“From the beginning, please.” Tina said sipping from her cup. Carmen looked at her as though she was about to object but Tina finished with “I’m not going to sleep until I hear from Bette so you might as well keep me company.” Carmen nodded her head and completely understood where Tina was coming from.

“I couldn’t really tell you how or why Toni and Sergio got into this business. But it’s something that they both believe in very strongly. When me and Bette were little they were superheroes to us. They would go to schools and kids would worship them, ya know. They really helped build this community to what you see today. Back in the day this little town was crazy, full of dealers, users, hustlers, prostitutes, pimps, pretty much anything and everything.”

“How did they change it?”

“Like all great revolutionaries, they got sick of watching their people die. They both knew a fair amount of people using, so it really started out by saving friends. But then there was always someone else asking for help like they received, so here we are. But they helped this community heal itself, the one person who helped them the most was Adelina.” the day wasn’t even over yet and already this was the second revelation Tina was hearing about Bette’s mother.

“What do you mean?”

“Tina look at this house. Look out that window.” Carmen said pointing to the patio door over looking the beach in the distance. “Do you honestly think a dancer could afford something like this? Adelina was Toni’s right hand in the field. She recovered some of the people with the rest of them.” she finished pointing to the living full of men. “Her heart was so big she just wanted to help people, ya know? So after she had Mel, she left the field and started counseling them instead. Through her photography, music, and dance she helped change a lot of lives.” Carmen said staring down into her swirling tea cup with tears resting on the brim of her eyes. Tina thought about all of the conversations Bette avoided talking her mother. She always thought that she was doing this to spare Tina some pain, but all the while she was holding her own pain at bay. A current of regret washed through Tina as she realized that this wonderful human being was one of the many people she would never get to meet.