One.

“And you intend to carry on this,” Melvin Porter searches for the right word, suddenly spitting it out as if the mere notion were vile to him, “relationship out in public?”

“Daddy,” Bette starts patiently. She doesn’t get the chance to finish.

“I intend,” Tina jumps in carefully, “to love your daughter, Mr. Porter. And I intend on doing that with the best of my ability for as long as she’ll let me.”

Melvin’s facial expression betrays no emotion, and Tina can feel Bette’s long fingers curl around her own under the table. They’re uncharacteristically damp with sweat, a testament to how badly Bette had wanted the first meeting of the two most important people in her life to go well. A few excruciating seconds pass before Melvin finally nods, a hint of something in his eyes that Tina can’t quite place.

“Very well, Ms. Kennard. Now, let’s order, shall we?”

His tone leaves no room for argument, and both women let the subject drop.

Melvin’s discomfort is still palpable even years later, but when he puts his own misgivings aside to proudly give Bette away at their wedding, Tina feels a grudging respect for the man.

Later in the day, she manages to sneak away from the festivities long enough to catch him alone for a few moments.

Melvin watches carefully as she walks toward him, and then nods politely.

“Ms. Kennard.”

“Hi, Melvin.”

They stand in silence for a minute or so before Tina speaks.

“I just wanted to thank you.”

He doesn’t pretend that he doesn’t know what she means by that. He clears his throat and to her surprise, actually gives her a half-smile.

“You’re not the only one who loves my daughter, Tina.”

She smiles.  

Two

When their baby girl is delivered stillborn, neither one of them knows if their fragile relationship is strong enough to absorb the blow. They grieve together and support each other and talk more often and more freely than they had in years.

Most importantly, they come to a painful decision together.

There’s a tremendous backlash from their group of friends when Bette sells their beautiful house and spearheads the opening of a brand new gallery in New York. Tina takes on volunteer project after volunteer project, bouncing from continent to continent.