“Are you sure you’re okay” Bette asked Tina.


“I’m fine. I guess I just got anxious hearing how horrible I have been to you. I started to think that if you got all of that out into the air you would decide that you didn’t want me.” Tina looked up at Bette.


“I just needed to get it all out. I never meant to upset you like that.” Bette sat down on the bed next to Tina. “You should have called a timeout.”


“No, I wanted to get through this. It was just hard to hear.” Tina ran her hand through her hair and took a deep breath. “I know that sorry doesn’t begin to explain or cover any of what I did, but I really am sorry Bette.”


“Can you explain it, Tina?”


“Until today, I’m not sure that I could. I’m still not sure I can fully answer your questions now.” Tina stood up and crossed the room. She turned and looked at Bette. “I know now that I had a lot of anger built up and I felt that I needed to punish you somehow. Even for things that were not your fault. Obviously I got way out of hand. I convinced myself that I needed to be with someone else and I pushed you so far away. I’m so sorry about that. I feel like I’ve been out of my mind with some kind of rage, and now I’m coming back to my senses. I’m sure that I can’t plead temporary insanity, but I think that was what it was.”


“Tina, we aren’t in court.”


“I know. But it’s strange when you can’t find the words to explain the really stupid things that you do. I wasn’t thinking, I was…”


Bette smiled. “Just reacting?”


Tina put her hand to her forehead. “Oh God. I’m so sorry, babe. I feel like such a hypocrite. I took your head off when you said that was what was going on with you.”


Bette stood up and walked to Tina. “At least I know that you do understand on some level what I was feeling at that time. It made no sense to me either, Tina. I was just trying to reach out to something, anything. I made a bad decision and I paid dearly for it. You made a bad decision…”


“Just one?” interrupted Tina.


“T, “Bette continued, “No keeping score. We both fucked up. We both paid for it. We both want to move on, right?”


“Right.” Tina smiled at Bette.


Bette walked over to the window. “I know that we both have to deal with what we’ve done in our own way, but on some level we also have to leave it in the past. It will take me some time. We have to completely rebuild our relationship. Obviously we can’t go back to how it was.” Bette turned to face Tina.


Tina stood up and walked over to Bette. “We can make it better, can’t we? I mean, I really want to.”


“So do I.” Bette smiled at Tina. “I do love you, T. I hope that you know that.”


“I do. And I love you, baby. More than you know.”


——



Bette sat down wearily on the couch. “I don’t even want to know what time it is.”


Tina walked over and sat beside her. “It’s really late. We should get some sleep. We have a flight to catch tomorrow…or I guess later today.”


“Did you book a flight at some point?” Bette couldn’t remember Tina calling about flights, unless it was when she was in the shower.


“Didn’t need to. We have the Peabody jet at our disposal.”


“We what?” Bette looked at Tina incredulously. “How did you get the Peabody jet?”


“I just called Peggy Peabody and told her that I was worried about you and needed to get to you as soon as possible. As a matter of fact, Peggy was the one who figured out your whereabouts. That woman has a lot of pull.” Tina laughed.


“Why did Peggy find out where I was?”


“She cares a lot about you, Bette. She gave me a bit of hell about being the one to come and find you. But I couldn’t have found you or gotten here so fast without her.” Tina sat back on the couch.


“Well, I will have to look Peggy up when we get back to LA.” Bette smiled and took a sip of wine.


“Speaking of LA, Bette, I guess we need to decide on the guidelines there as well.” Tina held her breath. She exhaled sharply. “I mean, we are still technically living in the same house together, right?”


Bette looked over at Tina. “I hadn’t thought about that.” She stood up. Taking several steps, Bette turned to face Tina. “I know that we’ve gotten a lot out in the air, Tina…”


Tina stood and walked to Bette. “…but we’re not back to being a couple again, are we?”


Bette smiled slightly. “No, we’re not. I need some time.”


“Okay, fair enough. How about I take the guest room and you take the master. We can alternate which room Angelica sleeps in if you want.” Tina knew that she had an uphill battle to earn her way back into Bette Porter’s bed.


“Actually, YOU can take the master. I haven’t slept in there since I saw you and…him.”


“How did you pull that off?” Tina wondered.


“I slept on the couch and got up before you did so you wouldn’t know. I couldn’t bear to sleep in that bed, Tina.”


Tina looked at Bette sorrowfully. “Sorry, Bette. I know that doesn’t fix it, but I am sorry.” She touched Bette gently on the arm. “I’ll take the master, if you want.”


“Okay, then that’s worked out.” Bette looked towards the bed. “So, what do we do about tonight?” She knew that she wasn’t ready to share a bed with Tina.


Tina turned around and walked to the couch. “I’ll sleep here. A few hours on the couch won’t matter. I’m so tired anyway I don’t think I care where I sleep.”


Bette walked over to Tina. “Thanks for understanding, T. I just need some time, okay?”


“I know. Just know that I’m not going anywhere. I’m here, when you’re ready.”