The Only

The Chase Space

After shower-time, the girls helped each other get ready as they typically did. Max wore her favorite grey high-waisted, tight-fitting trouser pants with black four-inched block suede heels and a dark green, short-sleeved button-up shirt. Part of her did not want to dress up since it was just Victoria they were meeting, but she was a bit nervous and felt she needed to maintain a professional appearance. They had several phone conversations and exchanged an email or two, so this would not be the first time they had spoken, but it would be the first time they had met since the week of the storm.

Chloe wore a white She-Ra graphic tee under a pale blue twill blazer with tight-cut, dark blue jeans and bright teal tennis shoes. It was the dressiest the girl ever got, and Max loved every second of it. They still owned the photographer's silver Hyundai Accent but had added a blue Subaru Outback to their vehicle collection, and they took the Subaru on longer trips.

After a quick breakfast and coffee, the girls were on the road headed towards the Chase Space. It used to be rare that Max drove the pair, as Chloe felt an obligation to be her best friend's life-long chauffeur. But Max recently insisted on driving more. She wanted her fiancé to feel like they were truly in a partnership and it wasn't so one-sided. "Now, Chlo, Victoria called us, we didn't call her, please remember. There'll be no need for you to play hardball and push too much. I know your wit and tough pressure has gotten us into other galleries before, but let's go easy on her. We're basically locked in; their promotional material already features M3."

"Ten-four, Sergeant Caulfield," the girl in the passenger's seat saluted. "Dude, I got this. I really don't anticipate this meeting taking very long at all. Slam, bam, thank you muh bitches!" The inflection in Chloe's tone and the way she delivered that last line, made Max cackle so hard she snorted, jerking the steering wheel. "Whoa, Maxter, are you okay? That snort was brutal, and you swerved two lanes. Good thing there's not a lot of traffic yet."

"Dammit, Chlo," the freckled driver chortled. "It's not my fault you're hilarious."

"Just don't kill us in a head-on collision with a semi-truck, babe." The girl in the passenger's seat was merely joking, but after the words left her mouth, Max shuddered, thinking again about the previous evening's nightmare. "Damn, Max, your expression just sank like a bag of bricks. Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry. I promised myself I'd never talk about my nightmares, Chlo, I don't wanna drag you down, but I'd like to share this one. It was horrible, and I think it'd help me if I talk to you about it."

"Then tell me, Maximus. Also, I never understood your rule about not sharing them with me. I mean, I get it. You think by telling me it will upset or hurt me, and you love me too much to do that. Is that about it?"

"Mhmm," the driver confirmed. "Well, I'm just gonna say it. The dream started with my mom waking me up and telling me you had been in an accident. You went headfirst into an 18-wheeler. A good portion of the day crept by, and we awaited news or any word of your surgery. Everyone was there too, David and Karen, even my parents. It took so long! I left for the restroom and came back to see the doctor telling everyone you didn't make it. He came up to me and said you had some final words." Max stopped and sniffled for a moment before continuing. "You had called out for me and said, 'Even when we're not.' That's when I woke up. Chlo, it was so fucked up."

"Fuck, Max. Geez! No wonder that shook you so much. Holy shit. I'm so sorry, love." The older girl confidently latched onto her best friend's hand, weaving their fingers tightly together between their seats. She reached over with her other arm and gingerly rubbed her companion's right shoulder. Several seconds of silence fell between them until Chloe finally said, "But you do know, Max, if something that bad ever happened to me... we're Max and Chloe, our love will always find a way. Death can't even keep us apart, not for a goddamn second."