6 comments/ 6719 views/ 6 favorites I'll Catch You Whenever You Fall By: Smokey125 SS50: "Happy Endings V: I'll Catch You Whenever You Fall" *** They're back. And all you had to do was ask. Fifty Smokey Sagas, five "Happy Endings." Again, this story is dedicated to you Sara and Melleny fans. It doesn't have a ton of sex in it, but there is one big hot scene between the two angels, and I think it's still a heartfelt, eventful tale. I really hope you enjoy it. Sometimes it takes more than two. The Sara and Melleny Chronicles: Part 1: "For Happy Endings It Takes Two" (Smokey Saga #10) Part 2: "Won't You Smile Awhile For Me" (#18) Part 3: "Drowning In The Sea Of Love" (#22) Part 4: "The One Thing I'll Never Regret" (#32) *** One year later... March 24th, 9:02 p.m. The doorbell rang. Sara sprang up from the blanket and almost tumbled right over herself scurrying to answer. "Hurry up, you guys!" she commanded, herding in her friends as if her future depended on the evening. "We're gonna run outta time!" She ushered them in with a beckoning hand gesture, veritably spanking them square on the bottoms. "Well, Sare, what's the rush?" asked Jake, holding on to his girlfriend Hanna with one hand and the bags of snacks with the other. "Yeah, sweetie," added Mel. "Jake said you wanted us all to come over so you could show us a TV show." "Exactly!" Sara confirmed, pointing to the blanket. "So stop flapping your gums and start planting your bums!" They did as she said, though all the three of them remained a bit fuzzy on the night's planned events. "Jake, I don't exactly understand. I thought you told me the show didn't start until 9:30," said Hanna. "Well, you've got me there," Jake replied. "I thought Sara told me the same thing." Sara snatched up her trusty iPod, which was connected to the living room big-screen. "Okay, okay, you guys are right; I did say 9:30. And that is the start time of tonight's program. However, long story short..." She found the content she was looking for on the iPod and took a sec to quickly explain. "As I'm sure you know, all three of y'all happened to be on vacation last week—Jake and Hanna at Bayside, and Mel and her family on that cruise. I..." Pause for effect... "...In the meantime...stayed home. And in doing so, I discovered an awesome new television show I'd like to share with ya tonight." "Wow, sis, a new TV show neither of us knew about?" asked Jake. "That's gotta be a first." "Well, brand-new," Sara amended. "It just premiered last week. It's called One Big Happy, and it's a lesbian comedy. Well, I mean, the main girl's a lesbian, and her best friend's a straight guy. And they've known each other since they were kids! Sound familiar?" Mel caught on, pointing to Sara and Jake. "Oh, I get it. So they're like you two." "Exactly!" explicated Sara. "I caught the pilot last Tuesday. And I thought, oh, this could be pretty cool. And I ended up loving it. And I had just enough time to rewind it to the beginning, record it into my laptop, make a video of it and sync it onto the ol' Pod!" "...Whoa," commented Hanna. "Oh, yeah," said Jake. "In case I didn't tell you before, babe, Sara is a techno-genius." "Thanks, bro! So, minus commercials, it's about twenty-one minutes long," Sara went on. "Which gives us just enough time to watch it—the first episode—right now, and then the second one'll come on at 9:30, when we're done with the first one! Get it?" Her guests nodded, though a bit unsurely. "I...yeah...guess...think so," they chorused. "Trust me." Sara plopped in the middle of them. *** March 24th, 10:00 p.m. "Wow," said Sara, once episode number two had ended. This was her first time seeing tonight's show. The blanket was mussed and ruffled with the imprints of their bodies, and the snacks and eats were devoured. "Well, ladies and gent, what'dya think?" "Cute," said Jake. "They really are like us, Sare. Well, I mean, y'know, not individually—we're different from those characters—but that's practically our exact same friendship, right on TV." "Yeah, I thought it was pretty funny too," agreed Hanna. "But, does that mean I'm...the British girl?" "Well, kinda, Han," Sara replied. "I mean, you guys aren't married, and I certainly don't hate your guts. But yeah, in a way; you're fun and free-spirited and spontaneous like her. And hey, Mel, she's got six sisters! You've got seven! How 'bout that??" "That is a pretty funny coincidence," Melleny nodded with a smirk. "Not exactly Earth-shattering, but funny. I just hope no one thinks I'm the ex. Y'know, the...what's-her-name. The other one. She's hot, but she's a creep." "Yeah, I didn't like her either," said Sara. "But then again, we're not supposed to." "That lead actress looked familiar," remarked Jake. "Where've we seen her before, Sare?" "Oh, Elisha? Duh! She was in that show Happy Endings, silly!" Sara reminded him, tousling his hair. "Remember?? "And you do know what they say about Happy Endings," she added, turning to Melleny. "Right, sweetie? Wink wink?" Melleny just about went purple in the face blushing. "SAR-a..." "I still can't believe the British chick was completely naked," said Hanna. "I think that'd catch any of us off-guard." "Yeah," said Sara, knowing she'd be replaying that scene in her mind. "Well, I wanna thank you guys so much again for coming over and watching my new show with me. Well, I mean, y'know, it's not my show, but...anyway, thanks." "Oh, our pleasure," smiled Hanna. "I had a good time. Did you have a good time, Jake?" Jake chuckle-scoffed. "She's my best friend. You even have to ask?" Sara was tired, unusually for this early at night. Time to charm her way into asking Jake and Hanna to, essentially, hit the road. "Well, golly, guys, if you're sure you can't stay..." Hanna, who didn't know Sara as well as Jake did, looked curiously at her a moment. "Uh, well, actually—" she began to say. "Oh, I'm so very sorry to hear that," Sara stepped in. "I loved having you by. And I hope you'll come back and visit me again soon." Jake chuckled and got to his feet. Hanna remained a bit puzzled. "Well, sure, I guess I wouldn't mind that, but..." Hanna wasn't exactly sure how to finish what she was thinking, so Jake explained. "It's time for us to go, babe. Sare's tired. And she doesn't like to come right out and tell anyone to beat it, so that's her technique." Sara giggled. "That's one way of putting it. Another is that I can accommodate three people—provided two of 'em are Mel and me—but not four. I'm afraid all I have to offer's the sofa, which, unfortunately, is only a sofa. And I do have a king-size bed, but as you can imagine, I'm mighty picky about whom I allow in there." She nodded and winked at Melleny, who was still blushing. Hanna chuckled. "Ah. I understand now." She stood to clasp Sara's hands. "Thank you for a lovely evening too, Sara, we had fun." Sara threw a hug on her. "Oh! Pleasure's all mine, buddy girl, all mine. Feel free to drop back over anytime." The rest of the hugs and goodbyes were exchanged. Sara and Mel saw them out, threw them a dual wave from the front door, and as always, watched them head off until the car disappeared from their line of sight. Now alone, the girls let out a collective sigh of happiness as they padded back inside and shut the door. "Now then," smiled Sara, taking Mel's hand. "Come with me, my dearest. Come, and sweeten my dreams, with your love." Mel smiled back into Sara's shimmering hazel eyes. "Oh, all right." *** March 25th, 5:02 p.m. hey sweet lovergirl cant wait 2 c u 2nite <3 mello Sara trotted to the Team, Inc. garage and hopped in her car. She melted with a smile as always re-reading Mel's text du jour on her phone. It'd arrived around 1:00 this fine Wednesday. Sara kissed it and let it drop beside her backpack. She couldn't wait either. Juniper Massage & Wellness closed at 6:00 on weekdays, and was located fortuitously right around the corner from Mel's house. It took her a full ten minutes to get home in heavy traffic. In the meantime, she normally arrived at work in the morning with a few moments to spare before her first client arrived, so just to keep her devotion spontaneous, she tried to come up with a different text each time, saved it as a draft in her phone in the morning, and then sent it at a random, indeterminable point in the day. The Spring of Fifteen was come and in full bloom. And now at one year strong, the relationship of Sara Jane Kelton and Melleny Alison Hayes was past full bloom. This first annual cycle under their belts, they had ascended to the phase generally associated with ((supposedly) premature) lesbian couples. They had begun moving and keeping things at one another's homes. Well, to be precise, Mel was toting items from her smaller domicile to store at Sara's larger, where another person's belongings could more comfortably find a new residence. They'd begun the previous September with small things, like toys, pens and fridge magnets, before graduating to pajamas, books, DVDs and kitchenware. After the new year, they took a bigger step. Sara cleared Melleny some space for clothes and toiletries. Mel had more than enough outfits to split between