Beards

by Serena J Bishop

“Not really. She needs to be home long enough for us to really talk and without being exhausted from the day.”

  Early took a sip of her wine. “Want to know what you should do? You should use your spring break to go down to the beach for a long weekend to celebrate your anniversary. No work stuff allowed. Get a room with a nice bathtub and have inventive sex in it. Have a few nice meals where there is no macaroni and cheese or chicken fingers. I’m sure after that you will come back here rejuvenated and resemble that perky blonde who left her lacy panties in my living room all those years ago.”

  Roni chuckled into her wine.

  “And when you do go back to work, you march into the head administration building, request a transfer to a building that isn’t led by the village idiot, and work on that résumé in case they don’t. And for God’s sake, have lunch with Allison. She’s your only friend outside of this nuthouse. I know you miss her.”

  “I really do. I don’t even know if she and Paul are still a thing.” She thought more about the potential of a romantic getaway to the beach. “You and Steven would be fine watching Stevie while Gina and I went away?”

  ***

  “Quit worrying,” Steven calmly directed Roni over the phone. Early held up the movie Stevie had chosen in front of him. Steven did a small fist pump in celebration. He loved Aladdin too and the fact that Early could perform all of the songs was a bonus. “It’s not like you didn’t trust Early during the day with him since he was born. I might also add that it’s insulting that you don’t think I can take care of my own son. ”

  “I know. I’m sorry. It’s just—”

  “You miss your little boy,” Steven finished for her. “I know. I get it. But more importantly, did you talk to Gina yet?” Steven had given Gina a heads-up on the conversation topic of how much she worked. It was true that detectives put in unexpected hours, but she was going to have to rein Jack in and start modernizing their approach.

  “We did talk over dinner last night. She agreed that she does work too much and would cut back her hours. And I told her that I knew I brought home a lot of stress so I would look for a new job.”

  “Good, that’s good.” Steven pointed to the mint chocolate chip ice cream Early had in his hand and Early mimed holding a phone to his ear. “Ah, I think Early wants to talk to you.”

  Early accepted the phone after he traded the ice cream for a kiss. “Hey, honey,” he said to Roni, “did you find my gift yet?”

  “Pulling a few strings here to get us this room was gift enough.” Roni walked over to her suitcase and riffled through the clothes she packed. “I don’t see anything.”

  “Look in the section with your bras and panties.”

  “You went through my underwear?” Roni asked indignantly.

  “I’ve worn your underwear and you’ve worn mine, if you recall. Jesus, lady! When did you get so uptight?”

  Roni looked through her undergarments and found a thin, wrapped, rectangular box about the size of her hand that had been flush against the bottom of her small suitcase. “Found it.”

  “Have lots of fun with it. Now, I’m going to go because I have a date with my two favorite men.” He hung up and cheerfully collapsed on the couch beside Steven. “It’s movie time, Stevie!”

  Stevie heard his name and turned from his spot on the beanbag chair, mint ice cream covering his smiling lips, chin, and a bit on his nose. “Aladdin, Daddy!”

  “Aladdin, Daddy, what?”

  “Pease.”

  Steven pressed play on the VHS remote. Beside him, Early began to softly sing “Arabian Nights” while Stevie did the same from his position on the beanbag chair. Steven smiled as he listened to their harmony and brought a spoonful of ice cream to his lips. He had carved himself a very happy life.

  SEPTEMBER 2014: SOCIAL CHANGE

  “ALADDIN IS MY FAVORITE TOO!” Bradyn squealed, much more excited over that than the bland salad in front of her. “You know, if your nose was pointier, you could pull of Jafar.”

  “I should do that for Halloween!” Stevie did have a flair for costumes and dramatics. He was fairly certain that was Early’s influence. “And Devin’s visiting that weekend too. He would totally wear the greasepaint to play Genie or start tanning to be Aladdin. Do you want to be Jasmine?” His brow furrowed at a connection and picked a fry off of his cheeseburger platter, “But he’s not allowed to put any moves on you.”

  Bradyn’s grinned at her boyfriend’s excitement and the prospect of a themed Halloween dress-up. “That would be really fun—especially the part where he doesn’t put any moves on me. The surfer-dude look is so not up my alley.”

