While the two women were tenderly embracing in the kitchen, the gurgling sounds of the electric kettle as it boiled over broke in on Simone's consciousness. She lurched sideways, keeping one arm round the younger woman's shoulders. Water had spilled out of the kettle and started running across the base unit. Annabelle's free arm retrieved a sponge from the sink and shoved it against the overflowing water while her lover took it in her stride.

"It's no big deal,"the fair haired woman said totally composed. It was trivial compared with what had happened in her life, especially over the few weeks before their reunion."You must try it. It's refreshing and calming this time of the day."

"This will definitely be a new experience for me. I'm a hardened black coffee woman. It sounds kind of British to drink tea,"the younger woman said in her wise-cracking fashion she hadn't adopted for a while. All at once, she intercepted one of Simone's soft looks that made her feel young and foolish and a little insecure. Once she'd chosen not to react on first instinct, she smiled slowly and dug her way out of the hole that Simone had given her."Don't get me wrong. I know I shouldn't be scared of a new experience especially since it's coming from you."

Simone's quick smile was radiant and filled the room with light and love. She moved lightly round the room to prepare the tea tray, complete with milk and sugar bowl. It looked interestingly civilised, along with all the pictures and photographs and the colours, light and shade and the open door to the balcony. The younger woman studied the nuances of her lover's movements with utter fascination

"Now comes the moment of truth," Simone said mischievously as she watched her lover stir the cup, raise the cup to her mouth and take a very wary sip of the liquid. Inwardly, the younger woman was acutely conscious that her taste buds were irretrievably hard-wired to the caffeine principle and would throw up weird allergies to anything different. She was aware of Simone's amusement at her predicament. As she tasted the liquid, she was vastly surprised how pleasant it tasted. She sat back in her chair and felt incredibly tranquil and relaxed.

"Just because a very stupid British Government tried to make money out of us colonists doesn't mean we should overcompensate," Simone observed drily.

"You've converted me,"the younger woman said decisively."Why should I care about my street credibility? I used to look so tough so no one would hassle me."

Simone looked soulfully at her lover, her soulmate and knew that she'd exposed the heart of what she was about in life. She felt deliciously privileged to be the one person to whom the younger woman exposed herself so candidly and knew that she didn't do this for anyone.

Both women showered and dressed for dinner, Simone in blue jeans and red top and Annabelle in her favourite white patterned top, short skirt and boots. After they had eaten and settled into the living room Annabelle noticed for the first time the small portable TV in the corner. In an idle moment of curiosity, she thought she'd plug them into the electronic outside world just to see if the programmes were as cruddy as she remembered them being. Simone was feeling sleepy from the hours sitting out in the sun and was mildly curious in seeing what would present itself. Both women were prepared to be mildly contemptuous. What they weren't prepared for was a political broadcast from California's own exemplar for career women everywhere, Senator Sarah Tillman. An American flag was draped on a pole at the side of the screen while an immaculately turned out woman, her perfectly dyed blonde hair coaxed into a perfect bob. She sat behind a polished oval teak desk and stared into the viewer, in reality the camera eye with an affectation of candour and straight-talking. Before Annabelle's horrified eyes, she could visualise her mother with the same cold, emotionless voice issuing her a reprimand for her failure to 'have the right attitude', to 'have some impossibly romantic view of the world.' She was even dressed the same way as she was for TV. She could never remember her mother slipping on a pair of jeans like Simone did. Everything her mother did was as if the world's camera was trained on her and it was this that got to Annabelle the most.

"There cannot be true democracy unless women's voices are heard. There cannot be true democracy unless women are given the opportunity to take responsibility for their own lives. There cannot be true democracy unless all citizens are able to participate fully in the lives of their country. At the same time, there is responsibility in facing up to the future and what it brings. The challenges of change are always hard. It is important that we begin to unpack those challenges that confront this nation and realize that we each have a role that requires us to change and become more responsible for shaping our own future. Eleanor Roosevelt understood that every one of us every day has choices to make about the kind of person we are and what we wish to become. You can decide to be someone who brings people together, or you can fall prey to those who wish to divide us. You can be someone who educates yourself, or you can believe that being negative is clever and being cynical is fashionable. You have a choice. When I am talking about "It Takes a Village", I'm obviously not talking just about or even primarily about geographical villages any longer, but about the network of relationships and values that do connect us and binds us together. In particular, all of us have to recognize that we owe our children more than we have been giving them. Our lives are a mixture of different roles. Most of us are doing the best we can to find whatever the right balance is . . . For me, that balance is family, work, and service."

