At work, things with Allison were tense. Bette’s assistant still believed that Bette and Tina had something going on back then and the fact Tina now actually lived with Bette only confirmed that in her mind. She wondered why Tina couldn’t stay with one of her other friends, if Bette and Tina were nothing more than that. Surely it would be logical to stay at the place of someone you knew well?

The truth was that in the beginning, Tina had slept over at her friends’ place. She had stayed with Dana for a week, but she felt like she was the third wheel with Alice practically living there. After that, she spent a week with Carmen, but she also felt like she was sitting in the way. She felt like she was stopping Shane and Carmen from doing what they wanted, no matter how much they reassured her she was welcome. She didn’t even ask Helena to stay at her place, since Helena brought a new girl home every night and she didn’t feel like hearing the sounds of sex, especially not now.

Bette had offered her a place to stay from the beginning and she had been very hesitant at first about accepting the offer. But they grew closer with every day passing and after two weeks they felt like they had known each other their entire lives. Tina also suspected Bette to feel rather lonely and she was more than glad to offer some company.

She had been very hurt by Rachels rejection, by her refusal to continue their relationship now Tina wasn’t married anymore. In this ending of their marriage, this horrible situation, she had seen just one hope, one little shining light; the chance to really be with Rachel without having to hide anymore. They of course would have in the beginning, but after that no more. She had never expected Rachel to turn her down like that, to drop her. As if she was available now and that meant she wasn’t interesting anymore. It had been Bette that had helped her over the shock, the pain, the hurt. It was Bette that was helping her to trust again, to believe that she could love again. It was still very hard, with her husband having raped her and showing no love or respect, then her mistress dumping her as if she was worth nothing after having said so many times that she loved her. It would not be easy to open her heart to anyone in the following time, but Bette made her see that she should not deny herself love because of what two people did to her.