would she want to tell the woman she loved about being haunted with that kind of fear and doubt, even if it only happened in a dream?
"It doesn't matter now." said Marissa, stroking Bianca's cheek
"Of course it matters!"
"No it was just a dream," said Marissa. Looking down at Bianca, she smiled before leaning in to plant a soft kiss on her lips. "Like I said, I like reality a whole lot better."
Bianca didn't look convinced, but had clearly decided not to push it.
"Well the reality is, we need to get up."
"Oh... Do we have to?"
"We need to get the kids up for school, and as they were up late last night I'm going to have to deal with a cranky Gabby this morning."
"Oh I don't believe that." said Marissa, as her girlfriend rolled back onto her side of the bed. "Not the dear little Gab-ster."
"On no, believe me, my little angel can be quite the devil when she's overtired; a true Kane diva in every sense of the word!"
Bianca sat up and swung her legs out of bed. Marissa was still laying stretch out on the mattress.
"So this is a Kane trait? Does that mean you have your own diva moments?" asked Marissa, reaching out to run her finger down the curve of Bianca's back.
Bianca turned around with a grin.
"Oh, I've certainly got the Kane determination, not sure I've ever got to the rank of diva though." she said with a laugh. She turned back to her bedside table to grab her support braces and began strapping up her leg.
Marissa lay motionless, still trying to find the enthusiasm to move.
"You were serious then, about having to get up?"
"Sadly, yes. It's moments like this I really miss Francois. When we move into our new home we need to find a new nanny!"
"If it means longer in bed with you then I whole heartedly agree."
Realising she couldn't put it off any longer, Marissa got up, wrapping a sheet modestly about herself as she climbed out of bed.
"I'd better get AJ up and dressed. I'll need to get back home and grab a change of clothes before work."
"It's your big day! I almost forgot." exclaimed Bianca as she fastened her robe. "You're the big boss lady today!"
"Yep," said Marissa, she didn't look very happy about it, "The training is over. It's my first day of being manager at Krystal's."
"You'll be fine." said Bianca picking up on her concern.
"Just so long as my 'Swiss cheese' brain is up to it."
"Hey!" scolded Bianca, taking Marissa in her arms and kissing her temple. "You have a beautiful brain."
"And you're not at all biased?"
"Maybe a little." said Bianca with a smile. "But I know you and I know you'll be great. You can do this Marissa. Your mom wouldn't have offered you the job if she didn't think you could cope. And I am just down the other end of the phone if you need any moral support."
"Thanks." said Marissa her arms still holding tightly to Bianca. She buried her head against her shoulder. "I don't want to leave."
"Sadly, mom duty calls." said Bianca kissing her brow once more before pulling out of the embrace. "But you don't have to rush off home. I've got a whole closet full of clothes, I'm sure there is something managerial in there you can borrow."
Bianca turned and limped towards the closet to rummage.
Marissa frowned.
"Is your leg okay?" she asked. She noticed Bianca was having trouble yesterday, it seemed worse this morning. "Have I ruined you?"
"I don't think you can take all the credit." said Bianca.
Bianca was trying to laugh it off. But Marissa was having none of it.
"I'm serious. Have I hurt you?"
Bianca sighed.
"It wasn't us, it's been acting up since before the LA trip. I thought it was just because all the irregular hours I'd been keeping trying to handle things at the Miranda Centre… I haven't always been able to take my meds at the right time…"
"Bianca!" reprimanded Marissa.
"And then three days without proper physio…"
"Are you in pain?"
"It's uncomfortable. But don't scold me, I've got an appointment with Frankie this afternoon, he'll do it for you…"
"Bianca this is not a joke. You have to take care of yourself! Or else you tell me what's wrong so that I can take care of you!"
"I'm sorry. It's just things are now suddenly so amazing I didn't want to put a dampener on it all."
"Hey I am here for the long haul. I am here for all of it, the good the bad and the ugly. You tell me everything, no secrets, no lies. Forever more – that's us!"
"What did you just say?"
"I'm here for the long haul." said Marissa.
"No, that wasn't it." said Bianca, an urgency in her voice.
"…that I'm forever yours?" said Marissa, confused by her girlfriend's reaction.
"Oh." said Bianca deflating a little. "I thought you said something else."
"What did you think I said?"
"It doesn't matter now." said Bianca giving Marissa a reassuring smile. "And you were right I should have said something sooner about my leg. I'm sorry."
She stepped closer to kiss Marissa gently on the lips.
"And the same goes for me too, you know that right? No matter what, I'm yours… forever more."
…