She just held me in the doorway as I balled. She didn’t say a word, I just cried uncontrollably. She pulled me into the house and shut her door. She led me to the living room and sat on the couch. I sat on her lap and cried into her shoulder. She rocked me and cooed me and whispered into my ear and I started to calm a bit.

"Baby, what happened?"

"My brother," I cried.

"Ben or David," she asked alarmed.

"Tim, it’s Tim."

"Oh my God Tee, what happened?!"

"His…convoy…hit a landmine," I said between sobs, "and now he’s in the hospital. And I don’t know if he’ll…if he’ll…survive."

"Oh baby, I am so sorry," she said and kissed my cheek.

She held me tighter and I cried into her shoulder. She rocked me back and forth and my tears started to subside. I then found courage to try something. I shifted in her lap and straddled her, and she held me at my waist. I started kissing her lips, then her lips parted and our tongues did that oh so familiar dance. She was moaning softly and her hands gripped my ass. Her lips slipped to my neck and I moaned and arched my back. Her hands found my back and she held me as I got lost in her kiss. I was ready to give myself to her when she stopped.

"Bette, what are you doing," I asked and sniffed.

"We can’t do this Tee."

"Why not?"

"This isn’t the right time."

"You don’t want me," I asked, I felt so rejected and so upset, I started to slip off her lap. I wanted to run. I needed to escape this humiliation.

"No Tee, you can’t leave."

"Bette, let me go," I said and tried to get up as she held me tighter.

"No, I will never let you go."

"Bette please," I said and my sobs started, "let me go. Get the fuck off me. Let me the fuck go."

"No baby, I will never let you go," she said and held onto me and I fought her embrace, "stop fighting me. Tee, stop. I am not going to let you go, ever."

"Let me go."

"No baby, no I won’t let you go."