“Baby?….”

“In here, babe..” came the reply.

Bette entered the bedroom engrossed in reading the letter she’d just opened. When she looked up to talk to her girlfriend, she almost fell over.

“T?..” she laughed out loud, “what the ***** are you doing?”.

Tina was currently doing a headstand up against the wall, and her face was starting to look a funny shade of pink from all the blood rushing to her head.

“What do you think I’m trying to do babe? I’m trying to get it to work”.

“Well you can stop now, you look like your head is about to explode, then where would we be?” Bette proceeded to help Tina to her feet and lead her over to sit on their bed.

Tina noticed the letter Bette had discarded on the bed.. “What’s that Bette?”.

“What?..” Bette had become distracted rubbing Tina’s tummy thinking of the possibilities of what may just beginning inside of her beautiful girlfriend’s body.

“The letter..” Tina prompted.

“Oh, it’s a letter from the Peabody Foundation, inviting me to a convention of sorts among the art world. It’s in New York next month.” Bette replied after laying down on the bed with her head in Tina’s lap still massaging her stomach.

“Peabody?..” Tina hesitated to ask, “Um, babe… who sent it? I mean was it from Peggy herself or..”

“It’s from Helena’s office. I didn’t think too much about that actually. Maybe she forgot to remove my name from some lists.”

“Or maybe she realises that you’re an important name in the art business, and wants you there in a professional capacity” Tina tried to assure her wife.

“I really don’t think that’s realistic Tina. Helena hates my ***** since you came back to me and left her ***** British self.”
Bette did little to hide her distaste for Peggy’s daughter who was now solely in charge of all dealings to do with the Peabody Foundation, and who had made it abundantly clear to Bette that she would not be doing any dealings in the future with either herself or the CAC.

“Well, are you gonna go?” Tina asked.

“I don’t know. I suppose I should check it out. Maybe put some feelers out as to whether I’m really wanted there. It would be a fantastic opportunity to persuade some of the more affluent donors to invest in the CAC..”, Bette found herself really wanting to go and was about to launch into a plan of attack when she realised something.

“Tina?… What do YOU want me to do?”

“…”

“Tina?” Bette prompted.

“Um, I don’t know babe. I mean this really could be an opportunity for you to thrive. I guess I’m just having a little sense of deja vu. It’s nothing”.

Bette immediately sat up and made Tina look her in the eyes. She cupped Tina’s face in both her hands and spoke directly to her.

“Tina, I want to know what you want me to do. I’ve told you I’m not gonna make the same mistakes I made before. YOU are my number one concern. If you don’t want me to go, I won’t. No ifs, buts or ands”, Bette declared.

Tina was truly touched at Bette’s efforts at change, particularly because it was unprompted. It drove home to Tina what she’d known for the last 6 months – that Bette truly had changed, and was quickly becoming the woman she had fallen in love with almost 8 years ago. It gave Tina a warm feeling to know that she was Bette’s number one priority.

“Baby, I love you. Thank you so much for putting me first. I want you to do whatever you feel you need to. I promise I’m not gonna freak out this time. I know your work is important, as is mine. You know I have that meeting in Denver next month. Maybe you should go to New York, at least then you won’t be home alone.”

Tina broke out laughing when Bette slapped her hands to her own face, a la Macaulay Culkin. She loved having this humorous Bette back.. “Bette, you goof!”

“Seriously though babe”, Tina continued, “Go to New York. Show the Peabodys and the whole art world just how fantastic my wi.. girlfriend is.”

Both women got a little subdued at Tina’s faux pas. Even though they’d never beeen legally married, mainly because it wasn’t legal then, they’d always referred to each other as their wife. But they had made a conscious decision when they got back together that they were starting over, and therefore were simply ‘girlfriends’.

“OK Baby. We’ll both go and ‘kick *****’ in different states, and show the world just what they’re messing with when they deal with a Kennard – Porter”, Bette tried to revive the levity of the conversation. “Helena Peabody won’t know what’s hit her.”

Bette leaned in and kissed Tina. Just as both women were a bout to get into it, the phone rang. Tina sighed and answered it, still in good spirits.. “Kennard Porter residence..”, she giggled.

Bette watched intently the expression on Tina’s face change as the person on the phone identified themselves.

“Helena?….”

TBC ?….