When we overcome our assumptions based on indoctrinated hang-ups, we find beauty and love can be discovered within limitless opportunities. With respect, caring and open minds, anything is possible.

The sight of my beautiful Sarah sleeping soundly on our bed rekindled my emotions from last night's sensual encounter. Just 3 months ago, neither of us knew the other existed; yet I couldn't imagine feeling more grateful for our chance meeting. I've never known a person to fit so perfectly into my life. I've heard of soul mates, but never thought it was possible, till now.

Though I would have preferred sleeping in, today, I was needed to show up early for work. At least I've had the pleasure of viewing Sarah's nude body displayed on top of our bed, while I prepared for my workday. The absence of concealing blankets was the only advantage of the heat wave we've been suffering through lately. I viewed the remnants of last night, our intermingled love juices dried on her legs and matting her short, thin, brown hair that delicately flowed inward and downward, pointing the way to a priceless treasure.

I watched her breasts rise and fall with each breath she took. Fully exposed, those soft, firm mounds, topped by highly sensitive pink nipples, reached out and seemed to beg for more attention. A smile remained on her face. I'm not sure if it was stuck there from last night, or if she was dreaming a continuation. Her silky brown hair framed her fair complexion, draping just slightly below her shoulders.

I wanted to savor this sight longer, but knew I had to leave, and it was time for her to wake up. As I leaned down toward her, I inhaled her sweet scent flowing with the currents emanating from her body. Her warmth drew me in, till our lips met in a gentle kiss.

"Mmmmm," I heard from deep within her. "I love waking with my lover's luscious lips caressing mine." She pulled me down on the bed, wrapping her arms and legs around me. Into my ear she whispered, "I don't even need to open my eyes to feel the nurturing glow of Dawn. I love you, my dear Dawn." Fighting my desire to just stay there indefinitely, I peeled her arms and legs off me, as she cried out, "Till tonight, my love."

While driving to work, my mind relived our past wonderful months. I first encountered Sarah while working at my fairly new job. I've been working as a physical therapist, specializing in children who need prosthetics. This has been my field for 12 years, but I just recently started working for this state of the art facility at which I've wanted to work for many years. I heard someone was retiring and an opening was available, so jumped at this rare opportunity. I've loved it here. I couldn't have imagined a greater staff, and the kids have been a joy. I have been welcomed by all and made to feel at home.

One thing I thought was unusual was every day, when kids arrived, they'd ask, "Is Sarah coming today?" I had met all the staff, and acquainted myself with all the patients, and I wasn't aware of a Sarah among any of them. After a week of hearing this, I asked my supervisor who Sarah was. She informed me Sarah was a volunteer who came in and helped with the children. All the kids have loved her playfulness and caring. I was told she started coming by a few years back to get her mind off the divorce she was going through, fell in love with the kids and had been coming back ever since. I began to look forward to meeting this Wonder Woman.

Finally, the day arrived. I was working with a five-year-old boy, when the room broke out in shrieks, giggles and laughter. I looked up and saw Sarah. I'm not sure if it was just the sun shining through the window onto her or if she radiated her own glow, but her smile was contagious and her energy brightened the entire room. I feared she was going to be smothered by the horde of children gravitating toward her, yet she was very adept at protecting herself while making sure none of the kids were hurt or felt left out.

After about 10 minutes, our supervisor announced, "OK, back to work, now." The kids went back to their stations, and Sarah started making her rounds, giving each child special one-on-one attention. After connecting with each of the kids, she came up to me. "Hi, I'm Sarah. You must be Dawn, Mattie's replacement. Mattie will be greatly missed, but I've heard a lot of positive about you already, so I'm sure you'll fit right in at this great place." I was impressed from the start.

Sarah was friendly, playful, caring, respectful, sensitive, outgoing and yet was actually very humble and didn't push anything on anyone. I could tell this was a woman who would bring a lot of joy and happiness to a place that could be seen as a place of sadness and pain. Here was this room filled with children who had lost limbs or were born without them, and yet this same room was filled with joy and laughter.

