Disclaimers: You know the drill. Not mine, never will be, and I'm not making any money. If I were, then I'd be working for NBC, wouldn't I?

xxXxx

It's the little things that pull Abby up short. It's the way Neela arranges the glasses in the cabinet, tallest to shortest. It's the way Neela's toothbrush blinks red lights for a minute, so she knows when to stop brushing. It's the way Neela laughs when she's taken by surprise, sharp and abrupt, and when she's certain it's OK, long and free, curls bouncing. It's the way she curls her toes into the carpet when she first wakes up.

It's the little things that make Abby realize how nice it is to have someone around. Like when she comes home and Neela is cooking and the whole apartment smells spicy and sweet. And when they curl up on opposite ends of the couch with a big bowl of caramel popcorn between them to watch bad sci-fi movies at one in the morning.

It's the little things that take Abby's breath away. The way Neela brushes her hair out of her eyes, and the way she makes Abby's name sound elegant and beautiful, not at all like its owner. But it's especially the way that when they share the bathroom in the morning and Cheap Trick comes on the radio, they can both sing I Want You To Want Me into their hairbrushes without embarrassment.

It's the little things that make Abby admit to herself just what she has in Neela. A confidant to vent on when things at the hospital get too rough. A friend to sit up and gossip with. A comrade-in-arms when Abby exhibits temporary and sporadic displays of her mother's disease and wants to go roller-skating on the roof at odd hours of the night.

It's the little things that make Abby fall more and more in love each day. It's the way Neela's hair smells like mangoes and feels like silk running through Abby's fingers. It's the way she doesn't care or even notice that there's a ten year age difference between them. It's the way Neela curls into Abby at night, and the way her olive skin is creamy and cool beneath Abby's fingers. And without a doubt, it's the way Abby's chest constricts when Neela murmurs her name in her sleep.

It's the little things that make Abby want to stay like this forever.