“Bette!,” Shane said as she rushed to her side.

Bette crumpled into Shane’s arms. Shane lowered her to the divan that sat in the entrance.

“I’m sorry,” the brunette said. “I’m so sorry.”

Shane hugged her friend and stroked her arm. She gave Alice a knowing glance as she cradled Bette. They had never seen nor heard the brunette openly sob. She missed Tina and this wave crashed into her like the thunderous sea onto the rocks. How could she not be here, Bette thought. This was the first major life moment Bette hadn’t shared with the blonde in almost a decade.

Alice had her suspicions that her always in control friend failed to eat anything today. She was about to ask James to grab something for Bette to eat when he materialized with a sample of appetizers. Bette somehow choked down a smoked salmon and cream cheese canapé between sobs.

***

“You have a big meeting tomorrow, don’t ya, Baby Girl?” Kit asked breaking into her subconscious.

“We sure do,” James chimed in showing all of his teeth.

James delighted to be included in one of these sacred gatherings indulged in the wine a tad too much. They all laughed as he snorted.

“We are meeting with KiKi Smith, one of the greatest American artists of our time. She requested the meeting,” James bragged on. “I love my job.”

”KiKi Smith?” Alice asked. ”Don’t you have like three of her pieces?”

”Used to.”

Bette was happy James loved his job and that he took it seriously. He was meticulous about the details and sometimes caught things before Bette did. She began to trust him with bigger projects. He provided thoughtful suggestions, analyzed all possibilities and was growing more confident in his role as Bette’s right hand.

“Alright now,” Kit sang. “That’s my baby sister.”

“It’s a really big deal.” Bette smiled begging the tears to stay put.

***

Tina spent the entire day in bed. She hadn’t moved since crawling under the covers after talking to her therapist about the ice cream escapade with Sam. She kept replaying the incident with Sam over and over. And no matter how many times she reran the mental tape, it all boiled down to the fact that she had indeed agreed to go out on a date with Sam. She didn’t mean to but she had.