Jade smiled at her end of the call. “Sometimes, she says our home is the place that recharges her like nothing she’s ever experienced.  Where she feels strongest in, where a sort of poetic imagination becomes possible.”

“She does have a way with words.”

They laughed lightly. Tina added, after a beat, “But I’m not making light of that at all.  I’m sure she does feel all of that and more, Jade.  You have helped her build such a loving, beautiful home out there in DC – our kids love visiting with you both, as you know, and playing out in your big, lush yard.  The fact that you and her have basically rebuilt by yourselves, through dint of such hard work, is really something to admire.  Bette continues to be jealous …”

Tina’s voice trailed out. They fell quiet again, each thinking about what it had taken to build their respective homes, and then Jade replied, “Thanks, Tina.”

Tina smiled and looked out at the sea. “As much as I know you instinctively answer through her prism whenever we talk like this, cuz, what I want to know today is what you think about what makes your relationship special.”

Jade kept quiet and plucked a dandelion. “She’s always shown an honest regard for me as a person.  I mean from the time we met in Wyoming, she always had this personal concern for me, my growth – it was if she was building me up even from the start.  I have to say that I wasn’t mature enough to understand that when she first talked about it …”

“Yeah, I remember you telling me about that initial misunderstanding – when you thought she was being dismissive of you, when actually,” Tina paused. “The way you two met was kismet, you know…”

“Kismet?”

“Yeah – when you encounter someone by chance but it seems like it was meant to be – your destiny. It’s Turkish in origin, but has a romantic interpretation in literature…”

“Hmm…. kismet: that sounds about right for what happened between her and I.”

“For Bette and I, too.”

Tina smiled wistfully at the memory of the first time she and Bette had met.

After they each sighed, Tina continued,“Okay. So she’s shown that she cares about you as a person… that she clearly thinks you’re worth the trouble …”