“Where are you now?”

“I’m on my way back to the city.”

“Call me when you get back to you hotel. I’ll get up, make some coffee, wake up and we’ll talk this through.  Call me back, as soon as you get there.”

“OK T. Sorry to wake you up like this. Angelica must still be asleep?”

“Yes, I am surprised that she slept through the phone ringing. She is so comfortable here. I’ll talk to you in a bit.”

“OK, I’ll call you back.”

Bette’s thoughts rambled in her head. “What the fuck just happened. What did I just do? I fucking just dumped Jodie Lerner. I don’t believe it. What was I thinking? I came all the way across the country to dump Jodie.”

The coffee was just about ready when from the other room Tina hears the faint words, “momma”.

“Momma is here, are you ready to get up? Lets get you some cereal and fruit. Momma B has lots of good thing for you to eat.”

Sitting at the table sipping her strong coffee and  helping Angelica with her cereal and banana slices the phone finally rings.

“Hey Bette, are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m ok. God Tina. What the hell just happened?” Bette’s voice was full of dread.

“I’m not sure Bette. I couldn’t really understand everything that you were saying. So, she got the sign. She thought that you got her the sign out of love. She said that she loved you? And you said sorry but I don’t love you?  Bette, that’s messed up. Did you have any idea that she was going to tell you that she loved you?”

“No idea at all Tina. She had never said it before. It was really out of left field. I thought that she would get the sign, think it was really cool that I got it for her. We would talk things out. You know that I respect her so much as an artist. Her work is incomparable. You know Tina, she’s an artist. That’s it. But I wasn’t ready for what happened at all. I want to talk to her but, I doubt that she will ever speak to me again. She will see ME as the Philistine.”

“Bette, I am sure that she will speak to you again. The art world is a small world. You guys will have to be in the same place at the same time sooner or later. Call her and try to talk to her.”

“I will. She asked me to give her a few days.” Bette’s voice was quieted by her thoughts. “I need something that feels good. I might stop into a few galleries while I’m here. I don’t want the trip to be a complete and total disaster. Something good has got to come out of it.  Anyway, is Angelica awake?

“Yes she is and I told her you would be calling.” Tina handed the phone to Angelica, and explained who was on the other end. “ Here baby, Momma B wants to talk to you.”

“Hi.” Angelica’s voice was so sweet.

 “Hi Angelica, momma loves you so much. I miss you. I will see you soon baby.”

Angelica babbles, “Mom ma …..  home.”

With Tina’s encouragement, “say love you momma.”

In that sweet small voice, “lub you mom   ma”

Taking the phone back, Tina explains that Angelica is waving at the phone and saying “bye-bye momma.”

“Tina, I miss her so much. I miss you both. I miss home. I’ll give you a call as soon as I know what I’m doing.”