dwellings, but just in case, they thought it a good idea to have extra dental and shower aids at both houses. After a while, these space-sharing decisions took their toll on the girls and wore them out, at which point they'd simply settle down, hug until they couldn't breathe, fall asleep, and wake up refreshed and ready to take on the next deliberation. Mel secretly thought herself a bit silly about this, but with each and every possession she carried through the portal into Sara's living quarters, she felt just a smidgen safer and more secure, cuddled and sheltered under the conviction that no matter what, thick and thin, everything was going to be okay. If Sara and Melleny were transparent to their souls, an assessment of visibility would reveal that as sensitive and emotional as Sara could be, Mel had her beat with her extra fragile heart and vulnerability. Sara was quick to learn that her heart would have to be super-gentle with Mel's heart, and hold its hand as they crossed the street of romance. She tried her best not to be careless, but she wasn't perfect, and couldn't avoid the few and far occasions when she unintentionally hurt her. Sara couldn't deny a bit of frustration over how insecure and easily hurt Melleny was, but at the same time, she loved the girl's sweet, beatific delicacy. She knew she had to take the perfect with the less than perfect. Tonight Melleny would soon be on her own to Sara's, which wasn't saying much. It would not distinguish this from any other particular evening. Melleny had all but moved in with her to this point. Sara was no authority on proper intervals of courting time before making leaps of commitment, but right about now she was one short car ride away from cutting Mel a spare key to her house. Ding-dong! Click. "Welcome, Angel From Heaven On Earth!" Sara greeted, wrapping Mel in her arms like the life-size birthday gift she was. "Thank you, Most Perfect Treasure To Ever Enrich My Life," returned Melleny, smushing her face in Sara's cheek. "Oh, God, Mel-Rose," Sara went on, "Honey, I love you ever so much...my love for you is so tremendous, your love would have to look up just to see the bottoms of my love's 7½ Clarks." "Your love cannot hold a candle to mine, Saratoga," Mel impishly contradicted. "My love eclipses the daylights out of yours." "We'll see about that, Melly-Jelly." "Oh, yes, we will, Sarallelogram." And just like that, the game was on. *** March 25th, 6:54 p.m. Sara stood in front of Mel. They joined hands, left in left, right in right, and Sara led her to the bedroom. "Whatever are we doing here?" queried Melleny, playing innocent. Sara released her hands and turned to face her. "Hanging pictures," she answered saucily. "OOOOoooh. Scandalous." Sara embraced and cuddled her, generating a shiver of excitement through her girlfriend. "And we have the whole house to ourselves to hang them. Imagine, sugar...we can hang pictures in every single room." "MMMmm..." Mel pulled closer. "I can hardly wait to put that hammer to work." Sara nosed her with her soft nuzzle. "It's all a matter of, uh...finding the studs, if you know what I mean," she told Mel, gliding a fingertip down her torso. "Sounds like a...fun...task," gasped Mel, growing aroused. "Do you have the, uh..." She swallowed. "...The frames?" Sara closed the space between them. "I've got everything I need." "Then what are we waiting for??" said Mel, getting more excited by the moment. "Well, now, aren't we the eager beaver," commented Sara. Her suggestively punny remark made Mel blush and cover her giggling mouth. "All righty then, Mellifluous Mel. You can start by getting in my bed and slipping under the covers." "Oh, my. How can I help hang pictures from there?" "That, my friend, is one of the mysteries of the universe," Sara explicated. "Oooh. How deep." Mel obeyed, snuggling herself completely beneath the neatly laid comforter. She waited patiently until a more naked Sara joined. They wriggled their ways entirely under, now in relative darkness. Sara gasped, feeling the warm, soft body beside her. "Why! What's this?" Melleny giddily chortled. "Who's in my bed?" Sara wished to know. "Who goes there??" "It is I," answered Mel in a deep voice, trying to keep from laughing. "Madame Hayes...of the Baskervilles." Sara took her turn to giggle. "Madame Hayes?" "Yes, Curious Stranger Whose Bed This Is?" Chuckle. "I love you." "I love you too." There it was, Sara's first miniature orgasm. Sara sidled along the mattress to get closer. "Hmmm," she mused. "I wish to explore you, Madame Hayes. To discover you." "Discover me, Sara da Gama. Let me be your unknown territory. Make me your Greenland, Sara the Red. Plant your flag." "Gladly. Any particular spot you'd like me to plant it?" "Surprise me." "Surprises...are my coup de grâce." Mel lay still to be discovered as Sara reached out her embarking fingers to rest on her new territory's soft, silky skin. The unknown territory in question gasped helplessly at her exquisite touch. It amazed Sara that after an entire year of love and intimacy together that her mere touch could still bear such a powerfully magical effect. But then Sara remembered, Oh yeah, she loves me. Mel lay motionlessly under cover of darkness as Sara took her time exploring. The experience was enhanced in pitch blackness. She heaved her body in passion, riding Sara's roving fingertips into the air like waves. Sara leaned in close to inhale her unique scent. "Hmmm..." Sara considered. "Fine, satiny texture...delicate dimensionality, piquant atmosphere... "...I do believe I like it here." Mel chuckled. "I'm very glad, Poet Who Doesn't Know It. I want you to stay here with me forever." Sara gasped. "Bless my soul!" she exclaimed. "A talking land!" Mel burst out laughing, which she couldn't help, but agreed afterwards to remain silent. Within reason. On Sara went staking out this new, enchanting region. Mel twitched and tingled as Sara searched with her nose and mouth as well as her lovely hands. The added, simultaneous touches multiplied her sensations. Sara nuzzled her, fondled her, tickled her, teased her, smelled her, tasted her. And so far, she couldn't detect a single thing in this new realm she didn't adore. Mel's heart, mind and soul began going wild as Sara caressed below her chin, to the neck, kissing her ear. "Land ho," the explorer whispered barely audibly. Melleny suppressed her urge to break out once more in guffaws at the bawdy puns. She lay still and concentrated on the pleasure. Their hormones were awakening. Mel lolled her head back as she felt Sara extending her arm under her neck. Sara curled up as close into Mel's quivering hot bod as she could. Starting to quiver herself, she glid her soft, moist lips from Melleny's cheek to her jaw, continuing her journey south. Her sensual expedition was quick becoming one of the most overwhelming voyages she'd ventured. She made certain they stayed safely below the blanket so as to preserve and protect their adventurous pretense. She descended to kiss Mel's shoulder and collarbone, all the while folding closer and tighter over her beloved, cradling her neck with one hand, brushing her trembling belly with the other. Eyes closed, Melleny moaned, pressing her palms into the mattress as she eagerly awaited the culmination of this trek. Sara's hair spilled over her, pooling in beautifully random tufts atop Mel's torso. Head craned back, Melleny could smell it, the delightfully familiar, aromatic botanicals toying with her nostrils. Sara slipped out her tongue and traced aimless salivary streaks along Mel's warm flesh. Her cobalt blue eyes fluttered as Sara performed this exploratory procedure on her. The girls' hides rubbed against one another and warmed enough to perspire. Sweat seeped through their pores. Melleny finally lifted one hand from the mattress to locate Sara's hair and hungrily snake her fingers through it. Sara went on dotting Mel's upper body in lip and tongue prints as her lower hand cupped and gripped one ass cheek. Melleny groaned more and put her other arm around Sara as well, hugging her nearer and nearer. Sara grabbed hold of Mel's leg underneath with both of hers and pulled it away from the other. Melleny gladly cooperated. At last, the moments Mel had been waiting for began to arrive. Sara poked her eyes up over the bobbing mounds on either side of her face to properly tend to them. Imagining they were two gigantic helpings of ice cream each slathered with whipped cream and a cherry, Sara settled in for a nice faceful. This making love in the dark thing was actually turning out to be really good for their fantasizing skills. Sara sucked on the cherry, trying to taste the sweet juice inside. Mel threw her head further back, applying gentle pressure on Sara's head, encouraging her to exercise more aggression. Sara obliged, grinding her face into the shapely dessert-like orb, feeling the response stiffen and nub against her lips and tongue. Melleny's nipples both hardened simultaneously, but only one was receiving attention, so she coaxed Sara's hand up from her tush, kissed it and laid it over her unoccupied one. Sara modified the picture