Despite the difficult parting with DeGeneres (and the comedienne's public refusal to read Heche's book), the actress's sentiments about her former flame seem to echo her new mantra.

"I don't know what she'd do to me if she saw me in public. I have no idea," says Heche. "Of course, a love relationship happens with two people, and when they break up it happens because of two people; not one person is responsible. I would never say a bad word about Ellen. I am very grateful for my relationship. I hope the best for her. I hope she's happy. I also know that it's more painful to be left, and what consequences that has, I can't say. But, sure, I hope the best for her. I watched her on the Emmys, I thought she did a great job. And I hope for her success and love. I've heard she's going to get married and have a baby. Awesome. I hope the best for her, as I do for everybody. That doesn't mean that our breakup is easy."

Heche's thoughts are clearly elsewhere these days. "I'm also a newlywed, so my husband and I both took time off to say, this is our last nine months without a baby. So, the biggest kick has actually been the joy we've been able to have as a couple taking off a year. But I'd say, when you get to that seventh month and you start to feel the kicks -- that's the biggest kick. It's really outrageous to feel that you have a child inside you and that you are housing a life. That's really magical. It's an awesome time in my life."

Kate Perchuk is an entertainment writer in New York.