Even though no one spoke to her, she was given books to read and written instructions on what she was excepted to achieve each day. And then there were the periods of quiet, where she could do what ever she wanted, so long as she didn’t make a sound. It was on those days that she would wander around the secluded gardens of the monastery and notice the little things that she hadn’t noticed before.
Being the consummate art lover, Bette fell in love with the vibrant colours that the gardens possessed. It was during these times that her mind would wander to her home and family. She hoped they were all okay, and felt herself missing her daughter’s smile, and her eyes, her eyes that were the same eyes that Tina possessed.

At the end of the second week Bette was summoned to a large mahogany panelled room, in which sat an older woman in a monks habit. Bette nearly jumped out of her skin when the woman spoke to her.

“Bette” she had started, “As you have completed your tasks with humility and without question, I am going to offer you the chance to commence daily healing sessions with one of our more senior sisters.”

Bette blinked back in response. She had been led to believe that no one spoke in this place, ever and as such had prepared her mind accordingly. In fact she had welcomed not having to speak to anyone as it meant that people would not misinterpret her words.

“Bette?” the monk nun looked at her curiously, and then smiled.

“Yes this always happens, it is not a test, you can speaknow, in fact you could always speak. We just choose not to.”

“Oh.” Bette found her voice.

“So if you would like we can commence these sessions this afternoon. The topic I think we should start with is why you felt you needed to run away from your life at this moment in time. Think carefully about your responses and return with them at four.”

“Well that was to the point,” Bette spoke aloud as she left to resume her chores.

**

Several days later and with the help of the shrink like nun, Bette was able to make the beginnings of an epiphany. She understood her need to succeed at all costs, she understood the need she had felt to begin a family, she even understood why she adored art the way that she did. What was proving more difficult to uncover however, was why she wouldn’t leave Tina, and why she wouldn’t forgive herself for the affair, but they were getting to it. The reasons were close and Bette could feel it.

It was during one of these sessions that Bette received the second shock in the mahogany panelled room.

A telephone rang.

Bette jumped out of her skin until she realized what the sound was. The nun excused herself and extricated a shiny old black-corded telephone hidden within a draw of the huge mahogany desk in the centre of the room. She spoke softly and looked in Bette’s direction several times.

Bette felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck.

When the call was over, the nun looked seriously at Bette before speaking.

“Gather your things, you need to leave in twenty minutes.” Was all she said at first. Bette was confused. “Whatwas it something that I didI mean I apologise if I made an erroror was it” The nun interrupted gently.

“No Bette, you need to hurry, someone is picking you up in a while. Your daughter is in the hospital.”

The last thing Bette remembered was the room spinning before going black.