“So can I ask you if you are okay about them dating. They are both really scared that you will stop Bette seeing Tina”

Melvin shook his head “ Stopping my daughter doing what she wants to do with all her heart is something that I vowed I would never do. It happened to me too many times for me to let myself follow the same path as my father”
Emma gave herself a mental star for remembering that Melvin’s greatest fear had always been that he would become his father. He wouldn’t stop Bette being with Tina because his father had tried to stop him marrying Rosemary. Melvin had hated his father for the length of time he had taken to accept Rosemary as his partner – Melvin would go to any length to NOT be his father.
“They are good together “ Emma said “I had my doubts but they are good together. They care for one another and they are just having fun – they are only 17”
“I wish she had told me – I wish they had both come to me and told me. That’s what hurts – that’s what I said to Rosemary – I said that did she really think so low of me I would object to Bette being happy. She has come out of her shell and I love seeing her smile and laugh and there is no doubt that Tina makes her happy. That is something that I can see “
“Thank you – you should talk to Bette – she is worried “
“I will – I couldn’t face her last night and this morning I had to get away from both of them and get into work early “
“That was what had scared Bette “
“I will talk to her but things are not good with Rosemary”
“She was doing what Bette asked her to  – to not tell you “
Melvin looked cross for the first time and drank down his scotch. Emma wondered how good he was at holding his liquor. She would have to make sure that this conversation didn’t descend into a drunken one.
“What really makes me cross is which one of you smart women decided to tell our daughters about our disagreement from when we were barely much older than they are now ? That’s why she didn’t tell me Emma – she didn’t tell me because she thought her father – who she worships would be mad at her because of the surname of her girlfriend. Why the hell did the three of you decide that they should know ? They don’t know anything of what really happened between the four of us and we should have kept it that way “
Emma happened to agree with Melvin – what had really sparked this bother was their daughter’s knowing Emma and Melvin had fallen out.
“How and who doesn’t matter “ Emma said “What matters is what we do now  – we should be setting a good example for them – not showing them that we are foolish enough to keep a 20 year feud running when we should be showing them that the grown up thing is for the four of us to bury the hatchet”
“The three of you have already “ he replied
Emma sat silent for a few minutes – nothing could be gained from rushing in – which had been what they had both done as 21 year olds. She ruminated as she swirled the scotch around in the glass  watching the ice melting and considering her next move.
“I think for me – and I am not presuming to speak for you – for me – for me – you were a little too smart and I couldn’t deal with that. I had to be the cleverest one. I had to be the top dog and I wasn’t . I still don’t like thinking that anyone is a better lawyer than me and fuck I hate it when I lose. I knew that Kate suffered because of how I reacted – I know she missed Rosie and you. I love being with them now. In hindsight Kate should have told me to stop being an insufferable ass and she wasn’t going to stop seeing Rosemary or you. Now we have different friends – she has friends who I cannot stand I know she hates some of the people I get on well with. Its called being tolerant of your partner and not living in a dream world where a couple have to like the exact same people. I am sorry Melvin “
He turned and looked behind him before looking at her again
“Was that you saying sorry ?”
“Yes – that was one of my quota for the year — I only have 3 left and its only June so treasure it “
Melvin laughed “The famous apology quota – I know it well. I have the “being in the wrong “ quota which Bette is always quick to mark on the calendar in the kitchen. There is nothing like having a really sharp daughter to keep you on your toes. I might be able to win a case in court but lately I cannot get the last word with Bette”
“She is very smart “ Emma said “Top of the class in every year of her High School is very impressive “
“Bette says Tina is very clever “
“She is a dreamer – I really am impressed with how Bette has helped her knuckle down to studying. Bette would be a great teacher “
“I have no idea what Bette is planning – maybe she isn’t planning anything  – just wait to see what happens- she is much more laid back than I was. I have missed her a lot – talking to her last night was nice. She has come out of her shell – that would be down to Tina. Tina is a lot like Kate in how she is with people”
Emma smiled – she would never grow tired of hearing how well Tina was regarded by people.
“I am sure that when things calm down the two of you will be able to talk”
Melvin sipped his scotch a little more cautiously than earlier
“I was an ass – and yes I did react worse to you because you were female and I was pretty stupid when it came to seeing that women were equal to men. Its ironic that I made so much noise about wanting to be taken seriously because of my colour that I didn’t practice what I preached with regard to women. We have all learnt lessons since we were 21 – and I learnt very quickly that women are as smart as men and there are few things that they cannot do. I couldn’t deal with how smart you were  – and look what I have – a daughter who makes me feel like a dunce sometimes – she is so quick to pick things up. “
Emma laughed “Tina has to synch my iphone and add music to it and get me apps”
Melvin laughed “Do you ever think that you and I have got the daughters that we deserve ?”
“For being so up our own asses about how smart we thought we were ? Totally. When Tina bothers to apply herself she is very smart and I saw one of Bette’s essays once. She had left it behind when they had been studying – very smart and I don’t think I could have done something as thoughtful when I was 17”
“I am proud of her and her being gay does not make me any less proud of her”
Emma smiled “ I think they both would love to hear you say that “
Melvin drained his scotch and poured another one for himself and one for Emma. There wasn’t much point in him going home when Rosie was out with Kate and Bette was probably with Tina somewhere. He looked at Emma – she had been a good looking student and now she was a successful lawyer she had the money to add to her looks with smart clothes and an expensive haircut but few people really changed totally after a certain age – he knew he was mellower and more tolerant but he suspected that was more to do with the declining influence of his father and the growing influence of Rosemary at first and now of Bette. Emma was still as driven as she had been at college probably – but now she had the twin focus of her wife and daughter. They weren’t that different in that respect. He had been lounging back on his seat – he sat up and lent forward
“There is something else – something that I don’t image you want coming out any more than I do “
Emma’s eyes showed that she knew what he was talking about. She nodded
“No – no I don’t. I was out of line in such a huge way and I regret it. I know that people think I am pretty ruthless and I will do whatever it takes to get what I want. But I don’t think I am more ashamed of anything in my life more than that “
Melvin had waited a long time for that admission from Emma and he nodded
“Thank you “
“When Tina told me that she was in love with Bette – well I really was worried “
Melvin laughed “You mean you worried that Tina had converted her ?”
“No – I was worried that you would think that”
“I have taken a lot of abuse from Rosemary and Bette about avoiding the three of you for so long -like cutting the parents evening. I had to get my head around it. I needed to be able to see that what is happening between our daughters is not a re-run of history”
“Rosemary wasn’t gay Melvin – Bette is “ Emma said
“Don’t worry Emma – Bette wouldn’t be able to deal with knowing that her mother had an affair with her girlfriend’s mother – that’s too much for our kids. What’s the Shakespeare quote about the sins of the fathers haunting the kids ?  – well I don’t want the affair of the mothers to hurt our daughters”