Bette walked through the door of her house and put down her coat. She dropped her briefcase and looked around. She knew that Tina was working, but didn’t expect her to not be at home. As she walked across the living room to look out by the pool, she heard the front door open.


“Hey Angelica, there’s your Momma B!” Angus smiled as Angelica pointed a finger at squealed “MaBe!!” He put Angelica down on the floor and she crawled as fast as she could towards Bette.


“Hey there Boo!” Bette scooped the little girl up and swung her around. “Did you have a good day today?”


Angelica began babbling in earnest, ‘telling’ Bette about her day. Bette just smiled and pretended to understand her daughter.


“Hey Angus, how are you?” Bette put Angelica down and she started for her toy corner. “I thought Tina would be here.”


“She had a last minute meeting at the studio, so I came and took Angelica off of her hands.” Angus smiled at Bette. “She thought she would be back by now.”


“Well, maybe her meeting ran long.”


“I thought the CEO controlled the meeting?” Angus laughed. “It’s great that Tina got the position. I know she’ll be great.”


“Yes, she will be.” Bette looked over to check on Angelica. “Sit down if you’d like, Angus. No need to rush off, unless you’re headed to check on my sister.”


Angus sat down. “I have a few minutes.” He leaned over and rested his arms on his knees. “So, Bette, I haven’t had the chance to ask you, how are you doing? We were all worried about you when you disappeared in Canada.”


Bette smiled. “I’m a lot better, Angus. I started to do something really stupid, but I’m glad that I didn’t. I don’t know what I was thinking. Anyway, now things are different, and better. Tina and I are trying to work through some things and focus on our family.”


Angelica crawls over to the coffee table. She reaches up for the table, and slowly stands.


“Hey, look at that!” Angus pointed at the little girl. “She’ll be walking in no time.”


Bette beamed. Angelica gingerly moved around the table while holding on. She reached Bette, then looked up and said “MaBe!”


Bette picked up her daughter. “What about that, boo? Are you getting ready to walk? Your mommy and I will be so excited when you do.” Bette looked over at Angus. “This is what is important. And I’m so grateful to be here to experience her life, Angus. I almost threw it all away. Tina and I both did. But we stopped before we destroyed everything and now we’re trying to build something new.” Bette looked down and made a face at Angelica. “So, I’m getting better everyday.”


“I’m glad, Bette. As far as I’m concerned you’re family to me. I know how upset and worried Kit was, and she is still worried about you.”


“Speaking of my sister, is she doing all of the things that she should be to take care of herself? This pregnancy is not going to be easy, you know.”


“I bug her all of the time to take it easy, Bette. She says that she can’t just sit still and wait for the baby to be born. She’s got to have something to do.”


“I know. She has never been able to stay in one place for long. Although it seems that you’ve given her a good reason now.”


Angus smiled and stood up. “Thanks. I really do love her, Bette. I want us to be a family. You know that she won’t get married until it is legal for everyone to do it, right?”


Bette laughed. “Yeah, my sister, champion of gay rights.” Bette walked with Angus to the door. She stopped and looked at him seriously. “Don’t let her push you away, okay Angus? Because she may try.”


“I’m too stubborn for that. She’s stuck with me.” Angus kissed Bette on the cheek. “I’m glad that you and Tina are trying to work things out. I know that you love each other, and Angelica needs you both.”


“Thanks, Angus.”


Angus reaches for the door and opens it, just as Tina is trying to turn the doorknob.


“Hey there, Tina.”


“Angus! Where are you going so fast?” Tina stepped inside the doorway.


“Over to check on my babe. She doesn’t know when to leave work, so I’m going to go make her go home.” Angus headed for the front steps. “See you guys later.”


“Bye Angus.” Bette closed the door. She turned and walked toward Tina, who was checking on Angelica. She watched Tina greet their daughter and watch her play. Tina looked at Bette, stood up and walked over to her. “Hey there beautiful,” Tina said as she put her arms around the brunette. She leaned in and kissed Bette gently. Bette responded to the kiss by putting her arms around Tina and pulling her close. Bette reached for Tina’s bottom lip with her mouth and pulled on it gently. Tina opened her mouth, deepening the kiss. Bette responded, searching for Tina’s tongue with her own. As they stood there, enjoying the exchange, they both hear Angelica.


“Mama!!MaBe!!”


They break the kiss and look over at their daughter. Angelica is once again standing up and holding on to the coffee table.


“Hey baby! Look at that! You’re standing up by yourself!” Tina grinned at their daughter.


“She showed me that trick a little while ago. I was hoping that she’d show you, too.” Bette looked at Tina and ran her hand through the blonde tresses. “Although her timing sucks.”


Tina laughed. “Get used to it Porter. Especially once she really becomes mobile. She’ll be all over the place.”


