‘Tina and I have moved on from that Helena.  Why would you even make me think about that again?’

‘Bette if you can’t be honest with me at least be honest with yourself.’

Helena tried to placate Bette but she clammed up and pushed her away so she took a seat by herself on the garden bench, giving Bette space and wishing the conversation had never happened.  Alexa soon joined her, leaving Gary with Tina.

‘Hey’ said Alexa and nudged her cheekily as she sat down.  ‘So do you come here often?’

Helena laughed, forgetting her encounter with Bette momentarily.  She draped an arm around Alexa’s shoulders, playing with the strap of her dress.  ‘Thank god you never used that line on me for real or I don’t think we’d be sitting here now.’

‘Oh yeah because can I borrow your lip gloss is so much better!’ Alexa retorted playfully.

‘I’ll have you know Alexa that was not a pick up line,’ said Helena.  ‘I just needed lip gloss, really you could have been anyone…..’ she said but the sparkle in her eyes said she was lying.

‘Ouch,’ said Alexa and clutched her chest.  ‘But tell me would you have just asked anyone for dinner?’

Helena knew when she was beaten.  ‘Alright, alright I was attracted to you but that night I really did have no intention of making any kind of move on you.’

‘I know,’ said Alexa, placing a hand on her knee. ‘I was devastated,’

‘You were not!’

‘Yes I was I thought I didn’t have a hope in hell of being anything more than a friend to you.’

‘I was just trying not to take advantage of you, so I waited for what our third night together to seduce you?’ remembered Helena wryly before catching Bette watching Tina again and she sighed.

‘What’s up?’ asked Alexa, placing a hand on Helena’s knee over her linen pants.

‘Oh Bette and I had a minor disagreement.’

‘Over what?’

‘Over the fact that she doesn’t trust Tina as much as she wishes she did and she’s trying to project that mistrust onto us.’

Alexa was a little taken aback.   ‘That sounds like a little more than a minor disagreement.  Want to get out of here and tell me about it?’

‘You read my mind.’

Bette watched the couple say goodbye to Tina and Angelica before they came over to her.  She was cordial to them both but Helena’s words still burned as much as she was starting to realise what she’d said about Alexa had been completely out of line and largely untrue.

Hours later when all the guests had finally left the house and Angie was asleep Tina found Bette sitting with a drink by the pool.

‘I think this afternoon was a success don’t you?  But Alexa and Helena didn’t stay long.’

Bette tried to brush by the comment.  ‘Well they are still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship.’

Tina took a seat beside her.  ‘Yeah but I get the feeling that they’re in for the long haul.  Alexa was asking me questions about how we make it work.’

Bette took another sip of her wine, hearing the sound of the crickets in the night air.

‘What did you tell her?’ Bette asked.

‘I didn’t really get the chance before we were interrupted but I did tell her that no matter what mistakes we’ve made we’ve always found a way back to each other.’

Bette took Tina’s hand.  It was true and she was proud that they had.  She didn’t know why she kept letting these demons resurface the way she had today.

Bette didn’t know it but Tina knew she had fought with Helena today and had a vague idea of the subject matter having heard Alexa and Helena’s later conversation.

‘Bette there are some things I’ve done that I’d do anything to take back,’ said Tina.  ‘And they will never be repeated.  I love you with all my heart.  I don’t think I tell you that enough.’

Bette caught the look of love and sincerity in Tina’s eyes and felt those old wounds that had been reopened today soothed a little with Tina’s words.  The demons would always be in the background but as long as Tina stood in front of them their love would stay strong.

Bette leaned in to kiss Tina softly.  ‘And I don’t do that enough,’ she replied.  ‘Let’s have an early night,’ she suggested and led Tina to the bedroom.