“Hello?”

“Bette! It’s me. Listen, I need your advice.”

“It’s really not the time, Alice.” Bette smiled apologetically at Tina and turned her head away slightly.

“Just listen, would you? I told Tasha about how I’d been feeling…”

“And?”

“And she told me she appreciated my honesty. She didn’t seem angry at all. But I think she’s secretly pissed. Help!”

“Did she look upset?”

“No… she kissed me.”

“So, why do you think she’s upset?”

“I… I don’t know. I guess because I was expecting her to be mad no matter what?”

“Right, well. Take what she said at face value. And if she actually does something to show you that she’s upset, you can cross that bridge when you get to it.”

“Yeah, but–”

“Alice. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

Alice sighed on the other end.

“I’ll give you Foxworthy’s number.”

Alice’s voice perked up again. “Yeah?”

“Yes. He can probably help you far better than I could.”

“Probably. But there’s nothing like talking this stuff over with your friends,” Alice said.

“True enough,” Bette agreed. “Thanks again for your help. By the way, I think things are looking up.”

“Oh yeah? Tell me!”

“In the morning, Al. Goodnight.”

“‘Night, Porter.”

Bette hung up her phone and leaned backwards on the love seat again.

“Is Alice okay?” Tina asked as Bette settled in next to her.

“As okay as Alice is going to get.” Tina took Bette’s arm and stretched it across her lap, toying with the gold bracelets that adorned them.

“And are we okay?”

“Of course we are.” Bette bent her arm so she could turn Tina’s face towards her own. “Always.”

“I’m happy to hear you say that,” Tina murmured.

“And why is that?”

“Because it’s going to cost us a lot to fix up the house,” Tina said with a small, sly smile.

“I haven’t agreed to that, by the way,” Bette replied.

“But you will.”

Bette sighed. “I know,” she said, feigning put-upon feelings.

“It will be great. It’s a good thing, Bette, you’ll see. We’re going to take something we know and love and make it even better than it was before.”

“Do you think we can pull it off?”

“Why not?” Tina asked, raising an eyebrow and placing a fond kiss on Bette’s lips. “Isn’t that what we’re doing now?”

“Yeah. I guess we are,” Bette said, returning Tina’s kiss.

  ***

The next morning at The Planet Bette and Tina were sitting with Alice and Tasha, discussing the tentative plan they had made.

“So you’re going to renovate and redecorate?”

“Yep.” Tina grinned at Alice.

“And you’re okay with that, B?” Alice turned to Bette.

Bette shrugged. “Why not? It’s time to upgrade.”

“Uh huh. So I guess it won’t be long before you’re moving back in, huh Tina?”

“In a couple of weeks, I suppose.”

“Well don’t count on me to help you haul boxes,” Alice said primly, settling back into her seat.

“We weren’t going to,” Bette said with an unimpressed sip at her coffee.

Tasha snickered. “We would be happy to help. If you need us,” Tasha said, casting a look at Alice.

Sighing, Alice agreed. “Yeah, okay. I guess I could help you pack up or whatever.”

“We’d appreciate that,” Tina grinned at them both.

Tasha put a casual arm around the back of Alice’s chair. Alice hid a little smile behind her coffee cup. She glanced up and caught Bette’s gaze.

Bette wondered if Alice was thinking back to yesterday and the doubts both of them had been feeling in their relationships. Bette took Tina’s hand suddenly, feeling especially grateful that things were working out. Tina smiled at her and gave her hand a squeeze. What a difference a day could make.

THE END