“Great.” Nikki dropped her hand. “Laugh at the arse.”

“That’s not it,” Tina managed between gulps for breath.

“Oh, it’s not, is it?”

“It’s this overwhelming feeling of,” Tina looked up, as if the answer was above her, “karma.”

“Karma?” Nikki was incredulous. “I’m looking for a way to save my relationship, and I get a load of new-age bollocks like karma?”

“While I might be guilty of ‘new-age bollocks’ on occasion, in this case, I can’t think of a better term.” Tina walked over to a table and picked up a picture. She handed it to Nikki. “That’s my daughter, Angelica.”

Nikki scanned the image. She could see traces of Tina’s features in the child, but it was also quiet apparent that the child was of mixed race. “She’s lovely.”

“My partner and I had planned for a child. We actually conceived fairly quickly, but then I miscarried.”

“I’m sorry.”

“After that, our lives spun out of control. It shattered us as people, shattered our lives.”

“Bloody nice introduction to motherhood, Tina.” The words were said without anger, but Tina realized how Nikki would not yet understand her intent.

“It wasn’t the child. It wasn’t any one thing. We did not deal with things as we should have, we didn’t communicate. Once things ended, that drive that I had to have a child remained.”

Nikki looked ready to speak again, but Tina held up her hand, requesting a moment.

“That,” Tina continued, “is where the karma comes in. I wanted a child. By myself, I was inseminated and conceived Angelica.”

“But you said your ex was involved in her life.”

“She is now.” Tina let out a breath. “But it took a long while for us to get to this point. I dated Helena while I was pregnant. My ex and I came together again shortly before her birth, but our problems remained, magnified by other issues.”

“So is this a cautionary tale?”

“Given everything? I can’t imagine my life without my daughter.” Tina took the picture and smiled down at the child. Although not a biological parent, so much of her partner also seemed to be so much of their daughter. “But having been the one to go it alone at the start, I would have done the same thing if I had to. Nothing would have stopped me from being a parent.”

“What if I can’t hack it?”

“Do you love her?”

“Yeah, but that’s not enough, is it.”

Tina knew that she still loved Bette, yet the only thing they were really together on was their daughter. “No, it’s not. But it’s a start.”

“Yeah, yeah, I guess so.” Nikki finished off her glass. “Can I ask a huge favor?”

Tina nodded and waited for the request.

“Take me home. Please. Maybe Helen’s there. Maybe she’ll forgive me enough that we can talk about all this.”

(tbc?)