Candace raced to her car parked beside the Saab in the two car garage. Her hands were shaking so violently she found it hard to insert the key into the lock to open the door. She threw her hands up in the air before she folded her arms on the roof of the car and placed her head atop. She took two shallow breaths to control and steady her breathing before attempting to unlock the door again.

Once inside the car and slightly relaxed she backed the car out of the opened driveway and drove off in the direction of Yolanda’s house. She was less than five minutes away from Yolanda’s before she decided against showing up at her door in her current state. She had hoped seeing Jakey would take her mind off of today’s events, but she changed her mind fearing the child would be able to read her mood.

At 2 years old, Michael Jacob Jewell was an easy going child. He displayed the complete opposite characteristics shown by Yolanda during her pregnancy. He was an even tempered child, not known for being very temperamental. A beautiful and precocious child his cherub brown face held long lashes that covered dark brown eyes that were his windows to the world. A mop of curly untamable brown hair covered his little face which made it hard for strangers to identify his ***** despite his clothing. After being born with a head full of hair his mommies found it hard to cut his curls off on his first birthday. He was an old soul that loved to babble, hug and discover.

Candace smiled just thinking of Jakey. However, she knew going to Yolanda’s may not be the wisest decision. While Bette and Yolanda showed grudging respect for one another they had never completely become friends after the group therapy incident. Bette doted on Jakey, and Yolanda could do nothing but respect someone that could show her child unconditional love. No matter, Yolanda was Candace?s friend and ex, and her opinion would always be affected by the 14 years that they had known each other.

Candace was so deep in thought that she did not realize that she had been driving around for hours on end. Her eyes were hypnotized by the winding road and even the darkness did not serve as a clue of the days pending end. It wasn?t until her cell phone began to ring that she realized how late it had become. She glanced at the phone that was attached to her hip and saw the number of her home displayed across the cell phone. She reached down to shut it off before pulling into a nearby gas station.

After filling up her baby, she went in to pay the cashier. It wasn’t until she reached for her wallet to slide her card at the pump that she realized she left it behind. Thank goodness Bette was anal about keeping a stash of cash in the car for emergency situations. She had used the emergency stash to fuel her vehicle, and buy alcohol aka medicine for the soul.

Candace was headed back for the house. She was mentally preparing a plan to make it easy for Bette to leave her. Candace refused to beg or ask Bette to stay. While she loved Bette with all her being, she did not want her to feel trapped in a relationship with her. She was, of course, the other woman.

She had never cheated or been a party to cheating until Bette. She was a drug, and Candace had grown addicted. She was willing to accept Bette anyway she could in those days. Not this time. Bette had sole ownership of her heart, and Candace didn’t believe she could survive sharing.

Pulling into the driveway, Candace took a deep breath before preparing to enter the house. Exiting the car, she took a swig of the alcohol, and prepared to enter their home through the door that led from the garage to the house.

Bette had heard the rise of the electric driveway door in the house. She continued resting on their sleigh bed still dressed in her early morning garb. Her previously tear soaked face had been wiped clear just twenty minutes early. Bette glanced over at the clock and noted it was after 10pm. Candace had left their home almost 10 hours ago.

As she continued to stare at the clock the numbers began to swarm around her head. She tried to focus and strained her ears to hear the direction of foot steps. She hoped that Candace would be led to their room. She waited with baited breath for Candace to enter the room before she began to accept that maybe Candace wasn’t coming to their bed tonight.

After twenty minutes had went by, Bette rose from the bed and walked softly to the guest room. She peered inside but spotted a perfectly made up guest bed. She returned the door back to its closed position and a perplexed look across her face. As she walked passed the door that led to the garage, she spotted Candace with arms folded and head laid against the door. Her shoulders shook as she appeared to be crying.

Sensing that Candace had not heard her, Bette walked over and began to lightly but frantically kiss Candace on the back of her neck. She wrapped her arms around Candace from behind and whispered in her ear, “Let me love you.”

Bette felt Candace freeze up at her touch. She expected Candace to shake her off, so she tightened her grip and began to plant warm kisses on her neck, ears, and cheeks. Anywhere shefound exposed skin.

Candace began to melt back in Bette’s arms. The room began to fill with passionate desperation. Neither heard the telephone ring until a voice began over the answering machine began.

“Bette, um, I was wondering if you got the invitation. It’s Tina…”