“So, what’s on your mind, baby girl?” Kit Porter asked her younger sister.

She settled on the couch handing Bette a cup of tea; taking a sip from her own cup of coffee. Kit Porter didn’t push her sister but allowed her to start whenever she was ready. And for the younger Porter to be drinking tea, that meant it was serious.

“You know that Tina ran into Jodi the other day.”
“Right.”
“And that Tina thought it was best for Angie andJodi to continue their relationship.”
“Which I don’t understand baby girl’s thinking but I’m not Angie’s mother.”
“Yeah,so… Tina gave me opportunity to express my concerns but I agreed thinking that she is Angie’s mother and she’s knows best.”
“You’re also Angie’s mother,” Kit expressed placing her cup on the desk in her office.
“Sometimes I don’t feel that I have the right to speak on things that concern her.”
“Does Tina make you feel that way? Has she ever said anything like that to you?” Kit questioned turning her body more toward Bette.
“No,” she whined.
“Then stop thinking that you aren’t the child’s parent as much as Tina is. You have to stop this negative thinking you’re doing all the time. It isn’t healthy for you or your relationship. Has that doctor you go see not told you that?”
“Dan Foxworthy?”
“Well whatever his name is. It doesn’t take a doctor to tell you to stop second guessing yourself as a parent or the child will never learn to trust you.”

Bette digested her sister’s advice. But what would her reaction be to the next bit of information she wanted to share. ‘Only one way to find out,’ she thought.

“Jodi said some things that I… that I thought to be…”
“To be what?” Kit asked, hating when Bette dropped the end of her sentences hoping that you would somehow know what she meant.
“The other day, Tina set up a ‘date’ of sorts for Angie with Jodi.”
“Okay.”
“But when Jodi came to pick her up, I changed my mind. I didn’t want Angie to go.”
“You have every right to change your mind. What did Tina say about that?”
“I kinda held Angie hostage in her room. Playing with her. Reading to her until she fell asleep.”
“And what did Tina say about this?” Kit asked again.
“I snapped at her. I said that I never wanted Jodi to see Angie.”

Bette sat forward with her elbows on her knees. She clasped her hands together waiting for Kit to ask the other question.

“Why?” she delivered.
“You know I don’t tolerate disrepect of any kind on anyone…”
“Funny because you seem to allow it when it’s toward you.”
“Kit,” Bette chastised.
“Tell me it isn’t true,” Kit challenged.
“I didn’t come here to argue with you.”
“Then tell me the reason why you’re here.”

Bette contemplated on how to tell Kit her reasons. She knew her sister would blow her top once the words came out of her mouth.

“Bette.”
“A couple of months ago, before we broke up, I asked Jodi to keep an eye on Angie while I ran next door to borrow something from Shane. I didn’t intend to be gone long. Maybe five minutes. But Shane wasn’t home and I had to deal with Jenny. You know me and Jenny aren’t having the best time right now and I don’t know how but we ended up arguing over something,” Bette waved off, ” so of course that took longer than five minutes. When I walked back across the yard to the house, I heard Jodi talking to Angie. I stood just outside the door listening to their conversation. Jodi didn’t see me and neither did Angie. I really wasn’t listening but watching Angie’s face and how animated she was with Jodi. When my mind did focus on what was being said, I couldn’t believe my ears,” looking back down at her hands, Bette continued, ” she was calling Angie a monkey.”
“A monkey. Okay,” Kit responded.
“She wasn’t caliing her a monkey like in a funny nickname kind of way but in a derogatory way. Like an insult. I thought maybe I was hearing things but then she said it again. I… I couldn’t believe my ears.”
Sitting forward, Kit asked her sister, “What did u do?”
“I listened for a few minutes more. But Jodi began to sign instead. I could see Angie paying close attention Jodi’s hands trying to understand but saw that she didn’t because she constant asked Jodi to explain what she meant back in sign.”
“What was Jodi saying?”
“She was saying disgusting things. She was telling Angie that she was half monkey because her father was monkey. She said that she ‘bet he looked like a gorilla and felt sorry for her because even though she didn’t look like one now but she would grow up to look like a baboon.”
“And you saw all of this?”
“Yes. After the intial shock, I snatched Angie up from in front of her and told her to get the hell out. She didn’t understand my reaction because she hadn’t known that I was standing there. I couldn’t say anything but hold Angie close to me,” Bette replied wrapping her arms around herself.
“That bitch! And after she smiled up in my face!” Kit yelled standing up.

She paced the floor in the small office of The Planet. Bette could see her anger starting to boil.

“Kit, please. Calm down.”
“Calm down?! You want me to calm down after telling me that shit!”
“Please. I need your rational mind right now.”
“Fuck rational! You knew what my first reaction was going to be before you told me. And you haven’t told Tina?” she stopped pacing and asked.
Holding her head down, Bette answered, “No.”
“And why the fuck not?”

Bette didn’t answer. She just sat there.

“Babygirl?”
“I don’t know why, Kit. I’m afraid to.”
“Afraid of what? That Tina is going to stop loving you.”

Kit sat back down next to the younger Porter.

“If Tina hasn’t stopped loving you after all the shit you have pulled, then she damn sure is not gonna stop over something you had no control over,” Kit soothed.
“You think ao?”
“Don’t get me wrong. Oh Tina will be angry. She’ll be ready to tear Jodi’s head off. But she will not be angry at you. Maybe a little disappointed that you didn’t tell her before she planned for Jodi to take Angie that day. She that woman loves you. If I wasn’t your sister, I’d be jealous of how much she loves you.”

Bette had to smile at Kit’s last statement.

“Good thing your not into women,” Bette joked.
“Damn sure is. Or you would have some real competition on your hands. You’re not the only one who has that Porter charm.”

Kit pulled Bette into a hug.

“You owe it to Tina to tell her, babygirl.”
“I will. I am.”