in her imagination accordingly so that the breast under her hand was now just a regular old boob again. She went on slurping and devouring the whipped cream all over her nose and mouth. Mel's arousal grew and grew as her pussy leaked and her clit swelled and pulsed. She knew she wouldn't be able to take much more of this before her sopping cunt would require some attention. The intensity went on building. Mel's breaths deepened and loudened as she pressed Sara harder and tighter against herself. Once Sara was close enough to tantalize her with her body heat, Mel once more took hold of her beloved's hand, kissed each of its fingers and guided it south to her yearning womanhood. Sara's heart accelerated as it did every time she realized she was about to say hello to Little Melleny. Her fingers eased and maneuvered through Mel's rainforest, down to the dripping honeycave. The second Sara touched her pussy, Mel's head once more shot back on her pillow as if she'd been electrocuted. She to this day couldn't get over what an incredible impact Sara's touch maintained on her. She moooooaned in sublime passion. Sara, still each bit as flattered as a year ago, gave a small smile through her oral pleasuring of Melleny's tits. Mel was already in heaven, seeing stars dancing everywhere. And Sara had just barely brushed her labia apart with her fingers. I'll Catch You Whenever You Fall Melleny's heart and clit pounded. Fireworks blasted inside her as her girlfriend worked her magic. Sara entered Mel's welcoming pussy, continuing the exploration. Little Melleny took over once Sara slipped inside her sex, squeezing and clenching on her fingers while easily squishing her digits in and out. Each squishy thrust puffed and pumped Melleny's raging hormones onwards and upwards like a blood pressure cuff. She tried to look up through her now teary eyes to address her love. "S—... "...S-Sara?..." Sara looked up. "Kiss me." Sara grinned. "With pleasure." Melleny's nipples now stood on their own. Keeping her hand occupied penetrating Mel's extremely appreciative pussy, Sara repositioned herself so she could administer the loving hand job on her baby doll and pucker up to her at the same time. Mel on her back, Sara on her side, they exchanged heated breaths as they lay now face to face. Sara seductively whispered something to Mel that she couldn't even hear, but did not even mean anything. It was a mere tactic to entice Mel further with the sound of her hushed voice. Sara exhaled heated breath along Mel's hair-tendrilled cheek until finally reaching her mouth. A whole new wave of goodness and warm, wet stimulation engulfed Mel as she felt Sara's lips on hers. Soft moans and whimpers emanated from both young naked lasses. Sara, whose cunt was also autolubed and soaked, humped Melleny's leg like a happy dog as she went on manually probing the inside of Mel's blood-red pussy. "Sara, please tickle my clit," she somehow managed to croak out. Sara again grinned and obliged. As she leaned in, the sensation from her swollen clit rocked Melleny's world. She bit Sara's lip. "Mmm!" Sara remarked. Mel tried to apologize through her muffled mouth, but was fast losing her mind. She wouldn't be able to withstand much more. Sara backed off from her lips and started kissing, from the side of her mouth and across her cheek, elongating her line of pecks all the way diagonally up to Mel's temple. Sara nosed her dark frizzy hair behind her ear and nipped at it. Mel's upper half was just as cognizant and grateful for the generous affection it received as was her lower half. Every day with Sara was a trip to bountiful in and of itself, yet making love to her nevertheless transported her to a new, rarely-seen dimension of Eden. A divine, celestial dimension of passion, infused by serenity and tranquility, where nothing could enter and disturb her peace. For her own part, Sara remained downright astonished hour after hour, day after day, that she got to spend her life with such a wondrous princess. If Sara were totally honest with herself, she considered Melleny a bit out of her league. She was so beautiful, so lovely, so special. Sara considered herself kind and pretty, but she didn't think she could hold a candle to Mel. But she had learned enough during this past year not to question it, just to enjoy it. With such a cemented relationship, nothing could stop them now. Sara soldiered on, plunging as deep as she could reach into Melleny, who by now was screaming for release. She poured on the supplemental love by nibbling on Mel's lobe, tickling her ear with her nose. Melleny was spiraling through limitless plateaus of wild euphoria. She gathered fistfuls of mattress in her hand, squeezing the cottony fabric with all her might. More and more sweat ran from her brow, wetting down her hair and pillow. She was free to move, but with the spell Sara was casting upon her, she might as well have been pinned down to the bed, totally immobile. Sparks blew and surged at her every side, sensuality crackling all about. As per the norm when Mel reached this point, Sara was faced with the joyous decision of how exactly to put her over the edge. There were two sides of her sexual personality to select from. First, of course, there was the tender, gentle, loving, nurturing side which would cradle Melleny into a beautiful, lulling, soothing climax and let her float back down into the honeyed afterglow to stay as long as she pleased. Then there was the rough, edgy, sharp, biting side, designed to rock Mel past the line of sanity and make her howl for merciful relief. Both were involved to a certain degree most every time, either way, be it 90-10, 75-25, or even 60-40. But as fragile and vulnerable as Melleny's emotions were, her sex drive could bear up under considerable pressure. Though shy and reluctant to admit it, Mel liked it rough. And so it was via this avenue Sara chose to let out her aggressions. She waited for the signals, then mildly blew into Mel's ear. Sara sent her into oblivion with one solitary command. "Surrender." And so went her hand into Melleny's pussy, kicking into overdrive. She rammed, she crammed, she jammed into her, so hard, so fast, so violently, Mel's eyes rolled straight back in her head. Vehement, overpowering bursts of ecstasy assaulted her, ripped and tore through her every last cell. The earthquake orgasm nailed her relentlessly, seizing her from the core, utterly paralyzing her. In her mind she was fired from a cannon, blown much too far away to ever fully recover. "AAAAAAHHH!! AAAAAAAAAAHHH!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!" Melleny screeched, her cries at last dying down after an immeasurable interval of still-standing time. Sara waited, decreasing the speed and ferocity of her manual thrusts until at long last concluding her exploration. The new land had been discovered and thoroughly traversed. Her mission was complete. Her flag had been planted. She sucked off her fingers and snuggled in with her now charted territory to share the heavenly aftermath. "I love you too, honey," Sara professed, slipping her hand into her own happy pink pussy. *** A week and a half later... April 3rd, 6:24 p.m. "Hey, sissy...oh, y'know...oh, just hanging out with Sara...Sara, babe. You remember her. My girlfriend?...You met her at my birthday party last year?...Right: 5'6 or so, sandy hair, hazel eyes...yeah, her...oh, 'bout a year...yeah, I'm at her place. I practically live there nowadays anyhow...yeah, no, seriously...w—...well, y'know, Molly, I am a lesbian. I mean, this is kinda how we do...uh-huh...yeah, well, it's just the same reason you like guys; it's just the way it is...s—...speaking of g—...what?...What's the matter?... "...Ohhhh...aw, Moll, I'm so sorry, hon...yeah, I...I really am. I know how much you liked him...yeah, he was different...w—...well, sweetie, you'll hang in there...well, I know, but...well, yeah, sis, I know that, b—...oh, Moll, please don't say that... "...Molly, please don't s—...oh, Moll...l—...look, why don't you come over here for dinner with us tonight?...Yeah, you wanna?...Yeah, no, sure, we'd love to have you over. Oh, listen to me, 'We'd love to have you.' Sounds like I live here already...sure, sure, I'll just let Sara know...no! No, sweetie, of course not, you're my baby sister!...Aw, it's okay, forget it, hon...yeah, sure, so I'll let Sara know, and I'll give you the directions, and wait outside for ya...no problem, babe...love you too...'kay, bye." Mel hung up and pranced back inside, where Sara stood aproned in the kitchen, stirring sauce in a pot, singing with Bill Champlin. "How was I meant to know, I left you alone too long...I never thought you needed all of that talking, but I could be wrong...Sara, I'll never forget your name...the woman is gone, but the feeling is here to stay...Sara..." The song appeared to be entitled "Sara." What a surprise. "...How can I let you know, I'm willing to give it all...I'll gather your tears, from all of the years, and catch 'em whenever they fall...I'll catch you whenever you fall...Sara, I'll never forget your name..." Melleny smiled warmly as she watched