"Come in." Bette stepped back. "I’m glad you could make it. Come on back to the kitchen and keep me company?"

Lara smiled, "I didn’t know you cooked."

Bette laughed. "You are looking at the Queen of Take-out. I’ve got Thai and sushi. All I need to do is pull it out of the containers, and make it look presentable."

"Ah. So the rumors about your culinary skills are true." Lara grinned. "Perhaps I can help in the presentation."

As they made their way to the kitchen, Bette noticed a slightly odd cadence to Lara’s walk. "Are you limping?"

Lara shrugged. "Yeah, shin splints. It takes me a minute to loosen up after I’ve driven somewhere. No big deal."

Bette asked, "You’re a runner?"

"I go out several times a week," she replied. "You?"

"Used to be. Now I’m more into tai chi. It’s much less stressful on your body, and helps center me in a way that running never did. You ought to try it if you’re having injury problems. I work out a couple of times a week with a group in a park near The Planet. You should come with me sometime and check it out."

Lara blinked. Bette’s sudden friendliness was a little surprising in light of the heated exchange they’d had a couple of days ago. Lara felt a little off balance by Bette’s attention. "Uhm, maybe…..I’ll think about it."

As if she’d read Lara’s mind, Bette changed the subject abruptly. "Listen, I’m glad you were the first to arrive, because I wanted to talk about our discussion the other day." She straightened up from the counter where she’d been rummaging around for serving dishes and fixed Lara with an intense gaze.

Lara swallowed, suddenly nervous. "Yeah, about that. Bette I may have been out of line. I was frazzled and—"

"You were right." Bette interrupted. "I’ve thought about what you said, and I realized I don’t really think about people that much if they are outside my primary circle. Your words stung, but only because there was a lot of truth in what you said."

Lara was stunned. This was a very different Bette Porter than she’d grown accustomed to. Still confident, but suddenly approachable. Lara managed a weak smile. "Still, I was a little venomous….and I had no right. I’m sorry."