2 Days Later

The preliminary went just as everyone had assured Bette. The judge saw how Alicia had no solid place of her own to house her and Melito, and her job status was certainly unstable, and besides that Melito was more comfortable staying with Bette anyway. He no longer recognized the Alicia that stood in the court room and she scared him every time she reached for him or looked in his direction.

Here it was 2 days later and Bette was sitting up waiting for the morning to come so she could go to trial and fight to be a parent. And as much as she wanted her mind to be on Melito, it wasn’t. The only thoughts racing through her mind was Alicia and the proposition she made her yesterday.

………………………..

The bell rang and Bette was in the shower.

"Hold on, I’ll be right there!" Bette threw on a shirt and shorts and raced towards the door. She was hoping it was the delivery people with her mother’s pictures. But when she opened the door standing there was Alicia with a grin on her face the spelt nothing but trouble.

 "Alicia."

"Bette so informal."

"What are you doin’ here Alicia?" Bette snapped back.

"Why I thought you were a Southern girl, where’s that Southern hospitality you always pride yourself on."

"It’s in Georgia, now what do you want?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Melito. May I come in?" Alicia knew the only way Bette was going to let her in was to bring up Melito and any discussion about his welfare was always welcomed by Bette. She just moved a side and allowed her in with a whisk of her arm.

"You looked like you were expecting someone else when I rang?"

"I was expecting my mother’s pictures to be delivered today."

"The ones at your Nanna’s house?"

"No, the ones in storage." Bette finished through a big huff of air, she was growing tiresome of Alicia’s need to prolong her stay.

"You still find them relaxing? I remember you just sat there and stared at them for hours." Bette answered her question with a look that conveyed her need to end this conversation.