"It doesn’t sound like her mother would care if she were dating a serial killer."
"She probably wouldn’t," Mia said. "She’s a sorry excuse for a parent." She wrapped her arms around her mother and gave her a gentle hug. "You’ve always been a good parent, Mom, and part of the reason you’re good is because you care about me, and you want to make sure I make good choices in life. I know this one is hard for you to accept, but it’s the right one for me – I’m sure of that."
"I know you are, Mia," Anna Lisa said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I can see how determined you are about this."
"Jordan means everything to me, Mom. I’ll do whatever I have to do to protect this relationship."
Mia pushed her chair away from the table, moaning, "I wish I’d worn sweats. I might be able to eat another bite or two if I had an elastic waistband."
"At least I don’t have to wonder if you liked it," Anna Lisa said, smiling at her. "It’s very simple to make, honey. I’d be happy to teach you."
"I wouldn’t enjoy as much it if I made it for myself. I think it’s so good because you make it for me."
"I’d do anything for you, Mia. I hope you know that." Anna Lisa looked down at the table and ordered her thoughts, then said, "Even when I do something that hurts you, or makes you angry, I do it because I think it’s the right thing for you."
The look on her mother’s face and the tone of her voice set off warning bells; and Mia quickly looked to her father, seeing him staring at the table. "What’s going on?" the younger woman asked.
"Your father and I have talked it over, and we’ve decided that we can’t support your choice to be in this relationship. I know this will upset you, but I want to make it clear that we support you – we just don’t think this is right for you."
"So, what does that mean?" she asked, her whole body starting to shake.
"We’ll do whatever we have to do to stop you from going forward with this, Mia. You made it clear that you don’t think you’re a lesbian – someday, probably soon – you’re going to see that this isn’t right for you. We’re trying to save you, and Jordan, from a lot of heartache."
"Bullshit!" she said, throwing her napkin down onto the table. "You’re full of it, Mom! That’s not your motivation, and you know it!"
"It is, too!" Anna Lisa shouted, her volume rising over Mia’s. "What kind of man will want to marry you when you tell him you were lovers with a woman for a year or two? This is only a phase, Mia, but it will come back to haunt you!"
"What in the hell are you talking about? I’d never marry a guy who was so narrow minded that it freaked him out to learn about Jordan! Besides, I’m not gonna marry anyone but her!"
"You’re being ridiculous!" Anna Lisa said. "You can’t marry her – you’ll never be able to marry her! There are laws against that kind of thing, and for good reason!"
"Great! just great! You’re probably gonna vote for Proposition 22! My own parents!"
"We are not," Adam said, looking to his wife for the confirmation that didn’t come. "Well, I’m not. I don’t want you to get hurt, Mia. I don’t want you to close off your options – you’re too young."
"I’m old enough to know that I’m in love," the younger woman declared. "You can’t change that!"
"Maybe not," Anna Lisa said, "but we don’t have to support it. If you continue with this, we’re not going to support you next year like we said we would."
Mia shoved her chair back, knocking it to the floor as she stood. "So, this is what love is, huh? You love me, and support me as long as I’m doing what you want. But as soon as I do something that doesn’t suit you – you cut me off financially. That sucks!"
"You watch your mouth, young lady, or we’ll cut your support off now!"
"Go right ahead," the younger woman spat. "I don’t want your fucking money!"
"Don’t you dare speak like that in this house!" Anna Lisa cried. "Don’t you dare!"
Mia leaned over her mother, fixing her with a fierce glower. "Fuck … you," she said, enunciating each word clearly.
"Mia!" Adam shouted. "You apologize to your mother, right now!"
"I will not," she said, giving him the same look. "You’re both a couple of hypocrites!"
She ran upstairs, throwing her things into her bag. Moments later, she was back downstairs, her parents still sitting at the dining table, but with Anna Lisa’s face now filled with rage. "You think you can talk to me like that? I’ll show you who’s boss, Mia! As of today – you’re cut off! Give me your car keys! You can take the bus back to Berkeley!"