"A fine fucking mother you are. Where were you when I needed you? Out kissing the ass of some creep who'd help you up the stinking, slippery ladder. How can you come out with shit like this- and put Simone and me through so much fucking crap," yelled out Annabelle in a state of perfect fury. She got hold of a cushion and hurled it in the direction of the TV screen. Fortunately, it sailed over the top of the TV and flopped harmlessly against the wall. The woman was standing in the middle of the room, shaking all over and tears running down her face.

"Shoosh, shoosh, darling, your mother isn't here but I am," said Simone in as soothing, calming voice as she could summon up. For a moment, the younger woman never saw her but her arms flailed as if she was trying to hit out at some vague shape in front of her eyes. Simone judged her moment and slipped underneath them and embraced the other woman, her arms wound her back."I won't let you go. I won't let you go, ever," she kept saying into Annabelle's ear. After a little while, she could feel the younger woman's body start to relax, to lose that tension until her arms slipped round Simone and the younger woman with her own vulnerabilities cried into her shoulder. She knew very well what this sensitive woman of hers was doing. She was repaying the exact same compliment down to the very same words when she'd inadvertently found the last goodbye letter that Amanda had ever written her. Simone had got angry with her in this very room when Annabelle had stayed over for the spring break and she had gently freed Simone from her obsessive love from Annette, her first love. She clung onto Simone as her lifeline, her salvation.

"Perhaps you need to know your mother better,"Simone said softly when she sat her down.

"So it's all my fault?" the dark-haired woman said a little brusquely for reasons that felt strangely unfathomable to Simone. The fair haired woman took Annabelle gently by both hands and sat her down on the sofa.

"In any healthy relationship, everything ought to be fifty fifty. I get that with you darling and that's because you're a mature woman and a sensitive human being. It sounds like your mother is incapable of giving emotionally of herself and whatever there is of herself goes into politics."

"How the hell did you work that out?"Annabelle said in tones of amazement, her head swivelling round to face her. She'd never thought to make the connection that this insightful woman had divined. She shook her head as she wondered as a question popped into her mind."OK, smart thinking but what are you getting at? I'll no more play happy families with my family than you will with yours. You told me that one when you were the golden girl who couldn't do wrong."

"You don't have to see her again unless you want to. I know that my parents will disown me anyway after reading the headlines,"Simone said soothingly, running her fingers through her lover's long brown hair.

"I suppose not," Annabelle said in strangely muted tones, her eyelids lowered."After all, those cigarettes I picked up in Thailand was only because after I was busted from my last school, I was taken on holiday only because they were going on a business trip," the dark-haired woman said in sombre tones.

"OK, so we need to get to know our enemy better," Simone observed in bright precise tone of voice."As we can't do it the straightforward natural way, let's see what the internet has on offer,"the fair haired woman suggested persuasively. Annabelle was non committal. Doubting that it would contain meaningful information out there, she let Simone go ahead with her sudden enthusiasm for this research project.

Simone clicked onto Wikipedia out of curiosity to view, out of scientific research, the public perception of Senator Tillman. There she was, a colour photograph of the same glassily smiling face and immaculate blond hair, dressed in a blue power suit, the flag of America at the side of her. The facts were all neatly set out, broken down into categories of 'early life and education,' ' marriage and family, law career','political career', everything perfectly in her place. Annabelle rested her chin on Simone's shoulder and both of them were overcome by an increasing sense of alienation and unreality.

"Sarah Rodham embarked on a career in law after graduating from Yale Law School in 1983. Following a stint as a Congressional Council legal counsel, she moved to Arkansas in 1984 and married Ben Tillman in 1978. Tillman cofounded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families in 1987 and became the first female chair of the Legal Services Corporation in 1978. Named the first female partner at Rose Firm Law in 1989, she was twice listed as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America. First Lady of Arkansas from 1989 to 1991 and 1993 to 2000 with husband Ben as CEO of Apple Computers, she successfully led a task force to reform Arkansas's education system. She sat on the board of directors of Wal-Mart and several other corporations...".

"This doesn't describe a living, breathing, feeling human being. Perhaps they've left all the important bits out," suggested Simone in an unconscious side-swipe at official history.

"They've missed nothing, trust me,"the younger woman said laconically before her mood veered towards the coldly angry."That's what she's like. She has all sorts of minders and all sorts of shit to fix things so why would she be any different at home? I'm bored thinking about her so let's change the record."

