Previously

Bette: Wait I have something for you.

Tina
furrowed her eyebrows wondering what Bette could possibly have for her. Bette
returned from getting something from her purse. She dropped down to her knees
in front of Tina. Bette took Tina’s hand into her own, looked up into her eyes
and decided to lay it all on the line.

Bette: Tina I know I’ve wronged you and caused you
tremendous pain. For that I am immensely remorseful. (Sigh) I would be
tremendously resplendent if you would accept this back.

With
that being said, Bette unclenched her other hand to reveal Tina’s ring resting
in the palm of her hand. Bette waited anxiously for Tina’s response.

Tina: (stammering) I I I can’t.

Bette
couldn’t believe her ears. She knelt there searching Tina’s eyes for some
indication that the declination to her offer had some how been a mistake. She
tried to process the situation at hand. The only thing that kept running
through her thoughts was “what just happened?”

An awkward silence transpired between these two people that
had experienced so much together – extremely intimate moments, shared secrets,
laughter, tears, sorrow, distance and eventual separation. For that brief
moment, despite their physical proximity, they seemed so far away and
disconnected from one another. Tina was the first to speak. The silence had
become too much to endure. She also knew that if she didn’t make an attempt to
reconnect with Bette that Bette might shut her out completely.

Tina: C’mon babe, you need to get
up.

As Tina helped Bette to her feet, Bette seemed somewhat
disoriented. There was a look of complete confusion that had settled upon her
normally expressive face. It wasn’t all that often that Bette Porter was denied
a request. But each time that she had been, it was quite unsettling for her.
Tina was becoming more and more concerned as Bette’s lack of response or
acknowledgement of the denial didn’t surface. Had Bette heard what Tina said or
was she just too intoxicated to respond? Tina took Bette’s hand into her own to
try to coax a response.

Tina: Bette

Tina said softly stroking Bette’s hand with her other hand
as she gazed deeply into those once beautiful and expressive brown orbs that
seemed so distant and unemotional at the moment.