Fan Fiction
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Eternal Flames-Chapter 10
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She hit send and set the phone down like it burned her fingers.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tina was halfway through updating a patient chart at Presbyterian when her phone buzzed in the pocket of her scrub top. Seeing Bette’s name on the screen always sent a ripple through her, but the moment her eyes scanned the message, she felt the air shift.
Hey, I’m sorry. I’m going to have to cancel lunch. Things are hectic at work right now. Maybe another time.
She stood still for a moment beside the nurses’ station, letting the words settle. She’d known this might happen—not because Bette didn’t care, but because she was still fighting the instinct to retreat at the first sign of vulnerability.
Tina typed slowly, choosing each word with care.
It’s okay. Some other time. Carson is looking forward to you coming to see his science project.
She hit send, then she texted Rachel to tell her what she had expected had come true and slipped the phone back into her pocket. No pressing, no disappointment spelled out in text. Just a simple acknowledgment that she understood, and that Bette had a place waiting for her when she was ready.
Later that afternoon, on her break, she stepped outside into the crisp air and saw Rachel’s name flashing across her screen. Tina answered, leaning against the brick wall.
“Canceled, huh?” Rachel’s voice was soft, not accusing—just knowing.
“Yeah,” Tina admitted. “I was ready for it. She’s… still working through things. It’s my fault she’s like this so I’m committed to being patient”
Rachel didn’t push. She never did. “You’ll get there. She just needs to believe she’s safe with you again.”
Tina smiled faintly. “I know. And I can wait”
~~~~~~~
That evening, Carson bounded into the living room, his excitement spilling over. “Mom, I made the volcano even bigger! And Emma I put a T. Rex and a couple of other dinosaurs next to it so it now it really looks prehistoric
Tina laughed, ruffling his hair. “I think it’s going to be an A+ project.”
“She’ll come, right?” he asked without hesitation. “Bette will come see it?”
The question caught her for a moment, the way children’s questions often did—so simple, so direct. She forced a steady smile. “I think she will. She promised, didn’t she? And Bette keeps her promises”
Carson nodded, satisfied, and ran off to work on his model again.
Alone in the quiet, Tina leaned back on the sofa, letting her gaze drift to the window. She could feel the pull in her chest—the ache of wanting Bette closer, the hope she refused to let go of. She’d waited this long, and she knew she’d wait longer if that’s what it took. Bette Porter was worth it
Because some things, she believed, were worth holding steady for.
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Happy to see an update.
I’m a little disappointed Bette cancelled the lunch but i understand her fear, especially after her lunch with her client who experienced almost the same and trusted her once friend and now husband only to be left again.
Tina, stay patient, Bette will get there but it takes time.