“Correct. It is filled with marbles.”

“So, no. It’s filled with marbles. I fill you with marbles, Tina?” asked Bette.

Tina smiled. “No, Sweetie. I’m not done yet.”

“Sorry.”

“The jar is filled with marbles. But now I pour in sand. Do you think there’s going to be room for the sand?” asked Tina.

“Well, I guess so. There are cracks and holes. Places the marbles don’t fit into. So yeah, there’s room.”

“Exactly. So is the jar full?” asked Tina.

Bette nodded. “Yes, now it’s full.”

“What if I add water? Will it soak in or will it just bounce out of the jar?”

Bette thought. “It should soak in, right? There’s still room. The water will just fill in the spaces between the grains of sand.”

“Yes! That’s it. That’s the story. And you can go on and on with air, and molecules, and atoms. But my point in all this, Bette. You’re like the sand and the water for me. I thought I was doing okay. I was moving along just fine in life. You’ve come along and filled all these cracks and crevices that I never knew I had. You make me feel whole.”

Bette felt her eyes water. “I make you feel whole?” she asked quietly.

“You do. I’m obsessed with you. In a good way. I refuse to let you go.”

Bette wiped at her tears. “You are so sweet, T.”

“You fill up all the empty spaces, Bette. So that’s why. That’s why I love you.”

Memories of her life in 2005 crashed with her reality in 2019 and Bette felt dizzy. No matter the version of life she occupied, her need for Tina was still essential. She tried to fight against the doubt she had regarding Tina’s past and present. It was a battle she was quickly losing.

“T?” she asked.

“Yes, Babe?”

“The day I met you, at the salon,” Bette began.

Tina chuckled. “The day I nearly broke you?”

“Yes. That day. How did you decide to go to Shane? Is it a place you typically visit? Are you a regular customer?”

“No.”

“So how did you end up there?”