Chapter Five

Tina was sitting in the living room with a cup of tea as Bette showed the deliverymen where to put the new mattress.  Bette had them take the old mattress and box springs with them so she and Shane wouldn’t have to deal with it.  After they left she stopped as she was walking back to the guest room.

‘I’m going to start taking the frame apart; Shane should be here any minute.  Do you need anything?’

‘Could you sit a minute first?’

Bette started to sit in the chair nearest the sofa but Tina motioned for her to sit next to her.  Tina took Bette’s hand and touched her commitment ring.  She wanted to ask Bette why she still wore it, but she wasn’t ready for that conversation.

‘Do you want me to stop wearing it?’

Bette’s question caught her off guard.  She looked up at Bette and sighed.

‘I just wanted to thank you for this afternoon, I’ve been putting off shopping and nothing I had fit.’

‘Well, thanks for including me, it meant a lot.  I still think you should have gotten more.’

‘We got enough for now.  I’m getting so big so fast I didn’t want to get too much in case I need a different size soon.’

‘You didn’t answer, do you want me to stop wearing my ring?’

They heard a knock at the door.

‘Hey guys.’

‘Come on in Shane, I was about to start without you.  Tina do you need anything before we get started?’

‘No, thanks, I’m fine.’

Bette and Shane left for the guest room.  She was glad Shane had shown up when she did.  She really didn’t know how to answer Bette’s question.  She had taken off the ring Bette had given her when Bette broke the vows it represented.  She hadn’t broken her vows so the ring she had given Bette still symbolized her commitment.  She just wasn’t ready to say that out loud to Bette.

She sat listening to them laughing and playing around.  She watched as they moved the bed to the office and moved things around trying to make everything fit.