Melvin, you can’t know how what you said that night affected Bette. She was so excited to tell you. She thought finally she could do something to please you and you just couldn’t put your pride aside for one moment to accept her happiness. I don’t know what brought on this transformation in your acceptance now, but I won’t have a hint of your hypocrisy touching our daughter. If you have any doubt in your heart that you can’t give unconditional love to a bi-racial biologically unrelated child conceived by insemination to two mothers then you’d better cut the ties now.

“Christina, I’m an old man set in my ways. I can’t promise you that I won’t make mistakes along the way but as God is my witness, I will never willfully hurt any of you; and not especially your child. I’ve dropped down on my knees and owned my sins and prayed for forgiveness but believe me there are consequences to forgiven sin. I am not without pain and suffering for the pain and suffering I have caused. I wish I could go back in time and take back those cruel things that I’ve said and done, but I can’t. All I can do is humble myself before you and work to earn your trust and learn from my mistakes.”

“Then do me one favor.”

“What’s that?” Melvin asked willing to do anything at this point.

“Open up to your daughter.” Tina said plainly.

“I don’t know what you mean. I’ve never been more open.” And truthfully, he had been with both Bette and Kit.

“I know, but there are two things that have always been taboo between you; the sanctity of our marriage and why you didn’t fight for yours. When Bette cheated on me, she equated her failure to what happened between you and her mother. We were both devastated by the miscarriage, but Bette’s entire foundation toppled. She can’t even explain why she cheated. Granted we were drifting apart after we lost the baby and maybe even so before I got pregnant, but we never stopped loving each other. I want to believe her when she tells me that I am the love of her life and that she can’t live without me but she’s fearful that she’s inherited an infidelity gene that she won’t be able to help herself. Not being in control is foreign to her. She’s struggling emotionally to make sense of the parallels between her failures and yours and you won’t even talk to her about it. You’ve perpetuated so much insecurity into her psyche that she fears becoming you, while at the same time all she wants is to please you and make you proud. I love your daughter Melvin. She’s my best friend, my wife, my life partner and the mother of my child. I want us to grow old together, but I will not forgive her another indiscretion. If there is anything that you can say to help her to see your demons to maybe understand her own, I think you can save us both a lot of grief. You owe her that much.”

Melvin agreed. Not only was it time to talk to Bette about how he hurt Maxine, and how he could let go of the love of his life, but also to console the nine-year-old little girl inside the woman that lost her mother and never got to mourn properly.