Ch. One

            Bette, beginning to feel as though she was going to have a psychotic break, sat with a mug of coffee cradled in her hands. On the couch she had a nice view of her porch and beyond that the street, but today seemed to be a dangerously quiet day where she had too much time to think about the things she really didn’t want to be thinking of. Not that she could help it being the kind of woman who took the negative and chewed it like a piece of gum, until the flavor was gone and her jaw was sore.

            Despite wanting to move on as her once-wife had, Bette had the urge to run rather than to deal. Almost as she had ran from Shane and Carmen’s wedding with no note, no mention of her plan… While a hope ignited that perhaps her life could be just a little different and a little more whole. She cast her brown eyes downward at the coffee in her mug which grew ever colder while she waited for some event to interrupt the monotony that had become of her life. It had been months since she had taken Angelica and Tina had been forced to take legal action all the while never knowing the brunette felt like the battle had already been lost. A person could only take so much before they snapped. Enough. Bette thought, the voice heard in her head sounded vaguely like her own, though the strength behind the word felt forced. The woman stood from where she had been sitting and raised her gaze to the time on the stove as her feet led her to the kitchen sink where she proceeded to dump the, now icy, beverage. It was time to get out of the house and attempt to make the best of the day while the sun still chose to shine. Since she had no real responsibilities to deal with, at least not until Monday, Bette decided to run through the shower and change into something other than pajamas.

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            “If she wanted to see Angelica that fucking badly she could pick up the phone and call,” If Alice was a mother she’d know… Tina thought while opening her mouth to continue. “It’s not fucking rocket science.” Alice wasn’t impressed or convinced. The Planet wasn’t busy, there wasn’t a line up at the counter and Kit’s choice was to keep her mouth closed while she listened to the younger women talk around the table about her little sister.