When Amy awoke the next morning, it was to the warmth of Violet’s body. And, after a slight tilt of her head up, she found those bright blue eyes staring down at her. “You’ll always wake up before me, won’t you?” Amy asked, a giggle following her words before she turned her head and settled back into the crook in Violet’s neck.

“Most likely,” Violet admitted with a smile. “But that’s okay, I like watching you sleep.”

“You do?”

“Of course, you look so peaceful.”

Peaceful. That was the last word Amy would’ve used to describe her sleep for the past few months. Well, besides the previous two weeks or so. “Yeah, I guess I do feel more at peace.” Of course, she would be completely at peace when Taylor was with them but she was very close to feeling that way nonetheless.

“But we should probably get going,” Violet finally said.

Oh! That was right, they needed to catch the train! To get the little girl she was just thinking about! But it was so hard to want to leave the warmth of Violet and the bed. Alas, she must persevere. So, Amy managed to sit up and stretch her arms high over her head through sheer willpower alone. “Well, let’s be off then!”

After rising from the bed, Amy made her way to her bag and picked out an outfit for the trip. Nothing fancy, a simple linen dress that was colored a soft purple. Over that went a white sweater to ward against the growing chill in the air. She hadn’t mentioned anything to Violet yet but she was definitely going to need to address her clothing problem. However, that could wait until they returned. There were more pressing things on her mind.

Violet dressed in her typical outfit, of course. Something that Amy definitely hadn’t tired of and most likely never would. She looked absolutely beautiful in it, after all. Once the two women were ready, they repacked all their things and set out for the train station, first by street car and then by foot. When they arrived, the two wasted no time boarding the train and settling in. Whereupon Amy immediately leaned to the side and laid her head on Violet’s shoulder.

“I can’t believe we are going to get her,” she said with a huff that matched her mood. “It’s been almost two years now.” Kids grew so much when they were that young right? Would she even remember Amy? Did the letter keep her in the forefront of Taylor’s mind? As Amy thought, she let out an involuntary sigh, which immediately prompted Violet to turn her head slightly.

“That’s a long time,” Violet agreed.

“Too long.”

“Perhaps.” Following the word, Violet reached over and grasped Amy’s hand before giving it a squeeze. “Whatever happens, I’ll be right there with you.”

“Yeah, that makes it more manageable, at least.” No matter what, she still had Violet by her side, and that had to count for something, right? But she didn’t want to ponder a scenario where something went wrong. So, in an attempt to quiet her mind, Amy closed her eyes and called upon the sleepiness that already tugged at her eyes.

Sometime later, she jolted awake by the sound of the train’s whistle sounding its departure and found that Violet had settled in with a book How she’d retrieved it without disturbing Amy was a mystery but she had long stooped trying to gauge Violet’s limits based off the expectations of normal people.

Though she was awake, Amy didn’t move from her perch. Her eyes did shift outside though, watching the city go by from the window of the train car. All the while thoughts of Taylor and their reunion danced through her mind. What she would say or what she would do, followed by revisions of the same. These thoughts stuck with her all the way until the meal trolley rolled down the middle aisle and the two were able to select sandwiches for lunch.

Which weren’t bad by travel standards, if she was being honest. It was…some kind of cooked pork, perhaps? Grilled, minced, and bound together with a yummy sauce. And not only did they have main dishes, but desserts as well! And Amy was not about to miss out on something sweet. Both the sandwich and the cookie she selected did much to improve her mood and the conversation picked up again between her and Violet, lasting all the way until they pulled into the first stop of this whole trip.

The town appeared rather small, much like the one Violet described when she told Amy about where Taylor was staying. Which was perfectly fine with her. The city was nice, of course. But it had been a lot to take in all at once with everything happening. Some quieter nights would probably do wonders for Amy’s mind.

When she stepped off the train, her eyes immediately went past the little station to the main street that stretched out beyond. It looked like either side was lined with shops and places to eat, perfect for two young women looking for distractions until it was time to go to bed. But first things first, they had to find a place where they would ultimately rest their heads tonight. So, Amy turned to Violet and tilted her head somewhat. “Should we find a place to stay?”

“We should,” Violet confirmed. “After we store our bags, we can walk around the town. How does that sound?”

“That sounds great to me!” As excited as she was to get to Taylor, Amy couldn’t help but long for an evening with Violet all to herself. Especially since their nights would soon involve a third.

“Here, let me take your bag,” Violet said a moment later, offering a hand that Amy gladly deposited the thing in. It wasn’t too heavy on its own but depending on how long they had to walk it would certainly become burdensome.

“Thank you, Violet. Such a gentlewoman.”

The remark earned her a small smile from Violet who stepped off toward the town, joined by Amy a moment later. Her first impression of the place appeared correct and either side of the main street contained all manner of stores and restaurants. Most were busy but not crowded, adding to the assumption this was perhaps a slower pace of life. Eventually, Violet stopped and asked one of the street vendors where they might find a place to stay and once they had a lead, the pair headed a street over to find a row of inns and hotels.

