Chapter 35

Alice twirled her ring around her finger as she looked at the clock, once again, displayed on the dashboard of her Mini Cooper. She willed her heart to stop beating fast as her hands became moist from nervousness.

“Why am I so nervous?” Alice wondered as she looked at the clock once again.

She changed the channels on her radio to a station that played slower songs than she typically listened to. She watched as kids rode their bikes past her car that remained parked at the end of Kristen’s street, hidden out of site of Kristen’s house.

“I can’t believe I got here so early, that’s totally not like me.”

Alice pulled her cell phone out and dialed Shane’s number hoping she would pick up so she had a way to pass the time before picking Kristen up for their date.

“Hello?”

“Hey Shane, what are you doing?”

“I’m at Tina’s playing Playstation with PJ. Shouldn’t you be on a date?”

“I’m at the end of her street,” Alice reluctantly admitted.

“Why are you at the end of her street? Are you stalking her?”

Shane chuckled when Angelica laughed and then nudged her because she scored the winning basket in their rivalry NBA basketball game.

“Damn,” Shane muttered as she put the controller down.

“Best out of three?” Angelica taunted her.

“You’re on!”

“Hello! Can someone please pay attention to me?” Alice interrupted. “I’m surprised that you’re staying in on a Saturday night Shane. How domestic of you.”

“There’s no place I’d rather be,” Shane said smiling at Angelica.

“I guess I just assumed Helena would stay with Angie because she never has a date.”

“Why is Aunt Alice still talking?” Angelica asked.

“I have no idea PJ.”

“What did she ask?” Alice enquired.

“Why you’re talking to us instead of being with your date.”

“I actually have another 3 minutes. If I show up too early she’ll think I’m interested.”

“Aren’t you?” Shane asked confused.

“Yes but if I come on too strong she’ll run.”

“She won’t run Al,” Shane laughed. “This is how relationships get complicated. You should just do what you want and say what’s on your mind instead of second guessing everything and worrying about games.”

“You don’t get how important this date is Shane.”

“I don’t?”

“Clearly you don’t,” Alice said exasperated. “I can’t explain it, but I really like this girl. She’s different then anyone else I’ve ever dated.”

Shane just smiled as Angelica started the game over again and it came to life on the big screen television. Shane balanced the phone between her ear and her shoulder while she maneuvered the controller expertly to score the first basket in the electronic game.

“If you like Kristen that much you need to be picking her up instead of talking to us,” Shane said peaking Angelica’s interest at the sound of her mother’s ex-lover’s name. “There’s no pressure on you to make things work. If you like her and she likes you, enjoy it and fuck what everyone else thinks.”

Tina made a production of clearing her throat and nodding at Angelica when she got Shane’s attention to signal a level of censorship would be needed.

“Sorry,” Shane smiled. “Wow you look amazing!”

Tina blushed slightly as she walked toward the mirror in the living room to check her make-up one last time before she left for her date. Tina chose a simple black dress, low cut, but not overly seductive. She had on higher heels then she usually wore and a pendant that sat right above her cleavage, which was a present from Bette.

“I like your hair up Mom,” Angelica said as she surveyed her mother’s choice of outfits for the evening.

“You do huh?”

“It looks nice,” Angelica said sweetly.

“Are you ok Angie?”

“Yeah why wouldn’t I be?”

Tina stared at Angelica and then smiled at her, proud that she was handling her going on a date so well.

“If only I was handling this as well as you.”

“What do you mean?” Angelica asked.

“I guess I’m not used to going out and I’m a bit nervous.”

“You’ll be great Al, but in order to be that, you need to actually pick her up,” Shane said giving Alice the needed encouragement to drive the last remaining length of Kristen’s street and pull into her driveway.

“I’m here and oh my God I feel like I’m going to hurl,” Alice said as she worked on slowing her heart rate.

“Breathe Al.”

“Oh believe me I am. I wrote a top 10 article on relaxation techniques.”

“What number are you on?”

