"They're in the basement."
"Trying to get out of helping I suppose?" She began to head around the counter and Dani stopped her.
"No, Nikki, they're talking." Nikki looked at her sister with a puzzled expression. "She's been seeing Rachel several times a week."
She stepped back as though she'd been slapped. "Why didn't she tell me?" She looked away embarrassed that her pain was evident. "I don’t understand."
Dani reached out and placed her hand on her sister's shoulder. "Nikki, please tell me you're not falling for her." The truth shone in her eyes. "Oh, honey, please be careful. She's going to hurt you." She turned away and began to wash her hands. "For goodness sake, Nikki, she's straight."
Nikki turned the water off and grabbed a towel before turning around. "I know what she is, Dani. Just leave it be, okay?" Dani knew any further discussion was pointless. With a nod she began to wash the potatoes.
It was nearly forty-five minutes later when an emotionally drained Alex walked up the stairs and into the kitchen with Rachel on her heels. As Rachel sat beside Madison to see her latest masterpiece, Alex headed for the freezer. She pulled out a bottle containing a pale yellow liquid. Grabbing a shot glass, she quickly filled then drained it. After pouring her second glass, Nikki took the bottle from her and returned it to the freezer. "Thank you."
"Can I speak with you a moment?" Nikki asked.
"Of course." She drained her glass, set it in the sink, and followed her from the room. They ended up in the living room as Nikki stopped and looked out over the lake. Alex waited quietly for her to say something. She could tell Nikki was upset and was unsure how she was going to react. She clasped her hands together and bowed her head as she waited.
Nikki turned and saw the submissive stance Alex had taken and her shoulders drooped. She walked up and stood in front of her, gently taking her hands. "Will you look at me please?" she asked. Alex raised her head and let her eyes settle on her shoulder. "Please." She slowly raised her eyes until they met Nikki's concerned gaze. "I'm not angry with you, Alex, I'm just confused and disappointed. Why did you keep your sessions with Rachel from me?"
"Habit I suppose. I find myself doing things, and when I stop and think about it, I find I'm doing them out of fear. I'm afraid of the reaction they would have caused a couple of years ago." Alex looked away as she tried to explain. "Jo would have been angry and jealous of Rachel. Pavlov's dogs were conditioned by repeated doses of food and sound, I was conditioned by repeated doses of anger and violence. I learned to avoid angering her as much as possible. I know you are not Jo, and you've given me no reason to fear you. This is something I cannot control. I may never be able to, but I'm trying. I know I ask this of you frequently, but be patient with me, Nikki, please."
Nikki raised one hand and cupped Alex's cheek. "I want you to be able to completely expunge her from your life, and be free of her once and for all. I hope Rachel can help you do that."
Alex placed her hand over Nikki's. "You're helping too." She placed a kiss on her palm. "How about we go visit with our guests?"
After dinner was consumed and cleared away, they sat in the courtyard talking. Rachel sat in one of the padded lounge chairs, holding a sleeping Madison, as she watched the lively discussion between Dani and Alex. They were sitting together on one of the benches discussing friendship and what it really meant. "What about your friend Emily? Did you ever fix things with her?" Dani asked.
"No. She came over last night and I told her that we couldn't keep going on with the way things were. It wasn't healthy." Dani sat back with a surprised look on her face. "She wanted more from me than I can give."
Alex looked up when Rachel asked, "What did she want?" While looking at Rachel, she failed to see the look Dani gave Nikki.
"She wanted me to be someone I'm not, and she was clinging to the hope we could be more than friends." She shrugged as she blinked back tears, refusing to let them fall. "It was time to put an end to that fantasy."
Dani turned on the bench to face her. "So, I guess that means you're straight?"
Alex turned and looked at her with an unreadable expression. "Still trying to find an answer to that question?" She gave her a small smile before looking between Rachel and Nikki. "I guess it's time to let you in on a little secret, Dani. I'm gay."
"Right."
Alex frowned. "Let me ask you a question. I've always been intrigued by identical twins. Is it genetics that make you who you are or is it experiences?"
"How would I know?"
Alex looked at her thoughtfully. "Well, you and Nikki are obviously identical twins, so you have the exact same genetics right?" Dani nodded. "Okay, but you've lived apart for a long time and had completely separate experiences right?" She slid closer and cupped Dani's cheek, caressing it slightly. "So tell me, Dani, do you kiss as well as your sister does?"
Dani pulled away quickly and jumped to her feet. "What the hell?"
Alex held her hands up in a show of surrender. "It was just a question." She stood and walked over to Nikki. "Nikki has the most amazing lips and knows exactly how to use them. I just wondered if it was purely genetic." She shrugged. "I guess I'll have to find another set of identical twins for my research."
"You wouldn't dare," Nikki growled.
"Give me a reason not to," Alex quipped. She gasped as Nikki reached out and pulled her into her arms. She slowly lowered
