Tina wasn’t ready to reflect on that yet, so she turned the conversation back to Tim’s situation. “What happened with you and Jenny after you married her?”

“That’s where it really gets bizarre. I just… woke up in the middle of the night in that hotel room. I’d never felt so empty, so just… so full of nothing. I… I left her there. I just walked out on her. But now I have no idea where she is. I’m worried sick about her Tina. I’ve called everyone I can think of including her parents. She hasn’t contacted anyone for weeks. I don’t know if I can forgive her infidelity but I’d never forgive myself if something happened to her.”

Now it was Tim’s turn to break down. Tina did her best to comfort him. She felt really bad because she’d dismissed Bette’s intuition about Jenny and Marina cheating behind Tim’s back. She’d admonished Bette not to say anything to him, and now Jenny was missing. She tried her best to reassure him.

“I’m sure she’s fine Tim. Jenny’s a writer, you know? I mean writers crave experience. Maybe that’s all this is. She’ll show up when she’s ready.”

“I hope you’re right Tina. What about you and Bette? Are you going to give her another chance?”

“Maybe tomorrow I’ll try talking to her. I’m worried that both you and Alice mentioned that she’s drinking and smoking excessively.“

Tina said goodnight to Tim and walked through the gate of their adjoining fence into her own back yard. She needed to use the bathroom and then she would leave.

***

Bette sat alone drowning her sorrows with a bottle of Jack Daniels in a corner booth at the Planet. She’d run everyone off with the exception of the waitress whom she’d tipped generously to keep her glass full and her ashtray empty. Kit stopped by to check on her every now and then but Bette insisted that her sister should enjoy her success and not worry about her.

Finally Bette decided to call it a night. She’d replaced her car after the accident but was too drunk to drive so she asked the waitress to call a cab. As she was leaving she found her sister and hugged her tightly. Even in her drunken state or maybe because of it she’d been overcome with sentimental feelings when Kit had gone up on stage to sing with the Betty Band.