***

Tina was trying to make some wedding plans. Bette had gone to work and taken Angie to spend some time with her friend Bella- Casey her mom was happy to take care of Angie for a few hours while Tina got her head down and started to make some plans for the wedding. She had the brochure from the hotel they were going to use for the reception – she was trying to figure out a menu as well as a guest list. Well the guest list wouldn’t be that hard – in all there would be about 10 guests other than the three of them. That had not taken her very long – she had moved onto picking a meal for them and their guests.
Tina was just deciding about which of five deserts to have when her mobile sounded. She picked it up and looked in some surprise at the name of the caller.
“Hello “she said cautiously
After a ten minute conversation she ended the call and sat and looked at the phone for a few minutes considering the discussion. Finally she went and put on her boots, her warmest jacket, scarf and gloves. She dropped her wallet, keys and phone into the massive pockets of the coat and left the apartment.

***

The nearest Starbucks was only three blocks away and even with the snow falling again it was half full. Tina placed an order for a coffee and was served within a few minutes. She had just picked the cup up when the person she was due to meet arrived. Tina faced him
“Hello Roger “
“Tina – thank you for agreeing to see me “
“I am curious as to why you want to talk to me “
“I do have a reason “
Tina shrugged and went to find a table to sit at. In a few minutes Roger had collected a coffee of his own and he made his way through the tables to join Tina. Tina regarded him. In a lot of ways he reminded her of Marcus – Angie’s biological father – he was tall and very muscular. He made the most stunning drag queen and even out of costume he was handsome. He was wearing a huge arctic parka which he loosened before sitting down.
“How are you – you look really well?”
“I am fine “
“And Angie and Bette?”
“Great – Bette is at work and Angie is with one of her school friends. Her school is closed because of the snow so she is having an unexpected week off”
“Do you see much of Shane?”
“Yeah – Shane is doing great – she is really settled – she has a couple of jobs and an apartment “
“Is she dating half of the city?”
Tina frowned “She is seeing someone – a really nice woman – she is having a great time and I know she is happy. Much happier than she was in LA “
Roger smiled but Tina could tell that he was strained about something
“Not that it’s not nice to see you Roger but what is this about?”
He sighed and scratched his head
“I need Bette’s help “
“Why would you need Bette’s help – Roger – tell me what the hell is going on?”
“Its Kit – she is drinking again “
“What – she gave up years ago “
“I know – but things have been going badly for her “
Tina raised an eyebrow
“Not us – well I don’t know if it’s me – I don’t think it is. I found out that she has been drinking in secret for a long time. “
“How long?”
“About 18 months – I found out nine months ago and it’s just spiraled out of control. I just don’t know how to help her. She has stopped caring about her appearance and about everyone else. She just drinking and lies and cheats to get her fix”
“Has she said why she is drinking?”
“She said she just started having one or two and she could control it “
“And one or two became three or four and then three or four became a bottle of gin – how am I doing?”
“Pretty much “
Tina couldn’t believe what she was hearing – Kit had been every much an alcoholic as Bette had. They had both suffered in their own ways – while Kit had given up several times and always fallen off the wagon again Bette had been different in what sort of drunk she had been and how she had managed to get dry again.
“Tell me everything “
“I need Bette’s help – we have all tried and we think she is the only one who can get her to accept help”
“Tell me everything “Tina repeated “I could point out that all of you in LA rejected Bette and me being with her again. You lot managed to make Angie cry when we were in LA a year ago. How the hell can you come here and tell me that you need help when you have rejected us?”
“I am desperate Tina – I am working over here for a couple of weeks. I need the money – that’s why I am here”
“So who is looking after Kit – have you brought her with you or is she drinking herself senseless in LA?
“The others are looking after her “
Tina would have laughed had she not seen the look of despair and sadness on Roger’s face – but he had left his sick wife who was devious like all alcoholics were – he had left her with Alice and Jenny – fuck that was never going to work. In fact it was a recipe for disaster.
“Tell me everything “Tina repeated removing her coat – this was going to be a long coffee
“I started to suspect about three months before the wedding and I would ask her if she was drinking and she would deny it and get upset because she said I didn’t trust her. About six weeks before we got married I caught her one night. She had locked up and was cashing up, I arrived to meet her and I was just sitting in the bar reading some messages. She came through and she started picking up discarded glasses. She would drinking the contents of some of them and throw other stuff away. I didn’t confront her – I didn’t know how to and I knew she was under pressure because of the wedding. I asked her about it and she said she had the odd drink but she could deal with it “
Tina rubbed her face
“And you believed her because you wanted to and you didn’t want to face the fact that she might not be “
Roger nodded. Tina sipped her coffee and listened as Roger told Tina a familiar story about how gradually Kit’s drinking became less secret and she stopped saying that she was in control and she would disappear after work and he would find her in clubs sitting at the bar dropping shot after shot of rye. Tina recognized everything Roger was telling her because it was a re-run of Kit’s problems when she and Bette had first got together. Tina felt weary at what she was hearing – this was one old story.
“You don’t looked surprised “Roger voiced what Tina was thinking.
“When I started dating Bette – and you have to remember just how long ago that was – when I started dating Bette she was hiding a secret from me – the secret was Kit. Kit was a session singer as well as performing in clubs and she had a massive drink and coke problem. Bette used to be worried sick about her – when she finally told me about Kit she cried – that was the first time I had seen Bette cry. She was trying to keep her out of trouble and sometimes she did and sometimes she didn’t “
“That’s why I need her help – we cannot do any more than we have. Alice has tried, Jenny has tried “
Tina couldn’t hide the derision on her face. Roger saw the look and knew why Tina was reacting the way she was
“They have tried – they love Kit and they hate seeing her like this “Roger said defensively “This has upset all of us – they do love Kit “
“Like they were supposed to love Bette “Tina snapped back
“Will you help me or not?” Roger looked Tina straight in the eye
Tina sighed “ Knowing Bette like I do – I think she will do anything to help anyone because that is the sort of person she is. What I am saying to you is that while I understand that you are desperate Roger – you also have a fucking cheek to come to us when all of you treated me and Bette and Angie like shit. I know Bette will help you but if I can talk her out of it I will and I am telling you that here and now. You washed your hands of us – why the hell should we help Kit when she didn’t do anything to help Bette when Bette had nothing and no-one.”