It was now hour 3 in the outside vigil and no information had been shared. The architect of the mall had been called and had soon arrived with the blueprints. From the 100 or so feet from the where the crowd stood, Bette could gingerly make out what was being said to the rescuers.

There had been a shift in the columns. The weight of the ceiling was not being supported and could fall at any minute if it hadn’t done so already. If there are people inside, we need to get to them quickly. The chances that the entire northern side of the mall collapsing are at 95%.

Bette turned away at the last statement. She couldn’t do this anymore. She couldn’t wait any longer. She need to speak to someone in charge now.

Bette slipped from Tina’s clasped hand and yelled at the first police officer she could see.


“Hey! Hey! Excuse me!”


A small red haired officer turned around.


“Yes,” the female officer answered walking over to Bette.
“I need to speak to someone in charge of the rescue. It’s important.”
“I’m sorry Ma’am, but everyone is busy right now.”
“Please, my daughter is trapped in there.”
“I’m sorry Ma’am, but…”
“Officer Posey,” Tina immediately recognized.


The officer had looked over at the woman she had met earlier from the parking entrance.


“I see that you made it inside,” Officer Amanda Posey smiled.
“Uh, yes…I did.”
“Mind telling me how exactly that happened?”
“I will not answer that question in fear that it will incriminate myself and others,” Tina smiled back.
“Good one,” Posey laughed.


Bette stood there in aww of the whole conversation between Tina and the young officer.


“Ahem.”
“Oh sorry, Bette. This is Officer Posey.”
“Amanda Posey,” the young woman introduced herself to Bette.


With some trepidation, Bette shook her hand.


“Nice to meet you.”
“Was there something I could help you with?”
“Yes, our daughter is in there somewhere and no information has been given as to what is being done to get her out,” Bette answered.
“There really isn’t anything that I can tell you. They haven’t told us anything either,” Amanda said apologetically.
“Can you find out for us, please,” Tina pleaded.


Amanda looked into those wet hazel eyes and knew that she could not reject this woman.


“I’ll try to see what I can find out, okay,” she smiled sheepishly.
“Thank you. Thank you,” Tina replied over and over again shaking the officer’s hand.

*****

“Gee, Tina, if you held onto her hand any longer she might have had to take you with her.”


Tina stepped back and looked at her wife of eight years.


“You can’t be serious, Bette.”
“Serious? About what?”
“This isn’t the time to be jealous, okay. She is nobody to me but someone who can possibly help us find out where Evan is.”
“And you don’t think that I want that,too?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth, Bette,” Tina said turning her back.


More amazed than angry, Bette stood watching Tina make as much space between them as possible in the huge crowd.


‘Tina can’t be serious. There is nowhere for her to go,’ Bette thought to herself.’Then again I can’t be serious for saying what I just said. That was stupid. I was stupid. Why do I always push her away when I need her the most?’

Bette reached out and grabbed Tina by the elbow. She pulled her wife to her chest and held onto her.

“I’m sorry,” Bette whispered into her ear,” I was stupid. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, you shouldn’t have.”
“Forgive me?”

Tina pulled back and looked into Bette’s chocolate eyes.

“Always,” she whispered.

Pulling Bette back into her arms,”Always,” she repeated.

Bette held Tina tighter like she was afraid that she was going to disappear.

Tina could feel Bette starting to tremble.

“Babe, it will be okay. Trust me.”

Bette dipped her head further into Tina’s neck and let out a shaky breathe. The couple stood there for what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes until a cell phone began to ring.

“Is that yours?” Tina asked pulling back.

Digging in her jacket pocket, Bette retrieved her phone. Looking at the caller id, Bette closed her eyes.

“*****.”
“What?”
“It’s Kit.”

*****


“Baby sis, you better pick up your phone,” Kit Porter mumbled to herself.

She had been sitting in her office at The Planet going over grocery order sheet when a late breaking news bulletin interrupted a Barry White song on the radio.

“This just in… there has been a partial collapse at the West Hollywood mall this afternoon. No further information has been given thus far but it has been said that there are still people trapped inside. Stay tuned for further details in the next hour,” the smooth male voice recited into the mic.

“What! Didn’t baby girl say she was going there today?” Kit questioned out loud.

There was only one way to find out… call her niece.

No answer. Called Bette. Waiting for an answer but her patience was beginning to run thin.

“Baby sis, you better pick up your phone.”
“Hello.”
“Don’t hello me, girl. What took you so long to answer the phone. You knew it was me.”
“Yeah, I was preoccupied.”
“Bette, I just heard on the radio about a collapse at the mall.”
“I’m at the mall, Kit.”
“Is she okay?”
“I… I don’t know. She’s still inside.”
“Bette, why didn’t you call me?”

Kit could hear her younger sister revert back to their younger days.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I didn’t call. I didn’t want you to worry. You have so much on your mind already,” Bette babbled on.
“Put Tina on the phone.”

Kit could hear the phone being handed over to her sister’s partner.

“Kit…”
“Hey baby girl. Tell that sister of mine that I’m not mad at her for not calling me, just angry that she didn’t think. We all love that little girl, you know that.”
“Yeah, I do. Just as much as I love her.”
“Exactly. Did you call the rest of the girls?”
“No, I’m just trying to make sure she doesn’t lose control.”
“I know, I know. Well tell her that I love her and that I will be right down.”
“Oh Kit, I don’t think you’ll be able to get through.”
“I’m still coming anyway.”
“I know.”
“Love you.”
“Love you,too.”

*****