“Daddy ” Tina yelled as she leapt into her father’s arms.


“Hey baby ” he said as grabbed hold of Tina and hugged her as if they hadn’t seen each other in years.


“Wh…what are you doin’ here?” she said as her face was all lit up.


“Well I …”


“Wait a minute how did you know I was here? Did Vanessa call you. Did she tell you hat happened?”


“Yes. I think she told me everything.”


“Which was what exactly?”


“She told me that you had a fit and ran off with some crazy *****. Who threatened her.” Tina’s only reaction was a much needed scoff ” first of all Bette is not crazy, she’s the only person I can talk to down here. Secondly she hit ME That’s how I got this bruise and ended up staying here not over there with her and David.”


Charles removed his hand from his mouth and said in eerily calm tone ” she hit you?”


“Yeah, after the first day I got here. I’d spent the day with Bette and when I got home she came at me with all these ridiculous questions, then she *****’ snapped at punched me in the face.” Tina exclaimed as she pointed to the bruise on her face.


“Who the ***** is David?”


“David is the guy Vanessa’s living with.”


“She didn’t tell me about any ***** guy, especially some guy staying with you “Charles was now standing and pacing across the living room. Never having seen her father that upset she was frightened by what his next action might be.


He stopped closed his eyes and said, “Ok, me, you, and your mother need to talk. Get dressed baby, we’re going to go see her right now.”


“How do you know she’s home?”


“I told her I would calm you down and bring you back to her so y’all could get together.”he said with his eyes closed so tight as if he was squeezing away a headache.


“Ok give me a minute.” Tina said walking back into her room and closing the door. The first thing she grabbed was her phone to call someone about the impending situation. She could only think of one person to call …………….Bette.


“Hi, baby I told you my lunch wasn’t until 1:00 o’clock. Do you miss me already?”


“Bette ” Tina said frantically “my dad’s here ”


“What? I thought you said he was in California?”


“He was, until Vanessa called him and told him get this, that I ran off with some crazy ***** who threatened her.”


“I’m flattered. But why did you call me so hectically?”


“Because he wants to take me over to her house and “talk” about the situation. Really I don’t know what’s going to happen, you remember I told you the last time she hit me he broke her eye socket. Can you please call Melvin and ask him to be there before we get there?”


“Ok I’ll call daddy, you try and calm down your dad on the way. I’ll call you if I can’t get in touch with him. Bye baby.”


Tina was dressed in no time her father in a rage had already started the car and was waiting for Tina. And as Bette was feverishly trying to get in touch with her father she grabbed David and took off in the direction of his house as she talked on the phone.


“Daddy, Tina’s father is here and right now he’s on his way to David’s house to uhhh…. talk to Vanessa. Can you please act as mediator David and I are on the road right now.”


“Alright baby I’m on my way. Bye.”


“David you better hope we get to your house before they do.” Bette just continued to speed towards his house. Meanwhile Tina was choking on all the tension filling the car with her dad.


“Daddy, I think you need to calm down.”


“Look Tina you need to understand something,” he stopped suddenly and pulled the car over and said “you are the only thing in my life that I’ve ever wanted. So when I see my little girl hurt by someone I’m supposed to be able to trust with your life, it makes me so full of…rage. Literally its an uncontrollable rage. But please believe me when I tell you that I’m not going to hurt your mother, ok.” He finished by grabbing the sides of Tina’s face and staring her directly in the eye and kissing her gently on the forehead.


Charles pulled up to a house that was already being manned by a calm older looking gentleman. As Charles approached the door Melvin confronted him by saying “Charles? I think you and I need to talk. Hello Tina.”


“I’m sorry you must be Melvin, you’re Vanessa’s therapist right? Did she call you?”


“No, my daughter, Bette, called me. She said Tina called her a little concerned about this impromptu meeting. First of all you need to calm down and breath a little bit. Secondly you can’t go in here blaming anyone for anything, ok.” Charles could only nod in agreement as he was being coached by Melvin. Finally they knocked on the door, Vanessa answered the door to find Tina, Charles, and Melvin standing in her doorway. As if it was automatic they all took a seat in the living room.


“Why do you continue to hurt our little girl like this?”


“First of all she’s my daughter. I don’t mean to do these things to her they just happen.”


“Oh so you just happen to hit your own child? Is that what you’re telling me?”


“Ok I think we need to calm down a bit. Everybody needs to relax and just breath. Please remember that this meeting is for Tina and it’s not about you.”


Charles took a deep breath and said “why didn’t you tell me about David?”


“Because you don’t trust to many people around Tina, especially anyone associated with me. Ya know really I’m surprised you even trust Melvin.”


“I send my daughter across the country to connect with her mother and the only person down here she can trust is some doctor and his daughter. Because her drunken mother is still the same irresponsible person she was when she left us.”


“I’ve not had a drink in months ok .” by this time they were both standing and not listening to Melvin when Bette and David walked in. Bette’s first reaction was to go over to Tina who had her head in her lap crying. Bette just caressed her head as she felt helpless to comfort her lover. David ran over to Vanessa just as she yelled ” why the ***** do you even care she’s not even your daughter ?”


The room fell completely silent. The words still ringing in the air Tina lifted her head up and looked at her mother who was thrown by her own words. The tracks of Tina’s tears still present on her face she rose never taking her eyes off of her mother. Vanessa could only look down in disgust as she realized her mistake.


“What the ***** are you talkin’ bout? And you know what, ***** my language because y’all are keeping secrets from me that are starting to throw my world. And all I want right now is the truth.”