Sometimes, when I was working with a frightened child, Sarah appeared, and all fear dissolved from the child. She had a way with everyone. How could anyone help but love her? One day, after bringing a smile to Nikki, a scared young girl, she touched my arm as she rose to move on. Her touch was so gentle, yet I felt like a bolt of lightning entered where her hand touched.

I looked up and saw a twinkle in her eye as our eyes connected for a moment, before she looked at Nikki and gave her one last reassurance. She said, "You're a very lucky girl, because Dawn is our most skilled and gentle therapist, and she never gives up. She's going to help you to be able to run around and play and do all the things you've ever dreamt of doing." Following a smile and very interesting eye contact with me, she moved on.

Dawn's story:

As far back as I could remember I have gravitated towards girls. It's not that I didn't like boys; it's just that the gentleness and sensitivity of girls seemed to melt my heart. I never exposed this side of me to anyone as I was growing, as I realized it wasn't acceptable to be different. I didn't want to be labeled as different and ostracized by others.

I fantasized in my mind, and pictured girls when I masturbated, but kept this as my secret. I went out on a few dates with guys in high school, and though I enjoyed the time we spent together, they just didn't have that softness I yearned for. I felt nothing when they kissed me. Maybe they sensed that, as I was never asked out on a second date.

In college, I discovered the gay and lesbian student group. I realized I now had the opportunity to safely explore who I really was. I made some friends who were willing to show me the ropes and let me grow at my own pace. I even developed some relationships that gave me a taste of the love I yearned for. Nothing seemed to become permanent, but I did feel much stronger regarding my identity by the time I graduated college. Though I wasn't meeting as many lesbians after I graduated, I did end up in a few relationships that lasted up to 2 years. My ideal had still eluded me.

I was never into roles, where one person had to act like a woman and the other like a man. I never questioned my being a woman, and I enjoyed being a woman. I also knew I appreciated an equal partner who also enjoyed being a woman. I dreamt of a woman who appreciated me for who I was, without attempting to mold me into her image of a partner.

Maybe I expected too much, but preferred being alone, feeling good about my life and myself, rather than settling, just to be in a relationship. I could be assertive when I felt I belonged; yet tended to be quiet and waited for others to make the first move, which limited my opportunities. My belief was the right relationship was worth waiting for.

Sarah's story:

I didn't want to stop cuddling with Dawn's pillow on our bed, savoring the scent that still lingered on her pillow. I can't believe where life has taken me. I never expected to end up here, yet I couldn't imagine a place I'd rather be. I don't think anyone would have guessed I'd have ended up with a woman, yet nothing could have felt more right to me. I knew I had to get up and start my day, yet I just wanted to savor the view of Dawn's face, which was burned into my mind.

It's not that I've never had any experiences with a female before. I shared a lot with my best friend Kate, actually, everything. We met in the 3rd grade. We were both new students at the school, and the established cliques were too tight to be open to new kids, so Kate and I established our own Mutual Admiration Society. We were tight. As long as we had each other, we felt we could conquer the world. Even back in the 3rd grade, we were both quite boy crazy. We would look and giggle and pretend, while sharing our dreams only with each other.

As we entered puberty, Kate and I helped each other to learn about and be comfortable with the changes in our bodies. During our sleepovers, we did a lot of looking, touching and exploring. We felt totally safe with each other. As we got deeper into adolescence, and anticipated we might actually go out with boys, we practiced on each other, so we wouldn't stumble around and look foolish when the time arrived. We taught each other how to kiss and helped each other to discover the pleasures of sex. We shared our first orgasms with each other. It was wonderful, but we knew our goal was to be with boys and never thought of ourselves as lesbian or even bi-sexual.

During high school, we got our first opportunity to put our practice to good use, and enjoyed being with boys. After each new experience, we were eager to share what happened with our best friend. We knew we'd always be close. Unfortunately, our college opportunities led us to different coasts. We cared too much about each other to hold the other back, so encouraged each other to take the best opportunity.

