“Good evening ladies,” they both said helping us out of the car, “here’s your ticket and enjoy your meal.”

“Thanks,” I said and took the ticket. We walked in and were immediately sat. As we read over the wine list we settled on an elegant red wine.

“This is nice isn’t it,” Tina asked.

“Gorgeous, since moving here, I’ve always wanted to come here.”

“I’ve always wanted to try it too, but Eric says I have expensive taste.”

“Nothing is ever too expensive to please the woman you love,” I said and she sighed and nodded. I could sense there was something she was holding back, but I decided not to push her, she’d tell me when she felt comfortable.

We started making small talk as we sipped our wine and enjoyed a beautiful appetizer. As we were eating our meal, I found out she is the youngest of four kids, and her family still lived in Chapel Hill. Her two brothers were married and had kids and her sister was a youth minister at a local church and hadn’t married yet.

“So you’re very religious I suppose,” I asked.

“Not really, I am different from my family in that way. I grew up in a very conservative house hold and in college I grew to be very liberal. They disagree with me, but still love and support me,” she said as her hand touched mine as it had a few times in our conversation. It was driving me insane.

“Well at least they have your back.”

“Yeah, so they say,” she said and grinned, “so what about you?”

“Well let’s see, I moved here from Boston but I’m originally from Philadelphia and I have one half-sister whom you know and no other siblings…that I know of. My mother passed when I was sixteen, cancer, and my father still resides in Philly. He’s a very successful corporate lawyer, and isn’t so accepting of my sexuality. I graduated from Yale with a Master’s in physical therapy and sports medicine, and I haven’t told anyone else yet but I got accepted into U.C.L.A.’s doctorate program.”

“Wow Bette that’s amazing,” Tina exclaimed and got up and hugged me, “Congrats!”

“Thanks, I am so excited about it. It’s three more years of school, but I will get to do even more amazing things in my field.”