The weeks went by slow and which each day Alice tried to look forward the future and try to cope with her heartache, just like they had promised to each other they had spoken every night before going to bed but sometimes Kay was so exhausted that the conversations were over within minutes. She was extensively training to take charge of such huge responsibilities. Alice on her part was trying her best to be busy at work and school so she wouldn't think about Kay, but the weekends were almost unlivable.
They always planned to see each other but they never actually did it. Sometimes Kay would say that if they saw each other it was going to be like saying goodbye all over again and she didn't want to go thru so much pain. Alice would get pissed and they wouldn't talked for a few days.
These long breaks started to take place more and more often to the point that they just stopped calling each other and before Alice notice she was already doing her resident hours.
She was working at a 24 hour emergency clinic, they had hired her right after she graduated and she loved the 11 pm to 7 am shift. It was slow, but she also got to take very good care of the over night patients making sure they all had water and towels to keep them warm.
She still thought a lot about Kay but it was almost going to be a year since the last time that they spoke, and Alice wanted to keep it that way. It was obvious that Kay didn't care either because in all this time she had not received anything from her either.
Kay was on call that night, her radio woke her up with a loud static noise, it usually happened when an operator tried to contact one of the officers. She rolled out of bed and answered the call.
It was an emergency, it was almost six in the morning when she walked inside a coffee shop and ordered an espresso. She was in her uniform and more than one person in the restaurant nodded at her in salutation.
This case wasn't going to be an easy one, a neighbor had reported an abused animal, a dog, and her supervisor had said that it was extremely important for us to confiscate the victim and take it to a vet.
Kay had been in the city for three months already, her dad had bought a bike shop and had resumed his usual activities but now he was making almost three times as much as he used to make in his town. She had helped him improved his business and now he even had a webpage and everything. She had resigned as a Sheriff, her dream job wasn't as good as she had imagined.
When Kay parked her patrol car in the driveway of the house she heard the dog whining weakly. She knocked on the door but there was no one home, she opened the gate to the back yard and decided to take a look around. As soon as the little dog saw her she wagged her tail happily with the hopes of getting some food from this stranger. Kay looked at her and her heart missed a beat, she looked like a young terrier mix, she was skin and bones, her ribs could be counted effortlessly.
The rope that was tied around her neck had made a painful looking sore that looked infested.
Carefully Kay approached her, she just stayed there looking at her, no growls, nothing but pain in the little dog's eyes. With some scissors that she always carried Kay slowly cut the rope around the neck of the puppy and picked her up gently. The dog was so weak that she could barely wag her tail.
There was no water or food within the dog's reach and most likely she hadn't eaten for weeks.
There was a cage in the back of her patrol care designated just for this kind of emergencies, and Kay always carried a 4 pound bag of I/d for dogs and a botle of water. She placed the dog gently on the towel inside the cage and provided food and water for the emancipated little animal, which she appreciated by licking her hand.
Kay was on the way to the clinic, it was her first time going in so early, almost six thirty in the morning the sun wasn't even completely out yet.
She called in a code like she was trained to do so, letting the staff know that she was on the way with a critical case. They gave her the ok and prepared the emergency room for the new comer.
Alice was putting on her gloves, her technician had told her to be ready because the officer on duty was bringing in an abuse dog. She hated this cases, if she had the time she would just take all this homeless pets to her house and create a family but she had so much work that the only thing she allowed herself to do in this cases was to give the victims the best care that she could possibly provide and get them ready for their new home.
She hoped the officer wasn't Ted, he always flirted with her and asked her a bunch of personal questions most of which she had completely ignored.
How many hints would it take for him to realize that she wasn't into men.
Kay walked in cage in hand and placed it on top of the counter that divided the technicians' computer and the waiting area. Marie said hello to the officer and took the dog to the back, where Alice was waiting impatiently.
"Do you mind if I wait here for the results of the screening?" Kay asked the other girl at the compute, she just nodded without even looking at Kay once.
Kay sat down and started reading an ad about pet insurance and special discounts on prescription medications. She was so into it that she didn't realize that the doctor had stepped out and looking at some papers clipped to a plastic board asked.
"Would you mind giving me a hand with . . . " Alice looked up and froze where she stood.
Kay looked up and dropped the magazine that she was scanning over. She stood up and picked up the magazine and placed it on it's racket. Her heart had accelerated tremendously. Was it really Alice or she was hallucinating?
Alice noticed the puzzled look on her techs so she turned around and Kay followed, she knew her way around anyways.
