Title:BELIEVING IN LOVE - Chapter 20 Author: Gumby [ Send a Private Message ]
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Copyright: Gumby Content Rating: PG Disclaimer: The story and a handful of characters are mine, the rest belong to IC and Showtime. Author's Note:
Hey everyone,
Sorry it's taken me so long to post, but as I work to wrap this story up and start my sequel of On Center Stage, I am also redecorating and have been painting most nights!
Thank you so much for the support I have received for this story! I love reading the comments or getting PM's with feedback. It does inspire me to make time somehow to write it!
Proofie - *Hugs*
Summary: Tina pays a visit to Megan and meets Sarah for the first time... Total Views: 3021 times.
Tina sighed as she held a mug of hot tea in between her hands in an effort to warm herself against the cool night breeze. She rolled her eyes aggravated that sleepless nights were becoming the norm for her, but this time she was more troubled with the reason rather than the inconvenience. She shivered as she snuggled down in the lounger near the pool and felt the cool breeze pass over her legs. She was wearing a pair of khaki shorts and an older Yale sweatshirt that she had confiscated years ago from Bette loving the feel of the fleece against her skin.
"I'm begging you Tina..."
Tina blinked back tears as her mind continued to replay her interaction with Megan earlier that evening. She looked at her watch and saw the hands proudly displaying 1:15 as if it were taunting her. She took her list of pros and cons out of her pocket, her debate with Bette now seeming trivial given Megan's suffering and likely future.
Tina's eyes skimmed over the list of pros, many of them equally important as the one listed below it. Her list of cons was rather short as they surrounded Bette's fears of Tina being too old to carry a child to term and deliver without complication.
"Megan's right," Tina sighed as she spoke quietly in the silence of the night. "Most of my pros don't require a pregnancy."
She chuckled as her eyes met the first two on her list that Alice had insisted she list high to grab Bette's attention and quickly.
"Insemination sex and horny trimesters do though," Tina laughed. "I just don't understand why pick us Megan?"
Tina of course expected the question to be rhetorical given she was alone outside. As the air grew colder, she shivered and drank more tea to warm her from the inside.
"What I wouldn't give for a damn hot flash now," Tina muttered.
Tina mentally reviewed her list of items to tackle once daylight broke. She knew she had to see Megan as soon as she could to further discuss her request. Tina knew herself well enough to know that part of the reason she wasn't sleeping was because she didn't make a practice out of keeping things from Bette. Lying next to Bette as she slept peacefully, unaware of the future they were being asked to accept, Tina felt guilty and had to remove herself from Bette's presence.
Bette had so lovingly tried to communicate with Tina when she had barricaded herself in their bedroom under the guise of changing into more comfortable clothes. Bette quietly sat on the bed and watched Tina change out of her work clothes, offering her time and patience for Tina to share what was so obviously weighing her down. Tina simply asked for Bette to give her time, but promised to share it soon with her. Despite the look of panic and uncertainty that flashed in Bette's eyes, she simply stood up and held Tina close to her and agreed.
Tina cringed as she remembered the early appointment she scheduled with Dr. Wilson to discuss Bette's fears. Before her discussion with Megan, Tina planned on meeting with Dr. Wilson to discuss Bette's fears so that she could adequately address them when they sat down with their lists. Unfortunately, Megan's painful past derailed that discussion, but Tina planned on addressing Bette's fears regardless.
Tina walked back into the kitchen and found her briefcase quickly searching for a pen and paper to write her day out to ensure she didn't miss any of the pressing things she needed to accomplish. She chuckled at how dependant she had become on her laptop's calendar function, but given she didn't bring her technological conveniences home, she was forced to use an old-fashioned method of keeping track of lists. Tina pulled a pad of paper out quickly, but in searching for a pen she began to dig deeper in her briefcase uncovering Megan's file of information.
"Don't do it," Tina muttered to herself. "It won't help you forget and be able to eventually fall asleep."
Tina cursed herself as she reached for the folder and walked back outside to review it once more in private. She opened up to the first page and saw Megan's basic information glaring back at her. Included in that information was a cell phone number for Megan that Tina had missed in her first perusal of the file.
