She parted Tina’s lower lips with her fingers and began to slowly rub her clit.

“Oh, God, Bette!” She moaned loudly.

Letting her thumb continue to massage Tina’s clit, Bette inserted two fingers into her. Tina gasped and threw her head back against the sheets, tears twinkling in her eyes. They were not lost on Bette, but she continued, pressing harder and harder, and moving faster and faster as she heard Tina groan, her breath short, and her body quivering. She felt Tina tighten around her and let out a strangled cry of her name.

“Bette! Oh, God, Bette!” Tina was completely sobbing now, not trying to hide it at all. “I’m so sorry, Bette! I didn’t mean it, I’m fucked up. I don’t know what’s wrong with me! I’m fucked up, I’m so fucked up.”

Bette took her in her arms and pulled the covers up over them, trying to comfort her wife.

“Hey, no, it’s OK. You’re not fucked up.”

“Yes, I am. What I said is inexcusable. She’s your baby, too. I want her to feel as close to you as she does to me, but, I don’t know. I’m so stressed, with the new job and the… I’m so fucking stressed. You should… You should just save yourself the effort and leave right now.”

“No, Tee. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

Mark rolled up to the house. He needed to do it sometime. “Not now,” he whispered to the quiet of his car. “They’re not all there. Family night.” He pulled away, continuing his drive to his girlfriend’s house.

Andrea walked into the room to see Shane chasing Jenny around the room and an unidentified Latina watching them, laughing and wiping her eyes. The Latina woman was the first to notice her and she crossed the room towards her, almost getting knocked over by Jenny in the process who grabbed her to slow Shane down. She finally made it over to her and smiled, extending her hand.

“Carmen.”

“Andrea. But that explains a lot.”

“What does?”

“You. Being Latina and named Carmen.”

“It does?”

“Yeah. You see, Jenny was talking about you before, telling me her life’s story, and then she was giving Shane shit for hooking up with a Latina girl. Now I know why.”