“Finally. It’s over. Done.” Sighing, I curl up against Olivia, pulling the covers tighter around us. “I’m glad Jenny didn’t mind watching over everything . . . It was a little selfish of me to leave, but you know me, I gotta save the world all by myself.”

Her lips melt into mine as I melt into her embrace. When her lips pull back, they stay close enough that each syllable feels like a tender kiss. “That’s part of what I love about you most, Sarah. You really care, about the whole world. You still put Aurora and me first . . . but you don’t let us stop you from being Silver Girl, or even just Sarah. You’re you. You look after everyone . . . That’s how we met, you know. You didn’t have to save me from The Domina. You didn’t even know me, but you took me with you. You protected me. You believed in me . . .”

Sparking my lips just a little, I press closer to her, trying to forget myself in another kiss. Olivia and Aurora are safe. That’s what matters. All of my self-doubt only gets in the way.

Olivia pulls back, staring into my eyes. It’s an intense gaze, a little bit of a sad one. “Sarah . . . I love you. The time I’ve spent with you has been the best time of my whole life. Nothing else compares to how happy you’ve made me. That’s not even considering I’m a mother because of you . . . it was so magical, and it’s still magical. Every day, just knowing you is special . .. loving you is . . .”

“I love you too sweetie . . . And I know that you had a lifestyle like mine before, hell I was there for some of it. You know I love that you’re happy to stay home and make sure nothing happens to ‘rora. Sometimes, it’s just . . . a lot. I understand why Jade quit . . .” I close my eyes and sigh.

“Yes, you do.” My eyes blink open, and I just stare at Olivia. Her expression is a rather serious one for how silly that sounded. Maybe I’m a little more exhausted than I think. “Would you ever really be happy just having a job, having me, having Aurora? Be honest. It wouldn’t be personal. This is you. Yes, you need to let yourself be Sarah a little more, but you’re Silver Girl too. This has been you since the pictures Susan showed me with you trying to run to school in a cape.”

My cheeks burn as I kiss her again. She’s right. Wasn’t I telling myself that not too long ago? I’m always telling myself that. That, or trying to convince myself that I’m wrong for who knows what reason.

Her hands stroke along my back and I coo as my eyes melt closed again. She might be the smaller one of us, but when she’s holding me in bed, her legs twined with mine, I’m the one who feels small. She’s always so strong. She’s my golden, beautiful, sweet, sensitive, compassionate, brilliant, and busty rock.

Slowly, her fingertips turn to gold against my skin and I sigh as she starts to massage over my back. It feels so good to be massaged by firm, golden fingers. I can’t believe I let Dust do that to her . . .

“Sarah!” She shakes me just a little and my eyes pop open again. I must have started to look depressed again. “Right now, just . . . be here with me. Be Sarah with me. Tomorrow we’ll do the whole thing over again. It’ll be just another day. Intrigue, action, adventure . . . new mysterious women to make me feel a little bit jealous when they have you chasing after and sparking them . . . Right now? You’re in bed, with your little golden wifey who missed you very much once she woke up.”

I press my nose against hers for a cute Eskimo kiss before resting my forehead against hers. “You’re right, you’re right. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Olivia. I’m just another woman trying to make the world a little better, and I make it worse as often as I make it better . . .”

“You’re loving. You’re passionate. You don’t like seeing anyone hurt, even people who hurt you. You’re just a wellspring of . . . I don’t even know how to tell you the way you make people feel, the way you make me feel when I’m close to you. You’re a very special woman, and not because you’re Silver Girl or a LaSilvas or any other reason you could come up with to try to convince yourself that the reason I love you is anything less than it is. When I’m with you, I’m happy. When I know you’re coming home, I’m happy. When I look down at Aurora, and I see her big brown eyes looking so much like yours used to . . . I’m happy. There could be a million women out saving the world . . .”

She leans closer, kissing my ear. Before she says anything else she just breathes against me and I quiver at the sensation. It’s so tender, so sweet, so . . . Olivia. “But the only one of them I want is you. I’m not upset with you about Dust. I’m not upset that you sparked me. I understand, and I love you.”

Her tongue slides along the rim of my ear and I let out a low whine as I shudder against her. She always knows when to take a sensual touch just teasingly enough to the next level. “I l-love you too, Olivia . . . So damned much . . . But it’s your turn, not mine . . .”

“I won’t tell if you won’t . . .” Olivia mewls into my ear and nibbles slowly down to my neck. “I want my sweetly silver Sarah to know just how much I love her . . . Then, if she’s not too tired . . . maybe my turn. Maybe.”

