Her Portrait Is Black and White

Conversations

Bette walked up and down the gallery she had decided to meet Shane and Alice together, but she didn't want to do it at the house the last thing she wanted awas for Tina to get upset again in her own home. She had managed to calm her wife the night before, they had made love for the first time in months and it had been amazing. She'd enjoyed just being with her wife, having that private time. They had woken wrapped in each other's arms this morning and she had felt her wife was relaxed and at ease. She had helped her clean the cut on Tina's foot and had left her for a couple of hours with Xavier and one of the nurses.

Bette's heels clicked on the floor as she took in the photos that were currently for sale in the gallery. She heard the doors open and Bette looked up as Shane and Alice walked, Alice already looked scared. Bette walked over and locked the door before walking back down the gallery and offer her friends a seat.

"I'm sorry Bette." Alice said at once.

Bette looked at her friend.

"Alice, you're my oldest friend and you've hurt me and my family." Bette was calm, her voice level. "I want to know what you said,"

Alice didn't answer, Shane looked at Alice and then at Bette.

"We were in the Planet," Shane started.

"Shane..." Alice hissed looking at her friend.

"We have to be honest here, Alice. I don't want to lose Bette or Tina from my life. We should have been honest with them. I've felt guilty." Shane said. "The last thing I've ever wanted to do was hurt Tina."

"Well Tina is hurt," Bette said, "And so am I, now well me what happened,"

"We were at the Planet, Jodi and a few others were around," Shane said, "We went to the bar, Alice and I. Jodi asked where you were and Alice said. 'She's with her crazy wife'." She said.

Bette shook her head,

"Crazy wife, you called my wife, the woman I love more than anyone else in this world. You called her crazy. She's not crazy Alice."

"She's..." Alice didn't know how to word it. She knew she'd messed up.

"My wife suffers from mental illnesses, she's not crazy. How dare you tell anyone that she is crazy? Do you understand what you could do to her? You're the reason my wife is being talked about, gossiped about. She's a unique woman. You've never bothered to get to know her."

"She took you away," Alice said suddenly.

Bette looked at her friend.

"What are you talking about Alice?" Bette asked,

"She came into your life and took you away. You don't even live in LA, it takes an hour and a half to get to your house, you barely come out anymore. You've made it less and less to morning breakfast. You're not the friend you used to be."

Bette shook her head. she got up.

"I fell in love Alice. My god."

"She's changed you."

"Listen to me, and listen to me well. My wife is not crazy, my wife is the person I love most in life. Yes she has changed me, but I've not given away anything. We come to breakfast when we can, we have you all over when we can. But I'm not 20 anymore. We are not twenty any more. I have a wife, a multi-million dollar busines and a son. I have a life. I love my friends. I do. I love you all. But things change." Bette said. "I would like to make some things clear."