Steph didn’t acknowledge Alex as she entered the apartment.

The brunette was sitting on the couch, looking at the wall with an empty stare. One hand was at her necklace, pulling at the string with one finger while two others fiddled with the ring that hung from it.

Alex gently closed the door behind her before stepping closer. “… babe?”

“I don’t really want to talk right now,” the brunette muttered quietly as she played with the ring. Her aura was still a wash of red and blue as Alex got closer.

She’s upset.

Really, really upset. I don’t think I’ve seen her like this since Gabe died.

… I helped her then. I can help her now.

Alex hesitantly raised a hand towards Steph. Just need to figure out where it’s coming from, and what she needs.

As she touched her girlfriend’s red-and-blue aura, it brightened until it flashed, practically illuminating the whole apartment. A wave of emotion flooded Alex, and she grimaced as feelings that weren’t her own filled her mind. It took an incredibly effort to keep her face emotionless as she struggled to get a grip on herself.

Been too long since I did that.

It looked and felt noticeably darker in the apartment as she stepped back, noting that a bright aura was coming from Steph’s Pride flag, hanging prominently on the central column in the apartment. It had been one of the first things she’d set up after moving in. Alex focused on it, letting the memories hit her.

“What’s that?”

“It’s, uh, the Pride flag. They were selling a bunch of them.”

“I know what it is. Where’s mine?”

“I only had enough money for one, Mom.”

“Then what am I supposed to hang in the house?”

“… do you really want one?”

“Is there a better way to show everybody how much we love and support you?”

Alex smirked. Man. Steph is right, she was cool as shit.

She kept looking around before noticing the aura coming from the desk, where a pile of Steph’s Dungeons and Dragons books sat beside a bag of dice. She focused on the new memory, letting it hit her.

“Can’t I just use Mage Hand to choke him out?”

“No, Mom. The hand can only move ten pounds.”  

“Well, that’s not very much.”

“It’s not supposed to be. Didn’t you ever play this with Dad?”

“God, no. He’s way too much of a nerd for- wait. Humans are still seventy percent water in this game, right?”

“Uh, yea. Why?”

“I want to cast Shape Water on seventy percent of the guard’s genitals. Then I want to tie it into a knot and squeeze. I can do that, right?”

“… Jesus, Mom, that’s fucking horrifying.”

“Hey, he was the one who started talking shit. Which dice do I roll?”

Okay, that’s… worth remembering, next time we play.

Definitely horrifying, though. Probably shouldn’t do it while Ethan’s there.

Alex glanced around until she saw the next bright spot, the ring on Steph’s necklace.

“Sweets…”

“It’s not her! They made a mistake! She just hasn’t called yet!”

“I went to the morgue, Sweets. They had me identify her.”

“No! No, you’re wrong!!”

“Sweets, I am so sorry-”

“Stop apologizing, God damn it!! It wasn’t her!! IT WASN’T HER!!”

Alex shivered at the despair and anguish in her girlfriend’s voice. That must be her mom’s ring. I can’t believe I never knew that.

I don’t know how that’s supposed to help. She looked around desperately. There has to be something around here…

The shelf across from Steph, right below the record player, where they kept their music. The whole thing was bathed in a bright aura. Alex focused on it quickly.

“This is some pretty old-school music, Mom.”

“Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s not good.”

“That record is huge. Why do you guys even still have those? You know we can put music on iPods now, right?”

“Because these sound better. Ooh, and they bring back memories, like this one.”

“What’s that?”

“One of my favorite albums. Your father and I danced to this song at our wedding.”

A record began playing, Alex catching a familiar tune.

“Oh, I’ve heard this before. It’s pretty good.”

“Pretty good? Child, they don’t get much better than this. If you’re going to be a big-time musician, you need to start learning all of these.”

Alex listened to the beat in her head for a few seconds. … maybe I can work with that.

Steph didn’t shift her gaze as Alex quietly plucked her guitar from the stand. Or look at her as she sat down on the other side of the couch, slowly adjusting the knobs. The brunette kept her eyes caged on the opposite wall as Alex started strumming, singing the soft tune she’d heard in the memory.

“We’re talking away.”

“I don’t know what I’m to say.”

“I’ll say it anyway,”

“Today’s another day to find you,”

“Shying away,”

“I’ll be coming for your love, okay?”

“Take on me…”

“Take me on…”

“I’ll be gone…”

“In a day or two…”

She glanced to the side. Steph still wasn’t looking at her, keeping her eyes on the wall. But she’d stopped playing with the ring on her necklace. Alex watched a tear slowly trace a path down her girlfriend’s face as she continued.

“So needless to say,”

“Of odds and ends.”

“But I’ll be stumbling away.”

“Slowly learning that life is okay.”

“Say after me,”

“It’s no better to be safe than sorry.”

“Take on me…”

“Take me on…”

“I’ll be gone…”

“In a day or two…”

Steph sniffled. “Fuck,” she muttered, grinding the heel of her palm into her eye. “Dammit, Alex, sometimes I just want to sit and stew in my own mind.”

Alex stopped strumming, dropping her hand. “… sorry.”

“No.” She dropped her hand and sighed heavily, the aura around her receding slowly, though not completely fading away. “I’m just… I don’t know. I’m being really childish right now, aren’t I?”

“Steph, you’re not-”

“Please don’t lie to make me feel better.”

