The cuddling came to end quicker than both women had anticipated.  In the driveway of Bette’s house, Helena stood by her car and Bette stood by her own.  This was the worst part of Helena’s day; leaving Bette’s side.  She wondered if it was ever possible to feel this way about anyone; to feel this safe or this whole and, if so, how could Tina or Alice ever get over her.  She wanted to kiss her, but she knew that wasn’t a good idea.

“Do you think that maybe you could squeeze in a little time for me this evening?  We’ve never been on a proper date and I thought that maybe we could go out for dinner and maybe you could spend the night.  My mother is stopping by in the morning with the help of her new hospice worker and I know that she’d love to see you.”

“I’ll be there as soon as Tina gets off work and Angie goes off to sleep.  That’s the best I can do.”

“And that’s all I can ask.  How about I make you dinner and we could go out to the beach?”

“That sounds wonderful.  I’ll see you tonight.”

“I can’t wait.  I’ll be missing you all day long.”

“I bet I’ll miss you more.”  Bette smiled and that just made Helena want to kiss her even more.

“Let me go before I send a chauffer to pick up Angelica and I back you back into the house and make sweet, passionate love to you.” Helena winked, “Give Angelica a kiss for me.”

“See you tonight.”

~

Around this time, every day, Helena would go to see her mother.  As she pulled into the driveway of her mother’s new estate, she thought about the past few months.  Only Peggy Peabody could be stung by a jelly fish and thrown into a shock that could end her life.  Her mother could only be taken out in a dramatic way, and she was still kicking.

Most importantly, Peggy was still alive.  They had never had the best relationship, but Helena didn’t know if she could live without her mother.  She knew that one day she would have to, but she couldn’t until they patched things up and, now, they had.