Two weeks after Halloween they sat in the backroom of the repair shop on a Sunday as Lou got some work done and Debbie sat in the comfortable chair in the corner with a book. A chair Lou had put there specifically for her. The shop wasn't open but it was a rainy and cold day where the pair chose to occupy their time with quiet tasks. Debbie heard the occasional clinking of tools and without realizing it had stopped reading her book and just observed Lou at work.

Debbie learned that when Lou was deep in concentration on her work she pursed her lips and furrowed her brows. She reached for tools without even looking at which one it was. She would occasionally bop her head or tap her foot to music only she could hear. Sometimes letting a few notes escape her lips.

Debbie smiled at this. She, of all people, could tell already that Lou didn't let her guard down like this around just anyone. She enjoyed knowing someone like she's started to know Lou.

"Are you gonna stare at me like that all day? Because it's kind of weird." Lou said as she tried to hide a smile.

Debbie gets up, leaving her book on the chair, and walks over to Lou. She comes up behind her and hugs her, placing her face in Lou's neck and breathing in.

"You look so cute when you're fixing things."

"I've been called many, many names and 'cute' was never one of them."

"Well, that's because they haven't seen your Very Serious look when you're repairing an antique clock."

Lou puts everything down and turns in Debbie's arms. "I have a reputation to uphold as a tough, hard as nails, stone cold bitch. If you go around calling me cute it'll undo years and years of hard work. I'm afraid you're gonna have to pay for that."

"Oh yeah? How do you intend to make me pay?"

Lou walks them towards the stairs that led to her apartment as Debbie is still attached to her. "I can think of several ways."

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Lou was lying on the couch Debbie had recently purchased for her and placed in her home office so she could lounge around as Debbie worked. She was on her side looking through a magazine as Debbie was typing away on her computer and making calls like she worked on Wall Street.

Debbie had a habit of talking to herself in a soft voice. Sometimes it even seemed as if she was talking to someone else. Lou had realized that it was Debbie's way of coping with her brother's passing by talking to him as if he were still there. It never bothered her nor did she find it weird. For months after her own mother had passed she used to set her mother's mug out and pour her coffee as if she was there still.

"Babe, can I get an arrangement for Friday? A dozen of whatever you think is best, let me write down the address." Debbie had quickly learned to trust Lou's instincts with flowers and never again doubted the arrangements she bought for her showings.

Lou sits up with an amused look on her face and watches as Debbie writes the address on a piece of paper. She gets up and makes her way over to where she's sitting at her desk stands next to her.

Debbie finishes writing and extends the paper to Lou. When she doesn't take it Debbie looks up and notices Lou has an up-to-no-good expression on her face.

"What?"

"Babe?"

"Oh, I didn't even notice I did that. Is it ok for me to call you that?"

"I'm not usually one for pet names, but from you…. I like the way it sounds. Rolls off the tongue quite nicely."

Debbie gets up and kisses Lou leading her to the couch. "I have a very talented tongue."

"Yeah? Is that how you sell all those houses?"

Debbie laughs. "No, but I can show you what I can do with it."

The both of them fell on the couch laughing and kissing as hands went up shirts and down pants.

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Debbie and Tammy sat out in the patio of their favorite café waiting for Lou to arrive.

"I can't believe I'm finally gonna meet your girlfriend. And it only took forever."

"Is she my girlfriend?"

"Debbie, what?"

"No, I mean, yeah sure we've been exclusively dating each other for a bit now, but I feel like a teenager introducing her as my girlfriend."

"Debbie, you're ridiculous. If she's as hot as you say she is I'll introduce her as my girlfriend, sheesh. By the way, where is she? It's 1:15 already so she's fifteen minutes late and I'm hungry."

"No, this still isn't late in Lou Time. She's usually anywhere between 20-30 minutes late for everything."

"And you, the most anal control freak I know, are ok with this? And by the looks of it you've already gotten used to it."

As Tammy finished her sentence a loud roaring motorcycle pulled up into the spot a few feet away from where they sat.

"She's early." Debbie says as she sips her lemonade.

Lou gets off her bike, takes off her helmet and shakes her hair. She puts the keys in her pocket, unzips her jacket and puts on her sunglasses and makes her way towards the café.

"How does she make unzipping her jacket look so-"

"Cool, sexy? Yeah, I know."

"Ok, I get it. I totally get it, 100%. She's hot. I'd definitely wait 20-30 minutes every time for her."

Debbie smiled at her friends reaction of approval.

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The second Monday of December was cold and rainy. They sat in the car quietly holding hands.

"There's no rush, whenever you're ready." Lou spoke softly but the disturbance in the silence was so loud.

It was Danny's birthday. The first one since he'd passed. Lou had spent the night holding Debbie and consoling her as she cried silent tears. Debbie finally fell asleep sometime after 4 am and Lou took the opportunity to go downstairs and make a special floral arrangement for Debbie to leave at his grave.

Debbie looked at Lou with red, teary eyes and nodded. They both got out of the car and Lou got the arrangement from the back.

"Lou… it's perfect." She was seeing it for the first time.

"You lead the way."

They stood in front of Danny's grave quietly, the only sounds were that of the rain and Debbie's sniffling.

"Hey, Danny." Her tears wouldn't stop. "Happy birthday."

Debbie looked up and closed her eyes fearing this was a bad idea when she felts Lou's arm around her shoulders and found the strength to open her eyes and continue.

"We brought you flowers, Lou and I. She made the arrangement. It's very tasteful, you'd love it." Lou hands the vase over to Debbie. "You'd like her, too. You two would really get along."

She places the vase down. "She makes me happy, Danny. Really happy." She looks at Lou and manages to smile through her tears.

Lou takes her hand and interlocks their fingers. "I miss you, you annoying son of a bitch." Debbie laughs out.

After a while the two make their way back to the car. They sat inside and Lou didn't start the car immediately waiting for Debbie to give her a sign that she's ready to go.

Debbie takes Lou's hand over the center console. She grips it tightly and then softens her hold. She wraps her other hand around it too bringing it up to place a kiss on it.

"Thank you."

Lou simply nodded hoping that somehow Debbie understood that she'd follow her to the moon if she asked.