"I know you don't, sweetheart, but you weren't giving me much of a choice. You were really sick."

"I'm sorry if I worried you."

"It's okay. How you feeling?"

"Tired," Toni answered sheepishly.

"More like exhausted, I would think," Laura said, getting to her feet. "Are you hungry? I can get you something."

Struggling to sit up, Toni said, "Yeah, I think I am actually."

"Good, then I'll go fix you some dinner."

"Dinner?"

"It's Friday night, Toni."

"Jesus, I don't even remember Thursday."

"I'm not surprised. Are you going to be okay if I leave you alone?" Laura asked as she headed to the door.

"Yeah, I can manage."

Waiting until Laura left the room, Toni extracted herself from the cocoon of blankets and sheets, and dangling her legs over the edge of the bed, she paused to catch her breath. While the fever had broken, the effects of the flu lingered, and feeling as if she had just run a marathon, Toni slowly walked to the bathroom.

Seeing Toni come into the kitchen, Laura said, "Go back to bed. I'll bring you a tray."

"I'd rather...I'd rather sit at the table, if that's okay."

"That's fine," Laura said suspiciously. "Are you all right?"

"I just feel, I don't know...out of it."

"Probably has something to do with the flu and the fact you haven't eaten in two days. Sit down, and I'll get you some tea."

"Thanks," Toni said as she sank into a chair. "So, what's for dinner?"

"Chicken soup," Laura said, placing a cup of tea in front of Toni. "I made it this morning."

"This morning?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Toni's jaw hardened as she stared back at Laura. "Why didn't you go to work?"

Pressing her lips together, Laura pulled out a chair, sat down and mentally counted to ten. "Let me guess. This is the part where you're going to accuse me of babysitting you again, right?"

"Well, if the shoe fits-"

"Well, it doesn't, and the only shoe around here is going to be the one I'm going to put up your arse if you don't stop accusing me of treating you like a child!" Laura said, the corners of her mouth easing upward. "After making sure you had something to drink with paracetamol at the ready, I went to work Thursday morning just like always, but when I got there, John told me that he had cancelled all the classes until Monday because three of our teachers were sick. At his insistence, I gathered up some reports I could do from here and came back home."

"You could have stayed at work."

"You're right. I could have, and I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that I wasn't worried about you, because I was. Toni, you were ill, and the only place I wanted to be was by your side, and I'm not going to apologize for that. I know you don't want to hear this, but I care about you, Toni, and there's nothing I can do about it. I can't just turn off my feelings simply because you've asked me to. It doesn't work like that."

"I know," Toni said, staring at her teacup. "I've tried."

"What?"

Looking up, Toni said, "It's why I started seeing Abby."

"I don't understand."

"I like you, Laura."

"Well, come on. What's not to like?" Laura said with a chuckle.

"That's not what I mean," Toni said quietly. "What I feel for you...well, it's...it's more than what a friend should feel toward another."

The humor faded from Laura's face as hope wrapped itself around her heart. "Really?"

"Yes, and it's one of the reasons I became Abby's patient. I've got a lot of things to work through before...before I'm ready for any kind of relationship. I thought if you found out...if you knew what I was doing...why I was trying to get better, then you'd...you'd get the wrong idea."

"What do you mean the wrong idea?"

"I didn't want you to think that I was...that because I was talking to Abby, it meant I was ready for...for..."

Laura had spent the last few days trying to come up with some reason why Toni had felt the need to keep her sessions with Abby a secret. As hard as she tried, she simply couldn't come up with a plausible reason...until now.

The sound of the chair legs screeching across the tile floor caused Toni to jump, and looking up, she tensed when she saw the fury in Laura's eyes.

"What?" Laura shouted, waving her arms in the air. "You thought if I found out I'd pounce on you or something! How dare you think that! Do you really think me that callous and single-minded?"

"Laura, I just wasn't sure-"

"You weren't sure? You weren't sure? How about me, Toni? Have you forgotten that I'm straight, or at least I was until I met you? I know you have issues, Toni, and I know that mine pale in comparison, but do me a favor and put yourself in my shoes. I've never felt this way about anyone, not anyone, and now that I do, I can't do a bloody thing about it!"

Storming out of the room with tears in her eyes, Laura reached the lounge and stopped. Her heart was telling her to turn around and apologize for her rant, but her temper still held the advantage. Spinning on her heel, when she saw Toni walk into the room, she yelled, "I think about you all the time, do you know that? I have thoughts running through my head that make me blush for Christ's sake, and I don't know the first thing about being with a woman in that way! But even though I have these feelings for you, I honored your wishes, didn't I? You told me to back off, and I did. I never once tried to do or say anything to change your goddamned mind!"

"Yes, you have," Toni said quietly.

"Oh, that's a bunch of crap!"

"You've been you."

Wiping a tear from her cheek, Laura said, "What are you talking about?"

