mean different things to different people. I want to live as a male, which I am doing gradually. But I’m not going to change my body. And there are things about being a woman that I enjoy. I think the latest term to describe that is gender-fluid.
“Honestly, there isn’t much more than that. I dress masculine. My hair is short. I don’t wear makeup or do things that are commonly associated with femininity.”
She looked at Rich. “Do you have anything to add?”
“No, that was pretty good.”
“Rich, how do you fit into this picture?” Fred asked, demonstrating a little hostility for the first time.
“I love Alison. I love Alison the person, not just the girl, not just the male, I love the whole package. If she decided to completely transition, I’ll miss the things about her that make her female.”
“Look, you might as well know, as distasteful as it might sound, I’m not having bottom surgery, ever.”
“Thank you, dear,” Suzette said, wiping her eyes as she reached out a hand. “I did want to know that because of how it would relate to Rich.”
Alison grabbed it, and they squeezed, a gesture that comforted both of them. But Rich had had it.
“We’d figure it out, Mom,” he said, getting weary. “If there’s nothing else, can we move on? We are exhausted. We were on call this week and went for a couple of days with no sleep.”
They pushed away from the table, his mother obviously calmed down.
“Thank you for seeing us,” she said, holding out her hand to shake again. Alison would discover that Suzette Mortimer, who would be her champion, was also a hugger, but that would happen later.
Rich walked his parents to the door while Alison cleaned up the coffee mess, trying to block out the conversation. She could see why her peers would choose to stay in the closet. This was getting old fast.
The door shut and she heard the locks.
“I’m over this,” she said, plunking down on the couch. “We were having such a nice, relaxing evening.”
“I know. It should be over,” he said, walking back into the room. “I’m sorry you had to go through it.”
“It opens up the issue of whether I need to address it at work.”
“No, you don’t have to do that unless you’re going to change your gender on your license and malpractice insurance. I’ve already looked into it. You don’t owe anything to them. The gossip is all speculation.”
“But I’ve told people.”
“Tough shit! It’s like telling someone you’re an extraterrestrial alien, Alison. It doesn’t make any difference how you feel. Until you do something legal, you don’t have to say anything.”
“It’s a relief, then. The people who are important know. My family and yours. My friends always knew.”
“So you can chill.”
“I can.”
***
“Do you feel better?” Fred Mortimer asked his wife.
They sat in the parking lot of their son’s apartment for a few minutes, trying to wrap their heads around what they’d just learned. She didn’t answer right away, and he continued.
“I hope it was worth it, having our son tell us in so many words, ‘either accept it or sayonara.’”
“Fred, I’m sorry it upset you, but I had to know. Seeing the girl, well, it’s not as bad as I thought it might be. She looks like a tomboy is all.”
“But she’s not a tomboy, Suz. She’s a girl who thinks she’s a guy. She wants kids; something tells me that she is going to do that transition, or whatever they call it, before the kid asks questions. I didn’t want to bring that topic up, but it’s something we need to chat with our son about. He might not have thought about that, either.”
“Why are we sitting here? If Alison was offended tonight, chances are we aren’t going to be welcome to come back. We’ll be stuck at Kathy’s with Hank.”
“It might be time for us to get a short-term rental when we visit.”
“I’d hate that.”
“But you want to see your grandson, correct? And if Rich has children with this doctor, you’ll want to have an even bigger influence over them, right?”
“Stop it, Fred! It won’t go that far. It can’t!”
“What’s wrong with her? She’s a lovely, intelligent young woman.”
They recognized they were switching roles as they talked. Now it was Suzette’s turn.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Fred! She’s not a young woman. She wants to be a young man.”
“Okay, I should have said person. Look, you need to pull it together, Suzette. Remember, Kathy is Rich’s ex-wife. No matter how concerned