“Tell me you’re mine!”

“Aaah oh god!  I’m yours”

“Tell me you love me!”

“Oh shit, I –huh- love you.  I love you baby!”

     With a final thrust she watched as Mocha’s face contorted in the throes of passion while she gripped Tina’s shoulders and enjoyed the orgasm wave after wave.  Tina watched as she came down from her high and her breathing became less labored.  They made love until both were too exhausted to move and fell asleep holding each other.  Tina was the first to wake up and got out of bed trying not to wake her companion.  It was still dark out but she managed to pick her clothes up from the floor and got dressed.  She at the edge of the tiny bed to put her shoes on then she heard Mocha.

“So many people watch me and they all have same lustful look, but you were the only one who looked at me differently.  I didn’t see lust in your eyes and I know it sounds selfish, but I wanted to experience that even if it was someone else you were thinking of”

Tina looked down at her shoes not quite sure of what to say.

“I don’t know what happened to you, but that baby needs you more.  You have so much love to give, don’t let your broken heart hold you back.”

“Thank you.  My name is Tina by the way.”

“Monique, it’s very nice to meet you Tina”

“Likewise Monique.”

Present day.

     The version that Bette received from Tina.  “Yes.”

     Bette sat across from Tina with a combination of hurt and regret on her face.  She closed her eyes to both keep the tears at bay and to keep the image of Tina and some random woman out of her mind, it didn’t work.  She knew that it was inevitable for Tina to move on but she didn’t it would be this soon.  She had no right to be jealous. 

“I’m sorry you’re feeling hurt right now.”

“Not your fault, I asked.”

Tina looked at their joined hands and squeezed. 

“I just wish I could turn back time and undo all the mistakes.  I want my old life back.”

“Maybe it was meant to happen”

“I was not meant to be with Candace”

“Not specifically her, but the affair.  The affair was meant to happen.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it, were we really happy back then?  I mean if we were truly happy I don’t think you would have been tempted by another.”

“I know I was happy, are you saying that you weren’t happy in our relationship.”

“Of course I was Bette.  What I’m trying to say is that if you didn’t do it there is a possibility that I would have strayed.”

“I don’t think that’s possible, you’re too good of a person. Besides, with the both of us coming from broken homes”

“That’s what I mean, we both have cheating fathers and yet you had the affair.  This is what makes me believe that if it weren’t you than it would have been me.  I can hold back longer than you.”

“If you had, I would have given you another chance.”

“Which is why I’m willing to give you a second chance because if our roles had been reversed I would be the same way.”

“So what did that night mean for us?”

“It means that I still love you.”

Bette closed eyes again as the tears started again.

“I thought I’d never hear those words from you again.  I love you too.  So much.”

“But there are going to be some changes.”

“Yes of course.”

Bette put her free hand on the table as Tina took and squeezed it.

“We will not move back in together until we are one hundred percent solid.”

“Keep our autonomy, got it.”

“And one more thing.”

“Anything.”

“More communication.”