Cheery chatter and hot, fleeting disputes swam around Gemma as she entered The Last Drop. A smattering of regular evening customers raised their hands to her, sometimes furnished with a half-drained glass, in a gesture she had witnessed many times during her shifts. It was the kind of welcome reserved for Milnhome stalwarts, and through some mystical sea change, she was now on its receiving end. They accepted her, and as the warmth budding in her waters whispered, she wanted to accept them too.

    Perched at the bar's near end, Elizabeth peeked at Gemma over the brim of a small glass of rosé. "Gemma! You're back!" she called, and she leaned from her stool to catch the girl in a fond embrace. "How are you feeling? Do you need this seat?"

    "Hey, Liz. I'm fine," Gemma said, suddenly hit by a strong, fruity air. Relieved joy flowed freely through Elizabeth's body, and even insulated by her pressing concern, Gemma could not help but conduct small particles of that energy. "Listen, have you seen Vee? I heard they were having problems here, and I just want to check in with her."

    "Iris hasn't said anything. Where'd you hear that?" As Elizabeth spoke, the crowd parted to unveil Nathan heading for their side of the bar. An amused huff left her nostrils. "Wow. He's terrible at this."

    Gemma cast a glance over her shoulder, a drop of confusion rippling through her eyes. "What do you mean?"

    "Nothing," Elizabeth answered, suppressing a laugh. Before Gemma could respond, she pointed towards the far staircase. "Vee asked for some time alone earlier, but I'm sure she'd make an exception for you."

    Wordlessly signing her gratitude, Gemma waded through the bustling crowd. The unlit, unstirring flat interior threatened to punch a hole in her soaring heart's wings, only for a sharp whistle to catch her ear. Overhead, the upper door hung ajar, beckoning her to the rooftop.

    A festival of colour blazed before her eyes. From the round sea-toned rug beneath Gemma's feet, to bold crimson flowers pulsing among the lush, leafy bedded plants, to the golden glow of fairy lights webbed between the gazebo's posts, new life burst from every speck of the rooftop space. The outdoor table stood ahead of her, its metal body scoured of the years' worth of rust that had claimed it. Soft pink cushions blushed from the surrounding seats, lighting an unyielding candle inside her heart.

    "Figured you could use this." Plucked from Gemma's mind, the wind weaved between the planters with the voice she sought. The veil of drooping leaves across the table rustled, then peeled away to admit Avery into the clearing. Her favoured flannel shirt lay slung over her shoulder, and her bracelets clicked together as she gestured around the redecorated rooftop. "After everything you've been through, I thought I'd give you a good surprise for once."

    "Vee!" The chairs rattled as Gemma rushed to throw her arms around Avery's neck. She pulled back, dazzled by the lights that danced in the girl's green eyes. "You didn't have to do all this, really. But...thanks. I love it."

    Shaking her head, Avery laughed and tossed her shirt over the nearest seat. "Sweet, because these flowers aren't refundable," she said, fiddling with the strap of her vest top. Genuine joy radiated from her movements, yet a twinge of nerves kept her glee in check. "I missed you, Gem. I...damn, I suck at this..."

    Gemma looked to the flowers, the lights, the gleaming furniture, all of which joined in protest at her friend's claim. "Relax. I missed you too," she said, leaning back to catch Avery's eye. "And I'm here now."

    The pendant along Avery's necklace glinted in the low light as she rolled it between her fingers. "I owe you like crazy," she began, anxiety jangling through her voice. She took a deep breath, looked Gemma in the eye, and let her feelings flow. "For fighting for Jake, for helping me open up about my folks, for making life here less dead and depressing – for everything. Even if the circumstances sucked, I'm super psyched I met you."

    "I'm glad we met too, and I mean it when I say I'm here for you, Vee," Gemma said with a gentle nudge against Avery's shoulder. In the warm peace that settled between them, Gemma detected the soft smirk that shimmered across her friend's lips. "What is it? Am I about to hear what you've been hyping up for days?"

    "You bet, and you'd better believe the hype." With a wink, Avery withdrew a thick, folded pamphlet from her rear pocket and slapped it onto the table. "Two words, roomie: road trip."

    The twin words struck Gemma's legs with a sudden earthquake, stripping them of all but the merest mote of strength. She forced herself to look at the table, and the cover of a dog-eared roadmap seared her eyes like direct sunlight. "You're leaving? Alone?"

    Flinching at the crack of her friend's voice, Avery scrambled to work the reflex into a casual shrug. "I mean, if someone wanted to tag along and keep me company, that'd be pretty sweet," she said, leaning close to Gemma's side. A soft breath passed between her lips, and her next words flowed on a hushed, honeyed whisper. "Know anybody who'd be into it?"

