“Pineapple!”

Bette sighed with relief.

“T?”

Tina shook her head no and Bette grabbed one pineapple and the last grape pop.

As they all headed to the register, Tina whispered to Bette, “Since when do you like grape anything?”

“I don’t know,” Bette’s brows furrowed, “though I do love wine.”

As they waited at the register, the display of snack foods caught Bette’s attention and she stared at the offerings.

Tina, horrified, noticed that her partner’s gaze seemed to linger on one item.  She hissed at Bette, “If you get those pork rinds, you’ll never kiss me again.”

“They were for Aunt Grace,” Bette pouted.

Bette than grabbed a large bag of Cheese Doodles.

“Bette, they’ll make a mess.”

“These?”

“The orange crap  will get everywhere.”

“We have wipes.”

“Wipes won’t be enough.  It’s like an invasion of an alien army of orange spores”

“If people still eat it,” Bette said as she looked at the bag.  “it must be very good.”  She held on to the bag of Cheese Doodles and grabbed a bag of potato chips, “For the car,” she explained.  Holding up the Cheese oodles, she continues, “For later. The mess won’t matter on the beach.”

@@@@@@@@

They had rolled down the car windows as they got closer to the beach and the smell of the ocean had become detectable.

One station of the radio played inside the car, reflecting the musical choices of a corporate functionary, which meant that the adults in the car had settled in to enjoy the journey for itself.

Angelica played with toys as she sat in her car seat.  Since the rest of the route was straight-forward, Tina had abandoned her navigator role and had shifted in her seat so that she faced Bette.  She would turn her head to glance at her happy daughter and shift her gaze back to Bette. Tina was happy.

The trip to the Vineyard had unnerved Tina.  More than meeting the imposing Aunt Grace, though, had been Tina’s worries about Bette’s reaction being at a place that held so many childhood memories.  Tina knew that Bette was trapped by her childhood more than most.  However, Aunt Grace had been a pleasure, and Bette’s memories so far had held no demons.  She reflected that the only ghosts returning from Bette’s youth were culinary—beginning with the soft-serve custard dipped in chocolate coating that  Bette had bought from the stand on the ferry pier, Bette had been in a junk food frenzy that would have been strange for anyone, but madness for the almost scrawny health food-eating Bette.  Tina had considered taking pictures with her cell phone so she would have evidence of the transgressions, but decided it would spoil Bette’s fun. A small smile formed on her face as she listed what she could remember—Cheetos, pizza with ham and pineapple, kettle corn AND caramel corn, cotton candy, chili dogs, cheese fries, glazed doughnuts with sprinkles.  Tina almost chortled at the picture in her head of Bette’s surprise when, after their return to LA,  she would not even squeeze into one of her beloved suits.  She thought that it was lucky for Bette that the college was on spring break and Bette would have enough time to work out so she could fit in her clothes.  Tina hoped that Bette would leave behind that unsettling childhood junk food throwback when they went home.