CHAPTER SIX- Transition
In the morning, with the early dawn light painting wide swaths across the room, Susan awoke to Trina stirring between them.
She wiggled and turned so that she was facing her husband, and Susan nearly laughed when the younger woman reached back, felt around a few times before finally finding and grabbing her wrist, and pulled her arm securely around her waist.
"I would've held you if you'd asked," Susan murmured sleepily as she stretched her legs, stiff after sleeping in the same position for so long.
Trina groaned, "Too early. Sleep."
With an amused smile, Susan snuggled back into her and complied.
###
Two hours later, the scent of freshly brewed coffee was what finally woke her again.
She must have rolled in her sleep, because when she opened her eyes, she was on her back. Trina was nowhere to be found, but Tom was sitting upright against the headboard beside her a few feet away. He was wearing nothing but a pair of dark green sweatpants and reading the morning paper, something that Susan had never pictured him being the type to enjoy doing before. It suited him, though.
"Mmm," she yawned, "Morning."
Tom looked down at her in surprise, "Morning, sunshine."
"Where's Trina?" she asked, rubbing her eyes and still trying to fully pull herself out of slumber.
"Shower."
Susan nodded and stretched her arms over her head, before rolling onto her side toward him.
"A-Are you and I okay after last night?"
Tom closed the paper and dropped it to his lap, looking perplexed, "Why wouldn't we be?"
"I just wanted to make sure that I didn't overstep," she shrugged, feeling her shyness beginning to creep back in, "You guys have really been there for me since the end of summer. I wouldn't ever want to jeopardize that."
Setting the paper onto the side table next to a still steaming mug that Susan hadn't noticed before, Tom scooted down and rolled onto his side, cupping her face before pulling her into a kiss. Her body relaxed into it, any tension that she'd had concerning how he'd found her and Trina pressed up against the front door, or how focused she had been on his wife as they'd had sex, sagged in relief. He kissed her with intention. Softly, but with such feeling behind it that it made her heart flutter and sing. On top of that, he still felt blanket-warm, heat radiating off of him, and it drew her to him like a moth to a flame.
When he broke their embrace, he did so with a promise, "You'll never lose that, Susan. As long as we can help it, anyway. And, while last night was definitely a surprise, it was a welcome one."
"You're sure?" Susan whispered.
Kissing her once more, she was nearly breathless by the time he pulled back.
"If I wasn't, it wouldn't have happened," Tom said reassuringly, tucking her hair behind her ear, "And, honestly? I've been waiting for you two foxy mamas to do something about all that tension between you since the end of July."
Her heart stuttered, nearly stopping, as her eyes went wide. She must have looked comically alarmed, because he laughed and caressed her jaw in the affectionate way that he always loved to do.
"She told you?"
He nodded.
"Oh, thank God," Susan breathed out a sigh of relief, "I assumed so, but it didn't even occur to me until last night to think of asking. Way too late, might I add."
"No worries, Susan."
"What are we talking about?" Trina chimed in, startling them as she opened the bathroom door.
She had a towel wrapped around her chest and was drying her hair off with another one.
"Last night," Tom told her, "and how gorgeous you both were together."
Susan bashfully hid her face in her pillow, flashing back to memories of being between Trina's legs.
"Ah," the other woman said, making her way over to Susan's side of the bed so that she could lean down and nudge her over onto her back, "I certainly wasn't complaining, that's for sure."
They shared a small, private smile, and she welcomed her as Trina leaned down for, what was probably supposed to be a quick kiss, but lingered and transformed into something different compared to the ones that she'd shared with Tom so far that morning. This one was slow and tender. There was no heat behind it, despite the innuendo doled out beforehand, and Susan nearly shivered when she reached up to cup the side of her face and the cold, wet tips of Trina's hair brushed against the back of her hand.
She gave the younger woman one last peck before letting her head fall back onto the pillow fully, letting her thumb briefly caress the other woman's cheek as she let her go. The scent of Trina's shampoo and conditioner lingered as she rounded the bed and headed over toward the dresser that she and her husband shared to get dressed.
Tom went back to reading the paper and sipping his coffee while Trina let her towel fall and slipped into a pair of plain cotton underwear. Susan smiled softly to herself and dropped her gaze down to where her hands rested together on her stomach. The pleasant post-coital-bliss feeling that she should have continued reveling in started to fade, and was replaced by a familiar subtle ache slowly starting to creep in. She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to go back across the street to an empty house, not when everything she owned and everywhere she looked was shrouded in the memories of her past. She wanted to stay exactly where she was- warm and pleasantly loose, laying naked beneath soft sheets, and enjoying the companionable silence of an early winter morning.