College felt odd, as we weren't as readily available to share with each other. We had to deal both with the distance and the time difference. We stayed in contact, but started growing apart. I lived in the dorm and was more academically than socially oriented. I did have occasional dates, my little escapes, but I kept my priorities in check. I became friendly with Derek, who lived on the same floor as me. We didn't seem to feel chemistry for each other, but enjoyed hanging out with each other. I felt safe with him, knowing I wouldn't have to deal with any pressure.

Even though we were both academically oriented, we also appreciated sex, though not with each other. After going out on dates, we would share notes and enjoyed hearing of the other's experiences. We would openly talk about sex and masturbation, yet never even touched each other. I guess he helped me get over the loss I felt from not having Kate to share with. Over the 4 years, he went through multiple girlfriends and I went through multiple boyfriends.

Over Christmas break during our senior year, Derek invited me to spend the vacation at his family's home, as I had no family close by. I had already met his family on many occasions and felt comfortable with them, so accepted his invitation. During that break, we seemed to constantly hear from his family members, "So, now you are graduating, when will we hear wedding bells?" This caught us totally off guard, as we had never thought of marrying each other, though we knew we both wanted to be married to someone. This planted a seed that germinated and grew over the next 6 months. By the time graduation came around, we had ourselves convinced we would be ideal partners, so got engaged.

One year after the seed was planted, we tied the knot. Going in, he knew, though I loved kids, I couldn't see bringing kids into this world filled with anger, war and hatred. He said he was fine with having no kids. We got along very well and enjoyed our careers and being married. As we approached the age of 30, he started questioning whether I had changed my mind about kids, as we were running out of time if we decided to have kids. I reassured him I had no plan to change my decision.

He seemed to bring the subject up more and more, till I realized he wasn't concerned I would lose out on this opportunity, but he would lose out on this opportunity. Finally, he admitted he truly felt a need to have kids. I had grown to love him, and truly wanted him to feel happy and fulfilled, so I encouraged him to find a partner with whom he could have children. Eventually, he did find this woman, and we decided to part ways. We thought we could still maintain contact, as we still cared a great deal about each other, but his new wife was jealous of me, so all contact stopped.

Though I wanted Derek to be happy, I was feeling a loss when we actually moved apart. I decided to fill the void by doing some volunteering, as I had too much free time that was filled with too much thinking. A friend of mine told me about the Variety Club's annual telethon to raise money for their limb bank for children.

This sounded interesting, so I spent the weekend there, helping out. I fell in love with these kids, and that's what led me to my ongoing volunteering at the Children's Prosthetic Center. Though I loved my career, I loved spending time with "my kids", also. At first, I thought I'd find spending time with these children to be depressing, yet I couldn't believe how fulfilled and energized I felt after spending time with them, watching them overcome their hurdles and accomplish their goals.

After several years at the center, Mattie, one of the center's most loved physical therapists, announced she was retiring. I couldn't picture that place without her. I guess truth could be found in the statement every time a door closes, another one opens, for she was replaced by an angel, Dawn. I had taken some time off after Mattie's retirement party, as I couldn't bear to see the emptiness I anticipated left by her absence. I stayed in touch with some of the staff, and was surprised to hear them give glowing reports regarding Mattie's replacement. I felt confused. How could they forget about Mattie, move on and replace her so easily?

Mattie called me up, one day, and invited me to have lunch with her. It was so good to see her. She told me she had been keeping in contact with the center and knew I hadn't been around. The center would always be an important part of her, but she was getting up in years. It was harder for her to handle the physical demands of the job, so it was time for her to move on. She told me one reason she felt able to move on was I was there to keep the laughter going. "But they replaced you," I sobbed.

"No, Sarah, they replaced my position, not me. They continue to call me and seek my advice on a regular basis."

"But what about all these glowing comments they are pouring out about this new woman? How can they feel so good about someone they barely know?"

"Sarah, you need to know I was in on the decision to hire Dawn. I talked to her previous employer and several other people who knew her well. Based on what I learned about her, I convinced the center she was the best person for the job. Give her a chance. You may grow to like her as much as I've grown to like her."