the performance. Sara really did love singing her heart out. It was hard to resist a happily warbling Sara Kelton, but she did have to break in here. "Hey, sweetie! I gotta run something by you real quick, but I kinda already said yes." "What's up?" "Well...I invited Molly to come over for supper tonight." Sara looked up. Mel noted that she didn't exactly look thrilled. "She's-she's going through a really tough time, hon. You know Corey, that guy she was dating? Well, she really liked him, but he got deported back to Ireland. He never got his green card, and they sent him back around the time we got back from that cruise last month. And...well, Molly just found out today. And she's really pretty upset, and she can just use some friendly company right now." Sara arched her eyebrows. When she spoke, her tone was unplaceable. "...Oh," she finally replied. Mel paused to let her continue. But Sara said nothing more for the moment. "...This...i-is this gonna be a problem, sweetie? I...I mean, I-I guess I should've asked first, but...I guess I just couldn't imagine it being that much of a problem. I mean, you're the most friendly, generous, hospitable person I've ever met. And...and if there isn't enough food or whatever, we can always get something quick and easy for her...right?" Sara stared a minute. The news with which she'd just been presented, she had to admit to herself, did disrupt her plans for the evening a bit. It had been a long week, and she was rather looking forward to whipping up a nice little dinner and settling in with her beloved to relax before preparing to meet up with their families for Easter. In her week-worn mood, while she wasn't proud of it, she didn't relish the idea of tending to Melleny's sister, even to just offer her a bit of comfort and succor. It wasn't that she didn't care—after all, as Mel had said, she was hospitable and accommodating, but even the best of them got tuckered out. Even so...Sara had met Mel's family. She loved them, and vice versa. And this was important to Melleny. And what was important to Melleny was important to Sara. She summoned some energy and nodded. "...I...guess I can squeeze in one more." Mel hugged her. "Oh, thanks, sweetie! You're the best!" "You're telling me..." *** April 3rd, 7:57 p.m. Sara Kelton, Melleny Hayes and Molly Hayes sat around Sara's dining room table, each with her own plate of spaghetti. Alongside the weeping Molly's plate also sat a rapidly emptying box of tissues. The Hayes girls' dishes were virtually untouched, and the pasta was losing temperature. Sara would rather not have to wrap it up and throw it in the fridge, could it be helped. But she told herself the food wasn't really consequential right now. It was just food, after all. "I was really falling in love with him! I was!" Molly sobbed, wadding up her umpteenth Kleenex. Sara studied Molly, searching for familial similarities out of curiosity. Molly was a thin, tiny thing, a few inches smaller than either Sara or Melleny. Her hair was lighter in tone and a bit straighter as well. Her eyes were also a shade of blue, though it was hard to tell what with them covered in tears. Her ears and lips were a bit smaller, but the two of them did share the same noses and cheekbones. "I know, babe, I know," Mel consoled, rubbing her back. "No, you don't!" Molly argued. "My life is over!" "Oh, honey!" said Melleny. "You're 19 years old! You just got your heart broken! I know how that feels. Trust me, I do. I know how much it hurts right now. And I'm so sorry this happened to you. These things happen, sweetheart. And they suck. They really do. But time'll make it better. One day you'll wake up, and you'll feel okay again." "No, I won't!" cried Molly. "This wasn't my first heartbreak, Mel; it was my five hundredth! But this time was really different! I loved him! He was so different from all the other guys! He never cheated on me, he never hit me, he never did a single thing to hurt me! Until he left!" She broke up again. "He was perfect, and I still got dumped! I feel like such a loser! I can't even keep one nice, sweet guy in my life! He was the best thing that ever happened to me! God, now I just wanna die! I wanna kill myself!" "Oh, Moll, please don't say that!" Melleny again urged her, searching for encouragement. "Look, it...it wasn't like it was his decision to go. He didn't say, 'Oh, I don't love Molly, so I'm gonna leave her and go home.' He had to; he was deported! It wasn't anyone's fault! And this-this...this doesn't necessarily have to be all over. I mean, you can...you can still talk to him online. And-and...we can save up in the meantime for you to fly up and see him too! You can stay in touch! You—" "I don't wanna talk to him online! I don't wanna fly to frickin' Ireland!" Molly whined. "I wanted him to stay here! And love me!" "I'd take that," a weary Sara uttered through her meatball. "What?" Mel looked to her. "...Sara? 'Dyou say something?" "Not a word." Melleny turned back to her baby sister. "All right, listen, Moll, take it from me, it doesn't have to be over. If Corey meant this much to you, then you shouldn't just give up. And you oughta mean something to him too. You're a good person, Molly Hayes. You're no loser. You deserve a guy who's gonna value you as much as you do him. And if he doesn't, then he's just not the right guy for you." Sara loudly crunched on her breadstick. "Mel, I mean it," Molly miserably sniffled. "This is it for me. I've been tossed around and stepped on for the last time. I'm done. I'm convinced. I am never gonna find the true love of my life. And I just don't think I can deal with just being alone." "But you're not alone!" Melleny asserted. "You've still got us! You'll always have your family. We're not going anywhere! And you've got your friends too. I'm your sister, and your friend. And Sara's your friend. Right, sweetie?" "Hm?" Sara looked up lackadaisically. "Oh, uh, right. Right, yeah." Molly was in a mindset of utter hopelessness, where she was just looking for sources of complaint and only willing to shoot down any offers of comfort and coddling her sister offered. And truth be told, Melleny couldn't totally blame her. Sara knew Mel suffered from clinical depression at times, but what she didn't know was that traces of the mental condition ran in the Hayes family. Nor was she abreast of the amount of drama and emotional uproar seen under the Hayes roof with a total of eight growing daughters. Sara'd been witness to some of Mel's less than finest moments, and wasn't quite as well acquainted with her siblings. But she was a pretty decent judge of character, with a pretty skillful imagination. And what was going on here tonight did not overly shock her. It was, however, beginning to give her a headache. She was already pretty run down from this work week to begin with, and she wasn't meaning to be insensitive to the ordeal Molly was going through—it wasn't as though she'd never been heartbroken herself—but the trouble was that she just, didn't, have, the, energy to deal with this right now. She was simply too wiped. End of story. "I don't think Sara really likes me that much, Mel," Molly uttered under her breath. "Nonsense!" Melleny assured without a hint of hesitation. "Sara likes everybody. And everybody likes her. Am I right, Sara?" Sara let out a sigh. "Uh, yeah, right, right. Look, if you two aren't gonna eat, could I please take your plates?" Molly only dropped her face in her palms for another string of tears. Melleny looked up as Sara stood, gesturing for the dishes. "You know, Sara," said Mel, lowering her voice, "This is my baby sister. You could be a little more compassionate here." Sara nodded, taking a deep breath. She was just about at the end of her proverbial rope, and wasn't fully aware of the level of tact of her chosen words, or the weight carried therein. She just wasn't in the mood. "You're right, Melleny. You're absolutely right. Tell you what. Here's what I'm gonna do: I'm gonna take these dishes, I'm gonna toss them in the fridgie, and then I'm gonna go get my life-size teddy bear Mr. Boppers, and let Molly give him a great, big, hug." With that, she adjourned to the kitchen to return the dishes. Melleny watched her go, arm around Molly's shoulders. She could barely believe what she'd just seen and heard. The Sara Kelton she knew was the gentlest, most warm, loving soul she could ever ask to encounter. Her kid sister was in pain, and being met with...sarcasm. Wry, caustic, thoughtless sarcasm. She was dumbfounded. This made less than no sense. This wasn't right. How could Sara be so cold? Her Sara, of all people? So chillingly callous? And...she thought this four-foot teddy bear Mr. Boppers only existed in Sara's subconscious, but...oh, who cared. Sara honestly felt bad about the way she was behaving tonight, but, at the risk of hating herself, she hadn't asked for this, and she knew she was not handling it well. The bottom line was that she simply wasn't equipped for this right now, mentally or energetically. It was plainly an unfortunate situation brought on by very bad timing. She couldn't just throw one or both of them