Tina was rolled over towards the wall……
“T?”
“Dammit, what Bette?”
“Can I hold you? I won’t try anything…..I swear…All I want to do is hold you….” After a few minutes:
“Yes..” Tina whispered…
“Huh?” asked Bette because she didn’t hear her…
“I said yes…”
Bette scooted up behind Tina and they spooned….she wrapped her arms around Tina and held her..breathing lightly onto her neck….smelling of her skin and her hair…how comforting that scent is…..pretty soon, Bette couldn’t hold back the tears…she quietly did so, hoping that Tina wouldn’t notice…….
“Bette….” whispered Tina……but Bette didn’t answer.
“Bette…” Tina whispered again….
Bette sniffled…”Yes?”
“Are you okay?”
” I’m Fine…” said Bette…
“I am ready to talk…..if you want too.” whispered Tina.
“I don’t know where to start…” said Bette..
“Let’s start with where everything went wrong……”
“I’ve been thinking alot about it, and I think it all started when you lost the baby…..my whole world felt like it was crumbling….that was a pain for you that I couldn’t ease…For once, I couldn’t take it all away……….and I felt like I had failed you…….failed you as a wife and your lifetime partner…..I was trying to get Provocations on the go for the CAC, and all the stress was just bearing heavily on me….I guess I was waitng for someone to take me over….someone like Candace…to take all of the problems away…even if it was for a few hours….”
“But, I could’ve been the one to help you…not the one you thought was your enemy…” said Tina in a cracked voice..
Bette could tell that the tears were about there, so she just held on tighter to the love of her life….
“I am so sorry, T… I never meant to hurt you…”
“Why didn’t you come to me?”
“I tried T…the night of Provocations…….when I was in the shower…I tried to tell you…..”
‘No…I mean…….why didn’t you come to me when you thought there was something wrong? I am your wife, your partner…you should have come to me first…I should come first……………before anything or anyone else…’
“I know….and I am sooo sorry…”
There was a few minutes of silence…
“Do you have any lingering feelings for Candace?” asked Tina..
“No….No…Baby, I swear….I didn’t have feelings for her then…it was just *****…..”
“*****…” cried Tina..” The hands that have touched, caressed, and made love to me for the past 7 years……..touched her in the same way….You shared with her what you said would only be ours…..you touched her and kissed her the same way you kiss and touch me…”…
“No, No…Tina, I didn’t touch her in the same way, nor did I kiss her in the same way….nothing was the same with her as it always was with you….”
said Bette as she pulled Tina closer…
“Then why would you risk 7 years with me for the little time you had with her?”
“I don’t know…….I truly don’t have an answer for that question…..All I know is, it showed me how much I love you and want to be with you…..there is noone else for me, T..”
“So, the next time that you wanna figure out how much you love me, how do I know that you won’t go out and ***** someone else?”
“Because I love you….”
“*****, you told me that you loved me the very same day that you fucked her…so that’s not a legitamite answer, Bette..”
“I guess you will just have to trust me…”
“That is not going to happen anytime soon……if I can ever trust you again….It takes a long time to build trust but only a few seconds to destroy it……and My trust in you was definately destroyed…’
“What can I do? I will do anything….anything that you want….I love you Tina…I will never hurt you again….please, just give me this one chance…..”
“It’s so hard, Bette…” cried Tina..
“I know baby….but I won’t fail……Do you love me?”
“Of course I do….”
“Love conquers all…..that’s what a friend told me once, and I believe it….If you love me as much as you say you do, and I love you as much as I do, then I know that I can make this work……………we, as partners, can make this work….”
“It’s just so…………………….***** hard………” cried Tina..
“I am so sorry that I put you through this, and if I could take it all back…………I would………but I can’t………….so now, I have to start helping you to build your trust for me again so that we can be happy again….”
“Bette, I am happy at this moment….I never thought I would say this again….but, I am the happiest when I am with you…..I do love you……….so very much……..and I want this to work…………I hope that you can prove to me that you love me as much as you say you do………….”
“Well, ” said Bette softly into Tina’s ear….”Let me start by saying that Tina, you are my life……………my partner…………..my wife…………my lover……..and my best friend………….and I intend to prove it to you………………..if you will let me………..” Bette pulled her arms out from around Tina and rolled her onto her back……..stroking her face and hair with her hand, she leaned down and slowly thier lips touched…………..

TBC……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..