Chapter 216 – NEW

Months later, it´s time for Bette´s grandchild to be born. Everyone are gathered at the hospital. Bette is the most nervous there, walking back and forth. Danny and Noah are giggling as they watch their mother walking from one side of the room to the other all the time.
“Babe, why don´t you sit down for a few moments?” Tina suggests. She only gets a brief look from Bette as she continue her walk back and forth. After a few more minutes, both Danny and Noah started walking with Bette, without her noticing, Tina is on the verge of breaking out in a laugh. She managed to be silent for almost 5 minutes, but then she couldn´t hold the laughter in anymore. Bette turns towards her and then she sees both Danny and Noah walking beside her in a concentrating way. She smiles.
“Please sit down? You´re making me more nervous with doing that than the actual birth that is happeneing inside those doors.” Tina says as she reaches out her hand for Bette to take.
“I´m sorry T, I´m just nervous.” Bette says and takes a seat next to Tina.
“I know babe, we all are, but everything will be fine and soon we´ll have a little granddaughter or grandson to spoil.” Tina says and leans in and kisses Bette´s cheek.
Out on the floor, Danny and Noah are still walking back and forth.
“Look at them, so cute.” Tina says.
“Yeah, I didn´t see them until you laughed.” Bette admits.
“I know.” Tina replies.
“I can´t believe we´re gonna be grandparents, it´s actually pretty frightening. Andrea is only a few years old. I feel more comfortable with becoming a mother once more than a grandmother.” Bette says and looks straight ahead towards the doors.
Tina takes her hand and softly squeezes it. Bette looks over with a serious face.
“I know babe, but, we have the age going for us. We´re young. We can do things with him or her that other grandparents would only dream about doing with theirs. We can run and play with them.” Tina says.
“I know that, but still. Don´t get me wrong here. I will love that child as if it is on of my own. I´m just saying… Well what I am saying is… that I´m scared because it means I´m getting older. There, I said it.” Bette says and looks down on the joined hands.
“I know babe, but you´ll get over it. Just know that to me, you´ll always be the most sexy and amazing and beautiful woman in the world.” Tina whispers and then leans in and plants a nice kiss on Bette´s lips. Just then the doors open up and Julia walks out with a small child in her arms. Bette jumps up and sees by the color of the blanket around the little baby, that it is a little girl.
“Hey guys, meet Christina Renee.” Julia says and smiles down at her daughter. Tina puth er hand in front of her mouth, she couldn´t believe what she heard. Julia sees the tears that cascades down Tina´s cheek.
“It was the first Jessie said, she wanted to name her after Tina.” Julia says.
“I don´t know what to say, I´m… I´m honored.” Tina says and smiles through her tears.
“You wanna hold her mom?” Julia asks Bette.
“Can I?” Bette asks.
“Off course.” Julia says. She carefully hand baby C over to Bette.
“Oh my God, she´s so beautiful.” Bette whispers, looking down on the sleeping child.
“Mama, can we see?” Noah and Danny asks.
“Sure. Come over here.” Bette says and walks carefully over to the chairs again and takes a seat. The boys gathers around the little girl.
“She´s tiny.” Noah says.
“She is, you also was that tiny.” Tina says.
“How´s Jessie?” Bette asks.
“She´s fine, she was so brave, she´s asleep right now. But she was so strong.” Julia say with pride in her voice.
“Do you wanna hold her Tee?” Bette asks.
“Oh can I?” Tina asks, looking up at Julia.
“Sure, off course.” Julia says and smiles.
“Oh my, she´s so beautiful, don´t think we can say that enough.” Tina says and chuckles.
“She will be a heartbreaker.” Bette says and softly touches little C´s hand. Tears of joy cascades down Tina´s cheeks.
“This kind of makes me want another baby.” Tina says softly and looks up at Bette. Bette gets a serious look on her face.
“You do?” She asks.
“Yeah, I do, I love kids and always pictured myself having lots.” Tina says and looks down on little Baby C again, smiling. “I´m not saying that we go out and get pregnant right away, but if we someday talk about it, I wouldn´t stand in the way.” Tina says.
“Wow, you want more kids.” Bette says to no one in particular. Julia sees the look on Bette´s face and decides to make an exit.
“Why don´t I get little baby C back to her other mother.” She says and takes the baby carefully from Tina´s arms.
“Yeah.” Tina says. Julia walks out of the room, back to the nursery. She looks over at Noah and Danny playing with some legos. “Babe?” She adds, wondering what Bette is thinking.
“Yeah, still here.” She replies, smiling over at Tina.
