As he drew abreast of Tina, Logan threw a brotherly arm around the blonde, hugging her to his side, and then kissed the top of her head. Bette and Tina exchanged a quick, knowing look, and then both smiled at him.

As the trio negotiated the dips and divots in the warm sand, Bette and Logan flanking Tina on either side, they walked in a comfortable silence, enjoying the relatively quiet moment. Then Logan blurted, “I love you, you know that?” Tears began to form suddenly around his eyes, as Tina looked up at him, and encircled her free arm around his waist.

She’d wondered when Logan would finally break. Ever since Bette’s collision with the semi, Logan had been the one figure in their lives who’d kept a stoic attitude around them, persistent in his outward calmness.   He’d come by almost every day when Bette had been in the hospital, and had visited the duplex every evening, checking in on both Bette and Tina, cracking jokes, regaling them with stories. During the first few weeks after Bette had returned home from the hospital, he’d insisted that his car and driver be posted around the duplex after the driver dropped him off in his office.  With Tina, he focused on steadying his step-sister’s nerves whenever he saw she’d needed emotional support, and kept a cheerful attitude around the blonde. With Bette he’d been unrelenting in his encouragement, accompanying her at times to visits with the various doctors, and to the physical therapist, after Alice had had to stop coming over, because of her growing commitments in talk and radio shows, and work with LA Magazine.

Throughout this day in the beach, Tina noticed he’d become increasingly emotional around her, however. She thought, maybe it’s because Bette is keeping up all kinds of appearances that she looks like she’s well on her way back, so Logan feels that he can afford to emotionally let his walls down.

As Tina pursed her lips, lost in thought, Logan mouthed to Bette, “”I love you, too, beautiful.” The brunette blew him an air kiss with her free hand and mouthed back, “We know. And we love you, too.”

They both turned their attention to Tina, who squeezed Bette’s hand with one hand, and gripped Logan with the other arm, which she kept encircled around his waist. They continued walking slowly in Marissa’s direction, and resumed their shared, emotion-filled silence. They glanced around their surroundings from time to time and exchanged warm smiles and greetings with those they’d walked past.