Bette wandered around the house aimlessly. Since she’d told the gallery she was cutting down her hours she found herself with a fair bit of time on her hands. She was tempted to call work and ask for her old hours back, but she wanted to prove to Tina that there was more to her life than work, even if Tina wasn’t there to share the time with her. She’d decided to tidy the kitchen when she heard a knock at the door.

Bette walked to the door and opened it to find Tina standing nervously on the porch.

“T!” she exclaimed.

“Bette, hey” Tina said softly.

“Why didn’t you just use your key?” Bette asked.

“I wanted you to have the choice of whether to let me in or not”

“You can come here anytime you want. It’s still your house, you know”

“Thanks” Tina smiled gratefully.

Bette stepped aside to let her in. Tina slowly took off her jacket and sat down on the sofa, motioning for Bette to join her. Bette sat on the far side of the sofa making sure there was space between the two of them.

“So…” Bette started.

“Bette, I’m sorry about the other day. I shouldn’t have made you do that. It was fucked up of me, I know”

“It’s okay. I understand. Everything’s pretty fucked up right now”

“I don’t want it to be”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…***** you was good, but…it just didn’t feel right like that”

“I think it was what we both needed” Bette suggested.

“Maybe”

“But you never gave me a chance to tell you anything”

“I seem to have a habit of doing that” Tina managed to smile.

“Yeah, you do” Bette smiled back.

“I’m listening now though”

“T, I was an idiot. I couldn’t see how much I was hurting you, how much I was leaving you out. I was so wrapped up in my work and I’m sorry. But things are gonna change. I’ve cut back on my hours. I’ve got a lot more time on my hands now” she looked around “without you it seems like too much”

“I understand it took a lot for you to do that, and I appreciate it. Really I do” Tina stared at Bette.

“Why do I sense there’s a ‘but’ coming?”

“But I’m scared. I need you to tell me the truth. Do you honestly want to marry me?”

“Yes. There’s nothing I want more. I mean that, T” Bette reached over and took Tina’s hand.

“Do you still have my ring?” Tina asked.

Bette pulled out a chain from under the jumper she was wearing. She’d been keeping Tina’s ring round her neck.

“Right here. Close to my heart” she whispered.

Tina moved to Bette and reached her arms round her neck. They were so close that they could feel each other breathing. She took her time unfastening the chain and sliding the ring off it and into her open palm. She rubbed the ring with her thumb and looked up into Bette’s eyes.

“Can I still have it ?” she asked.

“It’s yours”

Tina took one of Bette’s hands and turned it face up. She placed the ring in the centre of Bette’s palm.

“Put it back on me, please”

Bette took the ring from her hand and slid it back onto Tina’s finger, all the while staring into her eyes.

“I have something for you” Tina whispered.

“What?”

Tina reached for her jacket and took a box from the inside pocket.

“Bette Porter” she took Bette’s hand “will you take me back as your fiance?”

“You know I will”

“Then I want you to have this” Tina opened the box to display a ring.

She slid the ring out of its compartment and onto Bette’s finger.

“It’s beautiful, T” Bette breathed.

“So are you”

Bette traced the outline of Tina’s jaw with her fingertip. She leant forward and planted a soft kiss on Tina’s lips. As she went to pull away, Tina took hold of the back of her head and deepened the kiss. When they finally broke apart they stared at each other with eyes that hid nothing.

“I love you baby”

“I love you too T”