Tina sat in the car, a little shy as she waited for Bette to put her duffle bag in the trunk and come around. She couldn’t believe the person she’d shared so much was none other than Bette Porter. At school, Bette was a legend.

That was when Tina realized she’d even confessed she’d had a crush on Bette long ago. She dropped her head in her hands, wanting to laugh or maybe scream. She was so embarrassed, but she pulled her head up as Bette slipped into the driver’s side to look at her.

“Hey.”

“I know this is crazy,” Bette said quietly, putting her hand on Tina’s knee to see the girl jump. It forced Bette to realize that the transformation would take some getting used to, and she understood that, so she pulled her hand back. “Sorry.”

“I can’t believe … all the things I said to you … Did I say anything that hurt you? Anything bad about you, I mean? –I’m sorry if I did!”

“Is that what you’re worried about?” Bette chuckled, starting up the car. But very quickly she could see that Tina was upset with her teasing. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. I’m not upset about anything you said, Tina. I needed to hear it, and it helped me to see what I had become, okay?”

Tina nodded.

“I’m sorry for laughing,” Bette smiled, seeing how sensitive Tina was, and loving it. She wanted to take Tina’s face in her hands, but she knew she would have to wait until Tina was more comfortable. “Seatbelt.”

In confusion, Tina turned to her and then realized the comment’s purpose. She didn’t have her seatbelt on yet. “Oh. Okay.”

“Safety first,” Bette said softly, never having been a stickler before, but with Tina everything was different. She couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her angel.

Once they were off on the road, Tina put her hands nervously in her lap. When Bette noticed, she only smiled and turned the music on to help them both become a little more comfortable for the long drive. “You know … I can turn around if you want. I can drive you to your dad’s, or a friend’s? If you need time, I would understand. Really.”