I navigate the traffic on the freeway on autopilot. I have a millions thoughts running through my head, most of them involving Tina; the rest involving my mother. I know the situations are different, but I can’t help the eerie connection they seem to have. I allow myself to remember the day my mother left for only a moment, before I shove the memory back into the dark recesses of my mind where it normally is. I feel a shudder run up my spine and shake my head to clear myself of these thoughts. Tina’s what’s important now. I know she’ll come back to me, I just need to relax.

When I pull up to my house I see Alice waiting in her car for me. I can’t help my smile as I get out of the car. She may be a pain in my ass, but she’s the best friend I could ever have.

“You have a breakdown yet Porter?”

“Thanks for all you loving concern Al.”

She lets her sarcastic persona fall for a moment as she throws a loving arm around my shoulders. “I figured you could use a little company.”

“That’d be nice.”

“Then we’d better get some booze, ’cause god knows we’re gonna need it!”

“I usually need a shot or two to get through an evening with you.”

“Funny” she deadpans.

As we make our way into the house, some of the depression has lifted from me and I can finally relax a little.

Later the night:

I’m wandering around the kitchen cleaning up the mess Alice made earlier. She always enters any house like a tornado, leaving a path of wreckage in her wake. I’m working on the salsa stain that some how made it onto edge of the ceiling fan when I hear the phone ring. I grab the phone in a flash, knowing just who will be waiting on the other end.

“Hello?”

“Hi babe.” I can’t help the smile the spreads across my face from the simple sound of her voice.

“Hi T, how was your flight?”

“Long, uneventful. I miss you already.” She sounds tired and sad and I just want to reach through the phone and wrap her in my arms.

“I miss you too baby. How are your parents?”

“Good so far. They have kept all conversation to neutral subjects. I thought I’d a least wait until we weren’t in the car to delve into anything too heavy. Easier to escape if necessary.” She lets out a wry laugh.

“It’ll be fine baby, they love you; they just need a little time to adjust.”

I hear a voice in the background calling Tina’s name and her accompanying sigh into the phone.

“I have to go.” I don’t want to hang up; I wish we could just stay on the phone all nigh long.

“It’s okay, we’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Okay, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She hangs up the phone and I fight back a tear. God, what’s wrong with me. Get a hold of yourself Bette. I trudge off to bed, the salsa long forgotten and fall face first into her pillow so I can have her scent with me all night long. I roll over and stare at her picture on the nightstand and start planning our Christmas in my mind. I want it to be spectacular and with any luck I can pull it off by the time she gets home.

TBC.