Dan waited for Tina to calm herself.  Tina, there is nothing that I can do to change any of that.  I wish to ***** God that there was.  The only thing I can do is apologize.  Ill call you every day for the next ten years and tell you Im sorry.  Ill get on my damned knees right now and it wont change what Ive done, what Ive let you miss, what Ive missed of you.  So, the question is, what can I do to make this right?

            Tina regarded her brother.  I guess theres nothing for us to do.  Nothing changes the past, right?

            I guess not.  Danny looked completely terrified.  Tina, are you saying  Should I leave?  I mean, I guess I should have expected it.  He kept talking despite the fact that Tina was shaking her head no.  Carrie said you wanted to see me and I hoped  Ill settle for knowing youre happy.

            Danny, stop.  Im not throwing you out.  That would hardly solve our problems.  Tina sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.  I have to admit.  This is easier than I thought it would be, she said, trying to lighten things up.

            God, what were you picturing?  A fist fight? Danny asked.  I havent cried in like, twenty years.  Thats not true.  I cried when Jessica was born.  As he said this, he wiped the tears from his face.  I wish you had been there.

            Tina nodded.  I could have been.

            I know that.  Thats why Im here.  Look, maybe Im not where you want me to be in accepting your relationship with Bette.  Im not where I want to be with it, Tina.  I mean, everyone else seems so comfortable with it and she seems like a lovely woman.  And she has taken care of you and loved you and told you how amazing you are when the people you were always supposed to be able to count on tossed you out and told you never to come back.  I am forever grateful to her for that.  And beyond the fact that as a first impression I really like her, I will always treat her with the utmost respect.  As for the rest, all Im asking for, Tina, is a little time.  As her brother talked, Tinas face softened.  Noticing this, he nudged her gently.  Come to my house for holidays, you AND Bette.  Meet your niece and nephew and Annie.

            This all isnt going to be fixed in a night, Dan Tina said, feeling herself give.  Anger was never something Tina liked to hold onto, but this was eight years worth of what could only be described as festering rage.

            Im pretty sure thats exactly what I just said, Danny chuckled.

            Tina rolled her eyes.

            Danny met Tinas eyes and held them.  I have hated myself every day since that day eight years ago.  I have just been too much of a goddamned coward to find you and tell you that Im sorry.  I know that doesnt fix everything.  It doesnt fix anything really.  I just

            Tina reached out and put her hand on her brothers arm.  Its a start, Daniel.  Lets go from here.  All was not right.  All was not forgiven.  But it was a beginning.