“Tina, you have nothing to ever be sorry to me or anyone I know of in LA…so please…You’ve picked me up and loved me more times than I can count, even when most people wouldn’t have given me the time of day.  Tina, come on, if it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be living on the streets… or worse.  I would never judge you or think less of you…Never…You understand me.”

Shane leaned down and looked her friend in the eye and waited for a response.  Tina took a deep breath and between sobs said.

“Thank you Shane…Thank you for…just Thank You.”

“You my friend are more than welcome.  So why don’t you fill me in on everything?

Over the next several minutes Tina retold her story to Shane.

“Wow Tina, I’m just glad this mess is over, but I have to ask you a question, Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Tina…have you been using?”

Tina looked at Shane and put her head in her hands and was silent for a moment.

“I won’t lie Shane I did some pretty fucked up things and I’m pretty sure I did some things I don’t even remember…but I was lucky enough not to get hooked on anything…well other than drinking…It got pretty bad…but I was doing pretty good for the past month.  I went to a couple of AA meetings but I thought I could handle it and then…I fucked up…again…”

“Tina, that happens a lot. the important thing is you get back on the wagon and you get help.  It’s really hard to do it on your own.  One more question and I’ll leave you alone, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Tina, did you get tested?”

Tina looked at her friend, her cheeks turning red but she answered.

“Yeah I did Shane…and it seems that the gods have not completely given up on me.  I got a clean bill of health in that department.  I’ve been such a fucking asshole…”

Alice jumped into the conversation.

“Cut that out.  We all fuck up.  It’s over.”

Tina smiled at her friends as she wiped the tears from her face.

“Okay…Okay…please no Barry Manilow.  So Shane, please tell everything that has happened to you over these past 2 years.”

“Well let’s see…I got into this pretty nice situation at this place called Wax.  It’s a skate park with a Salon built into it.  Pretty cool actually, but it was really good and I was making good money so I decided to take the plunge and I just opened my own place.  It’s small, but it’s really me…ya know?”

“Shane that’s amazing.  I can’t wait to see it.”

“Does that mean you’re coming back with us?”

Tina looked down.

“Yeah, I would…but I’ll need your guys help until…you know…until I get on my feet…I don’t have much money…I even sold my car a while back…you know during a really bad stretch…”

“Tina, c’mon…get real…we know that…and we want nothing more than for you to come home with us.”

“Thank you….So Shane tell me more…Still the same old heartbreaker …or do you have someone in your life?”

“Well I’m actually living with someone.  Her name is Carmen.  I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

“Wow Shane, how long have you guys been together?”

“Well I met her not long after you left, but we’ve only been really together for about a year.  It’s been good.”

“Wow Shane….Wow…I can’t wait to meet the woman who finally captured your heart.”

Shane blushed and smiled at her friend.

Alice stood up.

“Well as adorable as this is, you my dear have to go to bed.  You need to get your rest.”

Tina smiled at her friends.

“Just one more minute okay Al…I really need to say something…Okay?”

“Sure what’s up TK?”

“Well, I want you to know…my life…my life in LA…it started to feel like some sort of dream…Like it never really happened.  My beautiful home, my partner, the babies I wanted so badly, my job and our family…it all seemed so far away, so unattainable…so out of my reach…and I’d given up…you know thinking I could ever have a life I was proud of…a family…a life…but you guys…you’ve given that back to me…maybe I’ll never have it all ….but you know what …that’s okay…I just want me, and our family back…Thank you.”

Alice leaned down and hugged Tina and Shane leaned in to her friends.

“We love you Tina, and please don’t ever forget that…Okay?”

“I promise…I love you guys”