Once confirming that Dana was safe and sound, the three went outside and sat on the porch.  It was intervention time, once again, and as Alice scraped dust from the baby monitor’s antenna with her finger, she would nod every now and then as if what was being said was actually sinking in.  For effect she would even resort to letting a couple, “you guy’s are so right,” or “exactly, I get it, I really get its,” slip out. 

Truth was, Alice wasn’t listening to a word they were saying.  She knew that what she was doing was unhealthy for her, but she just couldn’t stop herself.  Codependency ran in her family; it was her crutch, her cross to bear, so to speak. 

When Bette and Tina approached the threesome, deep in conversation, they joined them.  Bette asked “What’s the topic of conversation tonight, ladies?” all the while sucking in air through her teeth and raising an eyebrow in Shane’s direction.  Tina ran in to check on Angelica, before returning and joining her comrades in their exhausting attempt at saving a friend.

Bette: “Alice, you do this all the time.  What makes Dana any different?”

If Alice was moved by anything, it was that question.  Alice lifted her head and simply said, “She was my friend, first, Bette.”

Tina, putting her hand on Alice‘s shoulder, said, “Then be her friend and give her time to figure things out for herself, Alice.”

Alice laid awake most of the night thinking.  Tina was right, if she really held Dana in such high regard, she would be able to trust that Dana would do what was best for the both of them in the end.  She would have to have faith, faith in Dana, faith in their friendship, faith in knowing that she would, someday, get a chance to redeem herself.  With that she got up, walked over to the wall, and began carefully taking down all of Dana’s pictures and transferred a few keepsake mementos to a box.  After dragging the life size cardboard cutout of Dana from one of her promotional tours into the closet, Alice closed the door and turning, doused out the few scattered candles that had remained.