“I thought they might when I read it.”

This surprises me, “You read it?”

Bette smiles. “I take it you haven’t?” I shake my head. “She left a trust fund for Angelica.” Bette smiles sadly again. “Once upon a happy time, before God flushed the toilet on all of us, you and Dana agreed to be Angelica’s Godparents.” I feel guilty that I have forgotten this…

“Look how adorable she is.” Dana whispers excitedly as I walk up to the glass next to her. Her excitement is contagious and our fight from the previous night is slipping away as I take her hand. “She’s so tiny.” Dana gushes in wonder.

I can’t help giggling at her. “Babies usually are tiny, Dane.” Dana looks at me and my giggle turns into a laugh. When she finally relents and gives me a smile I pull her closer and lean up and kiss her gently on the forehead. I pull back and rest my head against hers as we use this moment to reconnect.

“I love you, Al.” She says quietly and I feel the warmth of the words spread through me as I lean in and kiss her.

“Did I mention to you that Bette asked the two of us to be Angelica’s Godparents?” I ask as we pull away from each other.

Dana’s grin widens and I know she is feeling the same pride that I felt when Bette brought the subject up to me. “What did you tell her?”

“I told her that we would be honored.” She smiles and turns back to the glass, leaning her head on my shoulder as she admires our Goddaughter. She wraps her arm around my waist and I close my eyes at the perfectness of her against my side. “I love you too, Dana.” And I can feel her smile at my words as we stand there enjoying the moment…

“What are you gonna do?” Bette startles your head off of my shoulder and I stare at her for a moment before getting my bearings back.

“Let them have it I guess.” I shrug.

“Alice. Are you sure about it?”

“I don’t need Dana’s money Bette. If they want it let them have it.” I look up ad see her looking at me.

“I’m not talking about the money, Alice. It’s not about the money. It’s about what Dana wanted.” Bette looks at me with a very serious look on her face and then sits back in her chair. “What did the lawyer say?”

“He said whatever I want to do, he’ll take care of it.” I smile faintly. “Dana left me her lawyer too.” I joke a little and Bette gives me a smile for the effort.

“Look, Al, just think about it okay. I know that the money doesn’t matter to you, but I know that Dana does.” Bette’s drink arrives and she takes a sip and sighs happily as we sit in silence. “You know you really should come over tonight and have dinner with Angelica and I. In fact if your not busy maybe you should just come with me to pick her up. I hate the way Henry eyeballs me every time I go over there.”

“You know he only eyeballs you like that because you do it first.” I can picture the look that Bette gives him without even being there to see it.

“Well, I don’t like him.” I feel my face moving into the unfamiliar motion of a smile, and I think that I might go over tonight and hang out with Bette and Angelica. I look up and catch a flash of red hair as Lara disappears into the back of the restaurant and my mood darkens. She’s right, we do have to talk, I just don’t know if I can handle it. I know what she’s going to say to me and I don’t know if I can function without her. My friends are trying to help, but their lives are not exactly smooth sailing right now either. I don’t know when or how it happened, but Lara has become the only thing right now that I have to hold on to…