Jae and Kim were left standing there dumbfounded by the quiet and calm exit of Regina.“Look” started Kim, “I still think it would be best if I left.”

“Yeah, I’ll catch you at the club tonight.” Jae replied as she opened the door for her.

Kim opened her mouth to start to say something else, but decided against it and proceeded down the walkway as Jae closed the door behind her.

Jae headed toward the kitchen shaking her head while thinking to herself… How much damage control will I need to get out of this one? She seemed calm, I mean, maybe she thought nothing of it. Damn Jae, don’t get caught slipping now. Don’t get caught slipping now. She smiled a little to herself when she saw the breakfast that awaited her: Blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs with cheese, turkey bacon and the perfect mix of cranberry and orange juice. Regina didn’t cook often, but she knew this was Jae’s favorite way to start the day…

Regina decided to take the long way to work now that she had some extra time on her hands. The more she attempted to sort her thoughts out about Jae and Kim, the less she cared. After a few moments of attempting to process what she saw this morning, Regina gave up and allowed her thoughts to drift off to her day and evening with Morgan. They spent hours discussing Octavia Butler’s “Kindred” and Jhumpa Lahiri’s “The Namesake.” Regina found herself intrigued by not only the fact that Morgan had read them, but enjoyed them as well. Morgan expressed her interest in getting involved with the YMCA that Regina dedicated majority of her free time to and even inquired about the local Big Brothers and Big Sisters program. It had been months since Jae expressed even the slightest interest in Regina’s volunteer work and Morgan’s enthusiasm was a warm and welcomed difference.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a buzz from her phone. The text message read, “Love, I have really missed you lately. Tonight, dinner, a full body massage and a warm bath will be waiting for you. Please hurry home.” Regina couldn’t help but to roll her eyes at the message. She always got these affectionate and endearing things when Jae thought she may be in trouble. She sighed to herself before replying: I’ll be home at 6:30.

Over the next couple of weeks, Jae bent over backwards attempting to be the girlfriend she should have been all along. After her work at the club each night, she went straight home to slide quietly into bed with Regina. She made sure to keep in contact with her throughout the day and arranged for special scattered evenings throughout the week. Regina was greeted by a fresh flower delivery every two days and things appeared to be on the up. Regina really appreciated this side of Jae and wished she had caught her with another woman sooner. Jae had even made it her business to spend her Saturday afternoon playing basketball with a few of the girls from the YMCA.

It was 1:38 in the morning when Regina’s cell phone started to buzz and light up. With a voice full of sleep, Regina answered without bothering to look who was calling, “Hello?” she stated questioningly with a groggy voice.

Morgan responded in a soft and gentle tone, “I can’t sleep… Can I come by and see you?”