Ten Years After – Volume 2 – The Move

Chapter 4 – The Doctor Visit

Tina began to awaken at about 6 am.  She had been having a dream which had made her very aroused but did not reach completion.  She gazed at her lover whose brunette hair was splayed around her head. At some point in the night, she had rolled over on her back and put her left hand above her head and her right hand on her stomach. Her left knee was slightly bent where her right leg was straight with her toes pointed toward the ceiling. Tina looked at her peaceful face and notice the rise and fall of her chest with her rhythmic breathing. How beautiful Bette was in sleep and resting state.

Tina began to recall those days when they were apart and how angry she was with her. And when she began to examine her own behavior in the relationship, the anger began to dissipate and was replaced by loneliness and longing. Tina came so close to losing Bette forever. When Bette was with Jodi, she did not want to be the other woman, but deep in her heart, she knew that it was the only path she could follow if she were to ever get Bette back. Bette had always tried to do the right thing. She never once denied that she had slept with Candace Newell. Once confronted, she never lied and she never hid from Tina. And she never once tried to justify her behavior as being the right thing to do. She was remorseful and begged Tina for forgiveness and doing so in public in front of all their friends. The alpha personality had humbled herself and made a sincere public apology. Tina was not ready to hear it. She was not ready to do the hard examination of the relationship and the behavior on her part which brought Bette to indulge in a forbidden sexual relationship.

Those days were long gone. The life between the two of them had changed dramatically. They had both learned that communication between the two of them was essential to smoothing the rough edges and getting through the bumps and stresses of everyday life. They knew deep in their souls that the other’s well-being was just as important to their own.  They also learned that intimacy including sex was essential to their lives. Tina had not appreciated the importance of sex until she was with Henry Young. When the excitement of newness wore off, sex with Henry had left her unfulfilled and disappointed. And though having sex with Brenda was fun, it too was not something she desired to have a repeat performance.  The relationships with Helena, Henry and Brenda all lack the sense of commitment and connection which she had with Bette. She loved the person Bette was and is. She loved her even though she could be obstinate and quick tempered and sometime downright disrespectful to others. But Tina knew that a simple touch on her back or arm or thigh would clam her back to the self-control she needed to gracefully end the conflict. And Bette loved that Tina had this effect on her. Tina was the only person in which Bette relinquished control of her emotions and her body and disclosed her most vulnerable self to. It took years to get to this place in her life to trust Tina so completely that she would hide nothing. And as Bette became more open, Tina in turn became more open as well. And as their closeness grew, their sexual encounters became more frequent and more satisfying. Their intimacy in sharing the same space and thoughts became easier and more frequent. Their desire to hold each other and be in contact with each other became second nature. They knew each other well and can predict every response to almost every situation, however, they preferred to get the other to vocalize their response rather than assume what it will be. They respected and admired the person the other is. And neither can imagine their life without the other.