Twenty four hours had passed, and once again Bette made the nervous journey to her house. Not knowing what to expect, she braced herself for the worst possibility – that both Tina and Henry were still there. When she reached the house she was almost surprised to find it quiet. For once it seemed she may actually have got through to Tina. Stepping through the front door she felt a wave of sadness pass over her at all the memories and happy times that this house had held for her, and how for Tina those had been wiped away by a new lover, a man no less. She walked slowly through the house, which felt almost too big for one person. Heading for the garden, her place of tranquillity, Bette was stopped in her tracks.

“Tina?”

Tina spun round startled.

“I thought you’d gone”

“I’ll be going now” Tina moved towards the house.

“Don’t go on my account. Stay as long as you like”

“Bette, it is precisely on your account that I am going”

“T do you really think that I had any choice but to ask you to move out? This is my house and there you were acted as though I never existed and you got some ready made family!” Bette tried not to let her voice convey all the anger that she was feeling.

“The family that we once had was destroyed the day you betrayed me” Tina’s voice rose.

“Then why the hell did you come back?”

“You know what, I really don’t know! Maybe I thought I owed you something!” Tina laughed “Well it’s quite clear that I don’t. And Angelica will have two parents now so there’s no need to stay here on that account”

“Who are you?” Bette asked quietly.

Tina was thrown by the question “What?”

“This person that you’ve become, who is she? Coz I sure as hell don’t know you right now”

“How dare you…”

“No Tina, maybe you ought to take a good hard look at yourself before you respond. Because the women standing there is not the one I’ve known and loved for nine years. And she’s not the one her friends recognise either before you start trying to tell me its me that’s changed. The Tina we all know is kind and gentle and considerate and funny and sweet. This women is…is cold and harsh and selfish. I’m sorry T, but the one thing I’m gonna stand by is that I’m always gonna be honest with you. And I think that that’s something that you needed to hear” Bette exhaled deeply.