All through dinner Rachel noticed the subtle glances and the unspoken communication between Bette and Tina. However, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had seen Bette somewhere before. Continuing to study Bette’s delicate features all through dinner it finally dawn on her over dessert and she recalled exactly where she knew Bette from.

As the evening was drawing to a close Rachel found her opening to get Tina alone as she was putting Angelica to bed for the night. Rachel insisted on a good night hug using the pretense of not seeing the child on Christmas day because she would be out of town. Having placed Angie in bed smothered in good night kisses Tina and Rachel quietly slipped into the hall softly closing her bedroom door.

“Tina can I talk to you about something in private?”

Tina could hear Bette cleaning up the kitchen from dinner so she knew she had time for her and Rachel to talk privately in her bedroom before Bette would notice they both had been gone to long. Also, Tina knew it must really be important to Rachel wanting to speak privately when she knew Tina had another guest in the house.

“Sure Rachel come in here.” Tina led the way and Rachel followed her into the room and shut the door.

“Tina I don’t mean to get all up in your business, but are you sure you want to have a personal relationship with Bette after all, you divorced her for a reason.”

“Look Rachel, Bette and I have had some really serious problems in the past. Yes, she was the reason I moved back home but through out everything I never stopped loving her. I appreciate your concern as my best friend but…I have always loved Bette and only Bette.”

“Tina I know the heart can’t help who it loves but Tina I think there are some things you should know about Bette. I have been sitting here all evening trying to place where and when I had met her before and during dessert it finally came to me. You remember that big production I worked on about a year after you moved back to North Carolina. You know the one that kept me away for three months?”