I love the way you talk, how your lips move when you do. I love your expression, your hazel eyes that change with your emotion. I love how you use your hands to explain, how you throw back your head a little when you laugh. I love the stars in your eyes, and how your hair gets messy when you’re stressed and you’re trying so desperately to avoid and hide it. I love how you cross your legs when you sit down and rest your hands on your lap, how you tilt your head slightly to the right when you’re listening intently. I love your purple pen you always use to write something down for yourself. I love your handwriting. I love your shy smiles, but also your happy and cheerful ones.

I don’t have much time today. Emily and I have broken up. I couldn’t take it and she couldn’t take it. I think I love you. Truly, deeply, fondly, every positive -ly you can imagine. To describe true beauty, my ideal partner, what I look for in a woman, I need no adverbs or adjectives or nouns or verbs or conjunctions. I only need to say your name.

Tina spent the rest of the morning reading some letters. By the time Bette arrived for lunch, she had read ten of them. She had laughed, cried, sighed, gasped, felt pity, reminisced. 

"Baby? I’m home," Bette’s voice sounded through the apartment. 

"Over here!" Tina called out.

After having opened a few more doors, Bette appeared in the bedroom, frowning. "You still in your pj’s?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the letters… I read about ten of them. Seriously, honey. You’ve been so deep and so high, I wonder how you survived, keeping all that to yourself. Obviously, you felt like you were bothering Shane after some time…"

Bette looked down and then went to sit next to Tina. "I don’t know myself. I’m just glad I survived, with you."

Bette leaned closer and caressed her T’s blonde hair. She brought her closer and softly placed her lips on Tina’s. She closed her eyes and slipped her tongue inside her lovers mouth. Tina moaned, Bette pushed her down and crawled over her.

They lost themselves in their loving. Bette made Tina scream so hard that Brenda and Laura must have heard it – Bette’s screaming was just as loud. 

"Is it okay if I ask Alex after the last exam to come by for dinner? She has a new boyfriend – Jack – and she’s been dying to introduce him."

Tina smiled. "Yeah. I’ll invite Sam and Dave as well."

"Great."

"And then another two weeks and we’re off to Santorini."

"I can’t wait."