Alice didn't know how she had made it because her legs were shaking and her head felt really light like when you're about to pass out.
When they were in her office Kay closed the door behind her and just stood there not knowing what to say.
"Are you going to help me or you're just going to stand there like a statue?" Alice spoke in a cold and matter-of-fact tone.
Kay placed the dog in a tub that was half full with warm water and held her in place while Alice applied a preservative free shampoo to the dog's skin and started to gently massage the body to get rid of all the dirt and bacteria that the little girl had accumulated on her skinny body.
After towel drying the dog Kay had to admit that the appereance had drastically changed, now she could see that the dog had some brown and white patches on her back and belly. The dog was also visibly happier and was looking at everything with perceptive eyes.
"How come you never called me again?" Kay asked startling Alice.
"I don't know." Alice tried to sound at ease but the truth was that all her insides where trembling. She kept trying to focus on the patient, and to her relief, the girl looked worse than what she really was, with plenty of food and water and a course of antibiotics she would turn from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan in no time.
"How long have you been in the city?" Alice finally looked into Kay's eyes and received a stab of love and pain go thru her delicate heart. God she looked so hot on that police uniform.
"Three months" Kay answered returning the look.
Alice gave the little girl a treat and decided to name her Sugar.
There were some empty kennels behind her with food and water and a blanket so that the dogs wouldn't get cold. She gave Sugar her first pill of Clavamox, and wrote it down on her chart. The dog licked her hand one more time before turning into a tight ball in the corner and falling peacefully to sleep.
Alice began to pick up all her utensils, she sterilized the bathtub with some alcohol and dried it up with paper towels specially designed for that.
"Thanks. You don't have to stay anymore. She will be fine." ALice said removing her gloves and washing her hands. Her shift was about to end and she was positive that today was going to be a painful and long day. Sleep was definitely out of the picture.
"How's Cookie?" Alice tried to find some common ground not sure of what else to say.
"She is great, still growing." Kay smiled a little bit.
"Listen I have to go, but it was nice to see you again." Alice said and opened her locker to get her purse and other personal things.
"Can I walk you to your car?" Kay asked already following her to the parking lot.
"I guess."
"How's everything?" Kay asked getting in the way of Alice and her car.
"Same as always I think. Except for school." Alice was a little surprised by Kay's actions.
"How about you? Anything exciting and new?"
"Different Job, can't complain I love it." Kay replayed.
"Well like I said before I've got to run so I'll see you around." Alice opened her car door and sat inside trying not to look at Kay in the process.
She stood there and watched as Alice backed up and got out of the parking lot like an experienced driver.
Alice was trembling and couldn't even keep her concentration while driving , what was it that this woman had that made her feel so not in control of her senses.
Kay knew that by coming to the city the probabilities of bumping into Alice were high but she never even in her wildest dreams imagined it to be so fast and under such conditions, she got into her patrol car and had an spectacular idea, she would recon quest Alice even if it was the last thing she did.
Alice tried to sleep in the afternoon like she usually did after running her errands and paying her bills, but she kept dreaming with Kay and waking up sweating and short of breath, she finally gave up and decided to go into work early to check up on Sugar.
As she walked in the clinic Marie approached her and told her that there was a surprise for her in the lab, where she had left Sugar the night before.
It was a huge beautiful bouquet of flowers and it had a XS card stuck to it, it read.
"For a beautiful doctor and her newest patient. K"
"Marie, who brought these in?" ridiculous question, she thought, she already knew.
"That officer from yesterday, she asked at what time you were coming in and said she would be back later to see you." Marie Paused to breathe and continued.
"She said she's known you for a few years." Marie wanted to know more but Alice didn't feel like bringing her up to date on her personal life, that was nobody's business.
Sugar was wagging her tail frantically when she saw Alice, she had eaten all the food and had peed all over the blanket.
"Hey sweetie, how was your night?" Alice spoke to the dog in a sweet tone while she changed her blanket and refilled her food and water. After a bit she took the doggy outside so that she could relieve herself, since she had such a deep abrasion on her neck she couldn't not be walked so Alice decided to take her to the backyard and let her run free for a few minutes.
She heard a car coming in the driveway and was kind of surprised when she saw that it was a patrol car, she already knew who was at the wheel.
"Come on girl, time to take your pill." Sugar came running to Alice and followed her inside obediently. As Alice put Sugar back on her kennel she was startled by the now familiar voice of her ex.
"Good morning Doc." Kay said with a grin on her face and handed Alice a brown bag and a cup of coffee.
