“Things change… relationships change.”

“I know… I just didn’t know how to deal with it. But Tina I want you to know that I never once could imagine my life without you. I just… I needed to reach out to you but I didn’t know how.”

“That is why I wanted us to go talk to Dan Foxworthy.”

“I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t say the words. It would make it real.”

“Well, this is very real Bette.” Tina looked down at her plate.

“I just thought that if we could have a baby it would make it better. We would have something together.”

“How could you ask me to start trying again when you were sleeping with someone else?” Saying the words did it. Tina’s eyes welled up with tears.

“I don’t know… I meant it… it would be a reason for me to be strong again.”

“Did you talk to her about us?”

“No. No. I know you don’t want to hear it Tina but it was just physical. I was attracted to her… like us in the beginning.” Bette could see Tina’s face tighten up as tears escaped her eyes. Bette set her plate next to where she was sitting and reached out to put both of her hands on the sides of Tina’s thighs. “Look, Tina. I love you. I am in love with you. I fucked everything, up but you need to know it’s true. I can’t picture my life without you. These last few days have been ***** *****. I wake up and you’re not there… I can’t sleep without you. I don’t know what to do.”

“Did you talk to her?” Tina heard what Bette had said… but she couldn’t let it sink in just yet. She twisted a little in her seat but didn’t make a move to take Bette’s hands off of her.

“Yes, I did.” Bette continued, “I knew it was wrong as I was doing it. I just couldn’t stop myself. And you know the crazy thing? I never thought I would get away with it. I knew you would find out. I knew you would… and then you would see me for who I was and I could be real with you for the first time in months.”