Love, Loss and Living

Family Chapter 24

She was eating Avocado Toast at the kitchen counter flipping through a receipt book when her cell buzzed. Bette smiled as she read the text from Tina and then called her number.

"Good morning," Bette smiled into the phone. "How did you sleep."

"Still a bit tired, your daughter wanted to go to a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I didn't even know people still did that sort of thing." She said laughing. "It was fun though."

"Ok, well..." Bette furrowed her brows, "I will leave that one to you."

Tina laughed. "So what do you have planned?'

"I have to go grocery shopping for tonight. Shane said she would be here around 5p. Nat's kids are with Gigi tonight, so Nat and Alice will be coming over too. A full table." Bette smiled to herself.

"What are you going to make?"

"It's a surprise. I am going to try something new.  I figured with all of you here, I could use you as testers." Bette gave a chuckled that rose into a smile.

"I am sure it will be great. You have come a long way from boiling an egg being your only cooking skill." Bette could hear Tina's laugh and imagined the twinkle in her hazel eyes that went with the laugh. "How about I head over early to help you out. With that many people, it will be a bit of a job cooking the needed amount of food."

"Sounds good, but what about Angie?"

"Angie is going over to her friend Chance's house. I think they are headed out for the afternoon, but she said she would be home in time for dinner." Tina paused, "I think she has a crush on him?"

Bette's brows furrowed. She knew Angie had been spending a great deal of time around this young man. The break up with Jordi took awhile for Angie to get over.  First loves are always the toughest, Bette thought.  Chance and Angie had been friends since last year. Bette wasn't too surprised that Angie's eye wondered towards a boy. Today's teens seem to change their gender preference like they change their socks.  This new concept of fluidity was strange but Angie was comfortable with herself and that is all that mattered, Bette thought to herself. This boy was very into art like Angie and they spent a lot of time going to museums. Moving through many romantic attractions is normal for a teen, she kept telling herself. It was the other part, sexual behavior, that got Bette worried.

"Stop frowning," Tina jokingly said. "He's a good kid.  I will see you later."

"Sounds good." Bette smiled at the phone as she thought about how well things had been going between them. They had been seeing a lot of each other and it was not always focused on sorting through their issues. Tina's compassion, warmth and humor were sharing space with all the other complicated emotions and Bette found herself in a similar situation with her emotions, revealing the progress they had made in resolving their issues. Dating again was proving to be quite enjoyable for both of them.  She smiled at the thought of planning what would be their next date.  It was Tina's idea to alternate, allowing each other to plan a date.  Tina's plans were always so simple, yet heart warming.  Bette of course went all out, dating for her was always about going big.  She always thought, why do it if you are not out to impress.  The problem was that Tina knew all her tricks, so planning the surprise part was proving to be challenging but fun.  She wrote a note to remind herself to make a few calls regarding Hot Air Balloon rides on Monday while at work.  Bette put her plate in the sink and began humming as she grabbed her keys and headed out the door.

*******

Later that day

Bette walked into the house carrying two bags of groceries. She smiled to herself as she pulled out a bottle of Italian Pinot Gris, Tina's favorite. When they had lived together, Bette always kept a few bottles on hand. It was always what Tina would reach for when having a causal glass of wine. Bette frowned when she remembered the last time Tina drank a glass of this wine in the house. The look on Tina's face when Tina had realized that she couldn't read Bette. Bette recalled just standing there watching as a defeated look came across Tina's face. For the first time Bette had seen that Tina had felt she had lost something too when they broke up. It was also the night Bette took the necklace with her wedding ring off her neck realizing her own defeat with the knowledge of Tina getting remarried. Many things had changed since that night.  Getting to this point in their relationship was a welcomed surprise to both, Bette had thought she had lost Tina forever. Through their individual therapy, they had each come to realize that they both had scars that ran deep.  Some of the memories had faded and the details were hard to recount, but others were sharp.  It was the sharp memories that were the obstacles.   Over time their unconscious minds had changed the memories and what had preserved them were the morphed emotions that were attached to them. It was the hurtful emotions that clouded the memories making them harder to resolve.  Bette knew they had an idea of what they wanted their life to be, but how they were going to get there was the question they were still trying to work out.  Bette continued to remove items from the bag while she thought, when she noticed movement in the backyard.