“I’m on number 7,” Alice said as she shut the car off and got out. “That means when this doesn’t work I have 3 more and then I’m screwed.”

“Good luck Al, I know you’ll be great. Just be yourself.”

Shane ended the conversation by closing her cell phone and pausing the basketball game to focus on Tina until she left for her date.

“That was Alice?” Tina asked.

“Yep,” Shane said as she unpaused the game and made a shot before pausing it again.

“That’s cheating!”

“I need to if I’m going to win!”

“I guess I should go right?” Tina said breaking up the debate between Shane and Angelica. “You have my cell if you need me ok?”

“Yep but we won’t.”

Tina bent down and kissed Angelica and then turned to Shane with a worried look on her face.

“You’re sure I should do this?”

“I think if nothing else, you’ll enjoy the food there.”

“Thanks Shane.”

“Anytime,” Shane said waving as Tina walked outside and closed the door. “You ok with all of this?”

“I guess so,” Angelica said quietly.

“Speak.”

“I have to be right?”

“No,” Shane corrected her. “You don’t have to be, but I think I have something that will help you.”

Shane handed an envelope to Angelica with her name written across it. Angelica looked at it confused and then back up at Shane.

“What is this?”

“It’s a letter.”

“I got that,” Angelica held the letter almost afraid to open it and read what was inside. “That’s Mama B’s handwriting.”

“She gave it to me to give to you.”

“Do you know what it says?” Angelica asked.

“I have a guess, but I didn’t read it so officially I don’t know what it says. Open the letter Angie and find out.”

Bette’s cell phone rang as she stood in the kitchen at Andiamo’s restaurant with the restaurant manager and several chefs. She looked at the caller id and saw Tina’s name flash across the screen.

“Can you excuse me for a second?” Bette asked although she was already walking away from the bustle in the kitchen without receiving an answer to her question.

“Hello?”

“It’s me,” Tina said in a sad voice. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t ask,” Bette said in an effort to avoid the question.

“Problems at the gallery?”

“You can say that.”

“I really don’t want to go on this date tonight Bette,” Tina said in a voice that was slightly angered. “I’m dreading it and that’s not fair to this woman.”

“I don’t want you to go either,” Bette said pacing down the hallway to check on the private dining room she had booked for the night’s occasion.

“Why can’t I just get out of it?”

“Because you don’t even know this woman and to stand her up would be deplorable Tina.”

Bette saw Helena’s car pull up along the valet sign and her looking at the restaurant sign in confusion.

“T,” Bette said hurriedly. “Things are blowing up here at the gallery. I’ve got to go. Call me when it’s over and let me know you’re ok.”

“Bette,” Tina said to try to cut her off and continue the conversation.

“I love you.”

Bette hung the phone up angering Tina even more. Tina signaled onto the freeway to make her last leg of the trip to Andiamo’s while she threw her cell phone into the passenger seat of the car.

“I hate when she does that,” she muttered.

Helena opened the door as Bette walked down the hallway to meet her as quickly as possible.

“Hi Bette,” Helena said cautiously.

“Thank you for coming.”

“Isn’t this where Tina has her date?”

“Yes,” Bette confirmed.

“Are you stalking her now? What are we doing here?”

“I need your car.”

“My what?” Helena seemed genuinely surprised at Bette’s request.

“You car,” Bette repeated herself.

“May I ask why?”

“Alice set Tina up with someone that was supposed to be this perfect combination of you and I. That isn’t happening.”

“Why not?”

“Long story and I don’t have time to explain it,” Bette said quickly. “But I want to give Tina as much of that as possible so she doesn’t feel badly taking a chance on trying to date again or she won’t want to ever try again.”

“So you need my car because it’s better then yours?”

“To be cheesy, yes, I need your car to add some Helena into the Belena and be cute about it.”

“What’s a Belena?”

“Jesus,” Bette rolled her eyes. “It’s Bette and Helena combined.”

“Another witty Alice-ism I suppose.”

“Can I have your car or not?” Bette demanded.

“I’d be happy to loan you my car, but I have no way of getting home then.”

