The Big Sugarbush by Ana B. Good

Author:Ana B. Good [Good, Ana B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hot Pants Press, LLC
Published: 2016-11-23T08:00:00+00:00

39. Tele-Daddy

Babe took a long break between the Antwerps’ family session and Bunny Van Randolph’s family session. During her break, she burned a pot of sage in her office in an effort to cleanse the hatred Candice’s father had spewed. Raging familial homophobia was not new to Babe. But it was unpleasant. And it always left a stink.

Still, Babe had a feeling that Candice’s confrontation with her parents after all these years might help the surgeon stop running from her own sexuality. Queer was queer. Any attempt to make a compromise on that issue could easily lead to erasure. The world was very straight. Give it an inch and it would happily assume the same of everyone.

In Babe’s opinion, at some time or another every self-respecting lesbian had to look her parents in the eye and say, “I’m queer.” If that confrontation never happened, a woman risked spending her life being gay, but only behind closed doors. Straight in the streets; gay in the sheets. Candice, in her estimation, was that kind of lesbian.

Babe could see why Candice was reluctant to call herself gay. Her upbringing had clearly not been conducive to self-acceptance as a sexual person, let alone as a gay person. Babe wondered if the effort the surgeon had thrown into perfecting her external appearance was a cosmetic cover for the ways in which her parents had made her feel imperfect, loathsome even.

Babe’s skin crawled at the thought of a young Candice sentenced to a queer deconditioning camp. Only God knew what tortures Candice had endured in that camp two decades ago. No wonder the woman exhausted herself trying to achieve perfection; and no wonder she’d turned to prescription drugs for release. She wondered what lasting effect today’s open confrontation might have on Candice. In session, Candice had come out of her closet of denial. In fact, she’d embraced a gay identity fervently. That, decided Babe, was a good omen.

Candice’s mother, Ellie, seemed truly sorry for her past behavior, eager to try and understand her daughter going forward. The father, Daniel, on the other hand, was not budging an inch. Babe was eager to know what Candice would do with her mother’s attempt at reconciliation and her father’s continuing scorn.

By the time Babe’s office was cleansed, she was ready to face her next session. It was dark now. Most of the residents were saying good-bye to their guests for the night. They’d all return in the morning for more therapy as well as free time with their family members.

Bunny Van Randolph was sitting, legs crossed at the ankles, on the couch in the therapy room as they clock struck seven, time for her therapy session. Problem was, Bunny’s family was nowhere to be seen. Justin, Bunny’s personal valet, sat stiffly upright in a ladder-back chair across from Bunny. He nodded as Babe took her seat behind the desk.

“What’s this?” asked Babe. “Where is Senator Van Randolph?”

“D.C.,” said Justin. “He sent me.”

“Sent you?” Babe could not hide the incredulity in her voice.

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