Tina knew Bette was trying to calm her, and, in the backs of those large, loving brown eyes, she saw the unquestioning, confident love that Tina had always drawn strength from.

She blew a steadying breath out.

Tina is jittery as a june bug.

“Whatever it is we can talk about it, Tina.”

Tina shut her eyes and stood up. She pulled the lapels of her bathrobe together and belted the robe.  She extended a hand to Bette to offer to pull her up.  “C’mon let’s talk in the bedroom, Bette.”

Bette took the offered hand, and stood smoothly. Her eyebrows knit together and she tried to probe her wife’s hazel eyes, which were clouding up again.

“What’s this about, honey?”

She held onto Tina’s hand, and pulled it up to her lips. She remained naked as they walked into their bedroom.  Tina turned to look at her when she got to their bed.  With a small smile, Bette reached out, pulled on the belt of the bathrobe.  Tina bit on a quivering lip as the robe fell slightly open.  Bette slowly parted the lapels of the robe, and then pulled it open completely.

They kept their eyes on each other as she disrobed Tina and then tossed the robe to the nearby chair set against the wall.

They mounted the bed together, and slipped under the covers.

Tina rolled over the arm Bette extended, nestled her head on the nook between the brunette’s neck and shoulder and cuddled against her wife’s nude, warm, loving body.

Bette kissed the top of Tina’s head, and pulled on her wife’s arm so that it would go over her middle and embrace her.

“When you were in Cannes, with Jenna, that first night you both pretended to be in a relationship …”

“You know how sorry I was about that whole thing, T…”

“And then the next evening, after you returned to your hotel room after watching the soccer match from that nice yacht … and we’d agreed with Jenna that we would all meet up in London …”

Bette sighed and then hugged Tina closer to her.

“You called me and told me something that made my heart stop.   I couldn’t think, I couldn’t breathe, I knew you were trying to tell me that it was a momentary thing, and that you loved me …”