Tina ran out the door and down the steps towards her car. She threw her suitcase in the trunk and slammed it shut. Tears were brimming in her eyes and all she wanted to do was get into her car and get back to Alices. She quickly ran around to the drivers side and fumbled with the keys before dropping them. She bent down to pick them up and finally got the door open. She sat down hard and slammed the door shut. Breathe Tina, just breathe, she told herself, trying fruitlessly to calm herself down. The tears that were brimming in her eyes now spilled over in waves of pain and the anger stirring inside her seemed to paralyze her as she thought about her fight with Bette.

Tina knew that she had provoked Bette and forced her to be honest with her, but the truth hurt so much. Tina needed to hear for herself what Bettes reasoning behind her affair with Candace was and she hated herself for it. Tinas ears were ringing as she recalled the accusations she had made and the responses she had gotten. Out of everything that Bette had said, the one thing that hurt the most was when Bette said:

Im not saying that what I did was right, and I am truly sorry for what I did, but at that moment it was what I needed.

It was what she needed!?!? What the ***** is that supposed to mean? I thought I was all she needed or at least I was enough. Since when did Bette decide that her life was incomplete and that it would be okay for her to find solace elsewhere? Tina wanted to run back into the house and ask Bette all these things but she didnt have the energy to withstand another fight with Bette. ***** you Bette Porter. ***** you and your hypocritical morals and values and beliefs. ***** your high and mighty attitude and your need to feel validated by others. And most of all ***** me for being stupid enough to put up with it for so long. Tina gripped the steering wheel she didnt realize she was holding so tight her knuckles turned white and her hands started to hurt.

Tina was amazed at Bettes ability to rationalize and justify even the worst of situations. Granted, Bette did seem remorseful and her apology seemed sincere, but Tina was not sure it was one hundred percent heart felt. Tina hoped that Bette realized the seriousness of the situation and didnt think that she would just come running back after a few months. If you want me back in your life Porter you are going to have to earn it. With one last glance at the house Tina started the car and drove away.

***

Inside, Bette was still standing in the same spot she was when Tina walked out the door. Bette felt herself becoming short of breath and she thought for a second she might pass out. Oh my God what just happened? Bette felt like she was in an alternate reality. The woman she encountered here in this room was not her wife. She was not the loving, kind, gentle woman Bette knew. Instead she had been replaced by someone Bette had never known to exist. She had been cold and unforgiving, harsh and crude, and Bette never thought there would ever come a time when she was truly terrified of Tina. Not terrified so much for anything physical Tina could do to her, but terrified at the possibility that she could tear her heart to shreds in a single, effortless motion.

Bette numbly walked back towards the living room and sat down on the couch. She sat there and thought about everything her and Tina had been through in this house. She remembered the day they bought it and the first night they spent in it. Tears ran down her cheeks as she recalled every single time they had made love in this house and every private moment that was shared here. Bette could not believe that Tina had said those things to her and she felt the nausea coming back as she remembered how Tina sounded when she asked her if she fucked Candace that day.

What do I do now? I have to get her back. I cannot lose her, thought Bette. When she looked up she realized it was dark outside and she didnt know how long she had been sitting there. Sadly she got up and headed for the shower. She didnt know how she was going to save their relationship and at this point she didnt know if there was even one left to save, but no matter what Bette knew she could not give up. As she stood under the streaming water she felt a calm wash over her, as if the water were rinsing away all of her problems. This feeling only lasted for a few seconds however, and when she walked back into the bedroom the encounter she had with Tina the night Tina confronted her about Candace flashed before her eyes.

She sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands. What am I going to do? What the ***** went wrong? How did it get to this? Bette didnt have any answers and this made her even more upset. She looked at the clock and saw it was a little after ten. She reached for the phone and called the one person who she knew would be able to help her sort this out.

RING RING RING

Hello?

Kit, its Bette.

Hey baby sister, whats goin on?

Silence. Bette bit her lip as she decided how she should tell Kit about what happened. She was pretty sure that Kit didnt know yet, because if she did she would not have been so kind to Bette on the phone and she probably would have called Bette by now. Bette sighed as she realized that sooner or later she was going to have to face up to everyone about this and starting with Kit would get the hardest person out of the way first.

Kit somethings happened and I dont know what to do.

What happened Bette? Is everything alright? Is it Tina?

Bette smiled when she heard the concern in Kits voice. Kit loved Tina as much as she loved Bette and Bette knew it was going to kill her when she found out.

Everything is okay, but Tina and I had a fight. A big one. She left Kit. She left me and I dont know what to do.

WHAT? What happened? You know what, hold on Im coming over.

No, Kit dont its late.

Bette stay there and Im coming over. I dont care how late it is.

Bette sighed knowing that it would be pointless to argue with Kit.

Okay. Thanks.

Bye.

Bette hung up the phone and her hands began shaking again. She didnt know how Kit was going to take the news and she also didnt know how she would be able to look Kit in the eye after she told her. Monogamy had always been such a cherished value held by both sisters, especially since their father had left Kits mother for Bettes. Bette sighed again as she stood up and got dressed. There were so many things that she had to figure out and she hoped that Tina would wait for her to do so.

As Bette walked over to her dresser something shiny on the floor caught her eye. She bent down and picked up Tinas earring. It was the same earring Tina left behind in her gallery the first day they met and it had always been a private joke between them. Whenever people would ask them how they met, Tina would always say, It was an earring thing. Feelings of nostalgia hit Bette as she recalled how gorgeous Tina was the first time they met and how badly she had wanted to have Tina in her life. Well you had her and you managed to ***** that up.

As Bette stood there holding Tinas earring she was overcome by a sense of dread and emptiness, like something very valuable was now taken from her. Bette turned and set the earring on top of the dresser along with their other jewelry and as she looked them over one by one little shocks of pain ran through her system as she thought about each one. Tina bought that bracelet when we were in New York, she didnt really like the color but she thought the shape of it was beautiful. Those are the earrings that I gave to her on our first wedding anniversary, I remember she cried when she opened them because they were exactly the ones she wanted. This is the necklace that I brought her in San Francisco, she always said whenever I was gone on business she would wear this one and it would bring her closer to me.

Just then the doorbell rang and Bette was forced back to reality. She walked through the house and opened the door to find Kit standing there with a concerned look on her face. Bette motioned for Kit to come inside and before she could offer her a seat Kit turned around and began speaking.

Hey Bette. Okay what is going on? Has Tina gone insane? What was so bad that it would cause her to leave you?

Bette looked at Kit with a pained expression and motioned for her to sit down.

I think you might want to sit. Its a long story.