“A while” Tina replied while wrapping a lock of Bette’s hair around her finger “I had to get up and eat, I was starving”

“You found something to eat?” Bette asked with surprise.

“There was half a loaf of bread still in the freezer so I managed some toast…but Babe?”

“What?”

“We really need to go food shopping today” Tina raised an eyebrow to emphasize her point.

“Yeah…well I haven’t really been eating in much lately”

“Yeah I could tell by the date on the milk carton, it expired three weeks ago” Tina smiled. Bette reached out and extricated Tina’s hand from her hair and kissed the palm gently

“It’s been a little hard getting motivated to shop for one” Bette smiled sheepishly, trying to hide behind Tina’s open hand that was still firmly in her grasp

“Well at least I can be sure that no-one else has been staying here in my absence” It was said in jest but Bette’s face fell as soon as the words were out. Tina was quick to back-track “Baby, I’m sorry…I didn’t mean anything by it, it was just a joke”

“Yeah, but it still says so much” The words laced with Bette’s remorse

“The fact that we’re sitting here together says way more” Tina laced her fingers with Bette’s “They’re just words, that’s all. I’m not letting you go Bette”

“Are you sure that you want this?” Bette’s confidence bottomed out with Tina’s joke and it wasn’t going to recover without some help

“Yeah, I’m sure” It was Tina’s turn to kiss Bette’s hand to softly reassure “I got your voicemail” Tina said quietly, staring intently at Bette who frowned as though she didn’t understand “The ‘your game is up’ message, I didn’t turn on my phone until this morning” Tina prompted

“Oh…right” Bette replied

“Do you remember what you said?” Tina enquired while inspecting the perfectly manicured nails of Bette’s right hand

“Kind of…I was in a hurry” Bette frowned

“Well you said something that really summed up how I feel about us right now”

“Yeah?” Bette encouraged lightly, all the while holding her breath

“Yeah, you said, I love you” Tina kissed the back of Bette’s hand “I want you” another kiss was gently dispensed “I choose you” As the final kiss was placed on her hand Bette felt the relief that forgiveness brings as it began to fill her heart. Empowered by the moment she leaned in hoping that Tina would respond to her silent request. She was rewarded with three soothing kisses

“The first is love, the second is forgiveness, the third is hope” Tina whispered as their foreheads rested together, neither one wanting to move from such an intimate place.

TBC