Tina sighed. Bette, Bette. This whole thing with the gold is not going to finish anytime soon, now that you’re responsible for it. And Peter’s estate and holdings? That’s a whole other deal you’re going to need to figure out.

“But if this will take too long, you’ll need to figure out what you want to do while I figure out what I need to do about this whole thing… is that ok? Will that be alright with you?” Bette asked, her large brown eyes seeking Tina’s assurance that the blonde understood what Bette was trying to say. “I want you to be happy, baby. We’ll adjust and make it work, however you decide, ok?”

Tina snaked her arms around Bette’s neck, and gently massaged the brunette’s nape.   “I know that I’m your priority, Bette, along with Angie and this baby. And you’re mine, so however we decide about what we each want to do with whatever we’re individually facing, I know we’ll both have each other and our family in mind.”

Her heart sang on seeing the deep love shining out of those hot chocolate brown eyes, in response. She began pulling Bette down by the neck slightly, uncaring about whether Bette was going to crush her. This exotic, beautiful creature who will do anything in the world to make me happy genuinely loves me.   How’d I get so lucky?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

While slowly waking from a dream state the knocks on the door seemed to Bette to get louder and more insistent.

”Bette! Bette!” She could hear a voice filtering through the door. ”Are you up? Or are you still getting ready?”

Bette mumbled something back incoherently. Not Tina at the door, that much she could make out from what she could pick up from the disembodied voice behind the door.

”Are you decent yet? I’m coming in ok?” the voice asked carefully.

Bette rolled to her side, and slowly pushed herself up to partially lean on an elbow. She started to shake her head trying to clear cobwebs, unsure yet about whether she should wake from the nice dream she’d been in the middle of or do as the voice was insisting, which was to wake up already.

”Ready or not, I’m coming in!” Diane announced, and then a second later pushed down on the lever of the door and swung it open.