How was I to know I would grow to "like" Dawn much more than she could ever imagine? Obviously, I did give her a chance, and I'm definitely not sorry I did. I watched her in action and was truly impressed with what I saw. She was a very conscientious person, caring, hard working, sensitive and loving. I felt ashamed of myself for judging her before I had even met her, so pushed myself to greet her and welcome her to "our" center. Once I saw her clearly, I knew I had to show her I was happy she was there.

What was that look? What was that smile? She was married. No one knew I was a lesbian. My mind was racing. I felt so many mixed and confusing messages run through me. There was something about this woman. I know I've never made the first move, and I doubt she'd be interested, but how could I just ignore it and let something that felt so unique just pass by? I decided I had to take a chance, allow some vulnerability. It was almost noon on Friday, the time Sarah left for her regular job. I knew it would be too painful to wait till Monday. I had to reach out. I saw Sarah walking over to pick up her purse. Well, it was now or never. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"Hi Sarah, thanks for those kind words you shared with Nikki."

"You deserved hearing them, also. I meant everything I said. I had a hard time believing anyone could replace Mattie, but I was being closed-minded. I have always been of the belief that a closed mind limits opportunities. My experience has shown me every time I've expanded my horizons and been open to new experiences, I've always been pleasantly surprised. You have proved that, once again, to me. Thank you, Dawn."

"Sarah, I'd enjoy getting together with you and learning more about you. If there is a time that is convenient and a desire on your part, I'd like to make plans."

"I'm available tomorrow all day. How about lunch?"

We met at a nice, quiet restaurant and sat in an open-air atrium. Lunch went beautifully. We discovered we have much in common, and communication flowed very smoothly. We lost track of time. It was getting dark, and I didn't want Sarah to feel I was demanding or expecting too much from her, so I pointed out it was getting late. She couldn't believe so much time had passed, either. We got our things together, and I walked her to her car. Before we got to her car, I put my hand on her arm and stopped her.

"Sarah, I need to share something with you, and, hopefully, what I say won't give the beautiful day we've had so far a bad taste. Sarah, what I am going to say is not meant to come across as an expectation of you, but because I feel you deserve to know the truth. I've enjoyed spending time with you, and I truly like you. I hope we can enjoy friendship between us. I want you to know if what I say causes you any discomfort, I will respect your wishes, even if you request I distance myself from you. I would hate for you to hear this information from someone else, resulting in your feeling deceived by me, so I need to let you know I am a lesbian."

"And I'm a Lithuanian," laughed Sarah. "Dawn, I told you my view on closed minds. I'm not afraid of you. I can't say what the future holds, but I know whatever the future holds will be beautiful, so I'm eager to experience it. Other than my early explorations with my best friend, I have only experienced men, but I've had plenty of women friends. I'm not making any promises, other than to be true to myself and my beliefs, but I'm not placing any limits, either. I feel privileged you have trusted me with this information and flattered you wanted to share it with me. I have also enjoyed everything we've shared, and I truly like you, too."

I felt many mixed feelings: awkward, giddy, excited, scared and who knows what else. When we arrived at Sarah's car, she said, "Here it is." She leaned down, unlocked the door and then opened it. I expected her to get in her car, but she turned, looked deep into my eyes, brought her hand up to my cheek, caressing it gently, leaned in and gave me a very tender kiss, right on my lips. "Thank you for a lovely day," she said, before sitting down in her car and driving off. My lips were on fire.

Never did I expect such a response. Never did I expect such a quick and comfortable connection. I thought about Sarah my entire drive home. Upon getting out of my car, I noticed a dark wet spot, right where I was sitting. A smile came to my face.

I was so happy I took the chance and opened that door. Sarah and I spent much of our free time together over the next few months. One Saturday, we spent a wonderful day together, culminating with us cooking a very romantic dinner together at my home. At 9pm she took hold of my hands and said, "I don't want to leave."

