Now it was time for Tina to be mute. She was right. She had told her exactly that, she could fall apart and she would be there. When she had said those words she had meant them, but she had never thought that Bette would tear them apart the way she had. On that she had always depended, whatever happened to them as long as they were together. Everything had changed now.

‘Do you still love me?’ Tina was thankful that Bette still had not turned to face her knowing that she would not have been able to answer her if she had. ‘It’s not enough.’ Her voice breaking as the only truth she had available to her was spoken. ‘Yes it is,’ came her wife’s simple reply.

‘No it’s not; otherwise you wouldn’t have gone to her.’ Tina had made her way to the door and left before Bette had stopped fighting the tears. She hadn’t seen her leave but had heard the door close behind her when she had. For a few moments she waited to feel her hand on her shoulder and her arms wrap around her but when she knew there was no mistaking that she had left she allowed herself to collapse totally and completely on the table in front of her.

Tina pulled her car to the side of the road as soon as she was a few streets away from the house. No longer strong enough to keep her emotions encased her face already red with tears. She brought her hands to the top of the steering wheel as her head fell forward. She felt tightness in her chest as again the realisation that Bette had allowed her to walk out of their home engulfed her.

When she’d gotten into the car she had convinced herself that Bette taking time to come to a decision meant that she would not come to it lightly, that she would know for sure that it was Tina that she wanted. She needed that certainty, they both did. Those thoughts had lasted for about ten feet before she allowed herself to accept that every second Bette took to consider what Tina had asked were seconds in which she had to ask herself if she still loved Tina enough to spend the rest of her life with her.

Bette looked at herself in the rear view mirror of her car after she had finished parking. Not the slightest indication of the emotion that had coursed through her only an hour earlier on her face. She took her bag from off the seat next to her as she got out of her car. She had thought about what Tina had said to her and had come to a decision.

She walked up to the door and knocked gently. She waited patiently for the door to be opened. She took a step back as she saw a light come on inside and heard footsteps coming nearer to the door. It was late and she was probably asleep. But Tina had wanted her to make sure that she was the only one in her life, it was the only way she would come home.

Tina had been right. If love had been enough then she wouldn’t even have to make sure that this was what she wanted. If it was enough she would be at home with her wife asleep in her arms and not here waiting on the doorstep for her to open the door.

She heard the lock turn. She held her breath as the door started to open. She felt its release when she saw her standing there. Obviously woken from her sleep but smiling none the less, smiling at seeing Bette standing there on her doorstep. ‘Come in.’ Bette stepped into the doorway as Candace closed the door behind her.