“We were talking about Eric, and I was saying that I should have seen things coming; should have anticipated what he’d eventually do,” Tina started.

Bette picked up on Tina’s story,” Oh, yeah.  I remember that part.  You were recalling some things he’d done, stuff he’d said, and how even his best friend had mentioned something that troubled you several months before…um…what happened in the gallery.”

Tina was touched by Bette’s careful tiptoe around Eric’s make-out session with another woman during the event in the gallery when Tina and Bette had met, appreciating that the brunette was still mindful about how hurt Tina had been when the blonde had witnessed Eric and the woman kissing in Bette’s gallery’s Japanese garden. “Yes, that part,” Tina said softly.

“Then,” Bette continued, her tone shifting, “You told me something that blew me away, one of the many things you’ve said that has bowled me over, time and again, ever since we’d met, baby.”

Tina smiled, happy that she and Bette were connecting on her thoughts about the situation.

Bette continued, “You said that, on the one hand, you had observed things about me, had guessed about my character, and how different, or opposite, it was, on the other hand, from what you were thinking about Eric’s.”

Tina smiled, “Yes, baby…that part of the conversation.”

“I remember that I prodded you to share with me about what it was that you observed, that early into our friendship, how you “read” me.  That’s when I was bowled over… you said my beliefs in values like fidelity, and remaining true to what one considered important, like art or standing by those in need, were things others may call unyielding or old-fashioned. That in an age of relativism, when people were willing to change beliefs at the drop of a hat, or had no beliefs at all, except in anything that ultimately just met their needs, as Eric demonstrated, I was almost anachronistic.”  Bette paused.

“That’s right, honey,” Tina answered.

“Later on you added something,”Bette continued, warming up to Tina’s gentle lead. “You paraphrased
Heraclitus.”

“Uh huh.”

“You said that sometimes, a person’s character is her fate,” Bette said, quoting Tina quoting Heraclitus.

 “I really loved that quote.  Nobody had ever summed me up, sized me up that succinctly, and that quickly, ‘til you.”  Bette paused.  “And you’re bringing that story from our past up because…”