“We had an amazing run at forever, but that ship has sailed.” Tina watched, crestfallen as Bette continued. “But when you need a shoulder to cry on, or someone to listen to you vent and yell, I’m just a phone call away.”

“I understand,” Tina said in a small voice. “It’s just so hard, Bette. You’re always there, at the edge of my mind. I’m always too late, always too slow whenever I reach for you.”

Bette cleared her throat. “Tina.”

“Let me say this,” the blonde pleaded. “Why did you let go?”

“Why did you leave?” Bette’s retort caught Tina off guard.

“You cheated on me,” Tina raised her voice.

“You said you have feelings for men.”

“Why did you cheat?” the blonde charged ahead.

She took a deep breath before she answered. “I was suffocated by your neediness. When we decided you were going to take a year off work for the pregnancy, I was unprepared for how dependent you were on me.”

“It was a mistake,” Tina echoed Bette’s words. “The whole staying home to prepare deal was a crapshoot. We should have thought it out more thoroughly.”

Bette sighed at where the conversation was headed. “You were doing so great at work, Tina. When I saw how determined you were to focus on the pregnancy without added stress, I kept my silence. I didn’t want you to think I don’t want us to have a child. So I did the only thing I knew how.”

“Provide for our family and take care of us?” Tina added sincerely. “We… I was so caught up with the thought of starting a family I didn’t stop to think it through.”

“And I was too busy providing for our family to notice it.”

They let the silence linger after Bette’s remark, using it to digest the words shared between them. Nervously, she reached for her mug, her face cringing in distaste when the cold liquid hit her lips.

“I’ll go get us some fresh coffee,” Bette picked up both mugs and made a beeline for the kitchen.

Watching Bette, Tina debated whether to follow her. She had seen the love in Bette’s eyes and it was all she could think of at that moment. They were on shaky ground, but Tina was certain she had made the right choice.