It felt like life was getting a little easier for Bette. Losing Tina would haunt for the rest of her life of course…anyone who tells you that time heals is full of *****. Time is only the passing of the years…your memory grows dim, but feelings stay the same, pain stays the same. Your mask just gets better…more adept at covering your face. That’s what we all wear…masks. We wear them our entire lives. we never really take them off. Only those who are the most close, and that is rare, get to have brief glimpses underneath. Bette wore a mask, she has let the love of her life…Tina…have glimpses of what was underneath. And she has glimpsed Tina also. That was what made her the love of her life. Bette knew that on her deathbed, she would not think of anyone else other than Tina. Nobody could come close. This is what Bette was thinking while lying in bed.

 The room was dark, too dark to see the dresser on the other side. However not too dark that she couldn’t see her hand. It was tough getting to sleep. It had been a tough day….she looked at her hand touching the blanket..thinking about the earlier events. Fleur had a tantrum…Angelica had not showed up to take her out for ice cream and didn’t even come home till very late. fleur had spent the entire afternoon on the couch loking out the window, even when Bette brought a snack of fruit and juice she wouldn’t even turn aorund. When it was bedtime she didn’t want to sleep, Bette had to cajole her and assure her that Angie would be home and would take her out tommorrow. Fleur screamed and cried and wouldn’t let go of the couch, Bette carried her to the bathroom for a bath…endured Fleurs screams and splashes…finally though Fleur lost steam. She brushed her teeth under Bette’s supervision and went quietly to bed. Drained and tired. Bette read her a short story from the Rupert Bear book Angie gave her and stayed with her till her grandchild passed out from exhaustion. Bette felt beyond anger toward Angie, she felt like Angie proved her point herself. she had said fleur would always be Bette’s child more than Angie’s. Well…Bette knew that Fleur would if Angie couldn’t keep promises…or if Bette would always continue doing the stuff mothers do. Tucking kid in bed, feeding kid…talking to kid on kid’s level. Being there for kid.