Chapter 13

Morgan gave her a hug, one-armed to allow Mika to keep holding Lauren’s hand, then bustled off to finish getting dinner ready.

“I want to make love to you tonight,” Mika whispered to Lauren, who had to clamp her thighs together at the sudden spike of arousal.

“Are we okay for ferry times?” Lauren asked, out loud, but intending for Mika to consider if their plans required an exit at any specific time.

“It runs until late,” said Mika, a quick nod acknowledging her concern.

Cars ahead of them left dark tire tracks on the floor of the ferry. Lauren wasn’t looking forward to the short walk from the Audi to the interior of the ferry across wet steel plates in an icy wind, but it was over quickly.

Halfway through the journey, Mika insisted on going back outside to see the view. Though Lauren had expected the experience to be far too cold – and she wasn’t wrong – the view of the city lights over the water was magical. Lauren asked a random guy to take a photo of them, handing him her phone and wrapping an arm around Mika, who learned into her.

When the phone flashed, Mika gave her a disappointed look. “Turn your flash off,” she suggested, then asked the helpful guy, “could you do that again?”

“Are you sure there’s enough light?” Lauren asked. At her girlfriend’s raised eyebrows she said, “Right. Photographer. Silly me.”

The guy with her phone took another shot. Lauren checked it, then thanked him. She turned the phone so that Mika could see it.

“Our first photo as a couple,” Mika said. “It’s good. Send it to me.”

“Let’s get back inside first,” Lauren suggested. “My fingers might fall off in this cold.”

“That would be bad,” Mika agreed. “I’m going to need those fingers pretty soon.”

Perhaps they hadn’t stepped back as far as Lauren had thought, or perhaps Mika had raised her voice a little too high to counter the sounds of the wind and the engine, but Lauren thought she saw the helpful guy’s shoulders shake with a laugh.

The day had been long and stressful, especially for Mika. Not only had she visited her late wife’s grave, she’d queued in line for the ferry and made the crossing four times.

It must have been an expensive trip, too. The ferry had probably cost her as much as the flight. Then she’d paid for Lauren’s flight and two nights in a hotel at the airport that can’t have been cheap.

The hotel didn’t have a hot tub, but the shower was comfortable and big enough for two. If they were planning to break their intimacy fast anyway, Lauren suggested, showering together might be a way to do that without risking falling asleep. Mika gave her a thoughtful smile, then a nod.

Lauren had far too much fun soaping down Mika’s body to pay attention to her own, but that was fine, because Mika did the same for her. Though she was fairly certain that Mika used four times as much soap on her breasts as anywhere else. When she pointed that out, Mika retorted, “Well, yes, but that’s because there’s more to cover.”

After rinsing Mika off, she pulled her close to kiss. With a couple of weeks of voluntary abstinence while sharing her life and her bed with Lauren, Mika was especially passionate. The hunger in her kiss made Lauren’s heart race. Her beautiful, sexy, feeling girlfriend wanted her, and she was eager to oblige, dropping to her knees to kiss Mika’s pussy lips.

She drew her fingers over Mika’s sex, lubricating them in her wetness rather than the shower water, then worked them carefully into Mika as she caressed her with her tongue. When she was sure that her fingers were gliding smoothly inside her, she began to move them more forcefully. Mika groaned as she tongued her clit.

Pushing Mika into the corner of the shower for support, Lauren lifted one of Mika’s feet to her shoulder, giving her fingers and mouth freer access to her sex. Then she suckled her clit as her fingers pumped inside her. Mika was far too desperate for her to allow for much finesse, so Lauren pushed her until she came hard, her whole body spasming, flooding Lauren’s lips, which was a novel and exciting experience. Lauren used her free hand to keep Mika pressed into the corner of the shower, so that she wouldn’t collapse or slip as she convulsed.

Lauren kept moving her fingers as she lowered Mika’s foot back to the floor of the shower. Then she eased out of her and stood.

Mika’s eyes were unfocused, but she returned to herself after a moment. “I hope you hadn’t planned to keep your hair dry,” she said, grinning, with a rasp in her voice.

“Guess that’s what happens when you’re on your knees in a shower,” Lauren agreed.

Mika’s eyes had recovered their sharpness and now narrowed in amusement. “Don’t go away,” she said. “I get to do you now.”