“She’s all over the place now, T. I’m afraid to blink because she moves around so fast. Who knew that crawling could be such an efficient mode of transportation?”


Tina looked at Bette. “Just wait until she gets the hang of walking.”


Angelica attempts a step away from the coffee table, but loses her balance and falls. She starts to cry.


Tina walks over and picks her up. “Hey, it’s okay Angel. You’ll walk soon. You can’t get it the first time.” She reaches up and wipes away Angelica’s tears. “How about you play with your mommy while I start dinner?” Angelica laughs and starts to babble.


—————————-

Tina emerges from the bedroom after putting Angelica to bed. She crosses the room and sits on the couch next to Bette. “Mission accomplished. One little girl asleep.”


Bette laughed. “Good job, mommy.” She hands Tina a cup of tea. “I thought that you’d like a cup of tea after such hard work.”


“Thanks.” Tina took a sip and looked over at Bette. “So things are going well in your department?”


Bette smiled. “Yes. I’m learning staff names and matching them with faces. I’ve been in what feels like a thousand meetings, but things seem to be going well.” She placed her cup on the table and looked at Tina. “There’s a reception for the department next week. Actually I guess it’s to welcome me. Anyway, I was wondering if you would be my date for the event.”


“I would love to.” Tina smiled. “So you’re ready for us to be seen in public as a couple?”
Bette smiled. “Yes. I know that we’re taking things slowly, but I want people to understand that there is an ‘us.’ That we are together. Is that okay? I mean, is there some sort of place that we need to be before we can say we’re a couple?”


“Don’t over-think it, babe. I was just kidding.” Tina shook her head and looked at Bette. “Of course we’re a couple. A couple of idiots, sometimes, but a couple nonetheless.”


“You’re too funny.” Bette raised an eyebrow at Tina. “I just want us both to be comfortable with what’s going on between us, that’s all. I don’t want to push it.”


‘Baby, there’s no way you could push it,’ Tina thought to herself. “Things are fine, I’m comfortable with how things are going. Are you?”


“Yes.” Bette picked up her cup and took a sip. “Although I had a hell of a time sleeping last night after that kiss.”


“Would you rather I not kiss you again?” Tina grinned.


“I didn’t say that did I? Besides, did I resist your kiss this afternoon?”


“No, I wouldn’t call that resistance.” Tina looked at Bette. “Do you know that I spent an the entire hour you were putting Angel to bed last night trying to figure out how to kiss you without freaking you out?”


“You’re kidding, right?” Bette looked at Tina incredulously.


“No.”


“Why did you think it would freak me out?”


“I wasn’t sure if you were ready for me to kiss you.” Tina stared down at her cup. “I didn’t want to move too quickly, and if you weren’t ready for that, I thought it might put us back a bit.”


“You thought a kiss could screw things up?” Bette studied Tina’s face.


“Baby, I’m trying to do everything I can to show you how I feel. I don’t want to do anything to scare you off. Even kiss you if you don’t want me to.”


“T, I don’t want you feeling like you are walking on eggshells around me. I’m not that fragile. I’m a little scared, that’s all. But with every day things are getting better.”


Bette didn’t want to admit that Tina had already crumbled the wall that she had built around her heart. All Tina really had to do was give her that look that said ‘I love you’ more than any words could. That’s why she wanted to meet with Donna Milner today. Tina had worked through all of her defenses in no time flat, and she knew that she was vulnerable. No one has ever gotten to Bette the way Tina did.


“Tina, you know like I do that we have let our physical relationship get in the way of the rest of our relationship. We wouldn’t talk, but we always connected in bed. I want something different this time. I want it all. I want the emotional and physical connection that we once had, years ago.”


Tina nodded. She knew that Bette had a point. Instead of talking, they often would just have sex to feel close and avoid the issues that needed addressing.


“But Bette, we are doing a lot more talking now. Is it not enough?”


“It’s great. I just don’t want it to end once we initiate a physical relationship. Once we make love.” Bette looked intently at Tina for a moment. “In the end, sex is what got us here, in this mess. I had sex with someone else, then you did. We used it to hurt each other…” Bette closed her eyes as she remembered that violent interaction after Provocations. She shook her head. “I want it to bring us together, for once and for all.” Bette turned and took Tina’s hands in her own. “I love you, and God help me I want you more than I ever have in my life. I just need to know that it’s for the right reasons.”


Tina’s heart soared. To hear Bette say how badly she wanted her made her want to jump her right there and then.


Tina chuckled. “Who knew that Bette Porter, legendary player of WeHo and master Lesbian Jedi, would be telling another woman that she wanted to wait to have sex until the moment was right?”


Bette looked annoyed. “I’m serious, Tina.”


