Its official

Honestly, this was the first time that Eli was able to help one of his sister's. It felt pretty good, only he guessed this wasn't the time to see if she was impressed with he and Deiter's place.

Actually, they lived above Deiter's Yoga studio. They'd found a little place in the old market and it was doable..which was a new word Eli learned. Except now, when he looked at Effy, he doubted she trusted the word.

"So Mom just..just threw you out?" He needed to get this straight. "Where's your girlfriend, anyway? Why wasn't she with you?"

"I couldn't just drag Sean into this." Effy looked miserable now as she hugged herself. Deiter went to make some hot cocoa in their rather upscale flat. Eli still wasn't sure he lived here. But they'd been here since Thanksgiving.

"What did she exactly say?' Eli tilted his head back and forth as if he tried not to look so serious, only he did want to know his mother's true feelings about him and his sister. As it was, she would hardly speak to him, but that wasn't much different from before she knew he was gay.

"That... I was throwing my life away. That nobody..not any man would want me now." She sniffed a little harder. "I couldn't believe what Martha said to her. She really took up for me. She did."

Eli scratched the back of his head, not sure he wanted to get into a confrontation with his mother, but he tried to do the brotherly thing and put his arm around his little sister. It was awkward, but he knew he had to be there for her.

Effy still couldn't believe she walked out like she did. There was no going back. It might be a new year, but this was all so new. Being on her own.

She fell back on Eli and Deiter's orange sofa and relived it all over again.  She hadn't meant to hurt anyone, but she'd done it for Sean and now she wasn't even sure she could keep her voice steady if she were to talk to Sean, who was at her shift at the nursing home.

She closed her eyes and thought of Martha bringing to her mother's attention. "What if I ..I fell in love with  a woman?"

"You wouldn't." Her mother snapped.

"I dunno that. It could happen. I could meet her tomorrow and ..and ..think..she's the most fantastic person on the planet. It could happen, you know? It could." Martha stared her down. "Is that what has you so scared? You, could have those feelings too?"

Their mother looked at Martha speechless.

Effy winced hard wondering if Martha was still at home. She called Martha's cell.

"You're with Brice? Really?" Effy couldn't help herself from laughing. "Well, this is great. Its so great." She smiled. Effy felt certain a new door had opened for the both of them.