Sameen glanced in the rearview mirror and rolled her eyes. Root had stolen her aviators 15 minutes into the drive and she'd been forced to wear the alien sunglasses they'd gotten last summer. She pushed them up her nose and checked her phone. According to the map, they were less than a mile from the apartment.

"There's the ice cream parlor!" Root pressed her nose to the window. "The burger place I want to try is around the corner and there's a good looking Chinese place around here, too."

It had taken almost five hours to get to Houston from Bishop. Normally, the drive was only three and a half hours, but they kept having to stop so Bear and Root could pee. Sameen was looking forward to the summer; they'd brought more books than they could read and more clothing than they could wear.

Turning right, she leaned forward, squinting out the windshield at the street signs. She was looking for St. Joseph street, driving slowly down the one-way street. The area they were driving through looked nice. It was a little far from their internships, but they were right in the middle of Houston, close to the action.

"You know," Root said, sitting back in her seat, "I don't think this place has an elevator."

"What?" Sameen's hands clenched around the steering wheel. "We have to carry everything up? I would have packed differently if I'd known that."

Root laughed as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Sorry, Babe. You'll have to use those muscles of yours."

"You're helping." Sameen stopped at a stop sign and realized they'd reached St. Joseph. Beside her, Root was climbing into the backseat. "Watch it! We're in a city now. Cops will stop us."

Dropping onto the backseat, Root looked sheepish. "Sorry. You'll have to educate me in the way of the world. I am but a poor, small town girl."

Looking at her in the rearview, Sameen rolled her eyes. Root was hugging Bear, her lower lip jutting out in a pout and her eyes wide. She was ridiculous. Turning her attention back to the road, Sameen tried to find their building number.

"It's four, right? Building four?"

"Yup," Root confirmed. She ignored Sameen's warning and crawled over the backseat into the trunk space. "Building four. Apartment 4AF."

Sameen found the building and pulled into a parking spot. The building looked nice. It was brick, the bottom half painted red and the top half painted a pale tan color, upkept and clean. She turned off the car, unbuckled her seat belt and checked the thermometer stuck to her window.

It was almost 100 degrees - way too hot to be moving boxes. Sighing loudly, she pushed her door open and stepped out into the blazing, June sun. She peeked into the windows as she walked around the car to the trunk. Root was waiting for her at the back door, grinning at her through the window.

Lifting the hatchback door, Sameen glared into the car. "Don't think you can just grin at me and I'll let you off. You're carrying boxes."

"How about…" Root reached out to hook her fingers into the front of Sameen's shorts "…you carry boxes and I make it up to you later."

"Oh no," Sameen scoffed. "I carried our relationship through your depression, you can carry a box of books."

Root rolled her eyes and removed her hands. "Alright, Grumpy. We can still make out later, right?"

"Yes, Root." Sameen smirked. "We can still make out later."

An hour later, Sameen dropped the last box onto the floor and fell to her knees in front of the door. Their apartment was probably great, but she was too exhausted to notice. Root assured her the view from their fourth floor window was fantastic, but after carrying everything up, Sameen didn't care.

Root laughed as she closed the door. "You're so melodramatic! It's not that hot."

Glaring over her shoulder, Sameen huffed. "You barely did anything. I'm the one who carried the heavy boxes. You just dragged the suitcases in and then disappeared."

"I was setting the fans up for you." Root moved further into the room, stepping around Sameen, her bare feet loud on the wood floors. "Lie there and I'll turn them on."

Sameen nodded and lowered herself to the ground, resting her sweaty cheek on the floor. She could feel her tank top sticking to her back, but the cool wood did feel good on her skin. From what she could see, their kitchen was pretty big; counters lined the wall and they had a dishwasher set underneath. Root's bare legs came into view as she turned on the fans and Sameen ran her eyes over them, admiring the smooth skin.

On the drive up, Root had shown her the apartment's layout. Sameen had been focused of Root's legs, stretched up onto the dashboard, her toes flexed to avoid the windshield. They had a queen-sized bed, a tub/shower in their bathroom, and a pull-out couch in the living room. Turning her head over and pressing the other cheek down, Sameen eyed it and wondered if it would be better than the floor. It looked comfortable, which was nice to know for her midnight workouts.

A soft hum filled the room and cold air blew across her back. Rolling over, she winced at the squelching noises her damp legs made against the floor.

"I'm too tired to make out," Sameen sighed, pushing her hands under her neck and moving her hair away from her skin. "Go on without me."

"You big baby," Root joked, coming over to sit down next to her. She crossed her legs, a hand reaching out to touch Sameen's arm. "We could take a shower and then order Chinese? I'll buy you egg rolls."

Groaning softly, Sameen shrugged, her wet shoulders sliding on the wood. A shower was definitely a priority. Maybe she could even convince Root to use cold water. She sat up, her already sore back muscles protesting.