out the door, and she couldn't beckon the necessary strength to sit down with Molly and give her her shoulder to cry on. She needed a break. She knew Mel might punish her for this, but she'd deal with the consequences later. She emerged from the kitchen, crossed by the sisters at the table, marched down the hall, entered the bathroom, and locked the door. *** April 3rd, 8:48 p.m. After a short rest on the royal throne and a splash of water in the face, Sara felt refreshed enough to get back out there and take care of business. But upon returning to the dining room, she found zero Mollys and one very worried Melleny. "Wh—...what's going on?...Where's Molly?" "If you actually care, she left, thanks very much," Mel retorted. "She tricked me. She asked me to get her something to drink, then when I came back with a glass of water, she'd bolted. She's been doing that kinda stuff to me for years, and I never catch on." Sara absorbed this minor blow in stride, now more concerned with Molly's welfare. "But...you...you didn't go after her?" "Sara, she's not an idiot. She didn't want me to follow her, so she took her keys and mine. I didn't notice until it was too late." "Oh, gosh," said Sara, now also feeling frightened. "I hope she didn't do anything foolish." "You hope?" repeated Mel indignantly. "You weren't giving two hoots about her when she was sitting at your table in tears!" "I know, Melleny, I know. I'm sorry, really, I am. I'm so sorry. I should've been more sympathetic. I...I should've..." Sara let out another sigh, feeling these apologies draining her slowly replenishing stamina. "...Well...do you wanna take my car?" "Where??" demanded Mel. "I have no idea where she went! I can't just go aimlessly looking for her on a wild goose chase!" "Why not? It wouldn't be too hard; just follow the honking." Melleny glowered at her. This time, she was in no mood for Sara's puns. Sara backed off. "You don't think she just went back home?" "I tried her cell and her home phone. No luck either time." "Oh...well, maybe she'll call you back." Sara grabbed her own plate from the table and slipped back into the kitchen. A few seconds later, to her amazed consternation, Melleny heard the radio click back on. Music piped out amidst running water and clinking of dishes as Sara softly hummed along, rinsing off her plate to drop in the dishwasher. I'll Catch You Whenever You Fall Again, Mel couldn't fathom what was happening here. She stood from her chair. "Really??" she called into the kitchen. "Huh?" came the reply. Melleny marched to the kitchen doorway. "My baby sister's in crisis, she could be anywhere right now, she's got me in a total panic over it all...and you're singing along to the radio, as if nothing happened tonight??" "Hey, I already offered you my car," Sara reminded her. "You wanna go out and look for her, no one's stopping you." "That is not the point," Mel griped, almost shouting over the music. "I already told you there's no use in looking for her, I have no clue where she is. The point is, I didn't think it would be too much to ask of my own girlfriend to just give me a little support here. To tell me that she cares. That everything's going to be okay. That my baby sister isn't out somewhere committing suicide right now!" "Okay, okay, let's not get hysterical," said Sara. "It's not gonna help to fall to pieces. And of course I care, Melleny. I've cared about you since the day we met, and I always will. But may I be so bold as to tell you my side of things here, Mel? It was a long, long week. I was exhausted. I had my evening planned. I had just enough energy left to come home, cook us up a nice dinner and chillax. Maybe get to bed a little early. Saying this as nicely as I can manage, I didn't anticipate any dinner guests." Sara sighed. "You just...you just went right ahead and invited her, Mel. You didn't ask me first. It-it wasn't Molly herself. She seems like a lovely girl. I don't have anything against Molly, or any of your family. And it wasn't a problem to fix another plate of food, either, but I wasn't prepared for any drama tonight, Mel. And I'm still not. I'm really sorry about your sister, really, I am, but, but..." She shook her head. "...I don't know how many ways to say it! I'm, too, tired! I can't handle anything tonight!" Melleny watched as Sara again reached for the radio and adjusted the volume. It grew another couple of notches. Their Goddess was on the airwaves. Sara's music was her haven. It was one of the things that made anything in life bearable. Mel knew she liked it, but she didn't know just how vital the power of music was to Sara's sanity. And she didn't feel it was very appropriate right now. "Sara, would you please turn the radio off?" "What?" The music was not too loud to hear, Sara was just not ready for this request. "Please turn the radio off! I'm asking you courteously! I'm trying to talk to you here!" "Wh—...why? I can still hear you." "Because it's distracting! And because I'm upset, and I don't want to listen to any music right now!" Sara failed to comprehend. In her mind, music was a be-all, end-all solvent to mentally tackle anything life threw at her. She had always believed in deep and meaningful pop music's powers, especially those of healing. As far as she could see, a person's favorite music was a cure for any mental ailment that came along. Why would anyone not want music, especially when in a rotten mood? And especially by one's all-time favorite singer? "...What do you mean, Mel?" "...What the hell do you mean, what do I mean?? I mean enough with it already, Sara! PLEASE, turn it off!" "...But...it's...Velette! This is Velette we're talking about here, Mel! 'Girl With The Guitar'! It's a great song! It—" "OH, shut, up!" Mel's outburst shocked both of them. Abruptly, the music was the only sound in the house. Thirty seconds later, there was no sound in the house. Mel couldn't believe what she'd just said, but she also couldn't believe the way Sara was acting right now. It was as though the only thing she suddenly had a single care in the world for was an arbitrary ditty on the radio, albeit by their favorite girl. Sara finished her leftover chores in the kitchen about the time she switched off the radio. She faced Mel with crossed arms. For a short while, neither said anything. Each was disconcerted with the way the other was treating her. Each was spinning a wheel of emotions in her mind, trying to decide how to react, how to express herself. Disappointed, angry, apologetic, betrayed, aggressive, adamant, apathetic, ready to make up, ready to fight more...place your bets. Melleny landed on rational, but peeved. "I-I-I didn't mean to snap at you and tell you to shut up, Sara. That was wrong of me, and for that I'm sorry. But, I'm not sorry for politely asking you to turn the music off so I could talk to you about something that's serious and important to me. It...it felt to me like you just didn't care, and you didn't respect my feelings or wishes. And after everything that happened tonight, and all that worrying over Molly, I just...something inside me just went off. My camel's kid stepped on a crack." Sara let her arms listlessly fall to her sides. She exhaled, sauntered back into the dining room, pulled out her chair, and collapsed. "...I didn't ask for any of this to happen, Mel," Sara groaned, arms propped on elbows, cheeks in hands. "I didn't wanna do anything wrong here. I'm sorry too, sweetheart. All I wanted was a nice, quiet, peaceful evening." Melleny calmed herself down. "Well," she conceded, resuming her own seat at the table as well, "I'm not blameless here. I did ask her to come over, and I did make the assumption that you'd just be fine with it. I...guess I could have taken her out to eat. Or I could have done something else to take the burden off you and just let you relax. I guess I just didn't realize how stressed out you were." Sara blinked. Multiple times. The next Mel heard was a sniffle. She looked up to see tears glistening in Sara's eyes. "Oh, Sara," she uttered, feeling her heart crack. "Please...I didn't mean it. I don't..." She gave up the sentence. She was about to say she didn't think she could handle any more crying or stress tonight either, but elected instead to let it drop. Her well of energy was now veritably sucked just as dry. She didn't know what to do. Sixteen seconds later, her phone rang. Breaking the perfect silence, it startled both of them. Coinciding with a dual gasp, Mel realized what the sound was. She went for her purse and found it. She looked back to Sara in both alarm and relief. "Oh, God, it's Molly." Sara was right. "Moll?...Yeah?...Y—...what? I can't hea—...Molly, what's all that honking?...Th—...the Churchtown Bridge?? Molly, what on Earth are you doing at the Churchtown Br—" She stopped. Her blood went ice-cold. "Oh, God...Molly, wait, just...just wait a second, please. I'm gonna put you on speaker so me and Sara can talk to you." "What?? I don—I-I don't know what to say!" Sara silently mouthed. Mel brought over her phone and rested it on the table, to Sara's dismay. Apparently, she was going to have to wing