Chapter 1.

Bette sat beside her wife. she’d had her moved. She wasn’t letting her stay in an NHS hospital. No matter how good. She had gone private and had Tina moved to a private room. She wanted the best for her. Angie sat on a chair near the window looking out at the Thames river. The doctor had explained twice what was wrong with Tina. She had swelling on her brain which was why she was still out cold. She had many cuts covering her skin. They were worried about her back but the scan had come back clear. Her leg was broken as was her left arm. Bette had her wedding ring, they had taken it off in case Tina’s fingers swelled up. Bette gently rubbed Tina’s right hand as she held on it. She looked over at Angie. Her daughter was looking completely gutted.

            "Hey baby girl!" Bette said slowly, Angie looked at her and smiled. Bette noticed at once that the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

            "Hey mum." Bette smiled at her daughter’s English accent. Even though both her and Tina had their American accents still, Angie was born there in London so she had developed the accent.

            "She will be okay!" Bette said with such conviction in her voice.

            "I hope so mum I really, do. I’ve been horrible to her recently."

            "Yeah you have!" Bette said at once, then softening. "She’s your mom, she loves you."

            "I know she does." Angie looked at her hands at the photograph she was holding. It showed her and Tina, it had been taken a few years ago and showed two happy people starring back, Tina’s laughter coming from it. It had been on one of the rare trips to LA to see Bette’s family.

            "Ange none of this is your fault," Bette said, Angie looked at her mother.

            "Yeah it is. I didn’t even say bye when I got out of the car. I was too busy having a go at her about one of her stories. I just wanted to get out of the car. I had a go at her about what she was wearing."

            "She looks good in her PJs."  Bette grinned. Angie looked at her Mother.

            "Mum!" She sighed.

            "You forget, I’ve been with her for 20 years. I love her no matter what."

            "I do love her momma!" Angie said, looking into her mother’s eyes before dropping them.

            "You don’t show it. I’m not having a go at you Ange, but over the past year you’ve started to part away from her."  Bette said.

            "She’s not like me," Angie whispered as tears spilled from her eyes.

            "In what way Angie, she carried you, she give birth to you, she loves you unconditionally."

            "She doesn’t understand what it’s like to be biracial."

            "Is that it?" Bette said, looking back down at her wife, the woman she couldn’t imagine life without.

            "Well, yeah!"

            "Angie, she’s your mother!" Bette said. "You seriously need to change your attitude it upsets her. She cries, I’ve held her at night while she’s cried."

            "I’m sorry!" Angie said tearing running down her face.

            "It’s not me who you need to be sorry to my darling. It’s your Momma T." Angie walked over to her mother and sat on the side of her. looking at her. 

            "I love you Mum, I’m sorry I’m such an arse. We need you! Please mum, I may act like it but I love your stories and your little quirks and the way you dress. I love your American Country-western accent when you get angry, and I love that you care about me so much. I wish I would have appreciated it more. Please momma wake up so I can show you how much I love you!" Angie said gently rubbing Tina’s fingers. As she did so, Tina’s eyes flickered.

            "Baby?" Bette stood and looked down at Tina, whose eyes opened. She looked around the room, a scared look on her face.

"Mum?" Angie said.

            Tina looked at Angie and Bette in confusion then said, "Who.who are you?"
 

TBC