Bette felt wetness on her face and wiped away a trickle of blood from her nose.

She looked over incredulously at Dana, her heart racing, her chest heaving.

Dana looked concerned. “I know, it’s a little overwhelming. I gave you background details. There’s more information that you’ll need, especially relationship information between you and your family and friends. Those memories are more sensory. They take more energy for you to absorb. I’ll give you those memories more slowly.”

Bette just stared at her, her eyes narrowed and her mouth set in an angry frown.

“I’m sorry, Bette. Are you okay? What can I do?” asked Dana.

Bette sighed, rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth. She was turned on her side, facing her friend. “I’m fine, Dana. I’m just trying to figure out how Donald Trump became president of the fucking country.”

Dana chuckled. “Welcome to this reality, Bette. You are not the only person wondering about the presidency.”

“Grab them by the pussy?” asked Bette. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“2019, huh? Well, at least there was the Obama era. That seemed cool.”

Dana nodded. “Very peaceful.”

Bette’s frown faded. “There wasn’t much in those memories about my family. My dad and my mom. Kit. Where are those memories?”

“We’ll do a little each day. But broad strokes, you never met Tina. So, you never really reconciled with your mom. And you never had to confront your dad about your sexual preference. So, he knows that you’re gay, but he chooses to ignore it. He hates that you’re with Sidney. You hate that he hates it. So, while you do communicate, it doesn’t happen too often.”

The frown returned. “And my mom?”

“In the reality you remember, Tina was with you when you found out about your grandfather’s death. She was the main reason you stayed at your grandparent’s home. And because you stayed there, it forced you to confront your mother. It triggered your reconciliation. Without Tina, that never happened. You haven’t seen her in over a decade.”

Bette sat up with a start. “What? I haven’t seen my mom in over a decade? That’s insane. I was just with her. I was just at her apartment in New York. She loves me. She’ll be devastated. I have to contact her.”

Dana sat up as well. “Okay. That’s fine.”

“I can do that?”

“Yes. You can do anything you want. This is your life.”

“And Kit?”

Dana shrugged. “In the reality you remember, it was Kit finding out about you and Tina that brought you and Kit closer together. That didn’t happen. So you’ve never really gotten very close. She lives here in LA, though. You guys just don’t see each other very often.”

Bette’s eyes watered. “Tina. Tina was the lynchpin of my life. I have to find her, Dana.”

“We’ll find her. I promise.”

“Good. Let’s get started.”