The family had only been back from Montreal for a couple of weeks but Angie had already spent several days in Connecticut with her abuelita while the adults got back into their work routine. Under the circumstances Bette and Tina had no problem with their daughter missing a month at preschool. The school was also agreeable since she was enrolled in a progressive learning program in which the curriculum allowed for children to be home-schooled part-time if the parents desired it. It wasn’t Bette and Tina’s plan to have Angie home-schooled but with the holidays just weeks away they decided to indulge her desire to spend extra time with her grandmother. After all she wasn’t missing much and in fact she was learning French from Maxine which would push her further along with her foreign language skills. Best of all not only did she get to spend time with her grandmother and uncles, but she also got to see her best friend Suzie almost every day.

***

After getting home from Canada, Bette returned to work at the gallery, for which James was grateful. He’d been holding down the fort on his own for almost a month. Tina went back to her studies for a few weeks before the winter break. They’d hardly settled into their routine when they realized that the Thanksgiving holiday was upon them.

For years since they’d been together as a couple in Los Angeles it had become Bette and Tina’s tradition to host Thanksgiving in their home for family and close friends. The tradition held more for the couple than just giving thanks. It was also significant in that it held a special place in their hearts as a time to celebrate their love and commitment to each other and their lives together as a family.

They’d worried that the distance would change things but were excited to learn that moving to New York wouldn’t break the tradition. Their west coast friends had all been willing to make the trip east each year for the past three. The fourth year was especially inviting since Peggy Peabody generously offered her private jet to transport them so they didn’t have to deal with the holiday travel masses at LAX or JFK airports.