“Was it a restaurant?” Alice was invested in every detail.

Tina and Kit shook their heads no. Kit knew it couldn’t have been a restaurant since she made them dinner.

“No. It was more like a juke joint.”

“A what?”

Tina remembered she was in LA and not the south. Kit knew exactly what Tina meant. She had played a few gigs in juke joints during her singing days. 

“It was a private listening party. For…get this. Colbie Caillat.”

“Shut. Up.”

“It was sooo special. She sang mostly new songs from her album that’s about to be released. Then she came and spoke to us. I almost fainted.”

“Wait a minute. I wanted those tickets,” Alice whined.

“But James wouldn’t let me have them. Now, I see why.”

“Yeah…Bette said she kept them just in case I came bac…” Tina let her voice trail off.

Tina looked into the distance. Kit and Alice exchanged looks.

Everything about the date Bette meticulously planned was absolutely perfect and so thoughtful. Tina remembered how attentive Bette was at the beginning of their relationship. And really throughout their entire relationship. Bette could get swept up in her own world at times but for the most part, if Tina really evaluated their relationship, Bette always put Tina first. Always.

Tina sighed.

“Stop that,” Alice snapped.

“What? Stop what?” 

“You know what. I know that look and yes, you fucked up. You both did. But you can’t keep dwelling on what happened. You’ve got to forgive yourself if you are going to have any chance at a future with Bette.”

Tina gave Kit a look. Kit shrugged her shoulders. 

“She’s not wrong,” Kit chimed in.

“I know. I just think about all the time we lost…about ever-everything we lost,” Tina put her hand on her stomach. 

Kit and Alice glanced at each other. 

“How did the night end?” Alice asked.

“When we got back home, Kit had set up all this food in the living room. It was so delicious, Kit. Thank you.”

“Anything for my Baby Girls!”

“Kit, you were holding out on me.”

“It was none of your business, Miss Thang!” Kit playfully swatted her with a towel.

“Hey!”

They all laughed. Tina missed her family so much. She missed the intricacies of each individual relationship and the collective. She was happy to be back. Her thoughts landed on Bette as they always did.