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smile.  “Miranda, you’re going to be okay, whatever you decide.  I’m your knee jerk reaction to the fact that your marriage just might be over.  I’ve done this with you before.  I can’t again.  My life is not the same as it was 15 years ago when we first met.”  She looked at Miranda sadly to watch her reaction.
                  “You are different.  You’ve become the woman you always hoped you would.  I see the fine clothes, the respect, and the flirtation.  People are drawn to you in ways you don’t even see.  You are so unaware of it” she marveled.
                  “You know what it is?  It’s confidence.  I finally grew into the confident woman you see here” she spread her arms to emphasize what she was saying.  “It’s lonely sometimes but people are drawn to me because I exude confidence.  I seem to have it all together and they like to reflect in its glow.  I’m not always but I am good at what I do.  It affects my whole life.  People don’t know me really and that’s okay too.  It keeps them at a distance.”
                  “Why be lonely, why be alone?”
                  Karin smiled “because relationships are messy.  I’m not a messy person.  I’m not that Midwestern girl who was raising her kids and barely making ends meet.  I’ve worked hard to get where I am.  The alone isn’t so bad.  I do what I want when I want.  If someone is important in my life I let them know that, I make myself available if I can.  I’ve had a few relationships over the years but nothing I want to screw up my life for, not yet.  Somewhere out there she’s waiting for me.  Meanwhile I enjoy those I come in contact with while they do.”
                  “I could be that person” Miranda stated firmly.
                  Karin smiled “you could have been that person.  Ten years ago you were that person.  I thank you for showing me what love is but I’ve moved on.  We aren’t the same women we were fifteen years ago when we met and fell in love.  I’m okay with that, I need you to be okay with that too.” She grabbed Miranda’s hand and squeezed it reassuredly.
                  Miranda sighed.  Karin was right.  This Karin Myers she didn’t know.  She couldn’t know.  And while she had known her for years she was right that she had cut her out of her life to pursue the hetero life that Jeff offered.  It was up to her to make her own way now.  Karin was comfort food.  The person she was now would destroy her.  There would be none of the discretion that had formed their relationship all those years ago.  While some had suspected they were lovers then no one had really known.  If she moved here Karin wouldn’t hide it.  She would want to be open and Miranda had never wanted that.  Being her friend was all they could ever be.
     
                  The next morning Miranda woke to hearing noise in the living room.  Crawling out of Karin’s bed she noticed the drawer in the side table and tried to open it.  It was locked firmly and she grinned wondering what Karin kept in it.  She got up and headed to the living room to check out the noise and found Karin using a rowing machine.  She must have been at it a while as she had a line of sweat along her back between her shoulder blades.  The dog who had been watching her wagged his tail and Karin looked over her shoulder.  “Hi, there are bagels and croissants in the warming oven waiting for you.”
                  “You went out?” Miranda asked squinting at a digital clock on the oven.  It read 8:15.
                  Karin nodded “I’ve been up since 6 and took D.O.G. for a walk.  Since we had guests we bought some groceries.”
                  Miranda headed over to the coffee pot which smelled absolutely delicious.  This wasn’t regular coffee she suspected Karin