"But babe, do you think she’s alright?"

"Baby I’m sure Bette is fine, she’s down there all …" Shane’s reassurance was interrupted by the phone ringing. Carmen went over to it and answered

"Hello."

"Oh well look who took time to answer the damn phone." Bette yelled as she heard Carmen pick up.

"Hey Lil cousin, we were just talkin bout you."

"I’ll bet you were running your mind with thoughts of whether or not I was ok."

"I was not."

"Carmen."

"Ok I am a little worried bout you, Christ, is that a crime?"

"No but it is a crime to make Shane sit and actually listen to you go on and on about Lil old me."

"I’m just worried about you sweetie." Carmen exhaled a breath that she seemed to be holding since Bette’s plane took off.

" Well don’t be, Nanna is fattening me up and Toni is making my face hurt from laughing all the time and all of our crazy cousins want to meet this rockstar girlfriend of yours. So really sweetie I’m fine."

"Rock star?" Carmen asked looking toward Shane and smiling at the one person who made her heart swell.

"Well I embellished her lifestyle a little bit. Oh hey I don’t think I got a chance to thank you for the party last night."

"Well you are quite welcome sweetie I think we all had fun." Carmen finished by running her hand through Shane’s hair and kissing her quickly.

"But the next time you and Shane disappear for… 45 minutes try to be a little less vocal."

"What!?"

"Don’t try to be dense with me, it’s beneath you and me. Now where’s my woman? I need to hear that voice." Bette smiled as she heard shock come through the phone, she knew Carmen was a little blown by her knowledge of their intimate encounter.

"Uhh, I haven’t seen Tina since she left this morning." Carmen visually asked Shane the same question but she had the same answer as she did. " Neither has Shane. Maybe she’s somewhere out with Alice."

…………………………………..

Tina drove to the river and parked the car. It was around 6:30 when she woke up. She had cried herself to sleep. She cried until she felt as though her body had run out of tears. She let the sleep she was fighting wash over her and take her mind someplace where she was happy and completely free. In her mind there was only one place like that, she dreamt of Bette. And temporarily her mind was occupied with warm thoughts of desire and beautiful feelings of being loved and wanted unconditionally.