Part I
Chapter II:  For Auld Lang Syne
December 30th 1997
 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?

“PORTER!!!” Alice shrieked, as she caught Bette and Tina enter the Planet for the first time in weeks.  Bette smiled in return, and headed toward her friend.

“Hi, Alice.” Bette placed a small kiss on her ex’s head, before pulling out a chair for Tina.

“We gave up hope of ever seeing you again.” Alice pointed to a disinterested Shane, who was attempting to wake up after a particularly late night.  “It’s been, what, two weeks since you guys were here last. You didn’t even come to the Christmas party. It was totally lame, by the way, but still Bette you can’t just disappear.”

“I didn’t disappear, Alice.” Bette said, in between ordering her breakfast.

“Were you out of town?” Alice asked, then turned to Tina. “She does that you know, disappears for weeks and then comes back with trinkets from New York or Denver or whatever. As if that makes a difference.”

“So, I’ve heard.” Tina smiled, and placed her hand on Bette’s thigh. She thought of Christmas Eve, how they laid in each other’s arms after making love on the couch and talked about Christmases passed.

“No I wasn’t out of town. If you must know, we spent a quiet evening in.”

“Yeah right, Porter.”  Alice scoffed, and nudged Shane awake. “Porter’s trying to tell me she stayed in on Christmas.”

“Maybe you should believe her then, Al.” Shane sat up, in an attempt to join the conversation in front of her. “I think it’s great, you guys.”

“It’s true, Alice. We watched ‘Miracle on 34th street’, and ‘White Christmas.” Tina said over her mug of coffee, to hide the blush that was beginning to creep into her cheeks.

“HA! Now you expect me to believe that Bette – Bette Porter– gave up work and the competitive to watch Christmas movies? Bullshit!”

“I told you, Alice, Tina and I spent Christmas together in our home.” Bette spoke slowly and emphatically to ensure that Alice would understand the gravity of her words. She hadn’t intended to share the news of her and Tina’s decision to move in together, but felt her friends deserved to know, and would hopefully share in her happiness.