‘Can I think about it?’ she asked Helena quietly.

‘Of course, it’s a personal thing, either way you’ll be my wife tomorrow,’ said Helena trying to hide her disappointment.  ‘And at least this way our mail won’t get mixed up.’

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

‘Mum,’ said Alexa into the phone to her mother Justine as she stood full dressed for her wedding.

‘Alexa, is that you?’

‘Yes,’

‘Why haven’t you called?  Are you trying to punish me even more?’

‘No mum I just didn’t want to fight.  Did you get my emails?’

‘The ones about some ridiculous lesbian wedding idea, it’s not even legal is it?’

‘Yes it is here.  I’m getting married today.’

‘Today?  Alexa please tell me you’re joking,’

‘No, it really is today. I thought you might want to know about it.’

‘The only thing I want to know about is when you’re coming home and giving up this charade.  People at work are finding out about this, your bloody dyke girlfriend was in my magazine as one of the most powerful women in L.A under 40.  I feel like my daughter has got trapped in some god awful freak show.  I should just come over there and drag you back here.’

‘Mum you can’t do that,’ said Alexa, close to tears.  ‘I’m an adult, I’m doing well in my job here and I’m marrying Helena.  I wish you could be here meet her because I know that you’d like her.’

‘I doubt that very much.  I got the photographs you sent.  She’s beautiful and obviously successful, you both are, why waste yourselves when you could easily get a man…’

‘Oh don’t start this again.  This is exactly why I stopped calling.  Someday you’re going to have to accept that I’m a lesbian!’

She pressed the speakerphone to press a tissue to her face to stop the tears from falling.

‘Where did I go wrong to bring you up to be a pervert?’ asked Justine.

Peggy arrived and stood in the doorway but didn’t like to disturb.

‘I’m not a pervert! Why does it matter so much who I chose to love?  Why does this one thing cancel everything you thought of me before?’

‘Because it’s disgusting and unnatural!  I didn’t bring you up to be this way.’