I was eating dinner with Mel, Jared and Wanda when I decided to invite them to the "concert". Luce was a very talented singer and she was going to be putting on a little show that night, Anthony said that she had done them before and that they were a good way to relax after a day of work.
"That sounds lovely" Wanda agreed, seeming excited although Mel and Jared did not seem to feel the same way.
"I don't think we will go to that tonight" Mel said in a dismissive tone.
"Why not?" I asked, confused by their behavior, Mel and Jared had always been weird about the new group and I was getting a little tired of it.
"I just don't want to go Jamie" Mel said with annoyance clear in her voice.
"Why not? You never want to go to anything anymore and I want to know why!"
"We just don't feel any desire to spend time with those women" Jared offered as means of explanation.
"Who?" Wanda spoke up seeming confused.
"Those lesbians," Mel started, "Jeb's letting them stay here and I don't think we should turn them away but I just don't really want to be around them all the time."
"Why not?' Wanda pressed, she and Evie had become really fast friends and she was surprised by Mel's feelings towards her.
"Look we just aren't that comfortable with them, it's not a normal relationship and we don't want to just sit around a concert acting like nothing's wrong." I was shocked by Mel's statement, I had no idea she felt that way. I looked over and saw confusion and pain on Wanda's face.
"You don't like them because they are in love?" Wanda asked in a small voice.
"I guess we just don't really think of whatever they have as love" Jared said "And I don't think that we should have to justify our beliefs to you, I don't know what it's like with souls but on Earth we were raised with a set of values. We've lost a whole hell of a lot these last few years we shouldn't be asked to lose our beliefs, it's about all we have."
"But what if those beliefs don't make any sense?" I asked, anger on behalf of Luce and Evie welling within me. I remember being a little confused by Luce and Evie at first, I had never met any gay people before, but I would never say they were wrong. They were clearly in love and they were about the nicest women I had ever met.
"Look, I'm sorry you disagree but Jared's right, we don't have very much left these days and I don't want to sacrifice what I believe, I won't and I don't want to sit here and argue." She said standing up and walking out the door with Jared close behind here.
Wanda and I were left staring at each other not really sure what to say. As the words hung in the air I felt some unknown emotion stir within me, the sensation made me restless and I busied myself with memorizing the contours of the cave walls.
"Do you remember people thinking that way when you were young?" Wanda asked after a few moments, breaking the heavy silence that had settled between us.
"No, not really," I started and as I spoke Ian walked in with Pacey in his arms, "I mean, maybe. It really wasn't something that I thought about very much, maybe I was just too young."
"Too young for what?" Ian asked, as he arranged himself next to Wanda.
"Did you know Mel and Jared don't like Luce and Evie because they are lesbians?" Wanda asked.
"Yeah" Ian sigh rocking Pacey, "I thought that might be the case."
"Why though?" I still felt the discomfort of the revelation and I was desperate for some sort of answer.
"Well that's just how people were before, I don't know. Some people said it was because of religion, other people said it was because they weren't normal. Some places were better than others but it wasn't uncommon"
"But no one else seems to have a problem with them," Wanda said, "Jeb and Luce have gotten along very well."
"Yeah, well Jeb has always been a little bit off from the mainstream. Honestly, I don't think a lot of people cared that much before and now that there are so few people left, you aren't as inclined to push people away no matter what. To tell you the truth I wasn't to keen on gay people before, but falling for an alien tends to change your definition of love" Ian admitted looking affectionately at Wanda.
"Do you think they will change their minds?" I asked, hoping that he would say yes but deep down I knew what the answer would be.
"I don't know" Ian said as he handed their baby to Wanda, "I hope so, I really do, but sometimes when things are bad people need something to cling to."
"I just wish I could change their minds" Wanda rocked Pacey in her arms, "Do you think Evie and Luce know?"
"I'm betting this isn't the first time people have been less than friendly to them so I'm betting they have picked up on it, but I wouldn't worry too much. Those girls are tough and they know better than to let some cold shoulders get to them."
