Kit watches her suspiciously as Bette pushes the door open. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before…” she says as she follows Bette.

Sunlight hits Bette as she slips outside; she unbuttons her blazer. At a corner table, Alice and Tasha chuckle quietly over a plate of cheese-dripping omelet. Tasha’s hand rests on Alice’s. “Well, you two definitely are social butterflies…” She then playfully points back and forth between Alice and Tasha. “Are you still on your date from last night?” She smirks.

Alice smiles and winks as she cuts her omelet. “Yep, just carb loading before we head back to my place…” She then smiles at Tasha. “Right, baby?”

Tasha laughs and shakes her head. “Alice….”

Bette shakes her head. “It’s my fault for asking…” she says with mock reproach and turns away, heading toward a small wrought-iron table where Michelle is holding their wiggling toddler on her lap.

The moment Mickey spots Bette, he launches himself free. “Mama!” he shrieks.

Bette drops to one knee and scoops him up. His small arms wrap around her neck as she buries her face in his tangled curls. “Hey, sweet pea,” she murmurs, peppering his cheeks with little kisses.

Michelle stands up and approaches Bette. “Um, hey… so listen—”

Bette straightens and turns her back on Michelle in one smooth motion, shoulders squared. It’s as if Michelle isn’t there. She swivels toward Kit, who is standing nearby, ready to jump in if her sister’s interaction with her ex-wife goes south.

“Bette?” Michelle softly calls, stepping slightly closer.

Bette keeps her eyes on Kit. “Tina has a late meeting this evening. Can we push family dinner back by about an hour?”

Kit nods. “Of course….”

“Bette?” Michelle desperately calls out again.

Bette gives a quick kiss to Kit’s forehead. “Have a great day. See you tonight,” she says over her shoulder as she walks away with Mickey in her arms.

Mickey plays with the silver chain around Bette’s neck. “Where’s Angie?”

“She’s inside,” Bette says, stepping through the threshold.

“Bette? Please?” Michelle’s voice cracks, but Bette’s already gone. Michelle turns to Kit, eyes glistening and lips trembling. She points back toward the entrance. “How long is this gonna last? She can’t just keep not talking to me, Kit. We have a kid together, damn it…”