Chapter 2, Part 2 "Maxime" Tuesday, May 31, 2033
I've given this a lot of thought and I think it'll work. Mom's smart, she has a knack for figuring things out, and she usually gets home before Dad. I wait ... listening ... pacing back and forth in the foyer ... and listening some more. Aslan's looking at me wondering why I'm wigging out. Waiting is the most difficult part. I'll be glad when all this is over, no matter what the outcome. Pacing ... listening ... waiting ... waiting ... waiting ... and finally there it is -- the sound of the garage door opening. I open the door to the foyer coat closet, go inside, and close the door behind me ... and listen ... and wait. Waiting, waiting, waiting ... what is she doing? Finally, I hear the door open from the garage into the foyer. I wait ... one second ... two seconds ... three seconds ... then I open the door and step out right in front of my mom.
"Ta da!" I say, spreading my arms and smiling.
After taking a few seconds to put two and two together, Mom looks at me with an expression of growing amusement and finally says, "I know."
"How?" I ask, totally perplexed. How did Sam know the other day? Her knowing smile told me she knew.
"Mothers know these things. How `bout a hug, and nowadays it doesn't matter. Remember, this is 2033." she says as she puts down her briefcase and spreads her arms wide.
Hugging my mom, I say, "I know it's not a big deal anymore. I just didn't think you knew yet."
Chapter 2, Part 3 "Camile" Tuesday, May 31, 2033
Whew! This garage is stuffy. Someday garages will be air conditioned. As I enter the house, Maxime jumps out of the foyer coat closet.
"Ta da!" he says proudly, spreading his arms wide, a big smile on his face.
`Ta da' what? What am I supposed to see? I don't see anything different ... except for my son coming out of the ...
The pieces gradually come together in my mind, and I'm impressed with my son's creative sense of humor. A smile slowly grows on my face. "I know," I calmly say. Actually, I don't know, but I read somewhere a while back that if a child comes out to a parent, the best thing to say is I know' and then give the child a big hug. That made sense to me then, and I'm glad I remembered that article just now. By saying I know,' I'm showing my son that nothing's changed. I haven't been treating him differently even though I already knew he was gay -- or at least he thinks I knew. Also, it makes me look pretty darn smart.
As we hug, I get a whiff of his hair and body odor and say, "shower or swim?"
"Swim," he responds and dashes off to get his swimsuit. "Love ya, Mom."
"I love you, too, hun." Coming out isn't the problematic bullying issue that it was at the turn of the century. Thank God we've made progress on this issue. For some reason, potential grandkids come to mind. Well, there's always adoption.