"Aw, c'mon, sugar. It'll be real fast."

"Blanche, I'm tired."

"Oh, I know. But_ please Dorothy?"

"Blanche_" the schoolteacher said in a firm tone "I said I'm tired. I had a long day today. And you know how bad my feet hurt when I get home from work."

Blanche giggled. "Well, that's why I'm here. How about a nice little foot rub?"

Dorothy rolled her eyes. "Blanche_"

"Dorothy," Blanche interrupted, mocking the taller woman. She stared into her dark eyes, which were filled with irritation. "C'mon, sugar. Sit back, relax. I'll make those feet all better."

"Hun, I said_ AH! BLANCHE!" Dorothy felt her feet falling out from underneath her as her partner shoved her playfully onto the couch. Blanche kneeled down and started pulling off Dorothy's shoes. "Blanche Marie Deveraux, what did I just say? I told you I wanted to go to bed," she snapped.

"Oh, quit your fussin'. Once I get started, you're gonna be glad I did."

Blanche removed Dorothy's white bobby socks and started rubbing the woman's large feet. Dorothy started to refuse the gesture, but the nice feeling overwhelmed her, and she ignored it. "Ooh, Blanche…this is nice."

The red-haired woman smiled. "See, I told you," she said, patting Dorothy's knee playfully.

Dorothy let out an involuntary moan as Blanche gave her feet a tight squeeze, which she was immediately embarrassed for. "DOROTHY, WHAT'RE YOU DOING IN THERE?!" Sophia yelled from her bedroom.

Dorothy blushed furiously. "NOTHING, MA! MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!" she yelled back.

There was a moment's silence, until Sophia added on to the mother-daughter squabble. "HEY, NO NEED TO BE EMBARASSED, PUSSYCAT! IF YOU AND BLANCHE WANNA DO IT ON THE SOFA, FINE BY ME!"

"MA!" Dorothy yelled with a whine in her voice, red as a tomato. It made her so mad when her mother got the wrong idea and assumed things.

"OK, OK! I'LL LEAVE THE HAPPY COUPLE TO IT!" Sophia chuckled at her own comeback, and then there was silence.

Dorothy scooped up a 'Vogue' magazine and fanned herself, in hopes that she could calm her flushed face. "Blanche, don't you just hate when Ma just_"

"Assumes things? Oh, I know it. One of the most irritatin' things in the world, if you ask me," Blanche replied, having known exactly what the grey-haired woman had planned to say.

Dorothy sighed and put the magazine down next to her. She leaned her head back onto the back of the sofa. "Honey, this is so sweet of you," she said, looking at Blanche lovingly.

Blanche's jaw dropped. "And who was just sayin' how they didn't want a foot rub, and that they just wanted to go to sleep?" she said.

"Yeah, well. I retract my statement."

The red-haired woman stopped rubbing and looked up at her partner. "Dorothy Jane Zbornak, you are the biggest fuss to walk this earth."

"Well, then you're madly in love with the biggest fuss on earth." Dorothy leaned down and planted a sweet kiss on Blanche's lips. Blanche let out her little southern giggle that Dorothy found to be so precious. "Oh my, Dorothy…" she giggled, once again massaging the taller woman's feet.

Suddenly, Rose walked through the door, bundles of groceries in her arms. "Hello, friends! How are y_ oh my. I'm terribly sorry if I interrupted the shmutchen rontunben," she said.

"Rose, we_ wait, the what?" Dorothy asked, unfamiliar with the strange words her friend just spoke.

"Oh, the shmutchen rontunben. It's a massage tradition we used to use back in St. Olaf!" she said. "We started the tradition because_"

"Rose, honey, Dorothy just needed a foot rub. We don't know about or want to do any St. Olaf tradition," Blanche interrupted. A stupid St. Olaf story was the last thing she needed. That would wear away the_ heat between her and Dorothy that was slowly building up.

"Oh, okey-dokey. Just an offer," Rose said. "There's cheesecake on the table if you want any."

"DID SOMEBODY SAY CHEESECAKE?" Sophia shouted, running out of her bedroom.

Rose nodded excitedly and gestured to the kitchen. "Why yes, Sophia! Would you like some?"

"Whoa, mama! You know I love me some cheesecake!" Sophia whooped. Her and Rose wandered excitedly into the kitchen, leaving the lovers alone.

"Well, Dorothy…do your feet feel any better?" Blanche asked.

She nodded. "Definitely. Thanks, hun."

"So…could I have what I wanted now?"

"Oh Blanche, I_"

"Please, Dorothy?"

Dorothy looked down at her partner. Her eyes were filled with pleading and want. Blanche stuck her bottom lip out and gave her the puppy eyes. "Please, honey? Please?" she begged.

Dorothy rolled her eyes. "Oh, fine. You deserve it."

"Yay! Thank you, sugar!" Blanche pulled Dorothy off the couch and reached down to the table, clicking the stereo on. 'Darling You Send Me' floated out of the speakers, like ships on a smooth sea. Dorothy placed her large hands on Blanche's rather petite hips, and Blanche placed hers on Dorothy's shoulders. They barely had to adjust the shape of their hands, it seemed like. It was like they just_ fit there. Like puzzle pieces that went together just perfectly. They began to sway to the music.

"Dorothy, isn't this romantic?" Blanche giggled.

The taller woman scoffed, but she couldn't hide her smile. "Yeah, I'm swooning."

"Oh, quiet you." Blanche rested her head on Dorothy's shoulder, breathing in the smell of her lavender-vanilla perfume. She loved the way Dorothy smelled_ soft, just sweet enough to make her knees melt.

"Hey, your hair's in my mouth, Curly Top," Dorothy joked.

"Oh, pardon me," Blanche said, smiling. She lifted her head and looked at Dorothy's face. Stern, yet so beautiful. Blanche's crystal blue eyes were filled with light. "Oh Dorothy, ain't this wonderful?"

She rolled her eyes for the 3rd time that night, but smiling a sweet smile along with it. She pulled Blanche much closer and rested her head on top of her red curls, planting a quick kiss on her forehead. "I guess it is, pumpkin. I guess it is."