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. Bite your tongue, Billie Charland.I happen to like who I am.Iagree that some things in life are easier if you go with the flow, butswimming against the current is so much more interesting.Sure, weface more obstacles because of whom we love, but so far we vebeen able to get over every hurdle, and we ll get over this one aswell, somehow.Besides, if we were straight, we wouldn t betogether and that would be such a tragedy. Billie grinned. Consider my tongue bitten. * * * 168The holidays came and went at the Charland/O Grady housewith not one visitor except Cat s parents and the people they workedwith.Even though they decorated their home gaily in holidaythemes, the Trick-or-Treaters bypassed their house on Halloween, aswell as the carolers did at Christmas.They were thankful that the children still had their friends atschool.At Christmas, Tara and Seth brought small gifts to schoolfor their best friends, a little girl named Karissa, and a boy namedStevie.They learned later that these children belonged to Jen andFred Swenson and lived a couple of houses down the street.On Christmas morning, Billie barely had time to pull theblanket over their nakedness when Seth burst through the door andpounced on the bed. Mom! Santa found us at our new house. I told you he would.Where s your sister? Billie asked. She s looking at the presents under the tree.There s agazillion of them. Go tell her not to open anything yet, Cat said. Mom and Iwill get Skylar up, and we ll be down in a few minutes. Okay. Seth scampered off the bed and ran out of the room.Billie looked at Cat. I m not looking forward to the day theylearn Santa isn t real. Me, either.We ll lose our leverage.It s great to hold Santaover their heads when they re acting up. You got that right. Mom and Dad should be here later this morning.They ll needto head home at a reasonable hour this evening.They ve got anearly flight out to Florida in the morning. I m glad they waited until after Christmas to go, Billie said. With my parents gone and Brian s pretty much divorced from Seth,Mom and Dad are the only grandparents he has. They love him like their own, you know. I know they do, and I couldn t be more grateful.I mconvinced you inherited your loving heart from them. Merry Christmas, my love. Merry Christmas to you too, Cat. * * *After the first big snowfall, Seth and Tara dragged Billie out ofthe house and enlisted her help to build a snow igloo in the frontyard.It took them most of the day, but when they finished, it was 169big enough for Billie s tall frame to stand in.The neighborhood kidscollected on the sidewalk outside their fence and marveled at thesize of it. Wow, Mom.It s huge, Tara exclaimed. That s cool, Ms.Charland.Awesome.I wish we could play init, too, one of the kids outside the fence said.Billie walked over to the fence. You know you re welcome tocome in and play. My mom and dad won t let me was the common response. Do me a favor, will you? Billie asked. Go home and tellyour parents that just because Cat and I are gay, it doesn t mean thatSeth and Tara are, and it doesn t mean that you guys will becomegay if you re friends with them.Oh, and also tell them that I mwilling to talk to them if they want to discuss it.All right? Can youremember all that? They all nodded and ran off to deliver their messages.Billie turned to Seth and Tara and rubbed her hands together. What do you say we go sweet-talk Mama into making us some hotchocolate? Oh boy, Tara said as she ran toward the house.Seth walked up to his mother and took her hand.Billie saw thesadness in his face.She knelt down on one knee and took his face inher hands. I m sorry about all of this.I know you wish your friendscould come and play.I hope this blows over soon. It s okay, Mom.I can still play with my friends at school.Iwas worried about you and Mama.Sometimes I hear Mama cryingwhen you talk about it.It makes me sad to hear her cry. Billie realized Seth was right.There were a few times whenCat had cried while they discussed the prejudice around them.Shedidn t realize that her sensitive son had picked up on it.Billie pulled him in close. Seth, you re such a wonderful boy.We love you very much.Don t you ever change.Deal? Deal. Piggyback ride into the house? she asked. Yeah! Climb on, partner. Billie dropped to one knee and allowedSeth to climb onto her back.* * *Later that evening, when the children were asleep, Billie andCat went downstairs into the family room and cuddled together on 170the couch in front of the fireplace.They wrapped themselves in alarge blanket and sipped mugs of hot-spiced apple cider.Thedancing flames of the fire captivated them as their gazes affixed onthe red-yellow glow.After a while, Billie broke the silence and told Cat about theconfrontation in the front yard and about her conversation with Seth.As always, when they talked about how their children were hurt bythe situation, Cat began to cry.Billie held her close. Please don tcry, love.Sooner or later, they ll come around.Please don t giveup. But we ve lived here for six months, and nothing much haschanged. I know. Billie snuggled close to Cat. But this can t go onforever.Somehow it will get better.I know it will. How s your cider holding up? Cat asked. It s almost gone. Cat peered into Billie s near-empty mug. Why don t youfinish that last swallow, and I ll go check on the kids and refill ourmugs [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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. Bite your tongue, Billie Charland.I happen to like who I am.Iagree that some things in life are easier if you go with the flow, butswimming against the current is so much more interesting.Sure, weface more obstacles because of whom we love, but so far we vebeen able to get over every hurdle, and we ll get over this one aswell, somehow.Besides, if we were straight, we wouldn t betogether and that would be such a tragedy. Billie grinned. Consider my tongue bitten. * * * 168The holidays came and went at the Charland/O Grady housewith not one visitor except Cat s parents and the people they workedwith.Even though they decorated their home gaily in holidaythemes, the Trick-or-Treaters bypassed their house on Halloween, aswell as the carolers did at Christmas.They were thankful that the children still had their friends atschool.At Christmas, Tara and Seth brought small gifts to schoolfor their best friends, a little girl named Karissa, and a boy namedStevie.They learned later that these children belonged to Jen andFred Swenson and lived a couple of houses down the street.On Christmas morning, Billie barely had time to pull theblanket over their nakedness when Seth burst through the door andpounced on the bed. Mom! Santa found us at our new house. I told you he would.Where s your sister? Billie asked. She s looking at the presents under the tree.There s agazillion of them. Go tell her not to open anything yet, Cat said. Mom and Iwill get Skylar up, and we ll be down in a few minutes. Okay. Seth scampered off the bed and ran out of the room.Billie looked at Cat. I m not looking forward to the day theylearn Santa isn t real. Me, either.We ll lose our leverage.It s great to hold Santaover their heads when they re acting up. You got that right. Mom and Dad should be here later this morning.They ll needto head home at a reasonable hour this evening.They ve got anearly flight out to Florida in the morning. I m glad they waited until after Christmas to go, Billie said. With my parents gone and Brian s pretty much divorced from Seth,Mom and Dad are the only grandparents he has. They love him like their own, you know. I know they do, and I couldn t be more grateful.I mconvinced you inherited your loving heart from them. Merry Christmas, my love. Merry Christmas to you too, Cat. * * *After the first big snowfall, Seth and Tara dragged Billie out ofthe house and enlisted her help to build a snow igloo in the frontyard.It took them most of the day, but when they finished, it was 169big enough for Billie s tall frame to stand in.The neighborhood kidscollected on the sidewalk outside their fence and marveled at thesize of it. Wow, Mom.It s huge, Tara exclaimed. That s cool, Ms.Charland.Awesome.I wish we could play init, too, one of the kids outside the fence said.Billie walked over to the fence. You know you re welcome tocome in and play. My mom and dad won t let me was the common response. Do me a favor, will you? Billie asked. Go home and tellyour parents that just because Cat and I are gay, it doesn t mean thatSeth and Tara are, and it doesn t mean that you guys will becomegay if you re friends with them.Oh, and also tell them that I mwilling to talk to them if they want to discuss it.All right? Can youremember all that? They all nodded and ran off to deliver their messages.Billie turned to Seth and Tara and rubbed her hands together. What do you say we go sweet-talk Mama into making us some hotchocolate? Oh boy, Tara said as she ran toward the house.Seth walked up to his mother and took her hand.Billie saw thesadness in his face.She knelt down on one knee and took his face inher hands. I m sorry about all of this.I know you wish your friendscould come and play.I hope this blows over soon. It s okay, Mom.I can still play with my friends at school.Iwas worried about you and Mama.Sometimes I hear Mama cryingwhen you talk about it.It makes me sad to hear her cry. Billie realized Seth was right.There were a few times whenCat had cried while they discussed the prejudice around them.Shedidn t realize that her sensitive son had picked up on it.Billie pulled him in close. Seth, you re such a wonderful boy.We love you very much.Don t you ever change.Deal? Deal. Piggyback ride into the house? she asked. Yeah! Climb on, partner. Billie dropped to one knee and allowedSeth to climb onto her back.* * *Later that evening, when the children were asleep, Billie andCat went downstairs into the family room and cuddled together on 170the couch in front of the fireplace.They wrapped themselves in alarge blanket and sipped mugs of hot-spiced apple cider.Thedancing flames of the fire captivated them as their gazes affixed onthe red-yellow glow.After a while, Billie broke the silence and told Cat about theconfrontation in the front yard and about her conversation with Seth.As always, when they talked about how their children were hurt bythe situation, Cat began to cry.Billie held her close. Please don tcry, love.Sooner or later, they ll come around.Please don t giveup. But we ve lived here for six months, and nothing much haschanged. I know. Billie snuggled close to Cat. But this can t go onforever.Somehow it will get better.I know it will. How s your cider holding up? Cat asked. It s almost gone. Cat peered into Billie s near-empty mug. Why don t youfinish that last swallow, and I ll go check on the kids and refill ourmugs [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]