Happy Wednesday! We had some fun over the weekend, as you can see from the pictures. It was Pride, and our church was in the parade. My kiddo’s buttons were given to her by someone from one of the other groups, along with the necklaces. The text on the one reads, “Asexual pirates aren’t interested in yar booty.” It’s basically her favorite new thing.
This week’s snippet is from Drumbeat, which I’m trying to coax into something resembling an actual story at this point. Jamie et al. are uncooperative at the moment. This is a continuation of last week’s bit, where Jamie has gone for a visit with his mother. Here, we get a little more familiar with her.
WIPmath: 7/19/17 = 19 sentences
Like Jamie, Mama was short. She was a little rounder than he was, with lean legs and long, dark hair. He smelled her shampoo when he rested his cheek against her head. He held on for a while, wanting to implant the feeling of her hug to save for later. He didn’t see her nearly often enough, the problem of living too far away, working odd hours, and playing with the Creepy Crullers. Mama never scolded him for it, though. She took what she could get, and he called her every week.
When she let go, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a brand-new smartphone. “Look!” she said. “I can keep up with your band now.”
“It’s nice, Mama. Where’d you get it?”
“Bruce.”
Ah, her new boyfriend. Jamie had met him once. He wasn’t much older than Jamie. Mama had met him through some of her friends, and he seemed nice enough. Jamie didn’t comment on why he was already buying her expensive gifts.
“I’m glad he’s being good to you,” was all he said.
Like what you read? Be sure to check out the other entries and add your own. Just post a bit of your WIP, connect it to the date, and link up with us. Many thanks to Emily Wrayburn for giving us this space. Happy reading and writing!
I’d be suspicious of young men giving my mother expensive gifts too, Jamie. But children are entitled to be suspicious about such things, I believe.
Nice WIPpet! Oh, and I love the pirate booty pin arrright. *ducks and runs*
Yeah, Jamie’s had a lot of experience with his mother’s boyfriends. Some good, some not so much. He’s right to look out for her, even if this guy is probably all right.
My kid loves her pin. She’s been finding new places to display it every day since she got it. Piratey sounds have become a daily thing, LOL.
I shared your post on the Pride with my daughter. She loved that pin – made her grin!
I have to thank you. Your openness about your identity, and your family, made it much easier for this extremely straight mom to be there for a daughter whose sexuality is non-mainstream. She can share her music, fashion, videos, and dreams with me, and I have a deeper understanding of her reality, in part because of you.
You know how I feel about my kids, so I’m sure you know what that means to me….and to her.
Oh, and the snippet adds just the right notes of tension, acceptance, and worry. Loved it.
I’m so glad that what I’ve shared has been helpful. I had my daughter’s permission to give the story, which is unusual for her—she’s very private and hasn’t felt the need or desire to be public about much. But the experience of having someone recognize her as a fellow traveler was a big deal to her, and she now wants to share more about her life. It makes me happy to know that our openness has been meaningful. And I’m glad your daughter liked the pin! 😀
I love this peek at Jamie and his mom. 🙂
Thank you! I enjoy writing about their relationship.
Those pics make me smile. That pin…so cool! And the layered bi tops, and, and…all of the awesome.
So, Jamie…he’s a good son. Did his mom know about The Boyfriend? I’m so excited for this story!
I generally have a “no pictures” rule, but my kids are of the opinion “pictures or it doesn’t count.” So there we are. Sarah says I need a real bi pride shirt next year. She was horrified by the layered shirts—not because they look bad but because she thought I’d be too hot! It was a cool, overcast day, so not an issue, but she may have a point next time.
Jamie is keeping secrets from everyone (probably even me). So no, Mama doesn’t know about The Boyfriend. Not everything, anyway. She knew Jamie was seeing someone, but they never met. (A good part of that is for reasons other than simply Jamie hiding him.)
Love this snippet! Seems like Jamie isn’t too fond of his mom’s new boyfriend…
I also love the pictures from the Pride parade. That’s great that your church is supportive. On a personal note, my friend is struggling with coming out to her father (she is a lesbian and her dad is Catholic), because she is not sure how he will handle it. It is encouraging to know that there are some churches out there that are supportive of LGBT 🙂
Thanks for sharing,
Sophie
To be fair, he doesn’t really know his mom’s boyfriend at this stage. Time will tell if he’s proven right or not.
There are definitely some supportive churches. Ours was one of several in the parade, and there was even a group of women spectators with a sign saying “These church ladies support you.” I’m sorry your friend is having a rough time. That can be super hard, coming out in those situations. There are supportive Catholic churches (we have a local one that is, but it’s not officially part of the Roman Catholic Church anymore). Other churches are supportive but hide it so they can stay connected. And inside the church, there are many supportive people who simply don’t agree with the church’s position. I hope that your friend is able to find a way through it with her father.
Thank you for the kind words 🙂 I will pass your message onto my friend. She has recently come out to her friends. I think she is not ready to come out to her dad yet. That’s good to know that there are people in the church who are supportive.
That is an awesome button!
As for Jamie, I don’t blame him for being concerned. I gotta admit, that big of an age difference is pretty strange.