“It’s not funny. You know the man drives me to the edge of insanity. I swear sometimes he blocks the projects I suggest just to see how I’ll react. Sorry, I went off on a tangent then. You asked me about my week at work, well you know it’s funny, I built it up in my mind to be this big horrible thing but really it wasn’t that bad and, even though I know you’re going to say I told you so, but it was good to get out and feel like I was actually achieving something instead of bumming round the house.”

“That’s good Bette. I’m glad it was better than you thought it would be.”

“Are you really?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Becausebecause I thought that youit would have been a slice of retribution if it had been torture, but I guess no more than I deserve.” said Bette, sullenly

“Bette, I would never want you to suffer, especially not at the hands of Franklin. Anyway, to be honest I didn’t really call you to discuss the machinations of the CAC. As you know I have been speaking to Shane. She told me you have been wearing my ring on a chain around your neck, is that correct?”

“I just want it to be close to me. It’s like a reminder of everything I had, everything I want back again. Do you want to know another strange thing that’s happened? For the months leading up to Provocations I used to play with my ring all the time, look at it and touch it, sometimes just stare at the it. I felt completely weighed down by the symbolism of it. It felt like lead weight dragging me under. Now, late at night, I look at both rings together, and I’ll tell you what T. What those rings mean, it’s worth fighting for.”

“I know it is. Do you want to know what else Shane said? She thinks that what we have is true love.”

“Have or had?” questioned Bette.

“Well she seems to think that it’s definitely in the present tense.”

“What do you think?”

“II want it to be, but I don’t know Bette. If it were really true love wouldn’t I be with you now, instead of talking on the phone. Wouldn’t we have both kept our promises, talked to each other, put each other before anything else. How can we really say that we had true love when we let so many things get in the way?”