I'm Gay that I'm Gay

"Okay children," Said Mrs. Lew, Libby's first grade teacher. The kids all looked up. "You can put your math packets away, and I'll tell you what we're doing next." Kids put their packets away in their desks and looked at their teacher again.

"What are we doing next?" One of Libby's friends, Jenny asked after she was called on.

"Well, as you know this Sunday is Mother's Day." Mrs. Lew continued. "So, we're going to make picture frames out of macaroni." Kids cheered.

"MMM, macaroni!" Lizzy said, licking her chops. "I love macaroni, espcially macaroni and cheese! My mom made it last night."

"I don't think you want to eat this macroroni. You are all going to have to glue it on picture frames." The bell rang then. Kids got out of their desks. Mrs. Lew went to the front. "Okay children, we'll start them after story time. Come when you are called." Mrs. Lew started calling kids for lunch.

"Too bad Libby doesn't have a mom." Sophie said to Natalie as they went to Libby. "If she did, she'd be giving the picture frame to her actual mom."

"Yeah!" Natalie added. "We have moms to give them to, but not Libby."

"What do you mean?" Libby wanted to know, looking at them. "Of course I have moms." Both girls laughed. Libby was confused. "What?"

"Libby," Sophie started to tell her. "Your dads can't be moms."

"Why not?
"Because moms are grown up versions of girls! Dads are grown up versions of boys."

"So, can't they be both?"

"No, those are the rules. Think of it, Libby. What genders are our moms?"

"Grown up versions of girls?"

"Right, and what are your parents?"

"Grown up versions of boys."

"So that means?" Libby frowned.

"I don't have a mom."

"Bingo."

"Then, what is Libby making a picture frame for?" Jenny asked. Sophie shrugged.

"I don't know, but definitely not her mom. It's not Father's Day. " Mrs. Lew then called Sophie. "Oh, got to go!" She went to the end of the line for lunch. Jenny and Lizzie looked at her friend.

"What are you going to do?" Lizzy asked Libby.

"I don't know." Libby answered. "Make them for my dads I guess."

"Libby Belle!" Mrs Lew called.

"Coming!" Libby called to her teacher. She went to stand in line with her fellow classmates.

"Libby!" Francine said, coming to her room at the end of the day. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Where are my dads?" Libby wanted to know.

"Oh Libby, you know they are both at work. That's why I'm picking you up."

"Are you going to tuck me into bed tonight?" Francine shook her head.

"No. Your dads will be home for that. I'll make your dinner though." Libby then frowned.

"Oh." She then showed Francine her picture frame. "Look what I made my dads!"

"Oh, how lovely; they'll love that!"

"I would've made one for my mom if I had one, but I don't."

"Well, I..."

"Let's go home." With that, Francine and Libby left the classroom.

It was Libby's bedtime, and Greg and Terri were still not home.

"Libby, it's bedtime." Francine told her. Libby was waiting for her fathers by the window. Licks, the pug that they got when Heath died, was by her side.

"Not until my daddies get here." She argued. Francine went to her and bent down. Licks barked, as if in agreement.

"But Libby, it's your bedtime. You don't want your dads coming home to find you're still up, do you?" Libby shook her head.

"No." Francine stood up and took Libby's hand and took her towards her room.

"Then, come. I'll tuck you in."

"Can you read to me, too?" Francine smiled.

"Sure, sweetie." Libby looked down at her dog.

"Night, Licks." The dog barked, jumped in her arms and licked her. Libby laughed. "Down boy, down!" Licks hoped down. Libby followed Francine to her room.

Francine read Are You My Mother? to Libby that night.

"Will I find my mother?" Libby asked when the book was finished. Francine was confused.

"What are you talking about?" Francine wanted to know. "Your dads are your moms." Libby shook her head.

"They can't. They're both grown up versions of boys. Sophie said moms are grown up versions of girls."

"Who's Sophie?" Libby yawned.