"Thanks, you shouldn't have." Alice opened the bag, it was a bagel.
"Did you like the flowers?" Kay sounded a little nervous.
"They're beautiful thanks." Alice smiled, but not too much.
"How's Sugar doing?" Kay got closer to the kennel and petted the little doggy thru the thin resistant bars.
"Awesome." Alice couldn't help but notice how good it felt to have Kay around, she had like an aura, she was so secure and strong.
"My dad says that you should pass by the store some time, he wants to see you" Kay just said out of the blue.
"What are you doing?" Alice wanted a straight answer she wanted to know exactly what kind of ground she was stepping into.
"I just want to be your friend, I never thought I would actually see you again, and now that I found you, I would just hate to lose you again." Kay was always sincere and that was one of the things Alice enjoyed the most.
"I'm sorry Kay but I'm not ready for this." Alice went on and started flipping through her calendar to check for appointments.
"I'm not asking you to be my girlfriend, I just want your friendship."
"You know that is not the way we see each other, and I just don't feel like I'm ready to even be your friend."
"Is there someone else" Kay asked not sure if she wanted to hear the answer to that question or not.
Alice took a while to answer and she could see the tension building up on Kay, she could see her heart beat on a side of her forehead.
"No" Alice felt the tension leave Kay's body like water when it evaporates.
"Can I at least come visit you from time to time?"
"I truly would appreciate if you respected my decision to stay away, maybe later on." Alice's heart was breaking just to see the disappointment in Kay's face, but she had to for once think of herself first.
"I guess some people forget faster than others." Kay said sarcastically.
"Kay please don't start with me, you were the one that left in the first place."
"Alice I didn't come here to fight with you or to compete and see who's left who more times."
"What is it that you want then?" Alice was getting agitated.
"I want to know if it's too late to give ourselves another chance." Kay got closer, she was only a few inches away and could already smell her familiar scent.
"I believe it's too late for that." Alice replied looking at the wooden floor.
"I promise I will leave you right now if you look into my eyes and swear that you don't love me anymore." Kay was even closer now.
"Kay please, don't do this to me." Alice was almost pleading.
"Say it to my face and I promise that you will not see or hear from me ever again."
Alice didn't say a thing, she just stood there for what seemed like hours staring at Kay's eyes, she could still see thru them.
"I can't" Alice said and turned around but she was pinned between the counter and Kay's body, they were almost touching, she could feel the heat emanating from her body and her smell was driving Alice crazy. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.
Kay put her arms around Alice and held her tight, she could feel how tense she was, stiff, but slowly she relaxed and leaned back into Kay's arms. Kay turned her around and kissed her gently on the lips, making her melt in her embrace.
Alice hugged Kay like never before she clung to her like a postage to a letter. They hugged for a long time, Alice was crying in Kay's arms like a little baby.
"Hey Al, come on don't cry." Kay backed a little to give Alice some room to breathe.
"I'm sorry" Alice took a napkin from the counter and dried her tears.
"Can you at least think about my offer, you don't have to answer me right away."
"About being friends?"
"For now, yes." Kay planted a delicate kiss on Alice's right cheek.
"I'll think about it."
"Can I call you later?"
"I guess, you're going to call anyways, I don't know why you ask." Alice tried to do her best being mad but Kay always managed to somehow break thru all the barriers and get into her heart again.
Kay was parked next to Alice's car when she got out of work. She was in her patrol car but she wasn't wearing her uniform.
"What are you doing up so early?" Alice got nervous and self conscious immediately. She had a rough night, two patients with respiratory problems and three spaying.
"I thought that maybe if you weren't so tired we could do something together."
"What do you have in mind?'' Alice had opened her car's door and was placing her white coat on the backseat neatly folded in a square.
"Do you think we could take Cookie to the park? I have a friend for her." Kay looked so pretty in her faded jeans, white sneakers and a light blue polo.
Alice's face lit up when Kay mentioned "the friend" she knew it was the adorable puppy that had been a goodbye present so long ago.
"Where is she?" Alice didn't see her in the patrol car.
"She is home; I was hoping you would come with me and pick her up." Kay smiled ever so dearly.
"I would love to but look at me, I'm a mess. I need a shower ASAP."
"You can do that at my house, I'll lend you some clothes, come on its right around the corner."
Alice was silent for a bit, and finally agreed.
"I'll go get Cookie." She said already on her way back to the clinic's back door.
