a little closer now

There went Leo's phone again. Another text from Sal.

Sal asked if he were busy.

"Just a little homework." He text back.

"Think you can take a break?" Sal texted next.

Before Leo could think what to text. The door bell rang. He went to get it. Sal was at the door.

He was in shock.

"How.." Leo couldn't help to smile. Next thing he knew, there was his Mom with dish pan hands and his sister Maggie drying a bowl.

Before he could tell them much about Sal, his mom went to make tea.

It was funny to see Maggie, actually here. Yes, she'd moved back home, but he hardly ever saw her. She had a job and she seemed to work a lot of over-time.

Maggie was friendly enough.

"How did you two meet?" She asked.

"The spring fashion show." Sal smiled.

"What?" His mother looked at Leo. "You, never said anything about a fashion show."

"Well..he was a hit. No doubt." Sal smiled more.

Leo thought his hearing might be going, but Sal started telling them everything about Leo's scene in the modeling world.

Maggie squinted trying to get this right. It sounded hideous. No way could her brother have any feminine side to him.

Sure, it was a lot to swallow, to accept the fact that her little brother was gay and how her parents were all right with it. But now he was a drag queen.

"No..no..no..I'm not." He clarified. He then told the story of a few summers ago about Essie's friend who came with her to church.

"No..that..that couldn't have happened." Maggie didn't believe him. She met that girl with Essie.

"What is wrong with you?" Suddenly, their mother sounded so frightened as if this one little fashion show that Leo was in..would be hell to pay. "You're not thinking of getting an operation, are you?"

Maggie could see Leo was a little freaked by their mother's accusation, but their mother was talking about a TV show on reassignment surgery.

Maggie didn't want Leo's new boyfriend to see their mother's outburst.

"Maybe..maybe you two need to..I dunno...go out. Take a walk. Maybe go for coffee." She smiled as she did her best to comfort her Mom.

Finally they left, even if she knew Leo didn't like where this was going.

"Mom, its not the end of the world." She took her mom's hands. "I don't think he's going to become a woman."  She didn't want to say it, but she was pretty sure Leo was OK with his body. "And look..he's with a guy who isn't afraid if he wants to ..you know..dress as a girl." She was beginning to wonder if this was the mysterious fact, as to why Leo and Henry broke up. Not that Leo ever mentioned his relationship. Just as she'd never admitted to anyone that she had dated no one in the last five years. "He's a healthy young man."

She did know her amount of unhealthy teens. But she knew it all began at home. Acceptance.

"Just let him talk about this. Hear him out." She sighed.