“Happy Birthday babe…” Bette handed the present to Tina, leaning over to gently kiss her girlfriends lips, she was eagerly anticipating the look on Tina’s face, waiting for the reaction to the painting that had taken weeks to arrange in order for it to be ready for Tina’s birthday.

It was a very unique piece of art that Bette had immediately been taken with, she just knew Tina would love it too.

Tina slowly unwrapped the final present, the large flat gift, the gold paper shining against the morning sunlight shining into their room, the crepe golden ribbon strewn across the bed, along with all the other scraps of paper from her other presents that Bette had bought for her. The perfume, the bracelet, the cd’s, and the mug.

Tina brought the paper back, revealing the present, her eyes scanned the painting, her face trying to give the right reaction to what she was seeing, she took in the colours, the technique, the… she couldn’t quite put her finger on it…

Bette looked at Tina, her patience at wanting to know what Tina thought wearing thin, “well… what do you think?”

Tina took a deep breath, she looked at Bette smiling, “I really, really love it, it’s amazing, thank you baby…”

Bette looked into Tina’s face, knowing better, “you hate it don’t you?”

Tina looked down at the painting; it was the most ugliest, uninspiring painting she had ever seen. What did all those splodges of paint mean, were they meant to signify something, because if they were, she really didn’t have the foggiest what it was. She looked back to Bette, “no, really… I love it…”

“Tina… I know you’re lying…”

Tina thought for a moment, not wanting to show her ignorance to the connoisseur of Art, but not really knowing what she was looking at, “What is it…?” Tina said embarrassed.

Bette rolled her eyes, she had really thought Tina would love it, she looked downward, disappointed that the present she had bought had not gone down as well as she’d hoped.

Tina noticed the disappointment, she felt bad now but she really didn’t know what the painting was of, she began her tactic of making it right, she snuggled close to Bette, wrapping her arm around her, whispering into her ear, “baby, thank you for my presents…, but I do... really..., really... love my Jennifer Beals mug…”