"A girl at school."

"Well, Sophie's wrong. True, your dads may not be like most moms, but that doesn't mean they can't act like them. Just think, most kids have one mom and one dad, but you, you have two dads." Libby yawned again.

"I guess. Goodnight Francine." And with that, Libby closed her eyes and fell asleep. Francine smiled and patted Libby's head.

"Goodnight, Libby." She was about to stand up when she felt Libby snuggling up to her. She looked down at the little girl.

"Mommy." She said in her sleep. Francine was shocked. She then heard a car pull up. She stood up and walked out of the room.

"We're home!" Terri shouted as he and his partner entered the room. "Libby, are you ready to go to bed?"

"Shhh!" Francine whispered to them. "Libby just went to sleep."

"Aw, man!" Greg cursed. "We missed tucking her in, reading a bedtime story, and kissing her goodnight?" Francine nodded.

"Afraid so." Greg looked at Terri.

"If we came home fifteen minutes earlier, that'll be us doing those things for Libby, not Francine."

"Well, we couldn't have passed a red light, could we Greg?" Terri reasoned. "What kind of example would we be setting for Libby?" Greg sighed.

"I guess. I just wished we could have done the nightly routine with our little girl, instead of Francine." Terri sighed as well.

"Me too, Terri. Me too."

"Francine?" Stan asked his wife, who was just sitting on the couch, looking gloomy. "What's wrong? You look gloomy. You haven't moved from that couch since you got home from Greg and Terri's. Mind telling me what's on your mind?'

"Oh, it's nothing Stan." Francine told her husband. Stan shook his head.

"No, something's wrong, Francine. We have been married for over 30 years. I know you just like you know me. Now, something's up. What is it?" Francine sighed.

"Well, today Libby seemed upset."

"Upset? What for?"

"She didn't act upset, but I know that she was. It's almost Mother's Day and all she has are her two dads."

"I knew it!" Francine looked at him, confused.

"Knew what, Stan?"

"I knew that by not having a mom around, the child would question it. That's why I kidnapped her soon after she was born."

"But then you learned what you did was wrong and that it doesn't matter the gender of your spouse as long as you have a healthy relationship and raise a nice, loving family."

"Right and you are her mom. You were pregnant with her for nine months."

"I know." Francine began to have tears in her eyes. Stan went to comfort her. "Francine! What's wrong?" Francine sniffed.

"After I tucked Libby in, she snuggled up to me and called me 'mommy.' Stan, I missed having my babies here." Stan held Francine's hands in his.

"That's just the Empty nest syndrome talking. I know how you feel, I miss them too." Francine sniffed again.

"And ever since Steve moved out, Klaus got back into a body and moved back to Germany to find his family…"

"He won't find them." Stan interrupted.

"I know." She then continued. "and Roger moved back to his home planet because 'our lives got boring,' now, it's just you and me. Roger's right, our lives are boring without the kids and Klaus. I bet this story won't be as funny and exciting because like that fire-lizard Pokémon and that slimly blob creature, they were the 'comedy duo' of this show."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss that fish and alien too. But don't worry honey; we're a married couple. All parents go through this when their kids move out. We can get though this together." Francine smiled.

"I hope so, Stan."

"Okay Libby," Francine told Libby when they were at the park the next day. She had Licks on a leash "We're at the park. Don't get lost."

"Yay!" Libby cheered. The young girl ran to the playground. Francine sat down on a bench and opened her book. Licks sat on his haunches and rubbed at a flea.

"Is that your kid?" A woman asked Francine.

"Oh, no." Francine told her. "I'm just babysitting her." She went back to her book.

Libby ran to the slide. She was about to climb the ladder, when a boy pulled her back.

"Hey!" He shouted. "I was here first."

"No you weren't; I was here first."

"No, I was."

"No, I was." The boy scowled at her.

"Look, I don't need a stupid little girl telling me I wasn't first when I clearly was." Libby bit her lip.