this. "Uh, hi, Molly, it's-it's Sara," she stammered. "Listen, I'm really sorry about this evening. I was just really super-beat, and, just, just...totally my fault. I-I should've been more supportive. You're a sweet girl, and you really do have so much for live for. You real—" Molly cried over the phone. "No, I don't!" came her crackly sobbing voice. "I can't stand to keep living! It just hurts too much!" "Moll, tell m—just tell me something first," Mel asked. "Do...do Mom and Dad know about this? Have you talked to them?" Sniffle. "No." "Well, sweetie, I think you should call them. Bet—or, better still, go visit them. Go over and see them. Tell them you love them and ask them for a hug. That always makes me feel better." "It's no good," wept Molly. "Nothing can make me feel better right now. I'm gonna do it." Sara and Melleny began to panic. "Molly! Molly?" said Mel. "Listen to me. This is your big sister speaking. You are not in your right mind. You're just heartbroken, honey. It's okay! We're here for you, and we'll be here as long as you need us." "No. I don't need you. I don't need anyone. No one can help me. I'm doing it, I swear." Her crying intensified as she said the next sentence. "Melleny, I just want you to know that you've been a great big sister to me my whole life." "Molly, listen to me!" Mel repeated, getting more scared. She employed a dangerous but desperate plea. "You know where your soul goes for committing suicide, don't you?! You do this, you're setting yourself up for an eternity of suffering. I know you think it's bad now, but I promise you it will get better. But I'm telling you, Molly Hayes, if you do this, you're going straight to hell. Forever." The other end was silent for a moment. The girls waited. Finally— "Melleny, I'm not a little kid anymore." "She knows, Molly, she knows," Sara took over. "She just wants you to know how much you mean to her. And to your whole family. Things like this happen, Molly. People get hurt. But life still goes on. It doesn't mean you just give up on everyone and everything that's ever meant something to you. There're a lot of people who love you, Molly, and there're a lot of people who care about you and wanna help. You just need some help. Don't do this, Molly. We'll get you through it." Their only further response was more crying. "Molly, stay, right, there," Mel commanded. "Do you hear me? Stay exactly where you are. Listen to me. We're gonna come get you. And I'll stay right with you on the phone the whole time, Moll. I've got plenty of battery power. You just have to promise me that you won't hang up, and that you'll stay in your car until we get there. You have to promise me. Okay, Moll?...PROMISE me??" It seemed an eternity before they heard Molly's voice again. "Molly??" asked Mel. "Molly, come in! Molly, do you read me??" At last, a sad sigh oozed through the phone. "A'right, I promise." "Cross your heart and hope to live?" Another sigh. "Yeah, yeah, sure." "Okay, stay put, Moll, and stay with me. We'll be there before you know it. "Just whatever you do, Molly, don't, hang, up." *** April 3rd, 10:39 p.m. The Churchtown Bridge was much less crowded than had been an hour and a half before, but this didn't make the situation any more pleasant for Sara and Mel, neither of whom exactly loved driving over bridges. They drove very slow, keeping in extra close touch with Molly, making her keep them fully abreast of precisely where she was, and of course stay on the phone with them at all times. Molly's lights were off, her car completely stationary, illuminated by an overhead bridgelight so that (hopefully) no one would crash into her. She'd parked midway along the bridge, underneath the arch that semicircled over it. They almost drove right past her. Molly stood outside by her car, holding her phone talking to them. Once they located her, they parked directly in front. Melleny dropped the phone, threw her door open, leapt out, collected her baby sister in her arms and hugged her as hard as she could. "OhmyGod! Oh my good God, don't you ever do that to me again!" Mel cried, kissing Molly all over the side of her face, starting to weep right along with her. Sara got out and turned the ordinary hug into a group hug as they tried to ignore the horns of annoyed drivers maneuvering around them. They remained embraced for a full thirty seconds before finally breaking. "Come on, sweetie, let's go home," said Melleny. "You can spend the night with us. Right, Sara?" This time, Sara didn't hesitate for a second. "Absolutely, Molly. You're always welcome in my home. Anytime." Mel held out her hand. "Give me your keys, Moll, I'm driving you. And, give me mine too." "O-okay," Molly agreed. "But, um, would you do something for me first, Mel?" "Of course, sissy, what is it?" "Well, uh...I had a candy bar with me, but I dropped it between the seat. I can't reach it. Could you please maybe get it for me?" "Oh, sure! Of course, no problem!" Mel nodded. She opened the passenger door to Molly's car and started to climb onto the seat. Molly got a severe ache in her heart from what was about to happen. She felt terrible doing this. But... Mel was in the car, now looking for the candy bar which only existed in Molly's white lie. Sara stood by. Molly quickly scrutinized Sara. She was launching a big, big, BIG yawn. She was yawning. She wasn't watching her. She was not watching her. No one was watching her. It was now or never. Fighting off the tears that would give her away, Molly made her move. She lunged to the edge, grabbing onto the arch supports, pulling herself up. Her crying made no noise, but the sound of her climbing onto the arch did. This redirected Sara's attention. She was about to do it. She was trying to evade them. She was running away, and she was about to jump. Sara gasped in disbelieving horror. "MEL!!" she screamed. "MOLLY, NO!!" Melleny whipped her head up from inside the car, just barely avoiding whapping herself on the hood of the interior. She whirled her alarmed face 180°...and immediately wished she hadn't. Molly had double-crossed her! Again! She had come up with an occupying task for her sister which would not allow her time to get back out and stop her. She still hadn't caught on to Molly's antics. The reality of the image before her eyes stabbed through her soul. Molly looked back. Sara was about to leap up to grab her down. She had to move quickly. For just a single second she glanced back down at them with new tears in her eyes. "Goodbye, Melleny..." she called. "...I love you." She jumped. Melleny threw her hands over her face and screamed. "NOOOOOOOO!!" Sara shrieked, rivaling the intensity of Melleny's own scream. She instinctively dove to the ground, literally hitting the road on her front, and reached out with all her might. And against all imaginable odds... ...She made contact! Miraculously, with a burst of superhuman agility and the reflexes of a compressed spring, Sara barely managed to nab Molly by the fingers, almost detaching her arm in the process. When she realized she'd got her by the hand, Sara squealed in unparalleled, euphoric relief. She couldn't believe it. She quickly inched forward on her belly and seized Molly's wrist with her other hand for a better, more secure grip. It sank in; she had just caught this girl who had attempted to kill herself by leaping from the bridge. She felt invincible. Her faculties were working, but her mind was indisputably blown. She had just...saved...a person's life! "I—AAAH! AHA!" she laughed with delirious happiness. "I'VE GOT YOU! I GOTCHA, MOLLY! MEL, I GOT HER!!" Sara was dazed by her newly discovered power. Molly, on the other hand—no pun intended—was abruptly very terrified. This was because in the nanosecond it took to grasp the reality that Sara'd just grasped her, snatching her from the virtual certainty of death— Molly Caitlyn Hayes suddenly wanted to live. In the midst of this ordeal, this will-crushing crisis of heartbreak she had been suffering through, culminating in this bonafide, nearly successful suicide attempt, Molly saw through all her inner tragedy to the imminent fact that her life had just been preserved. That someone wanted to keep her alive. That someone in her life, someone she hardly even knew, really did care. That anyone, and everyone, in her life, really could care. That despite her shattered heart, there really was truth in what Sara and her sister had told her. They were here for her. They would see to it that her life went on. Enough time would heal her wounds, deep as they were. And she really would be okay. Once she got back up on top of this bridge, that was to say. And just as dynamically as her friends had done so two moments before, Molly screamed. "HELP!!" she screeched. "MELLENY, HELP! I WANNA LIVE! I WANNA LIIIIIIIIVE!! HELP MEEEEEE!!" Melleny just about had a heart attack. As if she hadn't been through enough wrought mental havoc tonight already. She scrambled from the car, hit the pavement beside Sara and reached out her own arms to help pull Molly back up. Needless to say, when it was over, all three girls were considerably anxious to get back home. Quite