“Henry.”

“Bette.” The greeting held no emotion, only propriety. “Tina, we really should go. Mikey’s anxious to go to the party.”

Tina nodded. She felt uncomfortable talking to Henry in front of Bette, as though she was cheating on the woman right in front of her. She reached over to caress Angelica’s cheek, mumbling baby talk to her daughter.

“Be good to your Mama B, Angie,” Tina leaned in to kiss Angelica on her head after handing Bette the baby bag. “What time should I expect you two Sunday?”

“Like we talked about, Tina,” Bette knew this was another one of Tina’s punishment. “She will be safely in your arms by 8 on Sunday. Not a minute later.”

“Yeah, sure,” Henry muttered under his breath. “Nice to see you again, Bette. Let’s go, Tina.”

Not following Henry’s lead, Tina regarded the woman holding her daughter. Her gaze lingered, the words she longed to say right on the tip of her tongue.

“I’m sorry,” Tina whispered, feeling last night’s tension fading away.

Bette tilted her head toward the sidewalk. “Henry’s waiting.”

And just like that, last night’s barb was returned with interest. The tall woman turned back to her home, shutting the door behind her. Leaving the stunned blonde on her doorstep was something unusual, but Tina had made it clear to her she would make her pay at every opportunity.

“It’s just you and me, Boo. Just you and me from now on,” Bette cooed at her daughter as she settled down on the couch.

Mother and daughter traded baby talk for the next hour, Angelica’s squeals of laughter filling the house. They danced to the music for babies CD, stopping only for lunch and a change of diaper.

“Na!”

Angelica’s outburst brought Bette to attention. “Do you want a banana, Boo?”

“Na,” the baby repeated.

Bette chuckled at her daughter’s demand. “You are your mother’s daughter after all.”

She lifted Angelica into the crib, kissing the top of her head before pulling away. “Be good, Boo, Mama B will be right back with your banana.”

Venturing into the kitchen while keeping an eye on her daughter, Bette gathered the supplies and went back to the living room. Grabbing one of Angelica’s favorite books, she began reading to her daughter while she snacked on the fruit.