CHAPTER 1- Fluke

Just under a week had passed since that fateful night across the street and, honestly, Susan felt a bit lost.

The kids had settled into their new home fairly easily, each of them unpacking and getting on with their lives within the first few days. Susan, however, was still trying to get used to the sheer amount of space that she had to work with now. She often found herself wandering around the house aimlessly, listening to the radio and doing chores in an attempt to ignore the empty feeling that practically seeped out of the walls whenever Bruce was at work and Laurie and BJ were out.

But, no amount of cleaning or unpacking could make up for the fact that, for the first time in the history of their relationship, she felt like her marriage was on shaky ground. If there was one thing that Susan could always count on, it had been the solidity of their relationship. But, their new and confusing, though exhilarating, experience with the Deckers had shaken things up far more than even she could've expected.

At first, it had been wonderful. When they awoke the following morning they'd made love with a passion that she hadn't seen since before BJ was born. It had been spectacular, liberating even.

Then, they went to the Playboy Club.

Never much of a territorial or a jealous person when it came to her husband's attentions, Susan had been ashamed to admit that seeing Sylvia Davis slip Bruce her phone number that night had made her unbearably jealous. Which, honestly, made her feel like a foolhardy teenage girl.

She was embarrassed. Frustrated. And, on on top of that, Janet was still refusing to talk to her.

Change was good.

Change meant growth and finding new friends. It meant branching out into the world and trying new things. It didn't mean leaving old friends behind. In fact, this change, no matter how hard of an adjustment it may be, was exactly what she'd needed. It was something that she hadn't known she'd been longing for, for so many years, and the sad part was that she desperately wanted to share all of that with her best friend, but Janet not only didn't understand her newfound freedom, she wanted nothing to do with it.

That's how Susan ended up dragging her children to church that Sunday, on a day that wasn't a holiday- to repent, to ask for forgiveness- and ended up asking Janet to help her plan a housewarming instead. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, an olive branch to help mend their friendship and a welcome distraction from her sudden jealousy, but it didn't quite work out that way.

The Decker's were having a pool party later that day and, upon the arrival of Brad and Sylvia, Susan was unexpectedly forced to address her insecurities. She and Bruce had a much needed conversation, one where they both agreed to stay open and honest about how they were feeling. She saw that he truthfully hadn't seen getting the other woman's business card as anything other than making friends and, though she felt a bit better about the situation, it was still pretty fresh and neither of them had gone back to the pool party that afternoon.

With her jealousy issue sorted though, she suddenly found that the rest of her week was dedicated completely to Janet. Which was both a very good and very bad thing.

Her friend's normally wonderful and thoughtful nature when it came to planning events quickly became overbearing as the days went on. Susan started feeling so constricted, suffocated almost, that she finally understood why her husband had a tendency to complain over the years. Susan had only ever experienced Janet in that capacity in small, manageable doses before, but the level of intensity that she'd reached by Saturday, the day of the housewarming, was something else entirely. Don't get her wrong, it was wonderful that they were finally speaking to each other again, but by early afternoon she'd felt the need to flee. She needed a break.

As a halfhearted attempt at giving the men space to talk to Rick and BJ about their secret pornography magazine business that Roger and Janet had discovered them running out of their basement, which was a whole other problem that she didn't have enough space for in her busy mind, Susan found herself slipping out the door and making her way over to the Decker's in search of a moment of peace.

"So," the brunette asked as she came back from the kitchen, just having stirred the cheese that she was melting for the fondue set she'd gifted them earlier that day, "how've you really been, Susan?"

Sighing, she took a hearty sip of her drink and grimaced when the alcohol burned on its way down.

"Honestly? I've been better."

Trina frowned and laid a comforting hand on her arm, "Is everything alright?"

"It's Janet," she sighed, "and the housewarming."

Biting her lip, the smaller woman snorted, "I bet she has an ironclad grip on those reigns. She seems like the type..."

Not wanting to take out her frustrations on Trina, or worse, for her to see the aggravated tears that had been building steadily over the last few days, Susan moved to stand, her emotions nearly getting the better of her and she set her glass down with a loud thud.

"Wait," the other woman stopped her, fingers clasped gently around her wrist, sounding sincere enough that Susan sighed and looked down at her.

"Trina-"

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "There's just something about that woman that gets under my skin."

Laughing forlornly, her shoulders sagged, and she sat back down, "I think that's half the problem."

The other woman's brow furrowed.