Pushing herself upright, Susan shifted just enough to slouch against the headboard, not quite ready to get out of bed and face the day and whatever it held for her. She wasn't nearly as vertical as Tom was, but it was enough for the blanket to slip down her chest, just barely covering her breasts.
"Have you finished any sections yet?"
Tom turned toward her with a raised brow, but nodded and leaned down just out of sight off the edge of the bed. When he sat back up, he held two thin discarded sections of the paper and passed them to her.
"Here you go."
Susan leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, "Thanks."
By then, Trina had already slipped an oversized t-shirt over her head, one of a growing collection that she'd taken to wearing after her most of silky nightgowns had stopped fitting and gave them both an affectionate smile as she padded out toward the main part of the house.
Susan settled in, burrowing herself a little deeper into the pillow behind her, and unfolded the Thursday morning headlines.
The three of them spent the next day and a half together. In that time she'd only gone home long enough to change, gather a small bag of clothing and toiletries at Tom's insistence, for which she was incredibly relieved and thankful for, and grabbed the rolodex from the kitchen so that she could call and check in on her children.
Once the new school year had started in September, BJ had made the hard decision to transfer high schools and stay with Bruce in his new, modest home roughly halfway between his job at the stock exchange and Naperville, where Samantha, BJ's girlfriend still lived with her aunt and cousin. As much as that hurt, Susan understood, and even had to begrudgingly admit that his new school had a better curriculum than the one that he would have attended had he stayed with her. He missed Rick terribly, but he was happy and, in the long run, that's what truly mattered to Susan. Laurie, however, was only a few weeks away from turning eighteen and, though she'd already practically moved into Doug's apartment while he was gone, had officially moved in with her boyfriend, who'd finally returned from volunteering in Guatemala at the end of October. Susan was so incredibly proud of her, as she was planning on graduating early at the end of December, and couldn't wait to see if she'd heard back from any of the colleges that she'd applied to.
"Susan, are you ready?" Trina said, coming to a stop in the doorway of the bathroom that led out to the hall.
She'd been so lost in thought, going through the motions of drying her hair and putting on a thin layer of makeup so that they could go drop off Tom at the airport, that Susan had somehow managed to lose track of time.
"Almost," she said, shooting her a sheepish smile in the reflection of the mirror, "I just have to put my shoes on and I should be good to go."
Trina smiled back, "Good. I hope you brought your boots though, it just started snowing."
Susan shook her head, "I didn't, but I'll be okay. We're only supposed to get a few inches."
"I hope so," she frowned, "I hate driving in the snow."
Blotting her lips, Susan nodded in agreement and tossed the used tissue into the trashcan beside the sink before zipping up her makeup bag and tucking it neatly alongside Trina's on the counter top, "I'm not a fan either, but Bruce taught me enough when we were in our early twenties to do so safely. I'll drive on the way back if you want."
The dark haired woman visibly softened as she led them down the hall, out to the living room, and toward the entryway, "Really? You don't mind?"
Susan shook her head and leaned down to put on her tennis shoes, first making sure that her knee high socks were fully pulled up beneath the pair of bell bottoms that she'd chosen to wear that day, hoping to stave off the chill, "Trina, when have I ever offered to do something that I didn't want to?"
When she looked back up, having quickly slipped on and tied both shoes, she saw Trina's lips purse in response as she pulled on her long, black puffer jacket that she'd just grabbed out of the nearby coat closet.
"I can think of so many instances. Your house warming, the charity gala, Janet's surprise party-"
Reaching out to stop her, Susan chuckled, trying to ignore the sudden stab of guilt at the mention of Janet's name, "Okay, fine, you're right. What I should have said, was 'When was the last time I offered to do something for you or Tom that I truly didn't want to?'"
"I suppose you're right," Trina nodded with a shrug, and turned back to the closet to grab Susan's coat for her after she'd finished putting on her own, "You know, that's true for Tom and I as well."
Susan's brow creased in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Trina held out her tan, mid-length, quilted jacket open in invitation, one that Susan didn't ignore. She turned her back to her friend and slipped her arms into the sleeves, leaning into the other woman's touch when she settled the heavy material onto her shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze.
"We wouldn't offer you anything that we haven't already made our minds up about."
Her pulse skipped a beat and, to hide her slight falter, she reached up to pull her hair free from her coat, the faint sound of static cracking as it tumbled freely along her back, "I think I'm finally starting to realize that."
