Bette hung up the phone after making two necessary phone calls. The first had been to Robert to fill him in on the situation – the last thing she needed now was him hating her too. The second was to give Alice a bollocking. Bette knew she had meant well, but there were better ways of going about it. She then set off for the shops for what could be the most important purchase of her life.

Tina, meanwhile, was arriving at her parents house. Robert had conveniently asked Carol to go out for the afternoon so he could talk to Tina alone.

“Hey sweetheart” he opened the door to her.

“Dad” she burst into tears as he embraced her.

“It’s okay Tina” he rubbed her back “let’s go and sit down”

They walked through to the living room and sat down on the sofa.

“Tell me everything”

“I thought…I thought we wanted the same things, you know? To be together forever, commitment, to always love each other. I know it’s not been long, but I thought we both felt it. But now it seems, well I might just be a fling” Tina sobbed again.

“Did Bette ever give you any indication that she was feeling like this?”

“No…but Alice…”

“So all Bette has said is that she loves you and wants to be with you?” Robert interrupted.

“Yes, but Alice knows her, she’s known her for years” Tina protested.

“And you don’t know her?”

“I thought I did. But maybe not”

“What if Bette really has changed with you? What if you’re the woman she’s been waiting for? Are you just gonna let it slip away because of what her ex-girlfriend told you about her?”

“Then why did she just let me leave? Why didn’t she try and explain?”

“You’re not her prisoner, Tina. She knew you needed space, so she gave it to you. Do you really think you’d have listened to her if she had tried to explain?”

“No” admitted Tina meekly.

“I’ve been around a long time, sweetheart. I know love when I see it. And Bette loves you so much. I don’t know what she was like in the past, but my God she loves you now. She’s not going anywhere”

“You really believe that?”

“You’re meant to be. Don’t blow it. Because I’m sure she already thinks she has”

“I should call her” Tina reached for her cell phone.

“You’re tired, you’re irrational. Get some sleep and speak to her in the morning” Robert advised.

“Thank you” Tina kissed him on the cheek “Goodnight Dad” she stood up.

“Goodnight sweetheart”

Tina slowly climbed the stairs and got into the bed that she and Bette had previously shared. She lay down and pulled the pillow close to her body. A tear fell and landed on the bed. She clutched the pillow and softly cried herself to sleep, all the while thinking about Bette.

Bette climbed into bed and sighed at the empty space next to her. She took a picture of the two of them off the dresser and slowly ran her thumb over the image of Tina’s face before kissing it gently.

“I love you” she whispered.

A silent tear ran down her cheek. And Bette Porter didn’t cry easily. She wiped it away hurriedly. She fell asleep just hoping that Robert had managed to talk Tina around, and that when she woke up tomorrow she wouldn’t be a single woman.