“Where’s Skokie?  Central Cal?  Up North.”

“It’s outside of Chicago.  The town where I grew up.  There’s a clinic.”

“Maybe it’s a good idea.”  Shane attempted a casualness that she didn’t feel.  She wanted Jenny to get help as soon as possible.  She knew that seeing someone once a week was not going to be enough to help her.  Jenny needed attention. 

“It’s three in the morning there.  I’ll call later this morning.  I’ll call my mom.  I’ll call.”

Shane pulled Jenny to her and hugged her tightly.

* * * * *

Several hours later, Bette was seated at her breakfast table.   She had set up what looked like a very busy office—papers were scattered everywhere.  She wore her glasses and read through one page, moved it aside, looked at another, put it in a blue file folder, glanced at another and placed it inside a manila folder and continued through all the papers—some going in the blue, some in the manila, quite a few in a green folder, and others in a red folder.  She stood and put the tea kettle on, opened the refrigerator, and took out a baby bottle of milk.  Bette was wearing Tina’s navy blue pin-striped pajamas and her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail.  Picking up a tri-folded brochure, Bette unfolded it and scratched her head as she read through it one more time.  She sighed, shook her head, flung the brochure onto the table and dropped her head into her hands.  Bette wasn’t crying, but she wanted to.  She couldn’t cry.  With all that had happened and was happening, she felt empty—out of tears, out of ideas, out of plans.  The sliding door separating the kitchen from the backyard slid open and Alice entered.  She saw Bette and moved to her quickly.

“Bette, oh, Bette.  Sweetie, what’s going on?”

Bette looked up.  “Nothing’s changed.”  Bette sat back and took a deep breath.  “I always liked keeping a full plate, but this is just too much to deal with.  With Angelica and Tina and dealing with…”

“Is there anything I can help with?”  Alice picked up a folder and looked at it.  “What is all this?”

“Everything’s color coded:  The red folder is all CAC stuff--the buy-out agreement, my severance package.  The manila folder is all about the second parent adoption process, actually the step parent adoption.”

“Huh?”

“California’s domestic partnership law really changes it from second parent to step-parent adoption.  Anyway, I’ve got copies of our applications, Tina’s letter that fortunately she wrote a few weeks ago, Angie’s birth certificate, The blue folder is medical stuff related to Tina and the hospital and the…the…  Alice, am I making a mistake?”

Alice reached across the table and took Bette’s hand.  “No, you’re not.  It’s not like your Dad, Bette.  You have Angelica.  You can’t take care of both of them.  Tina needs round the clock care.”