“Ok wait a minute Bette, David and I need to leave because this really is something that needs to be discussed between the three of y’all.”Melvin, David and Bette exited the room. Bette decided to stay close by in case Tina needed her in a hurry, she still felt a little eerie about leaving Tina alone with her mother.


Tina was now sitting in the chair apart from her father. Vanessa took a big breath and said


“Ok, when we…”


“Before you start I just want you know I love you baby.”Charles said as Tina could only look upon her parents like strangers. “When we were staying in San Francisco after Moira died I shut down from your father. I was constantly drinking. I never stayed in the house, everywhere I went in that house I could see her, I could still hear her laugh, I could smell her hair. She was everywhere including in your father, I could never look at him. And we tried everything trust me pills, doctors, everything. But with more doctors came more pills.” Vanessa was telling the story as Tina was crying never breaking concentration from her mother.


Vanessa was breaking down so Charles continued the story. “One night your mother went out to a bar and she was mixing her pills with the alcohol and I guess she was out of it, but somehow she ended up talking to some man. He left with your mother in a cab and took her back to his house. From there she started to come to and realized what was about to happen, but I guess it was to late because he wouldn’t let her leave. Oh, Jesus,………. your mother was raped that night.” as the words were coming from his mouth Tina felt as though she was going to be sick and she hadn’t even eaten anything that day.


“Nessa came home crying she said was raped but I didn’t believe her, until we went to the doctor and she told us that Nessa was pregnant. I knew then because we hadn’t had ***** for the better part of a year. We had made the decision to keep you because neither one of believe in abortion. We didn’t plan on starting a family again so soon but baby I don’t regret it at all. I needed you to ground my reality again, ya know? I was hating myself for Moira and I was hating your mother for not moving on with me. But then you came along and you put me straight again.” Charles said as he bent on his knees at Tina’s feet as if he asking for forgiveness.


“But your mother and I were to far gone to repair what we had. She was already gone from me when you were born. That’s why I think it was so easy for her to walk away from you when you were younger. I don’t know.”


“Don’t just sit there ***** say something ” Tina exclaimed.


“What the ***** do you want me to say? That I hated you, that I didn’t feel like I did when I held Moira, is that what you want to hear? YES It’s all true ok. That man took something from and left me like this. He took all I had in this world, and to have a piece of him inside of me, connected to me forever was the worst feeling in the world I don’t think I can ever describe what I felt when you entered my life.”being barely able to stand anymore Bette barged in just as Tina screamed and collapsed to the ground.



Just as she had done the night before Bette went over to Tina without hesitation. Practically carrying her, she took Tina into her room upstairs. Bette laid Tina down on her bed as she stroked her hair. She fell into a rage of hatred and self loathing.


“He’s not my father, He’s not my father, He’s not my father!” were the only words she could manage.


“Shhh, baby I’m here. I know, let it out.”


“I don’t know who I am anymore. I’m completely ***** lost right now.”


“It’s ok baby. I’m here and you know what, I’ll always find you.” Bette said as she gazed deep into her young lover’s weeping eyes. Bette just held onto Tina as she rocked her into silence.


“Can you just please take me away from here?” Tina asked as Bette was wiping the tears away from her face.


“Where do you wanna go baby?”


“Anywhere as long as I’m away from these people, and somewhere it’s just the two of us.” Bette took Tina by the hand as Tina was rising off the bed she never took her eyes away from Bette’s, giving her a sense of security.


As Tina was walking down the stairs she could see that everyone was gathered down at the bottom looking up at her, waiting for a reaction. In an unusually calm and assertive voice Tina said ” I’m going with Bette. Because I can’t look at any of you people. You’re all ***** strangers to me.”


Tina and Bette were halfway out the front door when Vanessa said looking at Tina ” The ***** you are, you ain’t goin’ nowhere!” . She reached out for Tina’s left hand and grabbed it. Tina breaking loose from Bette’s grasp with her right she turned around and struck her with the hardest fist she could make.


“Don’t you ever ***** touch me again!” Tina proclaimed standing over her mother. Bette just grabbed Tina by the waist and hurried her into her car as she sped off Tina couldn’t help but to feel a little relieved and satisfied.


With her adrenaline pumping and her hormones raging she glanced over at Bette. Her hair flowing with the wind, her skin’s reaction to the winds touch, the way she licked her lips nervously, Tina felt an uncontrollable urge to kiss her, hard. Tina grabbed hold of Bette’s face as she was driving and kissed her hard and aggressively. Completely taken by surprise Bette pulled over and grabbed hold Tina to return the kiss.


Tina began to lean into Bette as she slowly opened her car door to get out, Bette backed out never releasing Tina’s lips as she followed in a slow crawl. They both rose from the ground still kissing never wanting to release each other. They made their way to the front of the car where this time Tina turned Bette around as she unbuttoned her pants and took hold Bette’s waist with one arm. Tina sucked on Bette’s earlobe gently as her hand was slowly caressing her soft upper thigh. Teasingly Tina dragged her tongue along Bette’s neck, causing Bette’s knees to fall as she held onto Tina’s head for support. Feeling her lover could take no more foreplay , Tina dived deep into Bette’s soft, moist lining. Bette’s short gasp let Tina know she tighten half way there before she even rocked Bette with her rhythm. Tina began her sensual movement on Bette’s ***** with her thumb while her fingers drove Bette into a tizzy. Slowly as Bette’s muscles fastened around Tina’s hand, Tina began to play with her ear lobe softly biting it sending Bette into an undeniable state of euphoria as she shook and buckled in Tina’s arms. Bette’s breathing took on a slow rise as Tina was not through with her body just yet…………………………………….




TBC………………………………………………………………………………………..