“What was it?” Bette whispered finally when the old man stood in silence for a moment.

“Oh…” he said, coming out of his trance, “I saw a face…woman’s face…beautiful and tragic.”

“Tragic?” Tina asked, “What do you mean?”

“Well, it was a painting of a woman’s face…actually just an outline of a face. The only thing that was completely finished was her eyes.”

“My mother’s portrait,” Bette whispered to Tina and grabbed her hand. Their palms were sweaty and shaky from all the excitement and anticipation but neither of them cared.

Tina squeezed Bette’s hand and smiled at her. “Please, continue…” she said, turning back to the old man.

“Those eyes were mesmerizing and beautiful but I saw so much pain in them…as if the woman was hiding a secret that was killing her on the inside and only her eyes could tell the truth.”

He glanced at Bette and said unexpectedly, “You have similar eyes, my dear lady…anyone looking into them can read you like a book.”

Bette was so surprised at this revelation by a stranger that she instinctively closed her eyes for a moment until she heard Tina’s chuckle, “Too late, babe.”

Bette opened her eyes and smiled at Tina shyly. The blonde peered into Bette’s dark orbs and whispered, “I already know that by looking into your eyes I can see your soul.”

Bette smiled again and inquired, trying to take attention away from herself, “So what happened next?”

“Well, I was so intrigued, surprised and shocked that I searched the area and found several unfinished paintings, portraits and landscapes. They were damaged…all of them…but my heart was hurt when I saw them thrown away to be forgotten forever. So I picked them all up and took into my humble abode.”

“Do you…still have them?” Bette struggled to find her voice because she was so overwhelmed with emotions.

“Yes, I still have them but something is telling me that it won’t be the case for very long…they belong to you,” he finished as a matter of fact.

Bette just nodded her head, unable to utter another word while Tina lifted her head up, looking toward the sky and whispering her gratitude for another divine intervention.