Angelica rolled her eyes and loosened up, properly cutting another perogy into perfect quarters as she shook her head. Tina had become quite playful in her time with Bette, and Angelica laughed more, too.

Bette was learning to use her playfulness to her advantage, and found that making her girls laugh was one of the most entertaining things she enjoyed. So she sat back in her chair, crossed her arms, and just stared at Tina while her bare foot slipped over Tina’s, under the table.

Tina didn’t flinch. She just took another bite of her perogy-popsicle, the smallest smile forming there on her lips.

“Bette, it’s okay. We forgive you,” Angelica said, taking one small piece at a time into her mouth. “Sometimes Mom’s late too, but you don’t make her feel guilty.”

Both women absorbed the truth in that, and Tina physically eased up. She wondered what it was that affected her so much, trying not to notice as Bette’s foot lightly touched her calf, and then back down to her ankle. Bette was so good to her.

Bette just wanted to see Tina smile again. “I’m sorry I was late … Do you forgive me? That I made you two wait?” She looked first to Angelica who nodded and then went back to her food. And then she grinned up at Tina, her foot still teasing the leg under the table. “Do you forgive your hardworking Fiancée?”

“I’m sorry I was so sour,” Tina admitted in a softer voice, looking over to her daughter, and then back to Bette. It was easier to be mad, but she knew that she shouldn’t play such games with her little girl watching. “I … forgive you. Of course I do … You didn’t mean to be late.”

“I love you,” Bette smiled, leaning over the end of the table to kiss Tina’s cheek hello. Neither caught it, but Angelica smiled absent-mindedly at that. It was clear how deeply they cared for one another. Someone was there for her mom.

“Love you too,” Tina confessed with a lop-sided smile, dishing Bette out some food as they all relaxed and spoke of their days.

“I thought about your wedding cake,” Angelica smirked, leaning onto the table with fatigue she wouldn’t readily admit. “And I think I should be on it. The biggest thing on it.”

“On our wedding cake?” Tina chuckled, gesturing back and forth, between Bette and herself.

The joke had Bette laughing as well. “Yeah, we’ll put you at the bottom, trying to climb your way up.”

“Hah! I’m a great climber!”

Tina rolled her eyes and Bette brought the dishes to the sink. “And why on earth would you wanna be on our wedding cake?”

“Because I think it would be funny.”

Tina looked over to her girl. “I don’t think I can take your little stunts at our wedding, okay? Please. No stunts. Nothing to stress us out, okay?”

Angelica chewed her lip for only a second, smiling over her folded hands. “K, no stress. I get it.”

“Yeah,” Bette interrupted, leaning down to Angelica’s level, “And no shrines to yourself on our cake. Got it?”

Angelica smiled and slipped off the chair, “Yeah yeah.”

“Thank your mother for dinner,” Bette called out, hearing Angelica’s sigh as she marched down to her room.

“Thanks, Mom!”

“Thank your mother for dinner?” Tina smirked, quirking a brow as Bette walked over and held Tina’s face in her hands.

“Yeah. You deserve to be appreciated.”

“I do?” Tina teased, each of them warmed with affection.

“You do.”