Chapter 10



It was mid afternoon in what was proving to be a beautiful day. Tina gazes out the kitchen window letting the brightness of the scene outside lighten her thoughts. She’d long ago called the Center letting them know she wouldn’t be in today in fact going as far as telling them she would have to let them know later if she could make it in at all this entire week.

Bette is her first priority and she didn’t plan on going anywhere until she felt better about Bette. She may have abandoned Bette before but she wasn’t ever going to abandon her again.

A light lunch on the patio is just what the doctor ordered in her mind.
She has just finished setting it up. Looking at the tray she checks to make sure she has everything she’s intended when her cell goes off.
Looking at the caller ID it is Helena. ‘Will that woman just leave me alone for a moment?’ Tina thinks to herself. She doesn’t want to give anything away to Helena just yet. Her suspicions, beliefs, and truths will need to be dispensed as a surprise attack when she finally confronts Helena. Anything less will not go well. That woman is too unpredictable no sense riling her up until it’s time to lower the boom.

Until then she will have to play along that she’s still a clueless idiot. But she won’t be able to play that role much longer. Tina realizes time isn’t on her side right now but first things first. She needs to get Bette into a better place.

Picking up her phone she hits the ignore button silencing her phone. Funny how easy that was to do, too bad silencing Helena in real life will not be as easy.

Tina just stares at her phone. She’s going to have to face Helena sooner or later. With all the waiting around while Bette’s slept, Tina has let her mind touch on Helena a time or two. It goes without saying that ignoring her just fuels the fire in Helena but right now what Helena is feeling falls way low on Tina’s priority list. She’s thinking about her earlier call with Alice. God knows what Pandora’s box she’s opened up by getting Alice involved in this. Maybe Alice will get to the bottom of all of this but Tina gets the feeling she will have to help. She needs to go back to Helena’s and throw out her own net to catch Helena in. All of this makes Tina realize she’s got to bring Bette up to speed and the quicker the better.

“Are you being summoned again?” Bette says startling Tina.

Tina jumps at the first sound of Bette’s voice, but it doesn’t stop her answering as quickly as she can. The last thing she wants now is Bette thinking it was Helena so she redirected the topic.

“Tell me again why we consider Alice to be our friend?” Tina asks letting all her pent up frustrations out on Alice.

Bette can see the exasperation on Tina’s face, having been there herself many a time with Alice she lets out a chuckle. “I don’t know … ahh … because we love her?”

Tina starts breathing again with Bette’s answer. Her ploy had worked, Bette’s response is one that lets her know Bette is trying. Smiling now she lets out a soft chuckle, slowly Tina nods and moves towards Bette. “Love huh?”

It doesn’t escape either of them that they both could spend hours talking about love. That one word has gotten them to do things the neither of them are proud of. In one penetrating look between them, they both know it and by unspoken mutual agreement put it off till later. Later they can go into those details.

Looking up into Bette’s eyes Tina see the soft glow of hope. Seeing this sign gave Tina hope. The glow is her beacon calling her home. They haven’t lost their ability to read each other. An understanding moves between them. Tina knows she’s home when she follows that glow.

“Did you say something about tea earlier?” Bette asks moving them forward.

“Yes I did and it’s all ready to go. Shall we?” There’s a smile in Tina’s voice as she gestures to the patio.

Bette heads to the patio while Tina stops in the kitchen to grab the tray she’s set up while Bette was in the shower. She went ahead and made some toast for Bette to go along with the tea in the hopes she would be receptive to eating.

Carrying the tray out Tina glanced up to Bette who had taken a seat in the shade. Tina took a quick assessment of Bette. She looked pretty good considering the last 12 hours. It looks like the extra sleep did Bette good.

“Here we go.” Tina approaches the table.

Bette looks up to Tina, this feels like a deja vu moment. How many times in their time together has Tina come out with a tray of teacups and teapot so they could spend time together on the patio. A warmth begins to penetrate her core, it’s a good feeling that makes Bette smile.


****


Alice was flying high from her new mission. This investigative reporter stuff was a shit load of fun. The smile that stretches across her face can be seen from across the room as she sits at the corner table of the Planet trying to organize her notes. She wants to make sure she documented all her activities as well as capture her impressions down on paper. You never know what she’s going to do with this material. She could just feel it in her bones, she was digging for gold with this story.

