Page 72 of A Little Light

Claire busied herself, making cups of tea while Andi rested against the edge of the dining table. She was confident that Claire could make Sally see where she was wrong, but it may not happen this side of Christmas.

“Come on. Let’s sort this out.”

Andi stopped Claire before she carried two cups through to the living room. “Rachel is due here soon. Unless Sally is willing to act like an adult, I don’t want her here. I won’t have anyone making Rachel uncomfortable.”

Claire nodded. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.”

Andi snorted as she took her own cup from the worktop. She didn’t have anything to figure out. This was all Sally’s own issue. Still, she would give Claire the opportunity to help her wife to see things more clearly. Andi took a seat on the couch, far away from Sally, and crossed her legs. “So?”

“How do you know she’s not sleeping with people?” Sally asked, sitting forward with her elbows perched on her knees. “Seriously, how?”

“Because she told me she doesn’t sleep with people, Sal.”

“Oh. I see. So, you’re just going to take her word for it?”

Andi laughed and shook her head. “Why wouldn’t I take her word for it? I have no reason to question what she says. Jesus, she’s swapped clients around just so she could see me.”

“Aww, love at first sight.”

Andi sat forward. “Look, if you’re just going to sit here making smartarse comments, you can leave. If you’re so dead set against this, why did you come here? I didn’t ask you to, and right now, I couldn’t care less if you stay or go!”

“I don’t understand any of this, Andi.”

“What is there to understand? Rachel and I want to be together. It’s very simple.”

Sally looked back at Andi with some kind of sympathy in her eyes. She didn’t need or want sympathy. Rachel wasn’t dating her for the sake of it or to make Andi feel better. No, it was quite clear what Andi meant to Rachel…just based on the way she touched her.

“You can’t answer it, can you? Because you and I both know that this has nothing to do with Rachel. You always told me you’d love to see me move on, but now that I am, you’re scared. You’re worried that I’ll fuck up in some way, and you’ll have to pick up the pieces.” Andi relaxed back, sighing. “If you want to use Rachel’s job as an excuse, be my guest. But we’ve known one another long enough to deal with this kind of thing and get it out the way.”

“She really isn’t sleeping with clients?” Sally asked, clasping her hands under her chin. “You’re sure that she’s as genuine as she claims to be?”

Andi felt a presence beside her. As she looked towards the door to the living room, Rachel was standing there. She hadn’t heard the front door over Sally’s rambling. “Hi.”

Rachel threw a thumb over her shoulder. “Should I just go?”

“No.” Andi shot to her feet, taking Rachel’s hand. Their foreheads touched as Andi whispered, “Please, don’t leave. Stay. I want you here.”

“And I want to be here, but it’s probably not a good idea while you have friends over.”

Andi tugged on Rachel’s hand and pulled her into the living room. She returned to her seat, guiding Rachel down beside her. “So, where were we?”

“H-hi, Rachel.” Sally regarded Rachel with an awkward smile. “About the coffee shop…”

“We don’t have to do this, Sally. I know what you think of me.”

Andi held Rachel’s hand tighter in silent support. She could step in, but Rachel was capable of holding her own. It was one of the things Andi loved about her.

“And for the record, I’m not a sex worker. Many escorts are…but I’m not.” Rachel relaxed into Andi’s couch and crossed her legs. “Not that it matters. But since it seems to be an issue for you, I thought I should clear that part up.”

“Y-you told me she was a therapist,” Sally turned her attention to Andi. “That day when we met for lunch, you told me she was a therapist.”

“I believe my response was that it was something along those lines. Because, in my mind, what Rachel does is therapy for a lot of clients. You have no idea the people she sees. Nor do I. You also have no right to judge anyone for how they choose to make a living, Sally. I thought you were better than that.”

Sally lowered her eyes. Claire sat beside her, still looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I know what I say has no bearing on how you choose to move forward, but I was worried. I saw you outside that restaurant,” Sally said as she eyed Rachel. “And then I saw red.”

“Mm. You did.” Rachel sighed, dragging a hand through her hair. “But you know what, it’s fine. I don’t generally waste my time trying to convince people that I’m a good person. Andi is the only one here that matters to me. How she feels is what’s important. While it would have been really nice to have the support of her friends, your lack of it isn’t going to stop me from trying to make her as happy as I possibly can.” Rachel entwined their fingers, her thumb stroking the back of Andi’s hand. “I know you’ve had the fairytale already. I know you’ve lived an amazing life before me. I’m not here to replace Jane or try to better what you both had. Life isn’t about comparisons; it’s about taking what you can and making it count.”

That’s my girl, Andi thought, her heart so full of adoration. “Hey, you don’t have to try to convince me of anything. I know the person you are.”

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