Sensing my shocked expression, she said “I know you weren’t expecting that, but Bette…I want you. I want to kiss you, feel you, and make love to you. You don’t know how much I’ve missed your body. I could pretend to be shy and coy, but honestly, I just want to strip you, lay you down, and make you cum until you pass out.”

A few moments passed, and I was still unable to speak.

I cleared my throat and tried to begin.

“Tina..I’m sorry. I’m just…”

I took a deep breath, searching for my inner strength. ‘Confidence Bette. Confidence’. I kept that thought in my head as I began speaking again.

“With an offer like that, how could I refuse?” I said mustering confidence, although I was shaking inside.

Tina settled the bill, and we were on our way back to my place. I took several glances at Tina. She seemed to be in another world. She appeared to be focused on the road, but clearly her mind was anywhere but on the highway.

“Where are you?” I ask, laying my hand on her thigh.

She laughed nervously. “I’m here. Sorry I zoned out. I find myself doing that a lot these days.”

“It’s fine. No apology necessary. With all you’re going through, I’m sure your mind stays preoccupied. You have this undeniable strength, Tina. You’re just so calm and collected…and it’s admirable. You’re handling it much better than the average person would, myself included.”

“Thank you.” She smiled warmly and laid her hand on top of my hand that was still placed on her thigh. “It’s so weird, and this may sound stupid, but it was a change to wake up every morning thankful for life as opposed to thinking about bills, work, and all the other things that seem so important. It’s amazing what becomes important once you’ve run out of time.”

She paused, carefully thinking of her next words. “That’s the problem with the world. Everybody thinks they have an unlimited amount of time. Before all this, I felt that way. I never gave any thought to how limited a human lifespan is. Now I understand. I had to almost run out of time to truly understand what’s important. Once I’m…gone, please promise me that you won’t waste time. You’ll do what makes you happy, and you won’t hold back your feelings, even if that means falling in love with another woman. Please promise me that, Bette.”