When she turned around, Trina took it upon herself to button her up, tying the attached belt securely around her as a final touch. Amused, and quite happy to let the other woman take care of her, Susan let her do so without complaint. Once she was done though, their gazes met and Susan leaned in to steal a kiss. The hands that were still on her waist tightened slightly, just barely noticeable through the three thick layers that she was wearing, and it was so easy and natural that it made the romantic side of her melt a little.
Just as Susan leaned back, Tom rounded the corner from the kitchen.
"Everyone ready to go?" he asked, breezing by them to grab his own coat.
Trina gave her one last squeeze before letting go, "All ready, dear."
He smiled, reaching back into the closet to retrieve a pair of gloves and a scarf for himself, but also grabbed two hats and pairs of gloves for the women as well. He put his on first, looping his favorite black scarf around his neck, before picking up his bag, putting on on his pilot cap, and opening the door for them.
"After you," he smiled, pecking them both on the cheek and handed them their winter gear as they walked past.
They made their way out to the already warming car in the driveway while Tom lingered to lock the door, and soon they were all on their way to the airport.
Susan would remember that trip for the rest of her life. Nothing bad happened. There were no accidents, or drama. In fact, with the exception of some light conversation and the low buzz of the local radio station from the speakers, most of the ride was silent. The snow was still light enough that it wasn't sticking to the ground yet and, thankfully, the roads were relatively dry. It was a beautiful sight. That wasn't the main thing that she'd remember, though. From her spot in the back seat, she had a perfect view of both Tom and Trina. They didn't have to speak to know what the other was thinking or feeling and could say so much with a simple smile or touch of their hands.
She felt her heart grow that day. Susan wouldn't admit it out loud for some time, but that was the first time that Susan was finally able to put words to what she'd been feeling for Trina ever since that summer and, what she'd eventually come to feel for Tom as well. It wasn't just affection, infatuation, attraction, or a crush like it had been with Roger. It was love.
When they arrived at the airport, Tom pulled into the employee level of the new parking garage and helped them both out of the car. Susan had accompanied them on drop-offs and pick-ups a handful of times before and was familiar with their routine. She'd gotten into the habit of trailing behind them, letting them have a few last precious moments together before they entered the busy airport. This time however, Tom had held out his arm to her, his other hand occupied by holding his bag, and took the time to include her in their conversation. They idly spoke about their plans for while he was gone as they walked, and none of them seemed to be in any rush to get inside despite the ease that their breath was lost in the cold winter wind. He was excited to not be missing another one of Trina's doctor's appointments, his return from Japan scheduled for around noon the day before, and assured both of them that he'd call to let them know if there were any delays. Both Susan and Trina knew that he would, he always did, but the reassurance was sweet.
Once inside the warmth of the airport, they made their way to the Pan Am lounge. Tom and Trina ran into some of their old crewmates after ordering a round of drinks, as they tended to, and introduced her accordingly. This time they were a lovely man and woman in their late 20s and, as always, Susan loved hearing the sorted stories that her friends had shared with them once they said their goodbyes and had to leave to work their own flights.
Soon though, it was time for Tom to head off as well and Susan unabashedly observed them as they kissed and exchanged murmurs of love. She stood as he approached her, ready to give him a hug like she always did, but he surprised her. There, in the middle of the lounge, Tom cupped her cheek with his free hand and leaned down to kiss her, much like he'd just done with his own wife.
"Take care of her?" he asked, and she was surprised when his usual warm grin just barely hid how worried he was feeling about leaving his pregnant wife.
She covered his hand with her own. It may not have been noticeable to anyone else, but she saw it, and heard the worry in his voice.
"I always do."
Susan wrapped her arm around Trina as they watched Tom leave. He met up with a few of the stewardesses out in the hall, gave them one last wave, and then disappeared out of sight.
"Do you want to order some dinner before we head home?"
"A bit early for dinner, don't you think?" Trina asked, still watching the spot where they'd last seen her husband.
She was right, it wasn't even four o'clock in the afternoon yet, but the sun was already setting and she didn't feel much like cooking later.
Keeping her arm around her friend, Susan tugged her a bit tighter into her side and guided them over to the bar, "Why don't we ask them to package it up for us?"
Trina grinned, looking up at her hopefully, "Only if we can get an extra order of french fries."
"Done."
She told Tom about the divorce first.
