“C’mon T …we’re gonna be fine, Geez I’ve lost it a few times myself…you just um…you don’t do anything half-assed, why should this be any different.”

For the first time that day Tina smiled through her tears a genuine smile.

“Bette…it’s just I love you so much that it…hurts sometimes…”

“Tina…please know that I feel the same way.   I missed you so much while I was away and I knew you were distant, I just thought you were busy…I’m sorry I did push you to talk to you and I shouldn’t have assumed you knew I was missing you, I know I said it…but I could have really said it…and I promise I won’t make that mistake again.”

“Thank you, Baby.”

“Okay, we’re okay on the trust issue and you seem to be feeling confident in my feelings for you, now talk to me about the ‘ambiguities’ in our relationship.”

 “Bette it just kind of hit me that we really haven’t gone to the next step.  It felt like we had when we were together but when you left it didn’t it felt like …my girlfriend was a way…not my life, my partner, my everything…and I couldn’t help wonder if you felt the same way…”

“Tina I have considered you my life partner since our first weekend at your house, but, during this conversation you’ve called me your girlfriend a lot…  I guess I never noticed you didn’t…why do you think that is?”

“Bette you are the love of my life, my first, my last and my forever…I have no doubt at all about that but I guess deep down I’ve been waiting and wanting to make some ‘official’ move forward.  I guess like really moving in together and sharing things like finances and stuff and maybe even registering as domestic partners or whatever, but when it hit me that you never moved any of your art collection to the house I realized we’d been living in limbo and it scared me…you know?”

“Sweetie, I would like nothing more than to make an ‘official’ commitment to you… to us, I just didn’t want to move too fast…your divorce has only been finalized for a month and I didn’t want to pressure you…I’m sorry we didn’t talk more about this…but I guess as far as the art goes… I really have been dragging my feet, but not because I don’t want us to be committed… it’s just because…because…I can’t seem to think of your house as our home…I want to so bad…shit I love that fucking house…I haven’t wanted to upset you and I really don’t have a solution so I just avoided it and hoped that eventually I’d get over it…I’m sorry T…you’re right we really have been in limbo and that’s not where I want to be either.  I love you with all my heart, please don’t ever forget that.”

“Babe, I know we have some things to figure out…but do you think we can put this behind us…do you think you can trust my love again?  I’m so sorry Baby…”

Bette stood up and walked over to Tina and lifted her into her arms and pulled her close.

“T…I didn’t know it was possible but I feel closer to you and more in love with you at this moment than ever before…I already feel the trust in your love again…You showed me today … while you stood up and owned every single thing you said and did yesterday you never once blamed me or tried to hurt me you took it all on your shoulders.  You held my heart in your hands today and you took such good care of it.”

 Bette leaned down and gave Tina the most heartfelt tender kiss she’d ever given her.  They grabbed onto each other tightly and just stood in the kitchen for several minutes.

Tina looked into Bette’s eyes and quietly spoke.

“Baby, I know I owe you some serious make up sex but would it be okay if we just slept first…I haven’t really slept all week and I feel like I might pass out if I don’t sleep soon.  Will you hold me?”

“Try and stop me.”