They broke away from each other because they didn’t want to cause the other to pass out from lack of oxygen. They panted as the held each other close and cried silently.

"I’m sorry. I can’t," Bette said, felt for her slippers with her feet and put them on. Melvin opened the door and was surprised as Bette entered. He saw Tina’s puffy eyes and understood at once.

Tina stood in the middle of the street and collapsed onto her knees, scraping them, and broke down.

"How could you leave her honey," Melvin consoled as he wrapped his arm around Bette. They were seated on the stairs, the house was still silent since thye were the only ones up. Katherine arrived home late from a business meeting, leaving room for father and daughter time.

"I don’t know." Bette buried her blotchy face in her hands.

"I thought you loved her."

Bette’s eyes widened at her father’s words. Did she love Tina or did she just want to be with her? Was there a difference?

"You don’t know," Melvin said as he saw his daughter in deep thought. He had never seen Bette with any girl that was more than a friend. He had accepted Bette’s sexuality long ago and didn’t love her less than he did before. But he was worried because of how insecure his daughter was on how her love life would be.

"I don’t know," Bette repeated. She thought of the last look of Tina’s face and cried into her father’s shoulder.

RING

He kissed his daughter’s forehead as he left to get the phone. "Melvin Porter speaking."

Bette listened in as if she had a choice.

"Hello Mrs. Kennard."

"Tina, honey, open up" Victoria said. "I’m just looking out for you."

"Go away," Tina yelled as she cried into her pillow. She was sprawled out on her bed, too lazy to change from her pajamas even though it was four in the afternoon. She had never taken a break-up so bad and they weren’t even together. A cold breeze entered and she went up to close the window that Bette forgot to close.

From across the street, Bette was vacuuming her room. She always did chores when she was stressed, mad, or depressed. Guess which one she was feeling. She had dusted her desk, her computer, the windows in the house, reorganized her closet, and polished her doorknob. Her siblings decided to leave her alone. They didn’t want to mess with Bette when she was feeling so blue.

She felt a pair of eyes on her and looked up and saw Tina looking at her. She couldn’t quite make out Tina’s expression but she knew it was a cross between crushed and worried. She mouthed the words ‘I’m sorry.’

From across the streets, Tina bit her lip and clutched onto the window frame. She couldn’t take it anymore. If Bette wasn’t going to fight for her than she was going to make her. She closed the blinds abruptly and took out her hidden pack of cigarettes.