Hard Decisions by Elaine © 2020

“I assume it doesn’t cause you any discomfort talking about this? Do you have any real regrets?” she surprised me somewhat with that question.

“No none recently,” I replied, “why do you ask?”

“Oh, it's just that my brother Alexis just had his sex change surgery in Portland a few weeks ago and he’s been feeling quite depressed since,” she said.

“Oh, I'm sorry, why is Alexis depressed?”

“He or sorry she as she is now has had all sorts of complications and hasn’t taken to them well.”

“I'm sure she'll recover quickly,” I said wondering what else was there to say.

“Well besides the surgical complications, Alexis has been disowned by my Pop and that has hurt her pretty badly,” Janis continued, “how did your family take it?”

“Both my parents are sadly dead, so I only lost my marriage through this,” I recounted what happened with Janine and my former wife, so Janis nodded her understanding. “I can imagine that your father feels that he’s lost his son and heir,” I continued, “How do you feel about Alexis?”

“Surprisingly I'm OK with it and so is my Mom but Pop is really low. I'm glad your sister was understanding and stuck by you,” she replied taking a seat in the kitchen after we’d walked back inside the house.

I poured three hot mugs of tea and then we sat and chatted. The conversation turned towards Jamie who’d patiently kept quiet throughout our first chat.

“I heard your parents were keen that you two got together,” I said to her.

“They would but that's just not possible,” she replied, “I'm a lesbian and always will be after my uncle molested me when I was 12. I've never allowed a man to touch me intimately since. I doubt I ever will.”

I wondered what other revelations she’d give me. I looked at Jamie and when Janis got up to powder her nose we started talking.

“You’re a crafty sly fox,” I said.

“Why?” he asked. “She's not my type I told you.”

“I can see why now. So, do you think I'm your type?”

“Maybe,” he replied.

“Maybe? Are you still not sure?”