"Your car or mine?"

Rita was bent over the side of the bed, fishing for her phone charger. She was stretched out, cheek pushed against the wall. How many times had Connie told her to use another plug socket...She grasped the end of the wire, and blindly followed it to the plug. She wriggled back slightly and pulled to release it, tugging it up across the bed before rolling onto her back.

"Connie?"

Still the other woman didn't reply, she was stood at the window, one arm across her body, the other resting upon it, hand raised to mouth where her fingers just touched against her bottom lip. She was frowning at something through the glass, but when Rita came to stand behind her, there was nothing but the trees and the snow, and the steam rising from the pipes outside.

"Connie?"

She said again, placing a hand upon her shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Are we taking your car or mine?"

Rita repeated her earlier question, letting her hand slip slowly from Connie's shoulder to where she held her charger at her chest.

"Oh..."

Connie glanced back to the window, she could see the faint reflection of herself, tall and smudged and staring back at her. She let her hands fall and turned to Rita who was wrapping the wire about the plug that she held.

"I've just remembered I've got to drop off some paperwork before we go-"

"Oh come on Connie! Surely that can wait..."

Rita snapped, her words coming much more sharply than she had intended them to. Connie had been in some sort of daze since Grace had left. She'd kissed her and hugged her, and they'd waved goodbye, and yet she hadn't shed a tear. It was as though she hadn't even woken up. She had gone straight back into her office to work, leaving the door open so that every time Rita passed by she could see Connie at her desk, head bent, a frown furrowed deep between her eyebrows – as it still was now.

"Sorry."

She said quietly, and she reached out again, moving closer, letting her hand slip across the wool of Connie's jumper to run across her back.

"I won't be long."

Connie murmured, looking again to the window, though she allowed herself to be eased closer to Rita. She looked down at her, and with unexpected clarity she touched Rita's cheek with the back of her hand, marvelling at how soft her skin was.

"Just make sure you're there by six..."

"I'll be there by six."

"I know my Mum will wan-"

"I'll be there by six."

Connie repeated, smiling at how anxious Rita was about travelling to her parents...about being there...about her being there...

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Rita asked after a pause, waiting whilst Connie's fingers brushed her lips.

"Mmm, I'm fine."

Connie dropped her hand to Rita's and squeezed gently with what she hoped would be a gesture of reassurance.

Rita exhaled a breath, her whole body visibly relaxing and she tilted her head to one side.

"You know you can cry...if you want to. If you need to...?"

Connie glanced down between them, her lips pressed into the downturn of a smile and she gave a brief shake of her head.

"I've only got to wait until Christmas."

She murmured. It wouldn't be long, she kept telling herself, it wouldn't be long until she saw Grace again. Until she would have to say goodbye again...

"Come on, let me make you a coffee and then you can go."

Rita edged closer again and rose up on tip toes to kiss the soft fullness of Connie's lips that kissed her back not once, but twice, and as she stepped back to lead Connie from the room she saw the tell tale flicker of a smile behind the green of her eyes.

-.-

When finally she got into the car she expelled a sigh of relief. She leant back against the headrest and let her eyes close. She had expected to feel something now that she was on her own, she had been expecting to feel sadness, or anger...rage...any one or all of them. Instead she felt as she had done all day.

Numb.

She set the paperwork down onto the passenger seat and placed her hands upon the steering wheel. The leather was cold and her hands felt dry as paper. She clenched her fists about it, tighter and tighter, until her knuckles showed white through her skin and every bone in her fingers seemed to ache. She swallowed. She hadn't realised she was gritting her teeth. She released her grip all at once and let her head fall against the steering wheel, her forehead against it. She drew in a breath, held it, and then let it go as she started the engine...

-.-

Bit of a 'getting to the next bit' chapter. Sorry. Next one will be better, I promise ;) xxx