No Matter What

Knock, knock.

Knock, knock, knock.

Knock. Knock, knock, knock!

"Babe? Are you in there?" When there wasn't an answer she knocked again, concerned eyes glancing toward the bottom of the door. "Emily, I can see the light from underneath the door, so unless you left it on, you're in there." Hearing a sniffle, she pressed an ear to the door. "Em? Babe, talk to me. Please."

"Go away," her girlfriend responded, voice muffled through the bathroom door.

Jessica shook her head although the other woman couldn't view it. "No, I'm not going anywhere. Are you crying? It sounds like you're crying." When Emily failed to quickly respond, she wrapped her hand around the doorknob and attempted to turn it. Unfortunately, it wouldn't budge. Concern intensifying, Jessica knocked again. The only other time she could recall her partner locking the door was when she was upset with her because Jessica forgot to pick up her mother from the airport when she visited last Christmas. Emily was none too pleased that her mom had to take public transportation to their house after a long flight.

"Please, Jess. Just go," Emily wearily replied.

While her heart began to beat a bit faster, Jessica moved her fingertips up and down the door. In that moment she wished that she possessed X-ray vision. "I've been gone a week and just returned home a few minutes ago." Her voice softening, she added, "I missed you. I don't want to be away from you any longer, Em."

No response.

"Babe, just open the door. You're scaring me. Now, you have five seconds to unlock this door or I swear I'm gonna go find that axe in the garage and I will slash this mother off its hinges!" Jessica was quite surprised to detect a small chuckle. Taking that as a good sign, she allowed a smile to curve her lips. However, the smile vanished when after five seconds her girlfriend neglected to unlock the door. "Em? Baby, I'm not leaving. You know how stubborn I am." That smile made a brief reappearance as she thought back to six years ago. "Had to ask you out five times before you acquiesced to a date with me."

"And it ended up being the best date of my life." Following a pause, Emily continued, "Until our second date. And then the third..."

Jessica sighed, an index finger drawing imaginary circles on the bathroom door. "Emily, what's wrong?"

"I have breast cancer."

As her heart dropped into her stomach, Jessica dropped to her knees upon that dreaded 'C' word reaching her ears. Never in her life had she hoped more than she did then that she was wrong, that her hearing was decieving her. Since she couldn't drum up an alternative, she reached up and tried the doorknob again. "Baby, open this door." She was able to blink away the tears, but knew they would soon return. "I need to hold you."

Jessica breathed a sigh of relief when she heard a faint click. Still on her knees, shaky hands rested on her thighs as the door began to slowly open, within seconds revealing the woman she referred to as her soulmate. The sight of Emily broke her heart. Pale green eyes were swollen from an abundance of crying, her nose red and tear tracks stained her cheeks. Dark locks were in disarray and her clothes wrinkled while she also kneeled, crumpled tissues surrounding her on the cool tiled floor.

Lips quivering, Emily raggedly exhaled. "Okay, 'cause I need to be held." The last word barely left her lips before she burst into tears, her shoulders shaking. The first tear didn't have the opportunity to reach her chin as she felt strong arms encircle her. Her face tucked into Jessica's warm neck, she inhaled the enticing scent she knew so well. Vigorously returning the hug, she had her partner's neck dampened in no time. When her knees began to protest against the hard flooring, Jessica moved until she was seated, pulling Emily along to rest against her. Her own tears staining her face, she rubbed a comforting hand along the length of Emily's back.