Cover up in Stuff

Megan and Olsen went to spend the holidays in Florida with Megan’s moms. They were gone for nearly three weeks. It felt weird and quiet around here, reminding me how much their relationship together seems to bleed over into my daily life. No Megan or Olsen drama for three weeks. It reminded me of my life a couple years ago when Megan was just a random neighbor I paid little attention to.

I confess I wasn’t even sad to not have them around during the holidays. There was something nice about being able to enjoy the time with Mercy and Harrison. I enjoyed immensely being able to do things just the four of us.

Harrison keeps me abreast of her life without me ever really having to put much effort into it. Mercy, on the other hand, really keeps everything to herself. I feel like in the last year I’ve lost some of my connection with her. A lot of that probably has to do with her being a teenager. But sometimes I think about her seeing her therapist twice per week and all the mental stuff that must go along with being transgender at her age (“transgirl” is the phrase I’ve been hearing her use lately), and my heart breaks that I’m feeling mostly uninvolved.

She dressed up to go out to dinner on New Years Eve. Dress, heels, jewelry, the whole package. She looked great and I told her so. She responded, “You have to say that because you’re my mom.”

I said, “It’s true I would never hurl insults at you and tell you you look terrible, but I don’t have to compliment you if I don’t want to. You look great. You look pretty.”

She said she wished I would tell her she was pretty when she’s in jeans and tshirts too. The lawyer in me immediately wanted to argue that a moment ago she was complaining about me complimenting her and now she’s asking for more compliments. But I didn’t say that. I told her I would, and then I gave her a smile and told her I love her.

Part of her Christmas gift from me was a spa visit with manicure and pedicure as well as seeing a hair stylist, and she really seemed to enjoy having those experiences prior to getting dressed up that night.

When Olsen and Megan returned last night I got to hear all about their experience. That probably requires an entry of its own. Megan’s moms apparently are hardcore nudists. Not the type of people that just go to nude beaches, but the type of people that spend nearly 100% of their time nude. You’d think people like that would cover up when they have guests, but I guess not.