Tinas day began early with a solo stroll through town. She took deep breaths of the fresh air and drank in the sights of the buildings, the plazas, the flowers, and the murals on the walls. She needed to keep this warmth and color somewhere inside of her to draw upon when she left Taos.
As she walked she thought of Bette visiting here. She knew why she had loved it. Tina knew exactly which things in town would catch Bettes eye too. When she and Diane had visited a gallery yesterday she couldnt help thinking about what Bette would say about individual pieces because she knew Bette so well. They had spent many hours together looking at art and talking about art and artists. Tina had learned so much from Bette. Tina had always been interested in art and visited museums, but Bette gave depth and breadth to her knowledge. She shared all she knew and felt without being condescending to Tina and always respecting what she had to say. How painful it was to think that art had been at the center of their break-up too.

Back at the hotel Diane was waiting in the lobby and they went to breakfast.
Weve got to carbo-load, honey, weve got a marathon hike ahead of us, Diane said.
Whatever you say, Mom. Tina smiled. Wonder what the llamas are having.
Diane laughed, enjoying the joke that had begun the night before.
They had been sitting in a bar waiting for the country western band to begin playing. As the salt on the rim of Tinas second margarita was just reaching her lips, Diane had asked, How do you hike hung-over?
Tina burst out laughing.
Was that a question or a tongue twister?
Diane laughed too, fueled by her own consumption of chardonnay. Their laughter subsided and Tina picked up her glass again and took a sip.
Itll be OK, the llamas will help us, her mother said.
Tina lurched forward and put her hand to her mouth to keep the liquid in.
Diane giggled.
When she had safely swallowed, Tina said, What did you say?
The llamas will help.
Tinas laughter spilled out of her and her mother joined in. Their eyes were watering and Dianes shoulders were rising and falling. After several moments of uncontrolled laughter, Tina finally was able to utter, What llamas?
Diane wiped her eyes and attempted a straight face. The llamas thatll be hiking with us. Another round of hysterics followed. It was quite some time before the entire story came out that Diane had signed them up with a company that runs guided hikes with llamas to carry gear and food up the mountain.
Apparently, llamas are quite gentle and they like humans, Diane said.
Tina was still on the edge of laughter. Good news Mom, cause the last thing I need is some psycho animal pushing me off a cliff.
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After breakfast Tina and Diane returned briefly to the hotel to gather their belongings and check out of their room. Tina lingered at the door just a moment to remember the lovely room and the happiness she had felt here with her mother. At the desk they returned their room keys and Tina remarked that this must be one of the few hotels in the country that still used keys instead of pass cards. The woman behind the desk nodded, acknowledging the comment that she heard every day from customers.
The hike was strenuous in parts, but leisurely and it was true, the llamas did all the carrying. Tina hiked at her mothers pace and they took time to enjoy the beauty of the trail. At the top of the mountain the view was spectacular in all directions. The mountains surrounding them were green and dotted with bursts of color from wildflowers. The sky was azure blue. From here the world was vast and beautiful and one human being standing on a mountain was nothing but a speck on the landscape.
Tina stood, just looking, just absorbing the serenity. The world of pain that she had lived in for two weeks was wide open now and flowing out into the limitless space. She wished Bette could be standing next to her and sharing this view. If they could be together in this place, where they could both see how their differences looked to the face of the world, then maybe they could mend what was broken. Tinas hurt felt smaller here and her heart felt open to possibility.
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When her plane lifted off from the runway in L.A., Bette breathed a sigh of relief. It felt good to leave L.A. behind for a while and to go somewhere new, different and anonymous. A million thoughts and images came all at once to her. The emotion and turmoil of the last two weeks welled up in her now, but shed be damned if she would cry on this airplane. She shuddered involuntarily at the memory of her tears in response to Faye Buckleys heinous remark about losing their baby. God, so much had happened.
Bette took a deep breath and looked out the window and concentrated on where she was going, not where shed been. She loved Taos. She had always wanted to take Tina there, but theyd never made it. Yet, she corrected herself.
She thought ahead to the art that would surround her there, the natural beauty and the electric eccentricity of the town. She considered the massages, the saunas, the body wraps and whatever else the spa had to offer. She would do it all – the classes, the treatments, the exercise. She was going to rejuvenate herself, align herself and fix herself. Then she was going to fix them.


When Tina and Diane returned from their hike they were tired and hot and both yearned for a shower, but since they had already checked out of the hotel their only choice was to get on the road towards home. Tina was sorry to leave because this had been a place of respite for her, and one of the nicest times she could remember spending with her mother. She did feel there was a special energy here, just as Mary had said before she left. She had felt it that first night in town when the artist touched her and her body and mind awakened to something different in the air. Today on the mountain she had felt her heart soften for the first time since that terrible night with Bette. Now, she wanted to talk to her. While Diane went to buy some sodas for the drive, Tina pulled out her cell phone and dialed Bette, not knowing what she would say.
Her stomach tightened as she heard the call connect but then it went directly to voicemail. Tina held on. Hi, its me. I was thinkingummI I was standing on top of a mountain today and feeling like the world is huge and amazing and what happens between us is just one small insignificant piece of it. SoIIm babblingbut I guess Im trying to say that Im open to listening if youre still open to talking. Bye.


Bettes cell phone was turned off and safely stowed in the bag at her feet when the call came in. She was still restlessly processing thoughts. Tina should have gotten her flowers yesterday, but shed heard nothing. She resolved to call Tina after she was settled at the hotel. When the plane landed she collected her luggage and found the car to take her to the hotel, which was a charming, adobe-style inn.

Welcome, Ms. Porter. Your room is ready. Ill call someone to show you to your room and take your luggage.
Thats ok, Ill find the room myself. They can bring the luggage anytime. Bette reached across the counter and the key, the same one that only two hours earlier had been in Tinas hand, fell into hers. She looked down at it, Hmm, you still use keys, she said and walked across the lobby towards the elevator.