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of—was glad to see her. There was some kind of pull that Marina had over her, and she could no more resist it than she could explain it. Just being in the same room with her relieved some of the pain. There was a real connection between them. That was irrefutable.
    Still looking very tentative, Marina said, “Can I get into bed with you? I can’t even tell you how much I’ve missed you.”
    Feeling some of the barriers start to come down, she extended a hand which Marina took. “Sure.”
    With remarkable speed and even more remarkable disregard for her clothing, Marina stripped in moments and climbed into bed. She settled into Callie’s embrace and began to cry. The tears seemed to flow unabated, which was surprising. Callie had only seen Marina cry a few times during their history and each time it had been out of frustration, not sorrow or pain. Seeing Marina allow herself to be vulnerable was touching in a way that a boatload of apologies never would have been. She tenderly rubbed Marina’s back and let her cry until they finally fell asleep in each other’s arms just as the sun began to peek into the window.

    *

    Late the next morning they sat in the bright, sunny kitchen, eating brunch. Three cups of coffee hadn’t helped Callie wake up enough to go over Marina’s sins. But Marina seemed fixated on making sure she explained what she’d been thinking when she’d slipped and how determined she was to never screw up again.
    Something about Marina’s explanation seemed forced, even rehearsed, and it dawned on Callie that she had probably written the points down and gone over her speech on the long flight. How could she get through to Marina? How could she show her the damage she’d done? The pain she’d caused? But it was so hard to reach that part of her. Did she have to take her as she was? Or could they both learn something from this? It was so tiring. Relationships were so damn much work.
    She sat there, half listening to Marina prattle on. Marina seemed to be telling the truth. But she’d believed her before and was paying for it now. Her heart hurt. It felt physically bruised, as though she’d been kicked in the chest. Hearing Marina’s version of what happened seemed a waste of time, and actually made the pain worse. Angela’s name was an acid in her stomach every time she heard it. But no matter what Marina said, Angela was not the problem—Marina was. She wanted to cut to the chase and work out a plan of attack that would prevent Marina from getting into the same situation ever again. That was their only hope.
    Since it was a lovely day, they went to the park next to their apartment and sat on a bench in the sun, people watching. They didn’t speak much, and didn’t talk about the cheating at all, silently agreeing to discuss that particular topic at home.
    The wind picked up and Callie shivered against Marina who suggested they go get tacos.
    “I didn’t bring my wallet.”
    “My treat.” She smiled that seductive smile and Callie found herself echoing it. They walked to one of their favorite restaurants and Callie ordered a frozen margarita, an appetizer and an entree, something she never did when she was paying. It was small recompense for what Marina had put her through, but it was something.
    They got home around nine, and Marina started up again. “If you met her you’d be very surprised that I hooked up with her. She’s not my type at all.”
    “I don’t want to meet her. Ever. She’s not the problem. You and I had the agreement, and you’re the one who broke it. I want you to tell me how you’re going to make sure you don’t do it again.”
    “It was because of work,” Marina insisted for the fifth time. “I thought she might turn against me if I refused.”
    “You’re always going to have a job. What will you do next time?”
    Marina’s eyes lit up and Callie could almost see an idea pop into her head. “I’m going to steer clear of women. I don’t ever want to