"What if I asked you if we should try again?"

Biting her lip she invited though she already knew what was meant, "What do you mean?"

The brown eyes that stared back were unmasked.  "You know what I mean." 

"Are you asking?"

"What if I did?" came another vague query in answer.

"Are you?" She pursued with persistence.

Another reply in the form of a question followed with a playful lilt, "Do you want me to?"

The blonde warned with a sigh, "Bette."

"Tina."  Her ex replied in a similar tone.

She pressed her thumb and forefinger against the bridge of her nose as if to dull the impact of a looming headache.  "I hurt you."

With one word, the darker toned woman admitted the raw defeat that overcame her. 

"Deeply." 

The room was quiet after that.  So very quiet as they both took a moment to mourn that time in their lives.

"You hurt me deeply."  The one who spoke jutted her lower jaw then wrinkled her forehead.  "But don’t forget the part about Candace."

Tina looked up.  The whites of her eyes were all Bette could see from where she sat.  "How could I?" she admitted. The hurt had not quite completely been erased.

She joked although neither of them laughed.  "I have that exact line tattooed on my arm." 

Staring unwaveringly at Bette, her eyes revealed the truth.  It wasn’t a secret.  Her heart had broken into a thousand and one pieces.

Bette Porter didn’t apologize.  Not again.  There had been too many times to date and she knew Tina didn’t need another ‘Sorry’ to stack away with the rest.  Rather, she held faith that Tina recognized the sorrow and regret that fed the disappointment and longing that followed.

So instead she remarked,  "And don’t forget about the time I wanted you to change out of the dress which was perfectly suitable.   Just because I wanted Daddy to think our wardrobes matched."

"Hmm…" Tina looked pensive then broke out with a grin.  "Well that I could never forgive you for."

Their eyes met.  No words were uttered while they conversed in the welcomed comfortable silence.  What more could they ask for?  What more did they need?  They were here.  Together.  After all this time they were still in each other’s lives. 

Well, one question remained unanswered.

"So what do you think?"  The brunette inquired believing everything was transparent.

Tina obtusely gave back, "About what?"

With a hint of a smile she restated, "my earlier question."

The blonde didn’t yet budge, "Which one?"

"T." It was Bette who now warned softly.

"Bette" was said teasingly in reply.

A paler skinned arm was extended to reach over then entwine their fingers.  The art devotee pulled gently to raise Tina’s hand to brush against her cheek.  Lowering the joined hands a few inches she kissed the knuckles that protruded with an unmatched tenderness.  

She couldn’t help it.  Tina’s eyes moistened as she slowly expelled a breath like one does when trying to hold back the flood of tears that had been kept at bay for too long. 

"You know."

"I do?"

"Bette," she whispered tremulously.  "Please."

"What?" Raising her eyes to meet glassy hazel ones she solicited kindly, "Please what?"

Tina choked, "You know." 

Bette did in fact know what Tina’s answer would be and smiled thoroughly.  

"Should I ask?"

The smiling blonde surprised her and queried right back, "Should I?"