The morning that he was set to come home, Trina ended up having unexpected plans with Janet, which was equal parts odd and comforting. At least one of them was still friends with her. Susan had no right to worry about Janet, not after everything that happened, but she couldn't just turn off those feelings after over a decade of friendship. So, she resigned herself to a life of living vicariously through her. Instead, she woke up early that morning, surprised Trina with a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee, and then Susan dropped her off in their small sports car before driving all the way down to the airport to pick up Tom on her own.
She was nervous, but pleased to see him when he found her in the nearly empty lounge at around half past eleven.
"Tom!" she greeted, "Did you have a good flight?"
He lit up at the sight of her, but seemed confused as he glanced around, looking for his wife.
"Where's Trina?" he asked, pulling her into warm hug.
She gestured to the seat next to her and then nodded at the waiter behind the bar, "She's with Janet."
His eyebrows lifted in surprise, "Really? Didn't see that one coming."
"I don't think any of us did," Susan grinned sadly, "I knew that they were still friends- I'm glad that they're still friends. Trina wanted to come to pick you up, but definitely didn't expect Janet to call last night and insist that she drop by for a visit this morning."
The waiter brought over a fresh cup of coffee, made just like she'd asked him to, and set it down in front of Tom. He thanked the young man and immediately picked it up and took a sip.
His eyes briefly closed as he savored the hot beverage, apparently having needed it, before speaking, "Did she say what she wanted?"
"Janet has something for her, but wanted it to be a surprise," she shrugged, "Your guess is probably as good as mine."
"She already gave us that baby book, the one on the coffee table in the living room, and a box of Rick's old clothes. That's already more than we expected."
Susan rubbed a hand down his back, "When Janet loves you, she loves you."
He looked toward her, the corners of his mouth sympathetically turned downward, and kissed her on the forehead when she leaned into him for comfort. They remained quiet as he sipped his drink, the morning news re-airing on the television mounted on the wall over in the corner.
"My lawyer called last week," she finally admitted, "The divorce and custody agreement have officially gone through."
She felt him stiffen, but she didn't move from her spot resting against his side.
"You okay?" he asked.
Susan shrugged, "I think so? I'm doing better than I was right after I got the news, that's for sure."
"Ah," he said with another layer of understanding, "Is that why you came over that day?"
She blushed and chuckled, hiding her face in his shoulder, feeling a bit ashamed by how clearly desperate she had been, "Yes."
"You sure choose some interesting ways to cope," Tom laughed before swallowing the last of his drink and setting it down in front of him, "I approve."
"You would," Susan snorted and leaned back so that she could look at him properly.
His eyes were dancing with mirth, and something a little spicier. She could still feel the lingering redness in her cheeks, but she didn't care.
"You ready to head out?" he asked her.
Susan nodded and followed his lead by slipping off of the stool that she'd occupied for the last twenty-five minutes or so.
Tom picked up his bag and put his cap back onto his head, holding out his free hand to her, "Let's go get our girl."
She smiled and slipped her hand into his.
###
"A crib?"
Trina nodded, twirling some pasta onto her fork later that night, "Janet had Ricky pull his old one out of storage and they spent the last two weekends sanding and painting it."
"That's generous of her," Tom responded around a bite of the garlic bread that Susan had made earlier from scratch as he and Trina had taken a nap that afternoon.
Susan smiled sadly at him, almost fondly, "I told you, when Janet loves you, she loves you."
He reached over and patted her hand, "That she does."
"Did you get a chance to see it?" she asked Trina, "I seem to remember it being pretty nice at the time."
The other woman nodded as she chewed, "It's a little old fashioned, but it's still in good condition and seems sturdy. It wouldn't be too much trouble to purchase the replacement mattress either."
He nodded, taking a sip of his drink, "If you like it, then it's fine with me. Do you think it'll fit into the car?"
"That's the only problem," Trina responded with a shake of her head, "We probably could have gotten away with walking it over if it wasn't winter. It's pretty solid though, so even that may not have worked."
"I might be able to ask Bruce if I can borrow his car while he's at work one day next week," Susan offered, knowing full well that he was still pissed at her and there was a fifty-fifty chance that he'd actually allow it.
They both looked at her as if she was kidding herself.
"Susan..." Trina started hesitantly.
"It's worth a shot," she shrugged, "If I tell him that it's not for me and it's for the baby, he'll be more likely to say yes."
They thought about that for a minute. All three of frowning into their dishes as they absently ate their food.
"You think it'll sweeten the deal if I give him a call and ask instead?" Tom suggested.
