“I’m not upset,” Tina snapped. “I’m…confused.”

“Why are you confused?”

“Why did we go through all of that if you didn’t want kids? If you didn’t want a family?”

Bette sighed. 

“I said I never considered being a mom BEFORE you.”

Tina looked down into Bette’s chocolate pools. 

“It wasn’t anything I thought about before you. I wasn’t in that headspace. But then…you happened to me. And my perspective shifted. I had my doubts about my ability to be a mom because of the issues I have with my own mother and the way she left and the way she treated me when she was around. And don’t let me get started with Melvin. But you opened up the possibility of motherhood.”

Tina pulled Bette back into a more supported cradle. 

“I didn’t mention not wanting kids before because when I did bring up us having kids, all I wanted was to raise a family…with you.”

“Then I lost our baby.”

“You didn’t lose our baby. We had a miscarriage,” Bette said plainly.

“Please stop blaming yourself.” 

Tina opened her mouth. Then closed it. 

“What about now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you still want a baby?”

Bette closed her eyes and sighed. She wanted a baby with every fiber of her being. But she only wanted a family with Tina. 

“It’s complicated,” Bette finally said. 

“Why is it complicated?” Tina asked slowly.

Bette opened her eyes. One heartbeat. 

Two heartbeats. 

Three heartbeats.

“Because I still only want a baby with you.”

The tears finally spilled over. Bette was momentarily distracted by the way Tina used her tongue to lick away the tears at the corner of her mouth. 

Bette lifted her finger and ran it down Tina’s left cheek, wiping her tears away. Tina forced her eyes to stay open. She wanted to see what Bette was going to do next. Bette placed her palm on Tina’s cheek. Tina leaned into the touch. Bette allowed her thumb to trace Tina’s lips.

Top right over to top left down to bottom left over to bottom right across the middle. Bottom left up to top left over to top right down to bottom right over to bottom left across the middle. Top right over to top left down to bottom left over to bottom right across the middle. Bottom left up to top left over to top right down to bottom right over to bottom left across the middle.