“Ridiculous.  It’s hard for you to understand, but Tina is here and hearing you.  If she could communicate, she’d tell you that you’re wrong and shouldn’t blame yourself.”  Dr. McPherson said.

Bette shrugged.  She was at a point where she just didn’t have anything to say.  Words meant nothing.

* * * * *

Later that afternoon, Alice turned the key in her lock and pushed the door open.  “Dana!  Dane.”  No answer. 

Alice walked down the hall carrying her big bag and a stack of mail.  She glanced through the envelopes and tossed them on the hall table.  Although she loved every minute she spent with Dana, she was glad to have a break.  Angelica had exhausted her and she was a low maintenance kid--all she did was cry a little and ask for a bottle.  Baby’s are work.  Alice sat on the sofa, pulled out a bottle of Aquafina from her bag and gulped down half of it.  She took a deep, relaxing breath and looked around her apartment.  Her eyes lighted on the bookcase in the back of the room and the small “Nannycam” she had purchased for Tina and Bette.  She had set it up yesterday to check its functionality before giving it to Bette.  Alice, stood and walked over to the camera hidden inside of a stuffed anteater.  She removed the camera from the belly of the anteater and hooked it up via the USB on her laptop.  She opened the camera program and sat and fast forwarded through video of an empty living room.  Bored, Alice picked up a folder of possible stories to write for freelance jobs.  She shuffled through and found one interesting story and began reading the documentation.  Suddenly, something caught her eye on her screen.  She turned to see video of Dana entering the apartment with Lara.  Alice clicked pause and stared at the image.  The two women were laughing.  Lara looked like she belonged there.  She hit play and the video started again.  It looked like Dana directed Lara into the living room, but she didn’t enter.  Alice saw Lara standing over her computer table, moving Alice’s papers aside as she put her own papers on the table.  Alice turned to her table’s surface and stared at it as if it held some secrets.  Back to the video, she fast forwarded to capture Dana’s return.  Dana was wearing different clothes and her hair was damp.  She had showered with Lara in the apartment, knowing that Lara knew that Dana was naked, just rooms away.  Something in Alice grew cold when she saw Dana move forward, bend next to Lara, stare at the pages on the table, and then Alice’s heart ached when she saw Lara possessively put her hand on Dana’s back.  She was mesmerized.  She couldn’t and wouldn’t turn away or turn it off.  They were a few hair breaths away from each other.  God, please don’t let them kiss.  Don’t let them kiss.  Dana stared into Lara’s eyes and Lara didn’t turn away.  Alice could feel the chemistry building even on the video.  She watched in disbelief as Lara’s hand moved up, caressed Dana’s cheek, and a tear fell from Alice’s eye when she saw Dana reach for that hand.  Lara had long left the apartment and the video, but the images from the Nannycam continued as Alice stared at the screen without seeing it.  She was only stirred from her inaction when she heard the door opening.