I love you deeply and nothing can change that. You are my life Tee. I hope you know that, but I still have some lingering trust issues. I need your reassurance that you don’t have any doubts about what we are doing. I don’t want you holding back to spare my feelings. I want you to feel like you can talk to me about anything openly and honestly. I know sometimes we make decisions on the spur of the moment and then upon reflection or when circumstances change we have a change of heart and that’s OK. We just have to voice these things as they come up so we are not resentful. I don’t want either of us making compromises that we’ll regret after the fact.”

Tina listened intently without judgement as Bette expressed her deepest fears. Her response was as honest and open as possible.

“Bette I can understand how you might feel that way if you were dealing with the dependent person that I was 7 or 8 years ago but you’re not. This new relationship is a mutually inter-dependent partnership. I realize that I still have some insecurities that might have me holding back from you a little but I’m really working on that, and you’re helping me to recognize when I’m doing it. You did with the Leigh Ostin deal and you did it when I misinterpreted your intentions on packing for the Barbados trip. I promise you that I am 100% behind this career change, this move and expanding our family. I want you to be happy but I wouldn’t sacrifice my own happiness or that of our daughter if I didn’t think this was a good thing for all of us. I admit the changes are a bit scary. There are a lot of unknowns at this point but I’m willing to take the risk with you.”

“Even considering that I’m going to be unemployed in a few months when I quit CU? You didn’t handle my unemployment too well after I lost the job at the CAC. I don’t want you to feel stressed about money or my ability to take care of our family while I make this transition. Do you have any concerns about that?”