New Life

"Auugggghhh!!!"...the sound of both women coming together.

Lifting herself off Taylor, Rachel turned on her side as her lover cuddled her from behind. Taylor's right hand gently caressed her stomach, her left hand cupping her breasts and her right leg hooked over her hip.

"I love you with all my heart, Taylor my baybee." Rachel whispered.

"And I love you with all my heart, Rachel my angel." Taylor responded.

After a few minutes both fell into a deep sleep.

***

Rachel was so excited as she opened the door of the apartment. Bossworth ran and jumped at her as if seeing her after a long time when it had only been for a few hours. "Hey there! How's my boy?" She asked as he wagged his tail and barked in excitement at picking up on her emotions.

Lourdes, their house help, came out of the kitchen. "Oh! Ms. Rachel! Where have you been? I was so worried when you just left without telling me where you were going!" Lourdes exclaimed, her hand on her heart.

"I'm so sorry, Lourdes. I just needed to get out and do some stuff. I promise to tell you where I'm going next time I decide to just up and go, OK?" She explained, hoping that her face wouldn't give her secret away.

"Ok. Ok. But when Ms. Taylor called a while ago asking for you and I couldn't tell her where you went she got a bit upset. She cut short her trip and is on her way home tonight instead of tomorrow morning." Lourdes grumbled as she walked back into the kitchen to finish the dinner she was preparing.

"Uh Oh! Gotta hide my surprise!" Rachel mumbled to herself before she ran towards their room, Bossworth following close behind.

Trying to find the best place to hide the brown envelope with the important documents enclosed, she decided to hide it in one of Taylor's unused drawers. As she opened one of the drawers, she saw a bundle of small purple envelopes. She took them out and started to read one of the letters which apparently was both a love and sexual letter addressed to Taylor. "I must be one romantic dopey girlfriend." She smiled to herself. Closing the letter, she was about to read the others when she heard the doorbell and Lourdes calling out her name. She stuffed the letters back into the drawer together with the brown envelope and walked out.

As she exited the room she met Lourdes by the hallway. "Ah! There you are, Ms. Rachel. You have a visitor."

"Who is it, Lourdes?" She asked, not particularly happy about meeting someone without Taylor to help her.

"It's Shannen your business partner." Lourdes replied pointing her towards where the guest was waiting.

Upon entering the room, Rachel spotted the woman standing by the window looking down at the scenery below. She was tall with wavy reddish brown hair.

"Shannen?" She called out.

Turning around from the window, the woman said: "Hey there my friend!" Shannen gave her a quick hug. "I'm sorry that I have only visited you now but I was told that you needed the space and time to heal." She walked towards the couch where her bag was. "Oh before I forget. I have something for you." She opened her bag, took out a medium-sized box and handed it to Rachel.

"Look, I won't stay long. But I just really wanted to see how you are because I've missed you and I wanted to ask you to please come to the party that the office is preparing for you. A lot of people are worried and just want to see you. Please think about it?" She hugged her quickly one more time before taking her leave.

Rachel looked down at the box on her lap and began to open it. As she pulled the top off, she saw a Blackberry phone and an envelope lying underneath it. She picked up the cellphone, then the envelope and read the note inside. 'Heard that your cellphone was stolen on the night of the accident. Here's another one. Hurry back and don't be a stranger! -- Shannen.' Rachel smiled, but that didn't last long as she began to realize something. She stood up from the couch and headed back to their room. She opened the drawer and started to read all of the letters that were in each of the purple envelopes. The same type of envelope that she had just received from her college friend and business partner.

***

It was dark when Taylor entered the apartment, dropping her overnight bag next to the front door. Bossworth came running out to greet her. "Hey there, Bossy! Where's your other Momma?" She asked as she rubbed his coat.

She began to look for Rachel. "Rachel? Baby? Where are you?" She switched on a light in passing and found her lover sitting on the couch staring at the fire. "Here you are! Why didn't you answer me? And where did you go when you left this afternoon you had me and...." Before she could finish, Rachel lifted her hand holding the bundle of purple envelopes addressed to Taylor.

"It happened before my accident?" She angrily asked.

Seeing what was in Rachel's hand and hearing her question. "Oh God! Oh God!" She frantically whispered. "Baby I..." Once again she was interrupted by an angry Rachel.