Thankfully, Amy could rely on Violet’s experience traveling to find them a room. The ultimate choice was quaint and it contained little more than a bed, table, and armoire. However, it wasn’t like the two women needed anything extravagant. The little old lady that had checked them in seemed friendly enough, too. And once they had their things settled, Violet led them back downstairs to explore.

When they made it back outside, Violet turned to Amy before going any further. “Are you hungry? Or would you like to walk around first?”

“Let’s just go walk around on the main street for now,” Amy confirmed before falling in step with Violet again, close but still separate. With so much time sitting, Amy didn’t need to hang onto Violet so far. Time would tell if she would make it through the night.

Eventually, the pair made it back to the main street and began to walk along the sidewalk, every so often peering inside a shop to see what it had to offer. A variety of things, it turned out. Clothing, shoes, jewelry, trinkets, and other goods. Almost anything you could imagine! Mostly, it was just fun to look inside and see what was displayed. It wasn’t until a little later that something finally caught Amy’s eye enough that they had to stop and really look.

“Wow,” Amy whispered while staring at the dress behind the window of a small tailor’s store. “Isn’t it pretty, Violet?”

“It is very pretty,” Violet confirmed.

“Yeah, it is.” The dress in question was a little more formal than the one Amy wore. The deep navy blue fabric was accented with a cream sash that ran across the middle but otherwise, it was unadorned.

“Do you want to try it on?” Violet asked after nearly a minute of silent reverie.

“What?” Amy said before turning her head to Violet. “No, I can’t do that. If I like it, it will make leaving it all the more painful.”

“Or, if you like it, we can buy it.”

“I don’t have that kind of money, Violet. Not for something this nice.”

“Good thing I do,” Violet said before moving toward the door, opening it, and gesturing for Amy to go inside.

Amy was about to protest further but the woman behind the counter of the small boutique called out now that the door was open. “Good afternoon, ladies. Can I help you with something?”

They were caught now. With a sigh of resignation, and a playful shake of her head, Amy stepped into the store and indicated the dress in answer to the woman’s question. “Hello, I was looking at that dress in the window, it’s very pretty.”

“Oh, you have a good eye…Miss?”

“…Bartlett,” Amy replied before turning her head back to the clerk.

“Miss Bartlett,” she confirmed with a nod before moving from around the counter. The woman appeared to be just past middle age judging from the few wrinkles that extended from the corners of her hazel eyes. In addition to the streaks of gray that ran through her brunette hair. She was about Amy’s height, which meant that Violet was taller than both women when she came to stand next to them after shutting the door.

“May we try the dress?” She asked after coming to a stop.

“Certainly,” the seamstress replied. “If you like it, I can even make the necessary adjustments so it’s ready to wear, no extra charge.”

“Thank you,” Violet nodded.

“Certainly, if you’ll give me a moment, I’ll retrieve it and we can head to the back of the shop. My name is Hannah, by the way. Just call if you need something!”

“Thank you, Hannah,” Amy echoed a moment later.

Then she was turning and walking toward the front, leaving the two momentarily alone to browse over the various items in the store proper. However, Amy turned on Violet instead, dropping her voice low. “I can’t believe you! You don’t have to spend your money on me.”

“You’re right, I don’t have to,” Violet confirmed. “However, I would like to. I know you don’t have much clothing. So, consider this the start of a new wardrobe.”

“Yeah, it’s just…I feel bad about spending your hard-earned money.”

“What’s the point of earning it if I don’t use it to make the person I love happy?”

Amy’s heart filled with warmth at the sentiment and she had to struggle against tears that welled in her eyes. And for the nth time, she wondered what she had done to deserve the love of a woman like this. Thankfully, the return of Hannah helped stave off those emotions for now.

“Please, follow me,” Hannah said before leading them toward the back of the store. “Miss Bartlett, if you wouldn’t mind going behind the curtain and changing. Your friend and I will wait here until you need help with the back.”

Friend. There was that word again.

“Oh, okay. Thank you.” Amy took the dress from Hannah and then turned to head into the changing area. Her own clothing was simple enough, the sweater slipped up and over her head without any issue and her dress followed after loosening the strings at her hips. But this new one was something else entirely. The back was held closed with a zipper and it appeared much more form-fitting. Something she confirmed once she stepped in and worked her arms into the short sleeves. The dress sat well on her hips before fanning out slightly and ending just above her knees. Overall she felt…pretty. Much to her surprise.

“Um, Hannah?” Amy called out. “Can you come in and do the zipper?”

“You don’t want to come out here?”

“Oh, uh…I want Violet to see it when it’s done up.”

“Alright then, one moment.”

Amy heard some ruffling behind her as the curtain was pushed aside and Hannah stepped in. “Ah, here we go,” she said before reaching up and finishing closing the dress. “There we are, dear. Now, let’s get out there!”

