Intersection by Nancy Ann Healy

the chair the scent of Cassidy’s perfume was unmistakable. Alex closed her eyes as her heart raced. If she had worried that her heart had stopped beating earlier, there was no doubt now that she was very much alive. She wondered as she began to fight her own exhaustion how she would handle this. She had a job to do; maybe she should recuse herself. No. She didn’t want to leave and she didn’t trust anyone else to keep Cassidy safe. Somehow she would fight the urge to confess her feelings, somehow.

    Cassidy struggled to open her eyes. She rubbed them and sighed in relief when she felt Dylan pressed up against her. She gently maneuvered away from the sleeping boy and looked over to see the agent in the chair, asleep. Alex had Cassidy’sjacket under her head like a pillow. Cassidy rolled to face the agent’s position and studied her. In spite of her discombobulated position in the chair, her hair falling slightly in her eyes, Alexis Toles was stunning, even as she slept. Cassidy felt an incredible sense of happiness penetrate her as she finally rose to her feet. Alex was in a ball in the corner of the chair. Cassidy stood in front of her for a long moment. She grabbed a blanket off the bottom of the bed and carefully put it over Alex, making every effort not to disturb the sleeping woman. As she bent over the agent and the blanket reached her chest, she contemplated the face before her. Unconsciously, her hand moved to brush the hair aside from Alex’s eyes. Lost in her emotions, she forced herself to step back and gather her thoughts.
    In the few days they had been together, the agent was always up before the sun. Cassidy would hear Alex as she left out of the front door for her morning run, just as Cassidy was about to rise. She was pleased that Alex was asleep now. The agent had done so much for her in just a couple of days. Cassidy thought the least that she could do now was head downstairs and make certain everyone had a nice breakfast. There was nothing she could do about the picture or the letters and she trusted Alex implicitly. As she reached for the bag of coffee in the cabinet she pictured Alex handing her a mug just a couple of days ago. She was beginning to realize that, whatever she felt for this woman, it was powerful and as much as it surprised her; she had no desire to escape it.

    Alex stirred in the chair. The room was still fairly dark with the blinds closed and she squinted to bring everything into focus. Dylan was sprawled across the bed, but Cassidy was gone. Her heart stopped. She was so panicked that she failed to notice Cassidy had covered her up. She sprang to her feet and headedswiftly into the hallway. When she reached the stairs the familiar smell of coffee brewing was apparent. She slowed her pace slightly and made her way into the kitchen. Cassidy was at the counter. The teacher was in jogging pants and a tee shirt and her hair was wet from the shower. Alex instinctively closed her eyes in relief and put her hands over them. When Cassidy turned, Alex still had her face in her hands. Immediately, the teacher realized that Alex had been alarmed by her absence in the room. “Alex,” she said very gently. Alex opened her eyes and Cassidy was amazed at what she saw there. The strong and assertive agent had tears in her eyes. The teacher set down the knife in her hand and walked directly to the agent. “I’m okay.”
    Alex looked at the woman before her. She had no control of her feelings. There was no logic to be had. Cassidy looked up at the woman as Alex stuttered, taking Cassidy’s face in her hands, “I thought…”
    Cassidy stood contemplating the blue eyes before her. They seemed endless and her heart seemed to be telling her what her mind was not yet ready to process. Alex loved her, and perhaps that was exactly what she was feeling for the agent. “I’m sorry,” she said, never breaking their gaze. Her breath left her as Alex began to lean toward her and she anticipated her