Bette would have said something but she decided to not say anything because a comment wasn’t really necessary. 

“What are we going to do?”

Bette frowned at this question, “Got me.”

“That’s very helpful Bette.”

“What do you want me to say,” Bette remarked a little defensively, “We’re going through the same thing here Mel.  I don’t have any more answers than you do.”

Melina held up her hands, “I’m sorry.  It’s just I don’t know what to do.  Perhaps if we’d set better examples.”

Bette sat up straighter, “By “we” you mean me.”

Melina said nothing to this and Bette exhaled loudly.

“This isn’t my fault Mel, and I really resent you implying that it is.  Yes, I’m not the shining example of abstinence but you’re not cupcake yourself or have you forgotten your four marriages?”

Melina sighed, “No I haven’t forgotten.  I hear you’re dating a woman.”

“You’re just jealous.”

“Jealous!  Of what?”

“You know of what!”

Upstairs both Clara and Rob woke to hear their mothers shouting at each other, which was odd because the two got along swimmingly.  Wordlessly they got up and crept down the stairs in time to hear the ‘you know of what’ comment.

“I am not jealous.”

What did Melina have to be jealous of?

Bette leaned forward, “You may be able to full yourself but you don’t full me.  You talk in your sleep.”

“What does talking in my sleep have to do with anything?”

“You reveal things,” Bette remarked in a tone saying ‘duh’

“What are they talking about,” Rob whispered to Clara

“I don’t know.”

Melina straightened on her stool, “I don’t have to take this you know.”

“What,” Bette exclaimed, “The truth?”

Melina stood, “I’m leaving.”

“You can’t leave,” Bette yelled

“Why the ***** not!”

“Your son!”

Melina sucked in a breath, “Right,” she sank back on to the stool, “I’m not jealous.”

“Whatever you say Mel.”

The two glowered at each other a moment and then Melina heaved a sigh.

“Okay so I’m a little jealous.”

“Oh really?”

“Like this much,” Melina held her index and thumb about an inch apart

Bette snorted at this.

“This conversation veered of track didn’t it,” Melina commented

“Yes, I believe it did.”

“Do you suppose all of my husbands left me because I revealed things in my sleep?”

“I think it was your horrendous cooking actually.”

“Hey,” Melina cried indignantly, “We can’t all be master chef’s.”

Around the corner Clara and Rob found the whole conversation between their mothers’s a little surreal.  They were shouting at each other and then were suddenly back to friends again.

“Weird,” they remarked in unison

“I’m not in love with you.”

“Whoever said you were?”

“The jealous bit would indicate it.”

Bette shrugged her shoulders, “You knew what I was talking about.”

“Yeah.”

But they don’t.  Melina mouthed to Bette with a motion of her head toward their children.  Bette couldn’t help but smile.  Indeed.

“Where is Gracin,” Bette asked referring to Melina’s daughter who was fourteen

“In the car.”

“Oh really.”

“I cracked the window.”

The two laughed.

“I dropped her off at her father’s on my way out here.”

Bette nodded her head and sighed, “Let me show you to the guest room.  We can talk later.  I’m sure you’re tired.  I have to get to my gallery.  I’m supposed to be opening it soon.”

Melina smiled at this as she stood up, “Okay.  So how’s that going?”

The two went the back way up the stairs leaving their children to ponder the weird relationship that their mothers shared.

  TBC…I’ll leave you to ponder that as well.  Bonus points to anyone who figures out what Melina is jealous of(yes I do know:)