    As if stolen by a surging wave, the world fell away from Gemma. Her friend's radiant presence ushered her closer, caressing her senses with a tender hand that promised to unravel the knots of her doubts. This was an answer, yet Gemma could not reach for it without the right question. "I don't know, Vee. I'm...a freak. You'd hate being stuck with me soon enough."

    "Shut up. You did not just say that." Avery stepped back and fixed her fine-cut eyes on Gemma, the moon's delicate glow kissing her cheeks. "I've just watched one of the most badass people I've ever met face the biggest pricks in this town, and she kicked ass every time. Sorry, girl, but you're no freak – you're just freaking awesome."

    Sparkling sequin stars poked through the last threads of sunset, announcing the casting of the night's boundless, depthless quilt, yet that celestial artistry was not what pulled her closer. Bold, bright, and beating a drum of endless support in time with her heart, Avery was calling to her, and Avery was beautiful.

    With a sharp gasp, Gemma stopped her drift a sliver of space away from Avery's hold. The girl's eyes twinkled in the growing night light, and the scents of sugared berries and hard, heartfelt work twirled from the soft skin of her neck. "Only because I've had you and Nate backing me up. I couldn't have done anything without you."

    A curve of her eyebrow preceded the tune of Avery's devilish laugh. "This coming from the girl that broke out of a death-trap basement to bust scumbags on one leg and half a brain," she cackled. Comfort poured from her clasping hands into Gemma's wrists, and its potency amplified as she locked their fingers together and squeezed. "You rock. You're strong, passionate, relentless...you're amazing."

    Raw honesty welled in Gemma's eyes, clearing her vision to reveal what had been right in front of her so often. "Vee..."

    "I'm serious, Gem," Avery said through ripening cheeks. Her lips pressed and parted over and over, rendered helpless by the heavy silence that closed around them. "I don't know how to say it, but –"

    "I can help with that." With rattling breaths and rushing blood, Gemma gave the smallest, swiftest tug on Avery's hands and pushed into the blushing bliss of her lips.

    Kissing Avery was deep, fast, and better than anything Gemma had dreamed. Glazed with rich, sweet nectar, the girl's lips hooked her heart, shifting and moulding around her mouth in an unwavering effort to bring their embrace to its deepest point. Gemma's hands disappeared into the warm waves of Avery's hair, and the girl's touch carved a path along her back until they melted together, bonded and inseparable. Tides of hot, heady breath poured forth, each wave drank down to fuel the young engines of joy that fired within them. It was new, it was strange, and it was everything Gemma did not know she desperately wanted.

    Slowly, they parted, though the lights that danced in Avery's eyes matched the fires that burned for more in Gemma's core. "Wow. Wow..." she uttered as she tracked her hands along Gemma's sides, her arms coming to a natural rest around the girl's neck. "So, does the super-long, super-hot kiss mean yes?"

    The laugh that broke from Gemma's lungs shovelled extra heat into the furnace of her cheeks, and she buried her face in Avery's shoulder. "Yes, Vee. I'd love to come with you," she said with a long, close look at the lines of the girl's neck. As she thought to steal a second kiss, a shot of pain coursed through her head. "But maybe we should wait a bit first. I feel like someone's just been on a crazy road trip across my whole skull."

    "Fine by me. Gives me more time to figure out how to swindle Nate out of his van keys." Avery's fiendish smile glinted in the moonlight, softening as she reflected the tenderness that floated in Gemma's gaze. "And to plan our trip, too. Any ideas?"

    "Oh, tonnes. Prepare your piggy bank for some blunt force trauma," Gemma answered, the ache that flitted through her mind already long forgotten. "You weren't kidding about a good surprise. After the past few days, this is exactly what we needed."

    "To wash down one wild adventure with another? Couldn't agree more," Avery said as her fingernails drew small shapes over Gemma's back. "Until then, want me to get you anything? Now you're home and all."

    Gemma shivered at the mention of 'home', yet for the first the word echoed with an uplifting chime in her ear. A pleasant tingle travelled along her back, stirring long-dormant buds within her heart into fields of fresh blossom. "No, nothing," she said, smiling to mirror the delight that lit up her girl's face. "Everything's just right."

    Looping Avery into a tight, fond hold, Gemma shut her eyes and sank into the moment. The cool starlit air, the night's subtle rhythms, the gentle rise and fall of her girl's chest, the rolling valleys of possibility that revealed themselves when she held her girl close all wove together in Gemma's mind into one undeniable truth. This was where she belonged. After years of searching and hoping, she had found her home.