"God won’t save you mother, the whole time you’ve been condemning Aunt Tina you were condemning yourself too," Christian said.

"Yes, I condemned her for being a lesbian when I was one way before she even knew what lesbian was," Mary said, "I wish I would have met Patty before. Than I could have been strong enough to face Tina."

"You can’t control your fate mom, things just happen," Christian said, "so it doesn’t matter when I tell Aunt Tina the truth, her decision will be the same."

"I hope it’s a good decision," Mary said.

"For you or for her?"

Silence.

Christian sighed, "goodbye mother."

Christian hung up the phone and sighed. He jumped when he heard a noise coming from behind him on the balcony.

"Aunt Bette!" He gasped.

Bette just leaned against the door of the balcony. The strong wind had blown into the house and Bette had come to shut the balcony door when she heard Christian speaking.

"So your mom’s not dead?" Bette said keeping the underlying anger out of her voice.

Christian panicked, "please Aunt Bette let me explain! I was gonna tell you on Monday after your vacation, I swear!"

Bette shook her head, "so after we get all our stress out we come back to more stress? How does that make sense?"

"I don’t want to hurt anybody," Christian said, "I just want to help!"

"So you lie to Tina and to all of us? Plus involving my children in your lie!" Bette shouted, "how is that not hurting anybody? Are you aware of what your mother has done to Tina?"

"Yes and that’s why I’m here!" Christian said, "I want to make amends for her. She’s dying and she regrets what she did. I just want to get closure for them and then spend the rest of my life even trying to take away all the pain that Aunt Tina has suffered on account of my mother!"

Bette’s gaze and posture loosened when she saw the teenager break into sobs.

"She was a terrible mother to me and then she realized how bad she had been and she spent the last four years making amends to me," Christian said, "by the time she wanted to make amends to Aunt Tina she was too sick. She’s always loved her sister and was in so much denial. Can’t you see that I am named after both of her siblings!?"

Bette’s eyes widened. She hadn’t realized it before. Tina’s full name was Christina, Christian was indeed named after her, and his middle name was after his deceased uncle and Tina’s brother Louis.

"So what do you plan on doing then?" Bette said in a softer tone.

"At first I just wanted to be subtle about it and make Aunt Tina remember that sibling love using Angie and Andy which was so wrong and I am so sorry!"

Bette nodded slowly, "that explains why they haven’t fought all week."

"I was just telling my mother right now that I can’t keep this from you guys any longer," Christian said, "they need to see each other after more than twenty years and talk. Whether Aunt Tina actually forgives my mother is not even relevant. Either way they both get closure."

"Your wise beyond your years Chris," Bette said, "but I am wiser. And I know Tina. I had never seen so much pain in her eyes when she talked about Louis and what your mother did to her. Do you know what she did?"

"Yes, and that’s her biggest regret," Christian responded.

"So it should be, but I’m not going to allow her to hurt Tina any more," Bette said, "I will go see her myself, and if I know she won’t hurt her we will tell her. If not then we will tell her Tina will never forgive her and leave at that."

"I don’t think that’s a good idea," Christian said.

"I don’t want Tina hurt!" Bette snapped, "no one was has hurt her more than Mary Kennard, and I will not allow her to hurt her again!"