“Why didn’t you tell us what’s been going on these past few weeks?”

“You know you can come talk to us about anything right?” Bette quickly added.

Angelica rolled her eyes at first, fighting back tears, knowing there were some things that her mothers wouldn’t understand.

“You don’t know what it’s like to pay the price because of someone else’s choice!” Angelica was angry, her face reddened, her eyes swollen, and fresh tears cascading down her cheeks.

Angelica’s anger at Bette and Tina took them both by surprise.

“We don’t?” Tina was calm, yet she wanted to be forceful enough so that Angelica understood her behavior was bordering unacceptable.

“No,” Angelica said forcefully to her mother, “I don’t think you do!”

Bette sat down next to Angelica on the couch. She put her wine glass on the end table, and slowly urged her daughter to lay her head on her lap. Angelica loved cuddling with her mothers so she didn’t resist Bette’s peace offering.

“Why don’t you stop yelling and talk to us about what’s going on?” Bette said calmly. Her easiness at dealing with Angelica’s hostility amazed Tina, given that it was Tina that usually was the peacekeeper.

“It’s like my friends said Mom,” she looked up at Bette with her big, dark eyes as she sniffled. “I’ve had to pay the price because you and mom are lesbians. It might be great for you, but being teased for weeks in a new school isn’t good for me!”

Bette wrapped her arm around Angelica and held her while the bulk of the tears began to fall. Tina took this opportunity and sat down, placing Angelica’s legs over her own and rubbing her back to calm her down.

“It isn’t about choices,” Tina said quietly, “I didn’t chose to fall in love with another woman. I saw Mama B and knew it would never be a choice, it’d be my fate.”

“I don’t understand what you mean,” Angelica said between sobs. “You’re a lesbian and wanted to have a family so you had me. You chose that!”

“Show me one person that would chose a life full of the hatred that you’ve experienced Angie? It isn’t a choice for me to be gay, it’s who I am.”

“I don’t get it,” Angelica looked over at Tina confused.

“Maybe if we explain it better to you, you can. You’ve just got to give us a chance Boo.” Bette held her closer while she spoke.

Angelica laid her head back in Bette’s lap as Tina continued to rub her back, needing that contact with her daughter.

“Let’s start with explaining what I mean ok? I’ll tell you how I know it’s not a choice to be gay and it started with Mama B.”

“It started with Mom?” Angelica sniffed again.

“It started the first time I met her. I’ll tell you the story of how we met so you can understand what I mean,” Tina patted Angelica’s back as she took a sip of wine to prepare to travel down memory lane.