It was early on Sunday morning and Tina was lying in her hotel bed with her eyes shut debating with herself as to whether she should get up and start the day or stay where it was warm and try to go back to sleep. Then, all of a sudden, her phone started to ring ending any kind on conflict about whether the day was about to begin. She grabbed the phone off the table and looked at the caller display.

“Bette, what’s wrong?” asked Tina, worried that Bette was calling her when she thought that they had agreed that they would take things at Tina’s pace.

“You said you still loved me.”

“What? When?”

“Earlier, the last time we spoke. You said that all the things that you have done since you left you did because you still loved me. You know what this means don’t you?”

“Right now, I have no idea.” replied Tina, confused and still trying to shake off the last vestiges of sleep while trying to keep up with Bette’s obvious excitement.

“It means that you still love me.”

“Yeah Bette, I still love you.” whispered Tina, not really sure whether she should admit the fact out loud again, for Bette to take advantage of.

“So you know what else this means?”

“Tell me.”

“That we both still love each other and you know what that means? It means that there’s hope.”

“I never said there wasn’t any hope for us. It’s been so long since we were anything, but the love’s still there. I just don’t want you to get too far ahead of yourself, I may still love you but trust, confidence…I don’t know Bette, those things you have to earn and we both have a lot of work to do before we get back to that place.”

“Do you remember the night that I found out you were pregnant?”

“Yes.” said Tina, cautiously, not really understanding where Bette was going with this change of subject.

“As much I always loved you, will always love you, I don’t think I ever loved you more than I did that night.”

“I know, you told me, seven times I believe, in the space of about two minutes.” laughed Tina, smiling at the memory.