"Something's happened to me in the last month," Antoinette said to Marcel.

"And what might be?"

"I was kissed by a certain woman named Cami yesterday, for starters."

He raised his eyebrows. "Cami? Our Camille?" He exhaled. "Didn't see that one coming. So...are you two...dating, then?"

"No. I ran away after she kissed me. But I went to her apartment earlier. I had to explain myself, so I told her about Janie, and about what happened to me."

"You did?" Marcel asked. "For real? Nothing was left out?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"Wow. Well, I think I have a newfound respect for Cami. She did what none of the therapists I took you to could do. So, how do you feel? You know, now that that's all out there?"

"I'm not worried about what Cami thinks of me now, if that's what you're wondering," Antoinette said. "I could see it in her eyes that she did feel sorry for me, but she understood how I felt. And she's already told me all about herself, so I feel like we've been completely honest with each other now. I know from experience that honesty and communication are very important in a relationship, so if we do end up dating, we might already be on the right track. That wouldn't be too weird for you, would it? You know, us dating?"

Marcel hesitated before saying, "It would probably be kind of weird. And awkward, very awkward. But, you know, if you and Cami are happy dating each other, I'm sure we can all find a way to co-exist. And she got you to tell her things in about a month that it took you about six months to tell me, so I have to give her credit for that."

As Antoinette went to bed that night, she thought about Cami. Cami wasn't one to keep her emotions locked away, so how much she truly cared was clear as day. She cared, and that was important to her, and she hoped Cami knew she cared for her, too.

~~~~~~

Over the next week, Antoinette and Cami did talk a little on the phone, but things felt different. That was a good thing, Antoinette thought. They knew each other, knew each other's stories. They could understand each other, could talk to each other. Perhaps that was what went wrong with Janie. Things had become so terrible between that they argued all the time. Antoinette knew now what the mistakes had been, and she vowed not to make them again in the future.

Early one morning, exactly eight days since that evening she opened to Cami, Antoinette was woken up by the sound of her phone ringing. According to the screen, it was Cami herself.

"It's a little early to be chatting, isn't it?" she asked after she hit 'answer'.

"Probably," she heard on the other end. "But I want to see you. Can you meet me outside?"

"Are you outside?"

"Maybe."

Antoinette smiled. "All right. Give me about ten minutes."

Less than ten minutes later, Antoinette was out the door and smiled when she saw Cami standing on the sidewalk.

"I'm assuming there's a good reason you're here this early," she said.

"There is," Cami replied. "I want to take you out for a drive."

Antoinette froze. "What?"

"You and me, take a drive. I rented a car for the day. I thought...maybe we could go on that picnic I mentioned. What do you say?"

Antoinette stared at her, not quite sure how to respond. On the one hand, she was still afraid to get into a car and avoided them at all costs. But on the other hand, if it was her and Cami, and Cami was driving...could it really be that terrible?

"Can you drive slowly?" she asked.

Cami nodded. "We're not in any hurry."

Antoinette smiled again. "Then I guess I'll try. Just know that I'm going to be very nervous and on edge the entire time." As they walked to the car together, she said, "You know, I...I'm moving on. I've accepted the Janie is gone and that I need to move on with my life."

"Then don't afraid to," Cami said. "Do it, because I know you can."

Antoinette nodded. "I can't guarantee that something between us will last, Cami. You might end up not liking me after all."

She shrugged. "Then we'll see what to do then, if we get to that place." She climbed into the driver's seat. "It's okay. I'll be right next to you the entire time."

Something about the way she said it made Antoinette believe everything would be all right in the end, so she opened the passenger door and got inside.