CHAPTER 22 #2
“Yes. She was worried, but we talked, and it was good. She doesn’t know if she’s bi or something else or if she even wants a label, but I don’t care about any of it.
I just want my little girl to be so happy, Myra.
I also know Wendy. She’s a good kid. She was right behind Adele in school.
She played the flute in the band and played basketball.
She chose not to play in college because she wants to go pre-law, but her parents are good people, too.
I don’t know what’s going to happen between the two of them because they are so young, but I’m glad Adele has someone she likes.
They’re going to different colleges, but those are only about an hour apart, so they’ll be able to see each other. ”
“That’s good,” Myra replied.
“She told me something else, too, and I’ll be processing that for the rest of my life.”
“What?”
“She’s had sex,” Elisa said. “My daughter has had sex, and she did it with a boy named Tucker.”
“I thought she liked Wendy.”
“She dated Tucker for a while a bit ago. I didn’t know they were having sex.”
“How are you coping with that news?” Myra asked with a small smile.
“Well, she was so prepared for the whole thing, and it’s just like her, really.
We did the whole sex talk a long time ago with both of them.
She asked me to get her birth control a year ago but told me she wasn’t sexually active yet.
She just wanted to be prepared. And she had him get tested, too, even though he’d never been with anyone else. That’s my girl.”
Myra laughed and replied, “That’s amazing. What about AJ?”
“What about him?”
“Has he…”
“Oh, yeah,” Elisa said. “He went to his dad before and got what he needed, and it was with a girl he had dated for a while. I talked to him about the emotional stuff and how to take responsibility. He told me after it happened. They broke up not long after that, though. He seemed worse off about it than her. He’s a sensitive kid.
He doesn’t like to be, but he is. When I found out that he’d had sex, I stared into the sun for a while, wondering how they’d grown up this fast.”
Myra kissed the top of her head and said, “It sounds like you raised a couple of really good kids. Thank you for having me over and letting me spend some time with them. I really liked this.”
“It wasn’t too much?”
“No, they’re great. It was nice, showing AJ some stuff, and Adele is obviously crazy smart and has a plan.”
“She’s always been that way,” Elisa replied.
“I should go,” Myra said. “But I’ll call you?”
“I’d say text me when you get home so I know you’re okay, but it’s about twenty feet away.”
“I can still do it, if you want.”
Elisa nodded, leaned in, and kissed her. A minute later, Myra was on her way home, and Elisa was sitting on the sofa, waiting for that text.
“No Call of Duty?” she asked when Adele walked down the stairs and sat next to her.
“He’s in the shower. We’ll play when he’s done. Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Myra’s cool,” Adele said .
“She is, yeah.” Elisa smiled, unable to hold it in.
“You like her.”
“Of course, I like her.”
“No, I mean, you like her. You like like her.”
Elisa turned toward her and asked, “So, you picked up on that?”
“Yeah, it’s obvious. AJ is just a dumbass.”
Elisa shook her head and said, “Stop calling–”
“I love him. It’s just teasing. He knows that. Anyway, you like her.”
“Yes, I do. Honey, Myra and I are dating. I didn’t know how to bring it up with you and your brother tonight.”
Adele nodded and said, “She likes you, too.”
“I think she might.”
“No, she does. It’s obvious,” Adele replied, shrugging a shoulder.
“Is that okay? That we’re dating?”
“Totally,” Adele replied. “Mom, I want you to be happy. If you want to go out with Myra, go for it.”
“Thank you.”
“I know AJ and I aren’t making things any easier on you by asking to go back to Dad’s to be with our friends.”
“I understand. You–”
“We’ll figure it out, okay?”
“Figure what out?”
“The breaks thing; we’ll figure it out. I want to go back this weekend for my date, but we can figure it out together about fall break and all that.
I don’t want you to have to stay in that guest house.
I know Dad didn’t exactly make it easy on you, and neither did we.
You should stay here, Mom. You should stay and be with Myra if that’s what you want. ”
“It’s only a two-hour drive for–”
“Mom, I know, okay? I mean, I can never know what you gave up for us, but I get it. I can see it now. You gave up everything to have us and to be at home with us when we were little. You put up with Dad not being there the whole time, and you stayed because of us when you knew you were gay. You did all that for us. We can figure out how to see our friends and still spend time with you here. We can do that for you.”
Elisa’s eyes welled with tears because her little girl really had grown up, slowly and yet seemingly at once at the same time.
“Myra?” Adele asked with a smirk when Elisa’s phone buzzed before any of her tears fell.
“Yes,” she said, laughing a little as she wiped her eyes at the few that did.
“I’m going up to play stupid video games. You should call her if you want.” Adele leaned in and hugged her hard. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, honey. So much.”