Angie: That’s a lot to think about. Now, if I could only decide whether I’m attracted to boys or to girls.

Bette and Tina were somewhat surprised by this statement. They had decided long ago that they would not ask Angie if she were attracted to boys or girls but would allow Angie to tell them when she was ready.

Bette:  Angie, that is a question that only you can answer. You will figure it out. You need to go with your heart and how you feel.  Do not let anyone tell you what you feel.  I was in college before I realized that I was attracted to women. I had a few sexual escapades with some boys, but they were not very satisfying. It was not long that I figured out that a certain professor seemed to be front and center of my sexual fantasies.  And I found myself staring at various women who were walking around campus and not paying attention to studs that all the other girls were drooling over. And then I met Gloria. She was an upper classman who was tutoring me in chemistry. After a chemistry exam, we met for coffee and then she invited me back to her apartment. My class had finished the term and she wanted to reward me for my hard work. Needless to say, after that weekend, I had no doubts that a woman is what I craved.  We both went home for summer break and never got back together.

Tina:  I dated boys all during college and I dated and was engaged to be married to a lawyer when I first met Mama B.  When I met her, I was simply bowled over. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever met. She had a magnetic personality and she seemed to be very attentive to me when I was a guest at her artist dinner.  I lost an earring and I went back to the gallery to retrieve it. That was when Bette kissed me very lightly. I was overwhelmed with desire, shock, and wonder. It was friendly and not pushy but it was intoxicating. Within a week, I had broken off my engagement with Eric and given him back his ring.  It was about 10 days later that Bette called me and asked me out to dinner. It was the first time that I had ever considered being attracted to a woman.  We dated at least a month before we actually became intimate. She knew that I had never been with a woman.  She was so sweet and so kind and gentle and yet so hot on all of our dates. She did not want to push me into something I was not ready for. Every time we got together, the more I wanted to be with her. By the time we finally went to bed, I was so in love with her, I knew there was no one in the world I wanted more than I wanted Bette Porter. Within a couple of months, I moved in with her and I told my parents that I had called off the engagement with Eric and I was in a committed relationship with Bette Porter.  They were less than supportive of my choice.  That was 24 years ago. We have had our troubles and our share of problems. But we kept finding our way back to each other. And for the past 10 years, we have lived the life of my dreams. And today, I love your Mama more than I loved her that first year I met her 24 years ago. I cannot imagine my life without Bette Porter.