Smiling at the girls, she retrieved some towels and instructed them to go up to Angie’s room and get changed into some dry clothes, while she lit a fire in the fireplace, and made them some hot chocolate.

Once changed, the girls had huddled under blankets in front of the fire to get warm, and sipped on the hot chocolate Bette had made for them.  They ended up staying there most of the night Bette included, and just talked and laughed about all different subject matters. 

It was one of the best nights Angelica could remember from her teenage years.  Angie’s friends all thought Bette was so “cool” for staying up with them and telling them about her travels around the world.  It had been a wonderful bonding evening for Bette and Angie as well, as Bette became known as the ‘cool Mom’ with her friends. 

Scene:  Present Day

Many changes had happened to both Bette and Angie after they had left LA and moved to the Lake house, but that one night had been a turning point that both had laughed about years later one afternoon while sitting on this very bench that Angelica currently occupied.  Bette had given up some of her “over-protectiveness” on Angie, and Angie had allowed her friends to meet and interact with her Mom, in a way that none of them had done with their own parents. 

Over the years, Angie came to understand how hard that day had been for Bette, to allow Angie to stay outside in the tent, when Bette herself would never have stayed “outdoors” like that.  If it wasn’t a 5 star hotel or comfy B&B, she usually wanted no part of it. 

Eventually over time, Angie had even convinced Bette to occasionally stay with her outside in the tent, something that had been so out of character for Bette, but she had done it because it was important to Angie.

Today as Angie reflected on those happy memories, she was also saddened knowing that now that Bette was gone, she would never again create any new ones with her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice coming from the direction of the house.  As she turned to ensure her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her, she smiled when she saw a child emerge from the tree line.  The little girl’s face lit up when she saw Angie, and came running towards her yelling “Mama, Mama.”