“Do me?” Lauren scoffed.

“Have my wicked way with you,” Mika said. “Make love to you. Fornicate with you. Shag you. Boff you.”

“You seem a little punch-drunk,” Lauren said.

“Possibly,” Mika agreed.

“Let’s get out of the shower and you can do me in the big comfortable bed.”

Mika pouted, clearly not wanting to wait, but she turned the water off.

Lauren towelled off quickly, drying her hair only enough to stop it dripping, then wrapped a warm dry towel around herself and climbed into the king-sized bed. Her lover followed a moment later, wrapped in her own towel.

Once in bed, Mika unwrapped both towels, her warm, damp body nestling against Lauren’s. One hand began to caress Lauren’s pussy as their lips met. Fingers dipped into her, shallowly at first, then more deeply as they became slick with her arousal.

Soon Mika’s fingers were deep within her. They moved slowly, curling against her inner passage, exploring, Lauren’s breathing becoming heavy. Their tongues met as her body pushed into her lover’s hand.

Then Mika’s other hand brushed her clit. Her muscles clenched involuntarily, propelling her pussy forward as she groaned into the kiss. Mika’s fingers pressed firmly to either side of her clit, then the fingers inside her began to move, Lauren’s sex manipulated from within and without, her arousal surging at the touch.

Lauren was already turned on from the shower, and Mika wasn’t giving her any quarter. She was being driven relentlessly toward her peak. As her body drew close to its breaking point, she wrapped her arms around her lover, kissing her passionately, Mika’s breasts digging into her own.

She broke her lips free from Mika’s, crying out as she fell into climax. Her sex clenched her lover’s fingers, her hips pushing her into Mika’s other hand as she quivered in pleasure.

Even when the last aftershocks had faded, Lauren didn’t release Mika, only relaxing her hold enough for Mika to fit her body to Lauren’s for sleep.

As good as the hotel was, they had only coffee in the room. Lauren brewed herself a cup before taking a shower. Her hair was badly tangled from the previous night’s shower and subsequent activity, so she used the hotel shampoo and conditioner – probably a mistake, but she didn’t want to tear her hair out by the roots.

After she’d used the hotel dryer, she combed her hair through one more time, then returned to the living room. Mika was just beginning to stir, and she stood for a time watching the narrow face of the woman with whom she was now completely, irrevocably in love.

When she stroked Mika’s cheek, Mika smiled. Without opening her eyes, she captured Lauren’s hand in her own, brushed it with her lips, then stretched.

“There’s only coffee,” Lauren said, surprised to hear how husky her voice sounded. “Would you like some?”

Shaking her head, Mika released her hand. She pulled down the sheet, Lauren, feeling a thrill as her gaze took in the slender naked body, the small patches of fuzz on her sex. “I drink coffee occasionally, but never hotel coffee,” she said. “They have tea at the breakfast buffet. I’ll get a quick shower.”

“Do you want me to pack your things?” Lauren asked.

“That would be lovely,” said Mika, her elegant accent finally noticeable as she moved closer to wakefulness.

Lauren had picked up a second round of the spicy sausages at the breakfast bar with a few more eggs and gravy. For some reason, she was hungry. Surely it couldn’t have anything to do with last night’s lovemaking? She grinned inwardly. Maybe they could develop their own exercise program…

There was an unusual look on Mika’s face. Possibly slightly anxious, though she didn’t seem upset or tense. A couple of times she seemed like she was about to speak, but then looked back at her own plate.

“What is it, honey?” Lauren asked. “It looks like you want to say something.”

Mika looked up. Her shoulders twitched in a slight shrug, her expression chagrined. “Yes,” she said. “I do. I want to ask you to do something for me.”

“Anything, Mika, you know that,” Lauren said.

“I want you to come with me. Before we leave today,” Mika said. “I want to introduce you to Nicole. I know, it’s daft, but it would mean a lot to me if I don’t feel I’m hiding anything.”

“Of course I will,” Lauren replied. “It doesn’t sound… daft? at all.”

The cemetery was huge and picturesque. Mika held Lauren’s hand as they walked through the placid paths. A middle-aged couple stood looking at a grave which was surrounded by a low wooden fence. Lauren glanced at the name on the headstone as they passed and did a double-take, though she kept walking.