This could prove to be the story of a lifetime for her and she wants it all documented out for future reference. Pen in hand Alice leans back in her chair to give her mind a moment to recap and think.

Gazing into space Alice lets her mind launch to free flight. Alice allows her mind to look at this situation from every angle she can picture. She has read an article recently about freeing your mind to gain a spontaneous, right brain thinking edge thus increasing comprehensive thinking. There was never a more important situation then this one, Alice is going all out to do her best.

A little while later, Candace walks into The Planet and scans the scene before her. Leaving the bright blazing sun behind her outside, it takes a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim setting of the Café. It’s in this period of adjustment that Alice comes out of her mind flight and her eyes rest on Candace. Immediately she jumps to her feet, tossing her chair to the floor in the process. The crash of the chair drew Candace’s eyes to the noise helping her locate the one she sought.

In powerful, purposeful strides Candace makes her way towards Alice. Alice seeing this shrinks back, the look on Candace face tells it all. She’s out to kill.

“Oh God”


*****


“Thanks Tina.” A smiling Bette acknowledges Tina’s effort. Her happiness at Tina being here comes through in her smile. Bette takes her usual seat at the patio table.

Tina sets the tray down, sets out the cups and begins pouring. “I hope you don’t mind but I went ahead and made some toast for you. I just thought you might want a little something.”

Bette nods while Tina talks. The blotchy images of the previous night cut through in jagged pieces in her mind. “Huh yeah that’s probably a good idea.”

Tina sets down herself in her usual seat and hesitates a moment looking at Bette. She wants to finally launch into her story but she wants Bette to be receptive. Tina looks at Bette until Bette returns her glance.

There’s a light in Bette’s eyes that respond to Tina. She’s looking Tina straight on, granting Tina permission to start. “I meant what I said at the beach yesterday Bette. You are the mother of this baby as much as I am.” Tina pauses and lets the meaning of those words sink in before she continues.

Bette turns her head away from Tina, narrowing her eyes just a little she squints at an imaginary spot on the table.

“Are you OK with that?” Tina continues looking directly at Bette silently pleading for her to look back.

It takes a moment but Bette finally turns back to Tina returning her gaze. She seems to get whatever final answer from Tina’s look. “Yeah I’m ready it just seems so simple when you say it like that and … well we both know that it’s anything but simple.”

“Good you need to be ready because I want you to be evolved with this baby in any way you want too,” Tina focuses on the first of Bette’s response. With Bette remaining silence Tina takes it for acceptance and continues. “Because the two of us have an appointment this afternoon around 3″, looking at her watch, “which is in a few hours so we’ll get ready to go soon. Also while you’re at it mark down in your calendar we have an ultrasound appointment in two weeks.” Tina says in a matter of fact tone enjoying the joy she sees coming from Bette.

“Well OK then.” Bette says liking the way Tina is taking charge.

Tina smiles back picking up her teacup, “Bette this will only get as complicated as WE make it. I for one am going to keep it easy and simple.” leaning back in her chair. “Please let’s both keep it simple.” Tina smiles at Bette hoping she’s receptive because so far this conversation was going well.

Bette nods her head picking up her toast and began nibbling on the corner. Yes, she will keep it simple, happiness filled her with Tina’s announcement.


*****


Helena scowled at the pace of the traffic. So far her morning has gone anything but smoothly. In many ways she was still unsettled. There was still no Tina and then there was the impossible meeting with the Bull Dyke. Her temper was simmering just the below the surface.

Driving in LA traffic was doing nothing to damper the boil. With traffic moving at a snail’s pace Helena needed to start making something happen. Picking up her cell she hit speed dial.

The other end answered immediately giving Helena some satisfaction that at least something was going right. “Hello, you know that situation we talked about the other day?”

“Yes that’s the one. It seems to have become a more urgent matter with her almost accosting me last night. See that that doesn’t happen again. I’m sure I don’t have to say any more do I?”

“Oh really, you have already taken care of my complaint. Well aren’t you the ambitious one. I like initiative and you seem to be demonstrating a lot of it lately. All I can say is excellent, that will make me a happy client.”

“What? What other matter are you referring to?”

“The art matter? Oh yes … no I haven’t forgotten. I still want that plan complete I was just not of the understanding we were at the point where the art was to be appraised just yet. But hang on to everything I believe we are very close.”

With her instructions complete Helena hung up and smiles. “Yes very close.”