"Alright, but we run the air conditioning, so it's cold when we get out."

Root grinned. "Deal. Shower, Chinese, X-Files."

"Sounds good. Let's get naked." She turned to Bear, who was laying in front of the fan. "Sniff around. Familiarize yourself. Scope out weak spots."

Bear woofed in response, not moving from his position. Sameen glared at him.

"Big softy. I'm going to train you as an attack dog."

Root laughed and climbed to her feet. "I can't imagine him being mean. He's just a puppy!"

"You never know, Root." Sameen raised her arms, silently asking Root to help her up. "You never know."

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Sameen held the door open for Root, licking her ice cream cone. Even though it was night, the ice cream had started melting almost immediately. They'd been in Houston for over a week now and they'd come to get ice cream almost every night. Root was obsessed with trying every flavor.

"I'm just saying," Root said, adjusting her grip on Bear's leash, "it wouldn't hurt for you to make some friends."

Sameen rolled her eyes and let go of the door. Falling into step with Root, she licked ice cream from her fingers as they started down the sidewalk. She'd been having rough time at work. There were so many feelings in a hospital, something Sameen hadn't considered, and she was having a hard time fitting in.

"We should be making connections," Root continued, her hair blowing in the slight breeze. "The future is now!"

"I'm trying," Sameen grumbled. She moved to the edge of the sidewalk, balancing on the curb as she walked along. There were no parking spots in this area, so she wasn't worried about tipping over into a car. "It's hard to talk to new people. I'm just not interested."

Root hummed softly. Glancing at her, Sameen sighed. Being out of Bishop suited Root. She smiled constantly and it seemed like all her stress was gone. Sameen could not relate. Her internship involved people more than medicine and she felt exhausted at the end of every day. She'd never smiled so much in her life.

"We could come up with some small talk topics for you?" Root suggested. "Like…pets and siblings."

Licking her hand again, Sameen groaned. "I'm not five. I know what small talk is. The hard part is seeming like I care."

"You do have trouble with that," Root agreed, biting into her ice cream.

Sameen slid her eyes to Root, not sure how to take that. She stopped balancing on the edge of the sidewalk and walked back to Root. Running her hand down Root's arm, she linked their hands. Whatever doubts Sameen had about her emotions or their relationship, she always knew that her body wanted Root's.

Root's hand was soft in her own and Sameen ate her ice cream slowly. It was Friday night and they had nowhere to be. Root had every weekend off and Sameen happened to have this weekend off, her schedule a little erratic. Most nights she was home early enough to cook dinner, but sometimes, she'd come home to find Root eating Chinese on the couch, Bear staring pathetically up at her.

"A bookstore!" Root gasped, pulling her hand from Sameen's. "Let's go in!"

She hurried inside, Bear following her. There was still some ice cream left in her cone, so Sameen hung around outside to finish it. Glancing up at the sign, she noticed the name of the bookstore. 'Out loud and Proud Houston.' A rainbow sticker on the door made her shove the last of her ice cream cone into her mouth and head inside.

Of course Root had managed to find an LGBT bookstore by accident. The store was bigger than it looked from the outside, two stories tall and packed with books. Sameen crossed the small entryway and walked down the first aisle. Her sneakers slapped loudly against the wooden floors and she felt conspicuous in the empty shop.

All the shelves had stickers plastered on them, various band names and gay slogans. Sameen had wandered into the interview section. The sound of Bear's nails on wood floated towards her and she started towards it when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hello," a gravely voice said from behind her, "can I help you?"

Sameen turned to see a woman with short, blonde hair and a denim vest. The woman was older than her, probably in her mid-20s and she had more tattoos than Sameen had seen on anyone. Sameen shoved her hands in her pockets.

"I'm alright. Thank you."

The woman leaned against a shelf and crossed her arms. "Let me guess, you're still in the closet. It's alright. A lot of people who come in are."

Sameen bristled, drawing herself up to her full height. "I'm out. I have been for a while."

"That's good," the woman drawled, her Texas accent thicker than Root's. "What brings a pretty thing like you into a shop like this?"

"Uh," Sameen stuttered. No one, but Root had ever flirted with her before and she wasn't sure what to do. "I'm with someone else."

The woman grinned. "Can I convince you to leave her? We could use someone with your muscles on our team."

"Team? Like…gay team? I'm already…gay." She winced. "I mean, um…"

"Sameen! I found the Lesbian Kama Sutra!"

Sighing with relief, Sameen turned around and smiled at Root. Bear's nails clicked against the wood as they approached her. Root's eyes slid between Sameen and the bookstore lesbian, her cheeks turning pink.

"Don't worry," the blonde woman assured Root, "I suggested the book. It's pretty good."

Sameen widened her eyes at Root, silently begging for help. She did not want to be caught between this weird flirting woman and Root with a sex book. Root shrugged awkwardly.

"What were you two talking about?"