frankly, right now they were considerably anxious to just get anywhere away from a bridge. *** April 4th, 2:14 a.m. Molly Hayes sat up from where she lay with her sister Melleny and her sister's girlfriend Sara, together on Sara's living room floor. She looked around. Something out of the ordinary was going on. Even though she hadn't spent very much time here, something told her she was sitting in an altered state of reality. She looked down. Melleny and Sara were asleep on the floor, snuggling together. Molly looked elsewhere. Things seemed somewhat...distorted, somehow. Normal rectangular objects appeared to have morphed into trapezoids. Distance and proportion seemed out of balance. The large-screen television set was on, showing nothing but a pattern of static losing its vertical hold. And perhaps most bizarre of all, prominently displayed right here in the living room was a fully alit and decorated fiber-optic Christmas tree, in the middle of what Molly thought she remembered being springtime. She was a little frightened. She didn't recall any of this either of the times she had been at this lady Sara Kelton's house. Odder things had happened, she supposed, but this struck her as ranking pretty high on her "weird" list. What exactly was going on? Had she somehow been sleeping here an extraordinarily LONG time? A hand touched her shoulder. "Molly?" She gasped. "Oh my gosh!" The hand retracted. "It's okay, Molly," assured the same voice. Molly turned to see that it was her sister. "...Melleny?" Dream-Melleny nodded. "Don't worry, sweetie. We're in Sara's dream. Nothing to be afraid of." "Sara's dream? But-but...how can that be? It feels like I'm in my own reality. Wouldn't it be my dream?" "Not necessarily. If you think about it, all of actual conscious reality could be a dream in Goddess' own mind. What is a dream, after all? It's a by-product of your imagination. If Goddess had no imagination, where would we be?" "'Goddess'?" Molly asked curiously. "Yes, that's right. Sara and I would like you to meet a very special Someone." Dream-Mel gestured to the corner where the living and dining rooms met the hall. Molly turned to where her sister indicated. Two figures appeared from the darkness, walking towards the Hayes girls. Molly gasped again. "Shhhh, it's all right," Mel promised her. "This is a good dream. It's not a nightmare. Honest." "Oh, I think it's much better than just good," said dream-Sara, one of the two who had just emerged from the shadows, holding hands with the other Woman. "It's always a magical twilight whenever I dream of this Lady." She let go and joined Mel and Moll on the carpet. "Sit back, Molly, enjoy the show," she urged. "Show? What show?" Colored track lights appeared and shone above, illuminating the Mystery Woman. "Greetings, Molly, and welcome," She smiled. "Who are You?" "My name is Velette Voxe. I'm a singer-songwriter and recording artist. Some might call Me a rock star." "Some might call Her a Goddess," said Melleny, winking to show Molly the explanation. "That's what you're doing here in my dream, Molly," said Sara. "We wanted you to meet Her. Her music and Her talents mean so much to me, She's become my sleep-Goddess." I'll Catch You Whenever You Fall "Oh, wow," remarked Molly, turning back to the Singer. "I'm sorry I didn't know You." "Oh, that's all right," said Dream-Velette. "I'm better-known in the lesbian community." "Well, uh, it's...it's nice to meet You...Miss...Velette...Goddess...Lady." Velette smiled. "Likewise, Molly. So, are you ready for your concert?" "Concert?" "Of course!" said Sara. "Molly, Velette is a multi-platinum rock star. So that's what She does in my dreams. She sings to me. Or in this case, to us. And the best part is, She doesn't need a microphone, or guitar, or acoustics, amplifiers, nothin'!" "Oh, wow," Molly reiterated. "Okay, cool!" The concert began. The sound of a guitar playing a bittersweet figure flowed through the atmosphere. "Whoa, where'd that come from?" Molly wanted to know. "Shhh!" her dream-sister eagerly hushed her. "It's a dream. That's all you need to know." This time Velette did not serenade them with one of Her own songs, but presented them with a fresh take on an oldie. She sang them a classic folky rock song called "Blood And Fire." As the song progressed, Molly grew more and more charmed. The lyrics beautifully mirrored the music's longing, yearning vibe, and Velette knocked them dead with the trademark heart and soul She put into every performance. She punctuated the heartfelt words with powerful motions of Her hands—which were unoccupied while not right now playing Her guitar—and Oscar-worthy expressions of devotion in Her vivacious face. Molly's heart was truly touched by the charisma surrounding this fascinating Singer, and especially the part of the song where the guitar accompaniment faded and Velette majestically belted out the words, "...And I'm calling you, calling you, from ten thousand miles away..." She really was extraordinarily talented, Molly had to agree. While the performance was going on, a fourth audience member suddenly joined. Molly silently gasped as her attention was diverted by the approach of another abnormality. Now skulking over and sitting to join them...was a cat. How strange. Molly didn't remember seeing a cat...then again, she hadn't spent that much time here. What was even stranger was that this cat proudly sported a vibrant red coat, and lavender-colored paws. A large tag around its neck read, "HELLO! My name is Dewdrop." The kooky surprises did not end here. Molly whipped her gaze back to see that Sara was now hugging Mr. Boppers, a four-foot teddy bear. She must have heard Sara mention this phenomenon as well, and tucked it into her subconscious. She was becoming very enchanted. She became even more so to look back and note that Dewdrop now had a lavender coat and red paws. When the concert was concluded, Velette took a bow and the (human) audience members applauded enthusiastically, complete with a bout of verbal cheering. "Thank you," said Velette. "I have to go now, but I hope to see you again soon." "Aw, really?" said a disappointed Molly, jumping up to hug Her. "I really liked it! Can't You stay? Can't You sing one more song?" "I'm sorry, Molly," said Velette, returning her hug with a kind smile. "If it was up to Me, I'd stay and keep you company all night long, but..." She shrugged. "...I've got a bunch of other dreams scheduled on My slumber tour for tonight. 'S the price of having fans. "But just remember, dear friend," Velette told her, holding on to her hand. "Please don't ever give up. I'm truly sorry you had your heart broken so terribly. I've read hundreds of Ve-letters from fans and friends and folks who've suffered through such tragedy, and I bleed for them. I wish I could just give every single one of them a warm hug and tell them that it'll all be okay. But I can't." Molly suddenly realized the source of her heartbreak, and the somber wistfulness in Velette's words. She began to cry. "But it's okay, Molly. That's one of the things dreams are for. So we can escape the harshness of reality and seek refuge from the pain. So you can take some time to step away from your heartache and say, 'I can go on. I can make it through this.'" Molly continued sobbing. Velette caressed away her tears. "You've got the strength inside of you, Molly Hayes," She said quietly. "You've got the power and the fortune to survive. That was proven tonight. Don't ever forget, Molly. Don't give up. It will be okay. You've got your friends. You've got your family. "And once in a while..." whispered Velette, letting go of her and vanishing back into the darkness, "...When you close your eyes..." "...You've got Velette Voxe." Molly gasped. "Wait! Wait! Please!" she cried. "Please don't leave me!" But She was gone. Molly wept through the tears she had left, but strangely, felt no more coming on. Sara and Melleny gently took her arms and hands on either side. "It's all right, Molly..." one of them whispered. The voice echoed and faded around her. Colors and shapes swirled away. "It's all right, Molly... "It's all right, Molly..." Molly opened her eyes. Sara and Melleny were snuggled together on the floor. Molly blinked. She still heard the whispers fading away...but no one was speaking. She pinched herself. Nothing. Oh my gosh... Did that actually just happen? *** Another week and a half later... April 14th, 10:00 p.m. "Wowie," said Sara. "Well, another fun episode, I thought. Guys?" General agreement was murmured amongst Jake, Hanna, Melleny and Molly, whom her big sister had begun inviting to pal around with them. They were all gathered back at Sara's once more this Tuesday night for another showing of One Big Happy. When they were finished, Sara gathered up the dishes and disposables to take into the kitchen. "Uh, Molly?" she asked. "Would you please mind giving me a small hand in the kitchen?" "Oh...well, eh, okay, I guess," Molly acquiesced. She followed Sara in, leaving the three others to chat amongst themselves. "Well, now you know why Mel started calling you 'sissy,'" Sara told her. "I figured you