“And what does she want, Bette?”

“Love…truth and honesty…respect…” Bette stood up and walked across the room.  She turned towards Donna.  “Fidelity.”

“Are those things that you can and want to give her?”

“Absolutely.  I know that I failed in several of those categories before—fidelity being the major one.  But I don’t want anyone else.  I love Tina with everything that I am.”

“So remind me of the problem?”  Donna leaned back and smiled.

Bette inhaled.  “I’m scared to death that she’s going to leave me again.  I’m scared that I will open myself up completely again and she’ll walk away.  That she’ll wake up one day and not want me anymore.  That she might leave me for a man, or another woman.” 

“You think you aren’t good enough.”

Bette looked at the floor. She looked back up at her therapist.  “That’s it, isn’t it?”

“Do you think that the times she left was because you weren’t good enough for Tina?”

Bette stood up and began walking again.  She stopped and pondered Donna’s statement.  She looked over at her.  “But she never said anything like that when she left.”

Donna smiled.  “She didn’t have to.  You were already telling yourself that, weren’t you?”

Bette stopped and stared off for a moment.  “Maybe.  I sometimes worry that I’m not good enough about other things.  Maybe I think that about Tina, too.  I mean she’s the most beautiful woman.  She’s young, successful, smart…”

“And so are you as far as I can tell.”  Donna interrupted.

Bette dropped onto the couch and laughed.  “Well, I may be a good looking package on the outside…”

“But?”

Bette sighed.  “I often feel like a mess on the inside.”

“That’s why you’re here, right?” Donna grinned.  “Bette, as of right now, this moment, do you trust Tina?”

“Yes” Bette answered immediately.  She couldn’t believe she answered so quickly. She nodded.  “Yes, I do.”

“And your apprehensions about things are based on past events plus your personal insecurities, correct?”

“Correct.  I do feel like the old Tina is back.  I didn’t know the woman she was for the past six months or so.”

“Did you trust the ‘old Tina’?”

Bette smiled.  “With everything.  With all of me, heart and soul.”

“Maybe it would help to look at her as the new and improved Tina.  Then you can build on that without focusing on the pain and regret of the past.”

Bette looked up at Donna.  “So how do I give her a new and improved me?

“You already have in some ways.  Keep working on your relationship.  Keep listening and talking.  Keep an open mind.  And trust her.”

Bette smiled.  “We have a date tonight.” 

“I take it that you’re looking forward to it.”

“I am.  I have no idea what we are going to do or where we are going.”  Bette stood and moved around again.  “God, it feels so good to feel close to her again.  We kissed and held each other all night last night.”  Bette looked at Donna.  “We slept in the same bed last night.”

“Were you okay with that?” Donna leaned on her hand and studied Bette.

“It was my idea.”  Bette sat down.  “I wanted to fall asleep next to her.  It felt so right.”  Bette stretched her arms over her head and rested her hands on her head.  “Do you think we’re moving too fast?”

“Do you?”

Bette dropped her hands.  She rested her elbows on her knees and propped her head on her hands.  “No. It feels right.  It feels so right.”

Donna smiled.  “So enjoy it.  Have a good time tonight.”