Alice sat silent, waiting for what she was sure to come, as Bette paced around in front of her, arms linked behind her back.  “I tell you to come in a couple hours, you come in 10 minutes.  I tell you not to show up here while the social worker is here”

Alice, biting her lip and slowly raising her hand, pointer finger up, said, “Um, Bette, can I just interrupt you for onnnne second here.  In my own defense, let me just say for the record, that I didn’t hear you say NOT to come while the social worker was here.  Okay, yeah, I just heard you say to take your time, which, which I did.” 

Alice was nodding her head in a fast and furious type fashion as she looked over at Tina for support.  She found none.   “Alice, you know how important it is that we show the state of California that we’re normal.  It’s so important that Bette be allowed to adopt Angelica; if not for anything, for her own protection in case something happens to me.  Don’t you understand that?”

Alice, realizing the chips were officially stacked against her and that all bets were off, said the first thing that popped into her head, “No offense, Tina, but how in the ***** was I supposed to know she would park in back of Bette?  Huh?  Does that make sense to you, to place the blame solely on me here?”

Bette and Tina: “Yes!”

Alice sighed and sinking into the couch, said, “Well, what?  Am I banned from the Porter/Kennard residence now?”

Bette looked at her watch and said, “Oh *****, we gotta go.  Um, not tonight, maybe tomorrow.  Tina?”

Tina’s eyes opened wide and she let out an “Oh *****” before reaching for her coat.  “Now Alice, you have our cell phone numbers just in case anything should happen.  Oh, and Shane and Carmen are right next door, so, you can have them over if you want the company.”

Alice shrugged and said, “Uh, yeah, thanks Mrs. Porter, what the *****?”  Tina smiled and Bette said, “Now you’re sure you can handle this, Alice?  I don’t want your preoccupation with what happened between you and Da”