Gail wonders if she should have ordered the extra cheese curds on her poutine. She pokes at it with her fork, studying it intently. Why does everything have to be so complicated? She looks up to see Holly watching her over the turkey sandwich she is holding in both hands. She knows she has been avoiding conversation or even looking at Holly since they sat down. She just feels so raw. She isn’t sure if that is better than feeling nothing, but here she is. Everything is so wrong, and yet this thing with Holly, whatever it is, feels so right, and that alone still scares the shit out of her. Holly puts her sandwich down.

”You have the worst diet. You know that, right?” Holly teases, while stealing one of her fries.

”I don’t know what you are talking about” Gail replies ”I could just be eating cheese puffs.”

Holly reaches across the table to touch the back of Gail’s hand. Gail waits for her to say something, anything, but Holly just sits there looking at her with an even gaze that gives nothing away. Gail doesn’t pull away. She discovers that she had no interest in eating, the contact of Holly’s fingertips on her skin is suddenly wildly distracting.

”Can we get out of here?”

”Sure” says Holly motioning the waitress for the check.

After they pay and leave. Gail doesn’t head back to the car. She just wants to walk for a while, to clear her head, to help her shake off the darkness, to try to restore her equilibrium. Holly walks next to her in silence, hands in the pockets of her coat their shoulders nearly touching. Gail is glad she’s here, and that surprises her, in a good way. When her headache is almost gone, Gail finally allows the bitter cold to drive her back to Holly’s car. They sit for a while, engine running, heat on before Gail finally says anything.

”Can you take me home?”

”Ok,” Holly replies, beginning to head in the direction of Gail’s apartment

Holly’s hand is warm in hers. Comforting. It anchors her into her body, and keeps her demons at bay, for now. While at the diner, Chris had called to give her an update. Chloe was still in a medically induced coma, the clot in her neck hadn’t moved, and Sam was still in ICU, clinging to life by a thread. On the up side, Oliver was going to be released in the morning and was recovering from his traumatic brain injury better than anyone had hoped. She sighs and yawns, trying to keep her eyes open. As they pull up to her apartment she realizes that no one else is at home. Why is it always so hard for her to ask for anything she needs?