“Ok Alice what’s wrong? The only time your this gentle with me is when your hiding something. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Is it Dana? Did something happen between you two?”

“No Dana and me we’re fine. It’s just that I didn’t tell you the whole truth about why I’m here. I did come out here to see Bette, and she is wonderful, I’m happy that you’re happy. Her arms are great does she workout a lot cause she’s got some…”Alice finished and lifted her head to see Tina’s worried eyes upon her.

“Alice…”Tina could see that Alice was tap dancing around whatever was sitting on her brain.

“Your mother called me. And I’ve been out here for 3 days visiting her.” it seemed as though Alice saying that made the day freeze and everything stood still.

“You’re here because my mother called you? My mother called you? And you talked to her? Aren’t you the same person who tried to talk me out of coming here in the first place? And here it is you’ve spent 4 days with her? Alice you haven’t talked to my mother since you found out she was a homophobe. And what are y’all just best friends now.”

“Tina, no, would you please just sit down and listen to me.” reluctantly Tina sat back down and faced her friend “yes, your mother is a homophobe, yes she is crazy, but she is still your mother. And I still have to respect that. I didn’t tell you I was here because she asked me not to. I wanted to believe me, but she begged me not to. And she wants to talk to you when Bette leaves for Cuba. For some reason she feels that Bette is hindering the progress that she has made with you. Now she’s probably wrong, but can’t you at least find out if she’s at least valid in her assumption.”

“Did she tell you the whole story about her rape, the drinking, hating me from the time I was born, all the shit she put my father through, hitting me when I was little and this summer, and all the other shit she put me through this summer.”