“You sound like you were out all night and I know that you weren’t ‘cause I would have seen you”

“I’m just not sleeping well”

“Well that makes three of us” Alice countered

“How is she, Alice?” Bette asked as she locked the front door and headed down the steps to her car.

“Never better.” Alice’s sarcasm wasn’t lost on Bette, but for good measure the blonde added, “Jesus how do you think she is?”

“Can I speak to her?” She asked.

“No, I don’t think…”

“Alice please…put Tina on the phone.” Bette instructed, no isn’t an answer she was prepared to accept today. There was silence at the other end as Bette hoped with all her heart that Alice would relent.

“I wish to God I could Bette but she won’t…at least not yet.” Alice whispered.

“It’s been ten days since…***** Alice, I’m dying here without her. How the ***** am I supposed to make this right if she won’t even speak to me?” Her voice was beginning to raise in sheer frustration, Bette’s limited patience was running thin.

“Bette…” Alice began and then sighed.

“What Al?”

“I don’t know.” Frustration laced her voice.

“What is it?” Bette prompted, willing to hear the smallest detail that she would offer about Tina’s state of mind.

“What if this can’t be fixed?” She whispered sadly.

“Don’t be stupid of course it can.” The nerve Alice hit was raw and it showed.

“This isn’t some Art show that you can just pull out of thin air. You’ve been lucky up until now. You had it all Bette, you had the whole package deal and you discarded it like it was last years fashion. How did you forget that you stood before all of us and promised that you would honor Tina, that you would protect her? You were supposed to love and be faithful to her for the rest of your life.”

“I know” Bette whispered her voice wavering as tears loomed again.

“But you couldn’t do that, you betrayed her and made a mockery of that commitment. She’s broken, Bette. What the ***** makes you think that you can even begin to fix this?” Alice’s anger was justified and Bette knew it.