"Janet is intimidated by you," she continued, "by our friendship. I don't think that will stop until you two can settle your differences. Or, at the very least, learn to live with each other."

"Oh, Susan. I don't know..."

"Please?" she asked, willing to try anything at that point, including begging, "I'm not asking you to become friends with her, or even carry on a civil conversation. Just- please?"

Trina's mouth opened, but nothing came out, as if she were about to protest. Yet, she stopped herself. A few more moments passed before Trina shot back the last of her drink like she was going to be in desperate need of another immediately afterward.

"Fine," she relented, "But, if she gets snippy I'm only giving her one free pass."

Relieved, Susan smiled and impulsively closed the gap between them, enveloping her new friend in a tight hug. It was an awkward position, leaning between her seat and the one that Trina sat on, and a little too late she realized that the faint clink she'd heard right after practically ambushing the poor woman was the sound of her martini glass being clumsily set down on the tabletop. She should have felt sorry about that, and part of her probably would be later, but in that moment she was too relieved for the potential armistice to care.

"Thank you," Susan whispered.

Trina chuckled and leaned into her embrace, rubbing gentle circles between her shoulder blades. Susan's eyes slid shut, and she melted into the contact. It was comforting. A weight felt like it had been lifted off of her shoulders and she was more than happy to hover awkwardly on the edge of her seat, if it meant continuing their hug.

Somewhere out on the lake a boat revved its engine and the distant sound of an ice-cream truck entering their neighborhood floated in on the breeze. It made her long to stretch out and on one of Tom and Trina's lounges by the pool and bask in the warmth of the late afternoon sun, her nose prickling at the sweet scent of the lilacs next door. But instead, Susan reveled silently in the steadiness of the arms that were holding her.

Soon enough though, the spell around them broke when Trina began to pull away. The only problem was, Susan didn't let go, not completely anyway. Without knowing why, she lingered. Their cheeks brushed together and she pulled back just far enough for their eyes to meet, locking for only a moment before she impulsively dipped down and caught Trina's lips with her own.

The other woman tensed, clearly startled, but sighed softly and relaxed into the kiss almost as quickly. Only to herself would Susan admit that the exchange was a bit clumsy, almost embarrassingly so. If she'd had any inclination that kissing Trina outside of a party setting was an option, or even something that she might want, she may have been a little better prepared. She also could have done the safe thing and pulled away, making up a lame excuse, and she should have. Did she, though? No. With her racing heart in her throat, she leaned into it, their lips moving tentatively together. It was scary and thrilling but also a certain shade of familiar, one that soothed her nerves like a balm on a crisp autumn day.

Slowly, Susan felt herself relax, the nervous butterflies in her stomach making way for a much more pleasant to bloom of warmth. And, when their kiss came to a natural end a short time later, Susan lingered once again. She could just barely feel Trina's nose brushing against her cheek, and shivered as the hand that had once been on her back slowly slid its way over her shoulder and up her neck, coming to a stop when Trina tangled her fingertips in the hair just behind Susan's right ear.

"You always manage to surprise me, Susan," she whispered.

Unexpected pride welled up inside of her, even as crimson stained her cheeks.

That was when reality really set in.

Oh, God. Had she really just done that? Had she just kissed someone- Trina- and done it without Bruce?

Suddenly overwhelmed and ashamed, she pulled away and quickly stood again, "I really should get back."

Worry clouded Trina's features, adding yet another layer of guilt to her conscious.

"Susan-"

Forcing herself to smile, she reached out with a shaky hand and gave a reassuring squeeze to the other woman's shoulder, "Thank you for the drink. I'll see you in a bit, Trina."

Without waiting for a response, she made her way back through the house and toward the entrance. Susan told herself that she absolutely wasn't going to focus on the kiss, she couldn't, pushing it to the back of her mind, but her body betrayed her. Her hands still trembled and the sound of her own pulse was beating frantically in her ears as she closed the Decker's front door. Only a few paces down their front walkway, she was forced to stop. She stood there just long enough to take a deep breath, before steadying herself and heading back across the street.

By the time she made it to her own front door, Susan had calmed enough to open it with a mild confidence that she'd be able to handle whatever was on the other side. The men and boys had vacated the living room, whatever punishments they'd decided on doled out and enacted, and the only sounds she heard was a clattering of dishes coming from the kitchen.

"Oh, Susan," Janet greeted her happily when she walked in, "There you are! Come give me a hand with this, will you?"

Susan put on the most genuine smile she could muster and made her way over to Janet's side.