"She’s shaking her head no mom."

"Put her on," my mother said and I handed the phone to Bette.

"Hello? Yes…I…Mrs. Kennard I can’t….no…money isn’t a big deal to me I….haha…I know I know, but I want to help….Mrs. Kennarrrrd….*sigh*…ok ok…thanks Mrs. Kennard. I hope that Tim gets better, I’ll be praying for him…ok, you too. Bye."

"What did she say," I asked as Bette handed my phone back to me, "we have to go get your mom’s card."

"Ha, she won huh?"

"Yeah," she said blushing, "she said she’d be checking her account to see if the card is being used."

"She wouldn’t really."

"Well, I’m not taking my chances," she said and I laughed.

"Kennard women, we’re somewhat difficult. Are you sure you wanna deal with it?"

"Most definitely."

She slowed the car and turned it back around and drove back to my parent’s house. I laughed at her, she didn’t want to make my mother mad. But I understood her reaction, she wanted to keep in my mother’s good graces. She really wanted my parents to love her.

We went to the store and bought groceries. Bette still didn’t feel comfortable using my mother’s card, but she reluctantly did it. Bette didn’t hurt for money, she had plenty, she just didn’t like using other’s. She’d give money before she’d take it. Her giving nature is one of the things I loved about her.

As the evening came, I was slowly getting anxious to tell my brothers the horrific news. We sat in the parking lot at the school and watched as the bus came rolling to a stop. My heart started beating fast and Bette held my hand tight, reassuring me it would be ok. Ben and David spotted Bette’s Lexus and came running to it.

They talked animatedly about their trip and all the things they had seen. Surprisingly Ben did not get in trouble once during their trip. I tried to engage them in conversation but I was getting upset. Bette rubbed my hand as she drove, but her loving gesture couldn’t keep the tears in. They ran down my cheeks and I couldn’t control them anymore.

"Tina, what’s wrong," David asked.

"You’re not…pregnant are you," Ben asked jokingly, and David giggled, "Bette, my mom’s gonna kill you."