The following morning, Macon stirred. Joanna had been awake for a while. She’d never been great with the time differences when they traveled. It was one of the reasons she was always so exhausted when they had to go from country to country.
“How long this time?” Macon asked in a husky tone, indicating she’d only just woken up.
“About an hour,” Joanna answered, kissing her shoulder. “Not as bad as the last time we were here.”
“I think you got adjusted to the time right when we started packing to go back home,” she said as she turned in Joanna’s arms. “Morning.”
“Good morning,” Joanna returned and kissed her forehead.
“I know we still have a lot to think about, Jo.” She ran her hand through Joanna’s hair. “Today, we’re looking at the houses to see if one will work or if we need to find one of our own. And that’s a big deal. We could hate everything we see and decide not to do this.”
“But,” Joanna encouraged, knowing where this was going.
“I liked this place the last time we were here. It’s crazy, right? We’re thinking about moving from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia.”
“It’s crazy, but you want to do it, don’t you?”
“We still need to meet with–”
“I know. You still need to talk to the people with the young composers’ group, and you want to see the houses. And yes, there’s still a lot to think about and process, but you want this, Make. I can tell you do.”
“I do, babe.” Macon wrapped her arm around Joanna’s waist and pulled her into her body.
Joanna closed her eyes at the warmth of it and said, “Then, let’s figure it out.”
“Figure it out?” Macon checked as she kissed Joanna’s chin.
“We’ve got three days left before our flight. Let’s make them count.”
“I love you,” Macon whispered into her ear. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”
“It’s not just for you, Make.” Joanna moved to climb on top of her wife. “This is for me, too. I liked it last time we were here. I can find work here. I also think we fit into the crowd here. I saw two gay bars last night alone. That’s promising. There’s a café that looked pretty cool only a few blocks from that house they wanted us to look at first today. We’d have the beaches. We can afford a nice house here instead of a small two-bedroom place that hardly fits all of our stuff. The only problem is that I know we’ll miss our friends.” She stared down at Macon.
“We’ll just have to deal with that long-ass flight a lot then, to go back and see them,” Macon suggested.
“They won’t take this well. You know that, right?”
“Keira will have the biggest problem with it,” Macon said, running her hands up and down Joanna’s back. “Hill will be happy for us. She’ll miss us, but she and Amara are finally married. They’re starting this whole new chapter of their lives now. Keira has Emma now. Emma’s her best friend in the way that you’re mine. Keira will be fine. It’ll just take some time.”
“We could fly them out here one day. She was just saying she wanted to get out of the country; preferably, to a beach with her wife. It could be a big birthday present or an anniversary present we give them or something. They could stay with us, so it would only be the flights.”
“You’re already trying to find ways to make this work.” Macon smiled up at her.
“Because I think we both want it to work.”
“Then, let’s get dressed, grab some breakfast at that café to check it out, and meet the realtor to see if we can.” She kissed Joanna’s lips.
◆◆◆
“How are we going to tell them?” Jo asked her.
“Carefully,” Greene replied.
“I’m serious, Make.” Jo laughed, which made Greene smile.
“I know you are. I just don’t have the answer,” she returned. “They’re our friends, Jo. They want us to be happy. This will make us happy.”
“And if it doesn’t? If we’re wrong?”
“Then, I try to get out of my contract. Or, at worst, we wait the five years and come back. It seems like a long time, but it won’t be. At least we’ll be together no matter what.”
“That sounds nice,” Jo said.
“You know what sounds nice?” Greene asked as she slid down Jo’s body.
“Babe, we basically haven’t stopped having sex since we got here.” She giggled.
“That’s not true.” Greene kissed her stomach. “We spent all last night out and about.”
“We had dinner and went to a movie. Then, we came back here and had sex.”
“Yes, that sounds like a great date night to me.” She kissed Jo’s right hip bone.
“And this morning before we left?”
“A great morning after,” Greene said, kissing her wife just below her belly button. “And we spent the entire day exploring and viewing houses.”
“We came back here and had more sex,” Joanna said with another giggle as Greene slid her tongue around that belly button.
“Are you complaining?”
“No. I guess I’m just wondering what’s gotten into us all of a sudden.” Joanna’s hand went to the back of Greene’s head when Greene moved a little lower and kissed her pubic bone. “Oh,” she added softly and closed her eyes.
“We missed each other, Jo.” She kissed the inside of her thigh. “We finally admitted that we weren’t completely happy with our life.” She kissed a spot just a little closer to Joanna’s center. “And that, honestly, got us here. It’s exciting and scary, and all I want to do is celebrate this amazing thing with the woman I love more than anything.” She looked up and met Joanna’s eyes as the woman opened them to look back down at Greene. “She’s my soulmate; the one person I was supposed to do all this with. I’ve been neglecting her lately.”
“We’ve been neglecting each other,” Joanna corrected and cupped Greene’s cheek.
“No more,” Greene told her.
“No more, Make.”
