Bette felt her jaw clench. “She was his mark. His safety net. He kept her around for financial security and probably as a cover for his real life.”

They drove in relative silence through the familiar streets of Sacramento. Bette’s chest tightened as they passed landmarks from her childhood – the park where she and Tina had spent countless afternoons, the ice cream shop where they’d shared their first conversation about boys, the high school where they’d been inseparable.

“I need to ask you something,” Bette said as they pulled into the driveway of the Kennard family home. “Does she know I’m coming?”

Lauren and Edwin exchanged glances. “We thought it might be better if it was a surprise,” Edwin said carefully.

“You thought wrong,” Bette replied firmly. “I won’t ambush her. Not when she’s in this state. She needs to know I’m here and she needs to choose to see me.”

“You’re right,” Lauren said. “I’ll go talk to her first. Give us a few minutes?”

Bette nodded and watched as they walked into the house. She stayed in the car, her hands shaking slightly as she tried to prepare herself for what was coming. Ten years. Ten years of imagining this moment, of wondering what she would say, how she would feel.

The front door opened and Carson appeared. He was taller than she’d expected, with Tina’s eyes and a shy smile that reminded her so much of Tina at that age. He approached the car cautiously.

“Are you Bette?” he asked through the window.

She rolled it down and smiled. “I am. And you must be Carson. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Grammy and Pop Pop say you’re Mom’s best friend from when she was little.”

“I was,” Bette said carefully. “A long time ago.”

“Are you going to help her feel better? She’s been really sad.”

The innocence in his question nearly broke her heart. “I’m going to try. I promise I’m going to try.”

Lauren appeared at the front door and waved her in. “She wants to see you,” she called out.

Bette took a deep breath, grabbed her bag, and walked toward the house that had been her second home for so many years. Nothing had changed much – the same family photos lined the hallway, the same smell of Lauren’s vanilla candles filled the air.