Standing up from the couch, Rachel rounded on her, her face furious. "You and Shannen?! Before my accident?!" She shouted angrily, standing in front of the taller woman.

"Once! It just happened once then never again!" She frantically explained. "She kept trying and trying but I told her off! It was different then! We were different then!"

"I don't even remember how we were then, Taylor!" Rachel threw the envelopes at Taylor and started to walk towards the door of the apartment, just wanting to get out of there before she did or said anything that she might regret.

Opening the door, she was halted by Taylor's quivering voice. "Rachel! Please! We didn't have a good relationship for the past three years but we're better now! Please don't walk away! Not like this! Not now!" She begged as tears ran down her face.

"I need to get out." Was all that Rachel could say, not able to look at Taylor as she walked out and closed the door of their apartment.

Taylor's knees buckled and she fell to the floor sobbing her heart out. Bossworth approached her putting his face on her leg and whined as he watched her cry.

***

Agnes opened her door to see her distraught daughter standing outside. She ushered her in and hugged her tight without uttering a word. Rachel collapsed on her mom and began to cry out her anger and pain.

She was lying on the couch exhausted after telling Agnes everything that happened. "Do you know what you're going to do?" Her mom asked.

Rachel shook her head. "No. No I don't. All I know is that I'm hurt and angry."

"Honey, I don't profess to know everything about life because I really don't. But please try to look beyond your hurt and pain and see what you have. What's in front of you right now."

"What do you mean?" She asked her mom.

"Well, I've seen you and Taylor together for the past ten years. I've seen how you were when things were getting rough before and believe me when I say that you are not totally faultless. It does take two you know. Then, I see how you are now after your accident with both of you getting to know each other all over again." Standing up, she looked down at her daughter. "I won't tell you what to do but I will ask you to take a long hard look at your life. Realize what you want and how you're going to get it. They do say that the best things in life don't come without a price." She kissed Rachel on her head and walked away.

It took a long while before Rachel came to the realization of what she was going to do. She eventually fell asleep for the first time in months without the arms of Taylor around her.

***

Morning came too soon for Rachel as she got her plan into action. She spoke to her mom about what she was going to do before leaving. Agnes had a big smile on her face as she saw her daughter drive off.

She entered the building with determination written all over her face. People would stop and greet her as they recognised her. Upon reaching Shannen's door, she didn't bother knocking and just entered. She saw Shannen and a petite blond woman going over some papers.

"Rachel, I'm in a meeting right now." Said Shannen, visibly uncomfortable with Rachel there.

"I need to talk with you privately and this won't take long."

"Ummm...alright...Hannah, could you please excuse us? I'll talk to you later." Shannen addressed the smaller woman.

As the woman named Hannah passed Rachel, she gave her a teary and longing look that Rachel found to be disturbing. "I'm glad that you're well. I...we missed you." She whispered before leaving the room.

"Look Rachel about me and Taylor..." Obviously Taylor had told Shannen that she already knew about them.

"I don't want to discuss it. It's over and done with. I'm here to tell you that I will be selling my share of the business. I want out."

"What? Are you sure about this? You love this business! If it's about what happened with me and Taylor..."

Rachel put up her hand to stop Shannen. "I already said I don't want to talk about it. As for the business, I used to love it then. Not now. I'm a different person now." Having said her piece, she turned around and walked towards the door to leave.

"What about us? Our friendship?" Can you ever forgive me?" Shannen asked.

Stopping at the door to look back at Shannen, Rachel paused. "You used to be my friend. Forgive you? I've already forgotten you." She said without emotion as she stepped out.

Walking out of Shannen's office, she asked the nearest person where her office was. There she was met by her secretary who introduced herself as Rose. She requested that Rose bring her a box and she proceeded to pack all of her personal effects into the container. When she picked up the framed photo of her and Taylor in their younger days, she smiled through the sudden welling of tears in her eyes. As she finished packing, the door to her office opened and Hannah came in.

"Can I help you?" Rachel asked.

"You don't remember me at all do you?" Hannah's eyes began to tear as she asked the question.

"I'm sorry, but no I don't."

