Page 189 of Nocere

My response brought an immediate smile to Alice's face and she sipped her wine. "Ah. No more breastfeeding inebriation commences."

"Hoorah." Stella clinked her glass with her wife's.

"Wild sex to follow." Alice raised her glass in salute and Jordan grinned on her way into the living room.

"Let's have an orgy," she said, a proud smile on her face.

"No!" called back literally everyone while Ainsley added a swat upside the head.

Jordan cracked up and hugged her. "Fine. We'll wait until everyone gets here."

Alice rolled her eyes and it made Jordan snicker even more. "Shut your face up, Allie."

"Oh my God." Sam whispered against my ear. "They put on a show constantly."

"They do."

All of our friends began arriving one after the other, with Vee and Scarlett first. They greeted us with cheek kisses and hugs, before Scarlett settled Vee in one of the comfy armchairs. I watched as she doted on her, and fixed a pillow behind her back. Vee's endless smile at her wife's caretaking brought me a stroke of happiness, even if it didn't belong to me in that moment.

Stella crouched beside Vee's seat, her hand on her knee while the two of them spoke about something.

Ainsley's bouncing arrival on the sofa drew my attention away. "Hello, lovelies."

"Hi. What's happened to Vee?" I asked, glancing back over for a second.

"She had a small procedure on her back again, but she's doing really good. It's the last surgery she's supposed to need," answered Ainsley.

"Really? I'm glad. She looks like she's in pain though."

"A little stiff, she says, but no pain." Ainsley patted my knee. "She had some good doctors at her side." Her gaze flickered over my shoulder to Sam. I followed her focus and Sam smiled.

"You were her doctor?"

"I cannot confirm or deny," she said, though smiled along with it.

"Vee," called Ainsley to get her attention. "Can Sam tell Rosie that she was your anesthesiologist this week?"

Everyone laughed and Sam swatted Ainsley's arm.

"Yes. Of course." Vee grinned and met Sam's gaze.

"Doing good?" she asked and Vee nodded.

"I am. Thank you. Stella checked my tiny incision three times. After Scarlett checked it thirty.” Scarlett gave her arm a pinch and Vee laughed.

"Sounds like you needed it." Sam grinned and leaned her chin on my shoulder when everyone's attention returned to the people in front of them.

"Wow, Sami. I wish you could've told me. That must've been hard, treating a friend," I said, biting my lip after.

"It was. I don't schedule my own surgeries so I don't know until I get the patient files a day before. Veronica isn't a name I've ever known Vee by, so I walked into the room and there we were," she explained while stroking my hair.

"It sounds scary to have their life in your hands…"

"It is, baby." She kissed my cheek. "But it reminds me that everyone on my table is someone's loved one. I welcome the reminder."

"I never want a friend or family member on my table," said Ainsley, in an usual shift toward darkness.

"You've been lucky to have escaped that so far." Sam slipped her arms around my middle and gave me a firm squeeze. I stroked her arms and she relaxed under me again.

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