The semester at CU had finally wrapped and Tina’s latest project was being held up to see if the SAG actors were going to strike, so Bette suggested they take a mid-week trip to Catalina Island.  Bette and Tina had been a number of times together.  Sometimes they would just take the ferry over and spend the day but over the years they had spent a fair share of nights snuggled together in a blanket watching the lights of Avalon twinkle in the harbor.  This would be their first family trip to the island.  Bette was so excited.  It was also their first trip together as a family since Tina and Angie had moved back in full time.  And since the state of California had finally legalized gay marriage, Bette planned on asking Tina to marry her while they were there.  She’d already made arrangements. The local gallery owner, Carol McKinny, was a friend of Bette’s.  When Bette told Carol what she wanted to do she was eager to help. 

“Are we gonna see dolphins, me and Mama T saw dolphins, ‘member Mama?”

“Yes, and sea lions too,” Tina added as she finished her breakfast.  She glanced at her partner who looked blissfully happy.  Bette had been this way since they had gotten back together.  She just seemed to glow.  They say pregnant women glow but she knew Bette wasn’t pregnant.  That issue was still up in the air.  Bette had suggested they have another baby and she wanted Tina to carry it again.  Tina wasn’t exactly opposed to the idea, it was just that Angie had been split between them for so long, Tina felt like she deserved some more time to adjust to them being together.  “But we aren’t going to see anything if we miss that boat, so why don’t you and Mama B get our stuff ready to go and I’ll clean up here.”

“Okay,” Angie said as pushed back from the table.

Bette kissed Tina as she left the table, “you sure you don’t want me to help with this?”

“No, you get to pack the bags.” She smiled devilishly and patted Bette’s butt as she left the room. 

Tina had the table cleared and had nearly all the dishes dry when she heard a knock at the door.  “Just a minute,” Tina tossed the dish towel on the counter and headed for the door.  Tina didn’t recognize the woman at the door and was about to politely dismiss her when she heard Bette behind her. She didn’t know if it was the pain in Bette’s voice that broke her heart more or the fact that the strong, independent, fierce woman she had loved all these years had just addressed this woman as, ‘Mommy.”