Tidying the pool, doing the dishes, Bette sighed. It wasnt just all the emotions from the last couple of days that were catching up with her, It was too that she was realizing, watching the cold water run through her fingers, that a new life was starting. A life she has prayed and dreamt of, a life that just a few days a go never imagined could be a reality.
Smiling, Bette felt a warmth feeling run through her body. She could feel it, she was not alone. Looking around, seeing the lights in the quiet pool, Bette remembered all the lonely nights she came home finding it empty and cold. And now, just standing there, in the middle of the kitchen she could feel it. Tina was home.

Drying her hand, Bette noticed Tinas purse resting on the table, her cell on the counter and all the magazines Alice bought for them at the hospital piled on the floor. The image, homey and messy filled Bettes heart with an indiscreptible joy. Chuckling, Bette smiled at the realization of how small things could make such a difference.

Turning the lights off, she looked around. The living room looked smaller somehow. Noticing the light at the end of the hall she smiled. Slowly, savouring every second she eagerly walked towards the light knowing what she was going to find at the end of it. Turning to walk inside she had to stop herself moved by the image in front of her. There she was, Tina. Unaware of anyone else in the room Tina was seated at edge of the bed, with her back to the door. The light coming from the night stand was caressing her bare back as she was tenderly holding the baby. Unable to move her yes from Tinas body, the shape of her beautiful back, Bette noticed how sweetly she was hiding the baby while breast feeding her. It was as if the two of them were just one.

Leaning on the door, Bette sighed. Seeing Tina there, unaware of her presence, was one of the things Bette has missed the most. Being able to look at her without being notice, being able to close her eyes knowing that Tina was going to still be there just as she open them again, that it was not a wistful dream, was something Bette was getting use to again.

Closing her eyes briefly she smiled, remembering that first time. The first time she felt that way. Opening the eyes again, she found Tina looking at her, smiling.

“Hey” Tina said, lightly turning to better look at her.

“Hey” Bette mumbled walking to seat at her side.

Noticing the look on Bettes face, Tina sweetly lifted her hand to caress her cheek.

“You ok?” She asked, moving her hand back to Lily.

Nodding, feeling her cheek aching from Tina?s contact, Bette smiled.

“What?” Tina whispered.

Lightly shaking her head, leaning down to look at Lily, Bette mumbled,

“Nothing…”

“What?…tell me…” Tina sweetly said, knowing something was gong on in Bette?s head.

Looking up from the baby to Tina, Bette quietly smiled for a couple of minutes.

“I…I… was thinking about the first time we kiss…” She said, the words bringing back the images, the sweet memory.

“Oh…” Tina mumbled, smiling, loving the memory.

Looking down at Lily, after sweetly caressing her soft head, Tina whispered before looking up at Bette again.

“What made you think about that?”

Caressing, Lilys bare wrinkled tiny foot, Bette whispered after a couple of long seconds,

“That day you didnt turn around…”

“What?” Tina asked, confused, trying to remember.

Looking up at Tina, Bette shyly smiled. Nodding, feeling Tina?s bare back so close; she caressed it, loving the shape of her shoulders, the shadows drawn on her cleavage as she was leaning forward.

“I saw you…” Bette added resting her chin on Tinas shoulder

“When?” Tina whispered, trying to understand.

Moving away, Bette took the pashmina from the bed and placing it over Tina?s shoulders, she sighed.

“I…I saw you arriving at the gallery…I saw how you looked around…” Standing up, Bette moved to sit in front of Tina. Moving the armchair, she seated in front of them. Unable to move her eyes from Lily, she added,

“I… I saw you staring at Logans watercolour, you stood there for a few minutes…I…I wanted to talk to you…wanted you to turn around and see me…I…I counted the minutes, the cars that passed by the gallery hoping for you to turn around…but you didnt…”

“…but I did…”Tina whispered, remembering the watercolour.

“…but not then…” Bette whispered, caressing Tinas knee.

“I wanted you to come to me…I was dying to talk with you but I was speechless, unable to move…I couldnt do it…I…I was sure I was gong to make a fool of myself…just there in front of everybody…I…”

Smiling, Tina nodded. Biting her lower lip she let Bette drifted away, loving her memories.

“I remember that the sun was setting…you were wearing a white blouse and I remember Id see through it…the sun was just behind you…”

Nodding, Tina smiled. Noticing the smiled, how the lips were hiding Tinas secrets, Bette whispered,

“What?”

After holding Bette?s stare for a few seconds, Tina whispered,

“I knew you were there…”

“You did?” Bette asked, confused.

Nodding, looking down to check on Lily, Tina said,

“I knew it…I felt it..I…”

“You did?…”

Nodding, Tina added,

“…and I saw your image reflected on the glass doors…”

Amazed, not sure what to say, Bette mumbled,

“But…Why?…why didnt you turn?”

Looking up, locking her eyes with Bette?s, Tina said,

“Because I could not move…and.I loved feeling your eyes on my back,… I was scared…”

Nodding, unaware of the smile growing on her face, Bette asked,

“You were?”

Nodding, Tina smiled,

“But…but you came to my office…”

Smiling broadly, Tina nodded, trying to hide the blush on her face.

“I know..I…when you left I…I…I could not believe it…suddenly I needed to see you again…to feel your eyes on me…I just couldnt stop myself…I dont know how..but I found the courage to go and talk with you…”

Nodding, chuckling, Bette rested her back on the chair.

“So Alice was right…”

“About what?” Asked Tina, placing Lily on Bettes arms.

Taking the baby, trying to hold her properly, Bette mumbled,

“The earring was just a trick…you knew what you were doing…”

Smiling, shaking her head while putting on the robe, Tina said,

“No, no…I really lost it…realizing it was just fate…I went to the gallery because I wanted to see you again…the earring was just the perfect excuse…”

Seductively hiding her face behind Lilys body on her shoulder, Bette whispered,

“So you needed an excuse?”

Nodding, Tina said,

“Of course I did…I made many up…I just didnt know which one to use…then I found out about the earring…”

“It worked…” Bette mumbled noticing Lily burping.

Sitting on the arm of the chair, looking down at Bette and the baby, Tina smiled. Leaning down, she whispered in Bettes ear.


Smiling, Bette closed her eyes enjoying the words Tina was saying…the memories, the feelings, the sensations… Nodding, she added,

“I know…”

Loving the look on Bettes eyes, loving the words she was not saying, the memories that they still had to share, Tina leaned forwards, and sweetly, very slowly rested her lips on Bettes.