“That’s not him, is it?” she whispered to Mika, leaning close.

“It is,” Mika said. “And his son.”

“Nicole’s in good company,” Lauren murmured.

“In another six weeks the cherries will bloom. That was a more significant criterion than her famous neighbor,” said Mika. “That, and how her parents can visit her at any time.” Her steps slowed as she approached a modest headstone close to a bare-branched tree. “We visited often in 2020. Of course, I had to drive, since travel was shutting down, and I wouldn’t have risked a flight anyway. I would stay with Rick and Morgan, but I wore a mask the entire time and slept in Nicole’s old room, which they didn’t enter. God, that was a hard year.” She wiped at her eyes and shook her head. “But here we could be in the open, free from restrictions, though we still wore our masks religiously. We were here when the cherries were blooming just before April.”

Nicole’s name was on the simple headstone. Mika lowered herself to her knees, then sat on her heels. Lauren attempted to emulate her posture, sitting beside and slightly behind her. It wasn’t comfortable, but she thought she could bear the awkward pose for a time. Mika reached for her hand, seeming to sense rather than see where Lauren was, just as she had done the previous day. Lauren took her hand, holding it gently.

“Hello, love.” Mika’s voice was soft. “I told you about Lauren yesterday. She’s here with me now. I wanted her to meet you.” She paused before continuing. “You and I were going to grow old together. We had so many plans. It’s always going to hurt that it can’t happen. But I think I’ve found the woman I will grow old with. She’s special to me in a different way than you were, but I want to be with her. You were never a jealous girl, so I’m sure you’ll understand. Even though I’ve fallen in love with her, I want you to know that I’ll always love you.”

Lauren barely suppressed an exclamation, but did squeeze Mika’s hand, feeling the pressure returned.

“Next year I’ll visit on the seventh, and spend St. Valentine’s Day with Lauren. You’ll never become less to me, but I need to celebrate her becoming more. I would like to go forward with your blessing.”

Mika fell silent, remaining still, her head bowed. Lauren had heard much that had made her heart overflow, but for Mika’s sake she needed to stay calm. Several minutes passed, then, suddenly, Lauren felt a sense of peace settle over her. It couldn’t be supernatural, so it had to be her reaction to Mika finding her own serenity. She didn’t know how she was aware of that, but it was borne out a moment later. Mika released her hand and stood, she made a small bow, then turned to Lauren, offering her hand to help her rise, her face seeming perfectly tranquil, seeming at ease within herself in a way that Lauren didn’t think she’d ever seen. She didn’t look back once as they moved back through the cemetery, the fenced graves now unobserved.

“I’d like to come back when the trees bloom,” Lauren said, softly.

Mika’s face turned toward her. She wore a huge smile. “So would I. We’ll meet Rick and Morgan here.”

“You… uh… did mean for me to hear what you said, didn’t you?”

“I did, love,” Mika said. “I didn’t want to keep you a secret from Nicole, even if her presence is only my wishful fantasy, but I don’t want to keep any secrets from you, either. Come to think of it, you’re a bit of a fantasy, too.”

Lauren rolled her eyes, holding her girlfriend’s hand tightly. “You’re thinking about my boobs again, aren’t you?”

“I’m always thinking about your boobs, darling,” Mika said. “Well, most of the time. Often, anyway. Sometimes. Yes, they cross my mind once in a while. I even got you a tee shirt to remind me.”

“I think it’s you who’s daft,” Lauren observed. “I love you anyway.”

“I love you too,” Mika said, “and I am so happy to be able to admit that.”

She seemed lighter. Lauren wondered whether she’d planned in advance to take her to visit the grave. She hadn’t mentioned it earlier. Whenever she’d made the decision, it was clearly a good one. Mika had resolved a conflict within herself that she might not even have realized was still holding her down.

They had lunch at a different waterside restaurant before flying home. “I think you’re right,” Lauren said. “We should come back here for those few days we promised ourselves. If we come here to visit the grave with the cherry blossoms with Rick and Morgan, we could take a few days extra.”

“Indeed we could,” Mika agreed, “if you have the holiday time available.”

“I do,” Lauren said. “If we’re here for a few days it would be better to drive. You should let me pay for lodging, though. You’ve taken care of this whole visit.”