“Bette wasn’t with me when I found out that the baby’s heart had stopped beating. She was supposed to meet me at the doctor’s office for a routine check-up but she was delayed at work. I didn’t wait for her. I don’t even remember how I got home. I was in shock. I just broke down. She found me sitting in the dark on our bedroom floor.

Then there was this racket outside from people protesting the art exhibit that she was working on. They were calling her a pervert and a pornographer because of the sexually explicit nature of it. They were putting signs in our front yard. Bette had to leave me for a few minutes to run them off. Then she came back and just held me. I couldn’t stop crying. She was so strong for me.

I had the procedure the next day. She stayed with me, but then things were really brewing at work and she had to get back to it. Though the doctor assured us that it wasn’t anyone’s fault I still felt like a failure. Bette was devastated even though she didn’t break down like I did. She just stayed strong and let work consume her. I couldn’t focus on anything else and went into a deep depression.

I just couldn’t move past it. She couldn’t deal with the stress from work and me at home. It all became too much for both of us. Then I started doing volunteer work at a youth center that was run by Oscar, one of the guys we met at group therapy. Doing the volunteer work really helped me to get back on my feet. I even found a way to help Bette.”

”Help Bette do what?”

”She was scheduled for a live debate on television against Fae Buckley, the woman that was making all these accusations. Oscar did some digging and found a porn video that starred Buckley’s teenage daughter. It was Bette’s ace in the hole, but she used it only as a last resort when Fae’s attacks became vicious and aimed at wounding Bette personally. Buckley said some awful things about our lifestyle and the loss of our baby. Bette lost it then. She crumpled and finally cried. I was so wrapped up in myself that I didn’t see the affect all this had had on Bette until I witnessed it on national television. Looking back she probably had a minor breakdown but she just ignored it and kept going.”

Fae: The Bible condemns homosexuality. That’s why God took your unborn child from your lesbian lover. And that was a blessing. That baby is with Him now, so he doesn’t have to suffer the degradation he would have been subject to had he been born into your depraved life.

“I was watching the monitor from another room. I was so shocked I just stood up and stared at the screen. Bette was horrified then she started to cry. It was so heartbreaking and devastating to watch her going through something so private on public television. She was just sobbing and pushing the woman away and calling her a ‘monster’.” She gave the video to the interviewer but it wasn’t a victory for her. She stood up for her beliefs and her convictions. She was successful in bringing the show to the CAC amongst all the protest but neither one of us even had a notion at the time of what it would cost us in the end.”

Bette sat quietly listening to Tina as so many buried wounds were brought to the surface. Tears streamed down her face. Tina was crying as well and barely able to keep it together. They fell into each others arms and cried together for the first time since they lost the baby.

Paul left them alone as it was clear to him that they needed the time together to grieve their losses.