Alex hesitated. “… maybe a little.”

“That was my mom’s favorite song.” Steph looked at her, wiping her eyes again. “I can’t count the number of times I heard her play it or sing along to it. Her and my dad would sometimes actually get up and slow-dance to it, while I sat there a cringed like a stupid teenager.”

“Your dad misses her too.”

“I know he does.” Steph looked down at her necklace. “… still hard to hear that he’s moving on.”

Alex nodded at the silver ring. “Is that hers?”

“Yea. We weren’t able to salvage much from the house. We did find her jewelry box, but it was all smashed up.” Steph touched the ring. “This was one of the few things the storm didn’t ruin.”

“Mm.” Alex bit her lip, as she tried to think of what to say. “… you know your dad thinks nothing he did was good enough, right? After your mom died?”

Steph glanced at her. “That’s bullshit. He carried me for almost three weeks straight. Sometimes literally, when I refused to get out of bed.”

“He still feels like it’s his fault you guys don’t talk enough. And he misses the crap out of you.”

“… fuck.” Steph blew air out her nostrils, looking down at her lap. “I’m such a goddamn asshole to everyone I care about.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think you’re an asshole.”

“You seem to be the only one.”

“Cut that out. You know people don’t think that, especially not your dad. He doesn’t blame you for any of that, and he knows how much you miss your mother.”

“I still barely speak to him.” Steph scratched the back of her hand, starting to scratch the skin on her thumb. “And then run off like a spoiled brat when he tells me that he’s dating again, six years later. But… fuck, Alex, I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel.”

She reached out, taking Steph’s hand to stop her from picking at her thumb. “Your dad’s human, Steph. And nobody wants to be alone. He can still miss your mom while caring about someone else.”

Steph nodded after a few seconds. “… did you dad ever… you know. After your mom died?”

Alex shook her head. “He was way too busy dealing with Gabe and I for any of that.”

“And if he had?”

“Honestly?” Alex took a slow breath, gathering her thoughts. “… I think maybe things could’ve been better, if he had someone else to support him. But he didn’t, so he was forced to deal with us all by himself. And you know how he handled that.”

“… right.” Steph sighed. “So I’m just being selfish again, thinking that my dad has to spend the rest of his life as a widower.”

“Like I said, babe, nobody wants to go through life alone.”

“Mm.” She bit her lip, finally letting go of her ring. “I should go downstairs and talk to him, shouldn’t I?”

“I mean, I would.”

“That’s because you’re a way better person than I am.”

“Hey.” Alex squeezed Steph’s hand. “Don’t put yourself down. I won’t let you say bad things about my girlfriend, either. You’re a fucking amazing person.”

Steph gave her a half-hearted shrug. “I don’t feel like it. Not with how I treat people.”

“If you don’t like something, then go change it.” Alex nodded at the door. “And you can start with your dad, who I’m sure would love a conversation with you right now.”

“… yea. Okay.”

Alex followed Steph down the stairs, but stopped at the bottom.

George was still sitting on his stool, taking an occasional sip of his beer as he morosely stared at the wall behind the bar. Steph walked over, hoisting herself into the seat beside him. Alex watched George look at her while the brunette dropped her gaze and spoke in a low voice.

Their conversation progressed quietly from there, as Alex left them by themselves. She helped Riley around the bar for ten or fifteen minutes, taking people’s orders and clearing used plates.

Alex finally came out of the kitchen to see George giving Steph a one-armed hug, kissing the side of her girlfriend’s head. She decided to get back behind the bar. “Are you guys okay?” she said as she approached.

Steph nodded, snorting as she wiped her face. “Yea,” she answered, looking at her dad. “Right?”

“Of course we are.” George rubbed her shoulder. “Thank you, Alex. I think I owe you a beer.”

She smirked. “Don’t worry about it. Does that mean we’re ready for lunch?”

“God, yes,” Steph sighed. “I’m starving.”

“Good thing I already put in the orders.”

Steph looked back at her dad. “She’s such an awesome girlfriend.”

“No argument from me.”

“Yep.” Steph hesitated. “So… are you gonna tell me who you’re dating?”

“I will if you want me to.”

She nodded.

“Well.” George took a slow breath. “Like I was telling Alex, I met her at a support group for people who lost their spouses. Her name is Addison, and she lost her husband a couple of years ago to brain cancer.”

Alex winced. “That’s terrible.”

“It is. She misses him just as much as I miss Lita.” George nodded. “She manages a grocery store, and is hoping for a promotion to district manager next year after she finishes her degree in Business Administration. And she has a daughter, a twelve-year-old named Paige.”

“Wait, she has a twelve-year-old?”

“Yes.”

“How old is she?”

“Thirty-eight. Thirty-nine in March.”

Steph snorted. “Holy shit, Dad, are you robbing cradles now?”

“Excuse me?!” He gave her an incredulous look. “She’s almost forty! How is that cradle-robbing?”

“Because you’re in your fifties?”

“Percentage-wise, I don’t think it’s much more than the age difference between you and Alex,” he reminded her. “Are YOU cradle-robbing?”

Steph looked at her girlfriend. “… is that true?”

Alex looked up, trying to do the math in her head. “I think so,” she agreed. “Damn, babe, you must be some kind of degenerate pervert.”

The brunette mulled over that statement, finally shrugging. “I suppose I’ve been called worse.”