Tina strolled into the house with a goofy smile on her face. She was basically skipping with excitement and Tasha couldn’t help but smile. She hadn’t seen her best friend like that since she had started dating her brother back in high school.

Julian had pestered Tina with gifts and compliments until Tina agreed to date him. It was everything Tina’s parents didn’t want. They were racists and Tina never hesitated to show off her black best friend. Julian was an added piece to the disaster. Tina’s parents simply stopped talking to her after she got with him. Tasha was the youngest of the house so she convinced her dad to take Tina into their home.

Tina was like a sister to her and together they suffered trying to save Julian from his addiction. Mikah was the only piece of Julian left and Tasha loved Tina even more for letting her be one of the biggest parts of her life. To see her happy like this pleased Tasha to no end. She didn’t know Bette Porter, but if she brought Tina happiness that’s all that mattered.

She smiled at her and said, "had fun?"

Tina couldn’t stop smiling, "we have a second date this weekend."

"Mom! Hey!" Mikah cried emerging from the hall, "I was waiting up for you. How did it go?"

"Amazing," Tina said.

"Why is your dressed all wrinkled?" Mikah said.

"And you left a trail of sand everywhere!" Tasha laughed.

"We were at Santa Monica pier," Tina said. "Where’s Alice?"

"She was messing with Trey so I sent her home," Tasha said.

"How was Trey?" Tina asked Mikah.

"A gentleman as usual," Mikah said. Trey was only slightly lighter than Mikah and that was only because he took more from his father who was white. They were a perfectly matched couple and Tina could see how much they cared about each other.

"If you do your chores this weekend I’ll let you go out to dinner with him next week," Tina said.

"Really!?" Mikah cried excitedly, "oh thanks momma! I like this girlfriend of yours mom, she’s making you lenient!"

Mikah kissed Tina’s cheek and ran off to her room. Tasha stood up and put on her jacket. "Well I can’t wait to meet this woman," she said.

Tina smiled, "thanks for staying with Mikah."

"Yeah no problem," Tasha said, "I’ll see you later."

Mikah waited behind the door until Tina closed the door behind Tasha then walked up the stairs. She could hear her rummaging around her room, probably taking out her pjs. When she heard the shower turn on she picked up the phone and hit the speed dial.

"Hey baby," Mikah said.

"Hi Sweetums," came Trey’s response, "your mom’s home?"

"Yeah and she looks like a hormonal teenager," Mikah said.

"And you don’t like that?" Trey asked.

"No, I do, I love seeing her happy, but this is the first person she’s been with in years," Mikah said, "she just barely met the woman and I’m scared."

"You’re scared this Bette Porter lady is gonna hurt your mom," Trey finished.

"I love her so much Trey, I couldn’t handle to see her heartbroken," Mikah said.

"I know baby," Trey said, "but you gotta let your mom figure things out on her own."

"I know, I’m not gonna get involved or anything I just wanna know more about this woman," Mikah said.

"Oh no you don’t!" Trey scolded, "my dad has been managing her gallery since it opened and I’m not gonna do anything to jeopardize his job."

"Baby, come on you’ve met her before, she went over to dinner with you and your parents," Mikah argued, "it’s not like she’ll be weirded out if you get to know her a little better."

"I met her like twice Mikah and we barely even talked," Trey said.

"Trey, come on, for me," Mikah said, "if you tell me she’s a nice lady and she wouldn’t hurt my mom then I’ll believe you."

Trey groaned in frustration.

"Come on baby, just tell your dad you wanna learn more about art," Mikah said, "he’ll take you to the gallery."

"And what would I ask her?" Trey asked.

"I don’t know, ask things you normally would if you’re trying to get to know someone," Mikah said, "I know for a fact that you’re a good judge of character."

Trey sighed deeply and Mikah smiled victoriously. In his low defeated tone Trey said, "fine I’ll do it."