"Maybe?" Susan replied, "It's so hard to tell with him these days. But, unless you want to hire someone to move the crib for us, it's probably the only option. Although, maybe we could ask Brad and Sylvia?"
Trina grinned around another bite of pasta, "It has been a while since we've seen them. I'd love to catch up with them."
"Me too," Susan added.
The last time that the Davis' had gone to one of Tom and Trina's parties had been sometime around the end of September. She and Bruce had fought all day as they'd separated their things and boxed up his half. She'd been exhausted, frustrated, and feeling disgusted with her own life choices, so she wasn't exactly in the right mindset to begin with. Thankfully, it hadn't been a typical Decker party, instead it had been more of a laid back gathering where food just so happened to be served. There was no swinging, only conversation and an abundance of appetizers.
She and Brad had been happily chatting on one of the sofas for a little under an hour, nibbling at a cheese and cracker plate when he'd asked her a question. She couldn't even remember what it was exactly, but she did remember that it had something to do with Bruce, a topic that she'd been carefully skirting all evening, and she'd snapped at him. Susan had apologized right after it happened, but she really hoped to do so again, but with the very important perspective of time.
"Are they back in town?" Tom asked.
Trina nodded, "They should be. Sylvia said they'd be back just after the election. I remember her mentioning needing to pick up an absentee ballot before they left. I'll give them a call after dinner and see if they're up for it."
"Good," he nodded, taking another healthy bite out of his bread, " Maybe we can get the stuff to make those pot pies you made us last week, Susan. Those were delicious."
Susan blinked, a smile quickly curving her lips, still not used to being so intimately involved in their day to day planning, "We can do that. If I'm making dinner though, you two are in charge of figuring out dessert. I'll help you make it, but pot pies and homemade dinner rolls take time."
"Pudding?" Trina agreed easily, having spent the majority of the afternoon with her the last time that Susan had made the meal, "That's easy, right? Or, oh! I could pick up a cake from the bakery? Red velvet sounds delicious right now."
She and Tom shared a private chuckle. Trina's cravings had really been kicking in lately and they both knew that her taste buds would change a handful of times before they actually managed to get together with the Davis'.
"I'm sure we'll figure something out," Susan smiled.
###
Trina had continued to dream up every dessert that she could think of as they finished dinner that night and, after getting a hold of Sylvia and deciding on a day to pick up the crib at Janet's, the two of them led Tom to the bedroom and carefully undressed him.
They'd missed him.
It showed in the way that they kissed him and in the slow pace that they took exploring his body. Trina led by example, touching him in ways that Susan hadn't gotten the chance to yet, and she took great pleasure in replicating it. At some point, they even made it into a bit of a game. Trina would kiss her way down his body and she would follow. Trina would run her nails teasingly over his nipple and so would she. Trina would stroke him gently, almost teasingly, and then take his cock into her mouth, and she would do the same.
Susan had given blowjobs before, more than she could count, but she'd never had the opportunity with Tom. He was hot and heavy in her mouth, just a shade longer and wider than she remembered Bruce being, and he moaned obscenely above her as she reached down and cupped his balls. That wasn't something that Trina had done, but she'd wanted to, had been curious, and wanted to make him feel good.
After minute or two, he tangled his fingers through her hair and slowed her to a stop, pulling her off of him with an over-sensitive gasp. His prick was a dark, ruddy red, and pulsed a few times against the lower part of his belly before settling. Only then did he loosen his grip on her, rubbing her scalp tenderly with his fingertips, but she could tell that he was restless. He'd been close.
"Your turn," she said, looking up at Trina, her voice huskier than it had been the last time she spoke.
Susan rubbed her thighs together as she got up from her place between his legs, steadying the other woman as she straddled her husband's hips. She didn't waste any time, and Susan's eyes widened as she watched Trina take him in hand just long enough to sink down onto him.
All three of them moaned.
By the time Trina started up a slow, but steady rhythm, Susan had taken the initiative to nudge his legs a little closer together, just far enough so that she could comfortably straddle them too, and slid up behind the other woman. Susan wrapped her arms around her waist, slowing her movements only long enough to pull her upright and against the front of her body. Trina's back arched. She gasped in pleasure as angle changed, and clung to Susan's arms as both of them, as a single unit, began to ride him.
Tom groaned at the sight, his hips bucking beneath them, "Fuck. You have no idea how hot that is."
Susan looked down at him from over Trina's shoulder, nuzzling against the woman's neck as she slid both of her palms up her body and cupped her friend's highly sensitive breasts.