"The car’s in my name," the younger woman said. "It’s paid off, and it’s mine!"
"You don’t pay the insurance!" Anna Lisa countered.
"Cancel it," Mia taunted her. "See if I care! I’ve got nothing, and if I get into an accident they can take me to the county hospital."
"We’ll see how long you last without your charge cards or your checking account," Anna Lisa said. "You know you can’t live without shopping!"
"I won’t have time to shop," Mia said. "I’ll be working."
"You know as well as I do that you don’t have the ability to get a decent job in Berkeley. What are you going to do? Make coffee at Starbuck’s after class?"
"I’m not going to be in Berkeley," Mia declared. "I’m going to be in Colorado Springs. I’ll send you my new address." She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder, and made for the door.
"Mia! Get back here right this instant!" her mother yelled.
"You can’t make me stay and listen to this crap," she said. "You don’t have any power over me, Mother. I’m going to be with Jordan – she’s the only one who loves me for who I am."
"We love you, Mia," her father said. "We really do."
"You’ve got a damned funny way of showing it, Dad. Cutting me off financially, and making me have to get a job to support myself isn’t the most loving act I’ve ever heard of."
"Anna, can’t we talk about this?" Adam asked in a pleading tone.
"No! Mia thinks she’s an adult. Let her prove it!"
Walking to the door, Mia stood with her hand on the knob for a moment, then turned and faced her mother. "I’m sorry I told you to fuck off. That was rude, and disrespectful." She reached for the door again, saying, "Goodbye," over her shoulder.
With tears streaking her face, Mia drove to the closest ATM. She took out $500, the maximum for a single day, then started to head towards the city. When she neared the airport, she had an idea, and took the first exit. After parking in a short-term lot, she went to Continental Airlines and found a pleasant woman at the ticket counter. "Hi," she said, sniffing a little. "I’m going to need to go to Denver on short notice. If I buy an unrestricted ticket, can I trade it in, or get a refund?"
"Yes. An unrestricted ticket is the same as cash. You can use it for any of our flights."
"Great." She looked at the receipt she’d gotten from the ATM, checking her balance. "I need a ticket that costs $1500, tax included. What have you got?"
The woman looked at her confusedly. "I’m not sure I understand …"
"Look," Mia said, "It’s too complicated to explain. I need to go to several different places over the next couple of months, but I’m not sure where or when. I’ve got $1500 in my account, but I won’t have it for long. So, I thought I’d better get a ticket to somewhere, and then trade it for what I need, when I need it."
The woman looked at her for a moment, then gave her a sympathetic smile. "Divorce?"
"Something like that," Mia nodded. "Bad break-up."
Back in her car, Mia dialed her parent’s home, pleased when her father picked up. "I cleared out my checking account, Dad. I’ll pay you back after I get a job, but I had to have enough money to get to Denver. I assume that Mom already canceled my charge cards."
"Uhm … yeah, she did," he admitted. "She tried to contact the bank, but they were closed."
"Well, I’d appreciate it if you don’t put a stop payment on the check I wrote
to Continental Airlines. I think kiting a check for that much is a felony, and a prison record would really turn off the man you two envision me marrying."
"Mia, can’t we discuss this rationally?"
"I thought we had," she said. "But you know, you and Mom weren’t alone at all today. You had to have made up your minds about this last night."
He was quiet for a moment, then said, "That’s true."
"So, my talking about Jordan and trying to let you two see what she meant to me was a complete waste of my time. Nothing that I said mattered, Dad. Is that what you call discussing something rationally?"
"I’m sorry, honey," he said. "I swear that I am. I don’t want you to quit school and move away. Please reconsider."
"No, I can’t, Dad. I learned tonight that you have to have the guts to back up your choices in life. I … choose … Jordan."
The partygoers had to park so far away, that they were only four blocks from the O’Flaherty home. "Why didn’t we park in the garage and walk?" Ryan asked.
"Look at the bright side," Jamie said. "If you drink too much, you don’t have to worry about driving."
