Sharon parked her car and ran clammy hands along her jeans before she gathered her things and headed up to Brenda's door. She was decidedly more nervous than when they'd spent evenings together in the past—not that they'd done this a lot, but this was the first time since…She shook her head, letting out a forceful breath in an attempt to clear her thoughts. They'd discussed the fact that there was no need to rush into anything. They just wanted to spend time together and let things progress naturally, whatever that ended up looking like for them. Still, somehow it felt different this time and Sharon forced herself to take a few even breaths as she climbed the stairs before ringing the doorbell.

Brenda opened the door looking almost confused for a second before catching herself, "Hey, you're here!"

"Yes, I am…were you expecting someone else?" Sharon tried to keep her tone playful, but the edge of uncertainty in her voice was clearly detectable.

"Oh, no, well, yes," she said, ushering Sharon into the house. "I thought you might be the delivery driver. Food's not quite here yet," she added by way of explanation.

Sharon smiled and relaxed, presenting the blonde with an oversized bag of peanut M&M's, which had been her special request, and a container of homemade popcorn. Brenda's face lit up at the sight of the offerings and both women headed for the coffee table to deposit the snacks.

The food arrived a few minutes later and they chatted casually while they ate, filling each other in on their weeks, occasionally reaching for a hand or forearm as they laughed and talked. It felt comfortable, normal, and both women seemed relieved to settle into their familiar rhythm, shaking off the nerves and pressure that had somehow attached themselves to the evening after their recent conversation.

Sharon hadn't heard anything more from Jack since that night at the condo, but she had let both of her children know that the annulment was final. She didn't want them to be caught off-guard if he decided to reach out—not that he seemed to remember he had children unless he needed something from them…

After dinner, they cleaned things up and moved to the couch. Sharon was glad Brenda had suggested a movie night. The idea of exploring a different type of relationship with the blonde was still so new to her, still just a (somewhat terrifying) idea—all they'd done was hold hands and kiss on the cheek. Sharon was still so unsure of herself—of everything—that she wasn't ready to do any…exploring in public settings yet. Even the thought of it made her feel incredibly self-conscious. Luckily Brenda had somehow sensed that and had invited her over for dinner and a movie. A nice, low-key, non-threatening evening. And yet, as soon as they moved to the couch, Sharon felt her palms moisten again and she found herself fidgeting and shifting position repeatedly trying to get comfortable.

Brenda moved to join her, but stood back up almost as soon as she sat down, "Oh, I almost forgot!"

Sharon's eyes followed her until she disappeared in the kitchen and returned minutes later with two glasses of chilled white wine, handing one to the brunette.

"I forgot to put it in the fridge before work this morning, so I stuck it in the freezer when I got home. I'm so glad I remembered to pull it back out!"

Sharon gratefully accepted the glass, secretly pleased the younger woman had chosen a white, though she would have happily taken a glass of whatever was being offered tonight. Not that she was planning to get drunk or anything, but a glass to take the edge off her growing nerves was more than welcome.

Making one more trip to the kitchen, Brenda returned with a pair of scissors, two bowls, and some napkins. She cut open the obscenely large bag of peanut M&Ms and poured a good amount into the bottom of each bowl before filling them the rest of the way with Sharon's popcorn. Sharon's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything, reminding herself she didn't have to eat everything the blonde put in her bowl.

Then, Brenda picked up her wine glass and leaned over to clink glasses with Sharon. The brunette took a long sip and sank slowly back down into the couch as she felt the cool liquid travel down her throat to her stomach leaving a gentle warmth in its wake.

"So, what are we watching?" she asked, already beginning to feel herself relax again.

"War of the Roses. I can't believe you've never seen it, Sharon. It's a classic…It's about divorce," Brenda admitted, biting her lip as she wondered briefly if it was an inappropriate choice after all, "but it's pretty over the top, and I thought you might appreciate some of the dark humor. Plus, it's Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. And I love her voice."

Sharon picked up the case and squinted at the microscopic print on the back, 1989. "Hmm, well, I missed out on a lot of pop culture—especially of the non-child variety—thanks to he-who-shall-not-be-named…" She set the case back on the coffee table and took another sip of wine. "It sounds like it could be entertaining," she added with a reassuring smile.

Looking relieved, Brenda started the movie, grabbing her bowl and napkin as she settled in on the couch, opting for the cushion next to Sharon, but leaving plenty of space between them. Eventually, Brenda traded her snacks for wine and then set that aside as well in favor of holding Sharon's hand, the other woman interlacing her fingers with Brenda's as soon as she made contact. Brenda smiled to herself at how easily Sharon reciprocated the gesture even while her eyes remained glued to the screen, how well their hands fit together. She turned her focus back to the screen, a feeling of warmth and contentment settling comfortably in her chest.