“I know, baby. I know that you are. I love you and words cannot express how much I want to make love to you. I understand what you’re saying. But I’m saying that we’re working on it and I know how we feel about each other.” Tina held Bette’s chin and looked at her intently. “Are you saying that the moment isn’t right? That we would be avoiding our issues if we made love?”


Bette thought for a moment. “No, we are working things out. I’m just a bit apprehensive. I went to therapy today and started trying to sort some things out.”


“How did it go?” Tina sat back on the couch.


“Really well. I like the doctor and she helped me think through some things. I’m seeing her tomorrow as well.”


“Wow, twice in one week? This woman must be hot.” Tina grinned.


“It’s not like that, Tina. I just felt like I got somewhere today and I want to get a little further. Now that the floodgates are open, I have some things to work on. About myself as well as us.”


Tina looked at Bette. “So, I’m not pushing too hard?” She hoped that she would get the answer she wanted.


“No. I feel really good about us right now.”


Tina smiled. “Good. Then hopefully you’ll enjoy our evening out tomorrow night.”


“Where are we going?”


“Oh no you don’t. No details for you. You will just have to wait and see.” Tina couldn’t wait to surprise Bette tomorrow night.


“No clues at all?” Bette wanted some idea of what to expect.


“None.”


“T…” Bette started.


“Bette, just come home tomorrow and you’ll know what to do.”


“But what should I wear? Do I need to pick you up from the studio? Who’s watching Angelica?”


“Just come home tomorrow, that’s all I’m asking, okay?”


Bette exhaled. “Fine.”


Tina leaned into Bette. “Just trust me on this one, okay babe?”


“Do I have a choice?”


“No.” Tina kissed Bette gently. She looked deeply into Bette’s dark eyes. She wanted her to see that the Tina that she fell in love with, the real Tina, was sitting there in front of her. Tina smiled. She knew a side of this woman that no one else ever got to see. Bette had shown Tina her vulnerability. Tina looked for a glimmer of that in Bette’s eyes. She knew that Bette threw up walls quickly when she felt threatened. And she knew how much she had hurt Bette with her actions over the past few months. But just then, as they were sitting together bantering back and forth, she saw a small glimmer of Bette’s true heart. Bette admitted that she wanted to make love, and she agreed to trust Tina. No matter how small the instance of trust, it still was trust. Tina had to take her victories where she could. One misstep and Bette may close the doors to her heart and soul again.


Bette broke the silence. “T…where are you?” Bette was wondering what Tina was thinking about.


“I’m here baby. I’m right here.” Tina once again leaned in to kiss the love of her life. She could see the want in Bette’s eyes. As she touched Bette’s lips, Tina let out a moan. “God I missed kissing you.”


“Me too.” Bette gently brushed Tina’s face with her hand. She opened her mouth and searched for Tina’s tongue. Tina responded by meeting Bette’s tongue with hers. The kiss grew more passionate, but controlled. Both women knew that this was not the time or place to succumb to what they really wanted. But it was a chance to reconnect, to grow closer and more intimate.


They continued to kiss for a while, reaching and touching each other’s bodies ever so gently. Bette entwined her hands in Tina’s hair, gently stroking Tina’s face with her thumbs. Tina let her hands wander down Bette’s torso, gently brushing her breasts. Each woman was fighting a battle not to go too far, not to lose control, not yet. Bette’s mind succumbed to the feeling that was this woman in her arms. She felt her soul opening, as she felt closer and closer to Tina by the moment. Tina reveled in the feeling of being close to Bette again, more than friends, but not yet lovers. She had another chance, and she would not waste it.


After what only felt like a minute on the couch but was much longer, they broke the kiss and just held each other. Bette laid back and held Tina in her arms. Tina laid on Bette’s chest and listened to her heartbeat. Neither said a word, just lying together, touching, feeling, loving. As they laid there looking into each other’s souls, they heard the soft chime of a clock. Tina looked over at the time.


“It’s getting late.” Tina did not want this evening to end. It had been so long since they had been like this, just enjoying each other’s presence. “I guess we should get some sleep.”


Bette looked down at Tina. She wasn’t sure how she was going to sleep tonight without thinking of Tina in the next room, so close yet so far away from her. “T…”


“Hmm..”


“I was wondering…I’m not sleeping too well lately…”


“Neither am I.” Tina looked at Bette curiously.


“Well, I was thinking—I mean if you didn’t mind—I was wondering if you would share a bed with me tonight.” Bette held her breath. “I think we would both sleep better if we were together.”


Tina forced herself not to scream with delight. “If you want to, I’d love to sleep next to you tonight.”


Bette brushed the blonde’s hair back behind her ear. “I want to.”


“Okay then,” Tina stood up and held out her hand for Bette. “Let’s go get some sleep.”


Bette stood and gently kissed Tina. She turned and headed for the guest room, refusing to let go of Tina’s hand.