“Tina, I am sorry about the way I reacted yesterday. It was just such a shock to me…I mean, you have never given any indication that you are a *****.”

Tina chuckled softly. “Well, if it will make you feel any better, my boyfriend Eric and I were both just as shocked as you the night I first met Bette, and fell head over heels for her on the spot.”

Dan looked at Tina confused. “Your boyfriend?”

“Yea…I had never dated a woman before I met Bette. In fact, I don’t remember ever thinking about dating a woman before her…” Tina looked directly into Dan’s eyes, wanting him to see her sincerity. “or after her. She’s the only woman I have ever been with, ever wanted to be with.” Tina looked away, remembering a conversation from long ago. “My first, last, and forever…,” she whispered too softly for Dan to hear.

Dan held her gaze for a moment, then nodded his head, understanding what Tina was telling him. She had not been struggling with any urges to be with women while they were together. “Thank you for saying that.”

“Anyway, Eric was very angry, and very hurt when I broke up with him to be with Bette…”

Dan interrupted. “And that’s why you never told me…cause you were afraid I was going to react the same way…you were afraid I was going to react…just like I did.”

Tina lowered her head. “Yes…but more than that. I didn’t want you to have to wonder about the differences, didn’t want you to ask me to compare. I didn’t want you to question yourself.” Tina looked up at Dan and spoke in a stronger voice. “I loved you very much Dan, I wanted our relationship to be about us, not about the fact that my previous relationship was with a woman.”

Dan nodded his head again. “You know, you were probably right. Who knows how long my ego would have held on before letting us both move forward. My insecurities would have been ***** on both of us.”

“And your ego, it isn’t hanging on now?”

Dan laughed. “Well, it was until Kathy helped me to remember that you really did love me, and wanted to be with me. She was right, Tina. I know that you loved me. I know that you weren’t just biding your time with me.”

Tina reached up and laid her hand on Dan’s cheek. “I hope you do remember that Dan, because I did love you very much…I will always love you. But, when I see the way you and Kathy look at each other, I know that everything happens for a reason. You two truly are meant to be together.”

Dan couldn’t help the goofy grin on his face. “Yea, we are.” He hesitated before asking the question that had been on his mind all morning. “So, why this sudden trip down memory lane?”

It was Tina’s turn to hesitate. “Well, when the kids and I were in New York, I ran into Bette, totally unexpectedly. Dani was dragging me to all these different art galleries…and one of them happened to be hers.” Tina smiled at the ground. “It was the first time we had seen, or talked with each other in 15 years. We had dinner in New York…” Tina blew out a breath. “Which turned into her coming to Seattle for these last two weeks…and we have decided to be a couple again. Well…I say decided…it wasn’t really a decision…it just…is.” For some reason Tina became overwhelmed. Her eyes filled with tears, and before she could even think about taking control of her emotions, she started sobbing.

Dan was confused by her outburst, but didn’t hesitate in taking her in his arms and holding her. “Hey…shhh. What’s the matter?”

“I love her so much, but I think I got so caught up in our reconnection, that I really didn’t take the time to consider everyone’s reactions. Bette knew…she knew that this was going to be difficult, but I didn’t listen to her. Now I’m scared about how the children will react. I’m scared that you will have a problem with her living with our children.” The full force of all the changes finally hit Tina, and hit her hard. She stood there wrapped in the arms of the father of her children, grateful for the strong comfort they brought, but sobbing just the same.

“Tina…hey…listen, I trust you. I trust your judgment. You know how wonderful a mother I think you are. I know that you would not bring anyone into our children’s lives that would do them harm, male or female.” He gently pulled Tina away from his shoulder and held her at arms length. “The only thing I’m concerned about is if you can trust her. I mean, this is the person who cheated on you and broke your heart. Can you trust her to not do that again?”

Tina nodded her head through her tears. “Yes, I trust her with my life…and my heart. I know now that we were both to blame for the demise of our relationship. She just speeded up the process by sleeping with someone else. But that is not who she is, it never was. It was a horrible mistake she made, and at the time, I was so devastated by it, that I couldn’t see past my pain, to let her back in. She tried…but I just couldn’t. But that was long ago, and we both went on to love again. I can’t imagine my life without you and our children. And Bette, she met a woman, and they adopted a child and raise her together, until her partner was killed in a car accident about three years ago.”

“Wow, that’s harsh.”

“Yes, it was. Bette, and their daughter Milaine both took it very hard. Dan…do you know that Bette’s partner died the same month that you asked me for a divorce? That’s kind of strange, don’t you think?”

“God Tina…wow…that’s quite a coincidence.”

Tina sighed. “Yea, that’s what I thought too.”

“So, what’s the plan. I mean, are you two planning on a long distance relationship. How’s that going to work?” Tina could tell that Dan had just realized that Tina may want to move with the children to New York. She could see him tensing up. “Well, Bette is going to be coming to visit as much as she can for now, but at some point, she is going to move to Seattle.” Tina looked at the ground, shaking her head. “She doesn’t want to. She owns two very successful art galleries in New York and Chicago, her daughter Milaine lives in New York, along with her sister Kit, and Nica’s sister Leslie. I know that Seattle is not on her list of cities she would choose to live, but she is willing to come here, because this is where you are.”

“Where I am?”

“Yea, Bette would never seriously ask me to move the children away from you.” Tina laughed. “Milaine is 21 and Bette is having major anxiety attacks about being away from her. She understands our situation totally.”

Dan smiled at Tina. “Will I like her?”

Tina laughed. “Dan, you are going to love her…trust me. I haven’t met a person yet who didn’t succumb at some point to the Porter charm!”

“She sounds wonderful Tina. And if she is who you want to be with, then I guess I just would ask…when do we get to meet her?”

Tina reached over and hugged Dan again. “Thanks Dan. I need you support…I want you to support my relationship. You will probably get to meet her in a couple of weeks. I can’t imagine Bette waiting any longer than that. As soon as she knows the coast is clear, so to speak, she will be on the next plane. Patience was never one of her strong suits.”

Dan smiled at Tina. “Well, if you are what is waiting at the other end of that plane ride, I can totally understand that.” He turned toward the campsite. “Come on, the kids are probably up. You know they are worried about us. Let’s go ease their active little minds! I’m sorry again for all the tension I caused last night.”

“It’s Ok. I probably should have told you right from the start.”

They headed back to camp, and the closer they got, the more nervous Tina became. She reached down and took a hold of Dan’s hand. He gave it a squeeze. “Don’t worry Tina, it will be Ok. It might be a shock for them, but give them some time…they will come around…just like their old man.”