Bette kicked her feet in the water.  Her reaction had been honest.  After what Tina had shared with her over the last few days she honestly wasn’t sure that there was any more to talk about.  There were lots of issues that could be debated and discussed but if Tina had come to the conclusion that she was straight after all there really was very little left to be said.

The less impetuous part of her, the part deep down that could still feel compassion for Tina underneath everything, regretted her response.  Perhaps Tina really did have something of value to say.  People could accuse Bette Porter of having many faults but not trying wasn’t one of them.  It was tempting to avoid opening up to the possibility of further hurt and heartache but that would mean not giving it everything she had. She didn’t have much more to give that was for sure.  This past year had taken its toll and her emotional resources were certainly running dry, but for this, for them, for Tina, Bette had a little more left to offer.

With this in mind she rose to her feet and followed Tina into the house.  Again, like Tina, she paused over a sleeping Angelica, whispering an apology for only the sleeping child to hear.  “I’m sorry Boo, it wasn’t ever meant to be this way…  I don’t really know what’s happening or how to stop it all falling apart.  But I promise you I’ll keep trying for a long as I can.”

Bette took a deep breath and made her way through the house seeking Tina out.  She could hear the anger in the way Tina was moving about the kitchen.  This had always been a place of sanctuary for Tina, somewhere she would come and wind down.  Early in their relationship Bette often remarked how easily Tina moved around the room from task to task getting things done with what seemed to Bette like a minimum of effort.  Today however things were different.   Even here Tina found no peace.   It made her feel a sudden rush of compassion for Tina, whatever was going on with her she wasn’t happy and Bette found it hard to break a seven year habit of trying to make sure that Tina was happy.