Looking back at the woman, Sameen rolled her eyes. The woman was winking at Root, apparently unable to control herself.

"I was trying to get your girlfriend here to join our Softball team."

"You were?" Sameen asked, confused. "I thought you were flirting with me."

"Oh, I was," the woman confirmed, nodding. She stretched her hand out. "I'm Jessica."

Sameen shook her hand, dropping it quickly and moving to stand next to Root. "I'm Sameen."

"Root," Root offered her own hand, shaking Jessica's. "Softball team?"

Jessica nodded. "There's a league in town. We're the only lgbt team in town, but we do alright. We're looking for a strong hitter. I'll be at the front desk." She wandered away, leaving them alone.

Sameen scratched her nose. She could use a summer sport besides working out. Turning to look at Root, she shrugged.

"Could be fun, right?"

Root nodded, smiling. "You should do it! Maybe it'll tire you out enough for a full night's sleep."

Sameen's eyes tightened, and her stomach clenched. It wasn't excess energy keeping her awake at night. Instead of saying that, though, she just tried to smile and took the book from Root's hands.

"Are you going to buy this?" she asked, paging through it. "I'd be down."

"Oh," Root started, smirking, "you'll go down, alright."

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Root stared up at the large black painting, trying to differential all the different blacks. There was something about staring into a giant black canvas in the middle of a church that made her feel odd inside. The Rothko Chapel was almost silent, the only sounds the rustle of pillows on the floor and the soft patter of Sameen's shoes as she paced around.

Today was their art day. Three weeks into the summer and they were finally getting around to some art museums. Technically, the Rothko Chapel wasn't a museum, but it had large pieces of art in it and so they were counting it. The large black painting loomed above Root and she felt very small.

It had been so long since she'd been in a church. Easter when she was six or seven was probably the last time she'd gone to a mass. Root didn't really like the concept of God. Sure, it was incredible to thing about the vastness of the universe, but she hated the idea that someone could control her. Even though the future was scary and empty and unknown, Root would rather face it alone than have someone be in charge of her.

After a moment, she gave up trying to see all the colors and turned on her heel to look into the chapel. A class had finished just before they came and there were still a few people sitting on the pillows in the center, staring up at the cross. Sameen was sitting on a bench, finger swiping over her phone.

"Hey," Root whispered, walking over to her, "you ready to go?"

Sameen nodded, standing and shoving her phone into her pocket. Root knew for a fact that Sameen had packed a lot of clothing, but most of the summer had been spent in her jean shorts and various tank tops. Root didn't really mind, though; she loved Sameen's arms and the thin sheen of sweat that formed on her back whenever they went outside.

Sameen pushed the door open in front of her and led them back outside. The hot air hit Root like a wet blanket and she grimaced.

"Where to next? We already did Cy Twombly and the maze garden."

Lifting her hair with her hands, Sameen scrunched her nose. "Home? I'm boiling out here."

Root shrugged. "Sure."

They started for Ruthie, parked couple blocks away. Sameen had wanted to drive her car to the museums, but Root convinced her to take the Vespa. It felt nice to have the wind whip through their hair as they drove through the city. Root pushed her hands into her pockets.

"Hey, Sameen?"

"Yeah?" Sameen stopped briefly to scratch her shin. "What?"

Root kicked a rock on the ground. "Do you believe in God?"

Sameen sniffed loudly and pulled the hair tie from the end of her braid. "Maybe? I don't really care enough to believe one way or the other."

"That's fair. I was just wondering."

"I think," Sameen started as she ran her fingers through her hair, "that the universe is enough. I don't need someone to give me a moral code and, in terms of believing in something greater, I think the stars are enough."

Root took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. I feel the same. I feel small enough in space without needing man in the sky."

"What if…the man in the sky…was an alien? Or a unicorn?" Sameen asked, her eyes twinkling.

They stopped next to Ruthie and Root laughed. "If God was a unicorn, maybe I'd believe in her."

"Very clever," Sameen snorted. She rebraided hair while Root swung her leg over the scooter. "I used to go to church with my parents. Before my dad died. I think my mom stopped believing after that."

"I went long enough to get my first communion." Root turned the key in the engine. "I just wanted to eat the bread."

"Of course," Sameen chuckled, rolling her eyes while she tied off her braid. "You're such a weirdo."

Root held out Sameen's helmet and grinned. "I'm your weirdo."

Sameen took the helmet and climbed onto the back of the scooter. "For now."

Laughing, Root buckled her helmet. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Sameen. You're stuck to me."

Strong arms wrapped around her waist and Root leaned back into Sameen's embrace. It was almost too hot to be this close, but Root was happy to sweat. When Sameen's arms were around her, Root didn't feel like she was flying apart. She felt grounded and stable and permanent.

Behind her, Sameen leaned her head against Root's shoulders. "There are worse places to be stuck."

Root smiled softly and hit the gas, taking them home.