Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,

and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

~ Aleksandra Lachut

If there’s one thing that Tina is sure of it is that Bette had taught her the greatest gift of all. Love. With Bette, Tina was able to find the truest and deepest meaning of the word. Looking back at all of the things that she has been through she would not trade anything as she is well aware that all that happened led her to Bette. It led her to her one true and unconditional love.

Tina was in the doctor’s lounge when she felt her mobile phone vibrate on her coat pocket. She looked at it and saw Bette’s smiling face looking back at her.

“Hi babe!” Tina greeted.

“Hey baby! I just wanted to ask what time you’ll be home.” Bette asked while looking at the ring she has on her hand.

“If all goes well I can be home by 6. You?”

“I’m at home already. I had nothing to do at the site so I just went home. And then I started missing you so I called you.”

“Smooth, Porter.”

“I can be smoother.”

“I know you can.” Tina chuckled.

“Ok. I’ll let you go now and see you at 6.”

“Ok.”

“Baby…”

“Yes, Bette?”

“I love you.”

“I love you more.”

Bette busily prepared dinner in anticipation of Tina’s arrival. Prior to that she also prepared the note she will leave for Tina to find when she gets home.

“There. Signed and sealed. All I need to do now is deliver it.” Bette said to no one in particular.

Tina just got to the Lake House and was gathering her things before heading in. She was on her way to the pathway leading to the house when she saw that the red flag on the mailbox was up. Out of habit, she went to it and looked for the mail. She was surprised to find only one was left. She picked it up and saw her name written on the envelope with Bette’s handwriting. Tina smiled at Bette’s thoughtfulness even before reading the note.

Tina,

There’s no one in this world that I would want to spend my lifetime with. Will you please say yes when I ask you to become my wife?

I love you.

Bette

Attached on the note was a solitaire diamond ring. And as if on cue, she heard a whistle and saw Jack running towards her with what seemed to be a package tied to her back. Up close Tina realized that they were a bunch of roses with the deepest red color she has ever seen.

“Good dog.” Bette said to Jack after emerging from her hiding place.

Bette then proceeded to untie the ribbon from Jack and faced Tina.

Tina was blown away by everything that was happening. She was having a hard time controlling her emotions and tears were freely flowing out of her eyes.

“Baby, don’t cry.” Bette said wiping Tina’s tears away.

“These are happy tears.”

“I have always wondered if I was meant for someone else and then out of nowhere and in the most cosmic if not comical way you suddenly appeared in my life. Meeting you stopped me from wondering because then I knew that I was not meant to be alone or for anyone else but you. You’re it, Tee. You are the other half that completes me. I promise to love you not only with all of my heart but with all of me. Say yes and I will spend my lifetime loving you and my last breath will be spent with me telling you how much I love you. Tina, will you marry me?” Bette professed while detaching the ring from the note that was in Tina’s hand.

“Yes! Bette, yes!” Tina said through her tears.

“I love you.” Bette said while putting the ring on Tina’s hand.

“I love you more.” Tina replied before pulling Bette in and giving her a kiss.

Bette taught Tina to love and Tina taught Bette to believe. These are lifelong lessons that they shared and lived by as they grew together and stayed in love for a lifetime.

The end