Amy nodded in response and then moved the curtain aside and stepped out, drawing Violet’s eyes. Which then went wide upon seeing her in the dress.

“So, what do you think?” Amy asked eagerly.

Violet remained speechless for a moment but eventually swallowed and found her words. “Beautiful,” she finally said. “So beautiful.”

“Isn’t she?” Hannah agreed after emerging from the changing area. “Though, I can see a few spots that we can take in.” She stepped in close to Amy a moment later but stopped her hands before reaching Amy and the dress. “May I?”

“You may,” Amy confirmed with a nod.

“Right, let’s see…a little just above the hip and right under the bust…” Ah, yes. Well, She certainly wasn’t as gifted as Violet was. “Besides that, how does it feel?”

“It feels nice.” The fabric was soft and a lip kept the cold of the zipper from touching the skin on her back. “Really nice. I’ve never owned a dress like it.” Not really, anyway. All the ones at her father’s estate didn’t count, not in her mind.

“Well, would you to?” Hannah asked.

“Yes,” Violet answered off from the side, prompting both women to turn and look at her. “We’ll take it.”

“Oh?” Hannah asked but ultimately nodded. “Wonderful, let me just mark these adjustments, and then you ladies can come pick it up in the morning.”

“When does the shop open?” Amy turned and asked.

“9 am sharp.”

Good, they could grab the dress before making their way to the station. “Alright, we’ll do that.”

After saying their goodbyes to Hannah, the pair made their way out of the shop, whereupon Amy turned on Violet and gave her a playful smack to the arm. “That’s for spoiling me!”

“So, I shouldn’t spoil you?”

“That’s not what I said!”

Violet could only laugh at the response before reaching out and taking Amy’s hand. “I understand.”

“You do,” Amy asked?

“Of course, I do,” she said. Yeah, no one seemed to get her like Violet did. “Now, there is something I want to get for Taylor.”

Well, that had Amy’s head tilting in curiosity. “What is it?”

“I was thinking she might like a toy or perhaps a stuffed animal?”

Jeeze, just when she thought she couldn’t love Violet anymore. “I think that sounds lovely. A new stuffed animal would make a great present, I think.”

“Perfect, let’s go.” Violet turned to continue their search down the street but was stopped only after one step. At this point, Amy couldn’t help but reach out and take her hand, causing Violet to pause and look down. Whereupon Amy squeezed and started to walk beside her.

“Much better,” she said.

“Much,” Violet agreed.

However, the small smile that initially graced Amy’s lips soon faded from the thoughts that plagued her. That woman had used that word again. Friend. Amy still didn’t have a good answer from their conversation the other day and that was frustrating. She was certain of what Violet was to her, and that was all that mattered, right? And what would she tell Taylor? That this was her friend? But she wanted Violet to be more to Taylor just as she wanted her to be more to Amy too.

Ultimately, she wanted her to be a mother, too. For Taylor to have two women that cared about her deeply. Was such a thing going too far? Violet hadn’t necessarily signed up for that either, even if she did say she wanted to help. Amy supposed only time would tell and she wouldn’t force Violet to do anything she didn’t want to. But hadn’t she committed herself already? To both of them? Ugh, this was all a jumble in her head.

“Amy?”

Violet’s voice cut in through the haze of her thoughts and she looked over to find the doll staring back at her. “Yes?”

“Are you alright? You looked concerned about something.”

“Yes, I’m alright,” she confirmed with a smile. “You’re with me, right? How could I not be?”

Violet smiled in response and gave her hand a light squeeze back before turning and resuming the journey hand in hand.

Once the two set off again, it didn’t take long for them to find a toy store of sorts. When they arrived, Amy let Violet do the honors of picking out what the gift would be and then sat back to let her look over the selection. It was amusing to see the doll put in as much effort in this as her work or any other serious task.

Violet inspected each item meticulously, picking them up, squeezing them, and turning them over to check the quality. The sight brought a smile to Amy’s lips that simply refused to quit. It was something small in the grand scheme of things when it came to taking care of Taylor but that’s what filled her heart with warmth.

“What do you think about this?” She finally asked, while holding up a stuffed bear.

Amy reached out to feel his belly, noting the softness of the fur that played across her fingertips. “It’s lovely, Violet. And a classic choice.”

Violet turned the bear toward them and looked at it one last time. “It is, isn’t it? I like it.”

“Then let’s get it.”

Violet nodded in agreement and then moved toward the front counter and the man standing behind it, who put the gift in a bag for the two women after they paid. Mission now accomplished; they made their way back outside only to find that the air had gotten noticeably colder as the sun began to set.

“What would you like to eat for dinner?” Violet asked.

“Hmm, a nice stew to warm me up, I think.”

“Very well,” Violet said before reaching over and taking her hand this time. “Let’s go.”