“Will we see you at lunch?” Bette asked,

Shane shrugged, “Maybe …” she replied with a wry smile,

Bette grinned, knowing the look of someone who wants nothing more than to spend all her free time with her wife and her new child, she remembered it well, Bette hugged her gently, “Okay then …”

They parted then as Shane resumed her walk home to make Carmen’s breakfast,

Bette wrestled with their mailbox, pulling out a stack of bills, a letter from Angie’s school and a Psychology magazine that Tina subscribed to, she went through the pile, searching for her weekly fix, her copy of the New Yorker,

“No way …” muttered Bette … glancing at the cover aghast, “you didn’t … oh Jenny …” she sighed,

She glanced up the street at Shane’s retreating thin frame wondering whether or not she should call her back before dashing into the house instead, to reluctantly call Helena …

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Have you seen it?” muttered Alice, throwing her copy of the magazine down on the tabletop in disgust,

Shane nodded, “Bette called,” she said, taking a seat beside Alice, she waved her arm in the direction of Matilda at the counter, ordering one of her usual shots,

“It’s low …” said Alice, disappointed, “even for Jenny …”

Shane nodded again, she was disappointed in Jenny too but it was already in print, already public, she didn’t know what Alice hoped to achieve by calling a crisis meeting for Helena,

“Hey …” said Bette wandering up, she moved to hug Shane and then Alice before taking a seat and slipping her sunglasses off, “Is she here yet?”

Alice shook her head,

Bette fingered the leaves of the magazine, entranced once more by the bright front cover … “New Yorkers own ‘Jenny Schecter’ gets the inside scoop on the break-up of Hollywood’s ‘lesser known’ Lesbian Golden Couple …”

“Lesser-Known-Lesbian-Golden-Couple …” scoffed Bette, “has Helena seen it yet?”

Alice shrugged, “She was out shopping with Li-li so I doubt it … Mandy is seething …” Alice added,