Because there wasn’t a whole lot normal about this family. Predominantly female, the conversations regularly revolve around the salon, gossip, and fashion trends.
How straight boys could stand to be around us for any length of time astonished me. Even to this day.
“We are,” Autumn said. And she picked up a magazine and pushed it toward Mom. “Have you heard of this stuff? It’s new from Egypt. A new kind of mix of herbs and stuff for detoxification. It’s this “mummy wrap” thing that is supposed to preserve beauty.”
“Sounds like something from that old movieDeath Becomes Her,” I muttered.
Summer snickered.
“Is that the one where they take the potion and never die, and have to spray paint and spackle their bodies back together?” Autumn asked.
“Yep,” I replied.
“Sounds a lot like airbrush makeup,” Summer said.
“This treatment is different,” Mom began. “I have some literature about it, and I ordered a stylist’s sampler pack to check it out. I am just trying to figure out what they have in it that’s different than what I can mix up with my own herb blends.”
I noticed the boys started backing away from the conversation. I didn’t blame them.
“Is it being shipped to the salon or here?” I asked.
“The salon,” Mom said.
I made a mental note to watch for the delivery.
A giggle came from the living room, followed by a bark, and I glanced toward the family room.
“Axel,” Louie said, though he didn’t glance back at his police partner.
Another giggle came from the family room, and I took a couple of steps toward the doorway.
And bit my lip.
Emma had managed to get Louie’s police dog to sit still long enough to tie silver and blue ribbons on him. The unhappy dog looked like Disney had exploded from the television all over him.
For a second, Axel made eye contact with me, and I got the feeling the dog was crying out for help.
Not that I could control my sister’s Disney-obsessed little girl.
My kids were done. Grown and out.
My stomach roiled.
It did every time I thought about my twins. Brittany and Braden were both twenty, in their second years of college, and I hoped would actually be home when I got there tonight.
They both had boyfriends and they were spending time with them before going back to college.
Yes, boyfriends…
My daughter has a boyfriend and so does my son. Braden came out of the closet a couple of years ago, and he’d always thought his dad and I divorced because he came out.
While I never told Braden, it was true. His coming out was the last straw of a marriage that was doomed from day one. It just took us twenty years to figure it out.
When my husband tried to blame me for his son being gay because I would take Braden to the beauty shop when he was a kid, I threw him out.
My husband. Not my son.
I never told anyone that’s what the final break was, but I was sure at least Mom suspected it. But she didn’t ask.