"I have to tell her that I'm telling Bette," Tina said quietly. "I owe it to her to tell her to her face."
Tina scribbled what she knew of her schedule on the inside of the folder to see when she would be able to meet with Megan once more to discuss what Megan had asked of her. She remembered she had time before her appointment with Dr. Wilson, but after her appointment she was booked in back to back meetings at the studio until late afternoon. Tina dug her cell phone out of the side pocket of her cargo shorts and began to type a text message to Megan so that she would get it first thing in the morning when she turned her phone on.
Tina carefully thought about her words before hitting send to launch the message to Megan's phone. She wanted to keep the message simple, yet polite and inviting so that Megan didn't feel an additional pressure in her life given what she was already facing.
Megan,
Let's talk as soon as you can this morning. Please feel free to call me at this number so we can decide on a time and place.
Tina
Tina hit send and quickly shut her phone placing it on the ground beside the lounger. She also placed the folder on the ground and leaned back into the lounger once more. No sooner had Tina begun to relax, her phone beeped indicating she had an incoming text message.
Her hands shook as she flipped her phone open and saw that it was from Megan's number. She hit the read button, not even realizing that she was holding her breath.
Tina's eyes quickly skimmed the message from Megan saying she was awake and Tina could call now to arrange a time and meeting place. Tina let her breath out before her shaking fingers dialed Megan's number.
"Hello?"
"Hi Megan," Tina said slightly nervous. "It's Tina."
"I gathered since nobody else really calls this late," Megan laughed to ease some of the tension between her and Tina.
Tina chuckled at Megan's attempt to lighten the situation with humor. Tina heard Sarah in the background as Megan began to talk softly to her in an effort to calm her.
"Is everything ok?"
"She's either teething or sick," Megan announced sadly. "I'm not sure which one, but I'm sincerely hoping it's just her teeth."
"I won't take much of your time then," Tina said kindly. "I remember what those days were like with Angelica. I wanted to see what time you'd be able to meet and talk again. I think it's a good idea to talk about what you want from me in the short-term."
"You want to tell Bette don't you?"
"I feel guilty that I haven't," Tina admitted without thinking. "What's your morning look like?"
"Bette is supposed to meet me at the gallery at 7:30."
"I have an appointment at 8:00 that I need to keep," Tina began to think aloud.
"Getting away from Bette is going to require some major effort. She thinks this show is my main priority so if I leave in the middle of the day, she'll wonder why."
"Believe me I know what Bette will think," Tina said with a smile. "How early can you meet?"
"At the rate we're going I won't sleep at all tonight if Sarah doesn't start to cooperate. You might as well come here since obviously you can't sleep either."
The flippant statement surprised Tina, but her curiosity of meeting Sarah outweighed the voice in her head that warned her it was not the wisest choice to make.
"Are you serious?"
"Originally no," Megan admitted. "But if that works for you I wouldn't mind you coming over. I'm just not sure how I'd manage to slip out of the gallery without Bette questioning me."
"You wouldn't consider it an intrusion?"
"Do you know where I'm staying?"
"Let me make sure it's in this information," Tina opened the file and smiled seeing Megan's address. "I have it right here. It's about 10 minutes from my house."
"You're familiar with it then?"
"Yes," Tina shut the file and began to walk back inside whispering in an effort not to disturb Bette or Angelica. "Let me just leave a note for Bette so she isn't worried if she wakes up."
"See you when you get here," Megan hung up without saying goodbye as Sarah broke out crying once more.
Tina shut her phone and slipped into the quiet bedroom, placing the note on her pillow to ensure Bette would see it if she woke up and saw Tina wasn't there. She walked back out and grabbed her keys and purse, eager to discuss her thoughts with Megan, given that she had time to process a few of them since their earlier conversation.
Megan balanced Sarah on her hip as she bent down to pick up some toys that were scattered in the living room from playtime.
"Baby," Sarah grabbed the baby doll from Megan's hands quickly and hugged it.
Megan bent down to pick up another stuffed animal that Sarah demanded just as fast as she could pick it up.
"You can't have all of these," Megan smiled at her daughter.