“Here’s Tina’s keys,” Bette handed a set of car keys to Helena. “When she arrives just take her car and we’ll switch tomorrow at breakfast at The Planet.”

“This is all very odd Bette, but I agree that she can’t have her first chance at dating in a long time end up being a stand up.”

Helena handed Bette her valet slip as her car was already moved to the back of the restaurant per Bette’s instructions.


Kristen opened the front door and smiled at Alice. It was a smile that reached all the way to her eyes causing Alice to smile back. In a moment, Alice’s nervousness disappeared as she surveyed Kristen’s outfit.

“God you look amazing,” Alice said still smiling.

“Likewise,” Kristen said opening the door. “I know we said we’d go out to dinner, but I thought it would be nice to eat in.”

“It smells delicious!”

“Come on in,” Kristen said as she led Alice into her house and into the kitchen where she was preparing the last touches of her signature dish. “Wine?”

“I’d love some,”

“There’s a glass right over there and the wine is already uncorked and in the refrigerator.”

Alice grabbed her glass and quickly filled it putting the wine back in the refrigerator. She took a sip of the special vintage and smiled at Kristen.

“This is excellent, I’ve had it before.”

“I wasn’t sure if you would have, forgive me?”

“It’s ok that we both like Bette’s wine selection.”

“Yes, but this isn’t about Bette.”

“No,” Alice agreed. “But we should just get everything strange out there so it never creates an awkward moment.”

“Deal,” Kristen said stirring her marinara sauce slowly. “We both dated Bette.”

“We both ignored each other while you dated Bette.”

Alice took another sip and started to laugh.

“I think that about covers it,” Kristen said laughing as well.

Kristen took a spoon full of sauce and held it out for Alice to taste. Alice took the hint and carefully blew on the sauce and then took a small amount in her mouth and moaned.

“God this is good!”

“Thanks,” Kristen said smiling.

Alice paused as her eyes met Kristen’s with nothing but a spoon between them.

“There’s something so intimate about tasting someone’s sauce,” Alice said in a dirty tone causing Kristen to break out in laughter.

“Very intimate,” Kristen said quietly as she leaned in and brushed her lips against Alice’s.

Angelica slowly ripped the letter open and unfolded the two pieces of paper that were enclosed. She bit her lip nervously, reminding Shane of the manner in which Tina handled her earlier apprehension.

“Read it,” Shane instructed. “I’ll be outside smoking if you need anything. Come get me when you’re done.”

Shane got up and left Angelica alone with the letter that she forced herself to begin to read.


Dear Angelica,

I know it seems odd that I wrote you a letter, considering what I have to say, but time is not on my side right now and this is important. This should have been a face-to-face conversation between you and both your Mom and I, but as you read this she will be joining me for a date that I painstakingly planned the last few days.

I am sure it comes as a surprise that Mom is joining me on what everyone thinks is a date Aunt Alice set up for her, but that’s because no one is aware that since you’ve been working on resolving your questions and concerns about the past, you enlightened us that regardless of our past we are each other’s future.

I can’t promise you that we won’t argue, that we won’t make mistakes, or that we won’t unintentionally hurt one another because in living and loving it happens. What I can promise is that through all of those incidents, we will remain committed to one another and work through it relying on our love. Those incidents will also never affect the love your Mother and I have for you. Angelica, we are your parents and love you very much aside from our relationship.

Your life has not been easy Angelica as you deal with three issues that aren’t common to anyone, but part of who you are. You’ve reacted to those three things, as of late, in a manner in which I am not happy with. We’ve allowed you some freedom to assert yourself because we believe in individuality and freedom of expression. However, you’ve exercised it enough and it’s caused us to hide the best part of your Mom and I, our love and relationship.

Being a lesbian is something that we are proud of Angelica. I am proud to show everyone that I am in love with an amazing woman and in finding that love, I have been blessed beyond what I could ever have hoped for. You consider it something that makes you different, what I want is for you to see love for what it is in whatever form it chooses to come to you in and feel that you’ve been blessed by it.

