– Enjoying my family –  

I dress the kids for kindergarten, while Helena has a chat with her lawyer. Peggy is all over the place, while Dana is trying to decide which sweater she wants to wear. I look out into the hallway, were Helena is walking back and forth; she always walks around when she is on the phone. I shush at the kids, trying to keep them down so I can eavesdrop on her conversation with the family lawyer. Our family lawyer is actually a very good friend of us; she is best lesbian lawyer in the district and a very nice person.

After getting the girls dressed I walk with them into the kitchen to feed them. “Mom, I want toast” Peggy is already seated, while Dana is filling her bowl with cereal. I start on the toast, knowing that Peggy like it just as burned as I do. It is my first day at campus so I do not have much time to spear. I sniff my burned toast and look down at Peggy who is munching at hers already. “Was it okay?” I give her a kiss and wipe some jam away from her face. I receive a nod because she and Dana are discussing some game they do at kindergarten. I kiss Dana too and walk into the living room where Helena is hanging up with her lawyer, “How did it go?” I spoon her from behind. “I’m gonna fax the papers to her and she would look into my options, she was very optimistic” she says before I receive a kiss. “Listen I’ve got to go” I whisper responding to her kiss. “Well, good luck honey!” she gives me picture frame with the family. I smile at my wife and look over to my kids who are very busy, “I am one lucky woman, I’ll put it on my desk” I say taking on my coat. I get one more kiss before I am ushered out of the house.

I pull into the planet to get myself a cup of coffee, our coffee machine broke last week and neither had time to replace it. The Planet is full of people and I see Alice and Shane seated at one table in the back. The third persons who are with them is Tina, the person that I have avoided the two month we have stayed her. As I turn around to leave, I hear Alice call me, and Shane giving her dirty look. “You could do this Porter” I admonish myself as I stride with all the confident I can muster towards the table. “I just wanted to wish you good luck today” Alice excuses herself. “Thank you, I am a bit nervous” I say sipping on my coffee. “Not to worry, Porter! You know you’ll kick ass” Shane says with a yoda-smile. I ruffle her hair and thank her. “Yeah, good luck” I look up feeling baffled by the voice that reaches my ear, Tina? For the first time in many years I cast my glance at her and for a split second our eyes meet. “Thank you…” I stutter, sipping more coffee. Her eyes are the same, the same fierce and tender eyes, what is strange is that the same feelings do not surface. It is somewhere between hate for taking away my girl, sadness for what went wrong, and relief that it is all over. When I finally catch my voice I tell them I am late and we’ll talk later. When I walk out the planet I can’t wait to talk about this with my life partner.