Hello?”

“Hi Lauren. It’s Bette”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Bette could hear Lauren’s sharp intake of breath.

“Oh my God, Bette. Thank you for calling. I wasn’t sure you would.” Lauren’s voice carried a mixture of relief and exhaustion that made Bette’s chest tighten.

“Jaylyn told me what happened. How is she?” Bette found herself asking, despite her earlier proclamation to Jaylyn that she didn’t care.

“She’s… she’s not good, honey. She hasn’t eaten a proper meal in three days. She just lies there staring at the ceiling, and when she does speak, it’s only to ask if we’ve heard from you. Carson is so worried about his mother, and frankly, so are we. We’ve never seen her like this.”

Bette closed her eyes, trying to push down the surge of protectiveness that rose in her chest. “What exactly does she want from me, Lauren?”

“She wants to apologize. She keeps saying she was wrong, that she should have listened to you. But honestly, Bette, I think it’s more than that. I think she needs you. You were always the one who could ground her, who could pull her out of her darkest moments.”

“That was a long time ago,” Bette said quietly, though her resolve was already cracking.

“Some things don’t change, sweetheart. The connection you two had… it was special. I know what happened between you both hurt everyone, but maybe this is a chance to heal.”

Bette stood up from her chair and walked to the edge of her balcony, looking out at the city lights. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this, Lauren. What she said to me… it nearly destroyed me.”

“I know, baby. I know. But you’re both different people now. You’ve both been through so much. Maybe it’s time.”

“What about Carson? How is he handling all of this?”

“He’s confused and scared. He doesn’t understand why his father isn’t coming home, why his mother won’t get out of bed. He keeps asking if Mommy is going to be okay. Edwin and I are doing our best, but…”

“But he needs his mother,” Bette finished.

“Yes. And right now, you might be the only one who can help her find her way back to him.”