"It's just 9," I responded. "You don't have to leave."

"You don't understand, Dawn. I'm not talking about now, I'm talking about ever."

I wrapped my arms around her and drew her close. I felt her heart beating. I heard her breath deepen. "More beautiful words, I couldn't dream of hearing," I whispered in her ear. I felt her hands tenderly caress my back, as she held me tight. "I know this is new for you, Sarah, so I'm willing to take all the time you need. You know I'll respect your guidelines and limitations."

"Thank you; I know," whispered Sarah.

Sarah started counting backwards from 10. The confusion on my face was probably obvious. When she got to zero, she said, "Time's up! Now love me."

I took her hand and led her to the bedroom. Standing next to the bed, she looked into my eyes and smiled. We embraced and gave each other a deep passionate kiss. That night was the first of many wonderful nights of love.

Neither of us could have imagined how wonderful our love would be. Every day, it grew deeper and more fulfilling. We talked about not knowing how it could get any deeper, yet the next day surprised us with greater depth. We were lost in each other's love.

For months, our love was all we needed, but then I started to sense a difference in Sarah. Nightly, she tossed and turned. When I attempted to soothe and calm her, she sat up alert. Upon waking, tears flowing down her face, she grabbed me and made mad passionate love. On these occasions, she wasn't gentle, just wild and passionate. Her orgasm returned her to her fitful sleep.

I waited for her to approach me and explain what was happening; yet she avoided the topic. I finally couldn't wait any longer and directly asked her. "Nothing," was her response.

The pattern continued, and I felt Sarah pulling away from me during the day. I finally begged her, "Please Sarah, don't let this get in the way of our love."

"It isn't," she replied coolly.

I took Sarah by the hand, placed two chairs facing each other, sat her down in one and then I sat opposite her. I held her hands and looked into her eyes. "Look at me," I insisted.

Sarah had a difficult time making eye contact. Eventually, her eyes welled up with tears, which started flowing down her cheeks. "Please don't make me tell you," she cried. I sat there and continued to stare into her eyes, all the while massaging her hands.

Finally, she reached her limit. She stood up and pulled me into her arms. In between sobs, she told me, "It's the dream. It's the dream. It won't go away." I held her, my fingers running through her hair.

Eventually, her sobbing subsided. She took me by the hand, walked me to the couch and we sat down together. "I feel so embarrassed ... And so out of control," she shared. "In my recurring dream, I am being fucked by a man. I don't know who he is. It is dark and I can't see his face. I just feel filled up by his cock and enveloped by his muscular arms. I'm so sorry. I don't want to hurt you. I do love you. Why is this happening to me?" The sobbing returned, and I held her in my arms.

As her sobbing faded, with some help from my comfort, I felt her breathing and heartbeat return to almost normal. "My lovely Sarah ... Sarah, my love, don't be so harsh on yourself. We've had different experiences when it comes to love. I've never experienced a man, so I can't miss something I've never had. Most of your experiences have been with men, so there is a void within you that needs to be filled; one I am unable to fill."

"But, I love you, Dawn. I would never do anything that might jeopardize what we have created and nurtured. I'll find a way to deal with the void. I won't let it harm us."

"Sarah, you are willing to face this for me. How could I do any less for you? I know you love me, and I have no fear you would ever do anything to harm me or our relationship. You know I love you too, and totally trust you. I see a solution. Let's pick a man together, one who can satisfy your emptiness inside, and yet one who will add to, not subtract from, what we have together."

"But, I don't believe a living dildo would work for me," said Sarah.

"I agree. We need to find someone who can respect what we have together, yet add to what we have together. He must join our relationship, not just for a night, but on-going."

"Is this possible?" Sarah queried.

"Is what we have created possible? Look at what we have accomplished already. If we can do that, adding a man can't be much more challenging."

We kissed, and Sarah led me to our bed. After tender lovemaking, we both fell asleep ... and Sarah slept soundly throughout the night. The next morning, we woke refreshed and eager to start our search. We were open to all avenues of finding "our" man, though we wanted to keep this search from our co-workers and families. We looked at dating sites, but no one seemed to fit what we were seeking. We were doing our best to keep our disappointment from each other while continuing to be very supportive and loving toward each other.