Tears well up in my eyes and I can’t help but laugh in pure joy at just how lucky I am to have her. I wrap my arms tightly around her, arching and pulling her so close as her hands start to massage over more of my body. I love her so much. I want to be with her for the rest of my life, and every life after that. Maybe we could be reincarnated as the last two members of a dying race so we’d find each other faster next time . . .

Olivia’s mouth and hands get back to work on my body, and I just moan and writhe.

Tuesday mornings aren’t quite the same as Monday mornings, but this one is shaping up to be a much better day so far. Aurora actually slept until we woke up. I have no clue how, or why. She seemed to be okay, and more than happy to get a meal in to start the day, but she didn’t wake us up or cry to make us get out of bed. Either that little girl is one very sweet little baby, or being dusted when you’re that small makes it easier to sleep.

It sure beats over the counter cough syrup, not that I’ve ever tried it. Some nights I’ve been tempted, very tempted, but some small part of me is just good enough of a mother to resist that particular temptation.

I have to work today, but not for a couple hours. Breakfast is still digesting, and I want to spend some quality time with the family before heading off to soul-crushing labor. That’s life in a nutshell, but it is definitely a high quality nutshell, like macadamia or cashew.

“Mommy is going to miss you at work today, kiddo . . .” I smile down at her in my arms. Olivia steps into the room and I smile a little wider. “Mommy is going to miss mommy too, so you’ll need to keep her company.”

Olivia rolls her eyes playfully before stepping over to wrap her arms around us. It feels so good to feel so loved. “And mommy is going to miss mommy too. Our poor daughter, school will be . . .”

“Interesting! She’ll be teased for awhile, but her glowing personality will win over the whole school, and they will crown her Princess Aurora of the world. They’ll give her a tiara, and a little scepter, and she will demand milk and cookies precede, and follow, every meal. It’ll be great, you’ll see. Little Princess Aurora just hasn’t met her followers yet. These things take time.” I grin as wide as I can, and my sweet little wifey sighs with a grin just as big on her lips.

I already have a backlog of bedtimes stories for when Aurora gets old enough to ask for them. There are the stories about Princess Aurora and her mothers the Queens of Silver and Gold, who saved their realm from many an onslaught of evil; there’s the one about the Princess Aurora helping the rebels destroy a giant space station . . .

“I don’t want anything to ever change, Olivia. I’m really happy here, too. With you, with our daughter, with our lives working like they are . . . I always look forward to tomorrow, even when things are tough. I hope things stay like this for a long, long time . . .” Saying it out loud feels stupid, but it makes Olivia smile so happily that I don’t care.

“Me too, Sarah . . . me too . . .” I lean down into her lips and just melt, hugging Aurora tighter against me in a gentle way to bask in the feeling of having the two most important people of my life so close.

Of course, as soon as we break the kiss, and gaze into each other’s eyes . . . there’s a knock on the front door. With a sigh, I hold out Aurora, and Olivia holds her close. At least she looks disappointed too. I have to go to work, and there’s someone at the door? It doesn’t really seem fair. After yesterday, maybe I should just call in sick. I doubt they would mind if they caught me on the news.

After a weak shrug I ruffle up Olivia’s hair just enough to make it go every which way. “I’ll get it. It’s probably just reporters or something. Paparazzi. It must disappoint them that I don’t sunbathe nude.”

We share a laugh, but I’m really dreading opening the door, even if I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the timing of the knock, or I’m still a little paranoid from yesterday. I think either would be a fair guess. I open the door without even bothering to look through the peephole. Life is too short. It’s not as if I can pretend I’m not home. The floor creaks as soon as you get to the door, and I doubt whoever knocked is deaf.

“Oh, I missed you Sarah . . . I’m so sorry I had to leave on the note that I did, but it was for your own safety. I hope that you’ll believe that, if not now, soon . . .” Two women are standing in the hall, and they’re about the last two women in the world I was expecting. I can think of worse, but not more surprising.

Lida slowly slides her sunglasses off before tucking them into a pocket inside of her jacket. She’s wearing street clothes, and looks pretty normal all things considered. Only her eyes give her away.

Just a little behind her and to the left stands, well, me. The Domina Argenti, looking embarrassed and uncertain, staring at the floor when she’s not staring at me with a combination of fear and hope. She keeps fidgeting in ways that I know I do when I’m nervous. She’s not giving off any of the tells I give off when I’m lying or trying not to look suspicious, but they could have changed in the years between me becoming her.

The Domina looks up at me, slowly wiggling her fingers in the same silvery wave I’ve been making for throughout all of my life. Lida looks to her, then back at me. No idea what to do or say . . .I just stare.

“Sarah, who is . . . oh . . .” Olivia’s voice cuts off behind me. I can only imagine the thoughts running through her head. They must be one hell of a lot like mine.

Mainly . . . “what the hell is going on now?”