Greene slid her tongue through Joanna’s folds, loving the taste of her wife on her tongue, the warmth of her body beneath her own, and the sounds of Jo’s gasps as Greene took her slowly. She slid two fingers inside her wife just as Jo came from the touch of Greene’s tongue to her clit. Joanna came again when Greene thrust fast and hard inside her. When she finally came down, Greene moved beside her and wrapped an arm over Jo’s stomach, laying her head against Jo’s breast. They stayed that way for a long time. Greene drew shapes on Jo’s stomach. Jo played with Greene’s dark hair.
That day, they hadn’t loved any of the three houses available to them after all, but they’d liked one of them enough to stay there until they could finalize buying the fifth house they’d seen that day. It was perfect for the two of them. The previous owner had been an employee of the opera house, which was how they’d found out about it, to begin with. It was a three-bedroom, but one of the bedrooms had been converted into a music studio. Well, not an industry studio or anything, but the walls, the ceiling, and the floor had been soundproofed. Greene didn’t need the equipment inside, but Joanna had insisted they include it in their offer because Macon knew how to use all of it, and maybe she’d find joy creating in her own space.
The other bedroom would be Joanna’s office. She could have a desk, a wall of photos, or turn it into some kind of multimedia space so she could display her photos on a giant screen and edit from there. The walk-in closet could be used as a dark room when she wanted to take photos using her analog camera and develop them herself. Joanna had given up on that when they started traveling heavy, but she’d been excited about the idea of doing it again.
◆◆◆
Greene woke the following morning in the same position. Jo was still fast asleep, which made her smile. Jo always had such a hard time with these time changes that Greene felt guilty every time they traveled. She’d considered giving up the touring and the guest appearances, but her regular paycheck in San Francisco wouldn’t all
ow them to save money. Jo’s photography business had been going well, but being in business for herself often meant inconsistent amounts of money going into their bank account. The travel was grueling at times, but it afforded them a place in a safe neighborhood in a very expensive city.
“Morning,” Joanna said groggily.
“Hey, you outslept me this morning,” Greene replied.
“I guess I did.”
“Sydney agrees with you.” She kissed Jo’s breast.
“I hope so, babe. We’re about to move here.”
That was the moment Greene knew for certain that they were making this move. They’d talked about it. They’d considered where they’d live, how often they could return to visit their friends and families, and how they could afford it all. However, they’d yet to officially say yes to the position and everything that came with it. There was still a chance Jo would change her mind. One thing Greene knew about her wife, though, was that she was always honest when she was either very tired or half-asleep. The woman was probably a little of both right now, which made Greene smile. She knew Jo’s sleepy voice well. Jo was in. They were moving to Australia.
◆◆◆
“I’m sorry. You’re what?” Keira asked.
“Moving to Sydney,” Macon told her.
“Sydney, California? Is there a Sydney, California?” she asked Emma, turning her head to her wife.
“I don’t know.” Emma shrugged. “But I don’t think they’re talking about California, Key.”
“Australia.” Joanna picked up her wine glass and took a drink, trying to find something else to focus on.
They’d had a long week. She was tired just from the decisions that they’d had to make, let alone the flights to and from another continent. Greene had signed the contract. They’d picked the house they would live in temporarily while they worked out how to buy the other. They’d put their San Francisco place on the market, and in just two days, they’d had three offers. The city’s market was amazing for sellers looking to get out. And they had accepted the highest offer, which was just above asking price. The close date was thirty days from now, which gave them barely enough time to plan their move, spend time with their friends and family, and get all the legalities worked out for a move to another country. Macon’s new employer was incredibly helpful, but they still had to do a lot of the work themselves.
Tonight wasn’t about all of that, though. It was about telling their closest friends that they’d soon be leaving. They would have invited their friends to their place, but they’d already begun packing, and it was too small to fit all of them anyway, really. They only had the sofa in the living room, which didn’t offer enough seats for everyone. Joanna smiled at the thought of the house they’d planned to live in. Their new living room would have space. They just needed to make some local friends in Sydney to help occupy it, and invite their friends to visit as often as they wanted.
“You’re moving to Australia?” Hillary asked.
“We are,” Macon confirmed. “Soon. We sold the house here already. Well, we close in thirty days, but we’re in escrow, and we’ve got a new place there lined up. I signed the contract, and… Yeah, we’re moving.”
“You’re moving?” Keira checked for the third time with an expression that told Joanna she was going to miss Macon. “Forever? Like, you’re moving?”
“Babe,” Emma consoled, placing a hand on top of Keira’s hand on the table. “They’re moving to Australia. That’s amazing.”
“It is,” Amara agreed. “I’ve never been there. Is it nice?”
“It is,” Joanna said. “We’ve been there before.”
“Twice, actually,” Macon added. “That’s why they called and made me the offer. The last time I was there, I guess the ticket sales were the best they’d been in years. They’re hoping that having me there permanently will have the same effect.”
“It will. You’re the best in the world,” Hillary said with a smile. “It sucks that you’re leaving, though, Greene. Our original After Dark foursome loses another member, Keira.”
