I knocked on Bette’s door and waited for her to answer. If Bette thought she was going to keep me in the dark about what was going on between her and Helena, she had another thing coming. I seriously considered standing to the side of the doorframe, so she couldn’t see me through the windows. She may not answer if she knew it was me popping in unannounced. But as it happens, my fear was unwarranted.

Holding Angelica on her left hip, Bette opened the door, smiling and saying, “Look, Boo Boo, it’s your Aunt Alice. Say ‘hello.’” Holding Angelica’s arm by the wrist, Bette waved her daughter’s hand. “Say ‘hello’ to your Aunt Alice.”

Angelica let out a wail of excitement and Bette grabbed me by the arm and pulled me inside.

“Get your butt in here, Alice Pieszecki,” Bette demanded, smiling. “What took you so long?”

“Huh? You’re glad to see me?” I asked totally astounded. This was not the reception I’d been expecting. Turning to my Earthdaughter, I tickled her chin as she screeched with joy. “Hi, baby, how are you, sweetie?”

“Yes, I’m glad to see you, and so is Angelica. Aren’t you, Boo Boo?” Bette replied. “Alice, I expected you here, banging on my door, at the crack of dawn. Is your phone broken? Why haven’t you called?”

“Excuse me while I get my bearings, Bette. I wasn’t quite expecting such a warm and enthusiastic reception.”

Turning around and walking towards the back of the house, Bette said, “Follow me into the kitchen. I was about to feed Angelica. Would you like a beer, or a glass of wine?” she asked over her shoulder. “Or maybe you’d like a jar of strained peas,” she joked.

I laughed, “Damn, you’re in a good mood today!”

“And why not? The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, I have my beautiful baby here with me, and now you.” Bette was practically singing.

As she bent over strapping Angelica into her highchair, she looked up at me. I can imagine how confused I must have looked. “Go ahead,” she said. “Grab a beer, they’re in the fridge,” she motioned with her head, “and have a seat.”

“Uh, what’s going on, Bette?” I asked opening the refrigerator and pulling out a beer.

She finished tying Angelica’s bib, and looked up. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I haven’t seen you in this good of a mood in…in…in like…forever.” I slid the chair back from the table and took my seat. As she sat down next to Angelica and opened a jar of puréed carrots, I studied her face. She was beaming. “Ahhh, does this have anything to do with last night and a certain British beauty?”

Bette wouldn’t look at me, but I saw the corner of her mouth creep into a sly smile. “Maybe,” is all she would say.

I could barely contain my excitement, “Oh, my God, Bette, this is so cool! You’re smitten! Have you talked to her today? Are you going out? Oh, my God,” I exclaimed, my butt jumping up and down in my seat, “this is so frickin’ exciting! Tell me everything!”

“You better pull back on your reins there, Cowgirl, or you’re gonna buck yourself right out of your chair,” Bette said laughing. “Besides there’s not a lot to tell. I think you know more than I do.”

She spooned another dab of carrots into Angelica’s mouth and shot me an inquisitive gaze from across the table. I took a long swig of beer and started assessing the situation.

“Aha,” I said, as the light bulb lit up, like Bette’s face, above my head. “That’s what this big welcome is all about. You want information.”

With a shy smile, Bette tilted her head, and said, “I wouldn’t mind a few morsels from my favorite We-Ho magpie.”

“Uh, correct me if I’m wrong,” I began, “but aren’t you the one who, just last night, was trying to teach me a lesson about my nosy nature?” I raised my eyebrows at her before taking another long swig of beer.

“Alright, Alice, if you don’t want to help me, that’s just fine,” she said.

“Help you? Help you what? I didn’t say I didn’t want to help you.” I was getting excited.

Bette’s expression grew serious, as well as her tone. “Alice, I’m seeing Helena tomorrow, and…”

“Oh, my God, you have a date! You and Helena have a date!” I exclaimed with elation. “When did this happen? You didn’t say anything about a date last night when you returned my phone at The Planet. You left so fast. What happened in the car with you two?”

Angelica was looking at me like I was crazy, like I was the one wearing smooshed carrots all over my face.

“Alice, if you’ll calm down for two minutes, I’ll tell you what’s going on and what I want to know,” Bette said, wiping Angelica’s orange face with her bib.

“Okay, I’m calm. I’m calm.” I turned my beer up and took a long chug. “Go on. I’m listening.”

“Thank you. First of all, I’m not sure I’d call Helena and I getting together tomorrow a ‘date.’ Second of all, nothing happened in the car last night. But Helena did confirm to me that you were right. She told me that she doesn’t know how you know, but she does care about me.”

“I knew it. Oh, my god, I knew it. I was right,” I said, before Bette scolded me with a stare to quiet me again.

“We’re getting together to talk,” she continued. “I’d simply like to know a few details, so that I don’t feel like I’m walking into Helena’s completely in the dark.”

“Hmm, you and Helena in the dark. What’s wrong with that? Sounds pretty hot to me.”

I’d tried, but I just couldn’t help my little interjection.