“Hey Angie,” said Bette, once Tina passed her over, leaving the two of them to chat for a few minutes whilst Tina fixed the sodas and popcorn for their movie, “how was school?”

“Good …” said Angie, “we watched this cartoon of the play we are doing and it was really funny, then we practiced our lines and Miss Parkes said the fairies were much better today.”

“That’s great,” Bette replied, “I’m pleased you’re enjoying it honey.”

Angelica grinned, she knew very well how to play both of her moms and whilst Tina saw right through her angelic smile and innocent act Bette would often fall for it, believing her daughter to be less sassy than she really was …

“Miss Parkes seems a lot happier since Lottie started helping out,” Angie added, playing on Bette’s curious side,

“Really?” asked Bette, intrigued

“uh huh … I think they’re friends,” Angie stated, softly

“Well that’s good …” said Bette, “I suppose … do you mind her being friends with your teacher?”

“No,” said Angie, “she seems happier too”

“When was Lottie not happy before?” Bette asked, feeling left out of the loop, never having met the person who Tina was now spending every day with and who her daughter seemed so much in awe of,

“Just sometimes,” said Angie, shifting over to make room for Tina to join her on the sofa, “I think she misses her family …”

“Sure …” said Bette, “I’m sure she does …”

“I think she and Miss Parkes were going on a date tonight,” Angie added after a moment, watching out of one corner of her eye to see Tina’s reaction as she sat trying to pretend as if she weren’t really listening,

“Really … what makes you think that?” asked Bette

Angie paused, making it out to seem like she hadn’t really been watching the two of them closely, “They said ‘see you later’ …” she said, “and then … they did that thing with their eyes … you know … that people do sometimes when they’re going on a date …”

Tina burst out laughing, Bette tried not to but hearing Tina laughing just made her want to even more.

“Well maybe they’re just hanging out Angel?” suggested Bette, suppressing her own laughter, “you know, like how you hang out with your friends,” she added.

“No Mom,” said Angie, seriously, “It wasn’t *that* kind of look!”

Bette sat beside Helena on the sofa, swirling the ice in her glass, the children were in bed and they’d been discussing Peggy’s trip to London to visit Helena’s brother. Bette watched as the ice began to slowly melt, she chuckled, remembering how Tina had referred to Angie as having ‘her’ curious streak,

“You’re amused?” Helena asked, smiling

Bette nodded, “Angelica … sometimes she seems so grown up.”

Helena sighed wistfully, “It goes by so fast,”

“I know … she’ll be nine in a few weeks”

Bette knew that she didn’t need to remind Helena, after all she’d been there when Tina was pregnant with her, carrying her, she knew all too well how old she would be. Just another one of Helena’s failed relationships. Yet watching her now Bette couldn’t help but feel compassion towards her, she was a good person and she fell in love hard. It had really seemed like it would work between her and Mandy, unlikely couple that they were … the billionairess and the movie star, Hollywood’s golden couple. Bette knew that returning to LA would be hard on Helena.

“Are you okay about going home?” Bette asked, aware that many subjects lately provoked outbursts of crying from Helena,

“I think so,” Helena replied after a short while, “it’s time we went … it’s time we got used to our life there again,” she added, “I’ve done enough hiding here in New York.”

Bette nodded, “You know you’re not on your own … right? you still have family there,” she said, gently indicating her own family’s unwavering support.

Whatever had gone on between them was in the past, they were stronger than that now, and more alike than people often realised.

Helena smiled, “It will be good to get home, for both of us.”