Chapter 77:

Both women had tossed and turned that night.  Tina because she kept hoping Bette would call and Bette because she was not sure that if she would still have a girlfriend in the morning.  She wanted to tell Tina that it would be ok and that she should stop worrying, but she knew Tina’s caring nature would not let her give Bette the space she seemed to need at the moment.

Bette knew she could not wallow in self pity for long.  

The next morning Tina got up to get ready for her first class.  She checked her phone only to see no messages or calls from Bette.  She could barely pay attention in her Psychology of Women class when she heard the professor say that the period was over.

“Hey Tina, are you ok?” It was one of of Tina’s classmates that she had befriended earlier in the semester.

“Hey Nicole.  I’m fine, why?”

“Well, you seemed to different in class today.  I don’t know, like you were far away or something.  Everything good with you and Bette?”  It was no secret to any of her friends that Bette was the love of her life.  Tina no longer hid the fact that she is very much in love with her baby.  She is not sure that she wants to be forthcoming about their current issue.  Mostly, because Tina isn’t sure what it is exactly.  Maybe Nicole, can shed some light though.  She is a Psych major after all.

“Well, Bette is hurt as you know.”

“Yeah I saw it on ESPN.  Is she doing ok in her recovery?”

“That’s just it.  I think she will be fine if she just gives herself the time.  But I think she is feeling like she is failing as a professional athlete and I can’t seem to make her feel better.”

“Tina, Bette is a great player that gets lots of attention because of how good she is.  Maybe she is just scared that she will no longer know her own identity if for some reason she can’t play at that same level anymore.  Besides you and basketball, what is Bette passionate about?”

Tina pondered this for a moment.

“I don’t know.  I mean, basketball has been her life since before we even met.  She’s always been a killer athlete and before me she was a real player with the ladies.”