“I was just admiring them, Shane. Did you do take those?”

“I sure as hell hope so since they’re of Molly,” Shane quips.

Bette nervously chuckles. “Of course.” She pauses. “They’re good. I mean, really good.” Molly was just about to enter the room as Bette says this. She pauses in the doorway and listens to their exchange.

“Thanks,” Shane says, brushing off the compliment.

“No, I mean it, Shane. There is a real beauty to the way that you have taken those. Those are more than just pictures. They tell a story. They show your love for her.”

Shane is getting uncomfortable with all the praise. “Bette–”

Molly interrupts, “That’s what I’ve been telling her.” She walks into the room and places a box in the closet. As she turns around, she asks Bette, “Did you know that Shane wants to get into photography?”

“No, I didn’t,” Bette replies, somewhat ashamed of the fact that she has known Shane for years and never knew that she had an affinity for photography.

“Well, you know now,” Shane replies. She starts unpacking one of Molly’s boxes.

“She wants to go back to school to study it,” Molly continues. Shane shoots Molly a look that could kill.

“That’s a good idea,” Bette replies. “Why don’t you enroll in a few courses at CU, Shane?”

“Because I can’t afford it and I doubt I would get in,” she replies tersely. You can tell how much she wants this conversation to end. She knows where Molly is going with this.

“Well, you do know the Dean of the Arts department,” Molly wryly replies.

“Yes, you do,” Bette says confidently. “If you’re really interested, I can pull a few strings.”

“You’d do that?” Shane asks.

“For you? Yeah. You bet.”

“I couldn’t let you, though.”

”I want to. Let me help you. I know it will be well worth it, given what I’ve seen in those photos. You have a real and raw talent, Shane. It shouldn’t be wasted.”

Shane looks to Molly and then back to Bette. She shrugs her shoulders, “Okay. Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“Anytime,” Bette replies. She smiles and says, “I’m going to grab some more boxes.”

After she has left, Shane turns to Molly and says, “Fvck, Molly. What’d you do that for?”