Bette and Tina both dropped Angelica off for her first day of preschool.  Julia the main teacher and her assistants Claire and Ross were used to this type of thing.  It was usually the parents who had trouble letting go. 

“Moms” Julia approached them, “you can sit over here. Bette why don’t you take this seat and Tina sit next to her there.”  The classroom was ringed with parental chairs.  They even had little name tags on the chairs ‘Angelica’s Mom-Bette’ and ‘Angelica’s Mom-Tina’.  Julia a stunning dark brown skinned African-American woman led Angelica to her seat.  Once all the children were in their seats and the parents were settled down class began. 

An hour later the parents were asked to leave for the day and most of them left with reluctance.  Once in the parking lot Tina turned to Bette at a loss for words. Their little girl was growing up.  Tears stung her eyes. Bette caught the quick glimmer of tears and pulled Tina into her arms.

“I can’t believe that she is a pre-schooler already.” Tina sniffled in the safety of Bette’s arms.

“What’s going on?”  Jodi’s voice broke the moment.  While she was not sure that she could do monogamy she certainly did not like the image of Tina in Bette’s arms.  This was the second time that she had caught them in what appeared to be an intimate embrace. 

“Hi” Bette greeted her and held out her hand to squeeze Jodi’s.  Tina wiped the tears from her face. “Hi” she smiled at Jodi “Just having a hard time letting go of my girl.”

Jodi wasn’t sure which girl she was referring to.  She wasn’t sure Tina was either.  No Tina seemed quite clear that she was having a hard time letting go of Bette but that was too bad.  She had her chance and she blew it.  Bette released Tina and spoke and signed to Jodi at the same time.

“We seem” nodding at Tina “to be having some separation issues with Angelica. Angelica on the other hand seems to be handling it just fine.” She laughed and brushed a tear of her own away. 

While there was more between the two than Jodi could put into words they were genuinely distressed and she bit back any other comment.  Instead she took Bette’s hand in hers before turning again to Tina. “We are going out for a late brunch; would you like to join us?”

“No, thanks” the blond returned graciously. “I have to get to the studio before my newest hot shot director decides yet again to rewrite the script and redesign the set for the tenth time.”

Bette laughed. “I still am willing to put her out of our misery. Just give me the word Tina.”

“Actually once I got some distance its kind of funny. She does everything she can to get a rise out of me and I can’t wait to see what she dreams up next.  As long as it Nina, Bev and the plumber its fiction. The scene shooting today is where Bev has a naked pool party with a dozen girls while Nina is out of town.”

Bette shook her head in disbelief at Jenny’s mind.  “See you at three?”

“Yeah, Bye Jodi” Tina got in her car and drove away with the two of them watching her.

“Three?”  Jodi questioned Bette with one eyebrow raised.

“Yes, that’s dismissal time this first day.  We both want to be here.”

“Ok.”  Jodi did not press the issue.  She had not been in a relationship of any substance in over a decade and Bette and Tina had been in one together for almost that long.  It was going to take some getting used to. 

She quickly forgot her uneasiness as they headed off to a café on campus for a quick bite to eat. 

Both Bette and Phyllis were happy to give Jodi some adjunct classes as well as a few sculpture students to advise.  Jodi had not returned to LA full time and often had projects that took her out of town for days or weeks at a time. They had a nice thing going on.  Bette felt as if she had regained some of the ground she lost when Jodi had left her. 

The sex was good.  Jodi was hot and unpredictable. Angelica liked her and the girls accepted her.  They just might have a future she mused.