“T, you’re okay right?  You have to talk to me.” 

I was scared to verbalize to her what had happened with Eric.  I could barely wrap my mind around the hateful things he had said to me and the fact that he did something so unlike his personality; I also was just so unsure of how Bette would react to what had happened.  I just sat there trying to form the words.  She got up off of the floor, sat next to me and wrapped he arms around me.  For the longest time she just held me and let me cry.

After a while I heard her soft voice speak again, “Baby, what’s wrong?  Please tell me.  T?” 

I looked into her eyes and all I saw were two chocolate pools filled with compassion and worry.  There was a feeling of safeness while looking into her eyes; I knew it would be okay to tell her what had happened.

“I, I, I told Eric, uh Eric about us.” Sniffle.  “And it was, it was horrible.”  I put my head back into my hands for a moment to compose myself before trying to find the words to tell her what hateful things he had said and then I looked back up into her comforting eyes.  “He called me all these hateful names and then, and then he, he uh, he hit me.”

She pulled away slightly and I swear I saw a few seconds of sheer fury flash in her eyes but then it was gone.  The safety I had seen in her eyes returned I once again was now feeling with her arms surrounding me a little tighter than before.  “It’s okay baby, I’m here now, you’re safe and I won’t ever let him touch you again.  And if you want to cry, cry and if you want to just sit we’ll just sit.  Okay baby?”  She pulled away slightly again and looked at my face a little closer, “Does your face hurt?”

“No, not really, it just stings a little still but it’s almost gone.”  I reached up to my cheek and placed my hand on top of the spot where Eric’s hand had hit me, and sighed. 

Bette then leaned over placed her hand gently on top of mine, caressing it lightly.  “How about we get you out of here?  Are you able to leave for the day?”