“Yeah, I can just tell Jamie I’m done, to save any messages for me for Monday and leave.”

“Okay, how about I clean up the rest of this lunch while you do that.”  And then she leaned in and placed a kiss, softer than a feather onto my lips.  For the first time since this morning I was able to smile again.

Dear Diary,

Bette has been absolutely wonderful.  Especially considering how absolutely horrible and broken I felt after talking with Eric yesterday.  For the longest time she just held me while I cried, she was so comforting.  I never imagined that I could ever be with anyone like this.  She surpasses everything that I thought a partner could be.  Ah, a partner, that’s what she is, my partner, my girlfriend.  J

After we left the studio we went to my apartment where I changed out of my stuffy work clothes and into more comfortable ones.  Then she took me to the beach where we walked around for a while until Bette suggested that we stop and sit.  She found a place a little bit away from where the other people on the beach were.  Where she sat down and motioned for me to sit in front of her between her legs.

“Come here T.”

So I sat between her legs; she wrapped her arms around me and it was like I was made to be there.  I have never felt as safe and secure as I do in her arms.

I took a deep breath smelling the fresh salty ocean air that mixed with the intoxicating scent that is Bette.  I sat there thinking how lucky I was to have her in my life.

“What are you thinking about T?”

“You.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, how lucky I am to have you a part of my life.”

“T, I’m the lucky one.”

I turned partially around, smiled slightly and kissed her lightly on her lips.  I looked deeply into the depths of her eyes, “I love you Bette.”  I then looked downwards and away, slightly afraid of what her reaction would be.

I felt her hand gently turn my head towards her gaze where I saw tears glistening in her eyes.  She leaned down, her lips met mine; she pulled away and spoke, “I love you too Tina, more than I ever imagined that I could ever love anyone.”

It was the first time that we had shared how deeply our feelings for each other ran.  If ever in time there was a perfect moment, this was it, the two of us sitting on a beach in the warm ocean breeze listening to the seagulls watching the waves crashing on the shore with her arms lovingly wrapped around me.

To other people it may seem like it was too soon to say that we loved each other because I had only just ended it with Eric but why wait.  I know how I feel about her and how I have felt about her since I first saw her in her gallery.  I love her.