Sarah's birthday would be next Saturday, and I wanted to make it special for her. I kept my spirits high for her, and kept reassuring her it is better to wait for the right person than to settle for less.

Saturday arrived, and I pampered Sarah in bed as she woke up. While pampering her, the phone rang. It caught me off guard, but Sarah immediately knew who it was. A smile came over her face as she answered the phone.

"I figured it was you Kate. Who else would disturb my wonderful birthday pampering? OK, stop your apologizing. I was just pushing your buttons due to thinking back to all of your birthday mornings I've so innocently disrupted. Thanks for remembering my day, though I beat it into your head for so many years, how could you forget?"

I sat back and enjoyed listening to Sarah having fun with Kate. I knew how special Kate was to Sarah, and I enjoyed when they connected with each other. I understood it could be challenging with Kate being married and raising 4 kids on the opposite coast. At least they were able to stay in touch through email. I wanted for them to stay close. After all, I appreciated the good job they did in teaching each other when they were young.

As their conversation continued, Sarah shared our dilemma with Kate. Sarah did her best to keep a positive outlook, though her frustration showed through. "What do you mean, 'That's no big deal?'" Sarah almost shouted through clenched teeth.

Ouch!! I could tell she wasn't expecting that response. Not wanting to leave me out,

Sarah put the conversation on speakerphone.

"It's not a big deal," said Kate, "as the solution is obvious."

"And where is this ideal man hiding," Sarah's irritation showed through.

"Trev is perfect for you," said Kate, eager to help.

"Trev who?

"You don't remember my brother Trevor?"

"Your kid brother? You've got to be kidding."

"First of all, Sarah, he is only two years younger than us, and weren't you married and divorced already by the time you turned 32? Not only that, I can't remember a time in his life when he didn't have a major crush on you. I think that is the reason he never married. No one ever came close to his image of you."

"Do you really think he would be right for us?"

"Better than right. You haven't seen him in quite a while. He has matured into quite a man. If I wasn't married and he wasn't my brother, I'd jump at the chance. I feel his years as a pianist have balanced his soft side and his well-developed masculine side. He has a concert scheduled for next Saturday night, and it isn't far from you. I think you'll enjoy his music. His sound is much like Yanni, though he lacks the facial hair and mane. He is also less into showmanship and has a very subtle, sensitive yet emotionally impacting style. Would you like me to talk to him and see if he'll comp you a couple of tickets? I think the only thing that would prevent him from doing this would be if he drops dead from the shock of hearing he is being considered to join in on your endeavor."

"Wow, this caught me totally off guard. I still see him as that little kid who would shyly sneak peeks when I came over to visit. I trust your judgment, so I'm open to explore this possibility. Make sure he has a clear understanding I am still not interested in having kids and this would be a threesome, and he can't monopolize all my attention and leave Dawn out in the cold."

"Sarah, Trev is probably the most sensitive, understanding and caring man you will ever meet. There is no way Dawn would feel she would be anything other than an important part of the mix. Also, don't you remember our mom got the measles when she was pregnant with him, so he can't produce his own kids?"

"I'm looking at Dawn now, and she is shaking her head in the affirmative, so let's give it a shot. Please don't tell him this is definite, as the chemistry needs to work for all of us, and I don't want anyone to end up hurt."

After hanging up, Sarah and I got the local paper and looked at Trev's concert advertisement. We both agreed he was definitely easy on the eyes, and eagerly awaited experiencing his concert, and whatever might follow. Though still dealing with the anticipation and wondering, the pressure seemed to have melted from us. We felt energized, and the rest of the morning was spent in bed, though I wouldn't say either of us got any rest. My special plans for the afternoon, followed by a romantic dinner, were totally stress-free. Sarah shared endless smiles and playfulness. Snuggled up together, as we began dozing that night, was all I could ever want ... and more.