Thugs and Kisses by Sue Ann Jaffarian

finally decided to go to Donny and ask about his family.”
    “He had no idea he had a son?”
    “None at all, and he had no clue that I was gay. If I had my way, he never would have found out about either.”
    “Did you come right out and tell Donny you were a lesbian when you contacted him?”
    Sally slowly shook her head and smiled. “He had no idea. Unfortunately, it was Lucas who spilled the beans about having two mommies.” She took another sip of coffee. “I contacted Donny through the alumni association. He thought I was trying to shake him down for support money, but once he realized I wasn’t, he wanted to know more about Lucas.”
    “And he wanted custody once he knew?”
    “Again, it was like a monster hiding under the bed. At first, Donny was happy to help with the medical history. He met Lucas, and they got along great. Donny even got along well with Jill and me after he found out we were a couple. Donny had three daughters with his wife, Cindy, and often they took Lucas with them on day trips. Lucas always returned to us excited to have spent time with his father, and he grew quite close to Cindy and the girls. I began to be sorry that I hadn’t let him know Donny sooner.”
    Our dessert plates were cleared and fresh coffee poured.
    “So what spurred the custody battle?”
    Sally sighed and suddenly seemed to shrink a bit. “Several months after Donny came into our lives, the doctors finally pinpointed Lucas’s health problem. Like I said, it turned out to be an allergy, and once discovered was easily cleared up. During that time, Donny made no mention of custody issues. But as soon as Lucas was a healthy, vibrant boy again, Donny moved in for the kill.
    “Out of the blue, one day we were served custody papers. Donny accused me of being a morally unfit mother, flaunting my perverted lifestyle in front of our impressionable preteen son.”
    She stopped, looked down at the coffee in her cup, and traced the cup with her right index finger.
    “The court agreed with Donny. After all, he had a good job as an executive of a sports equipment company and was in a traditional marriage, complete with three children and a dog. It was the happy American family.”
    “But you had a good job and a stable home life.”
    “Yes, I did, and my lawyer trotted out many character witnesses, including my boss, coworkers, and even Lucas’s doctor. But,” she said, holding up her index finger, “in the eyes of the court, especially in the eyes of the male, ultra-conservative judge assigned to us, I was a woman living an unnatural and perverted lifestyle, a woman who spurned men and the natural order of the universe.” She gave a short, rueful laugh. “That’s almost exactly what the judge said in open court; that I was ‘a woman who spurned the natural order of God and the universe.’ And that such a woman should never be considered fit to raise a child, especially a male child, when the father had the desire and ability to do so in a more traditional manner.”
    “But that’s downright ridiculous. Gay couples adopt and have children all the time.”
    “Now they do, Odelia. But that was fifteen years ago, and while some judges were starting to see the light, not all were.”
    “Didn’t you appeal?”
    “Yes, and we lost. Lucas went to live with Donny and his family, and I got limited visitation rights. I even had to pay Donny child support.” Her voice was beginning to crack, like a hairline fissure in good china. “Even after all this time, it’s difficult to talk about.” She looked up at me and gave me a weak half-smile. “And I haven’t talked about it for a long time.”
    I reached across the table and patted her left hand where it rested on the table.
    “I don’t know what I would have done without Jill’s support.”
    “Are you close now to Lucas? I remember you have a grandson.”
    Sally squared her shoulders, and her face lit up with the mention of her grandchild. “Oh yes, Lucas and I