Paula said, 'I promise you are not alone. I am here and I am not moving.'

Franzi took Paula's hand, looked into her eyes, and said, 'I know.' They both nodded "Yes" and Franzi's parents came back into the room.

Andreas humbled himself and shook Paula's hand then said, 'First, I would like to apologize for my wife.'

Paula said, 'Don't worry. I've heard worse in my life.'

Andreas said, 'Still, there's always room for decency.'

Paula agreed, 'Of course.' Paula showed them the chairs on the other side of Franzi's bed and they sat down. Gertrud hadn't said anything yet so nobody could interpret her feelings.

Paula asked, 'Would you like some tea? A friend of ours is coming by with some. I'm sure we can brew some in the waiting room.'

Andreas answered, 'I think that would be nice. But can Franzeska make it over there?'

Franzi said, 'I'm supposed to be in a wheel chair while recovering but I'd be just fine waiting and getting out of this room.'

Paula asked, 'Are you sure, sweetie?' That got Gertrud's attention. Franzi said, 'Yeah' and they made way to the dining hall. Paula called Daniel on the hospital pay phone and told him where they were so he wouldn't walk into an empty room. When they founds a four-side table, each person sat at one side; Andreas next to Paula, Paula next to Franzi, and Franzi next to her mother.

Andreas asked, 'Who is this friend you're waiting for?'

Paula said, 'His name is Daniel. He's  a very close friend of ours.'

Franzi added, 'In fact, he's probably the most stable man I've ever known.'

Andreas asked, 'What about me?'

Franzi knew he was teasing and said, 'Doh okay. Second most stable.'

Paula said, 'I'm glad to see your sense of humor is still good.' Then she let out a small giggle and a smile. Gertrud, on the other hand, could still be counted on to drop a peddle in the pond.

'So what exactly is going on here with this?' This took Paula and Franzi off guard; which was probably what Gertrud wanted. After scratching her upper lip and her nose, Paula looked over to Franzi because she wasn't sure how to respond.

Paula went left and right looking at Franzi and Gertrud before she got out, 'Um. I uh hmmm.'

Franzi said, 'Mother, there really was no need to be so blunt.'

Paula dug up some strength and said, 'No, no. It's okay.' Franzi looked at Paula and Paula said, 'Really. It really is okay.' And without hyperventilating, Paula said 'I can handle it.'

Paula let Franzi start, 'Okay. Paula and me, we've been friends and neighbors for atleast a year. Her husband, John, is a newspaper writer. He sometimes handles things like hurricane survivor stories, industrial espionage, even global warming in the amazon.'

Andreas observed, 'Sounds like he spends a lot of time away from home.'

Paula replied, 'Only about 2 weeks to a month. But it's no trouble. We both have busy lives so I didn't stay at home too much.'

Gertrud responded, 'Mmm.'

Paula said, 'Last year, before John left, Franzi got involved with a group called Earth Friendly.' This brought back a memory so funny for Franzi that she giggled and hid her face in her hands. Then she tried to shut Paula's mouth. 'No, no! No you're not! No you are not.' She was like a little girl ready to throw a pillow fight on Paula.

Anxious to hear what Paula had to say, Andreas said, 'Yes, she is. Go ahead, dear.' Franzi's mother was not too fond of her husband calling Paula "dear".

Paula continued, 'Franzi's friend, Maike, came out to her. She freaked out and tried to go her seperate ways with her boyfriend Philip, that's John's brother.'

Andreas asked, 'So my little girl got picked up by an environmentalist.'

Rolling her eyes, Franzi said, 'She told me she was only there because she fancied me.'

Paula said, 'And all this while you had a cute hat and a college girl vibe about you.'

Franzi retaliated, 'And you had the "Simple Housewife" thing going.'

Paula said, 'Anyways, they talked and, as it turned out, Franzi told Maike she had feelings for someone. For a girl.' The floor was now Franzi's.

Franzi said, 'I didn't so much tell her I was in love with Paula. She just figured out that I liked her by some signals. Like me trying to avoid talking about her or coming up with ways to stay away from her.'

Paula said, 'That's always a dead giveaway that you like someone. Right up there with sitting on the opposite sides of the couch, not saying a word, and looking forward without moving your eyes.'

Franzi said, 'So, when you got back from police training, after you dismounted John, Maike suggested that I take Paula to a club for a girls night out.'

Paula asked, 'That was her idea?'

Franzi said, 'Yes. So we did some dancing. And YOU' looking and pointing at Paula 'tried to score some free drinks by acting like I was about to convert.'

Paula said, 'Well, hey, it worked.'

Franzi said, 'Yeah. But we never got our drinks.'

Paula said, 'Yeah. That was a bit of a draw back.'

Franzi continued, 'A little bit after some fast music played, "Mary Jane Shoes" went on and we sat down just talking. We saw two women that looked very cute together. Paula couldn't figure if there were all that many misunderstandings between two women as they are between men and women in general. I didn't know. Then I asked her if she could figure falling in love with a woman.' Knowing where this was all leading up to, Paula sat quiet and listened. 'She said it depends on the person, not the gender. Then I told her that I fell in love with a woman. Paula asked me if she knew her. I told her yes. Paula started to feel something radiating from me when she was thinking. She slowly looked back at me and I told her that I was in love with her.'