"The pizza’s getting cold," Ryan grumbled. "I should have dropped you guys off first."
"Then the pizza would be gone," Jordan said, bumping her friend with her hip. "I didn’t get lunch."
"You were asleep all day," Ryan reminded her. "I guess we could have hooked you up to an IV …"
"I didn’t get any exercise today, either," Jordan said. "Maybe I should take that pizza and run the rest of the way."
"No, thanks," Ryan said, clutching the box a little tighter. "I’ve seen how you can chow down when you’re hungry. I’m glad we bought a large."
"There’s plenty here for both of you," Jamie insisted. "Now, behave or I’ll have to separate you."
"Ahh … I haven’t heard that threat in years," Ryan said, smiling fondly.
"Well, if our kids are anything like you, you’ll be uttering that threat constantly in a few years," Jamie said, laughing at the insulted look on her lover’s face.
When they reached the proper street, Ryan ran in to a corner mini-mart and bought a twelve pack of beer – knowing that at least half of her purchase would be absconded with before the night was over. As usual, she bought the most offbeat brand she could find – merely so she could identify the thieves and give them a hard time.
Walking into the party, the trio was assaulted by a sea of humanity – seemingly filling every inch of the two-bedroom, second floor apartment. "Let’s try the other place," Ryan said, leading the way to the third floor.
"Other place?" Jamie asked.
"The party’s given by women who live on the second and third floors of this three flat," Ryan said. "Eventually, the guy on the first floor will get sick of their parties and move out – then they can have someone they know move in down there, and they’ll have the whole building."
As she had guessed, the third floor was significantly less crowded, and Ryan led the way to the kitchen, nodding and waving at people as they moved. A woman walked into the kitchen and gave Ryan a very friendly kiss, lingering longer than Jamie was comfortable with. "Bring your own, babe?" the woman asked.
"Yep," Ryan said. "Are you the enforcer, Judith?"
"Yeah. I try to catch people when they first get here and try to squeeze five bucks out of ‘em. But since you brought your own, you don’t have to pay."
"Oh, we can pay," Jamie offered. "Are you running short?"
Judith leaned against the counter and gave Jamie a long look. "Introductions, Rock?" she asked, her eyes never leaving the blonde.
"My fiancée," Ryan said with mock formality. "Jamie Evans, this is Judith Case."
"I never thought I’d see it," Judith said, shaking Jamie’s hand. "Are you sure you know what you’re getting into with this one?" She wrapped her arm around Ryan’s neck and gave her a gentle rap on the head.
"I’m learning more every day," Jamie said, sticking her tongue out at her partner. "This is our friend, Jordan, Judith. She helps me keep Ryan in line."
"Oh, I always knew it would take more than one woman to tame this one," Judith said, laughing heartily.
"It takes a village," Ryan said, wrinkling her nose at her old friend. "But Jamie has primary responsibilities."
"Well, give me a buzz if you need any help, Jamie. I know she can wear you out."
Jamie gave the woman an enigmatic smile, raising an eyebrow at her lover as Judith left the room. "Have you worn Judith out, sweetheart?"
"Uhm … wow, we’d better get these beers chilled, huh?" There were two plastic trash bins filled with ice, sitting in the middle of the kitchen, and Ryan dumped the beer into the depths, retaining three bottles for them to drink immediately. "Let me find a spot for the pizza, and we’re ready to rock."
"Silence is affirmation, O’Flaherty," Jamie said, making Jordan snicker.
"I take the fifth," the brunette said. "I never kiss and tell." She added a wink, saying, "You know I have a fatal weakness for blondes."
While giving her partner a pinch, Jamie looked around at the small counters, bursting with boxes, bags and takeout containers. "Martha Stewart would throw up if she took a peek into this place," she said, chuckling softly.
"Hey, they have a few decorative touches," Ryan insisted. "See the nice plants?"
The blonde took note of the six potted marijuana plants, with a grow light hanging over them. "My mistake," she giggled. "Martha is very much in favor of edible plants."