  “I would hope not,” he dabbed the fry in ketchup.

  “Speaking of Devin, you haven’t brought him up yet,” she commented and stole a fry. “I thought you met him when you were really young.”

  “We did. I met him in kindergarten and then things got weird again.”

  Bradyn’s face soured. “Your mom wasn’t able to get a new job.”

  “She did. Believe it or not, she became principal of a small private school as soon as she started sending out her résumé. Things got weird again because of Devin’s parents.”

  “Are they right-wing nut bags like your mom’s family?”

  Stevie chewed thoughtfully. “They’re more like left-wing nut bags. They really started opening up my family’s eyes to a few things. Especially Gina.”

  AUGUST 2000

  STEVIE STOOD SHYLY BETWEEN HIS mother and uniformed father. He held both of their hands as he craned his neck upwards to see his teacher for the first time. She had obsidian hair, skin that was a lighter shade than Stevie’s, and high, full cheeks.

  “Hello, I’m Miss Kim, and thank you so much for coming in today.”

  Roni shook the young teacher’s hand. “You’re welcome. This is important and exciting, seeing where our little boy will go to school.” She observed the bright colors, tiny chairs, and organized cubbies.

  “I’m glad you see it that way, not all parents do.”

  “We try to be very active in Stevie’s life,” added Steven seriously. “Plus, Roni, here needs to lend a critical eye to everything.”

  “Are you a teacher?”

  Roni proudly answered, “I’m the principal over at the Christian Academy.”

  “Ah,” Miss Kim diplomatically responded. Fellow teachers or administrators could be the biggest parental pains. She redirected her attention to one of her newest students. She got down on one knee to be eye level with the young boy. “Hi, Stevie. I’m Miss Kim. Are you sure you’re starting kindergarten? You’re tall enough to be in second grade.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. Are you from Asia?” Stevie asked innocently.

  Roni and Steven’s mouths dropped in embarrassment, but Miss Kim laughed softly, much to the relief of Stevie’s parents. “I’m Korean.” She picked up an inflatable globe near her and pointed to the country in question. “Which is there.”

  “Wow. You’re from real far away,” Stevie said in awe.

  “Not really. My parents were born there. I was born in the Pittsburgh area.”

  “Like Mommy and GiGi.”

  “Yes, Stevie,” Roni confirmed and caused her son to smile proudly. “He’s very curious about where people come from and what makes people different.”

  “That’s very natural for someone of his age. Actually, one of our first units is about diversity. Often times, school is the first time children are surrounded by people who are different than themselves. Is GiGi your grandmother?”

  Before Stevie could respond, Roni answered, “Gina is his godmother. She and her husband, Early, live with us. They’re on his emergency contact list.”

  ***

  “Thank you for coming in so quickly, Mr. Thibodeaux. Have a seat,” Principal Robin said in his deep baritone. The big body and fuzzy beard matched his voice perfectly.

  “Please, call me Early,” he took his seat across from Principal Robin’s desk. He wondered what emergen
cy required him to be called out of the lunch rush. “Where’s Stevie? I thought he’d be here.”

  “He’s in the nurse’s office.”

  “Oh my God! Is he okay?”

  “Actually, he’s fine. He’s in there because he’s doing a good job of calming down the other little boy involved who was scraped up.”

  Early regarded the principal quizzically and not just because he was getting bear-vibes. “I’m confused. The woman who called me said that this was an emergency. That doesn’t sound like an emergency.”

  “It is an emergency. We take violence very seriously, especially when it’s an act of hate.”

  “Hate?” Early shook his head adamantly, “No, no, no. No! Stevie is an incredibly loving child and we’ve raised him to be very excepting of everyone, even the family of Mormons down the street from us.”

  The principal folded his burly hands on his desk and a small smile tugged at his lips. “You misunderstand, Stevie—” A knock at his partially closed door interrupted him. “Yes?”

  The office secretary opened the door fully. “Ms. Baldwin is here and she is anxious to see you.”

