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Heartbeats (epilogue)

Los Angeles.
The sun is shining outside the windows of the aircraft, and blinding reflections glare from the nearby buildings. Everything looks still.
Grace has been quiet, and Hannah tried to respect her silence. It's been a weird flight.
And now they're ready to get off.
Grace steps out of the plane and inevitably sighs. It's kinda scary to think a substantial part of her life will effectively change now, despite the executive decision that was made a week ago. It's like that time someone told her most of the stars we see died a long time ago, but their light is reaching us now. It's like living her own life slightly deferred.
That's what she thinks as they walk through passport check, while they wait for their luggage, while they walk towards the exit.
That's when Hannah stops, and Grace only realises when she's a few steps ahead. She walks back to her.
"What is it? I'm the one who should be scared" Grace jokes.
"I just... it's going to suck, right? You're going to need time. Which I perfectly understand so..."
"So?" Grace asks, somehow worried.
"So... kiss? Before everything gets real?"
Grace smiles, and drags Hannah out of the way of French tourists ready for Disneyland and Hollywood executives in their suits.
She kisses her.
It feels like both a first and a last kiss, and it's long enough to get a couple of guys whistling at them. They ignore them. They ignore everything, for the last few minutes.
But then, they have to walk out, and finally set foot on American soil.
- - -
Grace thinks she knows why Mamrie came to the airport too. She'll take Hannah, and Grace will go home with Matt. So she looks for him, wondering if her unwillingness to see him is preventing her from actually recognising his face.
Hannah remains a few steps behind, hoping she won't have to meet Matt at all.
"There come two of my favourite people!"
Hannah and Grace simultaneously turn towards the familiar voice. Mamrie is standing, arms in the air, with colourful Mexican poncho covering her shoulders.
"Ola, chicas! Come on, don't be shy" she continues, "give a hug to your fairy godmother."
"Fairy gaymother" Tyler coughs at her side.
"Mamrie!" Grace and Hannah both jump towards the redhead and hug her for a time that Tyler feels is excessive.
"Mamrie, your arm" Hannah notices, not too surprised.
"Don't tell me you two haven't figured it out yet, because if you're that dumb I need two new best friends."
Hannah and Grace look at each other, relieved.
"I'm happy you didn't actually hurt yourself" Grace says softly, then a sort of sadness takes her over "is Matt with you?"
"Ah, about that!" Mamrie says cheerfully, which Hannah finds inappropriate to say the least, "Tyler, honey, you take Hannah will you? Feel free to fill her in on the latest. I'll take this one." And with that, she slips Grace's arm under hers, and walks her to the car.
- - -
Grace is very confused. Mamrie drove less than 10 minutes, and turned into a small road that clearly leads to a motel.
"Mames, what are we doing here?" she says as she steps out of the car into a dusty parking lot.
"Do you trust me?" Mamrie asks, fist on her hips.
"Absolutely, 100% not!" Grace giggles, yet lets Mamrie drag her by an arm to the first floor. She has a key. She opens a door. They walk in.
A voice greets them, and sounds irritated: "Mamrie, I swear to God if you don't let me out of this room I-"
The words die on Matt's lips as he sees Grace walking in the room.
"Alright you two" Mamrie starts as Grace and Matt stare at each other, open-mouthed, a slight terror painted on both faces "what I'm about to do is absolutely not cool, but someone has to do it."
"Mamrie..." Grace begs.
"Mames, no!" Matt implores.
They both look at each other, confused, and then at Mamrie, who's produced two envelopes and is now waving them in the air.
"This one's for you" she hands one over to Grace, "and this one's for you, cutie." she says, giving the other one to Matt.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a dog to pick up. Adios!"
- - -
Grace looks at the envelope, terrified. She then looks up to Matt, who seems to be just as shaken.
"Hey" he greets her.
"Hey" she replies, softly, and smiles a little.
'He knows' Grace thinks, 'that's why he's barely looking at me.'
"So...mh, how are you?" she says, looking a the floor
"Yeah, I-" he replies, scratching the back of his head.
"Open those fucking envelopes, cabrones!" Mamrie shouts from the corridor.
They both raise their eyebrows, then Grace shrugs and opens hers. He quickly does the same.
She smirks.
Matt's eyes go from the piece of paper he just pulled out of the envelope to Grace, and back, a few times.
He smiles.
"What does yours say?" Grace asks.
He turns his piece of paper, and shows her a big, all caps: 'SHE'S GAY'. Below, in smaller letters, it says: 'Don't even try. I have evidence. You're welcome'.
Grace nods, amused, and does the same - her paper says: 'HE'S GAY. Don't even try. I have evidence. You're welcome.'
"Is it true?" she asks, hesitantly.
"Yep" he answers, looking away.
She leaps forward and wraps him in a hug.
"You are the man of my life" she says, "and my best friend, and I love you."
"I was so scared to tell you, Grace, I was-" his voice is trembling, he's a breath away from crying.
"I know. Me too."
"If this isn't a fucking happy ending I don't know what is!" Mamrie shouts again "Going for realz now, hasta la vista!"
- - -
"They're here" Tyler says, looking outside the window. He sees Grace getting out of a grey sports car, and leaning to wave goodbye to Matt.
"I still can't believe Matt is gay..." Hannah comments, laying a fork over a napkin.
"You should seriously ask for a refund on your gaydar. Here is fine?" he asks, placing a cinnamon scented candle in the middle of the table.
"I don't know... is it too much? Maybe it's too much, maybe let's-"
"Alright, calm down. I thought this was a done deal, why are you so nervous?"
"I don't know, I guess... I'm in love?"
"You're disgusting. I am going to take my handsome toy boy to that French restaurant downtown, and I'm perfectly cool."
"I had enough of French restaurants" she replies, "Grace got Taco Bell take away. You better go now. If you get the lift you should be able to avoid Grace altogether. She just texted me, she's using the stairs."
Hannah thought it'd be awkward for them to walk past each other, at least for now. They all need a bit of time to adjust.
"Alright, give me a kiss," he lisps, "see you next week!"
"Go go go!" she pushes him outside the flat, and as the elevator door closes, she sees Grace at the bottom of the set of stairs leading to her floor. The woman stops, and the paper bag she's carrying hits her leg, leaving a white mark on her skin.
She smiles.
In the other hand there's a bottle of red wine that she waves shyly, and greets: "Hey."
Hannah opens the door, and steps to the side, inviting her in.
Grace climbs the last set of stairs, and walks into a scent of cinnamon and a soft tune from an old record player.
♫
...To call for hands of above,
to lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
for me, no...
♫