s*t*a*r*s (Kindred Series-2)

s*t*a*r*s - pt 5

            “What?  Wait, I’m missing some dots mom,” cut in Rylee, her mind reeling as Emma spoke in her always soft calm voice.  Amy?  As in, Amy Larkin?

            “Amy Astin, Amy Astin-Larkin.  We didn’t meet just a few years ago; we met when we were in high school.  When we graduated, things got complicated; not only because Amy and Jo were together and that Amy was pregnant, but for reasons that I cannot begin to explain…  Amy got pregnant with Tegan and, well, your father and I were moving to Hawaii…”

            “You’re a homophobe,” shot back Rylee, standing up.  Rylee didn’t hear the rest of the explanation all she heard is that her mother hadn’t accepted her best friend who’d been gay.

            “No, I’m not.  Ry, that isn’t what I’m saying at all.  What I’m saying is, I made a mistake when they broke up, I cut my best friends off when I got pregnant, and Jo left.  We made a mistake.  If you think you are…”

            “I know, mom.  I know I’m gay.  I did not come to this conclusion easily, Mom,” affirmed Rylee.  It hadn’t been something she’d discovered lightly, it had happened quickly, the realization that she was attracted to girls and not boys, it was something she’d struggled with for two years.  Thirteen had brought a wave craziness into her life, and finally she’d confessed her realizations to her parents.

            “Then you are.  Don’t let anyone tell you who to love, please?” asked Emma.  A twinge of heat rushed through her.  Emma missed her former FBI partner, Jo Wheaton.  Jo had loved Amy with a fierceness that Emma had never seen before.  Then, she’d disappeared as if Amy, and the rest of them, had never existed.  For years, Emma had searched for her, then Jo had appeared on her doorstep and asked Emma to leave with her.  But Emma had refused, she had a baby to take care of, but in all those years afterwards, Emma often thought that she should have gone with Jo.  Spirited Rylee away and gone with Jo, to protect Jo from whatever demon had been haunting her.  But in the end, her love for Mario had prevailed and Emma had stayed put.

            Rylee blinked back the tears.  “But dad….”

            “Doesn’t care.  If anything, he’s the reason I ever spoke to Amy again when Jo disappeared.  I was very angry at Amy for how she’d treated Jo at one point in their relationship, I wanted nothing to do with Amy.  He’s a wonderful guy, your dad.”  Rylee grabbed hold of her, hugging her tightly, kissing her cheek. 

            “Thank you, mom…”

*s*t*a*r*s

            “Rylee!” says Tegan, snapping her fingers in front of Rylee’s face.  Rylee blinks, snapping out of the memory induced haze.  Feeling almost as if she has been caught in one of her future filled visions, she rolls her shoulders and looks up.

            “Yeah?”  asks Rylee. Everyone giggles at Rylee.  “Sorry, I was thinking,” adds Rylee.

            “Obviously,” says Abby.  She slides the soda next to Rylee.  Spencer is making a tall glass of chocolate milk at the counter.  Rylee eyes it for a moment before making a decision.

            “I think I’ll take one of those instead, thanks, Abby,” says Rylee, standing up she takes a glass from the cabinet.  Spencer hands her the one she’s mixing, and takes the empty one.  Fingertips brush softly together and again Spencer feels that odd energy.  She looks down at the glass instead of meeting Rylee’s eyes.