Many More Years Later

Beatrice was laying around the castle on top of her girlfriend, Lisha. After a few years, Lisha had confessed her love to Beatrice and the two began a relationship. The deal was that she’d live in the Afterlife for one week while Lisha was in Hell, then when she went to Heaven and Iris came down, Max would live down there for a week with her. Beatrice wanted to be surprised that Max got with Iris, but it was like she was trying to snake her way into Beatrice’s family at every turn. And to be fair, she also didn’t blame Max; a night with an angel must’ve been a time.

“Hey babe,” Beatrice asked curiously. “Do you have any friends?”

“Hm?” she absently said, distracted by thoughts.

“Do you have any more friends like you? You know…”

“Carvations?”

“Yeah, that. I never see you with any.”

“Oh, well…” Lisha sat up. “Well, no, not really. I don’t make friends easily.”

“Well you made friends with me easily,” laughed Beatrice. “I don’t know how you wouldn’t have some more.”

“I told you about how Iris and I were chosen to watch over Heaven, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And that isolated us for a long time. Iris just happened to have… more natural social skills than I do,” signed Lisha. “I am pretty good at eating though,” she said, taking a bite into a strange fruit.

“We should go out and just make friends one day,” Beatrice said, watching Fluffy slither down her shirt. “I mean, I still don’t have many anymore, so maybe we could both go to this village you come from and find some friends.”

“Yeah… That sounds like it’d make for a nice weekend actually.”

“Hell yeah,” Beatrice grinned. She sighed and looked back up at the ceiling while petting her best friend. “Have I ever told you how Fluffy and I met?”

“You weren’t born with him?” Lisha asked, surprised. Beatrice burst into laughter. It was kind of cute how little her girlfriend knew about humans.

“No, no, we weren’t born together. Although, it sure does feel like it sometimes,” she giggled. “When I was really young, I was walking with my mom and dad past a pet store when one of the workers accidentally broke a glass case. Little Fluffy slithered out onto the streets, where I picked him up before Mom or Dad could stop me.”

“Huh,” and they let you keep him?” Lisha asked, surprised.

“Well, they weren’t going to let me,” she smirked. “But they couldn’t do much when I hid him down my shirt and clung onto him like my little baby.”

“You’re good at that,” observed Lisha.

“Damn right,” Beatrice grinned, hugging Lisha and sinking her face into her chest.

“Aw, hold on,” Lisha said, getting up and letting Beatrice tumble off of her. She reached for her phone and answered its ringing. “I’ll be right back,” Lisha said, now with a bit of an embarrassed blush. “It’s important.”

Lisha walked into the other room and started talking with who Beatrice figured was probably Iris. She was the only one other than Beatrice who could get Lisha flustered that easily. Beatrice smiled and laid back down, closing her eyes and drifting into sleep with the thought of her girlfriend on her mind.

*   *   *   *   *

Beatrice was back at her house in the Afterlife. It was a weekend, so she didn’t even have to pretend to be doing work. She just had hard rock music blasting in her ears while she tried to lift some weights. She had been trying to do some workouts to impress Lisha, but it was so hard for her. How did Max make it look so easy?

“Hey Beatrice,” Aven said, meekly approaching her. Her music was way too loud for her to notice though. “Beatrice!” she yelled. Still nothing. Aven frowned and took out her phone, texting her. Beatrice perked her head up and checked the text, then she took her music out.

“Hey, girl,” she said with a smile. She was panting and sweating, making her look on the verge of an asthma attack. “What’s up?”

“Are you alright?” asked Aven, concerned.

“Oh yeah… just… just keeping up with my exercise…”

“Here,” she said, handing Beatrice a water bottle and a granola bar. “I think you need these more than I do.”

“Thanks,” she sighed, chugging the water. “I probably need a break anyway.”

“Yeah, you do. Why all the workout stuff anyway?”

“I’m going to be Lisha’s bodybuilder gf,” she said, determined.

“I thought you said that you were already her supermodel gf.”

“I am. But being her bodybuilding supermodel gf would be even better,” she said wistfully. “And the audience just eats up muscles and abs on women.”

“I see…”

“So, whatcha need me for?” Beatrice asked, taking a bite out of the bar. “Someone misgender you again?” she asked, a fire in her eyes. “I’ll send Fluffy after them again!”

“What?! No, no!” Aven exclaimed. “Just a favor to ask.”

“Fire away.”

“Well, Thursday is my FFS, and-”

“WHAT?!” Beatrice exclaimed, falling over. “And you didn’t tell me?!”

“Well… you would’ve tried to pay for it, and yell at the doctors to get me the earliest appointment, and-”

“Damn straight I would’ve. And I still will. You should’ve just let me do it. I would’ve covered everything.”

“Well, you already pay for the rest of my transition stuff, and-”

“What’s the doctor’s number?” she demanded, going to dial. “I’m going to give them a piece of my mind.”

“How about we just focus on the favor I need… then you can yell at the doctor later?”

“Hmm… fine,” she said, putting her phone away. “Name your request and it’s done.”

“If you could take me there, be with me, take me back, and maybe help me take care of a few things, that-”

“Say no more,” Beatrice interrupted, throwing her hand up. She took out her phone and dialed her manager. “Matt, reschedule my photo shoots past this Wednesday for a week.” Aven watched her argue and shout with him for a few minutes. “No, that’s your job, Matt! I pay you to reschedule my shit! If you call back without having worked something out, we’re through!” Beatrice hung up and took a deep breath, smiling at Aven. “I think I’ve got some free slots to help you.”

“Heh… thanks…” she responded fearfully. When Beatrice was set on something, man was she scary.

“Anything for my best sister!” Beatrice cheered, throwing her arm around Aven. “Just don’t tell Maxie she’s second favorite.”

They both laughed and Beatrice let go of her.

“I’ll stay here with Max next week if you need us both,” she offered.

“What?! I can’t ask you to miss your week with Lisha,” said Aven. “That sounds like too much to ask.”

“Oh shush. Lisha will understand. She’s a good girlfriend, so she’ll get why I gotta do it. There’ll be other weeks for us.” Beatrice smirked at Aven. “I’ll still buy you a man, you know. Just say the one and he’s yours.”

“You’ve asked me that for years,” Aven said, rolling her eyes. “The answer’s always the same, you know.”

“If you change your mind one day, just know…”

“You’ve got to stop being in that mindset,” she laughed. “They’re people, not objects.”

“Well, it’s not my fault they’re a dime a dozen.”

Beatrice and Aven gigged like crazy. Beatrice stopped her exercise so they could get lunch together. They talked about their plans for after Aven’s surgery, what they’d do, and how obsessive Beatrice and Max would be over her. Aven didn’t like how concerned they always were sometimes, but she was flattered by it every time. It was hard for her to imagine a world without her, Max, and Beatrice taking on the world together.