Hannah took a deep breath. "Three years ago we started an affair and last year you told me you were going to leave her for me. I guess that's not going to happen now, right?" Tears slowly fell down her cheeks.

Rachel felt her head bowing under the weight of this new information. She closed her eyes. 'God! What kind of a woman was I before the accident?' She asked herself. Lifting her head, she looked at Hannah. "Please believe me when I say that I am so, so sorry. I never meant to hurt you or anyone. I don't remember you and even with the visions or flashbacks that I have had, it was never of you."

Hannah wiped her tears away. "It's all right. I knew you were still so in love with her. I just hoped that you would get to love me the same way. I wish you well, Rachel." And with that said, the petite blond woman quietly left her office.

Taking the small box with her belongings, Rachel left the office for good.

***

Present time....

Rachel stood outside the door of the apartment. Her right hand moved up and down the side of her jeans, wiping off the wetness on her palm. Coming here... making the decision to be with her would end up hurting another. 'But it's how I feel... What I want!' She thought to herself. Taking a deep breath and exhaling loudly, Rachel lifted her hand, unlocking the door to enter the apartment.

As she entered, she heard sounds coming from their bedroom. The door was open and inside was Taylor packing her things inside a suitcase while sniffling every now and then. Bossworth was lying beside her feet sleeping. Rachel felt her heart slam in her chest as she realized that Taylor would be leaving her.

She cleared her throat. "Ummm...hi." She greeted Taylor. Both Taylor and Bossworth jumped at hearing her voice. The dog barked excitedly and ran over to greet her. Taylor stayed where she was and just looked at her with trepidation.

"Hi...I didn't hear you come in." Taylor noticed Rachel staring at her suitcase. "I'm just taking my things out of this room and transferring them to the guest bedroom. I hope you don't mind, but I'll have to stay there for a short while until I can finalise my living arrangements." She explained trying hard not to cry in front of Rachel.

Not knowing what to say to get things back the way they were, Rachel walked over to the drawer where she hid the brown envelope hoping it was still there.

"Ummm... I cleared my things from the cabinets and drawers. You don't have to check."

Opening the drawer, Rachel retrieved the brown envelope and walked back to where Taylor was standing and handed it over to her.

"Open it. Please?" She whispered.

Not knowing where this was going, Taylor opened the envelope and took out the document showing that the farm her aunt used to own was now their farm. She looked at her name next to Rachel's name on the deed of sale and gasped out loud as she looked at the smaller woman.

"What does this mean?"

"Please don't leave me, Taylor. If that's what you want then I'll respect your wishes, but it's not what I want." She pleaded with tears in her eyes.

"Oh God! My angel!" Taylor launched herself against the smaller woman and hugged her tight not wanting to let go. "I thought that you didn't want me anymore! That you hate me because of what I've done! Please! Please forgive me!"

Holding Taylor tight to her and burying her face in her neck to breathe in her scent, Rachel said: "Please forgive me as well for all the things I've done to us, my baybee. I want us to have a new life together. And I want us to start by living in a new place. That's why I bought the farm for us. I knew that's what you've been wanting for such a long time now."

"But what about your work and the rest?"

"Maybe I used to like them but I'm a different person now. I'm selling my shares of the company and will just be a consultant since I should be getting a tidy sum from the sale. I have my savings as well so that should tide us over for a long time." She explained.

"Whatever you want, my angel. So long as you're happy then I'm happy."

Holding Taylor's face with both her hands, Rachel looked deep into her eyes. "I want you and only you. You make me happy."

Laughing with tears in her eyes, Taylor said softly: "I most definitely second that emotion." She smiled at Rachel as they kissed.

After a few minutes of kissing, Taylor felt herself being lifted. She moved her head and looked down at Rachel. "Ummm...what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"I appreciate the effort, my angel, but you can't carry me."

"My baybee?"

"Yes, my angel?"

"Borrowing a phrase from someone I know...now listen, I'm going to be carrying you to our bed and I don't want to hear another word, alright!" Rachel said as she winked at the taller woman.

Throwing her head back to laugh, Taylor gave in. "God! You are just so adorable! Alright! Take me I'm yours!" She said as she wrapped her legs around Rachel's waist.

"Oh! I most definitely will my Baybee!" Rachel said as she carried her slowly but surely to their bed to start their new life.