The next morning, Tina showered, dressed in comfortable clothes and made breakfast. She ate slowly, lingering over her plate as Eric read the paper. She glanced up and caught him staring at her over the page. He looked away, caught.

“What?”

“Sorry. You look so pretty this morning, I can’t help myself.”

Tina scoffed gently at this and looked down at her clothes – a plaid shirt, jeans, and canvas shoes. Not exactly haute couture. She had simply brushed her hair and wasn’t wearing a drop of make-up. She was plain, not pretty. She didn’t know what it was that Eric was seeing.

She began to clear away the dishes when Eric placed a hand over hers. She looked at him in surprise.

“Are you feeling okay today?”

Tina nodded, sliding her hand away, and took the dishes to the sink. Eric sighed, folded up his paper and left the kitchen. Tina knew he was upset at her reaction to his touch. Ever since she’d lost the baby, she’d been pulling away from him, where before she’d been the more affectionate one. She rarely wanted to be touched, now. It didn’t have anything to do with him, it was just how she felt.

It was still early, but Tina decided she would put some work in her garden before it got too hot. She got her supplies and headed out, clamping a hat down on her head to protect against the sun. She pulled on her gloves and went around to the front of the house. She tended to her rose bushes for a few minutes when she heard a voice behind her.

“Hey there.” It was Bette. Tina stood up, thinking ruefully back to the first time Bette had seen her out here, yanking wildly at her bushes, her air a mess, with sweat pouring off her. At least this time Bette had caught her looking a little more sane.

“Hi,” she said. Bette was dressed in her running clothes, and her cheeks were flushed. “Enjoy your run?”

Bette gave her a little smile. “I did. I find it refreshing.”

“Spoken like a true runner,” Tina said. Had she just told a joke? Granted, not a very good one, but still. This was progress. Of a sort.

“So listen,” Bette started, and Tina felt a twinge of dread. She sensed another invitation was coming. She had a feeling that if she didn’t accept this one, Bette was going to stop asking.

“I’m having a barbeque next Friday night. Actually my sister Kit is going to be doing all the cooking. I’m not much of a cook. It’s not going to be a huge thing. Just a few people. Would you like to come?”

Tina shifted and looked over Bette’s shoulder, as though the right, polite words to decline were hanging there in thin air. “Well, I –”

“There will be vegetatian stuff on the menu if barbeque isn’t your thing,” Bette continued. “And the invitation is for you and Eric both, of course.” Bette looked at her hopefully.

Tina was about to make some excuse, but she remembered show she’d felt watching Bette’s friends arriving to her house that first day. That loneliness. She was going to stay lonely unless she put herself out there and made an effort to make friends.

“Alright. I’ll have to ask Eric, but I’ll be there.”

“You will? I mean – that’s great!” Bette looked surprised, then happy. She had obviously expected Tina to say no. “Seven o’clock? Friday.”

Tina nodded. “Okay.”

Bette grinned at her. “I’ll look forward to it. Don’t worry about bringing anything, it’s totally casual. Okay? I’ll see you.” With that Bette waved and jogged across the street.

Tina sighed. What had she just agreed to?