[Featured in FreetheLGBT: Diverse Literature reading list and Humor: Young. Dumb. Full of Fun list]
Colin Mitchell, a photographer at a well-known store, Snapshot, is openly gay--mostly. His ideal experiences are sexcapades that are always subtle, n...
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"I meant I would come over and babysit. I never said you could bring her here." Peter was tired of the fact that his move which had meant he'd had some time away from his sister was getting more and more undermined. He loved Lily and he loved Ivy-- although a little less-- but he would rather his first two days of moving out would not include their sudden appearance. Ivy could have at least texted first.
"You also never said I couldn't. And you sent me your address," Ivy countered, crossing her hands. "What did you expect?" Ivy looked around the room, hair whipping as her neck turned. "It's not like you have any girls in here... do you?"
"No... and don't be a bitch about it because I know you're taunting me with Kayla." Peter's gaze on his sister was stern but she wasn't fazed.
"It's not like I asked you to cheat." His sister made an innocent shrug, but the smile on her face was far away from what could be described as "innocent".
"It wasn't cheating," Peter defended.
"I'm pretty sure it was... but you can keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night." Ivy bent to kiss her daughter's forehead and whispered to her, "If you ever meet men like Peter, run for the hills, okay sweetie?"
Lily nodded even though her mother had already turned to her uncle and couldn't see it.
"I'll be back around four, hopefully. Take care of her and no cursing. I'm tired of having to explain to her teacher that I'm raising her responsibly." Making sure her warning rang out clear by attaching a well-aimed glare at Peter, she started towards the door.
A devious smile tugged at Peter's lips as he bent over, lips the same level as the little girl's ears. "You can tell that teacher to fuck off, flower."
Ivy turned, eyes going wide before she gave Peter the finger. Peter threw one back at her and in return, she used both her hands to demonstrate her annoyance. She wouldn't ever dare speak profanities in front of her daughter, but she could sure sign it.
Before the door closed shut, there had been quite a war on who could make the most obscene gestures and for the first time in a long time, Peter felt he had felt a spark from that same connection he had had with his sister long ago. It seemed like a distant memory because these days, Ivy was only a shell of her former self. Her husband had left her and it seemed he had taken the very vital force that made her herself. She was always overworked, always tired. The only time she was truly ever happy was when she was with her daughter.
"Okay, mommy's gone now. What do you want to do?"
Lily's small bow-shaped lips parted for a second, before they closed. She shook her head.
