“Tell me everything that happens.”

“Of course.”

I walked up to the door just as Tina and Jackson reached it. We embraced and she took my hand as I led her through the door. The waitress sat us and we looked at the menu. We had yet to really speak a word, both of us in our own thoughts.

“So, did you think more about my offer,” I asked, handing Jackson a crayon.

“I don’t know Bette.”

“What is making you afraid,” I asked, taking her hand, “please tell me.”

“It’s not that I’m afraid, I’m just not sure if this is the right thing for Jackson and me. I’m really happy that you’ve opened your house to us. I just don’t think this is the right move.”

“I understand that, but I want you to at least think about it.”

“I have and I will,” she said and half smiled. We turned our attention back to our menus, and sat in an awkward silence, Jackson breaking the silence every now and again. We put or order in and ordered a couple glasses of wine. As we sat there, I stared at her. She took over my every waking thought; I didn’t want to live without her.

“What are you thinking about,” Tina asked.

“You,” I replied without hesitation. She smiled looking down.

“I know you want us to move in with you, nothing would make me happier. I just need to figure things out with Eric. I don’t want to hurt him anymore than I already have.”

“I understand that, but someday, eventually, he will move on. You will have too as well. And I will always be here, waiting for you, wanting you still.”

After that we changed the subject to my schooling. I was a little more than halfway through the doctorate program. By the time I got my doctorate and took my licensing test, Dana’s new practice would be open. At the moment, she rented out a space in a medical strip center to build up her clientele. She had bought a small piece of land and was building her own practice with state of the art equipment. I had agreed to be a partner and already made my investment in the practice. It was going to be a pretty big building; we were both hoping to build a reputation for being the best in sports medicine before it opened. Dana had already had a few of her pro tennis friends stopping by for therapy sessions.