"Let's turn the television off for a start,"Simone said reaching over the dark-haired woman to the remote control to click it off. They could see the programme getting ready to repeat the same speech on the 24 hour news channel that Annabelle had picked up on. Just as the woman's power suit and flag of America appeared on the screen, Simone decisively clicked it off, collapsing the image in on itself. It made both of them smile a little and it restored the atmosphere of loving calm to them in an instant. The TV screen ushered in a babbling neurotic outside world always wanting to sell them something, from instant feminism to the latest fashion accessories. This chilled out beach life suited them down to ground and the demise of the electronic intruder was greeted with a sigh of relief .

"What about playing you some of your songs darling," exclaimed Simone excitedly, pressing her hands together."We need something positive and inspiring. I've not heard enough of you."

The shy little smile on Annabelle's face showed that this suggestion had hit the right spot. She unclipped her guitar case and her instrument was more of a work of art, the sound box face being painted green incorporating various artistic designs and the words 'practice' which Simone guessed crystallised this woman's attitude to this form of art. She sat on the corner of the settee and paused while she ran her mind over her repertoire. Then, with a broader smile, she nipped into their bedroom and fished out a notebook on which she'd written some lyrics. Instantly, the tinkling delicate notes took a circular path round the melody and her husky voice softly articulated the feel of brilliant sunshine out on the road and on endless treasures they'd pass through together.

"Way up North I took my day

All in all it was a pretty nice day

and I put the hood right back where

You could taste heaven

perfectly

Feel out the summer breeze

didn't know when we'd be back

and I – I don't

didn't think

we'd end up like

like this"

While Annabelle was playing this Tori Amos song that she'd learnt with extraordinary speed, she was conscious of the extraordinary concentration that her lover was bestowing on her. It wasn't just her sensitive intelligence feeling the nuances of her performance and being blown away by hearing one of her favourite song being picked up on so quickly. She also realised that Simone was looking intently at the shapes her left hand was framing of the underlying chord progressions that underlay her arpeggio playing. Suddenly, as she drew the song to a close, a wide smile spread across her face and the irresistible question popped into her mind and begged to be expressed.

"Can I ask you a question, Simone?" she asked in innocent tones. The other woman looked carefully before answering. She'd been through this movie before when this astute woman had discovered in this very house last spring break that she'd been in love with Amanda, her close childhood friend. If she said yes, she had better get prepared for anything, this highly observant woman of hers might spot.

"Sure," came the easy answer.

"Have you ever played guitar before? You look as if you know what you're seeing," Annabelle asked gently.

Simone blushed a delicate pink and looked down at the floor. In a spirit of pure compassion, Annabelle laid aside her guitar and placed her hand gently on her lover's arm. She looked anxiously into her eyes, trying to convey to her in looks that it wouldn't hurt to tell how she felt. She strongly suspected what the truth was anyway.

"You do ask the hard questions Annabelle,"Simone said shakily, running her hands through her hair with her habitual gesture when under pressure.

"Darling," urged the younger woman, her voice almost aching with tenderness,"you've come such a long way so quickly and you're so strong right now I admire you so much."

"Really?"Simone asked with eyebrows raised. The other woman smiled tenderly and shook her head with amazement. For reasons she didn't know, this beautifully talented

woman was so painfully short of self belief. She'd come to know her first as a great teacher who could get through to those complicated girls wearing emotional suits of armour when inside, they were begging for simple love and understanding. She'd seen how those authoritarian teachers would run their fascist routines and turned off women like her at the first encounter. She was certain that Simone wasn't even aware how far ahead she was of other teachers she'd suffered under. Then again, it was only an intimate moment in the library of St Theresa's that had taught her how Simone took great pictures and conceived of the unexpected idea of painting over them. With her little brushes, she knew how talented a painter she was yet she was so shy and self conscious. What further unsuspected talent would this extraordinary talent reveal, she wondered as she shook her head again thinking tender protective thoughts of her beloved.

"Darling, you've got amazing artistic talent that goes across boundaries. If there's something else you're talented at, you must let me know," she said with infinite tenderness, her eyes wide open and watery. Simone finally resolved to make her decision.

"Wait a moment Annabelle. I'll be right back in a moment," the other woman said, in a much firmer voice. She disappeared out to the hallway and a clattering sound could be heard. Annabelle waited patiently for her lover to return.