“If you continue like this you won’t be able to enjoy the party tomorrow” Bette wanted to joke but she used a serious tone in her voice instead

“I can handle it, it’s not big deal” Tina didn’t look up

“I know but you’ve been working so hard lately…. does my trip to New York bother you?” Bette grabbed a toy for Angelica and put her on the blanket on the floor “I don’t want to leave” she paused for a moment “if we’re trying to…. be a family again…. we have to be together”

“Like if we were trying!” there was anger and pain in Tina’s voice, she tried to calm down but she had so many things inside that she couldn’t do it “I know you’re not the only one to blame Bette but this is not working, we both know it ….. look, go to New York, it’ll be less than a week, you’ll have your mind occupied and some time to think things over” Bette was about to reply but Tina didn’t allow her “We both need some time apart… see if we still have hope and realize that this is what we truly want”

“Have any doubts?” Bette quickly asked

Tina didn’t respond, she didn’t want to deal with the truth yet. A couple of weeks before she had met a guy named Josh at the studio, the only person she talked to there was Helena but she was rarely around so no one knew about her private life and since she didn’t wear her wedding ring there was no way he could have known she was in a relationship so to speak.  She wasn’t attracted to him but she was somehow interested, he had been very attentive and kind, they had had lunch several times and luckily for Tina he hadn’t asked her out yet and she wasn’t sure about her answer if he did, she was flattered that someone had set eyes on her again, he was easy to talk to but Tina knew that it was easy because she didn’t expect anything from him.

“Are we still on for tomorrow?” Carmen was getting ready to head off The Planet, she had to work that night