The bedroom door opened and Theresa walked in.  “Bette, your food’s getting’ cold.  Go on and eat.  I’ll get Angie ready to meet her public.”

“Okay, thanks.”  Bette passed Angelica off to Theresa, and kissed the back of her head before leaving the room and pulling the door behind her.

When Bette sat down, she heard Tina’s mother talking to Angelica and she had to smile.  “I love you, Angelica,” Theresa said.  “You’re a pretty little girl.  Almost all Porter…”  She stumbled over what was going to be a comment.  “You’ve got too mommies, baby girl, but…uh…who is your father, anyway?”

Bette stared at the baby monitor, but nothing else was forthcoming.

* * * * *

Dana jogged down the hall of the neuro-trauma center into Tina’s room.  The tennis player was wearing forest green shorts and a white shirt with forest green trim at the collar and cuffs of the short sleeves, her socks matched—white with green at the ankle edging. 

“Hi, Tina.”  Dana pulled off her pedometer and looked at it.  “God, amazing.  Two point three miles.”  Dana bent at the waist, grabbed her upper thighs and took deep breaths.  That last hill was murder.  How are you?”  She walked to her and kissed Tina’s cheek lightly. 

“I’m trying to exhaust myself.  I feel like total shit.”  Dana opened up to Tina at once, no need for a preamble.  “Alice and I broke up.  I wanted it to last, but we’re really different.  She told me once that Lisa…remember him, that lesbian-identified guy she was seeing?  She told me that he was really needy and she hated it.  I can’t even imagine someone being needier than Alice.  She would hardly let me pee by myself.  If I wanted to be alone, I’d have to lock the bathroom door. And since the…uh…break up, she’s called me seventy million times with, like, ‘do you want your #2 pencil back?’ ‘I’m going to keep the seashells we collected at Redondo Beach unless you want them.’  ‘Did I leave my green scrunchie at your place?’ I can’t talk to her now.  She thinks it doesn’t hurt me, but it hurts.” 

Dana walked to the bathroom, got a hand towel and came back in wiping her neck and face. “Tina, you left Helena ‘cause things weren’t finished between you and Bette.  Maybe you would have gone back to Helena, but you didn’t.  You love Bette.  Bette loves you.  Maybe I’ll go back to Alice.  I really can’t rule that out.  I can’t.  I love what we have.  When Al and I are together it’s all sparks and fun, but in terms of a real relationship, building a life together, I don’t know.  Can I build a life with Lara?  God, I don’t know.  Maybe Alice is just too much.  You know what I mean?  Al walks into a room and you don’t miss her, she just brightens and lightens everything—she’s electric and maybe right now I just need something like a single candle… not all of that intensity.”  Dana was pacing.  “I don’t know what I’m talking about.  I’m getting delirious.  I’ve gotta hydrate.  Look, I’m going to find a water fountain or machine, then I’m going to get back on the trail.  It’s really nice up here.  I’ll run up everyday to see you, how about that?  I love you, Tee.”  Dana bent over and kissed her again, ran out of the room, and down the hall.