“Let’s get out of the rain. Please, come in,” Bette said, backing up toward her door.

“I can’t,” Tina said, backing in the opposite direction. “I left my front door open. I’ll um… I’ll see you later.”

Tina turned around and jogged back to her yard and inside the house, closing the door behind her. She’d felt Bette’s eyes on her the whole way back, or maybe that was her imagination. Either way, Bette must be thinking she was anti-social. Or slightly touched in the head. Or both.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when there was a knock, followed by a more persistent one, on the other side of the door. Tina opened it without saying a word, already knowing who it was.

“Are you all right?” Bette was looking at her with concern. “Why did you run away from me?”

“I – I told you. I left the door unlocked.”

Bette looked doubtful at this, but it was the truth. “I see. I didn’t hear what you said over the rain. Can I come in for a minute?” she asked.

Tina hesitated and then moved aside to let Bette in. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I’ll get you a towel or something.” Tina scuttled to the linen closet and brought Bette back a fluffy towel that she took with a little smile as she dabbed at her face and arms.

“Thanks.”

“Can I make you some tea or something?”

“No… I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“Yes, um. I’m fine. Sorry. I know how I come across sometimes. You’ll have to forgive me. I’m afraid that being alone so much has made me a little rusty in the social graces.”

Bette said nothing and instead gave her a searching look. Tina shifted under her piercing gaze. She got the feeling that Bette knew she was holding something back.

“Well. If everything is okay. Thanks for warning me.”

“Warning you about what? About me?”

“No… about the car. To put the top up because of the rain.”

“Oh, that. It was nothing. I only knew it was coming because of an old injury. It acts up when it’s about to rain.”

Bette raised an eyebrow. “I thought that was a myth. You know, feeling the weather in your bones.”

Tina gave her a wry smile. “I can assure you, it’s not. I’m more reliable than the local weatherman.” Bette half giggled at that and then a little silence fell, with both women simply looking at each other.

“I should get going,” Bette said suddenly.

“Right, okay. I’ll see you around.”

Bette handed her back the towel and Tina took it as she opened the door.

“Bye, neighbor,” Bette said before she dashed back across the street. Tina shut the door with a sigh. This whole social interaction thing was supposed to be getting easier with time, not more difficult.

She took the damp towel and tossed into the laundry. She decided to go and make tea for herself. As she waited for the water to boil, she thought of Bette’s strange look in the foyer. It seemed that she had been about to say something, but she hadn’t. She more than likely realized that Tina was hiding something, but their friendship, if you could call it that, wasn’t such that Tina was prepared to take Bette into her confidence. When she got to know her better – if she got to know her better – then maybe Tina would tell her about the stillbirth. And why she felt so alone all the time. And a whole lot of other things.

She poured some boiling water in her cup and sat down at the little kitchen table. Eric had been right about one thing. Tina did need a friend. Maybe Bette could be that person… if Tina could pull herself together and not act like a social reject in their interactions. Bette seemed really nice. Patient, too. Most people would have given up and written Tina off as their weird and slightly crazy neighbor. Maybe they really could be friends.

Tina was almost finished with her tea when she realized that the tension in her knee had subsided. She glanced out the window and saw that the clouds were gone and it had stopped raining.