They continued watching the movie, holding hands, reaching occasionally for a snack or beverage with their free hands. Sharon let out a laugh at a particularly absurd moment and Brenda turned to look at her. The brunette's head was thrown back, her mouth open in a wide smile as she let out a deep belly laugh. Brenda loved watching Sharon in moments like this when she was open, unguarded, her eyes sparkling with joy and amusement. She was beautiful, radiant, and Brenda felt inexplicably drawn to her. She couldn't look away—didn't want to even if she could—instead soaking up every minute detail, committing it to memory.

Feeling the intensity of the blonde's gaze, Sharon eventually turned to look at her, a quizzical expression on her face. Brenda slowly leaned in, needing to be closer to her, brown eyes finally settling on Sharon's lips as she moved closer still. Sharon licked her lips reflexively, watching Brenda move toward her. She had plenty of time to turn away, to go back to watching the movie, but instead, her eyes shifted to the blonde's wide lips and her body closed the remaining distance between them.

As their lips met, a bolt of electric heat coursed through Sharon's body, pooling low in her belly, the force of it leaving her momentarily stunned. She felt the younger woman kiss her back and her grip tightened momentarily on Brenda's hand before she released it to reach up and thread her fingers through blonde hair.

The kiss was tentative at first, soft and slow despite the crackling energy between them. It was surprising to Sharon given the fervor with which the blonde approached most things in her life. Parting her lips and deepening the kiss, she marveled at how different kissing Brenda was from kissing Jack. This was so much…softer, all the rough edges gone, and it felt…right. They felt right.

They kissed unhurriedly, the movie forgotten, their bodies shifting and pressing more firmly together as their mouths gently explored one another. Sharon felt like she was melting into the other woman and she was about to let go, to surrender completely to the sensation when the sound of her phone ringing pierced the silence and brought them both crashing back to reality. She leapt away from Brenda as though she'd been burned, scrambling to find her phone and attempting to regain some semblance of normal breathing after the heated encounter.

Meanwhile, an equally flustered Brenda tried to locate the remote to pause the movie. Sharon cleared her throat and ran her hand through her tousled hair as she checked the caller ID and answered on the last ring, pausing to take one final breath as she brought the phone to her ear.

"Hey sweetheart, is everything ok?" she asked, her relief at not being called in to work tempered by concern for her child's wellbeing.

"Hi mom, yes I'm fine." Emily answered with an eyeroll, "I'm great, actually!"

Sharon let out a sigh of relief, careful to avoid breathing into the phone. Her voice was steady, but her entire body felt shaky, vibrating with the intensity of whatever this was between her and Brenda. She could still feel it coursing through her system, and she began pacing around the room as they talked, the movement providing a much-needed outlet.

Her daughter was brimming with excitement at having just stepped in to perform for one of the principal dancers who'd unexpectedly fallen ill. Emily was an understudy, and although she would never wish for anything bad to happen to her fellow dancers, this was a huge opportunity for her.

Everything had gone well and she and some of her friends from the company were going out to celebrate—but not too much, Emily assured her, she still had two matinees and another evening performance to go yet this weekend.

"Oh, Em, that's wonderful! I'm so proud of you!"

Brenda wasn't sure what, exactly, had happened, but she was glad it seemed to be good news and not some crisis Sharon would need to leave to deal with.

Emily was just waiting on her friends and was excited and wanted to say hi. (And to see how Sharon was doing now that things were finally…final between her parents). She didn't come out and say that part, but they both knew it all the same.

"So, how are things with you? …How's work?" Emily asked, adding the second question to make it seem less like she was checking up on her poor, lonely mother.

"Things are fine," Sharon answered perhaps a little too cheerfully, trying to reassure her daughter there was no reason for concern. Luckily Emily was too distracted to notice.

"Work has been incredibly busy, sometimes I wonder if my fellow officers get themselves into…questionable situations just to irritate me" Sharon continued. "But it finally seems to be settling down a little. I'm actually watching a movie tonight and am very much enjoying spending the evening somewhere other than at the office," Sharon said, looking in Brenda's direction with a smile.

"Oooh, what movie?"

"It's an older one…um, something about roses…" Sharon trailed off, walking back toward the coffee table to try and read the title on the front of the DVD case.

"War of the Roses," Brenda chimed in quietly, holding up the case for her to see.

"That's right, it's called War of the Roses," Sharon repeated more loudly, "It's a little over-the-top, but it's actually quite entertain—"

"Wait, is someone else there with you?" Emily interrupted with sudden curiosity.

