Bette had three weeks vacation ahead of her, something she had planned before “Provocations” opened; Tina really made her take it. Tina knew how stressed Bette would become and knew that her wife would need a break. Franklin backed that decision with little hesitation. Bette was a force to be reckoned with when she was stressed. Kit wondered if Bette would have allowed herself to wallow as long as she was if she had to work instead.

“Bette? You here? I brought lunch.” Kit called out. As she walked through the hallway, she continued, “And you better not be in your pajamas–”, Kit stopped herself when she opened the bedroom door and saw the disaster area that was Bette and Tina’s bedroom.

Pictures had been ripped from the walls and thrown about, furniture had been upturned, glass from a shattered mirror and several small knick-knacks sprinkled the carpet, draws were opened and mounds of clothes were spilling out. Lying in bed, as if the bedroom hadn’t looked like it had been hit by a tornado, was Bette.

“Holyshit.”

Bette sat up and turned to face Kit, staring at her sister with sad, tired eyes.

“What the fuck happened in here?” Kit said firmly as she made her way to the bed, trying in vain to not step on anything.

Bette just shrugged.

“You did this to the bedroom?”

“Last night.”

“Why?”

“II felt like I needed to.”

Kit shook her head in confusion. “You felt like you needed to tear your bedroom apart?”

Bette looked at the damage she had done, sighing. “I woke up in the middle of the night and started looking for Tina. II forgot she wasn’t here.”

Kit listened, her brow furrowing with concern.

“And when I remembered that she was goneand why she wasn’t hereit-it just filled me with thisrage.”

“Rage.”

Bette nodded. “I was angry with…”

“With who? Tina?”

Bette shook her head. “No. With myself. I was angry with myself for doing what I did and making Tina suffer for it. I was angry that she wasn’t here because I couldn’t control my actions. I snapped.”