Ocean's Eight Fanfiction

Moving On...?

    Debbie finally found her voice. "W-where have you been?"

    "Oh, some family emergency came up and I had to leave, sorry about that..." Tammy said, glancing away from Debbie's eyes for a split second.

    "Oh." Debbie replied.

    "So where are you going?"

    "Central Park."

    "Oh, really? I'm going there too. If you don't mind, would you like to...you know, walk together?"

    Debbie hesitated. Tammy wasn't nosy or annoying, she would understand if she wanted quiet, but she was a good friend, it might be nice to have someone she liked around for a change. It just might get her mind off Lou.

    "Sure." Debbie said. 

    "Great." Tammy said, a slight smile painting the ends of her mouth.

    She was pretty. Had she always been pretty?

    Soon, they were walking at a luxurious pace down the trail, with nothing for sound but the crunch of their boots against the thick snow, and the occasional call of a pigeon. 

    Then Tammy broke the silence. "Want to stop here? Take a break?" She said, gesturing to a bench they had come by. 

    "Okay." Debbie said, and they brushed off the snow and had a seat, Tammy's leg just barely brushing Debbie's.

    "Are you okay?" Tammy asked.

    "Sure." Debbie said shortly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

    A pregnant silence followed, then Tammy spoke. 

    "You know, you're really beautiful."

    Debbie raised her eyebrows in slight surprise. "Thank you."

    "You know it?"

    "I guess."

    Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Tammy lean ever so slightly toward her, then retreated to her original position. 

    "Am I making you uncomfortable?" Tammy asked apologetically. "Sorry, it just popped out of my mouth..."

    "No, no, it's--it's okay." Debbie said, surprising herself as she said it. "It's fine. Lots of people say I'm beautiful." With a dry laugh.

    Tammy did not laugh, and Debbie looked over at her finally. "That was a joke."

    "No, it wasn't." Tammy said, and turned to face Debbie. Debbie then saw that Tammy was blushing furiously, her eyes shining with an unknown emotion and her lips parting slightly. "I know lots of people say you're beautiful. Lou did."

    Debbie flinched, and Tammy instantly grew contrite and touched her arm. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" She cried.

    "It's fine." Don't cry bitch, hadn't you had enough last night? DON'T CRY!

    "I really am. I'm so sorry, I just--I just keep saying these things and I don't even know where they come from..."

    "No! Tammy, it's okay. Really."

    "Okay."

    Another silence followed, heavier than the last, and Debbie could almost already hear the next thing Tammy had at the tip of her tongue.

    It came. 

    "You loved her, didn't you?"

    Debbie inhaled deeply. "Yeah. And...and she loved me."

    "She wasn't the only one." Tammy said softly. 

    "What?" Debbie said, truly surprised this time. "What did you say?"

    "I love you," Tammy said, so softly Debbie barely caught it before the words were blown away by the chilly February breeze.

    Debbie opened her mouth to speak, she was going to say this isn't the best time to say that. But the words died in her mouth as she saw Tammy's vulnerable form. 

    "I'm so sorry," Tammy said for the millionth time. "I--I can't believe I said that, I better go." And she stood to leave. 

    "Wait." Debbie said, grabbing Tammy by the arm. Her mind was whirling fiercely like a hurricane. 

    She could picture Lou now. She knew now, in a flash, that Lou would have wanted her to do this. She could visualize it in her mind. Lou with her slightly amused smirk, chewing leisurely on her gum, her blue eyes twinkling at her. Go for it, she would say. Life's short. 

    She knew Lou would not have wanted her to live the rest of her life mourning her lover. She knew Lou would have hated to see Debbie so broken and weak and crying at every mention of the name Lou Miller. She knew Lou would have wanted her to move on.

    "Wait," She told Tammy again.

    "I have." Tammy whispered.

    "So you have." Debbie responded, and she could see for a split second Lou in front of her instead of Tammy, blue eyes flashing like comets, and then the image switched back to Tammy, so desperate and loving and patient, and Lou again, smiling and saying "go for it" over and over again, and then she saw nothing when her eyes closed and her mouth melted onto Tammy's.