So We Can Glow - Stories - Leesa Cross-Smith Page 0,45
you say it, but I’m a lesbian because I am. It’s not a reaction to your life or to men. Shocker: it has nothing to do with men at all and everything to do with women and me. Who I am.
I hope the art show is perfect. Tell Auntie Kim I said hi! Send me pictures and let me know how it goes! I’m wearing a pair of your earrings tonight—the big, gold leaves to celebrate autumn coming soon.
You do have me beat, but just so you know, I have plenty of sentimental moments too. I heard “Super Trouper” the other day and cried in the coffee shop, because I was so homesick for Kentucky and missed you. You’re such a good mama and I’m so glad you’re mine.
Lovelove you,
Bird
PS: Alayna loves your lasagna!
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To: Birdie Taylor-Boone
From: Faye Taylor
Date: September 14, 2020, 8:03 a.m.
Subject: Re: MENARETRASH
Birdie Louise Valentino is so beautiful and I’m already thinking of what color dress I will wear! (Birdie Louise Taylor-Valentino is pretty too, since you knew I’d throw that in!) And I do like to think that I at least had some sort of influence on your life with the new word I invented: MENARETRASH, but yes, of course, I know you are who you are. I’ve always known! That’s why you never had to come out to me. You’ve always been and always will be my free little Birdie.
I bring it up sometimes, but I do regret giving you your daddy’s last name. I should’ve named you Birdie Louise Taylor. I only went with Taylor-Boone to honor him since Jack died when I was pregnant and your grandmother wanted me to. She’d been so nice to me and had just lost Jack, and I felt bad for her. She’s a sweet woman. She told me she sent you a care package! Was it full of candy and books? I bet she sent you more candy than I did. She’s never been shy about spoiling you rotten. Mama’s coming down for the art show…she’s sending you something soon too. :)
And yeah…well, I’m glad your Uncle Coot told you that somebody killed Johnny Step in prison. Finding out about that brought up a lot of bad memories, but…I don’t mind talking about it now. Men who live like that die like that. That’s in the Bible.
Bird, I’ll never regret your daddy because part of him gave me YOU, my light! Once I laid eyes on you, I knew you were Jack’s because you were a Boone baby through and through. Undeniable. If you want to talk about Jack Boone we can talk about Jack Boone. I’ve always been honest with you about everything. I was ashamed to tell you those things, but I told you anyway. Even when it hurt. And I let him hurt me…a lot…back then when I was living in the dark. No more! No more. ?
But girl, if I had a time machine I’d tell myself this: Faye, you don’t need him! Just light his shit on fire before you leave!
Lovelove,
Mama
* * *
To: Faye Taylor
From: Birdie Taylor-Boone
Date: September 14, 2020, 11:27 a.m.
Subject: Re: MENARETRASH
Mama, you’re my light, too! Aaand my corny cheeseball. ;)
I don’t mind talking/hearing about Jack Boone either. And I love that you’ve always let me call him Jack Boone because it felt weird for me to call him Dad or Daddy or Rowdy, when I never even met him. And from what I’ve heard from everyone except Grandma, he didn’t sound like somebody worth meeting. Uncle Coot told me once that Jack was really good at poker. And so am I. Of all the things to get passed down, that’s not such a bad one. Grandma always talks about how I have Jack’s eyes. You’ve told me that my whole life. Every time we go back to town, a different person tells me that.
Yep, Grandma Boone’s care package was full of candy, books, and cookies. She sent me that North Carolina bird encyclopedia I’d been talking about with a little note that said birds for Birdie and some wool socks too. Pretty much all of my socks are from Grandma Boone!
Lovelove,
Bird
* * *
To: Birdie Taylor-Boone
From: Faye Taylor
Date: September 14, 2020, 1:52 p.m.
Subject: Re: MENARETRASH
Let me tell you…when I packed up and left that town I kept thinking of “This Woman’s Work” by Kate Bush. Listen to it. I kept thinking about how what I was doing was “This Woman’s Work.” All of it. I’m sorry you never got