Previously… 

“I would love it if you would make dinner. Thank you,” she said with a reassuring smile.

Bette grinned. Minutes passed. And she stood still, thinking of nothing. Devoting herself instead to fully experiencing a new and filling sensation. Happiness.
—-

The sound of water running for Angie’s bath roused her. “Dinner. Right. Dinner. “ Bette reminded herself.

Opening the fridge, Bette realized that her plan for impressing Tina with a healthy, delicious, stunningly presented meal was out the window. Between being out of town for the physically and emotionally grueling Pink Ride and the dramatic day with Jodi today, the mundane task of grocery shopping had fallen by the wayside. A wilted head of lettuce and some leftover brown rice were the most edible things the fridge had to offer.

“I’ll just have to prove my prowess in other areas this evening.” Bette thought as she pulled a premade gourmet pizza from the freezer and stuck it in the oven. Making sure the timer was set for 20 minutes, Bette applied herself to choosing a bottle of wine.

In the bathtub, Angelica was splashing happily. Tina knelt at the side of the tub, supervising and providing appropriate sound effects for the boats and rubber ducks. Tina had been surprised that Bette allowed such garish plastic toys to interrupt her tasteful bathroom décor. But there they had been, blues, red, yellows. Awkward shapes on a shelf. Not even curated, just neatly piled, awaiting Angelica.

Tina let the baby play, hoping the warm water would calm her down, make her sleepy after this long day full of strange energies. Angie plopped a boat into the water with surprising force, and the resulting splash soaked Tina’s clothes.

“Let’s try and keep the water in the tub, ok babyface?” Tina quickly stripped off her wet things and threw them in the hamper. She grabbed a fluffy robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door, knotted the belt around her waist and knelt again by the tub.

“Now let’s wash  your hair and get you to bed.”

“Sleep here?” Angelica asked, surprised.

“What sweetie?” Tina answered distractedly as she rubbed shampoo into the child’s hair.

“With Mama B?”

“Oh…” Tina let out a soft sigh. She hadn’t considered that Angelica might be confused by the confluence of what she had come to know as completely separate homes. Mama T putting her to bed at Mama B’s house might be blowing her little mind.

Tina filled a cup with water. “Tilt your head back sweetie. Eyes closed tight.” She poured the water over Angelica’s hair, rinsing away suds.

“Yes. We’re going to sleep here. You and me and Mama B.” Tina couldn’t keep a big grin off her face. “Its nice to be together, right?”

Angelica yawned and nodded. “Together.”

Tina reached for a towel, marveling at how much power she and Bette had to create Angelica’s world. To change it.

“We’d better not fuck this up,” Tina thought soberly as she wrapped Angelica in the towel and lifted her out of the tub.

“Mama?” Angie patted Tina’s face. “Mama?”

Tina turned to face her daughter.

“Yes Angelica?”

Angelica took her mother’s face in her hands and brought her lips to Tina’s cheek.

“Sweet baby.” Tina thought, expecting a kiss.

“Pppthppppht!” Angelica went with a raspberry instead.

Tina widened her eyes and gasped, mocking shock. In retaliation, she tickled Angelica through the towel and carried the squirming, giggling kid into the hallway, toward her bedroom.