“She’s the kind of different I was always looking for. I love what I do and I need the boundaries I have with my patients but with Tina her story and her life somehow just came along and bowled me over without me having to put up a fight. And honestly that’s the truth; I didn’t want to fight it. She’s a great friend who only sees me. When I’m with her I’m more than her doctor, I’m a friend. These relationships I’ve built over the years have all begun with my work, the list is endless. I allowed you all to see what I felt was the best side of me, and I just couldn’t … I couldn’t do that with her. She’d seen past all my defenses and somehow broke into my mind, and I like that about her. She’s never given up on the idea that I’m more than what I present to her.” Bette had spoken so clearly and evenly about her feelings that Carmen was momentarily taken aback by her openness. Bette had never delved into the inner workings of her psyche before and it baffled Carmen that she spoke so freely about her feelings. Feelings she never knew Bette had, she’d worked so hard and long at hiding them from everyone that she could no longer hold them together.

Carmen looked at Bette and saw how she was running her hand over a tight fist. She was nervous.  Carmen had never known Bette to be nervous about anything. She sat in silence and saw how the newly exposed nerve and raw emotion was making Bette uncomfortable and possibly regretting speaking so candidly with her. Carmen scooted over on the couch and took her warm hand into hers as she looked into Bette’s eyes softly speaking to her,  “Well Bette Porter, in case you haven’t noticed you’re a great friend to us all, despite what you think, we think about you. If you say that Tina is a great friend than I love her. But I want some,” Carmen held up her fingers in a small pinch with a wide smile as she spoke,  “or even a small percentage of what she gets.”

“Well I can’t promise you that I’ll always be this easy.”

“What a shame,… I paid for the whole night to.” Carmen retorted with a smile as she looked at her watch. This earned her a resounding smack to the side of the head.

TBC……………………….