They had moved back out to the patio for cake and coffee.  The automatic timer for the lights in the trees and the fiber optics in the pool deck had turned on, and the backyard transformed into a magical space despite a quarter of it still being under construction.

“This is gonna be nice when it’s done,” Sonny said.

“Well it can’t be too much longer,” Kit said. “When I came over Friday morning to bring in the mail and paper, Weezy stopped me to tell me she wasn’t short on crew anymore and would have it all done by Thanksgiving.”

Bette felt a little stab of annoyance.  “Well, I won’t hold my breath,” she said quietly.

Tina looked over at her.  Bette was looking off in the distance in deep thought.

“Kit, did she say why she had had so much trouble with her crew?” Tina asked curious now.

“Yeah, something about a foreign contractor kept calling in subcontracting jobs for her company all around town.  And you know, in this economy, I think she was trying to grab at every job she could,” Kit replied.

“A foreign contractor?” Tina asked.  She looked over at Bette who sat staring at her, her mouth open in surprise. 

“Interesting,” Tina tried to smile.

“Yeah, interesting,” Bette said and she saw Tina shake her head sadly.

Sonny drafted Andy into helping him clean the kitchen.  Tina had insisted that they didn’t need to bother, but Sonny argued that it was the least they could do considering how hard Tina had worked to make the meal and how stressed she had to have been for the last few days.  Tina had reluctantly agreed and came over to sit in Bette’s lap as she and Kit were talking and finishing up their coffee.

Bette smiled up at her as Tina slid into her lap and wrapped an arm around her neck. “I’m not too heavy, am I?” Tina asked.

“Not at all, sweetheart,” Bette squeezed her around her waist and adjusted herself in the chair.

“You two are precious together, you really are,” Kit observed watching how Tina seemed to be a perfect fit on Bette’s lap.

“Well, your man and you are looking good as well,” Tina smiled returning the compliment.

Kit laughed. “I still don’t get what he sees in me, but I’m not gonna complain.  He’s a good man,” she said, “and he loves that boy.”

“Oh, let me get you some things that will help with his nightmares,” Tina said and she got off Bette’s lap and headed inside.

“Is he able to tell you about his dreams?” Bette asked concerned as Andy had never been one to have had nightmares or night terrors before.

“No, he just wakes up calling out.  He’s usually calling for you,” Kit said.

“Me?”

“Yes, usually something like ‘no, Tia, no’ and then he cries out ‘don’t hurt her.’ He’s pretty upset when I finally get him awake,” Kit shook her head.  “He’s all sweaty too.  I’ve moved a fan into his room thinking that will help.”

“He must be dreaming about me getting hurt.  Poor kid, that must have been so scary for him,” Bette said feeling responsible for the events that had instigated all of this.

“Probably, but Tina said it’s to be expected.  His mind is still too young to process all of it.  Hell, I still can’t really process most of it,” Kit said and she fell silent.