“Okay!” He said loudly.

Tina looked back at Bette and flashed an apologetic smile, which Bette mirrored.

This is so fucking weird, the brunette thought.

When they reached Angie’s room, Tina carefully turned the door knob. “Sorry about that.” She whispered to Bette once they were far enough inside the room so that neither one of the males in her condo could hear.

“It’s okay.”

The nightlight plugged into the wall was the only source of light that filled the room once Tina closed the door behind them. Bette walked up to the solid oak crib where her daughter peacefully slept. Her heart swelled with pride and she smiled down at the beautiful sight before her. She reached her hand down and stroked the baby’s forehead as a content sigh escaped her lips.

Tina watched with such an ache. This was her family; here in this room, at this very moment. How did I let things get so fucked up? Why did I ever think I wanted to let you go? Caught up in her thoughts caused Tina’s hazel eyes to water with unshed tears. She blinked them back as she rolled her eyes at her own selfishness.

“God T, she’s so beautiful.”

Bette’s soft, sweet voice transported Tina back to the present from her self-interrogation. When the words finally registered in Tina’s inebriated mind, she smiled and went to stand next to Bette.

“Yeah, she is, isn’t she?” The question was rhetorical, but the slight nod of Bette’s head caught Tina’s attention. Tina also reached down into the crib to play with the fluffy curls of hair on top of Angie’s head. “She looks more and more like you as each day passes, you know that?”

The two mothers looked into each other’s smiling eyes; each of them thankful to be sharing this moment of admiration as opposed to fighting one another for it.

“It’s incredible, Bette, how alike you two are in so many ways.” Tina whispered, her attention now back on their sleeping daughter. The regret in Tina’s tone, however slight, was still detectable to her ex. Bette was not about to decipher the kind of regret it was, and thought it best to take her leave before the night became anymore surreal.