As Tina was playing out her panic, Bette took a final look in the corroding mirror in the restroom and drew a deep breath in preparation for her return to the dimly-lit diner and whatever Waterloo she might now have to face.  She really had absolutely no idea whether Tina would still be there.  She didn’t even know if she wanted Tina still to be there.  She regarded herself once more in the pock-marked mirror.  The puffiness around her eyes had gone down but the weary look in her eyes lingered on.  She was weary, oh so weary of the unremitting strain of hoping, yearning, wanting, trying so very hard to find a road back.

She shook her head, shuddered and then stood tall, opening her shoulders in preparation for the next round.  In truth, she hoped this would be the last.  Exiting the ladies room she immediately saw that Tina was no longer seated at the table in the booth.  Instantaneously, the last glimmer of hope whose light Bette was harbouring in a vain attempt to rekindle its previously passionate flame, was snuffed.  She felt herself begin to crash headlong towards what, for these all too painful past weeks and months she had always secretly known was to be her destiny.

As Bette’s emotions began to go into free-fall, she was jarred by a familiar gasping for air. Looking up and in the direction of this sound of desperation, she saw Tina, spread-eagled against the door of the diner, palms flat upon the glass, fighting to push her way out of a door which needed to be pulled open.  Like a shot, Bette was at her side.  She placed one hand on Tina’s upper back and the other on her abdomen.

"Breathe, Tina.  Breathe for me.  Try to push my hand away with your breath. Feel my hand, Tina, it’s waiting to receive your breath.  Breathe, breathe in as deep as you can."
Bette had chanted these words on so many previous occasions and their soothing repetition and familiarity gradually penetrated Tina’s confused consciousness until her breathing began to take on a more regular pattern.

They stood like that for minutes rather than seconds, Bette focussing all her attention on Tina’s restoration.  As normality gradually returned, Bette became aware that she had been in physical contact with Tina for more time in that passage of minutes than in the previous six months.  As she slowly started to withdraw her hand from Tina’s abdomen, Tina covered Bette’s hand with her own and lightly shook her head.
"Stay," was all Tina said, but that single small word conveyed worlds to them both.
After more time spent in what could only be described as connection, Bette became realised that there were others who needed to enter and leave the diner and she started to try to ease Tina to one side to allow access to the door.  Tina tensed immediately.
"It’s alright, T.  We just have to let these people out."

How long was it since Bette had uttered ‘T’ in that simple, heartfelt way, and how long was it since Tina had actually heard Bette in that simplicity?
Again, something between them stirred.

Eventually, Tina raised her eyes and turned to look at Bette.  Confusion was written all over Tina’s face. She made to speak, but Bette shook her head.
"Not here," she said.  "Come on, let’s sit down again."  So saying, she allowed per hand to fall from Tina’s abdomen, but also allowed it to remain in Tina’s grasp.

Once they were seated, Bette turned to look over her shoulder at the waitress.  It wasn’t hard to catch her eye as the little scene played out before her had temporarily lifted the woman from her everyday humdrum.  Bette mouthed, "Same again."  The waitress nodded and soon brought over the fresh beverages, placing them on the table with a little less of her usual gung-ho attitude and with a slightly awe-struck expression on her face.
"Thanks."

Bette looked at Tina who was still firmly grasping her hand.
"Your call, T."
Tina remained silent.
"Is there anything more you want to say?"
Still Tina did not speak.
"It’s OK, Tina, I’m still here."
"I know," came the soft response, "and I can’t for the life of me think why."
Tina paused and now it was Bette’s turn to wait.
"Why would you still be here, Bette? What possible hope could you have taken from my behaviour towards you?"

"Listen, Tina, I’m still trying to process the things you have already said, but I have an uneasy feeling that you weren’t half-way through what you wanted to say."
Tina lifted her eyes and gave Bette a sheepish but acquiescent look.

"Tina, as painful as this is, I think you had better finish off what you came here to say to me.  I don’t think I could endure spinning this out to another meeting.  I really need to know if this is a beginning or an end, because I can’t deal with any thing else in the middle."