Kay couldn't hide her excitement as she drove down to her apartment with Alice on the passenger seat and a tail wagging Cookie in the back seat. She didn't need the cage anymore and had remarkably recuperated from the abrasions on the neck; she had also gained like four pounds.
Alice was quiet next to Kay, she was having a hard time getting used to the change. Kay insisted that they should be friends but kept showing up every few hours, several times she had kissed her on the lips and Alice's self control was getting weaker by the hour.
They finally arrived, the apartments were beautiful, after parking on her designated space Kay carried Cookie who in return licked her face and cuddled comfortably against her savior.
Alice walked in front and pressed the button for the elevator. Kay's apartment was on the 6th floor so it took a little while before they had ascended.
"How come you're so quiet?" Kay asked opening the door for Alice. The Alice that she remembered was a shatter box.
"I'm having a hard time getting used to having you around." She was honest and straight forward, no more misunderstandings this time and Kay appreciated her attitude.
"Am I making you feel uncomfortable?" As they stared into each other's eyes they could hear the basset whining quietly under a door, she had probably smelled Cookie who was now exploring the house happily.
"It's not that." Alice looked around amazed. The place was small but extremely cozy, the kitchen was down the hallway, it was a two bedroom apartment with two bathrooms and a semi-small living room. There was also a balcony on the master bedroom. Kay gave Alice a quick tour leaving her room for last. When she opened the door the basset came out wagging its tail uncontrollably jumping up on Alice as well as Kay and licking Cookie's face as if they had been raised up together.
"If only human relationships were as easy." Kay said petting both dogs at the same time.
"Tell me about it." Alice said a little sarcastically.
Kay was kneeling down now and the basset had rolled on her back showing a white and tan belly.
"Wow, she has grown so much." She petted the basset too, pushing Kay playfully to the side.
"Yeah, she's a big girl." She was enjoying this moment to the fullest. Kay had dreamed of the day that she could actually have Alice in her house, touching her things, just filling up every corner with her energy.
Kay showed Alice the way to the bathroom and gave her a new towel. After taking the longest hottest shower ever she stepped out of the shower and dried herself, on Kay's bed were her clothes, Kay had picked everything out for her including undergarments. After getting dressed she brushed her hair and applied deodorant and perfume. Alice could hear Kay playing with Cookie and the basset; she could hear clearly the tic tic tic that their nails were making on the floor.
"Ready?" Kay inquired as soon as Alice stepped into the room.
"Yes." Alice smiled.
She looked so pretty on Kay's clothes she was wearing jeans and a pink polo shirt similar to the one that Kay was wearing.
While Alice placed leaches and collars on the dogs, Kay prepared sandwiches in Ziploc bags and treats for the girls as well as drinks and packed it in a lunch box.
"Let's go" she said holding the door open while the dogs tumbled outside pulling Alice along.
They drove in silence to a park and sat under a tree with a blanket that Kay had in the trunk.
"How long have you been planning this for?" Alice was comfortably sitting against the trunk of the tree making sure the girls were within eye range.
"I didn't plan it." Kay lay on the blanket with her head resting on Alice's lap, making her feel unusually funny.
Throughout the years their relationship had gone thru so much, so many ups and so many more downs, but they always managed to get it together and at heart they were still those young girls walking thru the trails at summer camp, sneaking on Mrs. Fester.
This time there was nothing holding them back, but still they were acting cautious, they were taking it easy, not jumping into anything that they might regret later on even though they both looked eager to do so.
"Are ever going to tell me why you're so quiet?" Kay asked for the tenth time.
"I never thought I would have you like this again, it feels so unreal. I'm scared."
"I feel the same way." Kay said seriously.
Kay sat up and took Alice's hands into hers, their fingers entwined like so long ago.
"In our past we have both left each other, we have hurt each other, but most important of all, we have loved each other." She paused and caressed Alice's face, moving a strand of hair out of her eyes. "It's time for us to fight together and enjoy the feelings that no matter how hard we have tried to kill them they just wont give up."
"What do you suggest we do?"
"I would like to date you."
"You already know the answer to that question." Alice smiled and kissed Kay's hands that were still entwined in hers.
Kay hugged Alice tight for a few seconds, so happy with their decision, finally their love would be able to grow without obstacles, without limits.
"I love you Alice Moorish." Kay said kissing her softly on the lips.
"I love you Kay Lewis." Alice squeezed her girlfriend playfully and threw her in the blanket only to be attacked by two crazy happy tongues that came running towards them as soon as they fell on the blanket. The girls giggled while playing with their mascots and spend the rest of their lives adoring each other.