Tina sighed heavily, aware of another bomb she was about to drop on Bette. Bette noticed that and asked, “What is it Tina? Please, tell me.”

“Here, read this,” Tina finally made a decision and handed Bette another entry from Maxine’s diary.

“What is this?” Bette asked, fearing more bad news.

“Just read it,” Tina said quietly.

Bette began to read and after finishing the first page she looked at Tina with confusion, “I don’t understand. What is this?”

“Keep reading all the marked passages and you will understand,” Tina replied.

“I know this man, George Washington Carver, father’s friend. I just don’t see how…” Bette paused as she read the last sentence that Alice marked in yellow and finally it came to her.

“My mother was having an affair,” she whispered and looked at Tina for confirmation. Tina nodded her head sadly, waiting for more of a reaction from Bette.

“My MOTHER was having an AFFAIR with a BLACK man,” Bette yelled in frustration to the ceiling and slammed her hand on the top of the coffee table, jumping off the couch. She began pacing the living room back and forth like a maniac, mumbling something incoherent and massaging her temples.

“Bette,” Tina called softly, “Bette, baby, I need you to calm down.”

Bette stopped pacing and looked towards the couch with a blank stare, as if Tina wasn’t even there. She blinked and it looked like a veil was removed from her eyes. She suddenly dropped to her knees in front of Tina, buried her face in Tina’s lap and began to cry uncontrollably.

Tina sat there silently, stroking Bette’s thick curls, whispering sweet nothings into her ear and occasionally kissing her neck and shoulders. After a long while Bette composed herself but continued to hold her arms around Tina’s legs and kept her head on Tina’s lap.

Finally Bette lifted her head and looked at Tina with red puffy eyes. She sat back on the couch and said calmly, “At least it explains some things that I found odd at the time when he visited. Like when mother and he were always going to the library and locking the door, or whispering to each other in the living room and getting silent the minute I would walk in on them.”

“Bette,” Tina asked again, “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be okay, as long as you are here with me to help me get through this,” Bette replied, wiping her tears and taking Tina’s hand. “Anything else you need to tell me?” Bette began trembling, feeling that more tears were coming.

Tina knew that this was the moment that she could be honest and probably lose Bette forever or that she could lie and have more time to spend with this woman that she loved so much…loved beyond words, boundaries or time. The hesitation lasted only a split second and Bette didn’t notice the turmoil that was swirling in Tina’s mind.

Tina took a deep breath and looked into Bette’s eyes, holding her hand really tight…

TBC…