Tina almost tittered at the sexual undertones of the statement, “I’ve seen you before, haven’t I?”

            Sarah snapped her fingers, “Si, at the Center, you’re Oscar’s white….”  Sarah stopped, then added, “…friend, sorry that’s what we call you.  It’s not a dig or anything, just not many white women are coming down to our area to lend a helping hand, if you know what I mean?”

            Tina smiled, “That’s ok, I am white,” she said, holding her hands open in front of her as if saying ta-da!

            “Oscar likes you, thinks you’ve got some balls, well, for a woman,” added Sarah with a bright smile.  “You going to be ok, driving home?  I can follow you if you want.”

            “I’m fine, really, I’ll be….,” began Tina, then the fountain of tears began as they approached the front stoop.  “I’m so not fine, my wife, the woman who still owns this house, cheated on me.  With a carpenter, a carpenter!”

            Sarah’s eyebrows shot up, “Something wrong with carpenters?”

            Tina stopped, giving her a long look, “I have no idea, but she was dealing with our problems by going out and fucking someone.  Fucking them until the sun comes up and she’s still fucking her, right now; she has to be since she’s not here,” groaned Tina.  She moved over to the front step, seeing that the sun was beginning to make the sky purple again. 

            “You’re a cliché,” said Sarah, “really, you are. You’re moping, get mad, yell at her, leave her a nasty note, something, don’t cry about it.  Damn, for a woman who Oscar says has balls, you really don’t stand up for yourself, do you?”

            Tina gave her an odd look, “I get mad and then Bette just sweet talks me…”

            “Then don’t let her,” said Sarah.  “You know, I’m not going to say anything more, because I’m putting my two cents where it wasn’t asked for.”

            “No, you’re right, I have every right to be angry,” said Tina.  “In fact, I’m livid; I want my life back, the one I had before I met, Bette fucking Porter.”

            “Then you have to get it, fight for it, tell her that you aren’t taking her back, that she fucked you by fucking the carpenter, and give it to her with both barrels.  Don’t hold back, give it to her, hard, don’t let her talk to you like you’re a child.  You’re an adult, one that deserves a lot better than what you got.”

            Tina got up, nodding, “I should get back to where I’m staying, thank you, Officer Lopez.”

            “You’re welcome, drive safely tonight, ma’am,” said Sarah, twisting her tee shirt to get the excess water out of it before climbing into her squad car.  “I’ll see you at the Center sometime, you’re a tough lady; you’ll make it.”

            Tina smiled lightly and watched the car pull away.  She was tough, or so she had been once, and now, she would be tough again.

~*~*~*~*~

            “Where the fuck have you been?” bellowed Alice, who was pacing the living room like a caged animal in heat.  “I’ve been calling your cell, completely worried about you, and you don’t leave a note, you don’t call….”

            “Yes mom,” said Tina.  “I went for a drive and my cell is right over there, the battery died and I can’t find my charger.”

            “Oh,” said Alice.  “Where?  Did you take the…”

            “Alice, I’m a big girl, I can drive,” said Tina.  “I’m beat; I’m going to take a nap. I have things to do in the morning, so…?”

            “Yeah, yeah,” said Alice, waving and then quickly hugging Tina.  “I’m having coffee with Shane in the morning, you want to join us?”

            “Sure, I’d like that,” said Tina.

            Alice disappeared into her bedroom and Tina stood, staring at The Chart.  Picking up the red marker and going to the board, she put the marker to the board and finished the name that was now connected to Bette’s.  Adding the N, then the DACE, she nodded, baby steps would lead her to herself again, that was just the first one, of the many steps, she’d be taking.