Bette and Shane had walked over to them, arm in arm, as Dana finished.  The four girls hugging Tina released her, and Shane stepped away from Bette, as Tina walked to and sank into Bette’s open arms, sobbing all over again, just as she had during her bath in Paris, when Bette had recited to her the passage about love from Aristophanes’ speech.

They’d come so close to losing everything, to losing each other, and it was only by the constancy of love between them, as well as of their friends and families, that they managed to pull through and get to where they were today.

The girls silently stood around them in a protective circle, tearing up also.  Bette and Tina were whispering I love you, Never leave, Forever, Eternal, to each other, over and over, stroking each other’s hair, exchanging soft kisses.

Finally, Alice cleared her throat, “Okay…okay… if we are going to do this in every room that you show us in this fabulous, fabulous house, then it will take us the rest of what is supposed to be a very busy day!”

Alice!

Al!

What?  Am I wrong?

Bette and Tina shook their heads, smiling as they stepped back from each other.  Bette pulled out a handkerchief, gently wiping Tina’s face, before wiping hers.

Tina kissed Bette then asked, “The cleaning crew is coming soon.  Would you mind keeping an eye out for them, while you show the girls around?  I still have to get the wine you called the wine shop about, and then Lara and I have to get the other ingredients in her list today, that she’ll need for tomorrow.”

“Okay, T,” Bette said, giving Tina a kiss in return, before turning to the girls, announcing, “Okay, why don’t we start with the rooms over here to the right?”

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Valentine’s Day party at Bette and Tina’s new place

Diane and Niall were among the first to arrive, kissing Bette warmly when she walked up to greet them as they crossed the threshold and into the vestibule.

“This is truly dazzling, Bette. Words fail me…,” Diane said, as she turned slowly around, as if trying to absorb all the details of the house.

“Who did the interiors of this…um…citadel to design?,” she continued, eyes fixed on the rainfall chandelier of bronze buds that seemed to have fallen straight down from the sky, encapsulating LEDs, a hand clasped elegantly to her throat, while she squeezed Niall’s hand with the other.