When she realized this months later, Bette would remember the relaxing Sunday morning talking with Tina in the couch as pivotal.  She later understood that no matter what would happen later in life between the two of them, Bette would never be able to forget her.  This was going to be a relationship that she would not be able to walk away from without being shattered; unlike what she’d experienced in past relationships even when she thought she’d been in love, but had still been able to walk away, and do well.

That realization would come later, however.  For now, the she drew increasing comfort from just being able to recount to Tina her version of what happened in Paris, that fateful night.

”I left for Paris a few days after Jodie came by the second time.  Several days after I got to Paris, she called. This was the incident in the cafe that you saw.”

Bette’s reflection of the call with Jodie in the fall continued, ”The conversation started out well enough, and I thought at first that she’d accepted everything that I had said, and was just trying to reach out, which is why the call may have seemed cordial in the beginning, perhaps, to you.”

Bette smiled at the memory, and Tina playfully punched her shoulder, saying, ”Well, it sounded like you were having a fun conversation, Bette. You were laughing out loud, at one point.”

”Yeah, that must have been when Jodie told me about a joke one of our artist friends had played on James.”

”I see… well you do have a wonderful laugh, Bette. I’m sure you’ve heard that before, right?”

Bette smiled slightly, turning to look with questioning eyes at the blonde.

”It’s one of the things I love about you,” Tina said softly.

The comment had slipped out before Tina could think about what it might have sounded like to Bette. She swallowed, and paused her soothing strokes on Bette’s hair. There was much more to Bette’s laugh that she loved, such as the way her head tipped back, exposing the long neck sexily, throat rippling underneath taut, smooth skin. Skin that Tina suddenly wanted to kiss, caress, explore, with her lips, her fingers.

The blonde took a deep breath, reminding herself, “This is about Bette. This is about Bette.”