Five years after Janice's death, Mel finds herself in Venice among the canals and some of her happiest memories of Janice, but it only serves to illuminate her loss and the deadness she feels inside. As she walks along the boardwalk - wondering what made her think being there would make her feel better - she is graced with a gift of sorts. A serendipitous encounter that intervenes and proceeds to take her back through time, uncovering the deeply buried life she still holds within.

Vivian gifts us with evocative imagery and narrative that touches deeply into the very marrow of human bone. The past and present move in and out seamlessly, rhythmically, creating a full-bodied narrative that left me well sated long after the last line was read.

There's also something about this story that I find a bit magical, that leaves me feeling like I've witnessed a small miracle happening to an ordinary woman. As heroic as Janice and Mel have become for us as readers, it's a pleasant surprise to experience them as deeply human-and here they are nothing if not flesh and blood. If there were only one short story I could take with me from fan fiction, this would be it.

Casting Xena and Gabrielle in a less-mythic role than most doesn't detract from the romance of their relationship, it only enhances it. The earthy treatment, complete with the sort of everyday fears and securities that even legendary warriors and bards can't avoid, only makes the tender moments in the story that much sweeter. A perfect example is the wonderful exchange between warrior and bard, as Gabrielle shares a particularly personal scroll with Xena. Though not at all explicit, it ranks as one of my all-time favorite romantic scenes. And it's just one of many equally well-written vignettes in this charming story.