“And being yours and Tina’s daughter won’t be an enough head start for her?” Alice prodded. “Bette, my Earth daughter will grow up with newspaper space already dedicated to her, without the help of so-called contacts.”

“It’s not the same,” Bette argued. “She needs to establish her own network, and running to her moms will only make her appear incompetent.”

“Take it back!” Alice almost shouted. “Angelica needs a normal life, and that involves growing up like every kid in the world.”

“She’s not like every kid in the world. She’s privileged, and she has the means to reach her full potential.”

“Right, and you’ll be right there to watch her progress like a hawk,” Alice snorted. “You just don’t get it, do you?”

Bette sighed. “Apparently, I don’t.”

“I love you, but when it comes to your daughter, you …” Alice’s voice trailed off. “Even today, you and Tina fight over the smallest things when it involves Angelica. For the sake of Angelica, learn to compromise! She’s not going to take her away any more than you kidnapping the kid.”

She sat back, her shoulders slumped. “Is that what you think? That I fight with Tina over Angelica because of some buried grudge from the custody mess?”

“Maybe you two fight so much because you’re too stubborn to admit you both made a mistake,” Alice watched her friend intently. “Despite what you’ve been saying about moving on.”

The taller woman bit her lip, staying silent. “Maybe when we fight, it tells us the other still cares.”

Alice’s overt roll of her eyes was coupled with a low growl. “Are you fucking kidding me? What are we? 12? Do you want to go push her or something just so Tina would notice you?”

“We spent almost nine years of our lives together, Alice. You’ve had a front row seat, bearing witness to how much love there was, is, in the relationship. It takes awhile to adjust and we’re doing as best we can.”

“So the old cliché love just aint enough applies to both of you?” she raised an eyebrow.

Bette shrugged. “You ready to go?”

Monday arrived in a blink of an eye, drawing the brunette’s attention from the get-go. She poured through piles of paperwork generated from the budget report, silently wishing no one would come looking for her.