“So Baby…have you opened your Christmas present yet?” Bette smiled into the phone.

Tina’s eyes widened, and a small squeal escaped her lips, having totally forgotten for a moment that it was not only Christmas, but it was their first Christmas as a couple in over fifteen years. Tina wiggled under the covers unable to contain her excitement. Because when it came to giving gifts, there was no one better at it than Bette Porter. Tina couldn’t help the childlike giggle rolling out of her throat.

“No Baby, I haven’t. I was going to open it last night, but the kids made me promise I would wait, since I wouldn’t let them open theirs either. You know they have been staring at the boxes you sent for the last four days, dying to know what’s inside.” Tina flipped the blankets back, getting ready to jump out of bed. “Hold on for a second, let me go get mine.”

“No Tina, wait.”

Tina settled back, quickly pulling the blankets back over her. The heat hadn’t kicked on yet, and it was freezing in her bedroom. “What, Baby?”

Bette sighed, again wishing she was laying in bed next to Tina at this very moment. “Look, I know this is selfish of me, but I want to be on the phone with you all when you open up the presents from me. But, right now I have to go get ready for brunch.” Bette hesitated for a minute, before asking…”Do you think you could hold off on opening the presents until I call back this afternoon? I mean, it’s brunch, and then we traditionally walk around downtown, so it will be late afternoon here by the time we get back, but it should only be around 2:00 your time. Please T, I really want to hear the kids reactions, and to talk to each one after they open them up. Is that Ok?” Bette held her breath in anticipation of Tina’s answer.

“Bette, you clearly have not been in this house with three children on Christmas morning, or you wouldn’t ask me to do this! 2:00 is like asking them to wait until next week!” Tina let out a soft laugh though, knowing she couldn’t deny Bette’s request. They had both wanted Bette to be in Seattle for Christmas morning, but with the gallery being really busy this time of year, and with neither Leslie or Kit being able to make the trip west, Bette had decided to spend one last Christmas with her family in New York. Tina knew how hard this decision was on Bette…wanting to be in both places at once, and didn’t want to add to her stress. So, for as much as Tina wanted her in Seattle, she understood and encouraged Bette to stay back east.

“All right…I’ll have them wait. Dan and Kathy won’t be here until this afternoon, but fortunately they brought their presents over last night, so the kids could open them this morning. That should distract them until you call. However, you better not make it much later than that, or I won’t be able to hold them back.” Both women laughed at that image. “But Baby…don’t you have time for me to open up my present right now?” Tina let out a seductive little purr. “You’re not going to make ME wait, are you?”

Bette laughed. “Don’t start with that Tina! If the kids have to wait, you have to wait…just like they told you last night.” Bette looked up to see Milaine standing in her bedroom door, frantically waving at her to get out of bed. “Listen Baby, I have to go get ready. I’ll call you as soon as I get home. Promise me you will all wait.”

Tina stuck her lower lip out, realizing Bette wasn’t going to let her get away with opening her present before everyone else. “Fine, fine…I promise. Now go have a wonderful brunch, and give everyone a big hug for me.”

“Ok, I will…I love you Tina, and I’ll talk with you this afternoon.”

“I love you too, Bette…bye.”

Bette quickly hung up the phone and jumped out of bed, knowing that her and Tina’s little morning…ah…mutual comforting session…had put her behind schedule. She grinned, not caring that she was now having to run around like crazy in order to be on time.

Milaine put her hands on her hips, watching as Bette started rushing around her room getting ready. “Hurry up MaBe! We have to leave in a half an hour, or we will be late!”

“I’ll be ready Love. Just let me freshen up and then get dressed. I’ll be ready in 20 minutes. Could you call down and make sure the car will be here?”

“Sure…I’ll be right back.” Milaine walked down the hall, shaking her head, but smiling…knowing how hard it was for MaBe not to be on the other side of the country this morning.


~ ~ ~

2:00pm Seattle time

Tina’s three kids were hanging out in the livingroom, playing with and/or wearing different presents they had received from their parents, and other family members…but all were keeping one eye on the clock, waiting for Bette to call so they could open up the last of their presents.

Tina had been handling the wait like a pro, up until about a quarter til 2:00. Then she started to walk in a circle, around the house…impatiently waiting for the phone to ring. She started in the livingroom, then went through the door into the kitchen, then out through the diningroom…back into the livingroom.

The three children looked at each other as their mother walked past them for about the sixth time, and giggled as she walked through the door into the kitchen.

RING RING RING

“Finally!” Tina rushed back through the kitchen door, only to have Dani beat her to the phone. “Hello?”

“Dani! Merry Christmas…it’s Bette.”

“Ma…I mean, Bette!” Dani blushed, embarrassed that she had almost called Bette by her nickname, without asking her first if it was Ok. “Merry Christmas! We’ve been waiting for you to call.”

Bette smiled into the phone, her heart bursting with love, realizing what Dani almost called her. “You have? You haven’t opened my presents yet have you?”

Dani shook her head as she spoke into the phone. “Nope, I swear…we even made Mom wait…and she tried to sneak her present behind our backs. Paul caught her though, and stopped her just in time.”

Bette laughed while trying to sound indignant. “She did, did she? Well…hmmm, we might have to do something about that!”

Dani giggled into the phone, and looked up at her mom, who was standing beside her with her arms folded across her chest, shaking her head.

“Dani, let me talk to her.” But before Dani could hand over the phone, the doorbell rang. Tina looked at Dani. “Tell Bette to hold on for a moment while I get the door.”

“Ok Mom.” Dani went back to speaking with Bette.

Tina walked over and opened the door. Dan and Kathy stood smiling at her on the top step. “Hey Tina, Merry Christmas!” Tina smiled back. “Hey you two…Merry Christmas! Come on in…we’re just on the phone with Bette, about to open the presents she sent for the kids.”

Dan got a goofy grin on his face, and then said, “Ok, but I hope you don’t mind…we brought someone with us who seemed to be lost, and needed a place to stay.”

Tina looked at him, confused for a moment…until him and Kathy both stepped to the side to expose a grinning Bette who had been hiding behind them, holding her cell phone to her ear. Tina’s eyes almost popped out of her head, and her scream of joy could be heard three houses down. “Bette!” She literally jumped into Bette’s arms and burst into tears. “Oh Baby…I can’t believe you’re here. How did you get here? I thought you were at brunch with Milaine…in New York!”

Bette’s own eyes were filled with tears, knowing that she really had been able to get away with surprising Tina. “Aw Baby…you didn’t think I was going to let you all open up my presents without me…did you?”