“This lady just died and her son was making a eulogy,” Bette said through her sobs, “It was so sad and beautiful,” she finished, wiping her tears and relaxing at the touch of Tina’s hand.

“Bette, this is just a movie, a soap-opera to be exact. It’s a melodrama where people are dying, breaking up, falling in love all the time. It’s sort of like life, only highly exaggerated and it’s not real…it’s just make-believe. Those people are actors and they play certain roles. In another movie or show they could play another role.”

Bette turned away from Tina in frustration, “Sorry Tina, I feel like an idiot…first the phone…now the movie. What is wrong with me?”

Tina turned Bette’s face back to her and gave her a hug, saying tenderly, “Nothing is wrong with you. It’s a natural reaction to things you don’t know about. Please, don’t be embarrassed…everything will work out, I promise.”

Bette smiled, feeling a little better, “Please, don’t leave me alone. I need you to help me to get through this.”

“I promise,” Tina said, giving Bette another hug, “If you’re almost done, I have lunch ready for us. Are you hungry?”

“Yes, I’m starving,” Bette replied, wiping the rest of her tears and following Tina to the kitchen. While they ate Bette began to ask about the documentary she just saw and Tina tried to explain about the war and some other events that happened. Bette listened with attention and asked millions of questions, forgetting to eat sometimes.

“You know what…” Tina finally said, exhausted from this impromptu history lesson, “How about we go to the library today after we finish lunch? The public library has all kinds of books and tapes about history and current events. They will explain better than I can.”

“Yes, it would be great. Thanks, Tina. Will you go with me?”

“Of course,” Tina answered with a smile. She glanced at Bette who finally began eating and thought heartily, ‘I’m never letting you go, Bette…even if you ask me to.’

Bette was so insatiable for knowledge of the time she skipped that they spent hours searching through hundreds of books at the library. Bette wanted to see and read about everything that had happened since 1885…she wanted to learn everything, she was unstoppable.

“If I would stay here I would open my own gallery, just like my mother wanted me to,” she said to Tina when they were looking at some art books.

“What do you mean…if you would stay?” Tina asked as fear began slowly settling in her heart.

Bette turned away and concentrated on a book she held in her hands, “I mean that we don’t know how all this time travel works. What if I must return to ensure some kind of a balance in the universe?”

‘Yes, return back to your life…to Christina…the woman that holds your heart,’ Tina thought with pain and longing. ‘How could I care so much for her when she feels nothing for me…well, maybe friendship?’

There were times when Tina couldn’t help but look at Bette with such craving and desire that it would overwhelm her and she wanted to ravish Bette right there and then. She kept having dreams and fantasies about showing Bette just how much she loved her but every time they had an intimate moment either Bette became distant or Tina was afraid to push further.

When Bette mentioned going back to her own time, Tina didn’t know how to respond and decided to deal with this later. ‘Isn’t it what I told Alice?’ she thought with sadness, ‘That if in three months Bette decides to leave I would let her go because I had my chance…but I don’t know if I could ever let her go.’

They spent the rest of the day watching some history movies and documentaries that Tina got from the library. Bette hadn’t mentioned travelling back in time again and Tina didn’t want to remind her about it. That night they fell asleep on the different corners of the sofa.

TBC…