“Yes he is Ms. P… Bette”

Bette smiled as she walked passed the young girl toward James’ office.

“Hey you” she said as she stood at the open door.

“Hey Bette” James quickly jumped up and ran over to give Bette a hug. “What are you doing here? We don’t have your office ready for you yet.”

“Relax.. I just came by to get myself re-acclimated and to talk to you if you have some time this morning.”

“ I will make the time Bette.. I have missed you! Just give me a second” James walked over to his desk and called out to Sara “Sara, can you clear my schedule until this afternoon…. yes, after lunch will be fine… thank you Sara” he turned to Bette “alright I am all yours.”

“Can we talk for a few.. then I want you to give me a tour of the gallery.”

“Sure what’s up?” he motioned for her to sit on the couch.

They sat and talked for well over an hour as Bette filled him in on all the exciting happenings in her life. Sparing no details about the strength of her feelings and how Tina had took her emotions by storm.

“Wow Bette that is amazing, I am so happy for you! I haven’t seen you this happy since the day Colin was born.”

“I know.. I didn’t think I would ever feel like this again. Everything is just coming together. There is no trying to make it work.. it just works.”

“That is wonderful Bette. You deserve the happiness Bette, love should be easy Bette, yes it takes some work to keep a relationship strong over the years, but it shouldn’t be hard! It sounds to me like you have finally found the right girl! You have found the one Bette don’t let her get away.”

“I won’t James. She has not been in my life for long, but I couldn’t even imagine another day that she is not in my life, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t ever happen!” Bette took a moment to collect herself before she spoke again. “James you have done such a wonderful job with the gallery… Thank you for picking up my slack… I’m sorry I just dropped everything in your lap the way I did.”

“Bette don’t worry about it.. I have really enjoyed it, and you know that I would do anything for you!”

“I know James… and you will never know how much that means to me. You have been like a brother to me.. not to mention the fact that you are the only person who would have put up with my shit back in the day. I can hardly believe what I demon I was back then.”

“Bette you were not a demon, you just knew what you wanted, and knew what needed to get done to make it happen, and you settled for nothing less.”

“Like I said I was a demon” she said with a laugh. “Well don’t you worry those days are over. I love art and I love this galley, but they are not the most important thing in life. I can not and will not allow it to take over my life again.”

Bette’s words were music to James’ ears. He had always worried about Bette and the hours she put in and the intensity of those hours. There was a time he thought for sure she would have a heart attack before she was 40. That was not the case anymore, and he couldn’t be happier. The new Bette Porter would be a force to be reckoned with but for all different reasons this time. Time flew by and before she knew it she only had time for a quick tour of the gallery before she had to go to pick the girls up from school.

“Thanks James for everything… give me a call when the office is ready Ok.”

“You got it Bette. It’ll be good to have you back in the place!” He said as he gave her a hug and she left on her way to get the girls.