Chapter 8
September 30th, 2017
"Where is she?" Janis muttered to Damian, scanning the crowd.
Damian looked up from his phone. "I'm sure she's around here somewhere."
"God, I hate airports," Janis muttered, leaning sullenly against the wall.
"Any particular reason, or are you just in a bad mood?"
Janis sighed. "I don't know. I'm just stressed. We've been here for like an hour and there's no sign of Cady."
"Janis, calm down. Everything's fine."
Janis nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm just anxious. And I've missed her."
Damian rolled his eyes. "It's only been a week, you big softie."
Janis glared at him in mock offense. "Excuse me for missing my wife! This is the longest we've been apart since we met!"
"You know, there are going to be more business trips. You're gonna have to adapt."
Janis whacked him on the shoulder. "Shut up."
"Just saying!" he rubbed his shoulder. "Ouch."
"Sorry not sorry."
Damian whacked her back. Janis glared at him, and within seconds they had each other in headlocks, earning quite a few stares from the normal people around.
"Oh, how I've missed seeing my two favorite adults fight like children," said a voice from behind them. Janis immediately released Damian and turned to see Cady smirking at them.
"Caddy!" Janis squealed, throwing her arms around her wife. Cady giggled as Janis lifted her feet off the ground. Setting her down again, Janis leaned her forehead against Cady's. "I missed you," she whispered, as if that was a secret. Cady planted a kiss on her lips.
"I missed you too."
"Oh, don't mind me, just the guy who drove you here and has been standing loyally by your side for nearly a decade," Damian muttered from behind them.
Janis released Cady and turned to glare at him. "We're having a moment here. And you didn't drive me, we took an Uber."
"That I payed for, you cheap ho."
"Rude!"
"Sorry, sorry, I love you."
"Aw, love you too," Janis tapped his nose.
"I do not understand this relationship," Cady said, watching their exchange.
Damian shrugged. "I don't either, to be honest."
Cady laughed and gave him a hug. "Nice to see you again, weirdo."
Damian patted the top of her head. "You too, freak."
They began making their way through the crowded terminals to the front of the building, Damian pulling out his phone to call a second Uber. As they walked, Cady slipped under Janis's arm and wrapped her own arm around Janis's waist.
"So short," Janis teased, squeezing her shoulders.
"And yet I fit perfectly," Cady said, tucking her head into the space between her wife's shoulder and neck to prove her point.
"You do indeed," Janis murmured, kissing Cady's hair.
"Come on, lovebirds, let's go!" Damian grabbed Janis's free arm and tugged them out the door of the airport and into the car. "We're doing a traditional movie night," he said, closing the car door behind Cady and Janis and sliding into the front seat. "I decided."
"Don't you have a boyfriend?" Janis grumbled as she strapped her seatbelt.
"Yeah, but he's working tonight."
"If I can survive a week without Cady, you can survive a night without Aaron." Janis held out an arm to Cady, who eagerly snuggled into her side.
"You spent most of that week with me, and stop trying to get rid of me. I know y'all want me to go away so you can bang it out but that can wait till after we've watched Beetlejuice."
Cady made a face. "Does it have to be that particular movie though?"
Damian twisted around to glare at her. "Don't you be disrespecting Winona Ryder."
"I wasn't. I just don't like creepy movies."
"It's not that creepy."
"Maybe not by your standards."
Janis tapped Cady's shoulder. "If you get scared, I'll cuddle you."
Cady peered up at her. "You best be cuddling me anyway."
"Fair enough."
Damian glanced at the Uber driver. "I'm sorry you have to listen to this."
The driver laughed. "Trust me, you don't have to apologize. You guys are probably the most interesting people I've driven all day."
"Sounds like an awful job," Janis commented.
He shrugged. "It's not so bad. This is how I met my boyfriend, so I try to stay positive about it."
"Awww," all three of them said at once.
The car pulled to a stop in front of Cady and Janis's apartment. Damian passed the driver some cash. "Thanks for the ride, um..."
"Evan," the driver answered.
"Right. Thanks, Evan."
The three friends clambered out of the car and up the stairs. Janis pulled out her keys, but before she unlocked the door she turned and smiled at Cady and Damian.
"Hey, I love you guys."
They both smiled. "We love you too, Jan," Cady said, squeezing her wife's arm.
"Always will," Damian added. "Even when you're being an insufferable dickhead."
Janis snorted. "Let's keep this sweet, Damian."
"Copy."
Janis smiled to herself as she slipped her key into the lock.