**

The next morning, Bette and Helena arrived at the Planet together, but for separate dates.  Bette was meeting with her mother, and Helena with her brother.  Sitting on opposite ends of the café in order to stay out of each other’s business, they still stole glances at each other.

“You must really love her.” Maxine said as she watched her daughter looking across the room at another woman.

“I really do.  She’s the first woman to really make me fall for her, you know?”

“Do you think it’s long term?”

“I hope for it, but you can never be too sure.  I just know that I’m in love with her.”

Meanwhile, across the room, Helena continued to stare at Bette.

“I think she really loves you, you know?” Luke said softly.

“I know she does.  I love her too.”

“It’s obvious.” Luke smiled, “I was always jealous of you.”

“Of me?”

“Yeah!  You were the smart one, you were the cute one, you were the one Mummy was waiting for.  Her little girl.  When you were born, I wasn’t even mentioned anymore.  I guess that’s why I wanted to destroy you, in some ways.”

“I don’t buy that.  Mummy loves you.”

“I don’t doubt that.  But there’s a difference.  Mummy’s so hard on you because she wants you to be everything she’d been hoping for in a daughter, and because you’re not that, I took advantage of it.  And for that, I truly apologize.  I understand if you don’t believe me, but sitting there, watching everything with Maxine, made me realize the importance of family and how much I’ve been ignoring that importance for years.”

“We’ll see where everything goes.  I mean, you’re my brother.  I love you.”

“I love you too.” He smiled, but his smiled quickly faded, “I have something to tell you about Maxine.”

“What?”

“She’s recently out of prison, but that’s not what’s important.  She’s dying and all she wants to do is spend some time with Bette before she goes.”

“Does Bette know?”

“No, she doesn’t want her to know.”  She watched Helena rub her palms together, “Don’t tell her, okay?  It’s her prerogative to tell Bette.”