As she approached her home she decided that the direct approach would be for the best.  She texted:  “Karen, I know we enjoy each other’s company and you really are very special, but I need my space to move on.  I’ll never be all that you need me to be and I want you to have all there is in life.  It’s too painful to be with you and not have you.  You will always be special.   Bette”  Bette hoped that would do the trick.

With that done Bette entered her home.   The house seemed quiet after a busy day but that was okay.  She called her friend Alice to see if she wanted to join her for dinner but found out that tonight was a concert that Bette had declined earlier in the week.  They made tentative plans for the coming weekend and Bette said goodnight.

‘Why does the house feel so quiet tonight?’  She usually longed for the peace and quiet of her home.

Bette changed, poured herself a drink, grabbed her laptop and headed out to the pool.  After doing several laps she sat with her thoughts and her drink. After another drink, something Bette rarely indulged in, her mind began to wander.  And wander it did.

At first Bette thought about Karen, and her inability to sustain a long term relationship.  After more than a decade of ‘playing the field’, about 4 years ago, Bette had really started to explore trying to develop some sort of a relationship with the women she met.  She became much more selective about whom she dated and has been really trying to change some past relationship patterns but after 4 years there really wasn’t anything to write home about.  And if truth be told, these ‘relationships’ were exhausting.  Maybe the concept of true love and domestic bliss was just some myth or better yet a ‘suburban legend’…

Bette’s thoughts drifted to her growing business.  After 5 years the gallery was really thriving and in many ways becoming easier to run.  It was a big decision to bring on an assistant, but at this point it really wasn’t necessary for Bette to be at the Gallery all the time.  An assistant would allow her to accept a growing amount of independent consultation work and spend more time promoting the Gallery and searching for new interesting artists.  ‘Well I guess I hired myself an assistant’.  Bette chuckled, leaned back and smiled.  Tina Wilson had certainly left an impact.  Bette couldn’t seem to figure out if she had made a serious coup or a monumental mistake in hiring the …um – how to describe the woman…  CRAZY, childlike,  mature, wacky, intelligent, intuitive, vulnerable, strong, attractive, alluring, …straight, married, a devoted mother, beautiful….with that thought Bette shook her head and shut off the thoughts.  ‘Don’t even think about it!!!!   Looking a bit panicked Bette closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Bette woke an hour or so later to the final moments of a beautiful sunset but with only one image in her mind the beautiful face of the very interesting blond…uh oh.  Bette let her mind wander to the very unusual interview.  ‘How cute was that determined handshake’, and when she started to babble and tell me her life story, Bette let out a full belly laugh, oh my god, those eyes were sooooo wide, but oh soooo beautiful, and when Tina realized what she had done… Bette had never in her life felt so, so protective of anyone in her life.  What was it about this woman and What was she doing to me?  But when she pulled herself together and spoke, oh god I could have listened to her all day.  And that sweet smile…OMG….I am in serious trouble.  Bette pulled herself together, trying to banish any thought of the blonde from her mind and made her way inside to order some dinner.