Bette reached for Tina and smiled when she saw her asleep on her stomach with her arms spread wide.  Somehow during the night Tina always managed to loose her pillow and would either lie flat on her stomach or would reach across and place her head on Bette's pillow snoring gently into her ear.  Bette slid closer to her and began to gently kiss her shoulders.  Tina sighed softly as Bette's kisses slowly moved from her back to her neck as she breathed in the scent that was uniquely Tina.   There were many different emotions inside Bette that Tina's smell could bring forth.  Many times the feeling was simply one of comfort, of home but other times like this morning it stirred a passion within Bette that responded only to Tina.  Tina was now wide awake and very receptive of Bette's advances rolling onto her side she pulled Bette tightly to her chest.  Looking deeply into Tina's eye's Bette saw love, desire, trust and need.  The look in her eyes was one shared between two people deeply in love- for it is true that the eyes are the window to the soul.

            Their lips met in a tender kiss that quickly grew more passionate causing both women to moan softly.  Bette gently guided Tina onto her back and slid on top of her.  As Bette moved to brush Tina's hair from her face, Tina began to cry loudly.  "What about Candace said Tina quietly?  As Bette once again began to reassure Tina that she had never loved Candace she too began to cry.  Baby I love you, only you, always you - please T I am so sorry you have to believe me.  You are my world and I have never been  surer of anything than I am of this sighed Bette.  I wish I could believe you, I wish that I could trust you but I know that I can never trust you again replied Tina.  Bette jerked her head back as though she had been slapped and suddenly felt moisture on her face.  "Shit" said Bette slowly sitting up in her bed.  It was the same dream over and over thought Bette realizing that she was alone in bed.  The tears that she felt were not their tears, they were Bette's she had been crying into her pillow while dreaming. 

            It had been 7 months since Bette's world had come crashing down around her.  The night Tina had found out about Candace was as painful today as it was then.  Bette knew that she let the love of her life down and had brought this on herself, yet 7 months to her may as well have been 7 years.  She felt that she was dying a little more each day they spent apart.  If Bette's tears could have brought Tina back to her then Bette had surely cried enough for Tina to have followed the trail home to her. 

            Everyday was difficult for Bette, but this month was particularly hard since it contained both their anniversary and Christmas.  Tina absolutely adored the Christmas holiday and had gradually taught Bette to love it as well.  So well in fact, that in their second year Bette had decided to ask Tina to become her wife while they were putting up Christmas decorations.  Tina was like a child in her enchantment with holiday traditions and she had told Bette that she wanted to marry on Christmas Eve so that everything would be perfect.  They had their commitment ceremony and then spent Christmas with Alice, Shane, Dana and Kit before heading out for their honeymoon.  Bette had decided to surprise Tina by taking her to Breckinridge Colorado for a week of skiing.  Tina's excitement as they made their way from the airport to the condominium had actually brought Bette to tears and reminded her once again of how much she adored Tina. As they entered the condo, it was Tina's time for tears for Bette had called ahead and there was a fire roaring in the fire place, a bottle of champagne chilling and a huge live tree decorated with white lights with tons of presents underneath it for Tina.              It had been their month, their time and now Bette was alone.