"You've been you," Toni said, taking a step in Laura's direction. "You come into the kitchen every morning looking tired and rumpled, and then flash that smile of yours and my day's made, and I find myself looking forward to the next morning, just so we can do it all again. You force me to get out of the house and go shopping, but you do it in such a way, that by the time we get wherever it is we're going, I'm no longer afraid because I know you're right there, and you'll keep me safe. And even when I'm at my worst, even when I can't think of one bloody reason why you don't just walk away, you stay by me. You pick me up. You dust me off, and you make me want to live all over again. You haven't had to say or do a single thing to make me fall in love with you, Laura. You did it just by being you."

Taking another step toward Laura, Toni said, "It was wrong of me to think that you'd...that you'd try to move too quickly, and I'm sorry. It's just that if I was in your shoes, and you told me that you loved me, I'm not sure I'd have the strength not to act on those feelings."

Cocking her head to the side, Laura asked, "What do you mean my shoes?"

"You're normal."

"Oh, fuck you!" Laura said. Taking two quick steps, she intentionally invaded Toni's space. "When are you going to understand that you are normal? Toni, we all have problems and issues that we need to deal with. I'm afraid of heights and spiders scare the shit out of me, but that doesn't mean I'm not normal. It's just who I am."

"You're not afraid of being touched."

"Yes, I am," Laura said softly. "Yes, I am." Seeing the confusion in Toni's eyes, Laura said, "Trust me?"

A few seconds passed before Toni gave her answer with a nod, but when Laura took her hand and moved it toward her chest, Toni pulled away.

"Trust me, Toni. Please...just trust me." Their eyes met and when Laura saw Toni nod again, she took her hand and very slowly placed it above her left breast. "I'm afraid that when I'm finally in your arms, my heart is going to fail, because it beats like this every time I'm near you."

Toni could feel the strong, fast rhythm of Laura's heart, but what took her breath away...what froze her mind and heated her blood was feeling the slightest hint of the swell of Laura's breast beneath her hand. Hypnotized by the sensation, Toni stood in silence as seconds turned into minutes.

Laura's breathing grew short, and knowing her need could not yet be answered, she gently removed Toni's hand from her chest. "I know that whatever happens will happen when you're ready, but a minute ago, you told me that you loved me-"

"I do," Toni said in a breath, raising her eyes.

"Then I'll wait," Laura said softly. "I can't promise you I won't dream about you, and I can't promise you my heart won't race when you're near, but I can promise you that I'll wait for you, because you've just given me a reason to."

Pausing for a moment, Toni said, "Can I ask...can I ask that you don't date anyone else?"

A brilliant smile graced Laura's face. "Yes, you can, and no, I won't. Toni, I don't want to go out with anyone else. I only did it because you kept accusing me of putting my life on hold for you."

"But that's what I'm asking you to do now."

"No, you're not. You've given me hope that one day, whether it's next week or next month or next year...one day, I'll be able to show you how much I love you. I don't consider that putting my life on hold, Toni. I consider it...falling in love."

Allowing her concerns to rise to the surface again, Toni scowled. "And what if it never happens? What if I can never get past this?"

Knowing they would have lots of time to talk about their feelings, and hopefully lots of years to show them, when Laura heard the troubled tone in Toni's voice, she decided to lighten the mood. With a twinkle in her eye, she said, "Then I guess I'll be buying lots of batteries."

Chapter Twenty-Nine.

"Are you going to be all right?" Laura asked, putting on her coat.

"Is this the part where you don't treat me like a child?"

"No, this is the part where I treat you like a woman who just got over being sick."

"You sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"Since when do you volunteer to go shopping?"

"I just thought-"

"You thought that since you're offering to go, I'd jump at the chance to get you out of the house, totally forgetting you've been sick. Well, nice try, sweetheart, but you're staying home so you can rest."

"But I'm not tired," Toni said, slumping back on the sofa.

Amused by Toni's pout, Laura went over and placed a quick, light kiss on her cheek. "No, you're bored, but you're still not going. You're going to stay home and take a kip. That's an order."

Hearing the doorbell ring, Laura didn't wait for Toni's response as she trotted out of the room, and opening the door, she smiled at her guest. "Hey there. Come on in. You're just in time."

"Just in time for what?" Kris asked, unbuttoning her coat.

"To keep Toni company while I go shopping," Laura said, picking up her handbag. "She just got over the flu, and she needs to rest. I shouldn't be too long, but could you make sure she gets back to bed?"

Peeking into the lounge, Kris grinned at Toni and then looked back at Laura. "Consider it done."

"Oi! Don't I have a say in this?" Toni hollered.

"No, you don't," Laura said, giving Kris a quick wink before she walked out the door.

Tossing her coat on a chair, Kris went into the lounge. "You look awful."

"Thanks. Nice to see you, too."

"Flu, eh? You feeling better now?" Kris asked as she sat down.

"Yeah. Laura took care of me."

"Yes, it appears that she did," Kris said, reaching over and wiping away the smudge of pale pink lipstick from Toni's cheek. Seeing Toni blush at the discovery, Kris giggled. "It appears you've taken the old adage of bed rest and lots of fluids to a whole new level."

"Behave," Toni said with a scowl.

"What? I'm not the one with a smudge of Precious Pink on my cheek."

"Laura just kissed me good-bye."

"Really? Since when does Laura kiss you at all?"

"What are you, jealous?"

"No-intrigued."