Winnie Nash Is Not Your Sunshine by Nicole Melleby

Author:Nicole Melleby
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
Published: 2024-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

twelve

“Why do you keep giving me gay books?” Winnie confronted Jeanne at the clubhouse the next day. Her parents had left early that morning, after kissing Winnie goodbye and telling her, again, to have fun the rest of her summer. Winnie hadn’t asked to go with them.

While her parents slept the night before—her mom bunking up with her grandma in her grandma’s bed, her dad on Winnie’s couch, and Winnie on the floor—she couldn’t get her mind to turn off. Instead, she’d reached for the book Jeanne had given her, and she started reading it.

She didn’t stop reading it until the light was starting to shine through her grandma’s windows come morning.

Winnie knew from her English teacher that Audre Lorde was a Black poet who wrote about identity, but she had no idea that Audre Lorde was queer. There was coincidence, and then there was Jeanne Strong, who saw Winnie at Asbury Pride and sought her out and demanded she read yet another gay book. Winnie was sure Jeanne was doing this on purpose.

She didn’t even fight her grandma about tagging along that day. When her grandma got ready, so, too, did Winnie. Winnie was on a mission, and once they arrived at the clubhouse, she immediately sought out Jeanne. “I read your book last night. Audre Lorde is gay! Just like Idgie and Ruth,” Winnie said, practically shoving the book back in Jeanne’s hands. “I’m not stupid, you’re doing this on purpose.”

“Did you like the book?” Jeanne asked.

Winnie loved it, but that wasn’t the point. “You saw me at Asbury, at Pride.”

“I almost didn’t recognize you!” Jeanne said, smiling. “And not just because of the rainbow face paint. Your face! You were all sunshine and happiness there for a while. I don’t think I’d ever seen you smile before.”

“You can’t tell my grandma we were there. You didn’t tell my grandma, did you?” Winnie paused, suddenly realizing something. “You were at Pride. Does my grandma know that you . . . ?”

“I’ve been queer for about a thousand years, Winnie. Your grandma most certainly knows. She knew my wife, too, matter of fact,” Jeanne said.

Winnie felt a little bit like she needed to sit down. “My grandma knows . . . ?” Jeanne nodded. Winnie’s grandma knew. Was that the real reason her grandma didn’t like Jeanne? Because she was gay? Because she had a wife? Was Winnie’s mom right to worry that Winnie’s grandma would hurt her, too?

Would her grandma hurt her?

Winnie thought they were starting to get along, but . . .

But . . .

“You can’t tell my grandma you saw me there. And you need to stop giving me these books! She’ll figure it out eventually if I keep having gay books around the house!”

“I thought you were just being all preteen about your reaction to Fried Green Tomatoes, but then I saw you and I got it,” Jeanne said. “I see you, Winnie. So, if you’re not ready now, you come to me when you are.

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