assuaging my anxiety. Norma turned toward me. “George has taken good care of me, Chris, but he doesn’t need to be shackled with this old lady on a day like today. Can’t you get him to relax and enjoy himself?”
Just as I turned to look at George, a man who looked to be in his forties walked up and kissed George square on the lips.
“You are divine,” George said, when they finally released the kiss. The man patted him on the shoulder and walked away.
“Did you know him, George?” Melinda asked.
“Never saw him before in my life,” George conceded, craning to find the man in the crowd.
“George, I’m fine here. Why don’t you join the celebration?” Norma asked.
“Are you sure, Norma? I don’t want to leave you alone in this craziness,” he said.
“Don’t worry about me, George. Go, have fun,” Norma coerced.
“Norma.” Charlotte took her hand, “If you don’t mind, I’ll stay here with you. I’m feeling a little claustrophobic with all these people around me.”
I looked at Charlotte with deep respect. She very well might have been claustrophobic; I knew I was feeling a bit overwhelmed myself. But even if it were true, I couldn’t let her sacrifice her own celebration for a person that I have accepted, or demanded, responsibility for. Norma was my friend, Charlotte was my employee, who I had given the day off.
“Absolutely not, Charlotte, I want to stay with Norma,” I said, wrapping my arm around Norma as if someone was trying to take her away from me.
“Oh, uh, yeah. Me too,” Melinda said, pushing George out of her way so she could stand beside Norma.
“I volunteer!” Kate chirped in. “I’m not gay, I don’t need to celebrate.”
Norma stepped out of my embraced and turned to face all of us. “You are such dears to worry like this. But I’m an adult and I don’t need a nursemaid. Please, all of you, go have fun. This is a historic day, and I would be so displeased with you if you missed it on my account.”
Melinda leaned toward me and said that she would be right back. Before I could ask where she was going, she quickly disappeared into the crowd. As much as I wanted to know what she was up to, I needed to stay and take care of Norma… somehow.
“Norma, it’s because we love you that we want to make sure you’re safe. You heard the cheers, love wins. That’s what it’s all about today. Love, and—”
“Chris, dear,” Norma interrupted, putting her hands on her hips. “You know I love you as if you were my own child, but if I have to, I will kick your ass up those steps myself.”
Norma’s face was stern and determined, and I held up my hands in surrender.
Melinda ran up to us with a lawn chair in one hand, and her cellphone in the other. “Wait, no ass kicking yet. I’ve got the solution,” she said, gasping for breath. She unfolded the chair, held her hands out toward it, and looked at Norma. “My queen,” she said with a smile.
Norma laughed and sat down, allowing her weariness to show for the first time.
“I’ve sent for Jeeves,” Melinda said. “He should be here in about twenty minutes.”
“Do you mean Charles, your parents’ butler?” I asked.
“Yes. He was more than willing to come, and—”
“No! I told you that I don’t need a babysitter,” Norma shouted, and stood back up. “If I’m that helpless, then stick me in a nursing home and get me the fuck out of your way.”
I couldn’t smother the gasp that escaped my lips. I had never seen Norma so angry before, let alone heard her use Melinda’s favorite word. Thank God, Melinda seemed unfazed by her outburst, because I was at my wits’ end.
“Norma, he is your number one fan,” Melinda said, holding up her hands to calm her. “That’s why he wants to be here. He even asked if he could bring along his movie magazine that has you on the cover of it. He wants you to autograph it for him. I swear, I’ve never known him to be this excited before.”
Norma’s anger
Just as I turned to look at George, a man who looked to be in his forties walked up and kissed George square on the lips.
“You are divine,” George said, when they finally released the kiss. The man patted him on the shoulder and walked away.
“Did you know him, George?” Melinda asked.
“Never saw him before in my life,” George conceded, craning to find the man in the crowd.
“George, I’m fine here. Why don’t you join the celebration?” Norma asked.
“Are you sure, Norma? I don’t want to leave you alone in this craziness,” he said.
“Don’t worry about me, George. Go, have fun,” Norma coerced.
“Norma.” Charlotte took her hand, “If you don’t mind, I’ll stay here with you. I’m feeling a little claustrophobic with all these people around me.”
I looked at Charlotte with deep respect. She very well might have been claustrophobic; I knew I was feeling a bit overwhelmed myself. But even if it were true, I couldn’t let her sacrifice her own celebration for a person that I have accepted, or demanded, responsibility for. Norma was my friend, Charlotte was my employee, who I had given the day off.
“Absolutely not, Charlotte, I want to stay with Norma,” I said, wrapping my arm around Norma as if someone was trying to take her away from me.
“Oh, uh, yeah. Me too,” Melinda said, pushing George out of her way so she could stand beside Norma.
“I volunteer!” Kate chirped in. “I’m not gay, I don’t need to celebrate.”
Norma stepped out of my embraced and turned to face all of us. “You are such dears to worry like this. But I’m an adult and I don’t need a nursemaid. Please, all of you, go have fun. This is a historic day, and I would be so displeased with you if you missed it on my account.”
Melinda leaned toward me and said that she would be right back. Before I could ask where she was going, she quickly disappeared into the crowd. As much as I wanted to know what she was up to, I needed to stay and take care of Norma… somehow.
“Norma, it’s because we love you that we want to make sure you’re safe. You heard the cheers, love wins. That’s what it’s all about today. Love, and—”
“Chris, dear,” Norma interrupted, putting her hands on her hips. “You know I love you as if you were my own child, but if I have to, I will kick your ass up those steps myself.”
Norma’s face was stern and determined, and I held up my hands in surrender.
Melinda ran up to us with a lawn chair in one hand, and her cellphone in the other. “Wait, no ass kicking yet. I’ve got the solution,” she said, gasping for breath. She unfolded the chair, held her hands out toward it, and looked at Norma. “My queen,” she said with a smile.
Norma laughed and sat down, allowing her weariness to show for the first time.
“I’ve sent for Jeeves,” Melinda said. “He should be here in about twenty minutes.”
“Do you mean Charles, your parents’ butler?” I asked.
“Yes. He was more than willing to come, and—”
“No! I told you that I don’t need a babysitter,” Norma shouted, and stood back up. “If I’m that helpless, then stick me in a nursing home and get me the fuck out of your way.”
I couldn’t smother the gasp that escaped my lips. I had never seen Norma so angry before, let alone heard her use Melinda’s favorite word. Thank God, Melinda seemed unfazed by her outburst, because I was at my wits’ end.
“Norma, he is your number one fan,” Melinda said, holding up her hands to calm her. “That’s why he wants to be here. He even asked if he could bring along his movie magazine that has you on the cover of it. He wants you to autograph it for him. I swear, I’ve never known him to be this excited before.”
Norma’s anger
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