“Do you need some help?” Toni asked as Bette went to the bathroom to retrieve a warm bowl of water to bathe her as well.

“No. I got it.” she answered without turning around.

Toni had a feeling that maybe Bette was falling to hard for this. She might snap if she didn’t let go of her emotions soon. More and more she was spending time with Ali, wiping her face down with cool and warm towels, bathing her, and changing the sheets more often by herself. It was almost as though she felt like the more she did the more she could redeem herself. It was now that Toni was regretting letting Bette participate in this particular detoxification.

…………………

Tina woke up early in the night yet again. As of late she wasn’t getting any sleep, it didn’t help that Melito insisted on sleeping with her, as he slept right underneath her. It was sweet how he had taken to the blonde, almost as a substitute for Bette. Some nights Tina would wake up and reach out for Bette, but all she touched in return were soft curls and a baby face. More and more she worried about Bette. Their phone conversations were almost non existent, Bette’s end of the conversations were short and cold. A complete turn from their first phone call on the first morning, where Bette cried and almost lost her cool before she even started. But it was Tina’s voice and understanding that helped Bette realize that this was something that she absolutely needed to do.

Tina went out in to the backyard and sat down next to the fire pit. She turned it on as she wrapped herself tighter in the blanket that was on the couch. She sat and watched as the moonlight cascaded over the waves that were running back and forth up the shore. Her mind was tortured with thoughts of Bette, her safety, her well being, her mental health, her heart. It was the questions of her heart that plagued her the most. What was her heart saying to her at this very moment? Was she thinking about her just as much? Something was holding her that was so strong it tore through Tina every night. So she could only imagine what Bette was going through. Tina’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the screen door sliding shut. She saw Carmen standing by the door with arms wrapped around herself tightly. Tina opened the blanket and welcomed Carmen into the warmth that was already there. Carmen happily accepted and sat down with Tina as they both shared the blanket.