"I'm not stupid!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"I don't have time to argue with you." He grabbed onto the ladder. "I got to go down this slide." He stuck out his tongue at her. "Ha!" He was about to continue climbing, when the woman sitting by Francine on the bench, shouted at him.

"Aaron!" The voice scolded. The woman stood up marched up to him and grabbed him. "You bad boy; you know better! Now, apologize to the girl right now!"

"But, Mom…" Aaron started. His mom shook him firmly.

"Apologize!" Aaron sighed.

"Fine!" He looked at Libby. "I'm sorry. You're right; you beat me by one second. You can have the slide first." Libby smiled.

"Thanks! I accept you apology."

"Now, didn't that feel good?" Aaron's mom asked. "To say sorry and admit you were wrong?" Aaron sighed again.

"Yes, Mom."

"And aren't you lucky you have a nice, loving mother to tell you what's right and wrong?"

"Yes, Mom."

"One more mean thing Aaron and we're leaving the park! Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Good; I'll be watching you." And with that, she went off to sit by Francine again. Aaron looked back at Libby.

"Well?" He started. "What're you waiting for? There's other kids who want to use the slide too, you know." Libby nodded and went down the slide.

"Five minutes, Libby!" Francine shouted to her. "Five minutes, then we have to get home!" Libby nodded. She got off the rocking seahorse and ran to her.

"Can you push me on the swings?" She asked.

"Sure." Francine said. She put down the book that she was reading. She turned to Aaron's mother and offered her Licks' leash.

"Can you hold onto him while I push her."

"Sure." The woman replied. She took the leash from Francine.

"Thanks." Francine then went to where Libby was. Libby got on the swing, and Francine started to push her. Libby laughed as the air rushed through her hair.

"HIGHER, HIGHER!" She yelled. Francine pushed her higher. Libby then laughed and laughed.

She then heard crying. She looked and saw that a little boy has fallen off the monkey bars. His mom rushed to her son and comforted him. She then put a Band-Aid on his elbow. The boy then hugged her.

"Thanks Mom; you're the best!" The boy told her. Libby then saw three kids on a picnic blanket and listening intently to their mom who was reading to them from a storybook.

"Okay girls." Libby saw a man say who had a cellphone. Two girls were next to him. "What do you say to mommy?"

"We love you, Mommy!" They both said into the phone at the same time. Libby sighed as she looked away. Tears stung her eyes as she sniffed them away.

"Libby?" Francine questioned. She then noticed Libby's tears and stopped pushing her. "What it is, dear?" Libby couldn't answer. She was too sad. "Libby?" Then when the swing slowed down, the girl jumped off the swing and ran into Francine's arms, crying.

"I want a Mom, Francine!" Libby sobbed. "I want someone who reads to me, puts a Band-Aid on my boo-boos, kisses me, someone I can say 'I love you' to, and who teaches me from right and wrong!" Francine was confused.

"What are you talking about, Libby? You got your Dads. They can do all of that. I'm your…" Libby shook her head, tears still in her eyes.

"That's not enough! I want someone like me, a grown-up version of a girl."

"Oh, Libby. I think that's enough time at the park." She looked at her watch. "Five minutes are up anyway. Come on, let's get you home."

"Can you be my mommy?" Francine's eyes widened again.

"Let's just go home, dear." Libby nodded. Francine thanked the woman again, took Licks, and they went home.

"Libby?" Greg asked as soon as Francine left. Francine had told him and Terri what had happened at the park.

"She's in here!" Terri called when he saw Libby in her room, playing with her dolls. He looked at her daughter. "Your father and I would like to talk to you." Libby nodded, put down her doll, and followed her dad.

Her dad led her to her other dad in the living room. He was sitting on the couch.

"Sit here, Libby." Greg said. Libby nodded and plopped herself by him. Terri sat on the other side so Libby was in the middle. Licks hopped up and lay by Libby. Libby petted him.

