“Don’t worry darling. We’ll sort it out…were all family now and we’ll face whatever life throws at us together…Okay? Mr Kennard said gently, but assertively

“Okay. See you soon Chris” the brunette whispered gratefully

Bette replaced the phone on the hook then went back to check on her sleeping girlfriend.

When the brunette entered Tina’s bedroom the blonde was awake

“Who was on the phone ba..Bette?” Tina asked quietly

“Your dad baby. He arrives here on the 23rd, so he’ll be here in time for Christmas. So on that note I think you’ll need to go shopping for supplies ..Why don’t you take Angie with you, I think she’s missing spending time with you babe?”

(Tina’s boss had gave her extended leave as he knew she wasn’t coping well after her mother’s passing)

"Mmm…" Tina replied

“Oh Tee…Alice is coming over later, she said she’d help you with the Christmas shopping”

I don’t need babysat Bette! I can do things on MY OWN you know!! – I can stand on my own two feet! – After all I did it for 2 years WITHOUT your help if you remember!” Tina said caustically

Bette ignored the cutting remark and softly said “Yeah but I don’t like leaving you on your own. I hate seeing you so down baby…I worry about you. I just feel better knowing you have some company when I’m at work. I so wish I didn’t have to go…Oh I wish I was still my own boss…I’d stay here with you….”

Tina ignored Bette’s heartfelt statement and said

“Bette its 8.30 you better get going…or you’ll be late again…and Phyllis will have your head on a plate!”

“Your right babe…I love you” Bette bent down to kiss Tina’s lips, but the blonde turned her head so Bette caught her cheek instead. Bette swallowed hard and tried to ignore the obvious snub. But it hurt..the rejection was killing her…Tina was rebuking the brunette both physically and emotionally… She had tried to speak to the blonde about it but Tina pled ignorance…stating they were fine, they didn’t have a problem…Bette was just imagining things.

Bette felt unwanted, unloved, but most of all she felt helplessness and frustration at her inability to help the love of her life overcome her mother’s untimely death.

Tina did not seem to want the brunette’s support, love or affection…The blonde was unconsciously pushing the curator further and further away from her…

Tina more often than not sent Bette back to her own house to stay…seemingly preferring the company of Kayleigh…or saying to the brunette she wanted to be alone…

The blonde was spiralling into a deep depression due to her mums passing and unfortunately at this particular moment in time she couldn’t comprehend or consider anyone’s else’s feeling’s… Her emotional state was so precarious…

As Tina’s interest in Bette seemed to dip, Nadia’s interest in the brunette sky rocketed….She was determined to have the brunette…Since Bette had went back to work the teenage blonde had pulled out all the stops to make sure she accomplished her task…

It became glaringly obvious to the students in Bette’s art class that Nadia was slowly grinding the Dean down…Obvious to everyone on campus (except Bette who was too worried about the state of her relationship with Tina to notice Nadia’s overt infatuation) that Nadia would not stop her relentless pursuit of the beautiful brunette until she got what she wanted more than anything else in the world – The mocha in her life..in her arms, and more importantly in her bed…

The teenage temptress figured sooner or later the delectable Miss Porter would succumb to the her charms… It was just a matter of time…You needed patience and guile to catch a big fish…and Nadia reckoned she had those qualities in abundance…and pretty soon Dean Porter would fall hook, line and sinker….