Tina and I sat outside and generally took our time. We ate our linguine marinara and it was divine. It was destined to be really with all the seafood around these parts. I could still taste the prawns and garlic and I am completely full but wont stop dessert from appearing. We had no trouble knocking off the bottle of non alcoholic champagne, perhaps it was the company because I felt a little intoxicated. We watched the sun go down, it wasnt the least bit cold once it did. The sun set was brilliant, the sun shone off the water and the sky filled with blue and pink, not a cloud to be seen anywhere. Once the sun had completely gone down the sky was full of stars and the brightest almost full moon I had ever seen. We could hear the small gentle waves just lapping in. I could still see Tina clearly with the bright moon and knew that everything wed through was for me so worth keeping this woman in my life, and I felt so lucky she choose to keep me in her life. I wondered about giving her the ring, I didnt want to dampen the mood of the night. I decided to take a leap of faith, after all we were going to need a few of those if we were going to make in the long run.
Bette : Tee, I have something I want to give you
Tina : I think you have given me quite enough tonight. Wink.
Bette : (thinking, there something else Id like to give you) Hmm, Tee it is important to me but I dont want to startle you so please let me finish what I have to say that goes with it. In many ways it belongs to you already.
Tina : OK, Im curious
I pulled out the little dark blue velvet box and sit it in front of Tee, she is looking at it. Bette :Open it, Tee
Tina : I dont understand Bette, I thought.
Bette : Tee, please. I wait until she looks up and is ready to listen. My wedding ring Tee, is as you already know, one of the most important things I have, for me it represents our life, us, our commitment and until recently our future
Tina : Bette
Bette : Tee, let me finish. I am not giving it back to you because I dont want it, quite the opposite, I want it on my finger more than ever but Tee, I want that when you feel ready to be my wife. Tee I am not talking about physically being my wife, I know that might take awhile (but speeding it up would be OK too) but
Tina : (thinking : does it have to take awhile ?)
Bette : but I mean Tee, when you feel you are ready to commit 100%, as opposed to when I am ready, which you should know is now. So when you feel we have worked out everything we need to, I am going to ask that you give me the ring back. There is no pressure here Tee, no time frame, days, weeks, months, its OK.
Tina : Oh Bette, I was worried there for a minute ! But thank you Tee knew this was my way of saying take your time, we, WE get there when we get there.
Bette : Tee, since we are here for the next couple of weeks I would like to make the most of it and show you around, spend many a night like this, just us, out here, soon the weather will begin to cool down but I dont you to feel pressured for us to be, um, uh intimate.
Tina : (thinking : pressured is not how Id describe it, but yesterday was a little concerning). Bette thank you for being so upfront, I hope you do not mind if I am honest with you.
Bette : Please go ahead.
Tina : Bette I feel my future is with you, us, I want us to be together, like we were Bette, in love, loving and to raise our child. Bette I know real life gets in the way but we need to work at, make time and listen to each other. Do you think we can do that ?
Bette : (nodding)
Tina : On the subject of *****. Bette, I would be lying if I said it wouldnt take awhile for me to trust you again after Candace and what happened yesterday but I am not ruling it out. I just want to take things as they come, uh as they happenBette, I meant what I said, I want us to sleep in the same bed, to be close, for you to spend time with our child.
Bette : Oh Tee, I would love that. Hmm, I think the tide is coming in, maybe I should get the dessert
Tina : Dessert, oh my, we will get fat !
Bette : :Chocolate mousse and wild strawberries and icing sugar
Tina : Bette, go, do not waste any time !
Bette : Ill make us a coffee too, Tee after dessert will you walk with me ?
Tina : You bet.
I bring out the dessert and we sit and eat it under the stars, candle flickering. Bette : Shall we, walk Tee ?
Tee : I need it after all that. That would be lovely Bette.