Bette also discovered from her observations on a regular routine that friends rarely came and went from the house. She thought that this was odd given how Tina use to love to entertain years ago. Bette was sure she had made lots of friends in this community since settling here. Apparently Tina’s life had changed as much as her life had.

That night as she laid in bed thoughts of the life her and Tina had together drifted through her mind. Reflecting on all the knowledge she had gained while viewing Tina’s life from afar she realized that Tina now had accomplished all of the things she and Bette had dreamed of as a couple.

She would not be cruel to Tina by entering her life once again and asking her to make a choice between Bette and others in her life that she loved. A long time ago Tina had made that choice between her family and Bette but in the end she had been left with nothing after Bette’s betrayal. What a high cost she had paid for loving Bette.

Bette decided at that moment she would begin looking for a new job and a new town to start her life over without Tina in it once again now that she was clean and sober.

4 Weeks Later

Sitting quietly in the corner of the local library posting her resume to an art history museum for the position of curator and a private art gallery named NGK  in Denver she heard a familiar voice.

“Honey, let’s go see if we can find you a book to enjoy too.”

Looking up from the keyboard she saw Tina holding the hand of a small child with the same dark curls and mocha skin tone as herself. They were walking in her direction and she did not have time to move away from the terminal without being spotted so, she tried to lower her head and hoped that when they passed by she would not be recognized.

Movement caught Tina’s eye as she passed through the aisle of computer terminals. Turning her head quickly to the left she saw the side of a profile hidden from view by dark shoulder length hair but the set of the shoulders identified the hidden profile. Her breath caught in her throat. Her mind tried to reconcile what she was seeing with what she thought was a fact. Bette Porter was in Texas living her life and starting a new career not here in the local library in a small town in North Carolina