Bette was taken aback by Tina’s need to re-enforce the fact that everything they needed to discuss needed to be taken with a heavy amount thinking and consideration. “Uh huh,” she breathed as she looked ahead at the other sofa in Tina’s living room. Bette, took a deep breath, nodded her head as she stood up taking her glass of wine with her, “Here’s where this discussion is going. I will wear your boots, I will work on Trish and Aaron’s ranch, I will endure the scrutiny that comes along with being your partner in this blended family, I will also endure the unwavering winds of the Montana mountains, but; and I mean this, I will not sleep alone. I am your partner Tina, we’re in this relationship together, it’s not just you and yours it’s about us.”

“I understand that Bette, I’m here with you.”

“No you’re not, not at the moment,”

“Bette,” Tina was somewhere between angry and confused. She spoke Bette’s name with an exasperated sigh.

“But that’s fine.” Bette quickly cut Tina off, she had a point to make. “You’re nervous and you’re under a lot of stress right now, I know you.” Bette was so sure of herself when spoke that last statement. She knew Tina and believed in her with all certainty. “You’re all over the place right now.” Tina looked to Bette and she noticed that Bette wasn’t fidgeting with her hands, her body wasn’t tensed and she spoke directly to Tina. Her eyesight was focused, her voice was steady and she spoke to Tina with nothing but pure conviction and certainty in her delivery. Bette untucked her shirt, stood up straight, took a small sip of wine and came to a conclusion about this scattered and tiring conversation. “Tomorrow we’re going to discuss this and leave our future out of it. Understood?” Bette spoke to her with such an unyielding tone that Tina had no choice other than to nod her head in agreement. Not only was she stunned with the potential proposal earlier but the manner in which she spoke to Tina now, was completely out of character.

The deep resonating tone of her retreating boots on Tina’s hardwood floors made her want Bette to take that tone with her more often. The immediate reaction within herself surprised her, she’d never found that behavior desirable before but now it was an aphrodisiac  Tina finished her wine and sat there on the couch until Bette came back and told her it was time for bed.