Shane shook her head.

“And to think I almost forgave you. I almost looked up to you. I almost cared about you. Carmen was right. Carla’s better off without you, Shay’s better off without you, and I,” Shane began, her voice getting progressively louder until she was screaming right in Gabriel’s face, “Am definitely better off without you, because you are a low-life, good for nothing, sick, twisted, little fucker. And I will have nothing to do with you. In fact, if you ever come near me, Carmen, Shay or Carla again, I’ll fucking kill you. And that’s a promise.” She said, straightening out the sweatshirt she was wearing and walking out, pointing a few security guards to him as she walked back to her room.

“Oh, Tina, there you are. How was your walk on the beach?” Her mother replied from the kitchen.

“Uh… All right, you haven’t seen Bette, have you?”

Tina’s mother popped her head out of the doorway curiously.

“I thought she was with you.”

“She was, but we… got separated.”

“That’s too bad, have you tried calling her cell phone?”

“Yes, mom.”

“Well, that’s odd.” She said, wiping her hands on her apron. “I wonder where she could’ve gone off to?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why she wouldn’t just come back here after the two of you got separated?”

“Yeah.”

“Unless you’re not telling me something.”

“What? I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“Oh, the irony of that sentence. Please, Tina. Just tell me the truth.

“It’s nothing. We just had a fight is all.”

“…And you were hoping she came back here to talk to you.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, don’t you worry your pretty little head about it, honey. Whatever happened, she’ll be back. She loves you, and she’s a good woman. She treats you well, I can see it in her eyes.” Her mother began to go back into the kitchen.

“She cheated on me.” Tina blurted, halting her mother’s movements. She turned around, watching the tears fall down her mother’s face.

“Why didn’t you tell me that before, Tina?”

“Because it wasn’t important, that was all behind us, we were happy and in love, and I wasn’t supposed to feel this way again.” Tina whispered, tears flowing freely down her face now.

“Oh, sweetie.” Tina’s mom whispered, pulling her daughter to her chest and rocking her lightly. “It’s okay. She’ll be back. I know she will.”

“But what if we can’t work it out this time?”

“You will, pumpkin, you will.”

Tina continued to sob, her mother searching frantically for something to calm her. Finally, she thought of something. It was a long shot, but…

“I love you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck.”

“A hug around the neck and a barrel and a heap.” Tina joined in. “You used to sing this to me when I couldn’t sleep.”

But her mother continued singing, so she sang along. “A barrel and a heap and I’m talkin’ in my sleep about you. About you. ‘Cause I love you, a bushel and a peck, you bet your pretty neck I do. Doodle oodle oodle. Doodle oodle oodle. Doodle oodle oodle doo. I love you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck…”

A quiet voice came from behind them, “Though you make my heart a wreck. Make my heart a wreck and you make my life a mess. Make my life a mess, yes, a mess of hapiness, about you. About you.”