Alex's POV

"Are you having a boy or a girl?" little Shianne asks me.

"A girl," I answer. "I'm naming her Kylie."

"That's my friend's name! Are you married?" Shianne asks.

"Yes, I am." I tell her. I can't believe I'm being interrogated by a six-year-old.

"You're really pretty. I bet you looked like a princess in your wedding dress. What's your husband's name?"

I have no idea how I'm supposed to answer this. "Well, Shianne—"

"She's married to my sister. Casey is her husband," little Charlotte Novak tells her friend and I can't help but giggle at the thought of Casey being my husband.

"She can't be married to Casey, Charlotte. Girls can't marry girls. The Bible says it's wrong," Shianne tells Charlotte.

"No, it's not. Alex loves Casey the way my mommy loves my daddy. There's nothing wrong with that. My mommy says that some girls like girls and some girls like boys, but we all come from the same God and He loves us all the same," Charlotte tells her.

"Well, she's wrong. My mommy says that all gay people deserve to burn in Hell," Shianne tells Charlotte and me.

I start to wonder what kind of parent would tell their children about Hell and who 'deserves' to go there at such a young age, but then I remember this isn't Boston or Los Angeles. Alexandra Novak, you are living in a small town in a red state.

The theological argument between the two six-year-olds starts to get more intense until Charlene Novak walks into the room. "Girls, pizza is here," she tells them. Oh, thank goodness. All ten members of Charlotte's Daisy Girl Scout troop run out of her bedroom door and toward the kitchen.

"Your daughter is adorable," I tell Charlene after all the girls have left the room.

"Which one?" she teases.

"Charlotte, she's so smart and she really sticks up for what she believes in. I hope Kylie is like that," I tell her. "She just got into an argument with her best friend about why Casey and I aren't going to Hell."

Charlene places a hand on my shoulder, "Alex, about that. There are some people in this town who are bigots. I should know, I was one of them. But you and

Casey should never be ashamed or have to hide who you are. You're my daughter now and I care way more about you and your happiness than what someone might say about your homosexuality."

"I love you, Mom," I tell her.

"I love you, too, Alex. Now go eat something. I'll tell your wife and my husband to come inside now."

When dinner is over, Casey and I decide to let her parents have some alone time while we take charge of Charlotte's Girl Scout sleepover. We figure we should get all the practice we can get for when Kylie is that age.

"Do you girls want to hear a scary story?" Casey asks.

"Yeah!" They all reply excitedly.

"Okay. Have any of you seen the abandoned house on First Street?" Casey asks.

"That's across the street from where I live," Shianne informs everyone.

"Great, so you know which one I'm talking about," Casey tells her.

"Tell us the story, Casey!" Charlotte says as she's growing antsy.

"Yeah, Casey. Tell us!" says another little girl.

"A serial killer used to live in that house—" Casey starts.

"Babe, they're just little girls. I think this might be too scary," I tell her.

"We're not little! We're big girls! Me, Shayla, Shianne, Emma, and Allie are in first grade!" Charlotte says. "Lily, Chrissy, Sarah, Hannah, and Jordan are in Kindergarten so they might be scared, but not us!"

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" I ask them.

"Oh, c'mon, Alex. I heard this exact same story when I was a kid and I turned out relatively normal," Casey tells me.

"Fine," I say hesitantly as I see the pleading look in all the girls' eyes. They're at such a cute age and they're so anxious to be considered "big" girls.

"His name is the Lover's Lane Slasher," Casey says. "There's this place by the creek where all the high school couples would go to kiss and—"

"Eww!" the girls say as they explode into a fit of giggles.

"There was this one couple who stayed there later than everyone else. Their friends told them to leave but they wouldn't listen," Casey says. "Anyway, when they were all alone, a man approaches their car and breaks the window."

"Did he get them?" Shayla asks with a worried look on her face.

"Yup," Casey says. "the Slasher grabbed his knife and slit the boy's throat while his girlfriend watched."

"What happened to the girl?" Charlotte asks.

"The slasher grabbed her from the car and took her to his house," Casey tells them.

"What'd he do to her?" I ask.

"He locked her in a dark room and when she turned on the light, she saw that she was surrounded by dead bodies. Because she saw this, the Slasher couldn't just let her go. She had seen way too much so he kept her prisoner there until one day he grabbed his chain saw and cut her into a bunch of tiny pieces."

All ten of the little girls start screaming. Casey is really in for it now.

"What the heck is going on down here?" Charlene asks. "Casey, did you tell them that slasher story?"

"Maybe," Casey says hesitantly.

"Cassandra, go to your room," Charlene tells her. "And thank you for interrupting something I hadn't gotten in awhile."

I start to giggle, but Casey looks disgusted. "TMI, Mom. TMI. Come on, Alex."

Before going to Casey's room, I glance at the little girls one last time. Girl Scout sleepovers, Disney Princess sleeping bags, and pink pajamas. There's only two more months left. Oh, Kylie, I can't wait for you to be born. You and I are going to have so much fun together.