Left alone Tina started on the pile of washing up that was in the sink
“Leave that Tina “
“No – I can do this because I might not be able to move later on “
“Thank you darling – how are you ?”
“I am fine “
“Have you been in the bookshop or at the office today ?”
“Bookshop – I re-arranged my hours this week – I am in the office for the rest of the week”
“Do you enjoy the contrast ?”
“I do “
“Which would you do if you were offered both full time ?”
Tina shrugged as she started the washing up
“I thought Bette hoped that you would be offered a full time job from Peggy ? Has something happened ?”
“I am finding it hard to work with her “
“Why ?” Rosemary stirred the curry “If I may ask that is ?”
Tina shook her head “Peggy hasn’t relented on her feelings about Helena and my mom “
“Peggy rarely relents “
“Its so insulting Rosemary- my mom is really good for Helena – why can Peggy not see that?”
“I would imagine that Peggy doesn’t want to see anything positive about Helena and Emma”
“Why ?”
Rosemary lent against the kitchen unit “I haven’t discussed it with her but I would guess that she doesn’t see Emma as the ideal addition to Team Peabody “
“My mother is the best damn lawyer in this city “
“She is – but I don’t think Peggy can get beyond the age “
Tina shook her head “It drives me crazy – I know its not what anyone expected and no one – not even me gave them much of a shelf life. But they are obviously in love “
“Yes – so Bette tells me.”
“Do you think its wrong ?”
“At first I couldn’t imagine what on earth the attraction was but I see it more clearly now. That said – well – maybe you do need to let things develop whichever way that it is meant to “
“Why ?”
Rosemary smiled – she loved her daughter’s lover but she could see that she was different to Bette – she was less predictable and had a hotter temper. Bette was slower to anger but slower to forgive – Tina was the opposite – maybe that was why they obviously worked so well.
“How pissed off did you get when Bette told you about the plotting and planning that Emma and I were doing ?”
Tina smiled “ At the time I was a little occupied with how stunning your daughter was and still is “
“But you had been played by your mother and I. After the two of you had come out and admitted that you were in love Bette told me that she loved you and was very happy to be with you but she made it very clear that she didn’t not appreciate me interfering in her life. Bette has always been very stubborn and independent and what I did was something that I had never done before and I do not regret it because I know that the two of you are so right for one another. But the point is that what Emma and I did was interfere – we shouldn’t have.”
“Meaning that I shouldn’t interfere in my mother’s relationship with Helena ?”
“Meaning that what is good enough for you and Bette and Melvin and I is good enough for Emma and Helena. Your support for them is very sweet and as Bette says it shows how kind and loving you are. However “ Rosemary paused
“Yes ?”
“I can see that Peggy’s attitude is getting under your skin “
“It is “
“It is a credit to you that you care so much about your mother and you support her sleeping with another woman. However “ she paused “Let me put it this way. Say you get so cross about Peggy’s opinion of their relationship and you resign – is that possible ?”
Tina blushed – it had crossed her mind – more than once. How the hell did Rosemary suspect that when she had never even hinted it to Bette.
Rosemary smiled “If you resigned because of Peggy’s attitude towards Helena and Emma – what do you suspect the consequences of it would be ?”
“Nothing “
“No –there would be consequences. Bette would be upset and she would be very angry with Peggy – not you. It would also really upset Helena and your mother – who would blame themselves. You are obviously a very special person Tina and I could not love you any more than I do. To see how Bette is with you – to see the look on her face when she looks at you or talks about you – its so heart-warming darling. But you are still only young – compared to me and Bette’s father and Peggy. What you need to distinguish is how Peggy feels about Helena’s relationship and how she regards you as a/ her employee who is making a very good impression and b/ how she feels about you as Bette’s partner and c/ the fact that you are the daughter of her daughter’s lover. Peggy would never hold it against you that Helena and Emma are together. You need to separate your personal relationship with Peggy and the fact that you work for her. You are not a child Tina – you are a young woman who has started to find her passion for her job after a few years out. That has to be your priority – that and your relationship with Bette.”
Tina was silent – what Rosemary said made sense – but so did telling Peggy that if her mother wasn’t good enough for her daughter then Tina wasn’t good enough to work for her. Tina concentrated on washing a bowl and didn’t speak. Rosemary smiled and opened the oven again – five minutes.
“I want to support my mother “
“You are supporting her by not having a fainting fit when you see them together. It must be strange for you – you would not be human if it didn’t look strange. You grew up watching Emma with Kate.
Tina abandoned washing up and looked at Rosemary
“What do you want me to say ? Yes – I do find it odd but I am the only person who is totally behind them. She needs me to support her – I know that everyone thinks she is so utterly damn sure of herself but this is out of her comfort zone. She found it very hard when mom was ill. She had always been so proud of the fact that she could make anything go away with her money and her influence – what happened to mom – she couldn’t control or make vanish. She took it hard — she bullied every doctor mom saw”
Tina rubbed a tear from her eye “ The more mom faded away – the more weight she lost – the more drugs she needed – the harder Emma took it because this was out of her control. Since mom died she has made sure she has been utterly in control of everything else. She has fired more people from the firm in the 12 months after mom died than she had in the previous five. The more in control she got – the less happy she got as well. I see her now Rosemary and it doesn’t matter how weird I think it is – she’s happy – she smiles and she has fun – she’s utterly in love with Helena. How the hell can I not be behind that ?” Tina was crying harder now “ If Peggy keeps fucking interfering eventually Helena will listen and she will drop mom. That scares me – scares me that she will go so far back into her shell that no one will ever get her out of it again”
IS THIS LOVE ?