“You said it yourself, you would be more comfortable becoming a mother again.” Tina says.
“Yeah, but that was kind of an expresion of speech. I don´t know if I meant it.” Bette says and looks at Tina.
“Oh.” Tina replies in a little sad tone.
“You reall want more kids? After all we´ve been through, and with Noah being sick and you had trouble having the twins, you really want to have another baby?” Bette asks, trying to understand Tina´s point of view.
“I didn´t think I did, I mean I´ve been thinking about it ever since Andrea was born, how I wanted more kids, but I wasn´t sure what you wanted and so I just put the thought away.” Tina says. “But if I´m honest with myself, I really do want another child. I always pictured lots of kids around me, and since I met you that pictures hasn´t changed one bit.” Tina says and looks again over at Danny and Noah, then at Bette. She sees a loving smile in Bette´s face.
“Ever since I met you, fell in love with you, married you, I´ve wanted lots of kids, I pictured us with at least four or five kids, but since everything we´ve been through, accidents, sicknesses and so on, I don´t know if it would be such a good idea. What if something happens to us, what would happen to the kids then? Now it´s only three, but what if they were two more, then there would be five kids that would be without parents.” Bette says.
“You say it like you know something will happen. I think we´ve been through enough to last a lifetime. I really hope we can live our life without anything more happening. I refuse to live in fear of what might happen down the line.” Tina says.
Bette takes Tina´s hands in hers and softly squeezes them.
“Babe, I hear what you´re saying, I just don´t know if I agree with it. I can´t just ignore those feelings I have.” Bette says.
“Forget it, let´s just forget it, let´s go home. Danny? Noah? Get over here, we´re going home.” Tina says and stands up. Bette lifts up Andrea and they´re on their way home.
“Can we have ice cream?” Danny asks.
“No, not today.” Tina says as they get into the car.
On their way home, Tina is silent most of the way.
“Tee, are you angry with me?” Bette asks as they´re closing in on their home.
“No.” Tina replies and briefly looks over at Bette.
“It feels like it.” Bette says silently.
At home later that evening, the kids are just put down for the night. Bette walks out of the boys room. Tina is in the kitchen, making some tea. Bette takes a seat by the kitchen table.
“Can we talke about this?” Bette asks softly.
Tina doesn´t reply, but she takes a seat opposite Bette.
“Do you really want another kid?” Bette asks softly, looking lovingly at Tina.
“Yeah, I do, I´ve wanted it for a long time, I just didn´t know how to ask or tell you.” Tina says.
“So, if I say no?” Bette asks.
“Then you say no.” Tina says.
“But what happens then?” Bette asks.
“Nothing, what can I do?” Tina asks.
“I don´t know.” Bette says as she stands up and makes a cup of tea for herself and sit back down again.
“Bette, I won´t leave you, if that is what you´re thinking.” Tina says.
“But you will hold it against me?” Bette asks.
“Hold it against you? Bette, there´s nothing to be blamed for here. I just voiced my thoughts about having another child. Off course I hoped that you wanted it too, but as you clearly don´t want, I´m not going to let it get between us. It´s a little dissapointing now but, I´ll get over it.” Tina says.
“Why do you want another kid? We have three wonderful kids five and two years, and in addition to them, we just became grandparents. You had a difficult birth, Noah was so sick, we´ve both been through hell and back. Why risk the good rhythm we´ve finally gotten into? Except for the nearly blindness.” Bette asks softly. “Had you asked me before the boys were born, I would´ve said yes, without hesitation, but now, I really don´t know if I want to risk it.” Bette says.
“I don´t know what to say, I hear everything you say, and I even understand it, but still, I can´t help the way I feel about it.” Tina says. A single tear has found its way down her cheek.
“Oh babe, come here.” Bette says and move into the chair next to Tina and takes her into her arms. “I´m sorry.” She whispers as she softly strokes her back.
”Can I have some time to think about it? You did kind of spring it on me here.” Bette says after a few silent minutes.
”Really? You would do that?” Tina asks, raising her head a little.
”I love you Tee, and I made a promise to always make you happy. I´m not gonna stop that now. But I won´t make any promises to the outcome, it is a pretty serious decision. A baby is lots of work and commitment, but I promise to think about it, okay?” Bette says.
”Okay.” Tina says. ”Thank you.” She adds. ”Can I say one more thing related to it?” Tina asks after a few moments.
”Sure.” Bette replies.
”We´re not getting any younger, so I hope you wont take too long to decide one way or the other.” Tina says and looks up into Bette´s eyes.
”I promise.” Bette smiles back and leans in for a kiss.