“Piper is very well-adjusted.” She had often read or heard that from her teachers right through her journey in the education system. Piper had always felt the need to tick all those boxes to be highly regarded. Now she had finally scraped through the final exams, she wondered if those remarks had protested too much. What about, exactly?
Piper had two mummies, Jodie and Harper. Jodie was her birth mother, and had two children with different sperm donors. Harper had long ago transitioned by taking testosterone, stopped menstruating, and had a beard. Harper had deep, gruff voice, while Jodie in her menopausal years was steadily drinking at least one bottle of red wine per day. Plus, a more than occasional glass of hard liquor.
Jodie insisted on a quiet family dinner to celebrate Piper’s high school graduation. For this reason, her older Mason, was visiting. He had thrown a spanner in Jodie’s ideals, by attending a college in the south, full of football jocks and God-fearing fraternity experiences. Piper was ready to welcome Mason’s shock announcement that he was engaged. Given the state of her mummies and their preferences, she did wonder what this mysterious Kyesha was going to be like.
Jodie had optimistically prepared a real feast, with vegetarian options, just in case. All with brown rice, Jodie was in a whole food moment. Mason and Kyesha arrived in a flurry of air kisses, and gasps of delight from Piper when she congratulated the happy couple and eyed off the engagement solitaire. She quietly hoped she might also have a man one day, gazing at her so devotedly. She knew being either straight or gay would not create any dramas, but she seemed to prefer thinking about some as yet faceless young man. Even if he did not pop on that eternal wedding bling, Piper was well-adjusted, as she had been reassured so many times.
The family now included Mason’s fiancee, who sat at the table, smiling with her ruby lips and sparkling bright blue eyes. Kyesha made them all hold hands as she said grace before anyone had time to object of start a single mouthful. Harper had selected a lovely wine, and the small group toasted Piper and her future, which she was still choosing. She did not want to attend college, all that studying and competition for passing grades meant she was jaded by her education. She wanted to find her path, more people-oriented, and travel the globe.
As they ate their holistic dinner, Jodie and Harper asked Kyesha some pertinent questions. Mason rolled his eyes at this slightly orchestrated quiz. In response, Kyesha told her new in-laws that she was going to be a Sunday school teacher. She planned to stay a virgin till her wedding night with their son, and invited Jodie to read a text at the big wedding. Jodie rapidly poured herself some more wine, and kept on drinking. The meal ended, and Jodie was well on her way to being sloshed. Mason then told his parents that the loving couple were driving back south that night. His fiancee’s father wanted his Kyesha home at a reasonable hour, and tucked up in her single bed by a certain agreed time.
Kyesha did whisper quietly in Piper’s ear, wondering how she was so pretty, and her parents were so manly, if not butch. Piper realized that Mason had not told Kyesha or her religious folks that he had two mummies. By now, Jodie was slamming plates into the dishwasher, glaring at Harper, who was wondering where their formerly inclusive, accepting son had disappeared. The two mummies had raised their offspring in a tolerant and agnostic household, showing them a world of choices.
Jodie finished with the dishes and leftovers, then sat down with yet another good stiff drink. Her face was flushed, she was furious. “Where did we go wrong? I have to blame you, Harper. Mason has turned into a bible banging red neck. That Kyesha is not going to see me at the big wedding.”
Piper stared, she was slightly confused. She did believe in the glory of love, romantic and eternal, timeless. Harper was also very disturbed by this family change approaching. Then the fatal question was posed, “Are you getting your period?” Jodie grabbed her bottle of bourbon and stormed off to their bedroom, slamming the door as hard as she could. Harper had to sleep on the couch.
Piper realized that Mason no longer cared that much about these developments at home. Harper and Jodie were sleeping in separate rooms, and having some fearsome tantrums and meaningless disputes over nothing at all. Piper was not exactly enjoying her post school holiday at home. Her mummies finally agreed to attend Marriage Guidance sessions for counselling over their disintegrating relationship.
Piper keenly browsed online job ads, and applied to a shipping line to become a hip hop chorus dancers as part of onboard entertainment. She was thrilled when she was accepted, her two mummies barely even noticed. Divorce was in the air, so Piper said her farewells to make her way in the world.
In between dancing energetically on these global cruises, Piper was able to see the most beautiful tourist attractions in the world. She was a popular, talented and very attractive member of any dance troupe. One cruise led to another, then another. Piper took many photos for scenic happy memories, and made enough to rent her own apartment when she was in her home town. Jodie and Harper had separated. Harper did attend Mason’s wedding. Piper made an effort to be there too. It was very religious, but the loving pair made a fetching couple as church bells rang. Piper felt like a fish out of water, but threw confetti, and decided she did not wish to be that devout.
At the reception, she was seated to one of Mason’s pals from home, Riley. He was a tradesman. The impact of all that loved up occasion meant Piper and Riley became an item around their home town. They were soon making plans to buy a home of their own. Their dreams included a back yard for a dog, then maybe one sprog or two.
The future was planned, and their joint savings for a home deposit were proceeding smoothly, if slowly. The biggest obstacle was their salaries, and the compromising nature of the cost of living. Piper’ job as a cruise dancer often took her overseas, which she now wiished to retire from, to settle down at last. It was going to be hard to obtain a full time job on the mainland, as there were at least 200 applicants for every job in retail. or a people-focused occupation. Piper and Riley were not eligible for a home loan until she had a ‘proper’ full time job on shore.
The price of wedding did mean that might be off the menu. Piper knew her love was true, but life was always going mean some form of battle. She was now twenty-seven years old. She did not envisage her mummies getting back together, or her ever having this ideal career. Would her love for Riley withstand the test of time? Piper is still pondering.