  “Please send her in. As I was saying. Early—”

  A woman rushed into the office. Her long blond hair, make-up free face, and curvaceous figure hidden beneath a naturally dyed cotton dress screamed “Earth mother”. “Where’s Devin? Is he okay?” She sent a vicious glare towards Early. “Are you the father of the child who has been harassing my son?”

  “No!” Early was outraged. “Stevie didn’t attack anyone. I don’t even know what the hell happened.” He looked directly at the man across from him. “This is where you explain to me why Stevie is in the nurse’s office and Gaia here is all pissed off.”

  “You’re here, Early, because Mr. and Mrs. Fields couldn’t be reached.” Principal Robin gestured to the empty seat kindly, “Please, Ms. Baldwin.”

  Once she sat, the principal offered her a tissue, which she gladly took. “Thank you.” She dabbed at her eyes, embarrassed from letting her emotions get the best of her. “We were so worried about this. Devin hasn’t even been in school a month and the bullying has started.”

  “Bullying?” Early asked Principal Robin.

  “Devin, Ms. Baldwin’s son, was being bullied by another classmate and Stevie, in a way, came to his rescue.”

  “Good for Stevie!” Early smiled, but when the principal didn’t return the goodwill, his mouth downturned into confusion. “Right?”

  The large man sighed, his shoulders stretching the seams of his shirt as he did so. “Stevie rescued Devin by throwing the ball he was playing with at the bully, which is an offense I’m going to have to suspend him for.”

  “Suspend? He’s five!”

  “If there hadn’t been bodily harm, Stevie could have just gotten a warning and a trip to the counselor. But, he bloodied the other child’s nose.” He chuckled, the reverberation carried through the room. “That boy’s got an arm on him.”

  “Well, at least that’s something that will make his father happy.” Steven was so proud that Stevie had not only taken a liking to baseball, but he was also very good at the sport.

  Devin’s mother gained control as she listened to Principal Robin’s summary. Her emotions settled and she was grateful that someone, even a small boy, protected her son. “Was Devin being bullied because of Gretchen and me?”

  “Who’s Gretchen?” Early asked.

  “My life partner.” Early’s instant and perfect smile took her by surprise. “That’s not the reaction I get from most people.”

  “Well, I am certainly not most people. I think that’s great, Ms. Baldwin.”

  “Becky. While Gaia is flattering, please call me Becky.” She smiled, a little sadly. “It is nice to know that there are strangers who are supportive.”

  “You have no idea how supportive I am,” he said seriously and then saw the incident report that had been pushed in front of him. “Do I have to sign that?”

  “I’m afraid only Mr. or Mrs. Fields can do that, but you can take it with you for them to sign.” He handed over the form to Early, who folded the triplicate legal paper and stuffed it into his back pocket. “Ms. Baldwin, you don’t need to sign anything and given the circumstances, I’d understand if you’d want to sign him out for the remainder of the day.”

  “I’ll do that. Now, if you could please show us to the nurse’s office.”

  The sound of young giggles became louder as they walked the short distance across the hall to the nurse’s office.

  “Mommy!” A very small, blond boy yelled happily and ran to Becky. His elbow was decorated with a Buzz Lightyear bandage.

  Becky kneeled in her dress and hugged him tightly. His face disappeared in her ample bosom. “Are you okay?”

  As Miss Kim and Devin filled Becky in on the details of what was said to him and how he fell down from tripping over his own feet, Early and Stevie had their own separate conversation.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get in trouble,” Stevie said in a small voice. “I just wanted to protect Devin. That’s what Daddy and GiGi do. They protect people.”

  “Your heart was in the right place, but I can’t say that your mom or dad or Gina won’t be upset you made some other kid’s face explode. We’ll have to talk about it as a family.” He kneeled down to rub both of Stevie’s shoulders to comfort him. “But you’re okay? That kid didn’t say anything to you, did he?” Stevie looked down at his shoes. “Stevie, honey, what did he say?”

  “He called me an Oreo.”

  Miss Kim stepped in, concerned. “Stevie, you didn’t tell me that.”

  “He didn’t call me that today, but he has before.” His sad eyes shifted up to Early. “I ignored him like you said I should, but then he started teasing Devin. I know I should have told Miss Kim, but Devin is nice so I had to make it stop. I think Devin’s my best friend now,” he finished with a grin.