“Kellan left a long time ago,” Macon said.
“And you’ve picked up Emma, your wife, and me,” Joanna reminded. “So, it hasn’t been the original foursome in a long time.”
“That’s true.” Hillary nodded slowly. “I guess it’s about time.”
“Time for what?” Keira asked her.
“Well, we’re at those ages, aren’t we?” Hillary asked rhetorically. “We all got married. Some of us are working on having kids. Amara and I just got married and live in the burbs. Keira’s business is about to expand again, possibly to a new city. It’s about time something changed for you two,” she said to Joanna and Macon.
“Things change for them all the time,” Amara replied. “They’re constantly on the go.”
“But this is different, isn’t it?” Hillary asked Macon.
“It is, yes,” she answered, squeezing Joanna’s hand that she’d pulled into her own lap. “We’re not just leaving and coming back all the time anymore. We’re really leaving. If we come back to San Francisco, we’ll either have to stay with one of you or in a hotel. Sydney will be our home.”
“And this is what you want?” Emma asked, still holding on tightly to Keira’s hand.
“Yes,” Macon answered with a wide smile.
“Me too.” Joanna smiled back at her. “We both want this.”
“Then, I’m happy for you,” Hillary said.
“So am I,” Amara added.
Keira didn’t say anything.
◆◆◆
“Keira?”
“Hey, Greene,” Keira greeted as she stared at Greene through the doorway.
“Can I come in?” Greene asked her.
“Oh, sure. Sorry.” Keira moved out of the way. “I guess I’m just slow today or something.”
“Or something,” Greene returned as they made their way into Keira and Emma’s living room. “Emma here?”
“No, she’s out.” Keira sat on the sofa. “No Joanna?”
“Just me.” Greene sat down next to her friend but left space between them. “Keira, we should talk.”
“About what?”
“About the fact that I know you’re upset that Jo and I are moving,” Greene returned. “It’s been a week since you found out, and you won’t return my calls or texts.”
“I’ve just been busy.”
“Keira, I leave in less than three weeks. I’d like to spend the time we have left here with my best friends and our families. I don’t want to leave things like this with us.”
Keira leaned back against the sofa and said, “You know I’m not mad at you, right?”
“I don’t know what you’re feeling, because you won’t talk to me.”
“Greene, I’m just sad,” she replied. “I’m really, really sad.”
“It’s what we want, Keira. Jo and I, it’s what we want.”
Keira turned her head to Greene and said, “I know. And I really am so happy for you guys. I know the travel thing has been hard on both of you, and this city isn’t always an easy or affordable place to live.”
“Well, it’s never an affordable place to live.”
Keira laughed and said, “That’s a fact.”
“I don’t know how to describe it, but just having this opportunity has reconnected Jo and me.”
“Reconnected?” Keira asked. “So, you’re out of your rut?”
Greene smiled at her friend and confidant, and replied, “Yes, thankfully. I missed my wife, and I was usually standing right next to her.”
“I’m glad. Emma and I have been there a couple of times, and I hate it. I know things in a marriage can’t always be kittens and rainbows, but I hate when she and I are somehow off. I miss her. I miss us when that happens.”
“That’s how I felt,” Greene confirmed. “But since we made this decision, it’s like we’re back to being us again. We won’t be traveling like crazy, so we’ll have time to com
e back and visit you guys. I’ll get to play, but I’ll also be able to work with young musicians, which is something I’ve loved doing almost as long as I’ve loved playing.”
“How do your parents feel about this?” Keira asked.
“Mine are less than enthused, but they get that it’s not their decision. Jo’s are still trying to get her to divorce me, I think,” she joked. “But they seemed excited about coming for a visit and staying with us.”
“God, I’m sorry.”
“I know, right?” Greene chuckled. “They’re not all that bad.”
“But they do secretly still wish you had a penis.”
“Not so secretly, but yes.”
They laughed together for a moment, and then they were silent.
“I’m going to miss this, Greene. I love my wife, don’t get me wrong. She’s my best friend. But, so are you, you know?”
“I know. And you’re mine, too,” she returned. “But we’ll figure it out. We can still call and text.”
“The time difference isn’t exactly great.”
“We’ll make it work.” She shrugged. “We texted when Jo and I were over there on tour.”
“But I knew you were coming back. This is different.”
“I know.” Greene lowered her head. “It’s what’s best for me, for Jo, and for our marriage, though, Keira.”
“And I will throw you the best going away party ever, Greene. You know I support you in this, right?”
“I do.”
“Then, just give me another couple of days to wallow in the fact that my best friend of, like, a million years is leaving San Francisco, and then we’ll start planning your kick-ass party.”
“Deal.” Greene chuckled at her.
“Do you want to grab some dinner later? Emma’s at a work thing tonight.”
“Jo’s shooting a wedding tonight, so I have no plans. What do you want?”
“You know what tonight is, don’t you?” Keira asked, appearing to realize something in that moment.
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