“And it’s just for my benefit?” Bette started to scoop the rest of the mess from the floor.

“Well, Dana is out of town,” Alice admitted. “And I wasn’t sure you’d be going out anywhere. I kind of hate going out alone.”

Bette headed into the kitchen, and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. “I’m not going out tonight, Alice,” she called back to the living room.

“Of course not.” Alice agreed. “But you know if you did, your dance card would be full.”

Bette recalled the odd assemblage of women that had been dogging her lately. “Not a selling point.” She returned to the living room and seated herself with Alice on the couch.

“Bette, you know I care for you deeply. But you can’t remain sequestered here forever in your fortress of solitude.”

A hopeful smile passed over Bette’s face.

“What?”

The smile grew, despite Bette’s best efforts to keep her thoughts contained.

“C’mon Porter, spill. Who is she. What’s her name.”

“Well, I don’t know her name exactly.”

“And? Where’d you see here.”

“All around. But I’m not sure she’s a girl – at least, not yet.”

“Umm, Bette, this isn’t some weird new stage of your life, is it?”

Now Bette’s smile broke broadly across her face. “Actually, it is.”

Alice’s eyebrows rose. “Now you’re scaring me.”

“A totally new phase. Motherhood.”

“Bette?”

“I know, I can hardly believe it myself, but I got a call today.” Bette paused, falling back into her thoughts.

“From?”

“Tina.” Bette raised her bottle of water as if in a toast. “She called me, told me she’s having ‘our baby.’”

“Oh my gahd!” Alice leaned forward and hugged Bette. “That’s so great!”

“Thanks.”

“But, she’s still seeing that evil woman, right?”

Bette’s smile fell.

“Sorry.”

“I can’t say I understand that.” Bette started picking at the label on the water bottle. “I mean, I really don’t understand that. But if I’m going to have a place with the baby, Tina and I will have to see each other. Maybe, just maybe”

“Wow. That is so cool.”

“Yeah.” Bette pulled her leg onto the couch, placing it beneath her. “That’s bad, but what really scared me, recently, was Tina going out with Eric.”

“That was scarier than demon spawn?” Alice drained her beer and headed into the kitchen.