  Early smiled at his godson and stood. In the midst of tragedy, there was the silver lining. “That’s great news.”

  “You know,” Becky approached holding Devin’s hand, “I wouldn’t mind if Stevie came over to our house sometime to play. I think it would be good for the boys.”

  Stevie turned to Early, clutched his pant leg, and jumped. “Can I, please?”

  “I’m sure that’d be fine, but let’s check in first. You might be grounded?”

  Stevie’s face skewed in confusion. “What’s grounded?”

  ***

  Roni read the incident report with a careful eye as Stevie sat swinging his legs in the tall dining room chair. She reluctantly signed the bottom of the form. “Stevie, did you ask that little boy to stop teasing Devin?”

  Stevie stilled his swinging his legs. “Yes. I told him it was mean and to stop.”

  “Why didn’t you tell Miss Kim?”

  “She was helping the reading group. Am I going in the ground?”

  “What? Why on Earth would you...Oh. No, you’re not grounded. I think having to spend all day in Early’s office tomorrow will be enough of a punishment, but next time—”

  “Oh my God!” Early leaped into the chair beside Roni. “Where’s Gina?”

  Puzzled by his behavior, she furrowed her brow. “Upstairs getting a shower. She smelled like cigarettes from questioning people in a bar. I really hate that,” Roni elaborated. “Why are you so excited?”

  Early looked across to Stevie and grinned broadly. “Did you tell your mom why that kid was picking on Devin?”

  “No. Mommy didn’t ask me that.” Early indicated with his rolling hands that he should share that piece of information. “Because Devin has two mommies.”

  Early beamed at Roni and bounced his knees under the table. “Did you hear that? Devin has two mommies!”

  “I heard,” Roni drawled. The scenario of Stevie becoming friends with a child who had openly gay parents had never occurred to her. “I think that’s...great. That they feel comfortable enough to be open like tha
t.”

  “Does that mean I can go over to Devin’s on Saturday and play?”

  “Sure, but your Daddy and I will need to talk to Devin’s moms first and then either Early or Gina can pick you up.” She glanced at Early, “It’s my turn to chaperone the JV football game and Steven has that charity softball thing.”

  Early shook his head. “Well, I can’t pick him up. I have to go in on Saturday since I missed a few hours today and will fall behind even more keeping an eye on Stevie tomorrow. Gina will have to do it.”

  “What will I have to do?” Gina asked, her damp hair stuck out wildly from her shower.

  “Can you pick Stevie up from Devin’s house on Saturday? Early has to work and I have to chaperone football.”

  “Sure,” she nodded and turned towards the kitchen. She stopped and looked back to the group. “Who’s Devin?”

  ***

  Becky opened her door to the three guests with Devin at her side. “Thank you so much for coming over with Stevie.”

  “Hi, Stevie! Stevie’s parents!” Devin said.

  “Hi, Devin!” Stevie waved excitedly at his new friend. He never had a play date before where there wasn’t a group of kids. Steven bumped his back with his knee as a subtle reminder. “Thank you for letting me come here, Mrs. Badwind. What are we going to play?”

  “Baldwin, Stevie. She’s Ms. Baldwin,” Steven said in his police-issued softball uniform. “Thank you for inviting us.”

  Roni agreed with Early’s assessment, Becky did look like Mother Earth incarnate. “Yes, thank you very much for the invitation.”

  “Can I show Stevie my room now?” asked Devin while he stood next to, and was dwarfed by, his new friend.

  Becky tousled his light hair. “Let’s take the Fields on a tour and then we can all go up, okay?” She shared a slight smile at both Roni and Steven. “I’m guessing you want to make sure this is an appropriate environment before sending Stevie to unknown spaces.”

  “I’m sure your home is safe, but yes. This is the first time we’ve actually left Stevie at another person’s house without us being there.”

  Becky put a hand on her chest in relief. “Oh, good. This whole thing is new for us too. I think we may have gone overboard.” To prove her point, a thin woman with a shock of red hair in a stubby ponytail came out of the kitchen holding a large tray of different cheeses and crackers. “That’d be Gretchen.”