Tina was trying to be quiet. It was obvious with her shallow breathing.

With a glance at the door, Bette was sure she heard nothing, so she dared to take Tina’s ear between her teeth. She only bit down gently, covering Tina’s mouth when she heard the start of her moan. “You don’t want to feel that … everywhere?” she grinned, then letting out her tongue to tease Tina’s ear a little further. “… Or that?”

“Bette!”

They both turned, but were entirely relieved to find that Angelica was nowhere to be seen. She’d called from down the hall. The both let out a heavy sigh of relief, and Bette climbed off of Tina, winking at her before she took off down the hall. She brought a hand over her face to try and gather her composure before standing in the doorway of Angelica’s room. “You called?”

Angelica smiled at Bette’s attitude. “You said it was okay to be scared about my mom being alone?”

“Uh huh,” Bette chuckled, surprised to her own attachment to the girl. She found it all coming quite easily as she walked over to sit beside the girl on her bed. “You know how much I like your mom, don’t you?”

Angelica sighed, becoming more serious as she looked down at her hands. “I guess.”

Bette sighed, too. “I really like her. I think she’s a great mom, and a wonderful vice-principal at her school, and a great person to be with. Don’t you think she’s all those things?”

Angelica turned and got under her covers, turning onto her side. “I guess.”

“I’ll try not to take too much of her time, okay?” Bette smiled, unfamiliar with tucking any child in, so she just sat there. “Promise.”

“I don’t want you to be with her … alone.”

Bette chuckled under her breath, trying to think of any way to explain their need for quality time – alone. “You know how you have friends come over, and you play in your room probably, right? To have some time to yourselves.”

“That’s not the same.”

Bette laughed outright, handing Angelica one of her toys. “You’re amazing. Here, you need to get to sleep, okay?”

“I don’t like those things. I just have them cause Mom thinks I’m a baby, I think.”

Bette laughed again, biting on her lip. “If every kid were like you, they’d be running the world, you know that?”

Tina was watching from the door, just out of sight. Smiling at their interaction.

Angelica tucked the covers under her chin and sighed again. “Goodnight.”