Cheryl was a long time friend of my mother. As I got into my teens, my sisters and I noticed that she was really spending more and more time at our house. There were indications that she was even spending the night. Nothing too obvious, we'd just noticed she was there late at night and then again early in the morning.
Then they started being a little more physical with each other than you would expect between friends. The occasional peck on the cheek started becoming more of a familiar kiss on the lips. If they were sitting on the couch together, they would often practically be in each other's lap. But even after all that, I think what really made me suspicious was when I heard them say "I love you" to each other. Friends say that to each other all the time, but something about the way they said it just seemed romantic.
Once it became too obvious to deny, my mother sat us down and told us that she had realized that she is a lesbian, and that Cheryl would be moving in with us. It didn't seem like a big deal. And then they announced their engagement not long after gay marriage became legal in Massachusetts, it didn't really surprise anyone.
I think the big difference between my experience with Cheryl and that of my sisters is that when they got married I was still young enough to be disciplined. I remember the first time that Cheryl reprimanded me about something, I didn't know if I should take it seriously. Cheryl is actually a school teacher, and she quickly became the disciplinarian in the family. The old 'wait until your father gets home' threat turned into 'wait until Cheryl gets home.'
Although I refer to her as Cheryl when I talk about her, to her face I call her "mom." She really is like a mom to me and I'm not afraid to admit I love her like I love all four of my parents.
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