She took a deep breath, tried to relax her shoulders and began

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe we should talk”

Tina clearly hadn’t heard her come through the house as she jumped slightly at the sound of Bette’s voice and at first Bette saw irritation flash across her face but as Tina looked up and met her gaze Bette saw her features soften slightly which gave her hope that perhaps this might actually be an opening for real dialogue between them.

She didn’t realise she was holding her breath awaiting a response until it came.

“I know it’s hard but not talking isn’t going to fix anything.”

“I’m sorry I shot you down outside I just, this is so hard Tina, I know that I’m losing you, I can feel you slipping away and I don’t know how to stop it”

Bette choked out the last part of the sentence surprising herself at how close to the surface her emotions were.

Tina tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she looked at Bette and spoke honestly for the first time in months.

“I want you to know how to stop it”

Bette looked at Tina and saw an imploring look on her face.  A look that told Bette that Tina felt lost and that she expected Bette to come and find her.

“I can’t do it by myself Tee, I don’t know how to make this better by myself.  If I could I would.  I want to fix this more than anything, but we have to do it together.”

Tina knew that Bette was right.  She knew that things had come to this point because of both of their actions but that didn’t take away the feeling that had burned deep inside her since that night in the CAC.

“But you broke it Bette.  You did this.  You brought us here so now I need for you to figure out how to mend it”

Bette looked at Tina aghast.  It was still about that.  It couldn’t always be about that.  She thought they had gotten past it.  Tina had moved back in, it was Tina who had initiated it.  Why would she have done that if she still felt that way.

Bette cocked her head to the side and looked again at Tina, struggling desperately for the right words.  For any words, for something to say that might be of use.

Suddenly the silence was interrupted by Angelica’s insistent cry.

Relieved to break the tension Tina gladly took the opportunity to leave.

“I’ll go” she offered turning on her heel leaving a stunned Bette in her wake.