Tina got up off the floor and offered her hand to Bette to help her up. When Bette touched it she felt the same electricity that she’d felt so many times before. It was engrained in her memory; she’d never forgotten it, but it still felt fresh like the first time. She momentarily closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, held it, then exhaled slowly.

“What’s the matter Tina?”

“Nothing. It’s just weird you know?”

“Oh do I ever. Never in a thousand years did I expect to see you again. I’ve missed you so much Tee-naa.”

Bette smiled shyly almost slipping at the name. Tina felt weak in the knees at the shy smile. It was one thing that Tina missed most about Bette, her way of being hard on herself at the small things, but that also came with one of the things she didn’t like about Bette; the way she was extremely hard on herself about EVERYTHING.

“Bette we need to talk, but I can’t now; and I’m not sure if I want to right now.”

“What? Why not?”

“Bette this is hard for me! I just need a little time.”

“Tina you’ve had 18 years.”

“Oh my God Bette you haven’t changed at all. It’s not always about you, you know!”

Tina squeezed Bette’s hand, then dropped it with force causing it to hit Bette’s thigh with a smack. She glared at Bette momentarily then ran out leaving Bette looking at the wall where Tina had once been standing. She went to the living room. She tried hard to smile at Alice and Dana, when all she wanted to do was cry. She could tell that she was only going to be able to hold back these tears for so long.

“Spencer we are leaving.”

She said bitterly. Spencer got up and looked at Ashley. They’d found common ground during the brief moment they thought their mothers were talking their things out, and they figured they would get back together the way Dana and Alice talked.

“Bye you guys.”

Spencer said as she followed her mother out the door and into their car. She didn’t dare speak to her mother in this state. She’d only saw her mother like this one other time and that was right after the divorce, and even then it wasn’t anything like the way she look right now. She looked angry, hurt, confused. It killed her to see her mother like this.

“FUCK!”

Tina hit her hand on the steering wheel.

“Mom, are you okay?”

“No. Yes. Ughhh! Fuck Bette Porter, just fuck her!”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Oh, but I do Spence. She hasn’t changed the least bit.”

“But mom, isn’t that what you loved about her. All those things that made her Bette. If she changed she wouldn’t be the woman you loved, and still do.”