“Really?” Tina replied

“Yeah really”

‘Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“I don’t know I guess I didn’t want to scare you I was so dedicated to my job, and you were doing such a great job at your work, you were getting all these accolades and well I had my father I needed to deal with on a daily basis, I guess I never really found the right time to talk about a future with you, I know I wanted one, did you?”

Tina was confused Bette would even ask her such a thing.

“Was there ever any doubt, about the love I had for you Bette, did you ever doubt for one second just how much you meant to me?”

Bette looked down.

Tina reached over and placed her hand under Bette chin and brought her face back up to look at hers.

“Bette?”

Bette paused.

“Yes…when you left” Bette softly said

Tina felt the tears well up in her eyes, she fought to control them. Tina turned her body and looked back into the play ground releasing Bette from her hold.

“I really screwed things up didn’t I?”

“I think given the circumstances you did the only thing you felt you had to do to get by”

Tina turned and looked at Bette?

“Is that what you did?”

“No, not at the time following your departure what I did was irresponsible and stupid, and ultimately I pushed you away forever because of my actions”

Bette paused

“But…what I did after everything was said and done, I talked myself into believing it was what I needed to do to get by to numb the pain the hurt, though once again it was the irresponsible stupid thing to do”

‘Then why did you do it? You knew it wasn’t the right thing to do and you still did it anyway” Tina asked

“T, I felt destructive I felt I didn’t deserve to be happy, that everything good I had in my life I felt the need to destroy…looking back I think the need to disappoint my father is what compelled me to go on the destructive path I was on.”

“And now, do you still feel that need?” Tina asked looking into Bette’s eyes

Bette grabbed Tina hand and placed it in between both of hers

“No…now I want the one good thing I had in my life back, and nothing, not work, not my career, not even my father…NOTHING, is going to get in the way of my getting it back.”

“And what’s that?” Tina asked

“You” Bette replied