Chapter 9

Bette and Tina showered together.  They shared many tender and erotic moments under the stream of warm water.  Bette had quivered as Tina gently and slowly lathered up her *****, each touch somehow managing to be THE right touch as every kiss was THE most passionate ever.  There was a need to be close, but no demand of *****.  Perhaps it was somehow a mutual expectation of total love and devotion.  Possibly, it was their separate internal struggles to deal with the challenges ahead of them.  Conversations about Dante’s hearing loss had not come easily to them that day.  They had both been blindsided by the new reality that they had a child with a problem.  They both felt scared and on some level even alone   Together they shared so muchthe lovethe humor.but for some reason not the fact that they were both petrified and feeling helpless.

“Bette placed the towel over Tina’s head and began drying her hair for her.  She always had her head under the towel too.  They loved to look at each other during this seemingly juvenile process, but somehow they always felt closer to one another.  They looked at each other as the towel moved on their heads.  Bette smiled and Tina felt her knees go weak.  Bette’s eyes were big, beautiful, and brown.  Today they were not sparkling as they usually did.  There was sadness there.  It was sadness only Tina could see.  Tina stared at Bette.  She tentatively spoke.  “Bette?”

“Yes gorgeous?”

“I love you.”

“Are you scaredI mean you knowof the future.about?”

Bette cut Tina off and looked into her eyes.  She did feel sad and she knew Tina knew it, “TinaI am so scaredI don’t know what to do.I feel lost.  I never thought we would have to deal with this.  Not with one of our kids.  I.”

“Bette?”

“Yes?”

“Come closer to me.”  Bette moved closer under the towel she used to dry Tina’s hair.

Tina looked into Bette’s eyes.  “Oh BabyI know.”  Tina kissed away the solitary tear that fell from Bette’s left eye.

“Tinahow do we tell peoplemomdadour friends.  What if they think I did something to cause this when I was pregnantwhat if they blame me?”