Bette heard giggles from the hall as the guest room door opened and shut. Suddenly she ached to tell Tina. She wondered if maybe Tina would be willing to talk to her if it was just about Shane and not about what had happened. She picked up the phone and dialed Alice’s number. Alice answered sleepily.
“Bette. She said she wasn’t ready.”
“Alice. Have you spoken to Shane today?”
“No, I have been trying and trying to call her and her phone just goes straight to voice mail. Why, have you seen her?”
“Alice, she’s here. With a girl. A girl that I think is going to be very special to all of us.”
“What?”
“Yes. Alice, Shane appears to be in love again. Already. With someone who can actually love her, too.”
“What?”
“I’m serious. But before all that Shane and I talked about all of this and I think we have both figured out that we just didn’t …understand..what a family was. We couldn’t, you know? Shane didn’t know where Cherie was coming from, you know? And I didn’t know what Tina and I had. I know now, and I know that it will take a very long time for her to ever think of me the way she did again. But, when I saw Shane and Amy together, I just wanted to tell Tina about it. Do you think she would let me tell her? Just as a friend?”
“I’ll ask her, Bette. Hold on”
Alice laid the phone down on the coffee table and knocked on the bedroom door.
“Tina, are you awake?”
“Yeah, it’s ok, come in.”
Alice opened the door to find Tina seated on the floor, her knees clasped to her chest.
“Bette’s on the phone. She’s not asking for you to talk to her about what happened. She wants to tell you about Shane and Amy.”
“Who is Amy?”
“Just let Bette tell you, ok? If she tries to talk about anything alse you can hang up. She seems to understand that you guys have a long way to go. She’s asking to speak to you as a friend about another friend. Are you still her friend?”
“yes”
“Ok, well the phone’s out here.”
Tina walked slowly to the living room, picked up the phone, and put it hesitantly to her ear.
“Hello”
“Tina” Bette began crying and then made herself stop.
“Hi Tina. I just wanted to tell you Shane’s in love.”
“She is? Are you sure?”
Bette continued to fight back her tears. She knew she had to be very careful if she wanted to keep Tina on the phone.
“Yes. She’s here with the most adorable little art student.”
“An art student? Is she any good?”
“She’s brilliant. And you should see her, she’s like a little fairy princess, but when you see her work it is like something out of Heavy Metal. There is all this darkness inside her, but somehow she has found a way to not be the darkness, you know? And I can see already how she is showing Shane how not to, and I just wanted to tell you. I just wished you could see them. They are in the guest room.”
“Sleeping?” Tina was shocked at herself- she was talking to Bette like the past twenty-four hours hadn’t happened.
“No, I don’t think..” Tina interrupted her.
“I have to go Bette.”
“Don’t go, please, Tina.”
“This is too weird. I am happy for Shane and all but I don’t think it’s right for you to use it like this.”
“I know. I know Tina. I know I destroyed our family and that families are sacred things. Just please understand that I don’t know about families- I didn’t really have one. If I had come from a real family I would have known what I was risking. Shane helped me see that, she did the same thing to Cherie’s family. We didn’t know what we were into. And I know that I still don’t know, but I am going to learn. If it takes years I am going to learn. And when I am sure I understand I will ask you if you want to be my family again. Until then, can we be friendly acquaintances, at least? Can I call you in like a week and like, recommend a book you should read or something? Anything?”
“Well, how about two weeks? Then you can recommend a book and if I like it I will call you after I finish it.”
“Thank you, Tina. I am going to go now. Sleep well, forget about me. Think about Shane and her angel in the guest room.”
“Ok. Bye, Bette.”
Tina put down the phone and cried. Alice walked over and sat next to her on the floor.
“Shhh. Shhh. Don’t think about it. Tell me what she said.”
“Oh, she said Shane is in love and it looks real.”
“For real?” Alice began to cry. “That’s so wonderful. Who is she?”
“Some little art student named Amy.”
“Oh my God. I know who that is. I heard her crying on Gaby’s answering machine one night. Oh my god, that is so wonderful for both of them if it is the same Amy-the-art-student.”
“I’m sure it is, aren’t you?”
“Of course it is. Let’s go add her to the chart. You know, if she was with Gaby, then Gaby was with me and I was with.. well, it’s only four moves back to you and three moves back to me. And we haven’t even met her yet!”