“By the way, babe?”

“Hmm?” While still interest in the conversation, Bette found herself also becoming deeply enthralled in the feeling of Tina’s body against her *****.

“You wouldn’t want to be the Wizard.”

“Oh. But it sounds like the Wizard is the star.”

Tina laughed. “One day I’m going to get that movie for the baby, and then you’ll have no choice but to watch it with me.”

“Ok, baby.” Bette could feel herself drifting off. Until, that is, she felt Tina’s hand slap her leg. “Ow!”

“You said you’d listen. No sleeping.” Tina punctuated the statement with another light slap.

“I’m not sleeping. Im luxuriating in holding my wife.” Bette could feel Tina tensing again. She rubbed lightly on Tina’s arm. “I’m sorry, T. I’m listening.”

“I know, it’s just, it was so unsettling. Everyone was acting so, well, oddly.”

“So it’s the Wizard of Odd now?”

“Don’t make me get rough with you, Porter. I might tie you up and go into labor. Then where will you be?”

“Id’ be heading to the hospital in handcuffs, I’d imagine.” Bette placed a playful bite on Tina’s shoulder. “Please, tell me, I’m listening.”

“Well, like I said, everyone was there. And some of it was good.”

“Like?”

“Well, like Kit. She’d got things together. And she actually owned The Planet.”

“Kit? My sister Kit?”

“Yeah.” Tina giggled. “And she was, get this, dating a drag king.”

“My sister. Well, she has made some interesting choices over the years.” Bette couldn’t help but smile at the thought. “But if she was at The Planet, where was Marina?”

“Marina, umm, this part’s kind of odd. She was married.”

“She married Francesca?” At the mention of the word married, Bette couldn’t help but touch the band on her left hand.

“No, it was weird. Some European guy. A real, I don’t know, poof.”

‘Poof?” Bette laughed at her wife’s phrasing. “She was married to a guy.”

“Right. I guess she took off for Europe after a bad break-up with Jenny. I don’t know, whatever the story was about all of that, it wasn’t really clear.”

“Wow.” This light story of Tina’s was taking some interesting turns. “Kind of makes you wonder if Tim and Jenny hadn’t gotten into therapy, what might have happened between them.”

“You did ask them to look after the house when we go to the hospital, right?”

“Yes, my most practical wife.” Bette gave Tina’s hand a squeeze. “The neighbors are covering things. They were the neighbors, right, in your dream?”

“Well, kind of. Jenny was. And Shane moved in.”

Bette was somewhat incredulous at this thought. “Shane moved in? With Jenny.”

“Not with Jenny, exactly.” Tina felt a slight flush at the implication of what she’d said. ‘She moved in as a roommate.”

“Jenny and Shane? It’s a wonder they could pay the rent.”

“Be nice, Bette.” Tina laughed. “But actually, that was a problem, and they both got haircuts.”

The story was starting to sound a bit jumbled. Bette was hoping Tina would stay awake enough to relate the rest; she was finding it interesting. “It was a problem that they both got haircuts?”

“No, the rent was a problem, and also they each got a haircut. I kind of liked how Jenny looked with short hair, actually. Shane’s was, well, very fitting.”

Bette tried to imagine Jenny with short hair, and she did think that it might be a cute look.

“But then they got this other roommate for the rent. This guy.”

“A guy, hmm?”

“Yeah. He was kind of strange. Put cameras all over their house.” Tina frowned. “And he had this really creepy friend that made him seem almost normal.”

There remained a comfortable silence between them for a moment. Bette noticed with all the people Tina was mentioning, there were notable omissions.

“And us?” Bette gave Tina a little bump with her shoulder.

“You’re going to have to wait,” Tina countered, bumping back. “It’s my story,”

Just then a loud beeping sounded from the other room. “Oh *****, I forgot about that.” Bette disentangled herself and bolted from the room towards the kitchen.

She returned a few minutes later. “Not too much damage done. I think it’s still edible.”

A broad smile broke across her face. It didn’t matter what she said at this point, Tina was back asleep. Bette backed out of the room and hoped Tina could get a few more good hours. Unbroken periods of sleep were becoming more and more rare for her wife, and Bette wanted to ensure that she was able to sleep whenever possible.

But she was eagerly awaiting the next time Tina awoke. She wanted to hear more about this odd dream.

(okay, by now I’m sure everyone’s onto my tricks. continue?)