Her Portrait Is Black and White

A couple's conversation.

Bette sat herself beside Tina who was sat on the sofa in her room, she was sat away from Bette like she felt she couldn't touch her. Bette looked at her a little unsure. she saw that Tina was playing with her wedding band. Her wife had lost a lot of weight recently and her ring was a little lose.

Sims walked in and smiled before sitting in the arm chair looking at the couple, seeing that Tina was trying to protect herself.

"Today is going to be tough, I warn you but we are going to talk and try and move forward." Sims said.

Tina nodded,

"I'm ready," Bette said slowly, Xavier was in the stroller beside her sleeping.

"Tina, tell me about Claire,"

At the mention of Claire's name Tina tensed they hadn't really spoken about her since she had committed suicide on their driveway.

"I...erm..." Tina took a deep breath, she was shaking. That was too much for Bette. She reached out and took Tina's hand. Wrapping her fingers Tina's small hand.

"I'm not your enemy," Bette whispered. "I'm your wife, your lover and your best friend, I'm here to support you. I care."

Again Tina nodded and moved slightly, she was loving the feeling of her wife's hand in hers.

"Claire," Tina took another deep breath, "She was my best friend from high school. I wasn't a popular kid. I kept myself to myself. I mean my parents were abusive the last thing I wanted was to bring people home. Claire was there one day and we started talking. We must have been about fourteen. We decided to go to college and she followed me to LA, then my parents died. My mother was cheating, my father was drinking. I'd not spoken to them in months because they kept abusing me verbally for being gay. I was hiding that from Claire...I sold my first painting the week before we finished college. She joined a law firm and I bought the ranch. She would just turn up at the ranch and demand my attention when she was bored." Tina's voice was low as she spoke. "I thought it was normal, for friends just to turn up when they were bored. Then I meet Bette and everything change. Claire become violent. The night after I lost my virginity to Bette she burnt my house and studio to the ground."

"Bette was your first lover?" Sims asked,

"Yes, my parents had scared to the point that I'm anti social. I still am. I find being around a lot of people hard. When we go to LA to see Bette's friends there can be three or four conversations going on at once and I get lost completely. I was scared. Bette was my first. Claire wasn't happy,"

"Why?" Sims asked,

Tina moved closer to Bette her body touching Bette's. Bette smiled.

"Bette was known as a player,"

"Sorry?"

"Erm..." Tina stopped

"Five years before I meet Tina, I was cheated on by my long term partner Jodi. I decided to play the field a little. I could walk into a club click my fingers and a woman would come home with me. It changed for me, when I meet Tina, I saw her and my heart hit my chest so hard."

"Romantic." Tina smiled. "Claire didn't like the age gap, or the fact that I was with Bette. She went crazy. She's wasn't the person I thought she was. When she killed herself she made sure she did it so I could see. That I was hurt."

"what is the age gap?"

"I'm twenty eight and Bette will be forty in a couple of months." Tina smiled.

"Does it bother either of you?"

"No," They both said at the same time,

Tina laughed for the first time.

"Tina, tell me about your parents."

"My father was a lawyer, he is wanted to keep face in the community. I was their only child. My mother was a serial cheater. Dad took it out on me. I wasn't allowed to say anything to anyone. My father said no one would believe me. He would beat me, he thought he could beat the gay out of me. I decided to go to college as far away as possible, which was why I went to UCLA. I just become anti-social. I hated myself. I hated my feeling for women. I hated being in the city. I like the quiet. I like the ranch because it's away from everything. I love it. I love the quiet time,"

"Are you glad you've let Bette into your life?" Sims asked.

"Yes," Tina smiled softly, "Meeting Bette has changed me. I never thought I would have love in my life. I remember sitting watching her sleep after we got married. I couldn't believe that this sexy woman wanted to be with me. She wanted me. She was willing to take me, with my pity ways and my brain. We got married at the Grand Canyon and it was so romantic. She took me to Yellowstone for our honeymoon and I got sick and she looked after me. She's made love to me and help me have a child. Bette, Xavier and my art are my world now and I could have so easily could have lost it completely."

"We love you," Bette whispered, "I love you. Xavier, Shane, even Alice in her crazy ass way."

"I know, I'm sorry we are here. In this mess. I shouldn't have left that night. I shouldn't have tied to end it. I should have spoken to you. I feel like I've let you down and I've let Xavier down."

"You haven't let anyone down, you're amazing." Bette moved closer to her wife and hugged her. Tina held her back, taking in her wife's smell, just remembering what it was like to be this close to her, in her arms.

Sims watched the couple making notes. She decided to take her leave. She said goodbye. Tina nodded and watched her leave. Bette got Xavier out of his stroller. He opened his eyes as Tina took him, resting in on her legs. Looking at him, taking him in, he held her finger as tickled her tummy with the other hand,

"I love you little man," She smiled as she held him,

Bette took out her phone and took a couple of photos.

"Do you want to feed him?"

"I'd love too," Tina smiled.

Bette got up and walked around to Tina's private kitchen and heated up his bottle as Tina moved and got more comfortable with her son, Bette passed Tina and the bottle and sat beside her.

"Thank you for trusting me." Tina whispered

"He is our son, our son. You have to learn to care of him like I do, because you'll be home soon. We are a family. I love you both so much. I really do. I want to be with you forever. I see a future with you. We are going to get through this. You're my world."

"Thank you, I love you, so much. Please don't give up on me,"

Bette reached over and touched her wife's face and ran her fingers along her face.

"I'm not giving up on you, us orour family."