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It felt very validating to hear Fenna's thoughts on the matter.  To know that she wasn't alone or abnormal, to hear that she was not some horrible harlot for having these feelings... it was not a remedy for her problems or that knot in her stomach, but it did make everything feel a little less daunting, a little less like the end of the world.

MacKensie absently stared at her wiggling toes from the foot she had halfway protruding from the misty water, all the while considering Fenna's sister and the information she'd been given about her and projecting some of her own emotions onto her good friend's sister, trying to relate to how the woman might have felt.  The uncertainty.  The guilt.  The bravery to make her decision and move forward through life and accept whatever came next.

Her wandering mind came back to the present moment to listen to Fenna talking about her own experience in romance, the older woman briefly touching on her first love before dreamily recounting anecdotes about her husband.  MacKensie was captivated, enjoying this side of Fenna that she'd never seen before.  What a difference some relaxation, pampering and privacy could make.

“What makes someone [i]the one[/i] is different for everyone, we all look for different things in our partners."  MacKensie nodded her understanding and admitted to herself that it was not for Fenna to give her some magical golden answer to her conundrum.  She would have to decide what was important to herself and find her own answer from there. "For me, it was the things we could do together and the things we could laugh about.”

[Colour=Pink]"I see,"[/colour] MacKensie acknowledged. Again she considered moments she'd had with Adam and Zell.  Both privately and amongst the group.  Ones that included interaction with her and ones where she was simply on the edge observing them.  After a moment of silence she continued to Fenna.  [Colour=Pink]"I am grateful for your insights, Fenna.  I believe you have helped me, at least, to get a handle on how to approach this situation."[/colour]  Then she smiled.  [Colour=Pink]"I am so glad to have another woman on the team to confide in.  You are a rock for me, ma Soeur."[/colour]

When their time was up, MacKensie begrudingly left the hotspring to go and get dressed.  [Colour=Pink][i]If only we could have booked another hour... or six,[/i][/colour] she thought bittersweetly.

The establishment-provided hairpins meant that she'd not need dry her hair, so it was simply a matter of a quick comb through and replacement of her headband.  After giving herself a look in the mirror, she left the changing rooms.

[Colour=Pink]"All set?"[/colour] she asked the other Ranger.

“I know I already said this, but thanks for this. I needed it."  MacKensie gave Fenna a hug and replied that it was her pleasure. "And you’re always welcome to talk about anything that is troubling you, okay?”

Releasing the other woman, MacKensie nodded gratefully.  [Colour=Pink]"Thank you.  The same goes for you, from me.  I will likely take you up on that offer, with the amount of troubles this world throws at me."[/colour]

With a chuckle, the two women exited the area, thanked the attendants for their service and found their way back to the surface and the outside, met with a darkened sky.  The afternoon had passed them by, but it was the best afternoon MacKensie had enjoyed since landing in Hommas and climbing out of the coffin.  In fact, it may have been the best afternoon MacKensie had enjoyed for a long time, going back even further than that.

To the northeast, the fire in the sky was always that constant reminder of the siege, but it was not enough to remove all the good feeling from the Spa.  [Colour=Pink]"Shall we go back to The Mended Drum and see what Frederick is cooking for dinner, or if there was somewhere you wanted to go first, I would gladly tag along."[/colour]