were a little curious. "So, um...how are you doing? How've you been since the other week?" Sara uttered to her. "You okay?" "Well, uh..." Molly hesitated. "...I'm still heartbroken, but, I'm just trying to take things a little at a time. One day at a time." "Oh, Molly, I'm really glad to hear that," said a smiling Sara. "And I want you to know that that one night was not representative of my usual behavior or disposition. I'm really an angel. Most of the time. And I really do like and care about you. A lot." Molly shook her hand. "Oh, I really like you too, Sara. You're a super-sweet lady. And I'd love for you to be my sister." "Whoa," chuckled Sara. "Well, slow down a little there...but yeah, I think you can count on that happening one day at some point." "Cool," Molly chuckled back. "So what can I help with?" "Oh, actually, I don't really need help. That was just a cover so I could talk to ya. I just wanted a quick, private word. And I want you to know that you can confide in me about anything, anytime you want." Molly smiled. "Aw, thanks, Sara. I just want you to know that in a little sibling-type way...I love you. You saved my life." "Oh! Pleasure's all mine, li'l' sis...all mine." "Oh, by the way, Sara, I was just wondering, um...do you, by any chance, have a cat?" "Well, no, no, I don't, but I wouldn't object to having one one day, I suppose. What makes you ask?" "Oh...um...no reason." "Huh. Well, a'right..." Sara grabbed up five spoons and a generous container of Neapolitan ice cream from the freezer. "Okay, boy and girls!" she announced, returning with Molly to the living room. "Who's ready for dessert??" *** "Sometimes in our lives/We all have pain/We all have sorrow/But if we are wise/We know that there's/Always tomorrow/Lean on me/When you're not strong/And I'll be your friend/I'll help you carry on, for/It won't be long/Till I'm gonna need/Somebody to lean on/Please swallow your pride/If I have faith/You need to borrow/For no one can fill/Those of your needs/That you won't let show" —Bill Withers, 1971 "How could you let me go/The way we've been getting on/I didn't see no sign of trouble/All of a sudden, you're gone/How was I meant to know/I left you alone too long/I never thought you needed all of that talking/But I could be wrong/Sara, I'll never forget your name/The woman is gone, but the feeling is here to stay/Sara, the melody will remain/Though you'll be gone, before the sun goes down/Sara, tearing apart the heart you turned around/How could you let me go/And whittle your dreams away/I didn't see you leaving me/Give me a moment to say/How can I let you know/I'm willing to give it all/I'll gather your tears/From all of the years/And catch 'em whenever they fall/I'll catch you whenever you fall" —Bill Champlin and Alan Thicke, 1980 "I could hardly believe it/When I heard the news today/I had to come and get it straight from you/They said you were leaving/Someone swept your heart away/From the look upon your face I see it's true/So tell me all about it/Tell me 'bout the plans you're making/Then tell me one thing more before I go/Tell me/How am I supposed to live without you/Now that I've been loving you so long/How am I supposed to live without you/And how am I supposed to carry on/When all that I've been living for is gone?/Didn't come here for crying/Didn't come here to break down/It's just a dream of mine is coming to an end/How can I blame you/When I built my world around/The hope that one day we'd be so much more than friends/And I don't wanna know/The price I'm gonna pay for dreaming/I need you now, it's more than I can take" —Michael Bolton and Doug James, 1983 "In this proud land we grew up strong/We were wanted all along/I was taught to fight, taught to win/I never thought I could fail/No fight left or so it seems/I am a man whose dreams have all deserted/I've changed my face, I've changed my name/But no one wants you when you lose/Don't give up/'Cause you have friends/Don't give up/You're not beaten yet/Don't give up/I know you can make it good/Though I saw it all around/Never thought that I could be affected/Thought that we'd be last to go/It is so strange the way things turn/Don't give up/You still have us/Don't give up/We don't need much of anything/Don't give up/'Cause somewhere there's a place where we belong/Rest your head/You worry too much/It's gonna be all right/When times get rough/You can fall back on us/Don't give up/Please don't give up/Got to walk out of here/I can't take any more/Gonna stand on that bridge/Keep my eyes down below/Whatever may come/And whatever may go/That river's flowing/That river's flowing/Don't give up/'Cause you have friends/Don't give up/You're not the only one/Don't give up/No reason to be ashamed/Don't give up/You still have us/Don't give up now/We're proud of who you are/Don't give up/You know it's never been easy/Don't give up/'Cause I believe there's a place/There's a place where we belong" —Peter Gabriel, 1985 "Sometimes you laugh, sometimes you cry/And yes, I've cried over you/You left me blind in paradise/You left me hungering for the touch of you/Softly angels bow and cry/In the stillness of the night/Never is a long time/Goodbye/No answers for the asking/It's a long time/Goodbye/No mercy for the aching/It's a long time/Oh, I/See no light on the forsaken/Never is a long time/Goodbye/Let's spend the night/When this dream has come to an end" —Per Gessle, 1987 "I have spent nights with matches and knives/Leaning over ledges only two flights up/Cutting my heart, burning my soul/With nothing left to hold/Nothing left but blood and fire/You have spent nights thinking of me/Missing my arms but you needed to leave/Leaving my cuts, leaving my burns/Hoping I'd learn/Blood and fire are too much for these restless arms to hold/And my nights of desire, they're calling me back to your fold/And I'm calling you, calling you, from ten thousand miles away/Won't you wet my fire with your love, babe?/I am looking for someone who can take as much as I give me/And'll give back as much as I need/Y'know, and they, they still have the will to live, oh Lord/'Cause I am intense, I am in need/I am in pain, I am in love/And I feel forsaken, y'know, like the things I gave away" —Amy Ray, 1988 "Bye-bye/Bye-bye/Here we stand in the hallway/Waiting for nothing/No crying, no more/I look down on my shoes/And feel like a fool/Please, please hold my hand/You're all I ever wanted/Like an angel you came/Across the sky/You're all I ever wanted/And now you're telling me/Goodbye/Bye-bye/What do you want, a broken heart/And all my sorrow/We can change the way/I just want your love to stay/No lying/No lying, no more" —Marie Fredriksson, 1997 "Anyone who had a love close to this knows what I'm saying/Anyone who wants a dream to come true knows how I'm feeling/All I can think of is you and me/Doing the things I wanna do/All I imagine is heaven on Earth/I know it's you/Anyone who ever kissed in the rain knows the whole meaning/Anyone who ever stood in the light needs no explaining/But everything more or less appears so meaningless/Blue and cold/Walking alone through the afternoon traffic/I miss you so/Anyone who felt like I do/Anyone who wasn't ready to fall/Anyone who loved like I do/Knows it never really happens at all/It's over when it's over/What can I do about it/Now that it's over/Everything more or less is looking so meaningless/And fades to gray/Lying awake in an ocean of teardrops, I float away/It's over when it's over/What can I do about it/Now, now it's all over/It's all over, baby" —Per Gessle, 1998 "Hey there, girl with the guitar/Play me a tune while the leaves are falling/Sing me songs I understand/Sing me songs that never end/How 'bout the time when her eyes met mine/How 'bout that magic time of year/Now there's a song I wanna hear/It all happened so long, long ago/Light years away, but it feels like yesterday/Yeah, it happened long, long ago/Oh, but the scent of her hair will always stay/With me/With me/Hey there, girl with the guitar/Play me the tune about the angel I once knew/Tell me all about her lips/Her voice, her touch, her fingertips/How 'bout the time when I made the climb/How 'bout that rush when first we met/Oh, she'll never let me forget/It all happened so long, long ago/That was then, but it feels like yesterday/Yeah, it happened long, long ago/Oh, but the taste of her tears will always stay/With me/With me" —Velette Voxe, 2008 "I wasn't ready to meet my destiny/It came too fast for me, too sudden to feel/I opened up my heart and dared to hope/Dared to believe what could be real/When I called you that weekend/I thought it could happen/Thought it could be me and you/But it was too good/Just too good to be true/Too good for my reality/Too fantastically out of the blue/I blazed through every red light/On hot, dusty streets, dry as a bone/But my loneliness was colder than ice/I drove all night just to get you alone/Closed my eyes, held my breath/Heard your voice in my mind/When you told me that you'd pull me through/But it was too good/Just too good to be true/Too good for my reality/Too fantastically out of the blue/Way too wildly out of the blue" —Velette Voxe, 2012