"They shouldn't have to deal with it at all" I said, "Things are bad enough as is without all this"
"I know, but all we can do is keep moving and try to make them feel as welcome as possible."
"Well," said Wanda, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder and smoothing the material of my old shirt "Then we should all get a little rest before going to Luce's concert tonight."
"I'll see you there" I promised as we got up and started to walk our separate ways.
"How much do you remember from before?" I asked Anthony as he got back into our room.
"I don't know" He said, talking off his shoes and flopping down next to me on my bed. I can't remember ever inviting him to lay next to me, but it quickly became our custom to be right next to each other as we talked, be it on my bed or his. "Just the normal stuff I guess."
"Like what?" I pressed turning onto my side so that I could look at him rather than the dusty stone that made up our ceiling.
"Well, my house, my cat and my parents." His voice caught a little as he spoke. I knew his parents had been taken not long after Grey was born and the memory still hurt. I placed a hand on his arm to comfort him.
"Do you remember people not liking gay people?" I asked sorry to have brought up painful memories, but hoping that he might have some sort of answer.
"A little," He replied, "I remember my mom and I walking by people with these really mean signs and being really confused until my dad explained what they meant. Why do you ask?"
"I guess I just don't remember anything like that" I answered, "I feel like if I missed that, how much else did I miss, how much do I not know?" Words started rushing out and I searched his face for answers but found his face relaxed as he let me go on, "We were so young when things changed. There is so much we missed! I wasn't able to really learn about what life was like before things changed."
"I understand," Anthony said, taking my hand that I had left resting on his arm, "We aren't like Evie and those guys who grew up before, but we aren't like Grey and Aubrey who can't remember anything else. All and all I don't think anyone really has it any better or any worse." He paused for a moment and squeezed my hand. "What brought this on?"
I took a deep breath and let out "Mel and Jared, don't like Luce and Evie because they are gay"
"Really?" Anthony asked, although from the look on his face he wasn't very surprised.
"Yeah, and I guess that it was common to dislike gay people before, but I can't remember anything about it. I don't think I even knew what being gay was before you guy got here. It's like there is a whole world I didn't know about, and now I don't know what else I don't know."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Anthony always wanted to talk about things. I wasn't much of a talker, but there was something about Anthony that made me feel comfortable sharing my thoughts, however jumbled they might be.
"It's just, I didn't really know what the world was like before and sometimes I can almost believe that things have always been like this, but then something will happen to remind me that this is so different than how it was. And it is so ridiculous, I mean I don't understand how they could dislike Luce and Evie for something so small." I rolled onto my back with a loud sigh, "I guess it's just a lot of stuff, and none of it really makes sense."
"I get that," Anthony said as he moved so he was on his side as well, our joined hands rest softly between us, "If it makes you feel any better I think about that stuff all the time too. It feels like we are supposed to miss the time before, but I don't. Sure life is hard but for the most part I think that life is kind of hard no matter what. Like for Luce and Evie, alien invasion or no people will judge them on their sexuality. Hell, people might be more open minded now than they were before. All in all I'm pretty happy where I am."
"Yeah" I agreed, "I guess I'm pretty happy where I am too."
"Good." Anthony smiled looking over at me and we fell into a comfortable silence content to just enjoy each other's company.
Luce's concert was a great time.
I sat with Anthony and Grey as we listened to Luce sing. Grey and Anthony seemed to know some of the songs and were able to sing along to some of them, but they were all new to me. I just listened as Luce's voice filled the caves and Grey squirmed in my lap. It all felt so normal, these people had really become like a family to me, and as I looked around and saw all the faces of the people I loved I knew I was happy where I was. My life was crazy and in the back of my mind there were ideas about picket fences and school rooms but I couldn't bring myself to care about them, as I listened to Luce sing and watched Ian and Wanda sway together, I loved my life in the caves.