Tina: You mean like the Harry Potter trio?

Margaret: Yes, in a way. But more in an academic way and not in a social or personality way.

Bette: So, do all three of them have classes together?

Margaret:  Yes, in fact they have identical schedules and classes. They sit together and they work together in study hall. When you see one, the other two are usually close by. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Sari becomes a regular visitor in a year or so. It depends on if they all go to the same middle school.

Tina: Daniel has mentioned Sari Patel. We met her and her parents at the orientation day at the school. I think Sari’s dad is a bit on the old school side. I don’t think he was pleased that the first conversation their daughter had at the new school was with a boy.

Bette: And not just any boy but the one who had lesbian parents. But her mother was sweet, seemed to be having problems with her husband being rather inflexible with life as it exists today in America. Unless Sarah is a really patient person or Sirhan suddenly gets a little more flexible, he is going to find himself in divorce court the moment their children leave the nest. Most women cannot take being a 2^nd class citizen in their own home just because the man in her life thinks that is the way things should be.

Margaret: Yes, I see a lot of that. It’s really heartbreaking. Sometimes I just want to get a rolled-up newspaper and beat their husbands about the head and shoulders and asked them when they are going to wake up as to when they are going to realize that a wife is an equal not their servant and not someone who calls all the shots either. There are quite a few henpecked men as well. Not as many of them in the population. Then there are couples like you two, where both of you share the work load, share the responsibility and consult with each other on the decision making. And even a blind person can tell that you really care for one another and for your child.

Bette:  It wasn’t always that way. We went through a long learning curve. But once a few lightbulbs turned on, things started working for us. And you know, most of it turned out to be just common-sense things.