It was nice to be home. It was also nice to be out of the vehicle after the most awkward ride of Bette’s life. For the first time she felt like a stranger. The two people riding
with her felt like strangers. Bette didn’t let on that she knew why Angelica was silently looking out the window instead of quizzing Bette on her trip, which she always did. Slouching
with hands tucked under thighs, Angelica had the look of someone trying not to show any emotion. Fighting the urge to tell Angelica not to slouch so much Bette gripped the steering
wheel and glanced at Tina in silent help. But she might as well have been appealing to dead wood. Her wife leaned into the car seat with blond hair tied back and hands clasped tightly.
Tina had dyed her hair at the first sign of grey but it wasn’t so much physical oldness, it was everything about her. Looking at her Bette felt sorry for T, she aged so much. Too tired she had
asked Bette to drive. Feeling out of place Bette wished she could have said sometihng right, something to cut the tension. Instead silence prevailed, Tina and Angelica ignoring each other
so steadily they might as well have been screaming at each other. At the driveway Bette practically leapt out fo the vehicle. Tina helped her while Angelica just opened the door and
disapeared in her room. Bette noticed that a large store-bought sign was posted on Angie’s door reading “Sorry We Are Closed”. Lugging the suitcase in her own bedroom Bette
dropped it and crashed on the bed, the ceiling above whirling. Tina came in and dropped the two bags, following suit she crashed beside Bette. They lay there side by side, quietly
and quickly getting used to being close again. Bette felt T’s hand slide onto her thigh, half-squeezing Tina whispered an apology for eariler. The physical contact washed over Bette like water,
it was refreshneing and once again established the link between them. A link both had worked hard to keep alive all these years. Sliding over Bette turned on her side and wrapped her
arms around Tina, tired. tina ran her hand down Bette’s hair down her shoulders, whispering that Bette should go talk to Angelica. Bette nodded an held on tighter to Tina…feeling
strangely inadequate to the task. It was unfamiliar to Bette to feel intimidated by her own daughter.