"Sorry you came?" Ryan asked, leaning over so only Jamie could hear. "Did meeting Judith bother you?"
"No, not at all, baby. I love to see how you lived in your single days. It’s like getting a glimpse into your past."
They took the pizza and tried to find a flat surface to place it on, but Ryan stopped short on the way to an empty coffee table. "What’s wrong?" Jamie asked, having run into her partner’s back.
"Look who’s on the sofa," Ryan said, sounding very unhappy.
Jamie took a peek around her shoulder, seeing Jordan put the pizza down on a table just feet from a torrid make-out session – being conducted by Sara and Ally.
"Oops," Jamie said. "Well, not much we can do about it now. We’d better go say hello."
"In a minute," Ryan said, turning on her heel and disappearing before Jamie could say another word.
Rolling her eyes, Jamie went over to sit on the floor and dig into the pizza. Noting Ryan’s absence, Jordan looked around questioningly. Jamie twitched her head in the direction of the trysting couple behind them, and Jordan nodded. Leaning in close, she asked, "What’s up with that? Does she like those two, or not? She invites them to her house, and then acts like she can’t wait to get away from them."
"That’s about it," Jamie admitted. "You’ll have to ask her if you want a more detailed answer. Sometimes the reasons behind her behavior elude me," she said, adding a wink. "Let’s eat as much as we can before she gets back. If she’s gonna pout, she’s gotta suffer."
After about ten minutes, Sara broke away from Ally’s fervid embrace, and ran her hands through her hair to settle it. Jamie saw the opportunity, and raised her voice above the din. "Hi, guys."
"Jamie!" Sara said, looking mortally embarrassed. Her eyes shifted to Jordan, and her head cocked a little, then she said, "Hi, Jordan. Uhm … I … uhm …"
Ally came to her rescue, saying, "Hi, Jamie, Jordan. Sorry about the blatant PDA. We haven’t seen each other for a few days. Sara was on a business trip, and she just got here a few minutes ago. You know how it is."
"I do," Jamie nodded, smiling.
"Count me in," Jordan said. "Mia’s supposed to be here soon, and when she gets here I want us to be doing exactly what you were doing."
"Where’s Ryan?" Sara asked, looking around the room.
"Oh, she’s around here somewhere. She knows an awful lot of people."
"How are things in Colorado, Jordan?" Sara asked.
"Cold … lonely,"
she said, smiling shyly. "But it would be perfect if Mia were with me."
"I know what you mean," Sara said, giving Ally a squeeze. "I just saw my sweetie on Tuesday night, and here I am, making a fool of myself."
"You don’t look foolish," Jamie insisted. "When Ryan and I were first together, we snuck around campus, making out in every dark corner we could find."
Sara looked at her for a moment, then said, "You know, I could spend the rest of the evening being embarrassed – or I could slip my arms around this gorgeous woman and kiss her until her toes curl." Leaning so close to Ally that the larger woman could feel her warm breath caress her lips, Sara added, "I’d have to be a fool not to choose to kiss her." As the pair came together again, Jamie turned her back to give them some privacy, and said to Jordan, "We’ve been together 9 months, and I can’t even get Ryan to stay in the same room with me. What am I doing wrong?"
"Want me to go find her for you?"
"Nah. She’ll show up when she’s good and ready. If she’s not back by the time Mia gets here, I’ll go find her." Her eye was caught by a curly head, and she elbowed Jordan. "I think it’s your turn to start kissing, buddy."
Jordan was on her feet in less than a second, dashing across the room to throw her arms around Mia and hug her enthusiastically. "Mmm … I missed you," she sighed.
Mia held on tight, and buried her head deep into Jordan’s shoulder. When the taller woman felt Mia’s body begin to shake, she pulled back and stared at her in alarm. "Honey! You’re crying … what’s wrong?"
"Oh, Jordy, it was awful," she sniffed, tears slipping down her cheeks.
Jordan looked around the room, saw a deserted corner, and said, "Let’s go sit over there and you can tell me all about it. Can I get you a beer?"
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