Being biracial is something I know very well and I agree that when I was your age, it was something that made me different and I hated it. I celebrate my uniqueness now because both of my parents were amazing people and I am proud of them. Your biological parents are both amazing people. Marcus Allen Wood is talented, loving, and was giving beyond belief when he agreed to be our donor out of friendship and a recognition of how wonderful the love between Tina and I is. I am here for you Angelica because I know what you are going through. At anytime, you can talk to me regarding this, but I also make no apology for the wonderful combination of those two people that created one of the most important things in my life, you.

Finally, the third issue you’ve dealt with is that your parents were separated making your family dynamic different then those of your friend’s. This now will be a non-issue as I am asking your Mom to marry me tonight on our date. We will be making the announcement tomorrow morning to the rest of the group, but I wanted you to know first because it impacts you the most.

I’ve asked Shane to carry out some simple instructions to decorate the house so that it will be special for Tina when I propose. I didn’t tell her my intentions and would appreciate the courtesy of you not sharing this with her either until your mother and I can tell the group as a whole. I love both you and Tina with everything that I am. I won’t be perfect, but I will treat you both as best as I can and love you both more then you’ll ever know.

Love,

Mama B

Angelica blinked through tears as she reread the letter and reflected on her behavior as of late. She watched out the back door as Shane exhaled the last puff of her cigarette and crushed it out on the ground. She folded the letter up and put it in her back pocket and went to the backdoor and opened it.

“I read it,” she said quietly.

“You ok?”

“Yeah,” Angelica said as she wiped tears from her eyes. “I guess I need to pack because I’m coming to your house?”

“I gather based on what Bette asked me to do.”

“What do you have to do?”

Shane held a piece of paper up that had a few items scribbled on it.

“You go pack for the night and I’ll work on this list unless you need to talk?”

“No,” Angelica said. “I think I’m ok and I’ll just go pack. I just need some time to myself.”

Tina pulled up to see an almost empty parking lot. She turned and began to head for a parking spot when the valet walked out and waived her over to him.

“Is the restaurant closed?” Tina asked the young man who merely smiled back.

“No, the one dining room was rented out, so it’s limited seating.”

Tina got out and handed her keys to the young man, making her way quickly inside in an effort to squelch her nerves and begin her date. The hostess, who seemed to have a flicker of recognition pass through her eyes when they met with Tina’s, greeted her warmly.

“Miss Kennard?”

“Yes,” Tina was taken aback having read the woman’s features well.

“Please allow me to show you to your dining room.”

Tina silently followed taking in the details on an amazing restaurant. The staff also seemed to know who she was, making her feel rather paranoid, and she decided she was making more of it then what it likely was.

The hostess opened the large, wooden doors to a romantic, candlelit room that had soft music playing. The room had flowers in every corner and one lone table set for dinner.

“Are you sure this is for me?” Tina asked worried that the woman that Alice had fixed her up with had other ideas other then a casual dinner.

“Enjoy,” the Hostess left smiling at Tina and closing the doors.

Tina looked around feeling a bit panicked at what was in front of her. Before she had time to retrieve her cell phone from inside of her purse where she placed it before she gave her car to the valet, a waiter appeared with a single glass of wine.

Tina felt rather odd when he didn’t speak, but merely handed her the wine, and signaled her to sit at the table.

“Is the person I’m meeting here yet?” Tina asked getting increasingly worried at the intentions of the mystery woman.

When no answer came, she took the wine and sat down at the table. The waiter took the napkin from her plate and shook it out in an overly dramatic gesture, laying it on her lap.

“Thank you,” Tina said with a small, nervous smile.

When the waiter left, Tina took a sip of her wine to calm her nerves. The bouquet hit her palate and recognition flickered in her eyes. She looked around, once more, for her mystery date with a smile on her face.

“You look amazing,” a voice came from behind her. She smiled instantly, a warm feeling of love washing over her.

Out of the shadows of the dimly lit room Bette emerged with her own wine glass in her hand and a loving smile on her face.