“Thanks so much for having us over,” Rose started to say, observing Bette continuing to follow Tina’s progress up the staircase then on to the playroom they set-up for the kids.

Bette turned to look at Rose, refocusing her attention, “We know Jason and Angie have been playing together a lot, and we thought you’d like to take a bit of a break yourself.  That was what I was hoping, at least, thinking it would be a bit quieter, with just a few people.  But…”

She laughed slightly as she drew a graceful arc in the air with her arm to indicate the larger than expected crowd of people, and the loud mix of laughter, music, and din of conversation.

Rose smiled also.  She shrugged, as if to say, What can you do?   She and Bette were almost the same height, and as she glanced sideways at her host, she smiled slightly.  Bette was swirling the red wine in her glass, while she tucked a stray tendril behind her ear, then pointed a long, slim finger towards the back of the buffet table, apparently responding to a woman who was walking towards Bette, carrying a couple of platters of side dishes.  Elegant, tall, graceful, kind, compassionate, beautiful, sexy.  And loaded with sex appeal.  She reminded Rose a little of the partner she’d recently lost.  But Bette’s appeal seemed considerably more potent, and was probably irresistible even to men.

“You’re the swan, aren’t you?,” Rose asked, with a small smile.

“What’s that?,” Bette asked, turning towards Rose with a smile, then leaned closer as collective shouts and screams roared out of the media room. Mark, George, and Logan, along with Sarah, her partner, and brother John were watching the early football game between teams from Detroit and Green Bay,
Wisconsin.  When Bette had dropped in earlier to check on what was going on in the noisy room, they’d laughingly explained to her the cheering fell along lines of loyalty: Mark and John had gone to Michigan, in Ann Arbor, and Sarah’s partner hailed from Detroit, while George and Logan had been lifelong fans of the team from Green Bay. Drawn in by the noise, other guests were joining the raucous group packing into the media room.

Rose and Bette smiled and shook their heads, “As I was saying,” Bette said, “I thought we’d be having a quiet gathering of a few friends and that you’d enjoy a break …”