Sharon paused, caught off guard by her daughter's interjection and she immediately regretted it, the delay making it seem like she was being evasive.

"Yes, I'm watching it with a friend. And I should—"

"With Gavin?"

"No, but I really should—"

"Is it a guy friend?" Emily pressed. "Oh, hang on a second…" Sharon could hear several muffled voices on the other end of the line and then Emily was back. "Sorry mom, I have to go."

Sharon exhaled and sent up a prayer of thanks, immensely relieved to have avoided any further questioning from her child, at least for this evening.

"Ok, sweetheart. I love you. And congratulations again!"

"Love you too, mom. Have fun watching your war movie!"

Sharon hung up the phone, turning to give Brenda an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry. That, as you may have gathered, was Emily," Sharon explained. "She's an understudy and got to step in for one of the principal dancers tonight—actually for the rest of this weekend. And it sounds like everything went really well." She was practically beaming with pride.

"That's wonderful, Sharon," Brenda couldn't help but smile back, "And sweet of her to call to share the good news with her momma."

"Oh, she was excited, but don't let her fool you. Even if that hadn't happened, she still would have found some excuse to call and make sure her poor mother hadn't died of loneliness or despair. She won't say as much, but she and her brother have been taking turns checking up on me…" she said with an exaggerated eye roll.

"Their father has been gone a long time, so it's not really anything new. I guess maybe they're worried that since he dropped by recently, he'll start coming around more again causing issues," she mused, shrugging one shoulder.

"You, uh, told them about what happened?" Brenda asked tentatively.

"I told them that he stopped by recently while he was in town and that he was upset, but that he signed the papers. I didn't get into specifics. They're…familiar with how he operates, so I generally try to spare them the gory details," she clarified.

"But enough about that," Sharon said as she tossed her phone on the coffee table and settled back on the couch with her wine, popping an M&M in her mouth, "We have a movie to finish."

Brenda smiled and pressed play, having rewound it a bit while Sharon was on the phone. She didn't want the brunette to miss anything due to their earlier…distraction.

Sharon pulled her legs up on the couch and it wasn't long before Brenda felt the older woman's icy toes slipping under the edge of her leg, the cold traveling easily through the material of her lightweight pants. She suppressed a shiver and her left hand moved to rest gently on Sharon's ankle, the simple contact grounding them both as they enjoyed the remainder of the movie.

When the movie was over and it was time for Sharon to leave, Brenda stood first, taking Sharon's hand & helping her up. Sharon carried her dishes into the kitchen, almost tripping over the garbage can in the center of the room in the low light. She let out an exasperated breath as she caught herself, shaking her head. Of the blonde's many quirks, she wasn't sure she'd ever get used to that one.

After placing her dishes on the counter next to the sink, she closed up the remaining popcorn, leaving the container on the counter for the younger woman to snack on later. Sharon wasn't a fan of leftover popcorn, but Brenda didn't seem to mind. The blonde closed up what was left of the M&M's and placed the bag next to the popcorn on the counter, suppressing the urge to grab some of the uneaten candy from the bottom of Sharon's bowl—she'd wait to do that until after the other woman left. Turning back around, she watched as Sharon deftly sidestepped the garbage can this time and moved back to the living room to gather her things.

Brenda quietly walked the brunette to the door, where they both stood looking at one another, neither of them sure how to end the evening. Brenda shifted nervously from foot to foot before opening her arms and stepping forward for a hug. Both women seemed equally surprised when, moments later, they found their lips pressed together once more. Sharon emitted a soft, startled noise and Brenda took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, swallowing the sound as she felt Sharon's fingers thread through her hair to cup the back of her neck, her own hand tightening on Sharon's hip, pulling her closer.

When they finally separated, both a little dazed and gasping for air, Brenda reached for Sharon's hands, squeezing them firmly. They smiled shyly at one another and the younger woman ran her thumbs across the backs of Sharon's hands before she released her hold and turned to open the door.

"Thanks for coming over tonight, Sharon. I hope you enjoyed the movie."

"I most certainly did," she replied, the corner of her kiss-swollen mouth betraying the hint of a smirk. "Thank you for the invitation. I hope we can do it again sometime soon."

"I'd like that. I'd like that very much," the blonde said, color returning to her cheeks once more.

As Sharon stepped off the porch, Brenda added, "You drive safe now," cringing as soon as the words left her lips. She sounded just like her momma, and Willie Rae was not the person she wanted to be thinking about in that moment.

Sharon looked back at her and lifted her fingers in an awkward wave before turning and walking the remaining distance to her car.

Brenda waited in the doorway, watching until Sharon's car turned the corner and her tail lights disappeared from view before closing and locking the door behind her, a wide grin spreading across her face as she headed off to bed.