His eyes widened, almost immediately slamming shut as his jaw clenched.
"Oh, I have some idea," she chuckled.
In front of her, Trina whimpered and picked up their pace slightly, "Both of you, shut up and fuck me."
Susan snorted in amusement and met Tom's gaze. She gently caressed Trina's chest, just barely skimming over her hard nipples with the lightest of touches, at the same time that his hand disappeared below her belly. They must have been doing something right, because Trina's breath hitched and her rhythm faltered. That's where Susan came in though, taking some of her weight and keeping them on track.
Almost too quickly, the two of them had Trina keening and writhing in her arms. Susan ground her down onto Tom and plucked at her breasts, so lost in the heat of the moment that she dug her teeth into the other woman's neck just shy of leaving a mark.
Trina gasped for breath as her climax hit her full force.
Susan rolled their hips together, helping her ride it out as for as long as she could stand, but it was Tom who eventually stopped them. The look on his face and his white knuckled grip on his wife's hips told her everything that she needed to know. He was trying his damnedest to not cum and, quite frankly, Susan was shocked that he hadn't already. Hell, even she had almost climaxed and nobody had even been touching her.
"Mmm, God," Trina moaned, but must have recognized her husband's need as well.
She nudged Susan back, just far enough to slide off of Tom and make room for her.
His eyes were almost pained, "You're turn?"
Susan laughed and crawled forward. It only took a few moments before she too was sinking down onto him.
"Not gonna last long," Tom breathed out harshly, their bodies already moving together.
Susan reached down and touched herself, using her own slickness to quickly bring her right back to the edge that she'd found herself at only a few moments before.
"Then cum with me."
Tom didn't need to be told twice. He gripped her waist tightly and planted his feet on the bed behind her, pistoning up into her gracelessly until they both flew over the edge a handful of seconds later. Susan felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, just barely managing to brace herself on his chest as they shook and ground into each other until every last bit of pleasure had been wrung out of them.
When she collapsed down onto him, it was Trina who brushed Susan's damp hair our of her face, and leaned forward just far enough to kiss her. It was gentle and slow, and just as she pulled away, Tom ran his palms up the length of her back in a comforting caress.
They laid there just long enough to catch their breath and enjoy the embrace, before Susan ultimately slid off of him and made her way toward the bathroom. After using the toilet and cleaning herself up, she grabbed a new washcloth, warmed it with hot water from the tap, and then made her way back to the bedroom. She took care of Tom and Trina in the same way that he had after the first night that the three of them were together, taking the time to drape the throw blanket from the end of the bed over them before turning out the lights and crawling in beside them.
Susan cuddled into Tom's side, mirroring Trina with her head on his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her like he'd done dozens of times before. She pressed an affectionate kiss to his chest and relaxed, letting herself get lost in the sound of his breathing.
Slumber found them all within minutes.
###
She and Trina ended up waking early the next morning and drank their first cups of coffee while lounged on the sofa, Susan's feet resting in her lap. It was then she she chose to tell Trina about the divorce.
She took the news well, comforting her with a warm palm on her ankle.
"I thought that might be the case," Trina admitted.
Susan looked at her with a raised brow, "How so?"
"You hadn't kissed me in months," the other woman chuckled and took another sip of her coffee, "Not like last week, anyway. I knew something big had to have happened."
She wasn't wrong. After losing so much- Bruce, Roger, Janet, and the kids to some extent- she didn't want to lose Trina too. But, Susan hadn't done it on purpose, not at first anyway. It wasn't until mid-October rolled around, when they'd decided to carve pumpkins while Tom was away, saving the seeds for later to cook, that she'd had to physically stop herself from kissing the other woman. The afternoon sun had been shining in through the back windows, making the dining room almost glow around Trina, and she'd bit her lip so hard trying to restrain herself that it had nearly bled. From then on, moments like that only seemed to grow in frequency, but still, she resisted. Right up until she couldn't anymore.
It had been her penance.
"It was big, alright," she confirmed, "I'm glad it happened that way, though. I've missed you- what we had."
Trina hummed in agreement, giving her ankle a quick squeeze, "I missed you, too."
They sat there together for another fifteen minutes, basking in the calm and comforting presence of one another, before Trina and the baby got hungry enough to demand breakfast. Susan agreed to make them all some pancakes and leaned down as she collected their empty coffee mugs to press a fleeting kiss to her lips before making her way toward the kitchen.
Kisses like that, sweet and affectionate, were quickly becoming a familiar habit and Susan loved it.