Bette James called out, Tina on line 2.

Turning away from her computer, Bette picked up the phone, pushed line 2 and said, T?

Hey baby she sweetly replied in the phone. Hows your day going?

Goodbusy

Im sorry, am I interrupting?

No T Bette apologizingly said. You could never be interrupting me. How are you doing? Hows your day been?

Well, I had a long conversation with Alice this morning.

And hows she?

As you can only imagine, she was Alice she trailed off, chuckling at the memory of their conversation.

And what did she have to say, T?

Oh nothing she hurriedly added, we were just catching up.

Uh huh thought Bette, I can only imagine what the two of them had to say to each other

So babe, when are you coming home?

Oh, Id say same time as last night, no later than 6:30. What time is it now? asked Bette while looking at her watch. Wow, its already 5:30. I had better get going so that I can finish this up she said as she saw all of the unread e-mail in her inbox.

Want me to pick something up on the way home? asked Bette.

No, thats ok baby. Ill either put something together here or order delivery, you just come on home.

Ok, see you in a bit.

Bye baby.

Tina hung the phone up and thought more about her conversation from earlier in the day with Alice. Trust she said out loud. Thats what we need she continued.

Strange that even though it was Bette that had cheated on her, and she should be the one to have lost trust, she also knew that Bette had lost a great deal of trust in Tina as well and that in order to get them moving again as a couple, they would have to get that trust back.

But how to do that? she questioned.

She picked the phone back up and called Alices cell. Her voicemail picked up immediately and so she just left her a message saying to call tomorrow so that they could finalize arrangements for her trip.

With that being done, she looked down at herself and realized that she needed a shower. She still had her work out clothes on from her earlier jog and so decided to figure out what to do about dinner while in the shower.

With the water cascading down her body, she knew that she was going to force a confrontation with Bette tonight. It was true that she had let her off the hook last night, but Alices words of So, yall gotta get to talkin then, cause I know both of you and neither one of you is going to be able to hold out that much longer! kept resounding in Tinas ears.

Question was, how was Bette going to respond? She knew that Bette was willing to talk to her, but she had not pushed her that far to date.

Well, only one way to find out she said as she got out of the shower and reached for a towel.

She got dressed in an old t-shirt, one that she knew Bette loved as it clung to all of the right places, especially when worn without a bra as she did tonight. She matched that up with a pair of yoga pants that hung on her hips, just enough to show off part of her flat stomach.

She looked at the clock and seeing that it was 6:00, decided to go ahead and order dinner. After hanging up, she walked over to the wine rack, chose a Zinfandel to go with their dinner, opened it and waited for Bette to get home.

She was absentmindedly flipping through one of Bettes art magazines on the living room coffee table when she heard a key being put in the lock of the front door.

She sprung to her feet and started to walk to the door. Bette got the door unlocked just as Tina reached to open it from the inside.

Hey! said a surprised Bette.

Hey yourself smiled Tina, reaching for her arm to pull her inside.

That was good timing said Bette, returning the smile, allowing herself to be pulled in.

Well admitted Tina, I was kinda waiting for you.

Well, isnt that nice said Bette as she placed her bags by the entryway table, surreptitiously eyeing Tina in that t-shirt that she loved on her so much.

She walked over to Tina, scooped her tightly into her arms, lightly kissed her on the cheek, and said, Its good to see you T. I missed you.

Yeah? Tina teasingly asked, her arms wrapped tightly around Bettes neck.

Bettes quick survey of her outfit was pleasantly not lost on Tina. You missed me?

You heard me Bette replied.

Tina leaned in for another kiss, this time avoiding her cheek, and letting her lips land squarely on Bettes. She kept it quick, but wanted Bette to know that she missed her too, in so many ways she thought to herself.

Baby, go change Tina whispered into her ear. Dinner should be here any minute.

Ok said Bette, slowly pulling away from their embrace, allowing her hands to fall from Tinas back.

What are we having? she asked as she reached down to the table and looked through the mail.

I ordered from that little Italian place that you told me about.

Ooh good, perfect. Bette peered over Tinas shoulder and seeing the open bottle of wine in the kitchen added with a smile, So, you got that taken care of, huh?

Yep said Tina, pleased that Bette was happy with her choice.

Ok, Ill be right back. She leaned and kissed Tina on her forehead, gently rubbing the back of her neck. Thanks T.

Sure baby.

As promised, Bette was back in a matter of minutes, just in time for the delivery guy to drop off the food. Tina was taking care of that and so Bette grabbed the wine and a couple of glasses and headed towards the dining room.

Babe? she heard behind her.

Yeah?

If its ok with you, I thought that we could just eat in the living room. I would like for us to, well

Let me guess smiled Bette. Have a session?

Yes smiled Tina in return.

The smile that reached her lips though was not one from happiness per se. She was extremely nervous and the hunger that she had felt just moments ago had been replaced by a flock of jittery butterflies swirling around inside her stomach.

Tina made a couple of plates for them in the kitchen while Bette poured the wine. Seeing Tina balancing full plates, silverware and napkins as she came into the living room, Bette rushed up to her, taking part of the load from her.

Talk about taking on more than you can handle teased Bette.

They each sat down on the sofa, placing their plates in front of them on the table. Neither reached for their forks though, both opting for the wine glass to help steady what was becoming for each, a progressingly agitated state.

Tina raised her glass towards Bette and while looking lovingly into her eyes, said, To us.

Bette, looking squarely back into her eyes, tapped her glass on Tinas and said, To becoming us.