It was not long before Angie came running into the kitchen asking to go for a swim with Jodie following behind.  As the young child pulled on Bette’s trouser leg pleading her case for a day in the pool Bette and Jodie finally had an opportunity to say good morning.  Jodie kissed Bette and signed “How was your morning?  What elaborate plan was Alice trying to involve you in?”  Jodie looked at Bette grinning awaiting a response.  Bette knew it was totally irrational and unfair – given that she was the first person who had made the assumption that that was what breakfast this morning was going to be about – but she felt angered by the flippant question and so answered quickly with no eye contact “Actually it requires a long conversation to explain.  Can we talk about it later? I’m going to take Angie for a swim.” With that she gathered up her daughter and brought her to her room so they could both change.

Bette and Angie spent the day splashing in the pool or sheltering in the shade where they built a variety of super-structures from the blocks that Kit had given Angie for her last birthday.  Bette marvelled at the way being with her daughter gave her the freedom to release all her perfectionist inhibitions as they created buildings with crooked walls and no windows and she was able to enjoy the activity with no need to correct or change what Angelica was doing. Bette remembered a conversation she had had with Tina months ago when she was trying to work things out with Jodie.  Tina had suggested to Bette that being with Jodie would be good for her because her equally alpha personality would force Bette to capitulate more than she had in previous relationships.  Although there was definitely truth in that assessment, as time passed, Bette realised that it was actually Angie who was the ultimate calming influence in Bette’s life.

 Since the first time she and Tina had decided to start a family one of the fears that plagued Bette the most was that she would replicate the relationship she had with her father in any relationship she had with their child.  Bette was desperate to strike a balance between encouraging Angie to be the best person she could be without filling her with the terrible fear of failure and the accompanying self-doubt that ultimately was at the core of Bette’s hardened exterior.  A core that very few people knew existed.  She remembered what Jenny had said earlier that day about Dana’s parents and Bette allowed herself to feel proud momentarily.  She knew without doubt that she absolutely loved her child unconditionally.  As meagre a detail as it may seem to other people, being able to play with Angelica with total abandon and lack of concern for rules or structure illustrated to Bette that she was going to be able to parent Angelica without burdening her with expectation beyond what was appropriate.