Bette and Jack went through long talks about their own business, taking up Tina’s advice. They ended up starting a gallery in New Haven that attracted a lot of art students. Some of those students had influental parents and slowly but surely, the prestige of the Lively-Porter Gallery was rising. At first, they had opted for the name “Tinalex”, but in the end they agreed that it sounded too much like Tina and Alex were a couple, which of course neither of them wanted. 

Tina and Bette’s wedding day was perfect, with Alex and Sam as maids of honour. All their friends and family was there. Melvin Porter didn’t show up, even though Bette had let him know that she would get married to Tina Kennard, the love of her life. Deep down, she had known he wouldn’t come, but she had hoped a little. She wasn’t quite prepared for the hurt the knowledge of his absence caused and til the last second, she kept searching him in the small crowd. Tina was barely able to comfort her, but Shane had talked to Bette for quite some time, reminding her of all those hours they had spent in Bette’s room back in Los Angeles, talking about Bette’s severe crush, about her pain and her despair. She convinced Bette that this was the happiest day of her life, her big dream coming true, and she shouldn’t let her bigot of a father ruin that. After all, Tina was the one who wore Bette’s mom’s ring, the ring Bette had received after her death. And the day her mother died, she had vowed that she’d only give this ring to her one true love.

They spent a lot of school holidays in Los Angeles, visiting Tim, Helena, Dana (and naturally Alice), meeting their new friends as well. The more time went by, the more they felt comfortable going out as a couple in LA. Very few people remembered that Tina had once been Bette’s teacher and if someone did remember it, they said that they had only met years later.

Bette’s 27th birthday was a special one. That year it had been ten years since she had fallen head over heels in love with Tina Kennard and talked to her about so many things. Ten years since Tina had her first sex dream about Bette, ten years since Tina didn’t understand her own jealousy at Bette’s relationship with Emily. Ten years since so many things started out.

A year later, Bette had their first baby. Tina wanted to be the birth mother and Bette was glad to let Tina have the experience, but a few doctor’s visits made clear that the risk was too high, especially if they had another choice. A beautiful baby boy named Jared was born. Two years later, they had another boy, Darren.

Their relationship wasn’t flawless and they did have fights and arguments, but the make-up sex afterwards was bound to be great. They watched their sons grow up to be a difficult teenager (in Jared’s case) and a surprisingly calm but way too curious wannabe-scientist (in Darren’s case). They didn’t know where that interest in science and math had come from as both of them were into languages, literature and art. They guessed it came from the donor and supported him either way. Later, they both became accomplished young men, marrying lovely girls. They made their mothers proud.

Sometimes, both Bette and Tina were so overwhelmed with their lives that they had to go away for a weekend together to be able to talk and think. When Bette turned 37, it was amazingly hard to believe that it had been twenty years since her heart had skipped a beat each time the English and history teacher passed her at the school yard. And it also amazed her how her heart still skipped a beat each time she saw her wife wake up in the morning. Every morning.