"What is it?" The seven-year-old wanted to know. She let Licks be and looked at her two dads. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"About what you told Francine at the park." Terri answered her. She frowned.

"Oh, am I in trouble?"

"No, no." Greg told her. ""Of course not."

"Then what it is?"

"Libby," Terri began. "We need you to understand. Francine is your mom!" Libby looked at him, confused.

"Why doesn't she live with us then? Doesn't she love us?"

"She's not that kind of mother." Libby looked more confused than ever now.

"Really? What kind of mom is she?"

"She's your surrogate mother."

"What's a surrogate mother?" Terri was about to answer when he looked at Greg who shook his head. Instantly, he got the message. Libby wasn't ready for that kind of talk yet.

"You'll learn when you're older." He said instead. "Just because something's different or you don't do things the way that other people do things, doesn't make it wrong. Does that make sense?"

"I think so." Greg patted her hair.

"Your Daddy and I love you; that's all there is to it. We're a nice, loving family. That's all you need."

"Well, okay!" She hopped up off the couch. "If that's all I need." She hugged Greg. "I love you Dad." Next, she hugged Terri. "I love you, Dad."

"We love you too, sweetheart." Terri told his daughter. "And remember, whenever you find a problem or just want to talk, we'll be there for you." Libby smiled.

"I will, Dad." And with that, she ran to her room.

"And don't give whoever made you upset a hard time tomorrow!"

"I won't, Dad!" Greg looked at his partner.

"You think we did the right thing, Terri?"

"Yes Greg, we did."

"I love you, Terri."

"I love you too, Greg." And with that the two men hugged each other.

On Mother's Day, the gay couple and their daughter went to Perkins for lunch. They were surprised when they saw Stan and Francine enter too. Steve and Hayley were with their parents.

"Dad, look, it's your neighbors!" Steve said.

"Looks like they were thinking the same thing we were for a place to eat." Hayley added. "What a surprise!"

"Wow!" Greg said as he shook Francine's hand. "I didn't know you all would be here." Terri and Stan went to sign them in.

"Well, this is Mother's Day." Francine told him. "The restaurants are packed! We were going to go to Olive Garden, but the wait for a table was over two hours." Greg was shocked.

"You're kidding! Well, hopefully you won't have to wait long here."

"I hope not either. Then coming here would be a waste."

"Well, not totally. If you'd've gone to another place to eat, you wouldn't have met us!"

"I guess, but you are our neighbors." Greg looked hurt.

"Are you saying you aren't thrilled to see us?"

"No, no, no; I'm glad to see you guys here!" Greg looked irritated.

"I know how you feel, Francine. You don't have to hide it." Stan then came by his wife.

"I signed us in." He said. "We only have to wait a couple minutes." Francine turned to her husband, shocked.

"Really?" She questioned. "That's great!" Terri then came by his partner.

"And we don't have to wait long, either."

"That's great!" Greg responded. He looked at Francine. "Isn't that great, Francine." Francine smiled.

"It sure is." She agreed. She then changed the subject. "So, how's Libby? How did she take it?"

"Very well." Greg answered. Francine looked glad.

"Oh, that's good."

"Libby gave us the frame that she made us and we put it on the fridge."

"And they loved it!" Libby piped up. Terri turned to her and patted her head.

"That's right, butter cup."

"Well, I'm glad you guys and Libby wrapped things up." Francine said to him.

"Well, we didn't have the big talk yet. Libby's too young for that. But for now, it's good."

"Stan Smith!" An employee called to them. "Your table is ready."

"Well, talk to you later." Francine told Terri. And with that, she followed her family.

"Yeah," Terri said. "Talk to you later."

"Terri Bates!" A second employee called. Libby's face beamed.

"That's us!" She cried. Terri and Greg smiled at each other and followed their daughter.

Straight, lesbian, gay, as long as you can be happy and raise a nice, supportive, loving family, that's all there was to it.