So well meet her? Bette said, surprising herself with the naked hope in her voice. 

            Try and stop her, Carrie laughed.  I doubt shell be able to wait for Thanksgiving, so well see what kind of excuse she concocts to pack up her husband and kids for a week or fly you all out to North Carolina.  Shell think of something.

            I look forward to it, Bette said, following Carrie to the door.  She bent and kissed Angelicas forehead.  Take care of my baby.

            I will, mom, Carrie answered and waved over her shoulder as she descended the stairs.

            Bette set the table for dinner and chose a bottle of wine.  She looked around, checking if she had missed anything.  And it occurred to her.  Im nervous.  The empty living room didnt respond.

            From the bedroom, Bette heard the front door close.  The last time she made love to Tina had been totally unplanned.  Bette smiled to herself.  To say the very least.  She hadnt the time to be nervous or even to think about it.  It just happened.  Today, she had a full seven hours to fret over pleasing her wife, something she had honestly never worried about previously, at least not since the beginning of their relationship.  And even then, not like this.  Bette Porter was, for lack of a better descriptor, a nervous wreck.

            It wasnt that she didnt think she could please Tina.  She knew that she could.  Her reputation as a ***** Jedi Knight was not undeserved.  And Bette Porter knew it.  It wasnt that she didnt want Tina or didnt find her *****.  Jesus, who wouldnt want to make love to Tina?  And if that were the case she wouldnt have spent the better part of a year pining for her.  Tina remained the only woman Bette had ever loved.

            Bette guessed she was worried that she wouldnt be able to show her just how much she felt anymore.  After all of their years together, and everything that went wrong, how do you physically express the relief and the fear and the love?

            Bette had officially talked herself into a corner by the time Tina called for her from the living room.  Baby?